When I started Encounter Outdoor, it really began as a place to document my journey into new adventures with my boys post divorce. I never expected it to be a journey of my own healing. God had an entirely different plan for me when he placed a passion for the outdoors in me. One I really never knew anything about.
The portion of Encounter Outdoor that everyone sees through my social media, is in hopes to be a place to be motivational and share an imperfect person on a journey through life and learning outdoors. This year a portion of my love for art and design have been able to come out. I have broken the surface on photography, website design, shirt design and writing. For as long as I have remembered I have love to create and doing so while I am outdoors. Well, that has been a dream come true.
Deep down I knew that was not my purpose though. I knew God had it on my heart to serve Him and serve others. That it was time to share my story and use that to help others. Out of this journey Project E.O. came to be.
Project E.O. will connect those that have faced trauma with the outdoors to find a community to be along side them in their journey of healing. There is a ton of research that supports how the outdoors can help in rehabilitative ways. This is evident in so many non-profits you see that support out veterans. I love those causes, I love what they are doing. I felt there was additional space for those like me that have faced some other forms of trauma and maybe those too that we can come together to support one another.
It can be so scary knowing where to start or where to go to start doing a new activity or going back to an old one. I want to support those starting out or learning. There is an incredible amount of empowerment to be found when you turn your energy from what has hurt you to your own story of triumph.
An update as to where I am at. It has taken me longer than I had hoped. But as a single Mom I have to allow some grace. I will get there, in His timing not mine. I am finalizing a few things with our filing to be an official non-profit. Some ways you can help is to first pray for me. This is a very different place for me starting something like this. It has at times felt overwhelming and honestly this is new to me. As I get in a place I hope to find places to hold events, collect gently used equipment and build a solid foundation for this organization.
Large future dreams would be to have our own facility where people can come and enjoy the activities we offer while we connect them with the support they need.
So stay tuned....
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