A Message to Every Father Who's Ever Wondered "Am I Enough?"
Dear Fellow Father,
If you're reading this, chances are you're searching for something. Maybe you're a dad who feels overwhelmed trying to raise boys in today's culture. Maybe you're watching your sons drift into digital worlds and wondering how to reach them. Maybe you're a single mom desperately seeking godly male mentors for your boys. Maybe you're homeschooling and looking for a program that aligns with your values.
I understand. Because I've been there.
I'm John, a mechanic from Benton, Pennsylvania. My wife Dawn homeschools our four boys - Samuel, John Jr., Stephen, and Daniel. We are a family of five sons, but our youngest Timothy is in heaven; he only lived for about a month.
December 2023 was a breaking point. The boys weren't listening. Responsibility seemed foreign to them. Both Dawn and I wondered if we were failing as parents.
In desperation, I actually considered sending them to a Christian military school. "Anything" to teach them discipline, character, respect.
That's when God intervened through a simple Facebook ad for Trail Life USA.
I searched for local troops. Nothing. No troops for hours in any direction.
The thought came: "I wish someone would start a troop near us."
Then immediately: "What would it take to start one myself?"
And just as quickly: "I CAN'T do that!"
Maybe you've heard that whisper too. That quiet voice suggesting you step up and do something that terrifies you. That calling you've been ignoring because surely God meant someone else - someone more qualified, more equipped, more spiritual.
Here's what I've learned: God doesn't call the equipped. He equips the called.
I felt God speak clearly: "What about YOU? Why can't you start it? Don't you want this for your boys? What if you do nothing and by the time someone starts this, your boys are too old?"
"The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace."
- Exodus 14:14
That verse became my anchor. I didn't have to have all the answers. I just had to be willing. God would fight the battles.
After a week of prayer, I told Dawn. She encouraged me to talk to our pastor. After another week of praying together, I approached Pastor after Sunday evening service.
"Pastor, I have a question. What would it take to start Trail Life in our church?"
His face lit up with a huge smile. He turned to our sound man Doug: "Are you hearing this?"
"We've been praying for a while that someone would step up to lead Trail Life!"
Parents, if you're waiting for confirmation that God is calling you to something, watch for moments like this. When your pastor has been praying for the exact thing God laid on your heart - that's not coincidence. That's divine orchestration.
On the drive home, Dawn and I sat in awe. This was clearly God's leading.
I told Dawn we'd need to make sacrifices for this ministry. Earlier that year, my father had offered to give us the unfinished house he'd started building - the same house that sat incomplete after my brother Samuel's tragic death at 21.
"We're not working on the house this year," I told Dawn. "We'll seek first the kingdom of God and put Trail Life first."
"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."
- Matthew 6:33
Parents, here's the truth: When you prioritize God's kingdom, He takes care of everything else. That doesn't mean life gets easy. It means you discover He's faithful in ways that leave you breathless.
When I announced we were starting Trail Life, two of the people we'd been praying about were waiting to talk with us after service. God provided our core team in ways only He could orchestrate.
In April 2024, I attended a Peak 3 training event. The cold nights, great food, and the spirit of the men set my soul on fire. I couldn't wait to get our troop started.
When one core member couldn't pass background checks, God had Chris Olsen step up from treasurer to troop master. When we needed financial wisdom, God sent us Donna, a retired college professor with a heart for God, as our treasurer.
Parents searching for a program: Do you see it? God doesn't just provide a youth program. He provides a team of adults who will love and invest in your sons.
On a warm June evening, Dawn and I sat around a campfire. I casually checked Trail Life Connect on my phone.
We were no longer "pre-charter." We showed CHARTERED!
Within an hour - WITHIN AN HOUR - two families from neighboring churches messaged wanting to join. One had driven 90 minutes to another troop before it closed. Another had tried starting their own troop but couldn't find enough core members.
We went from four boys to ten boys in a matter of hours.
Parents, do you know what this means? Somewhere, other fathers and mothers were praying the same prayer I prayed: "I wish someone would start a troop near us." And God answered all our prayers at the same moment. Your prayer matters. Your longing for something better for your son matters. God hears you.
