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Men at Work Project #14

3/17/2021

“And all the trees of the field will clap their hands” (Isaiah 55:12). A tree makes the most noise when it falls to the ground but unlike the old saying, Jeff is always there to hear it. Jeff and his brother Jacob run a logging business that is filled with danger and camaraderie. If you don’t understand the danger, just watch them running away from the falling tree. If you don’t understand the camaraderie, you have not seen them in action together.

This type of logging is not the harmful clear cutting of days gone by nor is it part of an enormous lumber industry. For these brothers, logging is a bit like mining for gold. The greatest financial reward comes when you find the “golden” trees that have the highest market value. They have learned from experience how to find and fell the more valuable trees while making sure they are not crushed in the process. They also do a service for the landowners who have registered their land in the managed forest program with the DNR (see Men at Work Project #3). The owner gets the largest “cut” of the trees’ value and their land is better stewarded as a result. Devastating forest fires usually come from poor forest management which does not allow for responsible logging and thinning of forests. Jeff’s expertise is dragging ten thousand pounds of trees at a time up steep hills to be trucked away for sale.

When Jeff is not logging with his brother, he is sharing in the work of the family sawmill. He also puts his twelve years of Tae Kwon Do competition to use as a teacher in Boscobel two nights per week. As a black belt, he is a fierce competitor. I would always want him on my side in a back alley brawl. But as a teacher, he is gentle as he guides his young students. His ultimate goal is not to teach them how to defend themselves or compete as he has done. He wants his students to develop strong character and to encounter his Savior, Jesus Christ.

I first met Jeff when he started dating his now wife, Vanessa. Vanessa and her family have been part of our church since she was waist high to me. Vanessa helps Jeff teach the Tae Kwon Do classes and also runs a very busy summer camp and after school program for kids at the same martial arts academy. The parents don’t merely drop off their kids for programs and lessons. They truly want their children to come under the positive and caring influence of Jeff and Vanessa. They have formed a wonderful ministry team as they are involved in their community and in our church in worship, youth mentoring and Bible studies. I was excited to get a taste for Jeff’s logging business and I am always blessed while watching Jeff and Vanessa serve the Lord together.

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Men at Work Project #13

3/17/2021

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I can still picture Doug’s family sitting in the chairs in our rented worship space in our local elementary school. Our church plant was less than a year old and Doug’s family with his wife and five kids filled up a row. In those days, one family like Doug’s meant a ten percent increase in worship attendance. But I wasn’t thinking about worship attendance that day. I was just happy to meet a new family and to imagine that our three kids might become homeschool buddies with the neatly dressed children sitting in this row. And friends they did become. From ages four and up, our families did practically everything together in the church and homeschool worlds. We saw a lot of the Aloisi family and we were blessed because of it.

If this is not in Doug’s job description, it should be—"have dominion over the fish of the sea” (Genesis 1:28). The Biblical word dominion means stewardship and Doug takes this responsibility very seriously. Doug is in his twentieth year as director of the National Fish Hatchery in Genoa, WI sitting on the shores of the mighty Mississippi River. Like many in his field, one of Doug’s passions is fishing. This passion helped pave the road to his 37 year career in publicly funded fish management. During the busiest time of the season, you will find Doug on one of the boats moving nets of fish from ponds to river and he loves every minute of it. But as director, Doug’s responsibilities are focused more on managing his competent staff more than handling the fish.

The Genoa Hatchery is recognized nationally for their groundbreaking work with native mussel species. They raise and release 30,000 lake sturgeon every year. They also provide millions of eggs, fry and fingerlings of many different species to state fishery stations, federal hatcheries and National Wildlife Refuges to support ongoing fish management and restoration programs. Needless to say, Doug has his hands full.

I have been on site for many of their Kid’s Fishing Days in the summer and winter where hundreds of kids cast their lures into the ponds of hungry rainbow trout. My own kids loved the experience and I loved to eat the trout they brought home. But one special experience was being part of the $12 million Great River Road Interpretive Center sponsored by the hatchery. Doug explained that “the building tells many different stories of the Region and its natural surroundings, but also includes the unique history and story of conservation of the Upper Mississippi Region. We can tell them about the area as well as our conservation efforts. [The history of the Sauk people, who lived along the river] are important pieces to our heritage, so we’re happy to tell those stories as well.” Doug asked me to say the prayer for both the groundbreaking and dedication ceremonies. U.S. Congressman Ron Kind was on hand for the dedication. Because of the notoriety of the hatchery, Doug has been quoted in the newspaper and stood in front of the news camera on many occasions.

Almost since that first day I met his family, Doug has served our church through his music and worship talents, leading worship teams and playing the guitar and flute. His wife Debbie has been the church’s Administrative Assistant for several years. Our young children have all grown and are leaving the nest but my appreciation for Doug and his family have remained the same.

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Men at Work Project #14

Men at Work Project #13

Men at Work Project

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