Texas

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The Bandera General Store

No road trip through the Texas Hill Country would be complete without a stop in Bandera. Located along the Medina River approximately 50 miles northwest of San Antonio, Bandera is the county seat of Bandera County. It sits where the rolling Hill Country meets the rugged Edwards Plateau.

Bandera takes its name from nearby Bandera Pass, which appeared on maps as early as 1842. Bandera is the Spanish word for “flag” or “banner.” Although the name’s exact origin remains uncertain, a popular account says Spanish settlers and Apache leaders met near the pass to make peace. According to the story, they placed a flag on a hill to mark the boundary between their territories.

The town was founded in 1853. Its early settlers included Polish immigrants who helped establish the community and built St. Stanislaus Catholic Church. One of Bandera’s earliest industries was the production of cypress shingles made from trees growing along the Medina River.


After the Civil War, Bandera became an important staging area for cattle drives heading north along the Western Trail. By the late 1870s, this route had largely replaced the famous Chisholm Trail as the principal trail north. Millions of cattle traveled the Western Trail before expanding railroads, barbed-wire fencing, and the closing of the open range brought the great cattle-drive era to an end.

Today, Bandera calls itself the “Cowboy Capital of the World.” Given its history as the start of the Western Trail, it has earned the title. Cheryl and I enjoyed our visit to Bandera. The downtown area has a vintage-western character all its own and is a fun place to explore. It’s easy to park, stroll the sidewalks, browse the unique stores, and enjoy a place where the spirit of the Old West still feels very much alive.


Our main reason for visiting Bandera was to explore the Bandera General Store at 306 Main Street. Historical sources differ on whether the building dates to 1907 or 1921, but it has certainly enjoyed a long and colorful past. Over the years, it has housed a dance hall, movie theater, saddle shop, feed store, appliance store, and Western-wear shop.


Like many of the historic stores we visited during our Texas Hill Country road trip, the Bandera General Store occupies one of the coolest old buildings in town. Its original wooden floors and pressed-tin ceiling remain, filling the store with vintage character and offering visitors a connection to Bandera’s colorful cowboy past.


The Bandera General Store offers a wide assortment of Western and Texas-themed merchandise, including cowboy boots, hats, clothing, souvenirs, antiques, books, toys, and home décor. It also carries locally made jams, jellies, honey butter, spices, salsas, and hot sauces. We enjoyed browsing the store’s interesting selection and even picked up a couple of things for our cabin—along with some old-fashioned candy for the road.


One of the store’s coolest features is its 1950s-era soda fountain. Pull up a seat and enjoy Blue Bell ice cream, milkshakes, malts, floats, sundaes, sodas, freezes, or a classic banana split. The welcoming, family-friendly atmosphere makes this a great place for kids—and kids at heart—to enjoy a cool treat.


Cheryl and I really enjoyed our visit and appreciate how Bandera works to protect its unique history and character. This heritage is a special gift for everyone who lives in or visits the town. We hope Bandera keeps its one-of-a-kind spirit and continues to share its story for many years to come.

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The Garven Store

Cheryl and I spent an amazing week driving the back roads of the Texas Hill Country in search of old country stores. We discovered so many interesting places and so much history along these quiet two-lane roads. After a few days of exploring, we set our navigation for Mountain Home, a small community south of Interstate 10 and home to the Garven Store, one of the historic stops on our list.

Mountain Home is a small, unincorporated ranching community in northern Kerr County, located at the junction of State Highways 27 and 41. Settled around 1856, it received its post office and name in 1879, briefly becoming known as Eura in the early twentieth century. Ranching has long been the foundation of the local economy in this rugged part of the Texas Hill Country.


When we made our initial list of historic country stores to visit, the Garven Store easily made the cut. Everything we learned about the store convinced us that it was a must-see stop on our Hill Country trek. The historic Garven Store is located at the remote intersection of U.S. Highway 83 and Texas Highway 41 near Mountain Home. The store traces its roots to Scottish immigrant William Burney Garven and his son Edward, who purchased ranchland along the historic Rocksprings-to-Kerrville trail.

In 1932, Edward built the original store on his ranch beside Highway 41. When his son Clarence left the following year, Edward’s wife, Lettie, took over its operation with the help of ranch hand Gene Roberts.

In 1948, Edward and Lettie’s daughter Myrtle and her husband, George “Bill” Dowdy, assumed responsibility for the store. Their son Billy remembers a time when customers arriving after hours could take what they needed, write down their purchases, and leave payment on the counter. That was definitely a different time!

