“When my husband left our family, my prayer for my sons was simple: ‘God, please send godly men into their lives.’”
Judy couldn’t have expected the answer to come through a secondhand t-shirt.
Her younger son, Jacob, had borrowed a Trail Life shirt for Twin Day at school. He didn’t even wear it. But it sparked something—a question, a conversation, a click on a website.
Soon, Jacob and his older brother Lucas were stepping into a Trail Life Troop for the first time—right before Lucas entered sixth grade.
They didn’t know it then, but that first meeting marked the beginning of something far bigger than any of them could have imagined.
“I’m a Single Mom…”
Judy remembers those early Trail Life days. “I was nervous,” she admits. “Fires, pocket knives, boys running around in the woods without mom nearby—it was outside my comfort zone.”
But over time, that fear gave way to trust.
“God helped me let go. I trust these men. And I know Lucas needs that space—space to be a boy under the leadership of godly men.”
What started as a prayer became a community.
“The men in our Troop are like family,” Judy says. “They’ve poured into my boys in ways I couldn’t have on my own. There is always someone texting me, and making sure my sons are included and taken care of. It’s like having a network of big brothers and uncles.”
When a Boy Doesn’t Have a Dad
For Lucas, not having a dad didn’t mean missing out on fatherhood. It meant learning from many.
“Because I don’t have a dad,” he says, “I get to watch how all these different dads interact with their sons. I’ve been able to pick and choose what I want to emulate. I’m learning how to be the kind of dad I want to be one day.”
Some of those lessons came through light-hearted moments.
“There was one time,” Lucas laughs, “on a campout when our Troop Ministry Liaison and his son, who was in kindergarten at the time, got up at the crack of dawn and went down to the pond. I don’t know what led to it, but suddenly his son starts screaming, ‘Waaaalllkkk Wooorrthhyyyy!’ at the top of his lungs, waking the whole camp. His dad just laughed and leaned into it. I want to be a dad like that—fun, supportive, and up for adventure.”
Other lessons were more serious.
“One night, on a family campout, we heard coyotes in the distance. I grabbed my knife and ran toward them yelling, ‘Let’s go, coyotes!’”
Judy shakes her head with a smile. “Such a boy thing to do!” she admits. “But our Troopmaster handled it perfectly—calm, firm, wise. He corrected Lucas but also honored his courage, teaching him that real strength means pairing boldness with wisdom. It was exactly what he needed.”
And then some moments felt like something almost sacred.
“When Lucas turned thirteen, Judy recalls, “several men from the Troop came to our house to speak into his life. One of them, a strong, quiet man and an avid weightlifter, teared up as he handed Lucas a gift—a copy of the U.S. Constitution—and shared heartfelt wisdom about manhood.
“That moment was so powerful,” Judy says. “Trail Life gave my sons a rite of passage I could never give them on my own.”
Camaraderie, Challenge, and Growth
Trail Life quickly became a lifeline—not just for Judy, but for her boys.
Lucas recalls one memorable whitewater rafting trip on the Nantahala. After a rainy night, he walked the campsite to choose a dry spot for his tent. “I almost set up in a puddle,” he said, “but thanks to the skills we’d been taught, I double-checked and moved to a better spot.”
That small moment stuck with him—not because it was dramatic, but because it reminded him that the little things matter. Trailmen are trained to evaluate their surroundings, make wise choices, and look out for each other. On that trip, those lessons paid off.
“That night just reminded me—God’s looking out for us,” Lucas said. “Even in the small stuff.”
Each month brought a new challenge: camping trips, service projects, skill-building adventures. But what stood out most weren’t the activities—it was the people.
“I remember one of our adult leaders stepping up when the Navigators needed a guide,” Lucas says. “He had a grandson in the Troop and just saw a need and filled it. That same man is now mentoring me as I pursue my Worthy Life Award.”
Over time, Lucas began stepping into leadership himself. On a recent outing, he found himself teaching younger boys how to use a compass. “I taught them ‘Never Eat Soggy Waffles’ to remember North, East, South, and West,” he grins. “Later, I asked if they remembered the four cardinal directions, and they all shouted, in unison: NEVER EAT SOGGY WAFFLES! It was awesome.”
Afterward, a few adult leaders pulled Lucas aside to thank him. “It’s just amazing to see it coming full circle,” Judy says.
From Lost to Leading
Judy often tells her sons, “You’ll only be a boy without a dad for a few more years. But soon, you’ll be the dad. And Lord willing, you have years and years of that to prepare for.”
She’s right. Trail Life isn’t just shaping boys—it’s forming future fathers, leaders, and mentors. And it’s restoring families along the way.
“It’s a double-edged sword sometimes,” Judy says, tearing up. “It hurts to hear them talk about what the other boys are doing with their dads. But then I see what God is doing. I see how He’s filling in the gaps with men who care.”
“Lucas is a good kid, but you know, he had his fair share of dumb middle school stuff,” Judy recalls. “There were a few times where I just had to pick up the phone and call one of the men in his Troop. Because I knew he needed more than just me in those moments.”
“My leaders didn’t give up on me,” Lucas adds. “They talked with me, challenged me, prayed with me. They helped me grow.”
Now he’s the one passing on what he’s learned, carrying the torch.
A Trail Worth Following
For Judy, First Baptist of Lexington’s Trail Life Troop isn’t just a program—it’s a family.
“There’s another single mom in our Troop, and we’ve connected. Some of the moms and sisters have even started gathering during meetings, building friendships and finding ways to pour into our girls, too. The community is just beautiful. We’re doing life together.”
From a borrowed T-shirt to a life-altering brotherhood, this family’s story shows what happens when men step up, boys rise to the challenge, and faith meets action in the great outdoors.
Trail Life didn’t just give Lucas and Jacob something to do. It gave them someone to become.
And that’s a trail worth following.
Find a Troop near you or Learn how to bring Trail Life to your community at TrailLifeUSA.com