The world welcomes Ruthann Sloan Routon

Good Morning All-
We Have A Beautiful Baby Girl!!!   Ruthann Sloan Routon was born at
3:03 am on Friday the 26th of July. Both she and Emily are in good
health and we are seeing the world through new eyes these days.  God
is so good to us and we had a great experience.  Ruthann is a good
eater and sleeper, she doesn't fuss a lot, and she loves to be held.
The hospital staff was amazing and we have a lot to learn.  Emily
LOVES being a mom and finds herself just wanting to stare and hold
Ruthann.  Suddenly, all the beautiful mountains seem less appealing,
and all fishing trips have lost their allure, we just want to be by
this little one.  Emily's mother Cynthia was here a few days before
the birth and is so wonderful to have now.  She will be here until the
8th and then my mom will come on the 12th.  People have been so
helpful and great as we make this great life transition.  Thank you
for all your prayers and support.  For the full story of the birth...
keep reading

Love you guys,

Ruthann Sloan Routon: 7lbs, 11oz.  19 3/4 inches long.

Aaron, Emily, and Ruthann

On Thursday morning (the 25th- our due date) Emily turned to me in bed
and said... "I think this baby will be born in 24 hours."  She had
been having some Braxton Hicks contractions for about a week and they
were growing with intensity.  She woke up to some spotting and mucus
in the morning. I went to work and sent out my previous email and she
called me about 12:10 and told me that she and her friend Annie (a
nurse) were going swimming, but that Annie had rerouted their swim
date to a hospital date when she head about the morning discharge.
Annie thought that Emily's water might have broken and that the pool
would be unsanitary.  Upon a call to the hospital, the nurses agreed
and requested that Emily come to the hospital.  I met Emily in the
parking lot of SEARHC and we walked in together.  Our doctor, Valarie
Edwards, was in a meeting and came up to meet us and examine Emily.
She found that Emily's water had not broke and that Emily was 80%
effaced and was dilated 1 cm. Dr. Edwards said, "I'll see you
tonight."

We left the hospital to find things which could distract us. Emily
went for a walk and got things together for a cooking group.  I went
to work.  At 4pm Emily went to the cooking group and I laid down for a
nap (expecting a long night). At 5:45pm I went to go pick her up
because her contractions were getting more intense.  We came home and
Emily hopped in the bath to help relax.  Her contractions came faster
and lasted longer.  I kept asking her if she wanted to go to the
hospital but she wanted to stay home as long as possible.  When we
were unsure whether to go or not, we called our friend, Shelly Adams,
and she came over.  (Shelley is a great nurse and wants to go to
school to become a nurse practitioner- and then a midwife.  She agreed
to accompany us during our labor and delivery, and we thank God for
her... she was so great through the whole thing.) When Shelley arrived
at the house at 7pm, she asked if Emily wanted to labor longer at the
house or go into the hospital and Emily chose to stay at the house and
so we watched one T.V.episode of "The Dog Whisperer" and one episode
of "The Big Bang Theory."
After the shows ended, we agreed that it was time to head to the hospital.

At 8:30pm on our due date, we walked into the hospital and up to the
OB ward.  Dr. Edwards inspected Emily and found that she was 100%
effaced and dilated to 5cm.  We turned on some soft music and turned
down the lights and she labored until 10:30pm when Valerie again
examined her and said that she was now dilated to 8.  Three
centimeters in 2 hours... pretty great!  Emily then labored another
hour and Valerie examined her to find that she was almost 100%
complete, all but one lip on one side.  Emily labored for another half
hour and Valerie checked again. The lip was still there and no
progress had been made.  Valerie explained that the cervix was needing
to be stretched but because Emily's water hadn't broken yet, it was
like trying to stretch the cervix out with a water balloon.  She said
that having the water broken would speed up the process because the
pressure from the head would put more pressure on the cervix.  We
decided earlier that we wanted minimal intervention and so at 12:05 we
decided to labor for another 20 minutes before Dr. Edwards broke the
water.  Emily tried several different positions and at 12:43pm,
Valerie broke Emily's water.

