“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.
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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