The Calm Before the Storm

They tell us that it is the calm before the storm here. Retreat groups start today, and it will only get busier from here on out. So we should enjoy the relative quiet and calmness of this morning and afternoon, because it won't last!! Today is the first cloudy day this week. And interestingly enough, it is the day the work team working on the girls bath house returns home. They worked super hard. Some of the men were up at 4am!! The men did the lifting and gluing, tearing out the old and putting in the new, etc. and the women cleaned and scrubbed until their hands were red (and then some). God gave them perfect weather to work in while they were here. They were a huge blessing to Echo Ranch and to us personally. God even used them to answer an unspoken desire of my heart! When we left our home in Missouri, I wasn't really all that sad about leaving OUR things but I was upset by having to leave the boys favorite toys that were too big to pack, like their push cars and "bike". While the team was here, they asked what we wished we could have brought with us, and we told them about the push cars and bike. As a gift to us, they want to purchase ones for us to use here. I started crying when they told me. I can't describe how special that is to me. They also watched the boys so that Josh and I could spend some precious time together. We got to walk along the beach and explore the camp a little more, which was fun. So thank you Lakewood EFC in Baxter, MN!! God definitely used you to encourage and inspire us!!

Settling In

Now that we have been here a week, I think we are settling in. The boys have pretty much adjusted and are enjoying all the attention they are getting here. Each meal is served in the dining hall, which is maybe a quarter mile from our house. We put hats and coats on the boys (sounds easier than it is) load them up in the stroller, tuck blankets around them and start walking. It took us a bit to get a routine down because you don't wear your shoes in the apartment if you can help it.(the sand sticks to your soles especially when it's rainy and well, you can't always avoid the horse poo since it is all over the place) After we get them situated, Josiah usually chatters on the way there and on the way back. The meals have been great here. If you are a crab fan, you would be jealous because tonight we had freshly caught crab from the bay! I didn't have it because I am allergic to crab and shrimp and the like, but many people really enjoyed it. Other favorites like baked oatmeal, pancakes and egg casserole have been served for breakfast, and we had pizza one night! We even had a cookout on the beach complete with smores! It's a good thing we have to walk everywhere!We have not been back into town yet, but we have given our shopping lists to others here and so I hope to have some Diet Coke brought in! Josh is really enjoying getting to know the staff here. It's been harder for me to talk to people because I am so focused on the Twinkies, but I am everyone has been very helpful and sweet and ready to hold/feed/ talk to  - but maybe not so much diaper ;)  -  a baby . There is a work team here to help remodel the girls bathhouse, and Josh has been joining in a Bible study with them as well. I look forward to getting together with some of the girls on staff in the next few days or so. Having the babies here also seems to be a ministry in itself, as peoples faces light up every time they see them. After all, who can resist a sweet baby snuggle?

Getting Here

God gifted us with a wonderful friend who flew with us to Alaska. He also gave us great traveling mercies.
All flights were on time or early and all of our luggage made it (This was not the case for our friend when returning. They lost her bag AND her flight had an hour delay) The boys were troopers and did great especially on the leg from KC to Seattle. But I can tell you, not one kid on that plane enjoyed the changing table in the restroom. So thank God for another answered prayer--no poopy diapers until we arrived in Juneau!! (I really did pray for that!) For the most part, the boys did really well.
As you read earlier, Juneau is inaccessible except by boat or plane. In addition, the CAMP is only accessible to drive to during low tide and by 4-wheel drive vehicles. We missed the window and had to stay in town for the night. Sounds great, right? Except that they haven't had babies for so long at Echo Ranch that there was nowhere for them to sleep in the dorm where we stayed. Once they calmed down from their extreme tiredness, we boxed them in between some bunk beds and I slept on the floor with them. We survived that first rough night and the next morning, we headed for ERBC. The trip  is NOT for the faint of heart. The rocks and ever-changing sandbars make for a very jarring and slightly scary ride! Suffice it to say, I am going to wait a bit before I go back into town!
When we arrived at the building that we would be staying in and were shown to our apartment, I was really excited. The rooms seemed huge to me, and in the boys room sat two new cribs, just for them. I set them down and let them explore their new digs. The place is perfect for us. It has two swiveling rockers (prayed for something to rock the boys in too!) and a sofa and a kitchen table with two chairs. The windows ALL have views of either the bay or the mountains. So far, the only downside is the mosquitoes! I'm pretty sure I saw one big enough to cast it's own shadow!! We have seen whales daily in the bay, and if you are outside, you can hear them too, as they surface. We even saw an eagle! This is by far the most amazing place I have ever visited, let alone lived.

A Little Corner of My Mind - Amber

I went to the dentist just the other day, and they have this nifty little set-up where you can watch DVDs as they work on your teeth. Everything from Friends to Andy Griffith, and lots of stuff in between. So I asked if they had anything on Alaska. To my delight, they did! I watched the pictures as the oral hygienist poked and scraped and I listened to what I could hear of the commentary of the documentary. I honestly had never thought much about Alaska before, and wondered how I had missed learning more about this jewel of the North. The show went from city to city speaking of the surrounding wildlife and culture.

Then they got to Juneau.

 About this time the dentist came in to check my teeth. He saw the DVD playing and said "Did you know, there are no roads going into Juneau?"  Somehow, I hadn't yet realized this. I had not realized that one can only fly or float into that city. It's completely separated from the mainland and there are no bridges to it. Wow. What a sense of isolation I suddenly had.

"What if's" starting flying through my mind. I sensed fear creeping in. I knew I had to stop this journey down "Insecurity Lane" before it even started. I began to focus on how God led us to this and how He has confirmed to us that our going to Echo Ranch was His plan from a long time ago! God filled me with His peace as I put my trust in Him. I know that this wasn't what we expected when we started this year, but there is no doubt in my mind that this is EXACTLY where we are supposed to be. I also began to think of what isolation Jesus must have felt on the cross, but that was exactly where He was supposed to be as well. God sent His Son to set us free and now we are called to share His message wherever He gives us opportunity. We are super excited to be serving Him in Alaska and thrilled that you are part of this new adventure!

Outliving Our Lives - Josh

 

Ok, so I stole the title from Max Lucado's most recent book (Outlive Your Life).  In that book, Max talks about how God has called us to more than piling up our own treasures in this world.  He has called us as Christians to live our lives for God's glory and God's kingdom.  Lately I have been reading a lot of books to that effect.  Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Radical by David Platt, both pastors of large churches that are making a difference for the cause of Christ. 

  

The overarching theme is this: we were made and called by God's grace for more than just the American Dream.  God has set us all apart as believers to live our lives not for the accumulation of stuff and for worldly definitions of success but to "out live them" for His glory.  Acts 2:43-47 tells the story of the early church in Jerusalem.  They gave up everything for God and many down through the centuries have followed in thier footsteps.  I write this not to say that Amber and I are doing anything special but quite the opposite.  Giving up our earthly possessions and moving our family to another location to do ministry is not special, this should be normal practice for anyone who claims the name of Christ.  Do not misunderstand me, not everyone is called to do what Amber and I are doing (Paul would have had a short ministry if all those who supported him in Antioch went out with him!).  But we are all to play a role in advancing the Gospel.  In this life we can be captured and held slaves to many things but God wants us to live our lives not for this world and the American Dream but for the next. What might he be calling you to do for the glory of His name? Eventually the stuff corrodes and decays and the bank accounts dry up or go to some one else, but those things done for Christ will last forever!