Evangelical Covenant Church of Alaska P.O. Box 770749 Eagle River, Alaska 99577-0749 Ph: 907-694-6348 Fax: 907-694-6378 e-mail : info@eccak.org ECCAK!
Mail to “IN-IT TOGETHER” recipient:
NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID EAGLE RIVER, AK PERMIT NO. 20
Evangelical Covenant Church of Alaska
… . . . S W E N CHILLING … The River Covenant Church of Kenai
that W A R M S the heart!
Reaching People for Christ’s Sake from near the North Pole !
Holds its First Service!
Preface: Alaskans had been praying a long time about planting another church in Alaska through the ECC Church Planting Initiative. God teaches His children patience. In His time, the Lord sent Pastor Frank Alioto and his wife Suzanne to the Soldotna/Kenai area for that very purpose. On Feb. 7, 2010, they held their first preview service at the Boys/Girls Club in Kenai. Pastor Alioto: Talk about Transformation! Our launch team arrived early to make a tired gym into a
place of worship. As flurries of snow gently covered our just shoveled walkway we trudged back and forth to unload chairs, sound equipment, signs, and instruments. Our worship team set up the sound system and proceeded to review the songs for the morning. By 9:30, curtains divided the gym and seats were ready to be filled. Our launch team and guests assembled and at 10:02 we welcomed everybody to our first official preview service! We began with ―Oh, Praise Him‖ as our focus was directed in worship to our Lord God. After a couple of more songs we called the children forward for a brief lesson and prayer. As the children went off to their program called ―The Fish Factory‖ our congregation greeted each other. We then sang ―Come Thou Fount‖ and we read the text for the day out of Joshua. 3. The Israelites were ready (“The River”Continued on page 2)
Mar/Apr 2010 Inside this Issue A Humble Man
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Heroes...
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Bear Report
4
Alaskan Ingenuity!
5
Nearly Frozen
6
Movie with Meaning
7
Jesus, My Musher
8
Chickaloon
9
Prayer Calendar
101011
Short Term Trip...
12
Mekoryuk Board and leaders
13
Wanted... Old Pictures
14
Visiting the Villages
15
What’s Happening
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Websites
17
Just Stuff...
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Ways to Help
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A Humble and Faithful Man
In his last days: Palmer Sagoonick & Grace Marie (Aguupan‘s daughter) sing Daniel‘s favorite hymn a few days before the Lord took him home. Daniel (Aguupan) Sevetilik, Sr. was known as a strong, loving, respectful, and humble man who always opened his home to everyone. Visitors
never left his home hungry. During his life when ―trials‖ entered, he used those trials to strengthen his faith. He always strived to be humble and to live a Christian life, so that those around him would see God‘s love. Many who needed prayer would come to him. His home eventually became the location for Sunday services. It was approximately seven years ago, during the ECCAK Annual Meeting in Koyuk, that the ―Daniel Savetilik Sr. Lay Ministry Award‖ was instituted. This award is now presented annually to recognize the Covenant lay person(s) who contribute significantly to ministry in Alaska. It specifically recognizes those individuals who have served faithfully for many years. This last year‘s recipients were Alan and Sharon Finifrock. Daniel passed away of natural causes January 19 in his home. He will be greatly missed.
(“The River” Continued from page 1)
to enter the Promise land but they had one more obstacle – the Jordan River. For three days they waited on God to direct their steps. God came through and did an amazing thing: He took them through the river. From this passage we reflected how God can take us through the ―rivers‖ or obstacles of our lives. We also explored how God can use The River Covenant Church to be a part of His kingdom as we step out in faith to be a part of what he is doing in the Kenai Peninsula. The Israelites had to prepare themselves for the new work of God as He told them to ―get ready and get in.‖ As over a million people journeyed to the other side on dry land, God told them to ―get out‖ and remember all that He has done for them. We concluded with a challenge to lay our obstacles before God and to let Him take us through the rivers of our lives. After a time of fellowship we loaded and cleaned everything up. While our first service had a few ―bumps‖ or obstacles to work on we had an amazing time worshipping God and look forward to our next preview service. Our launch team did a fabu2
Pastor Frank Alioto with his wife, Suzanne lous job in so many ways. We had around 70 adults and children present at our service. It was great to see so many students from Alaska Christian College. The mission of The River Covenant Church is to ―Overflow with Christ, Community and Calling‖ and we are continuing to grow as a community of followers of Jesus. May Jesus continue to transform and use us to be part of His transformation in our community. Thanks for all the prayers and support!