When U.S. 83 was constructed through the area in 1952, the store building was moved from its original location to the crossroads where it stands today. In 1998, Billy and Shirley Dowdy began operating the Garven Store, continuing five generations of family involvement. Over its long history, the little store has survived economic changes, highway construction, and the challenges of its isolated Hill Country location.


When we stepped through the double screen doors, we were not disappointed. The front part of the store remains much as it was when first built, with worn wooden floors, sturdy old shelving, a counter where generations of customers placed their purchases and exchanged money, and an original candlestick telephone mounted on the wall. The whole place felt as though decades of history were still lingering in the air.


Today, the Garven Store proudly boasts that it has “the best dang jerky in Texas.” Of course, we had to put that claim to the test. For such a little store, it offers an impressive selection, and Cheryl wasted no time choosing several varieties for us to sample. Our conclusion: They are telling the truth in their advertising. The jerky is truly outstanding.


In addition to their great selection of homemade jerky, they offer a large selection of pickled products bearing the Garven Store brand. And if you need an affordable pocket knife, they have a selection in pick-and-grab boxes next to the cash register. The addition on the back side of the store has refrigerated coolers with a variety of drinks and a few simple grocery items.


The Garven Store has remained open for nearly a century, and we hope it will welcome travelers for many more years. Places like this are more than convenient roadside stops; they are living museums of Texas history. Country stores once played an essential role in rural communities, providing farming and ranching families with groceries, supplies, news, and a place to connect with their neighbors.


The next time you are traveling from here to there, take a closer look at the map and add a stop along a back road. Find an old country store, historic site, or other hidden place worth exploring. We are fortunate to have so many Texas treasures tucked away along quiet country roads. I promise you, the extra time and miles will be worth it.

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Gruene General Store

I first visited Gruene in the late 1970s while living in Corpus Christi. I wanted to take a group of singles from our church on a rafting trip, so—long before the days of the internet—I did a little research and discovered the Gruene River Company. They were wonderful to work with, and our group had a great experience on the Guadalupe River. That trip became my introduction to Gruene and the beginning of my appreciation for this historic Texas community.


Gruene is located along the Guadalupe River within the city limits of New Braunfels, about 35 miles northeast of San Antonio. German immigrant Ernst Gruene and his family settled in the area in the 1840s. His son Henry later developed Gruene into a prosperous cotton-farming community, building homes, a general store, a cotton gin, and the now-famous Gruene Hall.


When the boll weevil devastated the local cotton industry in 1925, most of Gruene’s businesses closed. The dance hall—now known as Gruene Hall—was the town’s only business to remain open. Gruene lay largely dormant until restoration efforts began in 1974 and the community was recognized as a historic district.


The Gruene General Store reopened in its original building in 1989, giving visitors a look at an old-fashioned Texas emporium. The wooden floors are worn and creak as you walk, with some damaged spots patched up with old license plates. Like many historic general stores in Texas, you can still feel the past in the air.


Cheryl and I took our time exploring the entire store. There was so much to see—vintage advertising signs, antique fixtures, old-fashioned candy, homemade fudge, Texas-made foods, Christmas ornaments, and an assortment of fun Texas-themed souvenirs. The store even has a soda fountain, completing the nostalgic experience and making a visit feel like a step back in time.


There is, of course, much more to see and experience in Gruene. The day we visited, the historic district was packed with visitors—and I loved seeing so many people enjoying this special place. Gruene is definitely a Texas treasure.


Cheryl and I can’t wait to introduce our granddaughters to the Gruene experience. And, of course, when we take them to the General Store, we will probably buy them whatever they want. That’s what grandparents do!

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Our General Stores Bucket List

If you have watched enough Westerns, you have likely seen a scene or two play out in a general store. In the small towns of the American West, the general store played an important role in everyday life.


As a fan of old Westerns, I find one of the most memorable general-store scenes in the 1953 classic Shane, starring Alan Ladd. Much of the conflict between a powerful rancher and struggling homesteaders unfolds at Grafton’s General Store and adjoining saloon, which serves as the town’s commercial and social center.

Like so many things in history, the general store occupied a particular slice of time that is now gone. It was eventually replaced by stores that were bigger, broader, and supposedly better—but maybe not.


The closest thing to a general store in my world is the Little Burro Country Store, located about an hour south of Alpine in the Big Bend Valley, just north of Study Butte and Big Bend National Park. Our cabin is only a few miles away, and whenever we need something to get us through, this is the place we shop.

