Last November, Cheryl and I hosted the first retreat at our cabin for the men from the Manna House. This Christ-centered residential recovery ministry for men addicted to alcohol and drugs is located in the small town of Brookshire. The year long program is designed to lead men to be set free, set apart and set on fire.
The Manna House guys arrived early Thursday afternoon. I rode my electric mini-bike to Little Burro Country Store at the intersection of Highway 118 and Legions Road to meet and escort them the final three miles to the cabin. I have sure enjoyed riding my mini-bike along the dirt roads around the cabin. So much fun!
The guys wasted no time in setting up their tents and getting situated. In the meantime, James and his sous-chefs, Doug and Chris, started meal prep. Prior to their arrival, my friend Kyle and I built a special table for Dutch oven cooking. James is a master of Dutch oven meals so I wanted to improve our outdoor cooking area for him to work his culinary magic.
As in the previous year, we gave each of the men a hydration backpack along with all sorts of miscellaneous gear for day-hikes: first aid kit, emergency whistle, space blanket, caribeners, flashlight and headlamp, compass, paracord bracelet, and more. We sat around the campfire that first evening talking about hiking and preparation for wilderness survival.
The guys enjoyed several hikes on the two days they visited Big Bend National Park. Each night we sat around the campfire for a debrief on the day. So much fun to hear about how much they enjoyed the park. And, of course, the guys lingered around the campfire until the stars and the Milky Way filled the night sky.
The best part of our time out west was the day Raul and Timothy were baptized in the Rio Grande River. Having a relationship with Jesus is essential to their recovery and to taking that first step to be set free, set apart, and set on fire. Having all of the guys witness their baptism made it all the more special.
I am grateful for the Manna House and their commitment to help men in recovery. Over the past twenty years I have met so many men at the Manna House whose lives were changed for the better, who arrived in a state of despair and desperation and left with a new hope and a new future.
Cheryl and I consider it a blessing to host these men at Dos Arbolitos, our little slice of heaven in the Chihuahuan Desert. Our prayer is that God would bless us with many more years of good health to continuing hosting outdoor adventures for boys and for men and helping them to connect with the One who created the beauty of Big Bend.
My days of adventuring started when I was a kid growing up in the small South Texas town of Mission. Our mesquite-shaded backyard, accented with broad stands of prickly pear growing out of hard-packed dirt, was where I first felt the thrill of adventure. I climbed and fell out of mesquite trees, harvested crispy and lifeless cicada shells clinging to gnarly mesquite branches, stalked birds with my air rifle, and made my first campfire in that big backyard.
My thirst for adventure is still strong six-decades later. But what really adds to my excitement is introducing boys to adventure. When Cheryl and I purchased our first tract of land in the Chihuahuan Desert outside of Big Bend National Park, we dreamed of developing it as a basecamp for adventure — especially for boys and dads, boys without dads, and families.
This past week we hosted our fourth annual Big Bend Adventure for boys from the Brookshire community and their mentors. The Brookshire community, located west of Houston, has the highest percentage of fatherless homes in the greater Houston area. We host our campouts in partnership with The Hangar, a ministry of Eyes On Me. This Christian non-profit exists to mentor, disciple, and serve at-risk youth and their families.
The boys arrived mid-afternoon on Sunday. Their first order of business was to select a campsite and pitch their tents. For many of the boys, this was their first time to set up a tent and to sleep outdoors. One boy spent the first night sleeping on top of his sleeping bag because he did not know that he was supposed to unzip it and crawl inside. The temps dipped to 26-degrees that night. He learned a valuable lesson and was much warmer on his second night.
On the first night around the campfire, we gave each boy a hydration backpack and all sorts of survival gear — first aid kit, headlamp, flashlight, emergency blanket, whistle, compass, paracord bracelet, and other cool outdoor stuff. We explained why each piece of gear is important and then used that item as a metaphor for a spiritual lesson.
The boys enjoyed two days of adventure in the national park. They hiked some beautiful trails and saw some remarkable scenery. This was the first time many of these boys had visited a national park. They enjoyed every minute of hiking and boulder scrambling and dipping in the Rio Grande River.
We also set aside one day for the boys to do tasks around the property that can only be accomplished by cooperating with one another. We talked to them about the importance of doing any assigned task well and why their work is essentially their signature.
This year the boys pounded t-posts along what will become a new fence line, fastened the horizontal pieces to cedar posts to make H-brackets and then tensioned those brackets with smooth wire. As in years past, they did a truly remarkable job on their assigned tasks.