Ways Your Hands and Heart Can Help! Pray Our newsletter, “Chilling News”, is full of stories about the people and the ministry of ECCAK throughout Alaska. If you would like to be added to our mailing list, please let us know. Encouragement Writing and/or calling those who serve in the bush is a great ministry. Want to adopt a church or a pastor? Ask for a prayer card of a pastor. Mission Teams Often times we have need for teams of people to come and join with a local church, camp, college, youth group, etc. for a construction project or outreach event. You can connect through Alaska Merge Ministry at http://akmerge.com/how-it-works Financial God often calls people to give to ECCAK beyond the normal local church tithe or churches to place ECCAK in their mission budget. Some are led to leave a gift through estate planning for work in Alaska into the future. Credit Card Donations ECCAK can receive donations via credit cards. You can contact the ECCAK office (907) 694-6348 and Sara or Yvonne will be happy to assist you. Teachers or Nurses Christian teachers and nurses often come to bush Alaska to serve in the local Covenant church during off hours. Also, some villages have no one reaching out to the youth. Call the ECCAK office 694-6348.
Pastors/Youth Workers Often we have empty pulpits and are in need of pastors, short and long-term. Some villages have no one reaching out to the youth. Donate Air Miles If you accumulate free air miles, please consider donating to help a bush pastor and family get away for some respite. Give Through the ECCAK office, you can donate money to help send a child or young person to camp.
ECCAK mission: To make disciples of Christ through a diverse culturally relevant witness by healthy missional churches and their supporting organizations. ECCAK Vision: To challenge and assist every local church to become one that GROWS… G = God‘s Word R = Relationships O = Outreach W = Worship S = Service The Evangelical Covenant Church of Alaska [ECCAK] is a non-conference “field” of the Covenant Church of America.
Dependent on the gifts from churches and people to carry out our mission for Christ’s sake in Alaska.
Field Director: Rodney J. Sawyer Associate Field Director: Nathan Toots Office Manager: Sara Scoles Assistant Manager: Yvonne Edmonson 19
Heroes of the High Seas! you when t e g e is you xperienc t a s wh t. E on i ne prin on't. i t a c d fi Edu the f you read you get i what
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It was October and around Nunivak Island, that meant that the seas were usually stormy, as it was on this windy and rainy day. The people of Mekoryuk, the only village on the island, were surprised to see a sailboat come into their harbor. It was seeking shelter in their bay area.
An Excerpt from a vending machine: Change is inevitable.
Drinking From My Saucer And the mercies he‘s bestowed, I‘m drinking from my saucer, Submitted by: ‗Cause my cup has overflowed. Alice Menely, Galesburg, IL I remember when things went wrong, I‘ve never made a fortune My faith wore somewhat thin. And it‘s probably too late now. But all at once the dark clouds broke, But I don‘t worry about that much, And the sun peeped through again. I‘m happy anyhow. So God, help me not to gripe. And as I go along life‘s way, About the tough rows that I‘ve hoed. I‘m reaping better than I sowed. I‘m drinking from my saucer, I‘m drinking from my saucer, ‗Cause my cup has overflowed. ‗Cause my cup has overflowed. If God gives me strength and courage I don‘t have a lot of riches, When the way grows steep and rough, And sometimes the going‘s tough. I‘ll not ask for other blessings, But I‘ve got loved ones around me, I‘m already blessed enough. And that makes me rich enough. And may I never be too busy I thank God for his blessings, To help others bear their loads, Then I‘ll keep drinking from my saucer, ‗Cause my cup has overflowed. -John Paul Moore
Ans: “Window” from page 13, the bear is white because it’s a polar bear and the house is on the North Pole. 18
at a rapid pace. The people knew it would be the end for the German couple, because once they were out of the bay area, their sailboat would probably sink and the couple perish a horrible death. There seemed to be a moment of pandemonium among some of the Islanders. Most of the local boats were hauled out for the winter. Where was the Village Police Safety Officer (VPSO)? He was the man in charge of rescuing people on the sea. He could not be found.