The Little Burro carries just enough essential goods to keep locals from making the hour-long drive to the grocery store in Alpine. More than once, however, what I expected to be a quick visit has turned into a much longer stay. I have enjoyed my share of conversations on the store’s front porch—a reminder that a good country store is still more than simply a place to shop.

The Little Burro is a small surviving example of the role general stores played in the history of the American frontier. It provides essential supplies and serves as a gathering place, with plenty of seating where locals and visitors can pass the time.


Old general stores were important for several reasons, not the least of which is that they helped the local economy. Farmers and ranchers bought supplies there. They also sold or traded their own goods. These stores connected small, isolated communities to the outside world, often acting as post offices, telegraph offices, and stagecoach stops.

Genuine general stores are a thing of the past. What remains are some really cool General Stores around the Lone Star State that, once you walk through the doors, revive nostalgic feelings and take you back to a simpler time. Some of these old stores occupy the same piece of real estate that housed them from their beginnings. Others are housed in old buildings that look and feel like an old-time general store.

Cheryl and I hope to visit as many of the remaining general store locations in Texas as we can on upcoming road trips. I have written about a few of these stores and will follow up with posts on the others as we visit them. The checkmarks indicate the stores we have visited. I hope you will come along for the ride.

Here is our General Stores Bucket List. Leave a comment with info about any locations missing from our list.

Hill Country and Central Texas
✓ Bandera General Store — Bandera
✓ Camp Verde General Store — Camp Verde, near Kerrville
• Castell General Store — Castell
• Coats Grocery and Market — Gause
✓ Fischer Store — Fischer
✓ Garven Store — Mountain Home
✓ Gruene General Store — Gruene Historic District, New Braunfels
✓ Kendalia General Store — Kendalia
• Luckenbach General Store — Luckenbach
✓ Pipe Creek General Store and Dance Hall — Pipe Creek
✓ Welcome General Store — Welcome, near Brenham

East Texas
• Edge General Store — Edge, near Hearne
✓ Farmers Mercantile — Orange
• General Mercantile and Old-Time String Shop — Nacogdoches
✓ Jefferson General Store — Jefferson
• T. C. Lindsey & Co. General Store — Jonesville


North Texas
• The General Store — Fort Worth Stockyards
• Martin General Store — Granbury
• Texas General Store — Grapevine


West Texas
• Eggemeyer’s General Store — San Angelo

Gulf Coast and South Texas
• Girouard’s General Store — Freeport
• Morales Store — Morales, near Edna

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Back to the Ranch

My grandfather was sixty-six when I was born at Mission City Hospital in 1956. The hospital was small, but it was just right for our little town of Mission, Texas. I wasn’t his first grandchild, but I was the only one who lived nearby.


By the time I was born, my grandfather had already lived in Mission for over forty-five years. He worked as a real estate developer, served on the Mission City Council, led Boy Scouts Troop 20, and as a Notary Public helped many people in the community.


Yet, throughout all his years in Mission, he never forgot his roots on the family ranch in Duval County. He maintained a lifelong love for the outdoors and returned to the ranch every year to hunt or ride his horse. Although he had left the ranch many years earlier, the ranch had never left him. It remained a part of his heart.

He wrote in his journal about how much he loved ranch life. Here’s part of what he wrote:

Returning to the ranch proper at the end of the day, you feel hungry and ready to eat. Your appetite is plentiful, and by nine o’clock you are already in bed and so sweetly tired that nothing can perturb the quietness of your nerves. The breeze on the east porch where I slept was an ideal location.

Trips of this kind were better than medicine. Your feelings are better served and the next day you have a desire to work vigorously.

And so time was consumed in these routines of ranch life. What a wonderful method of passing your time.


My grandfather shared many stories about life on the ranch. Reflecting on those stories helped me understand how the ranch shaped him. Ranch life helped him develop a strong work ethic and become someone who never complained and always tried to help others.


I also admired how he kept his love for the outdoors and adventure all his life. From his childhood to his later years, the ranch was like good medicine for him. He often talked about riding horses, hunting, and even stretching barbed-wire fences. I was always fascinated.


After my first visit to the ranch, I tried to go back as often as possible. I found that the ranch had the same effect on me as it did on my grandfather. Most importantly, each visit made me feel closer to him. Since the ranch was special to him, it became special to me too.

