In 1979, Gene Johnston purchased 300 acres in the beautiful mountains of Northern California. In doing so he fulfilled a promise he had made to the Lord as a young man, “If you provide the resources,” he told God, “I will invest them in a manner that will have eternal value.” Bruce Johnston (Gene’s son) opened JH Ranch in 1980 with a high school leadership program known as Second Wind. Based on the success of Second Wind, JH Ranch added programs that today include Parent-Child and Husband-Wife. JH Outback began in 2000 as a way to deliver the JH experience in cities across America and in countries around the world. Tuscaloosa, AL was the first city to put on a JH Outback Adventure. Since that time, JH Outback has expanded into other cities and countries. The JH Outback University program was developed in 2009 specifically for college students.