Pastor Nathan Hanna was among the concerned. He happened to run into retired pastor, Larson King, who was preparing his boat to go to the rescue. After some discussion as to their course of action, Larson told Nathan, ―Hop in! Let‘s go after them!‖ Nathan was not sure Larson‘s boat was big enough to pull in a 60‘ sailboat. Besides that, the bilge pump did not Retired Pastor Larson King & Pastor Nathan Hanna pose for a work. But who was going to go? Fast action ―mug shot‖ at the annual Christmas play of the Mekoryuk was in order. Without thinking too much more, Nathan simply jumped in. school.
All lov the c new ed the ats TV.
Communication was made, so to speak, with a German married couple, but they knew little English. They were ―Sailing around the world‖ was somehow communicated. The Nunivakers helped them find some safety in the channel in the mouth of the river to weather out the storm. But the winds picked up and soon they heard, ―May day! May day!‖ over their radios. Many of the folks ran out in the wind driven pouring rain to see how they might help. Radio communication with the German couple was impossible. No matter what question was asked, all they heard in return was, ―May day! May day!‖ in broken English. Then, suddenly, to the horror of the people, they saw the couple throw the chain of one anchor into the water. They watched in disbelief as the German couple cut the rope of the other two anchors! Immediately, the sailboat began to head out to sea
Fortunately Jim Shavings, the VPSO, and Larson‘s son Derek showed up as just in time to hop on the boat. As they got further and further out to sea, the boat began to take on a lot of water. The only way to empty it was to pull the plug and go fast enough for it to drain, not an easy task navigating on a treacherous sea. It was not long before all those in the boat were wet from head to foot. The icy water was absolutely numbing. They were finally out in the roughest part of the sea and it was very bad. They were tremendously relieved to see that Ishmael Smith, George King, Viva Smith and Jeff King had launched into the sea before them with a bigger boat and he was towing the sailboat back towards Mekoryuk. Larson kept his boat in the vicinity of the rescue boat to make sure they made it in. (“Seas”Continued on page 15)
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Bear Mauling Report: Two and a Half Years Later It was about 2 1/2 years ago the Chilling News reported when Shawn Evan was savagely mauled by a grizzly bear. Shawn retold his gruesome story to Field Director Rodney Sawyer while he was visiting Shaktoolik. It started when two of his fellow boat travelers had wounded a grizzly bear. They knew they had to go after the wounded bear. It did not go well, as the bear charged Shawn and grabbed his leg with his powerful jaws. One of his fellow travelers shot the bear in the head, but in doing so, the bullet went through the bear and through both of Shawn‘s legs. Two tourniquets and a long two hour ride back to Shaktoolik is an extreme abbreviation of the next several hours which seemed like a lifetime. Shawn should not be alive, but it seems God had other plans. When finally being medivacked into Anchorage from the remote village of Shaktoolik, most of the doctors who gathered a r o u n d S h a w n looked at the mangled mess and simply advised ampuShawn with ingenious leg devise. tating both legs below the knees. But Shawn is a fighter. To keep them, the doctors warned, might mean several years of pain. ―That is not what I want. I don‘t want to loose my 4
legs‖ he said firmly. It would seem the Lord also wanted for Shawn to keep both legs, too. Dr. Payton, brand new to Anchorage, had been to Russia and studied under a Russian doctor who was famous for his ingenuity in preventing amputations among the embattled soldiers of the Russian war at the time. The doctor‘s name was Dr. Ilizarov. He had devised a method of fusing bones back together after experimenting on a horse. It took machinists to manufacture an ingenious device [see picture] that would later allow the patient to turn the threaded rods one millimeter each day away from the upper leg bone that had been sawed in two and towards the 40 millimeter piece of bone missing in the lower part of his leg, the place that the bear‘s jaws had disintegrated. For Shawn, there was much suffering and pain due to infections and other complications that followed his decision. Except for a few brief times, he has never regretted that decision. Now, two and a half years later, Shawn sees some light at the end of the tunnel. He is no longer confined to a wheelchair. He has begun walking on his own and regaining strength in both legs. They are telling him he will be able to see the brace removed in the near future. This is great news for Shawn who is an avid hunter and fishermen. He is looking forward to returning to the wilds of Alaska where his spirit is energized and the creation itself speaks to something or Someone greater than he. As Rodney and Shawn sat together and talked, (“Bear” Continued on page 15)
Check out these Covenant Websites... Covenant Newswire Service: www.covchurch.org—click on the Newswire button Covenant Bible Camp (CBC): http://www.cyak.org/bible-camp.html Advocacy for Victims of Abuse: www.covchurch.org/women/ava Evangelical Covenant Church of Alaska: www.eccak.org Covenant Youth of Alaska (CYAK): www.cyak.org New Hope Counseling Center: www.nhccak.org Alaska Christian College: www.akcc.org Amundsen Educational Center: aecak.org
You may not always know the details of your journey or clearly see where the trail is leading, but God will always give you enough light to take the next step.
