Good Times with Good Friends

   No one likes goodbyes, including myself. I do love to travel, meet new people, see new places and make new friends. But it never becomes easier to say goodbye to those you are leave in each place. I've been planning for almost a year my upcoming trip next week. It just hit me yesterday though, that I am leaving in less than a week and will be gone for almost a full year. It's been a long time since I've been gone for a such a lengthy trip. I've been at home in Alaska for most of the past four years, except for one 3 month trip to Mongolia and one 1 month trip to Europe.
   I am really excited about this coming year - it is another step closer to living my dream, but that doesn't make it easier to leave. On one hand I can hardly contain my excitement and then on the other hand, I keep thinking of all the things I'll be missing up here this year. Once I leave, I think it will be okay and I won't look back. So, just have to get through the next five days.

friends out to dinner

    Last night I went to a restaurant with some of my coworkers, actually I consider them more friends than coworkers. We had a great time together. They all have been a major blessing to me the past few years that we've worked together. They have challenged me, confused me, been frustrated together with me, encouraged me, prayed for me, and of course laughed with me. :) I will miss you guys!

crazy Jimmy was attacking me

    Today I took the afternoon off work and went to one of my good friend's house. I was in Jessie's wedding almost 8 years ago and though we don't see each other as often as we'd like, we remain good friends. She has a passel of boys and a beautiful daughter who is my namesake. We spent a lovely afternoon chatting over coffee, intermixed with injections of loud, crazy boys. :) I enjoyed every moment spent with them. I am thankful for godly friends that remain close even through long spurts of no communication. What an encouragement to me Jessie has been through all the years I've known her. She has encouraged me to continue following my dream and follow the Lord's leading in my life.

me and the boys :)

my namesake, Jessie Barrie Evangeline

Summer Pictures

 Well, the summer is flying by fast. It always does up in Alaska. Our summers are so short that we pack them full of things and before we know it, they're over. The rainbow was from the beginning of May, before our trees had green on them  yet. By the end of May we had nice, hot weather for a few weeks.

  The girls in this picture were in my tent the first week of Rock Crossing. Shyanne (standing in the back) is from my home church in Fairbanks, Kathleen (blue) is from Point Hope and Elvina (gray) is from Selawik. We all had a good time together and I was encouraged by their hunger for the things of the Lord.

 The final picture is from today. I was headed out for bus visitation this afternoon with my sister and a friend. I thought one of the clouds looked a little odd. A few minutes later I realized it was smoke. We drove up the highway a little bit to see if we could get a good look. It's fairly close to the edge of town, near the airport. We always have forest fires in Alaska during the summer. Sometimes I don't even notice all the smoke smell in the air. Its just part of the summer. But it's not very often that we have one so close to town. Actually this is the 2nd one this summer that is has been within 20 miles of town. I hope they get it under control soon.

The Beginning of my new life

This blog is an outlet for my stories while traveling. I’ve had some amazing and some crazy experiences while traveling. God has been good through it all! But the most amazing journey of my life is the one I share with my Lord and Saviour. It all started….

    when my family was transferred by the US Army to Ft. WW, Alaska. It had always been my dad’s dream to live in Alaska and he was thrilled. He immediately got involved in hunting and fishing the big game up here. After being here a few years, he met a guy who befriended him. This guy Bruce was a Christian and he had monthly meetings to teach about hunting/fishing techniques. My dad jumped on this and started attending, but Bruce would also give the Gospel at the end of each meeting.  Dad had no interest in that, he had his life and seemed to be enjoying it, but he kept going for the hunting info. After about a year and a half of hearing the Gospel every month, he knew he needed that in his life. Bruce had the wonderful privilege of leading my dad to the Lord on cold December.

  During those years, my mom had been taking my older brother and me to services at the Post Chapel. But they did not teach Salvation thru grace by faith. I enjoyed church, but don’t remember learning anything about the Bible. After my dad got saved, it was many months before my mom even knew. But as time went on the Lord was working.... My parents had been invited to two different Baptist churches by friends. We started attending both, one Sunday mornings and the other Sunday nights. A few months after picking just one of the churches to attend, my mom was saved! She was lead to the Lord by Bruce’s wife.

Interior Alaska 

  Though only six, I remember going to Sunday school each week and learning more about the Bible. I will never forget the first time I heard the story of David and Goliath. That was so incredible to me as a little girl. I don’t remember the first time I heard about Jesus dying on the cross for my sins, but God was definitely drawing me to Himself. Just two months after my mom trusted the Lord for salvation, I realized my need. It was after a Wednesday night church service. I asked my mom how to be saved. When we got home, she took me into her bedroom and read thru a cartoon style tract with me. I knew I was a sinner and couldn’t get to heaven on my own. I knew that Jesus was born in a manger and that He died on the cross. I knew that He died to pay for my sins and rose again the 3^rd day. I don’t remember what I prayed, but I know He understood! That night, with my simple 6 year old child faith I trusted Christ for salvation. I ran off to bed happy.

  That was the beginning of my amazing journey with the God of the Universe! I’ve never regretted giving my heart to Him and He has always been so good to me even when I am not as close as I should be to Him and His Word.