Emily felt right away the intensity of the contractions increase and
within 20 minutes, she was fully dilated and ready to start pushing.
Another 20 minutes of pushing and we could see the head of the baby.
Emily found that this pain was different from the previous
contractions and she was amazing.  I have never witness anyone
tougher.  I have coached guys for years and been around some tough
men, but nothing compares to a woman in labor.  I looked at her with
complete amazement and admiration when I saw how hard she was working
and what was happening.  She said I freaked her out by looking at her
like that and said..."stop looking at me like that."  I was
dumbstruck.  Shelley and the nurses were great as they helped her to
relax between contractions and helped her learn how to push.  The baby
was turned anterior and because of this, the progress was very slow.
After about 1 and 1/2 hours of pushing (with no pain meds) Emily was
getting tired and the baby was not making a lot of progress.  Valerie
told the nurses to get the vacuum extractor ready and to notify Dr.
Kraft.  She told us that sometimes just mentioning the words "vacuum
extractor" somehow coerces the baby to come out.  About 3 contractions
later Dr. Kraft came in with the gismo. Dr. Kraft is a gentle man who
had been delivering babies for decades (who also delivered my pseudo
sister Alaire Hughey).  His gentle demeanor and reassurance added to
my excitement that the baby would soon be out.  On the next set of
contractions, the extractor was put on the baby's head but slipped
off.  Dr. Edwards then asked if Dr. Kraft would apply and guide the
contraption. As Emily pushed and Dr. Kraft made slight turns, left and
then right, the baby's head made like an inch of progress in 2
seconds.  (Emily has been working for about 1 hour to make 1 inch of
progress and so I knew the baby would be coming soon). I turned for 2
seconds to grab the surgical gloves and started to put them on... when
I turned back to Emily (only 2 seconds later) the baby was out all the
way to the hips!  I was amazed! This strange thing that I had been
watching for the last 1.5 hours (the top of the skull with wrinkly
purple skin) has just turned into a FULL ON BABY!  I was amazed and
made Emily laugh as I enthusiasticly said "Its a Baby! Its a Baby."

I then took the baby from the doctors and lifted it the remainder out
of the birth canal and the doctors prompted me to announce the gender.
So moving the baby to look behind the umbilical cord, to my minor
surprise... I didn't see a penis...No- that was definitely a girl
part... I then got to announce-  "We have a beautiful daughter, she is
a baby girl!"  Emily said "what?"  She had fully been expecting to
have a boy as everyone had informed Emily that she was carrying a boy.
 All the old women of the Yupik village Chefornak, all the women of
Sitka, all of Emily's friends, everyone but me and Kristen Scotchmer
said that the baby would be a boy. (For the record- at some parts of
the pregnancy I also thought it would be a boy too.)  Emily was
shocked that we had a girl and not a boy.  I was then reminded by the
doctors that I needed to set the baby on Emily's stomach/ chest.  I
placed the baby there and Emily was ecstatic.  The nurses towel dried
the baby off and Emily kept the baby warm with her body.  Emily was in
great spirits and so excited.  She looked great.  She was so excited,
you couldn't even tell she had any pain.  The placenta came out with
out much notice and Valerie put in a few stitches as we just oogled
over the baby.  A nurse was there to help Emily start breast feeding
and the baby took to the breast pretty well.

Cynthia asked what the baby's name was and Emily and I agreed that we
don't need to keep the name a secret any longer and I got to announce
that her name is Ruthann Sloan Routon.  (Ruth is the name of my
mother's mom who passed away when I was 7 and Ann is my father's
mother's middle name. Sloan is a Emily's Dad's middle name and is also
a family name.  The name "Ruth" means a companion or friend, and the
name "Ann" means full of grace.  Ruthann is a friend full of grace.

This was one of those life experiences that words can't describe.  It
was an experience that was sacred... amazing... empowering...awesome.
Emily is an amazing mother and Ruthann is so precious.  We are
learning a lot about parenthood and realize we need help and
expertise. We are hourly reminded of God's grace and joy as we look at
our daughter.  We pray more than ever for wisdom and guidance. Our
hearts are more full of hope, love, and compassion than we knew was
possible. We are protective, proud, and joyful of our daughter. Our
previous desires for adventure or self- satisfaction seem a lot less
important compared with making sure this little one is cared for.  We
depend on God's strength more and we require the help of others.  We
are not independent, supermen, with superior insight. We are more
aware of our faults, and more aware of our needs.  In short.....we are
learning what it means to be parents.

