by Calvin Landrus, SRCFC National Director
There are things that have a greater fun factor when children are involved. One is going to Disneyland. Another is coloring. A big one is Christmas.
Jan and I have been married for almost 27 years. There are only a few Christmases that I can remember being truly excited for what I received. One was our first Christmas together and she gave me a Lowe Hummingbird Ice Axe. Wow, that was special. One that tops that may be my best Christmas gift ever. A few years back, I received a set of Bosch cordless power tools. The moment I unwrapped the drill, circular saw, jigsaw and reciprocating saw, I knew that I would find them very, very useful!
I am a son of a carpenter (no parallels should be drawn between myself and Jesus), and so I have enough skill to tackle most home projects. So, this summer we decided to take on the "big wall" of the remodel universe; we determined to update our 30-year-old kitchen. After gutting it, moving plumbing and wiring, getting the new cabinets installed, the top is now in sight...we should be "off the wall" by mid-September.
During the many hours of work this summer, I have often thought about how easy it was to be wonderfully productive with my tools. I had been given a useful gift and for that I have been very grateful!
But however astounding these tools are to me, they are nothing compared to the greatest gift of all time, the gift of God.
Some of the most straightforward words in the Bible describe this gift and they share about being in a right relationship with God. Those words are found in Romans 3:23 and are, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." The gift is salvation now and eternally. And we need salvation because in our sin we are separated from God now and eternally.
How does one un-wrap this gift? Childlike faith! In Matthew 18:3, Jesus says, "And he said: 'Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.'"
As a Christian climber, you can share about the best gift ever with your unreached climbing partners. You don't need to be a great preacher or a Bible scholar. You just need to openly share the excitement you felt when you first un-wrapped the gift of God and how it has been useful ever since!
This year we are meeting in conjunction with Idaho Mountain Festival which is a four-day event where climbers, as well as trail-runners, can gather to enjoy endless climbing, trail races, activities, giveaways, music, meals, and workshops. Our outreach will include providing a meal and having an outreach table at the trade fair, as well as on mission climbing throughout the festival. Conference will start Monday, Sept 24 with group camping and climbing through when the IMF starts on Thursday, Sept. 27. 