Tanana River 

  When I was about 12 or so, we had several preachers  in a row at church that told how they had prayed a prayer when they were really young, but hadn’t really gotten saved until they were teenagers or older. That got under my skin. I thought, if these great preachers didn’t mean it when they prayed at 5 or 6 years old, than how could I have gotten saved at 6? I kept asking myself that for a few months. But one night I was lying in bed thinking about it. I thought to myself, this is dumb! I am me and not them! I know what I did back when I was 6. Yeah, I didn’t know all the doctrine and details about salvation back then, but I knew enough! From then on, I didn’t worry about it. God knows that I was as sincere as a little 6 year old girl can be. And I trust that He heard my call and saved my soul!

 

 It always thrills me when I think about how much God works and orchestrates people’s lives to bring them to Him. He took my dad all the way from South Dakota to Alaska so that he could meet someone who loved hunting/fishing as much as he did, but loved God even more and wasn’t afraid to witness for Him. God uses people to bring others to Him. Who has He placed in your life that He wants you to reach? 

Depart with Desire

   The other day I was reading in II Chronicles for my devotions. I enjoy reading about the kings of Judah that followed after the Lord and served Him. But there were many also who did not follow after the Lord, but instead sought after their own will and false gods. It makes me sad to read about those who did their own thing. And I know God must have been truly grieved in His heart. Just as He is today when He sees those who have never heard the Gospel. When He sees believers who have strayed far from His Word and Counsel.

  One verse as I was reading really jumped out at me. Jehoram reigned eight years in Israel and he did evil in the sight of God. He slew all his brothers so that he could maintain his hold on the throne. He did wicked things.... in verse 20 of chapter 21, it says "[Jehoram] reigned in Jerusalem eight years, and departed without being desired." That must be one of the saddest epitaphs in the world. This king came to the end of his life and when he died, no one even mourned for him.

   I pray that I will not live my last days and go off into eternity with no one to even miss me. I want to be a light and testimony for my Saviour, leading others to Lord. I want to be an encouragement to those believers that God has placed in my life. I want to use my life for Christ. I want to make a difference in someone else's life. I don't want to live out my life with no one even caring.

Rock Crossing

    Yesterday we drove the final miles back to civilization. Living in the "bush" for two weeks definitely gives you a greater appreciation for the finer things of life... such as a shower with good pressure, places to go without dirt, instant communication, etc. Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the Alaskan wilderness and Rock Crossing has a special place in my heart. Although we go out there to hold two weeks of camp for teenagers, it's a place for me as an individual to live in the quiet, commune with my Lord and set my priorities right again. It is truly a refreshing, renewing time for me. And God worked again....
   We spent the first weekend setting up and getting ready for the first week of camp. Its lots of hard work, but did have fun also. We went fishing that Saturday night and I finally caught my own fish after fishing there with no luck for the past five years! I caught two Northern Pike and had fun reeling them in and boy, did they taste good! The next day was Father's Day and we had quite the meal! Moose roast, goose with stuffing and pike! yum yum!
   Monday our first batch of campers arrived; this group came from several different villages across the state of Alaska. We had kids from Pt. Hope, Selawik, Ft. Yukon and Fairbanks/North Pole. We had an awesome week with those kids. Many of them were there for the first time and were so grateful to be at camp. God used Bro. Donley thru his preaching and He worked in many hearts. I was impressed with many of the teens spiritual maturity. I am greatly encouraged and will be praying for each of them as they to back home to their villages. The villages are a hard place to live right and be a true, steadfast witness for Christ. But 'greater is He that is in [us] than he that is in the world.' God is good and will strengthen those who yield themselves to Him.

   We had a nice relaxing break between the two weeks. God gave us beautiful sunny weather so we could do all the laundry and dry it outside on the line. We did some puzzles, read, fellowshipped with the other workers  and rested.
  Monday we started all over again... with a much larger group. Most of the teens the 2nd week were from Fairbanks (my church) and we even had some come all the way from North Carolina. Its a different atmosphere than village week, but still good. We had five people saved that week. I had the wonderful privilege of leading two girls to the Lord. Both girls knew what they needed to do, but I was just there to pray with them. There is absolutely nothing in the world like leading someone to the Lord. There is a sweetness, preciousness and awesomeness about seeing someone give their heart to God, ask for forgiveness and accept Him as their Saviour!
  God used that to reestablish priorities in my own heart and life. Tuesday night I went out to the boats with one girl and she prayed for salvation. My attitude that day was down and I knew I needed to pray and seek the Lord's face. I had to put that on hold when V came to the back and wanted to get saved. God showed me (again) that sometimes we allow the little and sometimes big things in life to get us discouraged. Things that we thing are a big deal, but everything pales when it comes to the salvation of souls. Our lives should be lived to bring glory to God in all that we do. There will always be trials to go through, but we shouldn't allow ourselves to get caught up in them, but to keep our eyes always on the Lord. 'Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you.'

PS. I don't have any pictures back yet from camp. Maybe next post will have some pics from this year. :)