Why We Do What We Do
We recently finished another amazing river trip season. In our 24th year of taking people through the canyon along the Colorado River, God continued to amaze, astound, and inspire us at every turn. While we love exploring and experiencing the features of the canyon, often it’s the people who come our way that are the real highlight for me on a trip. Day and night, the glory of God is revealed through shared wilderness experience and canyon conversation. Of particular joy for me this season was the 7-day trip we
Cedar Falls Bible Conference
I recently had the opportunity to speak at the 100-year anniversary of the Cedar Falls Bible Conference in Iowa. This 8-day conference had a separate youth track going on for students who wanted to learn about biblical and creation apologetics, as well as developing a solid walk with Christ. I was thrilled to speak alongside my friend Dave Glander. Dave and I first met on our Christian Leader’s Trip (CLT) through the Grand Canyon 10 years ago. He and I hit it off and have stayed in touch over
We March Forth!
God continues to do great things here at Canyon Ministries, and we continue to be amazed. Once again, we want to thank everyone who has stepped up in helping the ministry this past year. From prayers, to financial support, to notes and emails of encouragement, you have been the fuel that has helped enable us to remain a strong voice in the wilderness. We praise God for you being part of our Canyon Ministries family. We want to update you on this year so far and trust you’ll be encouraged.
2022 River Trips Coming Soon!
As we ramp things up here at Canyon Ministries in preparation for our busy spring and summer season for rim tours, walking tours, and hiking tours at the Grand Canyon, we also have river trips on our minds! Not only are we excited for this season's trips, but we will soon be publishing our 2022 river trip schedule here in a couple of weeks. We know many of you are waiting with anticipation for that. Because we experience exciting rapids, stellar night skies, and incredible hikes to see Native
Our Refuge and Strength
Struggle. We all face it. During this time of difficulty, we each have our own battles to face. No matter what comes our way, the beauty of struggle is we serve a Creator God who does not have to face the same struggles we do, yet has chosen to be a "very present help in time of need." God chooses to dwell in feeble human hearts. He desires to give us strength, endurance, and staying power. The picture above was taken on our last river trip of 2019 while
What Will You See? – Waterfalls
One thing people on river trips through the Grand Canyon are often surprised by are the number of waterfalls we encounter. In such a drastically dry desert environment, seeing water cascading from canyon crevices is an unexpected delight. The Grand Canyon is home to numerous waterfalls, both large and small. The most well-known waterfall in the Grand Canyon would have to be Havasu Falls. Standing at the base of this tumbling torrent of turquoise and travertine whisks you away to another world — seeming an island paradise, rather than
What Will You See? – Snow
One of the surprising things to many who come to Northern Arizona is the fact that we have snow. And when I say snow, I mean not just a little, but quite a lot! In fact, Flagstaff is often listed as one of the top 10 snowiest cities in America each year. While we see a fair amount of it on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon as well, it pales in comparison to the North Rim. Being roughly a thousand feet higher in elevation than the
River Rats Across the Pond
Recently I returned from the United Kingdom, after conducting a week-long biblical tour of London. This is something my wife and I typically put together every 2 years, with an open invitation to people from around the world. Apart from all the sightseeing and adventure, during our London Christian Tour we also focus on three main areas of the Christian faith— Creation Science, Church History, and Biblical Archaeology London’s Natural History Museum is a bastion of devotion to evolution and Charles Darwin. When entering the museum, you see Darwin
12 Stones at Separation Canyon
What an incredible season it’s been on the river. This year I had the privilege of running our first river trip, as well as our last. It has been amazing to see the many lives God touched and perspectives He changed while folks rafted through the Grand Canyon with us. God is amazing and always has unique ways of speaking to our hearts and drawing us to Himself on these trips. We believe the layers of the Grand Canyon comprise a remnant and a remembrance. They consist of a
Master Books Comes to the Grand Canyon
Recently I had the amazing opportunity to spend the day giving a tour to 21 members of the Pratt family. If you don’t know Randy and Kristen Pratt, you should. They and most of their family are involved in various ways in the publishing company Master Books, which published the books our founder, Tom Vail, helped put together. These include Grand Canyon, A Different View, and the True North Series guide books for Grand Canyon, Zion and Bryce Canyons, and Yellowstone and Grand Tetons. All four of these books are