James Meredith returned once again to serve as lead camp cook. James met with some of the boys to plan and execute meal prep. Every meal was so good. It was great to see some of the older boys step up to help with the meal preparation — a great way to learn responsibility.
My favorite time is always our evening campfire time. The boys sat around the campfire and listened to testimonies from our friend Rene, aka 211, from El Paso. He shared his powerful story of spending years in prison and falling in love with Jesus. He is a great mentor and a powerful speaker.
My friend a fellow staff member Bobby Cooley shared his emotional story of growing up in a broken home. Bobby is a testimony to the transforming power of the gospel. God rescued him from a childhood so crazy and that was leading him down a path that would have destroyed him.
A young man who goes by the name Nephew was released from prison 36 days prior to the campout. He shared his story of being shot on the streets, almost dying, going to prison, and having a life-changing encounter with Jesus who transformed his life.
As a result of listening to these campfire testimonies, five boys placed their faith in Christ and asked to be baptized in the Rio Grande River. Remarkably, on the day of the baptism, a visitor to the park who witnessed the baptisms asked questions and then placed his faith in Christ for salvation and was also baptized.
Once again, Cheryl and I felt reaffirmed in our commitment to make our place available to serve the purpose of God in our generation. Our hearts are filled with gratitude to God for the ministry of The Hangar and all of the boys and mentors who spent the week with us under the magnificent Big Bend skies. To God be the glory for the things He has done.
When we purchased our Big Bend property six years ago, Cheryl and I dreamed of developing a place where we could escape to relax and enjoy the outdoors. We also wanted to have a place where boys and fathers and families could visit to connect with God in the magnificence of His creation.
For the past three years we have hosted a Big Bend adventure for boys from Brookshire — a community with the highest concentration of fatherless homes in the greater Houston area. We have offered this retreat in collaboration with The Hangar Unity Center, a Christian non-profit in Brookshire that exists to mentor and disciple at-risk youth and their families.
Last week, we hosted men from The Manna House in Brookshire. Manna House is a residential recovery program for men addicted to alcohol and drugs. Their year long program is built around three objectives: to lead men to be set free, set apart and set on fire. My friend Ryan Orbin, the new executive director of The Manna House, and I have been dreaming about this adventure for the last year.
The Manna House guys arrived on Thursday afternoon. That evening, we sat around the campfire and gave all of the men their very own outdoor gear, including hydration backpack, first aid kit, compass, whistle, emergency blanket, flashlight, headlamp, and more. We talked about the importance of shared adventure with other men and why alone is dangerous.
Most of the men in the group grew up in tough circumstances and never enjoyed outdoor adventures. So, they were both anxious and excited about going to Big Bend National Park to hike and to enjoy the magnificent views of the Chihuahuan Desert and the Chisos Mountains.
The guys hiked the Lost Mine Trail and the Window Trail at the park and later visited Santa Elena Canyon and the Hot Springs Trail. For many of the men who had never hiked, the trails were challenging. Every man, however, pushed through and completed each hike.
As we enjoyed a meal around the campfire while the sun dropped below the mountains and mesas to our west, one of the guys said that this adventure had exceeded his expectations. He said that his eyes were opened to all he had been missing. “All I have ever known,” he said, “is trailer parks, motels and prison.” And then he remarked that he wanted to stay close to God and finally start living. What a testimony to how God used this shared adventure in his life.
While the Manna guys were on the trail, my neighbors Joe and Lisa spent a couple of days working on the solar infrastructure for our guest cabin. They erected the iron framing that will hold the solar panels in front of our guest cabin. They also added three Lithium batteries that will power the guest cabin and our main cabin as well.
My friends Selim and Rafa, along with a couple of the Manna guys, dug a 150-foot trench between the cabins where we buried the power cables that will connect all of the structures on the property. These solar power upgrades will ensure that we have enough power to carry us through even on days that are overcast.
We concluded our time by inviting our neighbors to join us for a meal followed by a star party led by my friend Yogi — the local guru of Big Bend night skies. He is better than Google and is passionate about sharing his love for the night skies out here in this wide part of Texas.
One reason I enjoy working hard on projects every time we visit the cabin is knowing that what I do will bless the family, friends, and guests who will visit in the future. We are stewards of our little place only for a short while. We want for our short while to make a difference by blessing others. We are thrilled that the Manna House men had the opportunity to experience and enjoy the magnificance of Big Bend.
In November 2022, Big Bend National Park topped National Geographic’s Best of the World Travel List. Located in the vast Chihuahuan Desert, Big Bend also boasts the darkest night skies in the nation. It’s one of the places that affirms “the stars at night are big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas.”