Thank you for your love and support.
Aaron, Emily, and Ruthann

PS- if you would like to see more pictures of Ruthann you can visit Emily's blog at http://embradford.blogspot.com/



The Routons in the hospital

Miracles and Prayer Requests

         God’s timing is different from mine and doesn’t always make
sense, yet I am reminded, that through joy and pain, God can be
trusted.

Emily and I are waiting for the arrival of our first born.  Emily is
feeling uncomfortable and is ready for the baby to be born.  These are
exciting times around our house and we will be sure to let you know
when the baby comes.  Emily’s mom Cynthia is up visiting we are all
now just waiting.

          I would like to share about three things that have recently
happened in which will impact my work with Young Life.  The first
miracle, I was talking with my childhood friend John Macy about my
position and he said that I needed to talk with his father-in-law Ed
Hatch. Ed works with a company called Breakthrough Partners and they
specializes in helping Christian organizations work together in order
to more effectively accomplish a common goal.  Ed shared some of the
principals his company uses to help organizations be more effective in
their missions.  These principals have really influenced how I see
Young Life becoming involved in rural Alaska and how Young Life can
partner with Christians already in the villages.   One of the
principals I appreciate most is using the strategy of empowering local
leaders and seeking their solutions to problems.

      The second miracle: a few weeks ago I was going fishing when I
came across a boat that needed towed back into town.  I brought them
back into town and they gave me a salmon.  Later I found out that one
of the people in the boat is the president of the local Alaska Native
Sisterhood chapter.  Through a friend I learned that she was a
Christian and very excited about reaching her people with the gospel.
I went to meet with her and she was very excited about partnering
together to reach native kids.  It would be a very big deal to partner
with this highly esteemed native organization

A picture taken with my phone

          The third miracle: I called last year’s MEHS student body
president to talk with him about some exciting things happening with
Young Life in regards to his school.  He is a Christian who is active
in his youth group and he will be a senior next year. Doug informed me
that he has received permission to start a campus ministry club at
MEHS.  He is not exactly sure what it will look like but is very
excited that Young Life may be able to partner with him in an effort
to reach more kids.

   All these things are exciting and I they encourage me to know that
God is in control and can be trusted.  I will keep you posted as
things develop.

 Prayer requests:
       •Sitka Young Life left for Young Life camp this morning!  This
is the first time that Sitka Young Life is taking a group of kids to
high school camp in 3 years.  Pray that God would students would be
receptive to the message and that God would speak clearly to the
students going.  Also pray for wisdom and energy for the leaders. I
will not be going because our babies due date is also today (my
brother Ben’s Birthday).
     •The village of Galena.  I have a friend named Kim who has been
working with kids in a village called Galena.  Galena is a town of
about 500 people and it has a boarding school where Kim has worked.
Galena is currently the only village in Alaska that has Young Life.
Young Life has 14 volunteer leaders and they have had a great impact
on the kids of that area.  This break-up (spring) an ice jamb down
river from Galena caused the Yukon to reach new flood highs.  The
village was evacuated and the flood in Galena this spring became the
largest flood in Alaska’s recorded history.  The onsite director of
FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) said that this emergency
offered the most challenging circumstances he has ever faced.  After
the flood, temperatures soared to the mid 90’s, causing many of the
buildings and affected materials to produce a black toxic mold. Much
work needs done in order for residents to be able to move into their
houses, but the town is also running out of time.  Cold winter
temperatures will arrive in October and put an end to much of the
rebuilding efforts.   One of the greatest complications facing the
rebuilding efforts is that Galena is not on the road system and that
materials will need flown into the town… making the repairs even more
expensive.  Please pray for Kim and the residents of Galena as they
work around the clock to try and rebuild a town.  If you would like to
email Kim and offer encouragement or find out ways to get involved you
can email her at  galenarebuilders@gmail.com     Here is a YouTube
video that shows some of the damage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdCW5gzj4Hs



Galena flooded by the Yukon.  Notice all the chunks of ice and
imagine what damage they can do.

We love you guys and thanks for your prayers and support,
Aaron

A Note from June 19th

 

Summer is upon us here in Alaska and the change in seasons can be felt here in the most dramatic ways.  Temperatures go from -40 to 90 degrees in a matter of months.  Parkas a mukluks are replaced by t-shirts and flip-flops.  Kids aren’t in school and it is time for hunting, fishing, and staying up until 3 in the morning (mostly because “night” is an arbitrary time right now). 