(“Chickaloon” Continued from page 9)
1.
2.
The need for work teams to help in the spring and summer of 2010, not only in construction of the cabins, but in clearing brush, cutting trees, chopping wood, etc. Alaskan people can contact Scott Swanberg at 907.696.7732 to find out about being a part of a work team. Out-of-state people can contact James Barefoot with Merge Ministries at 907.304.1617 and he will provide guidance on setting up a mission trip. We are still short of the finances needed to finish off the cabins with furniture, flooring, curtains, etc. Donations can be designated on the envelope enclosed.
(“Grandpa”Continued from page 8)
We are so thankful for your financial support! At right is a photo of ―Grandpa‖ which is one photo out of many photos that are in the book.
The Chickaloon Retreat Center‘s [CRC] aim will be to strengthen and nurture Churches and communities across Alaska by educating, nurturing and protecting the front line human resources represented by ministers, clergy, lay leaders and their families. 17
Short Term Trip
Covenant Bible Camps (SUMMER 2010) www.cyak.org/bible-camp Leadership Camp High School Camp Junior High Camp Trailblazers Pathfinders
June 2nd - 7th June 7th - 14th June 14th - 21st June 21st - 26th June 26th - July 1st
2010 ECCAK SE Conference CMJ Mtg ECCAK Annual Mtg COS Mtg ECC Annual Mtg
Mar 5-7 Mar 30-31 Apr 14-18 May 16-21 Jun 24-27
Georgia Chicago Nome East Coast St. Paul
Alaska Covenant Merge is a ―new” ministry of the Evangelical Church and is highly endorsed by ECCAK Field Director Rodney Sawyer. Alaska Covenant Merge has good interdenominational relationships and is willing to assist other denominations.
ECCAK Churches in need of staff:
Shaktoolik Covenant: Pastor Kalskag Bible Chapel: Pastor Elim Pastor No Name Church of Anchorage: Church Plant to be
“In it together...”, The ECCAK Ministry Team Churches Nome Covenant , White Mountain Covenant, Golovin Covenant, Elim Covenant, Koyuk Covenant, Shaktoolik Covenant, Unalakleet Covenant, Fairbanks Covenant, Mat-Su Covenant, Eagle River Covenant, Korean Hope Covenant, New Song Covenant, Anchorage First, Bethel Covenant, Mekoryuk Covenant, Hooper Bay Covenant, Scammon Bay Covenant, Mountain Village Covenant, Kalskag Bible Chapel, The River Covenant Church Our Supporting Organizations
Campus Christian Fellowship (CCF) Covenant Youth of Alaska (CYAK) Alaska Christian College (ACC) Covenant Bible Camp (CBC) KICY Radio 16
Long Term Impact
James Barefoot is the Alaska Trip Facilitator with a focus on Alaska Village Churches. He has 30 plus years of Alaska village ministry experience and is committed to building strong long term relationships with Alaska‘s churches. Contact him at: 907-304-1617 or artic4jim@yahoo.com Kate Cannon is the Alaska Trip Facilitator with a focus on Alaska Road System Churches. She is a ―Generation Y‖ person with amazing technical and organizational skills to pull off the logistics of an effective ministry team with high skills in the area of communication and transportation. Contact her at: 907-227-3420 or ktrynr@gmail.com How It Works Merge staff listens to the ministry goals of the churches involved.
Merge staff helps you find ways to cut trip costs.
They assist you with a ministry outreach plan to help your church people to grow. This plan will include the sending team and the hosting team.
Merge staff leads your team through an orientation training to fit the area of your ministry.
They do their best to ―take the work load‖ of this ministry off of the local pastor.
Merge staff accompanies your team to ensure a smooth and effective week of ministry.
They coordinate the logistics for location, travel, housing and meals.
They facilitate ―debriefing sessions‖ at the end of the week to answer your questions and to learn together how we can be more affective in our next ministry venture.