I feel the same way whenever I visit our off-grid place in Big Bend. When I’m there, my mind feels calmer, my heart feels stronger, and the desert air refreshes me. Time seems to slow down. The hard work is satisfying, sleep comes easily, and life’s routines feel simpler and more meaningful.

Now I understand what my grandfather meant. Places like these truly are better than medicine. Whenever I go back to our little spot in the Chihuahuan Desert, it feels like I’m returning to the ranch and to him.

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Visiting El Frijolillo

My grandfather was a storyteller. From as early as I can remember, he shared wonderful stories with me—stories that made my imagination sit up and pay attention. I loved listening as he told Aesop’s fables, the story of Androcles and the Lion, and other fascinating tales. This was during an age when television was still in its infancy and storytelling remained a treasured form of entertainment.

But the stories I loved most were those he told about his childhood growing up on a ranch in Duval County. To this day, Duval County remains rugged scrub country, populated by mesquite, cactus, and other stubborn vegetation seemingly determined to stick, cut, and wound the unsuspecting traveler.

As a boy, I was captivated by his stories of riding horseback across the ranch. During his teenage years, he worked as a cowhand on the George West Ranch, located not far from his family’s ranch. His stories made me want to be a cowboy, just as he had been before leaving ranch life behind to attend business college in San Antonio.

One day, he told me about being thrown from his horse at a place he called El Frijolillo (pronounced free-ho-lee-oh). He described it as a thick, tangled cowlick of mountain laurel and chaparral at one end of a pasture. The fall was apparently memorable enough to remain vivid in his mind decades later. As a boy, I often dreamed about that mysterious place called El Frijolillo.


When I was barely a teenager, my grandfather arranged for me to visit my country cousins at the ranch. He bought me a bus ticket from Mission to San Diego and sent me off on a great adventure—all by myself, with only a small suitcase in hand.

The only thing I remember about the bus ride was sitting next to an older woman who had doused herself in an overpowering amount of perfume. I could hardly breathe and pressed my face against the window, hoping for even the slightest whiff of fresh air. Toxic fumes aside, I made it to my destination, where my Uncle Florentino, my grandfather’s half-brother, was waiting to pick me up.

Florentino was a towering man. When I stepped off the bus, there he stood—wearing khaki pants, a long-sleeved shirt, black boots, and a straw cowboy hat. He looked down at me with welcoming eyes, shook my hand, took my bag, and led me to his pickup truck for the nearly twenty-mile drive to the ranch. That day marked the beginning of a lifelong friendship with Florentino.

I told Florentino that while I was at the ranch, I wanted to see El Frijolillo. He laughed and remarked that this was the very place where a horse had violently bucked my grandfather to the ground. Then he assured me that I would indeed get to see El Frijolillo—on horseback. I grinned from ear to ear and could hardly wait.

My cousins made sure that I experienced plenty of great adventures. They took me rabbit hunting, led me on hikes through the brush, climbed with me into deer blinds to survey the land, and introduced me to horseback riding. I killed my first rabbit, and my aunt cooked it for supper that very evening. Unbelievable! This adventure was already more than I had expected.


But the greatest adventure of all was riding a pony out to El Frijolillo, the place that had etched itself into my grandfather’s memory decades earlier. For whatever reason, he never forgot that fall—perhaps because being thrown from a horse was a rare occurrence, or because the impact had bruised itself so deeply into his memory.

I was there. Finally. As I surveyed the place, I could hear my grandfather’s story echoing in my mind. Standing on that very ground made me feel even more connected to him and to the ranch land that had nurtured him. This was part of my history—and now I had become part of the story of El Frijolillo.

Decades have passed since my great adventure on the ranch. When my grandfather told me stories about life on the ranch, he unwittingly gave me a wonderful gift. He gave me a connection to the land and to my family. Best of all, he gave me a connection to the boy he once was. Now, whenever I think about El Frijolillo, I can hear my grandfather’s voice and feel inspired to keep the storytelling tradition he shared with me alive.

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Good Food at Texas Tradition

Hungry for a good bacon cheeseburger, Cheryl and I decided to visit Texas Tradition in Old Katy. I had eaten there soon after moving to Katy but, for whatever reason, had not been back in years—probably because it is outside my usual traffic universe.

When Cheryl and I started looking for a new place to eat, I remembered Texas Tradition. Cheryl had never been there, so we decided to give it a try. Texas Tradition is a small, family-owned and operated restaurant that takes great pride in serving a menu packed with comfort food.