 

This summer the students from Mt. Edgecumbe have gone to their homes and Emily and I are preparing our home for our new baby.  Painting, deck building, and stocking the freezer are top on the list of priorities.  As I have started my new responsibilities to help expand Young Life to rural Alaska I have learned of many wonderful ministries to partner with.  There are many people who have invested their lives into the people of Alaska.  This has been going on for generation, but the surprising thing is that most of the ministries I have read about are mostly staffed with people who are not from these villages.  In order for these ministries to be sustainable, native leadership will need to rise up and take ownership.   

 



Me and some friends at Covenant Bible Camp in...

Over the last few years I have been learning what face the native people of rural Alaska and I will be discussing some of these issues in future emails.  (These problems include a cultural clash, loss of identity, self-efficacy, and drug abuse.)   Right now I am writing to request prayer for wisdom.  We need God’s wisdom to move forward as we start reaching out to people around the state and building relationships. 

My other prayer request is for the summer camps currently in session.  Camps are a wonderful place where kids find safety and where kids find people who love them.  This is a place where many of the kids who come to Mt. Edgecumbe first come to know about Christ.  Emily and I have worked at Covenant Bible Camp for 3 summers and have seen the important role that camp plays in the lives of kids.  I called the three camps that are in session this week and asked for a list of things that people could be praying about.   

• Kako Retreat Center (In Russian Mission) has 38 campers from 14 surrounding villages.  There has been a shortage of counselors and so many people who have filled in need wisdom as they handle issues caused by abuse and broken homes. Pray for the physical health as it has been in the 90’s (very unusual there) and several kids have had symptoms of heat stroke. Pray that kids would be receptive and for wisdom for the interim camp director.  Pray for health for the camp founder Dave Penz as he is fighting cancer and has been unable to help out in the capacity he would like.  Also, pray for someone to come forward and adopt the ministry, so Dave Penz can pass the baton. 
• Covenant Bible Camp (in Unalakleet) request wisdom to help in transition as many staff are leaving this week and leaving them empty handed.  Also, wild fires from the other side of the mountain may bring smoke that would make traveling into camp impossible so pray for clear skies and good flying conditions 
• Tanalian Bible Camp (in Port Alsworth) requests that campers learn to keep growing in God as they go home.  They would have us pray that kids would hear the word of God and come to salvation.  They pray that kids would be drawn to God and not only to the fun games. 





Bible camp in Unalakleet Alaska

A Blog entry from Chevak




Chevak from the air

Nate and Heidi Kellar were teachers in Chevak Alaska when Brent Cunningham took a team of Sitkans up north visit kids one Christmas Break.  Brent and company stayed with the Kellers in their home.  They stayed and taught in Chevak for three years before returning to the Pacific Northwest.  Here is a blog entry that Heidi wrote this year her time in Chevak.  Chevak represents one of 200 rural villages in Alaska.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013 Wet Pillow Theology

Today, I'm going to attempt to finish a blog post that has been on my heart for months, and which I've been attempting to write for weeks! I know I won't be able to fully articulate what the Lord is trying to teach me, but I think there will be clarity in the effort.

God loves wet pillows. Well, He doesn't exactly love them, but He uses them. He understands them. God invites us into suffering along side others. He speaks to us through sorrow, exhaustion and grief as we cry ourselves to sleep.

I don't mean the "oh my boyfriend broke up with me", or "my dog died" kind of tears, although I know He is with us during those times too. Up until moving to Chevak, those two previous examples are the only times I really remember crying myself to sleep before the age of 23.

No, I mean the kind of wet pillow that comes from deep sorrow. From trudging with a friend or family member through cancer treatment or infertility, or experiencing such yourself. From losing a spouse, or child. From watching your son or daughter walk away from the Lord. From being pulled down by depression or suicide. From saying goodbye to someone you love deeply. From watching children suffer.

The first night I cried myself to sleep in Chevak was only a few months after moving there. I had begun the evening in the highest spirits. Nate and I, with our warm coats and rose-colored glasses on, decided to take a walk through the village to see the sunset. We stopped at the school and hung out at the dance for awhile. At 10pm, it was time for the little kids to go home, and one little girl grabbed my hand and asked us if we'd walk them home.

"Melt my heart, little one, of course I will!"

