I went from hunter, to prey.
In September 2015, I was attacked by a Grizzly Bear in the deep wilderness of Canada. That experience changed the trajectory of my life.
As a child, I gave my heart to Christ. Like many, the wandering years followed. Until September, 2015, I drifted wildly. I moved. Christ never did. What was meant for evil nearly ended me, yet God meant it for good (Genesis 50:20). The wilderness was not tragedy – it was pursuit. Christ reclaimed what was already His. I was not spared simply to live. I was brought back to life with purpose – to live abundantly and on mission.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. But Christ came that we may have life – and have it abundantly (John 10:10).
“The two most important days in your life are – the day you were born and the day you find out why.”
– Mark Twain
About The BearMan
Raised on a Michigan farm, James H. VanSteenhouse went on to build a successful career in the mortgage banking industry, leading Texas-based InterLinc Mortgage Services as CEO & Owner for more than two decades.
Beneath the businessman was the heart of an avid outdoorsman. His rural roots sparked a lifelong passion for hunting that ultimately led him into some of the world’s most remote wilderness regions.
In September 2015, while on an archery moose hunt in Canada’s NWT, Jim went from hunter to hunted. Deep in the wilderness & miles from base camp, he was attacked by a Grizzly Bear. By the unmistakable Grace of God, he survived.
The grizzly bear survival was a quintessential turning point in Jim’s life; from it, The BearMan story was born, and the seeds of his ministry began taking root soon thereafter.
In 2021, with the ministry in full swing and believing his life carried a much higher purpose, Jim stepped away from daily company leadership, ultimately transitioning ownership in 2024 to fully devote himself to ministry. The words of Isaiah 6:8 now guide his calling: “Here am I. Send me.”
Today, Jim and his wife, Elizabeth, reside in Michigan and are the parents of three adult children. Together, they love traveling to wherever the Lord directs their steps, sharing a message of Faith, Resilience, and the Redeeming Grace of God.
Endorsements
I became a grizzly attack survivor for a reason, not an accident.
People of faith know that God promises a safe landing. However, He does not promise a calm passage. Allow me, the “BearMan,” to share this life-changing experience with you, and hopefully my scars can spark some thoughts of gratitude and appreciation for life, while you go through your own journey.