In 2018, my wife Cheryl and I purchased the first of our off-grid tracts deep in the heart of Texas. Beckoned by the wide open spaces, distant mesas, deafening silence, and endless skies, we established Dos Arbolitos, our off-grid base camp for solitude and adventure in the Big Bend Valley section of the vast Terlingua Ranch.
One of our dreams for Dos Arbolitos was to host adventures for boys and dads and also for boys without dads. That dream came true three years ago when we hosted our first Big Bend Adventure for boys from fatherless homes in partnership with The Hangar, a Christian nonprofit situated in Brookshire.
The Brookshire community, located west of Houston, has the highest percentage of fatherless homes in the greater Houston area. The Hangar, a ministry of Eyes on Me, exists to mentor, disciple, and serve at-risk youth and their families.
This week, we hosted the third annual Big Bend Adventure for boys (and their mentors) from Brookshire. This is one of my favorite weeks of the year. The adventure is designed to provide opportunities for good conversations between the boys and mentors around the campfire and on the trails.
One of the key things we focus on is teaching the boys that it is better to do life in community with others because alone is dangerous. We teach them the importance of watching out for one another on the trails. And, the work projects we plan can only be accomplished by cooperating and working well with others.
The boys arrived at Dos Arbolitos on Sunday afternoon. The first order of business was pitching tents and setting up their respective campsites. For many of the first-timers, this was the first time they had set up a tent. It was nice to see the older boys teaching the younger boys how it’s done.
James Meredith returned for the third time to serve as camp chef. I don’t know of a better guy to cook for a campout than James. He is a master at cooking on grills, griddles, Dutch ovens, and campfires — and usually uses all of these to prepare a single delicious meal. James is, understandably, a very popular guy on the campout.
On the first night of the adventure, we sat around the campfire and presented the boys with their hiking gear. We gave each boy their own hydration backpack, first aid kit, headlamp and flashlight, survival blanket, whistle, compass, and more. We explained each item and why they are necessary for the adventure — and then used each item as a metaphor to talk about an aspect of their walk with Christ.
After giving the boys their gear, one of the youngest guys on the team sat wide-eyed at all that he had received. He looked at one of the mentors and asked, “Do I have to give all of this back after the hike?” He was blown away to hear that this was now his own personal gear and that he dId not have to return it after the adventure. I don’t think he took off his backpack the whole time we were together.
I invited my friend Joseph Bear, known as Yogi to locals, to do a star party for the boys. Yogi and my Big Bend neighbors Chris and Ken were kind enough to set up one of his large telescopes. Yogi told stories about the night sky. The boys enjoyed looking the moon, planets, and stars. My neighbor Chris took a great pic of the moon through lens of the telescope.
As in previous years, the boys spent two days on day-hikes in Big Bend National Park. This is always an eye-opening, jaw-dropping experience for these boys who live in tough urban settings. The hikes are also an opportunity for mentors to talk about outdoor preparedness and safety and why adventuring alone can be dangerous.
We also set aside one day to do tasks around the property — jobs that can only be done by communicating and cooperating well with others. These included clearing fence line, bracing corner posts for a new section of fencing, addressing some erosion, and adding t-posts for future fencing.
These tasks are hard and require attention to detail and looking out for the guys working beside you. After working on a section of fencing, one boy shared his thoughts around the campfire. “This was one of the hardest things I have ever done,” he said. “And now I know that I can do hard things.” Wow! That is a valuable take-away for a young man.
One of the boys worked beside Ian, one of the mentors. As they cleared brush for a future fence, Ian shared the story of Jesus with Gavin. After a long conversation, Gavin placed his faith in Christ for salvation and was later baptized in the Rio Grande River along with four other boys.
My favorite night was our final night around the campfire. On that night Dennis, the executive director of Eyes On Me, the non-profit that directs the outreach to at-risk homes in Brookshire, asked the boys to affirm one another. The boys then took turns speaking words of encouragement and affirmation to one another. The words spoken were better than food for many of these boys who seldom receive such affirmation.
This Third Annual Big Bend Adventure was so much fun and a huge success. The boys were so appreciative of the opportunity to participate in the adventure and returned home tired but encouraged by their time under the vast Big Bend skies, deep in the heart of Texas.
My weakness is outdoor gear. When I get home in the evenings I like to peruse YouTube in search of the latest camping or hiking or anything-outdoors gear reviews. So, it should come as no surprise that I have all sorts of gear crammed onto the shelves in my garage. And, because I am a trekking pole junkie, I keep no less than three sets of trekking poles in my pickup truck at all times. Better to be prepared!