So, Nate and ended up in the middle of a pack of a dozen or so elementary school kids as they walked the muddy streets home. Pretty soon, the little girl holding my hand stepped behind me to talk to her big sister, who was probably 10. I don't think she meant for me to hear, but you know how it is when little ones whisper. She started crying and saying she didn't want to go home.

"No, no, no, I'm scared. I'm scared. I don't wanna go.

Let's stay outside. Let's go somewhere else. I'm so scared."

"It's okay. Don't worry, sister. Dad won't be home yet.

You can use my crayons. It's okay. Shhhh shhhh.

I'll protect you. He won't be there yet."

And I had to let them go. Down the dark street. With the rest of the kids who heard the conversation, but didn't even flinch. Just kept walking, probably afraid to go home themselves. There was little we could do.

It broke my heart. I held it together, but when we made it home I cried myself to sleep. It was our first peek into what life was really like for these kids. It was our first time knowing people who were abused and neglected, poor and hurting, not just reading about them in books.

There were other wet pillow nights in Chevak, too. Like when our dear friend, Maya, died of liver cancer. She whose name we would give a daughter, who helped start the youth group at church, took us on our first boat ride in Chevak, loved Jesus, left behind her only daughter, Deanna, now an orphan.

Or the day I came across one of my 4th graders sitting outside her house crying because she had just been beaten by her intoxicated mom.

Or the day I heard one of my 7th graders had been raped.

Or the time we got the news that two of my brightest students' mom had shot the dad and then herself in a moment of drunken rage.

Or the day we found out one of Nate's former students, who had returned from Iraq, and was a role model for the younger generation, committed suicide.

Or the day we found out one of our friends accidentally shot his young daughter with his hunting rifle.

Or the time we heard that a tiny baby had been run over by a four-wheeler and killed.

Or when we heard the news that our dear teacher friend Lena had succumbed to cancer, leaving behind her 5 sons and 1 daughter.

Or, most recently, when we found out that one of Lena's boys died of a concussion. (Read about that story here.)

And many, many more.

Wet pillows for us. And probably for you, too.

But why, oh why, are these wet pillows good?!

This is where my theology is still being shaped. This is where I have so much to learn. This is what I am struggling to understand.

Jesus walked the earth doing battle with suffering. If he crossed paths with someone who was crippled, unclean, leprous, or blind, soon their suffering was turned to joy and dancing. God hates suffering. When Jesus returns again, there will be no more. "Sorrow and sighing will flee!"

But, it still happens. As a consequence of the Fall, as a consequence of sin, because His Kingdom on Earth is not yet complete. I love Luke 4:18, where Jesus says:

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed."

So, if I am a true disciple of Jesus, and I am taking up my cross to follow him, then I myself should be brushing shoulders with the poor, brokenhearted, captive, blind and oppressed. I should KNOW them enough to feel their pain. I should be internalizing their pain. Even enough to cry myself to sleep some nights.           



The End of School...

Our campaigners group

Good morning from SItka:

Seasons are changing here but the clouds are still here.  Emily finished teaching school last week and so we shift to the new season of summer and baby preparation. We anticipate the birth of this little one and we are now trying to pick out names.  We don’t know the gender yet, but will find out when the baby is born- the due date is July 25^th. The end of the school year came fast and furious.  There were many school and Young Life functions to facilitate and attend.  We finished Young Life club this semester with the largest club we have ever had hosting about 140 kids around a camp fire.  We also finished our campaigner groups hosting the most kids we have had all year- about 25 kids gathered for breakfast and to study the Bible.  This year Emily and I had a chance to host our first MEHS parents during the week of graduation.  Nelson Kanuk’s parents, William and Sharon, stayed with us and shared their stories from Kipnuk. I was able to take them on a boat ride and William was able to help me fix my motor so we could get home. The campus of Mt. Edgecumbe was bustling with hundreds of people, but it is now quiet as all 400 students scattered to their homes across the state.  My job has also changed seasons and I am now working on things involving the entire state.  As most of you know, my position is new this year and has recently developed in significant ways and  I want to take some time to share these developments with you.