Merge staff encourages and facilitates continued communication and long term relationships of ministry between both the sending and receiving churches.
Learn more detailed information: http://akmerge.com/how-it-works 5
Nearly Frozen, Clearly Chosen! A paraphrased version of Joel John’s story, a man of Mekoryuk on Nunivak Island: ―When God wants to use anybody, He wakes them in different ways. This is how it happened to me.‖ May 2008
every year. He heard all kinds of spring birds; they were singing a song but ―I could not understand what they were singing. Are they trying to tell me something?‖ he recalled. If they were, he later understood that ―I was so blind or just couldn‘t make them out what they were trying to tell me.‖ From between Cape Manning and the herring camp he started to head home because it was getting late in the afternoon. He decided to do a little target practice with his gun and spotted some cranes along the river. From out of nowhere, four cranes landed right near him. So he started his snow machine and headed straight towards them.
It was so calm on this cold spring morning when Joel John got up. He had a little breakfast and then looked out the window. ―It is a clear and calm day,‖ he thought, ―so peaceful...just another ordinary day.‖ So he decided to go hunting. He gassed up his snowmachine and did a little road test to be sure it was running good. He then secured all his hunting gear to his machine. As he headed east, he was not sure where he would end up. His travel finally took him to Cape Manning and the herring camp where he stopped to soak in the beauty of the day. ―It is so calm and peaceful, nothing will happen this peaceful and lovely day,‖ he said to himself. As he sat on the high bluff, he noticed all the spring birds were arriving to the island as they made their annual trek at this time 6
Joel thought it strange that ―they didn‘t takeoff like the rest of the cranes.‖ So he stopped his snow machine to get ready to shoot at them. He shot his first round and they didn‘t fly off. Suddenly, as he looked through his rifle scope, he felt a strange sensation come over him. Something did not seem right. So he started heading home on the same trail that he had come in on that morning. As he was about to pass by the familiar rock island, something suddenly happened. ―Everything got so bright. It was just like that I was going blind.‖ He had not realized it yet, but his snow machine had gone through the ocean ice. He first became aware of this when he saw that he was sitting on his machine waist high in ocean water. He immediately started swimming toward some floating ice. When he finally got to the first piece of ice about the size of a kitchen table, he tried to pull himself up, but it just slowly started rolling back towards him. When the water was up to his nostrils he let go and started swimming towards solid ice. His fingers were so numb that he felt he could pull the meat from his fingers, almost like they had been cooked over a hot fire. He was in the cold ocean water for about 20 minutes. Normally, hypothermia would have overcome its victim in about 6-7 minutes. Again, he reaches the ice and hangs on for dear life. There is little strength left in his (“Chosen” Continued on page 13)
Visiting the Villages... An excerpt from a report by E. B. Larsson from Unalakleet, Alaska to the Swedish Evangelical Covenant Annual Meeting at Jamestown, N. Y., June 18-22, 1930. “ Recently I have returned from a trip through our district north of Unalakleet. I visited the villages of Egawik, Shaktoolik, Koyuk, Elim, Golovin Bay , and White Mountain. In most of these villages I held three or more services. In every place the services were well attended and the Christians came in big numbers to the communion services. A few Bibles and some hymn books were brought along, but these were not by far enough. When there were no more Bibles left, some almost cried in disappointment and begged me to send for some more. It does a missionary good to see such love for the Word of the Lord.” A smile on your face can be felt on anothers heart.
(“Seas” Continued from page 3)
When Nathan finally got home, he sensed he was very close to hypothermia and figured Pastor King, in his 70‘s, must be one tough cookie. There are a lot of ways to die in Alaska and many loose their lives due to the unforgiving weather. But this story has a happy ending and Mekoryukers do not see the folks necessarily as heroes. ―It is just what you have to do to live out here.‖ says Pastor King. But for the average Covenanter who lives outside this 49th state, these men are what heroes are made of. We thank God for His marvelous grace on this never to be forgotten day as life on Nunivak Island looks for calmer days!