While recently watching a YouTube review of the latest in tents for car camping, I was wowed by a cube tent that attaches to the framework of a straight-leg 10 x 10 pop-up canopy. Amazingly simple and fast set-up that yields lots of usable square footage that, honestly, is closer to the glamping side of the camping equation. After doing some research, I found a very affordable version of this tent — the Ozark Trail ConnecTent. So, I placed my order on Amazon and then waited with all of the patience of a kid on Christmas Eve. When my packages finally arrived I couldn’t wait to get home to set everything up in my backyard. And then, it rained! At the first available opportunity, I unpacked everything in my backyard and proceeded to set up the tent. Although I managed to set my tent up by myself, the set-up of this particular tent would have been a bit easier with an extra hand to help. My wife Cheryl arrived home just in time to help me finish the job. Setting up this tent is really pretty intuitive. I began by setting up the pop-up canopy. It is important to have a straight-leg rather than a slant-leg canopy in order to properly attach this particular tent. I raised the canopy to the lowest position and then proceeded to clip the tent to the framework. Very easy stuff. Once I had everything clipped into place, I staked down the tent. A particular feature that I like about the pop-up canopy is that it comes with four guy-lines already attached to the corners. This adds a good extra measure of stability, especially to withstand high winds. The inside of the tent is huge. I set up my camping cot just to get a feel for the interior space. Love the spaciousness of this tent. Perfect for car camping when I have the luxury of bringing extra stuff to set up a more comfortable base camp for hiking or biking in a state park.
I will have my first opportunity to use my new ConnecTent under the big Texas sky when I attend the Llano Earth Art Festival during Spring Break. I have a camp site reserved and can’t wait to set up my tent for a fun weekend outdoors. Will write more after the festival in Llano. Until then, happy camping!
Note:This is my first installment in my new Outdoor Gear blog category. Having and using the right gear is an essential part of enjoying adventures in the Lone Star State.
I absolutely love to camp out. From my days as a Boy Scout to today, I love everything about camping — including the preparation. Preparing to camp or the anticipation of heading out on an outdoor adventure is a big part of the fun. I am one of those guys who enjoys walking slowly down the camping aisles at local sports and outdoors stores. I just like looking at camping stuff and, occasionally, adding an additional piece of gear to my collection. When it comes to camp hygiene, I have tried everything from baby wipes to solar showers to compact backpacking showers. While camping in the bush in Tanzania and later venturing down one of the trans-Himalayan rivers in South Asia, I relied on my solar shower. I just set it out at the start of the day, let it heat up, and then enjoyed a refreshing rinse at the end of the day. I added a compact pocket shower when I ventured to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and camped for a week on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. It was the perfect piece of gear for washing my hair in the mornings and taking a quick rinse at the end of the day. Like my larger solar shower, this compact version worked really well.
Of course, the only drawback to both of these pieces of gear is that you need something from which to hang the shower. Add a couple of gallons of water and now you have to find something that can hold sixteen-plus pounds of water weight. That can be hard to do at times. On my recent camping trip to the Guadalupe Mountains, finding a place to hang my camp shower at my base camp proved to be a challenge.
So, I looked at other shower options for my car camping adventures in the Lone Star State. As it turned out, camp showers can be a bit pricey. I needed something that could sit on the ground to eliminate the frustration of positioning a shower bag on a tree limb. And I needed something that could save water and still get the job done. So, I decided that a camp shower hack was the answer — something that would cost me a fraction of the price of a camping shower unit. The answer: turn a multi-purpose garden sprayer into a shower unit. The only thing to keep in mind here is to start with a new unit rather than one that has been used to spray garden chemicals. I opted to buy a RoundUp brand 2-gallon garden sprayer unit. Because the sprayer hose was not very long, I also purchased a generic kitchen spray hose (the kind that fits onto a kitchen sink spray nozzle) to lengthen the hose. The only other items I needed were two couplings. Within a matter of minutes, some quick splicing and coupling of the hoses, I had my shower unit. I chose to use the fan-spray nozzle that came with the sprayer. This nozzle produces a heavy mist spray that also saves water. A few pumps to build up pressure in the sprayer and my shower was fully operational. Of course, I did test it in my shower stall at home. Worked as good as I had hoped. My new camping shower will now be a part of my car camping gear, along with my pop-up privacy shower tent. No more worries about hanging stuff from a tree branch. I will now be able to enjoy a refreshing shower wherever I car camp. The only other thing I will do is to paint the unit black to absorb more heat in the day time, leaving a clear strip on one side to monitor my water level. Here is my all-in cost for my camping shower hack (figures rounded up):
• Garden Sprayer | $20.00 | I could have saved $10.00 by opting for a one-gallon unit.
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