Although it is not far from our home, it is not on any of our daily commutes. When we arrived, we pulled into a packed parking lot—always a good sign.

The moment we walked through the door, we were warmly greeted and escorted to a table. The dining room was full of people enjoying good food in a country-Texas setting, complete with metal wainscoting. The place had the warm, welcoming feel of a small-town café.


Of course, we knew exactly what we wanted without even looking at the menu: bacon cheeseburgers, with the bacon leaning toward the crispy side of the scale, two Coke Zeros with plenty of ice, and onion rings instead of fries.

The service was fast. Our burgers and onion rings arrived in paper-lined plastic baskets with no room to spare. The burgers were generously sized, and the onion rings were thick, crispy, and chunky. Everything looked and smelled completely appetizing.


The first bite generally tells the story, and this one did not disappoint. The burger was absolutely delicious. I am not a foodie who can dissect every ingredient in a dish. I am simply a guy who enjoys a good burger and knows one when he bites into it. This was unmistakably an amazingly delicious burger.

And the onion rings were a step beyond. These were not skinny little rings but thick, beefy, almost life-preserver-sized portions. They were so good. I may try the French fries on another visit, but Cheryl and I were glad we chose the onion rings.

All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed both the food and the atmosphere at Texas Tradition. The staff was friendly, attentive, and responsive to our every need. We have now bookmarked Texas Tradition as a place we will visit again.


The menu offers plenty more to explore, including several delicious and surprisingly affordable daily specials listed on the back page. We will definitely be back.

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Chasing Clouds in Big Bend

It is rare for me to head to our cabin in Big Bend without a list of projects to tackle. In fact, one of the things I enjoy most about spending time there is planning and completing projects that make our off-grid cabin and property a little more comfortable and enjoyable.

The physical work is always a welcome change of pace. For me, there is something deeply satisfying about working with my hands, seeing progress at the end of the day, and investing in a place that has become a refuge for rest, reflection, and adventure.

However, on our recent trip to Big Bend, my project list was unusually short. Nothing major on my list, just a few projects that could be finished in a matter of hours. It felt a bit strange to arrive with so little to do, but I took it as an opportunity to find new ways to relax and enjoy the beauty of this vast and rugged region of Texas.

Instead of focusing on what needed to be built or repaired, I gave myself permission to slow down. I spent some quality time working on some devotional lessons. Cheryl and I also drove into Study Butte to eat at our favorite Mexican restaurant. Of course, we always enjoy sitting around the fire pit to wait for the golden hour, when the waning sunlight turns magical, and the stars start to fill the vast desert skies.


What I enjoyed most, however, was climbing on my electric mini-bike and chasing clouds. For whatever reason, the clouds captured my attention. They looked so dramatic and beautiful against the deep blue sky as they drifted above the mesas and bluffs. I spent hours riding up and down the dirt roads, chasing them across the horizon and stopping to photograph their ever-changing shapes and shadows.


As the day wore on, the clouds eventually joined together to become a storm, complete with thunder and lightning. Cheryl and I loved sitting on the porch of our cabin and watching the desert storm roll across the landscape. In a place where rain is rare and precious, a storm is better than television. As the winds arrived carrying that distinctive fragrance of approaching rain, we found ourselves thinking of John Denver’s words: “You fill up my senses, like a storm in the desert.”


There are few experiences that compare to that moment. The sky darkens, the temperature drops, the wind begins to stir, and the fragrance of rain fills the air. It is one of those gifts that is difficult to describe. You do not simply see the storm—you feel it, smell it, and breathe it in. For a few moments, the desert comes alive in a way that engages all your senses.


As night fell across the desert, the distant lightning became even more dramatic. Flash after flash illuminated the horizon. Every flash revealed the outlines of mesas, bluffs, and clouds that had disappeared into the darkness. The light show was mesmerizing—nature’s own display unfolding in silence except for the occasional rumble of thunder rolling across the desert.


It was a wonderful way to end the day and to spend our final night at the cabin. Sitting on the porch, watching the storm move across the distant landscape, we were reminded once again why we love this place so much. The rain brought refreshment to the thirsty desert, and in its own way, it refreshed us as well.


Sometimes the best moments in Big Bend are not found in accomplishing a project or checking something off a list. Sometimes they are found in slowing down, chasing clouds, and watching a desert storm roll across the horizon.

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Manna in the Chihuahuan Desert

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.

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An Adventure Deep in the Heart of Texas

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.