(“Bear” Continued from page 4)
Shawn shared how he loves to read and is a searcher for truth. That opened the door for them to spend several hours over the course of a couple evenings sharing what and why each of them believed what they did. It was stimulating and thought provoking conversation as each took their turn of just listening. Their conversation was also spiced up with many hunting and fishing stories that they both loved to tell. However, Shawn‘s bear story won the grand prize. Rodney and Shawn first met shortly after the mauling because Shawn had decided it was time to get married. It was his girlfriend at the time of the mauling who was overseeing the medical clinic in Shaktoolik when Shawn arrived with little blood left in his weakened body. Shawn says often, ―Lydia saved my life.‖ Her heroic care in those critical moments softened Shawn‘s heart to honor her by ―finally getting married.‖ Betty Jackson, Lydia‘s mother, gave them Rodney‘s phone number and the rest is history. They now live in Shaktoolik and have three boys. 15
Movie with a Meaning!
WANTED… OLD PICTURES!
At the 2010 Midwinter, they showed a clip from a movie called
“Butterfly Circus.” If you want to see a brief movie with a meaning,
go to the website:
tch Wa it!
http://www.thedoorpost.com
Your heart will be touched. Guaranteed! The population of Alaska is only 626.932 and comparted to the population of bears in Alaska, there is 1 bear for every 21 people.
Share your Alaskan Recipes with others, send them to the address listed on the back or e-mail them to: info@eccak.org Ingredients:
Directions:
We hope that many of you are enjoying your 2010 ECCAK calendar!
One 1/4 stick of butter
Melt butter over low heat.
If you did not receive one in the mail, please contact our office and we will be glad to send you one. As we think about putting out another calendar for 2011, perhaps you have some old pictures from the “good old days” that you would like to share with us.
One 16 oz. Cream Cheese
While still on stove, add cream cheese and blend well. Mix in Crab
Please send them to: ECCAK—PO Box 770749 Eagle River, AK 99577. We will scan them and return them to you. Be sure to provide us with your return address.
Great CRAB DIP!
One 16 oz. Package Crab or Imitation Crab
Submitted by: Anonymous 14
Important: Don’t overheat, because the butter will not mix with cream cheese. Serve Hot with plain crackers, you don’t want to miss the flavor! 7
Jesus, My Musher
Mekoryuk Board and Leaders Receive Board Training
by Crystal Johnson
The wheel dogs, positioned in the rear, provide strength and do a lot of the grunt work. Team dogs make up the general body. Obviously, the more team dogs present will lighten the load. Swing dogs, positioned behind the lead dogs, are capable of turning with the leaders, helping to direct the team. Lead dogs are obedient to the Musher's commands and direct the team's travel. As with any team, training is vital for the overall performance. A Musher first establishes love and trust with care and discipline. When the dogs see that this is their master, who consistently guides and provides for them, they become loyal to the master. Dogs fighting within a team or on a run breaks the unity and slows the pace. There are also lazy dogs, who do not pull consistently with the team,. This also affects the run of the race. Crystal and her daughter Trinity Every dog in a dog mushing team has specific duties that need to be accomplished simultaneously if the goal of the team is to be reached, which is always arriving at the Musher's destination. A dog team consists of wheel, team, swing, and lead dogs.
A dog team is much like the Body of Christ. There are individuals with gifts who do different works. There are also hard seasons in life where we are unable to run and must be placed in the sled basket by the Master. In this safe place our wounds heal while the body of Christ carries us. As long as we work together with Christ as our Master, we will move forward in the direction He desires.
Reviving the Stories of Grandpa Ost In 1979, Jan-Olov Schroder wrote a biography on L. E. Ost, better known as ―Grandpa‖ here in Alaska. The book was named Alaska: A Mission in Alaska. Unfortunately, for non-Swedish speakers, Schroder wrote the book in Swedish. But English-speakersonly were not to be denied the stories of Grandpa Ost. Sometime later, the late and long-time Covenant missionary and North Park Prof. Sigurd Westberg translated the book into English. Copies of his translation have been floating around for several years. Now, a few lucky people can read stories like ―The Wedding in a Sleeping Bag‖ or ―Grandpa Killed a Grizzly With One Shot Through the Wall.‖ 8
December of 2009—What does the Bible have to say about church leadership? How can the pastor help the board to become stronger? How can the board help the pastor to be all that he/she can be? Field Director Rodney Sawyer tried to answer these questions through ECCAK‘s Board Training seminar. Mekoryuk is the first church to receive the training. You know your in Alaska when at –50 you shovel snow with your shorts, because you know the hassle to put all those clothes on for 10 minutes.