Our treasurer Donna wanted to raise $500 through a yard sale. But God laid $1,500 on my heart - money to help families who couldn't afford uniforms and handbooks.
While collecting items, our clothes dryer broke down. For weeks, Dawn hung all our laundry on a clothesline. We kept our focus on the fundraiser, trusting God's provision.
Then came the miracle within the miracle: One of the Trail Life dads donated a washer and dryer to the sale. But we only needed the dryer. The very next day, we discovered another lady in the church had her washing machine break and was washing clothes by hand with no money for a new one.
God had provided exactly what was needed for TWO families - before we even knew about the second need.
The yard sale day arrived. Our boys worked from 9-3, waving signs, helping customers, passing out Gospel tracts and Trail Life literature, witnessing to strangers.
Final count: $1,350.
I kept praying for another week. That Sunday, a man approached me. When I explained we'd prayed for $1,500 but received $1,350, he handed me a check.
"God wants me to give you the remaining $150."
Exactly $1,500.
But God wasn't finished. A father stood up at our next meeting and volunteered to pay over $300 for handbooks for the entire troop!
Our second yard sale fundraiser brought in another $700. God's provision continuing to overflow.
Parents, do you see what God does when you step out in faith? He doesn't just meet your needs - He exceeds them in ways that leave you in tears of gratitude.
At our next meeting, I told the boys how God had answered their prayers. I reminded them how Abraham built altars throughout the wilderness as memorials of God's faithfulness.
"Let's build our own altar," I said.
We gathered 12 stones from the church property - and that night we had exactly 12 boys present.
One stone per boy. Our Ebenezer. Our declaration: "Hitherto hath the Lord helped us." - 1 Samuel 7:12
Parents, this is what we're building - not just outdoor skills, but memorials of God's faithfulness that our sons will tell their sons about. Just as Abraham pointed to his altars and told Isaac and Jacob, "Here God spoke to me. Here He provided. Here He fought for us," someday these boys will point to those 12 stones and tell their sons: "Here God built our troop. Here He proved His faithfulness. Here we learned what it means to trust Him completely."
When we needed skills we didn't have, God provided:
Parents, see the pattern? God provides not just resources, but hearts willing to serve sacrificially. Your son won't just have activities - he'll have godly men investing in his life.
Maybe you're a father who feels inadequate. I get it. I was a mechanic who knew nothing about starting a youth ministry.
Maybe you're a mother raising sons alone, desperately seeking male mentors. I understand. We have boys in our troop being raised by single moms and widowed grandmothers, and our men have stepped up to fill that void.
Maybe you're homeschooling and struggling to find a program that aligns with your values. We hear you. Many of our families homeschool and find Trail Life to be the perfect complement to their educational philosophy.
Maybe you're frustrated with other programs that have compromised biblical values. You're not alone. That's why Trail Life exists - to provide an unwavering commitment to biblical truth and traditional masculinity.
Here's what I want you to know:
You don't need special skills. You don't need to be the perfect parent. You don't need to have it all figured out.
You just need to be willing.
Willing to pray. Willing to step up. Willing to trust that the same God who built Trail Life PA-1997 from one desperate father's prayer can work through your situation too.
"Hitherto hath the Lord helped us"
- 1 Samuel 7:12
From that desperate December prayer to our chartered status, from a $1,500 miracle to 12 memorial stones, from four boys to a growing brotherhood - every step has been marked by God's faithfulness.
Trail Life PA-1997 exists to guide generations of courageous young men to honor God, lead with integrity, serve others, and experience outdoor adventure. We're not just building outdoor skills - we're building the next generation of godly men, faithful fathers, and courageous leaders.
If you're searching for a Christian scouting program that stands firm on biblical values, that provides male mentorship, that builds character through outdoor adventure - Come see what God is doing.
If you're wondering whether to start a troop in your area - pray about it. God may be calling you just like He called me. Remember: "The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace."
If you're ready to give your son the brotherhood, adventure, and godly mentorship he desperately needs - we're here.
This is our story. This is God's faithfulness.
This is what happens when desperate prayers meet divine provision.
This is Trail Life PA-1997.
Walk Worthy.
John Stewart
Troop Ministry Liaison
"The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace."
- Exodus 14:14