If all your windows in your house had a southern exposure and a bear walked by the window, what color would the bear be? The answer: Somewhere in this newsletter see “Window”
There is so much of Alaskan history woven throughout the book. ECCAK is making a special offer for those who donate $200 or more to the ministry. The English translated version has been digitized, reformatted and fitted into a beautiful hard bound hand-crafted wooden cover [see picture on page 9]. For your treasured copy of this limited supply, please fill out the enclosed envelope right away. Copies will be manufactured and mailed to donors on a first come basis. (“Grandpa” Continued on page 17)
As you get older, your secrets are safe with your friends because they can‘t remember them, either.
(“Chosen” Continued from page 6)
body. Everything was numb! In desperation, he called upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. He said, ―Lord if you have anything to do through me please! Pull me out of the icy cold ocean water.‖ The next thing he knew, he was up on top of solid ice without even a struggle. ―I had felt something just pull me out.‖ he explained. He forced himself to turn in a complete circle to see who had come to help him. There was no one in sight! Suddenly he was so full of joy realizing his prayer was miraculously answered! He said that he ―gave his life to serving the Lord from now on.‖ The story ends with the good news that another snow machine ―happens‖ by soon afterwards. Joel was taken to the warmth of his home and a new love for the Lord. Joel wants to tell his story because it is all about the saving power of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is Joel‘s hope that someone reading his story may hear the Lord‘s still small voice and also surrender their life to Him. 13
Alaskan Ingenuity! 1
3
2
4
Chickaloon Challenges ECCAK‘s greatest assets are it‘s people, not buildings or property. Yet we believe the pristine 80 acres of property nestled within the boundless borders and cloud catching peaks of Chickaloon awaits to surrender itself to sojourning souls. The property was donated by Don and Effie Graham and it has been designated as a place to be used to care for Alaska‘s care-givers, who often suffer from compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue, also known as Secondary Traumatic Stress, refers to a gradual lessening of compassion over time. It is common among victims of trauma and individuals that work directly with
5
During a private ―fly-in‖ fishing excursion in the Alaskan wilderness, the chartered pilot and fishermen left a cooler and bait in the plane. A bear smelled the bait. The first 3 pictures above show what the bear did to the plane, a Piper Super Cub. The pilot used his radio and had another pilot bring him 2 new tires, 3 cases of duct tape, and a supply of sheet plastic.
victims of trauma. Symptoms of Compassion Fatigue include hopelessness, a decrease in experiences of pleasure, constant stress and anxiety, and a pervasive negative attitude. This can have detrimental effects on individuals, both professionally and personally, including a decrease in productivity, the inability to focus, and the development of new feelings of incompetency and self-doubt. We are currently in Phase One of the CRC Project which involves completing two cabins so they will be ready for use in the fall. We have two challenges we are faced with: (“Chickaloon” Continued on page 17)
Special Boo k Offer with donatio ns of $200. or more!
He patched the plane together (pictures 4 and 5) and FLEW IT HOME! 12
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ECCAK PRAYER CALENDAR
ECCAK PRAYER CALENDAR
DAILY PRAYER BY NAME AND BY PICTURE
DAILY PRAYER BY NAME AND BY PICTURE
March 2010
SUN
MON
TUES
April 2010
Curtis & Kristi Ivanoff
SUN
{Soldotna}
Dan Jr. Savetilik {Shaktoolik}
Wass and Jean Mute {Koyuk}
Chuck Walles
MON
TUE
{ Chicago}
Jack & Nancy Phelps {Anchorage}
Mirian & Howard Amos {Mekoryuk}
Dennis and Candance Weidler {Nome/KICY)
Byron and Sue Bruckner {Palmer}
Val Thomas {Soldotna}
WED
Joel Oyoumick
Nathan and Sandra Hanna
WED
{Mekoryuk}
THU
Peter and Lisa Torkelson
THU
{Chugiak}
FRI
Chuck & Jennifer Monie {Eagle River}
Daryl & Michelle Rue with daughters {North Carolina}
SAT
10
{Anchorage)
Bill and Ruth Partlow {Palmer}
Agrifina & David Baugh
FRI
Tom and Dena Luchsinger
{Bethel}
{Wasilla}
Gary & Nancy Walter
Jim Jeske { Wisconsin}
{Unalakleet}
Phil and Kate Cannon
SAT
{Chicago}
11