About 2 months our regional director Brent Cunningham was meeting with a friend when the two of them talked about a new vision for Young Life in the state of Alaska.  Alaska is a large state with people spread through the land.  Brent’s new vision is to reach all the communities of the state and give kids a chance to hear about Jesus in a way they can understand.  Many great churches, great families, and great people are already invested in many of these communities.  Many groups of people have been reaching out to rural Alaska for many years.  Part of this evolving vision is to use Young Life help build Christian support for kids in the different villages.  Rural Alaska is a very harsh place to live and many young Christians feel alone in their faith.  Abuse, depression, and suicide are very real for these young people and building supports can be the difference between  life and death.  

When Brent and I were talking about the future of my position at Mt. Edgecumbe, it seemed natural to expand the position to include networking with the 240 different communities.  In this way I will be working with Sitka Young Life and Alaska Young Life.  I will be spending half of my time working on Young Life at Mt. Edgecumbe and half of my time working at building a network around the state.  As school ends, my focus has shifted to focus on the state and I am excited to see what God will do.  The needs in each village are big, and God is the only one who can bring healing and hope to people.

Please pray for:

1.)    Volunteer Leaders- we will need new leaders to work with students of MEHS

2.)    People to pray- we will need people around the state to pray for their villages AND we will need people outside the village willing to adopt a village and pray for the kids who live there.  If you would be willing to pray- please let me know.

3.)    Finances:  I will be planning a fundraising trip in the next couple months and pray that I will be able to share the vision and pray that people want to become involved.

I have included some pictures and a great Blog entry from Heidi Kellar who lived for four years in a village called Chevak.  When I try to wrap my mind around what ministry in rural Alaska looks like, Heidi’s blog entry is a snap shot of the heaviness that exists in villages.  God wants to rescue his people and he calls us to get involved and messy. Our lives are his to give away.

Blessings,

Aaron Routon

p.s. The above picture is from our last campaigner breakfast which is a bible study.  The video below is of one of the breakfast guys and his village Nelson Kanuk (second from the right on the bottom row) and his village of Kipnuk .  The video was professionally made and deals with the effects of environmental changes on his village.   The picture below is of Nelson's parents when they stayed with us during their visit to Sitka for Nelson's graduation this spring.

William and Sharon Kanuk... Sorry they are upside down

A little about MEHS and me.

Sitka has always been a crossroads.  Three hundred years ago it was the capital of Russia- America and Sitka is has always been a center for commerce and education. Thousands of people visit Sitka today to enjoy its history and beauty, but there are 400 students who come from around the state to attend a boarding school called Mt. Edgecumbe High School.  These students, 95% of whom are Alaskan Natives, come from 200 towns and villages from across the state to get an education.  The highly esteemed school offers an excellent education . 

Ten years ago I came to Alaska to work in the dorms at Mt. Edgecumbe and it was there I was introduced to the people of Alaska. I was intrigued by village life and native culture and had a hunger to learn more.  I have learned about their families as I taught middle and high school and coached wrestling and track. I learned about pressures that kids face as I worked in a teen drug and alcohol center.   I saw the beauty and danger of village life when I volunteered at a rural Bible camp. I have seen teens demonstrate a desire for mentor relationships as I have volunteered with Young Life.  My experiences have shown me the beauty of the Alaska Native culture and I have seen the importance these people placed on family relations and humor.  I listened to stories of adventurous hunting trips and I heard what families must do in order to survive in artic temperatures. I have heard about picking berries, about going to fish camp, and have seen many great pieces of art. I have come to understand many beautiful things about these people, but I have also seen the difficulties that these people face. I heard kids share about the abuse that families face daily.  I have witnessed how drugs and alcohol are tearing apart individuals and families.  I have seen the effects of high sexual abuse rates and have learned how Alaska’s high suicide rate affects kids.  I have seen kids lose hope as they turn to negative things.  

In my time living in Alaska I have worked with many different groups of people around the state who want to make a difference in the lives of Alaskan youth.  Most groups attempt to address the needs of the kids holistically, but I have seen the most success with the groups who address the spiritual needs of the kids.  I have seen cycles of abuse ended when adolescence understand God’s grace and forgiveness.  I have personally witnessed how kids’ faces brighten when they understand God’s acceptance. I have seen kids’ lives changed when they experience God’s love.   I have seen families change when one person finds hope in Christ.  

Last spring I was teaching 8th grade language arts and the director of Alaska Young Life approached me and asked if I would consider going on staff with Young Life in a new position created specifically to work with the students at MEHS.  That evening I talked with my wonderful wife Emily (who is a teacher and volunteer Young Life leader at MEHS) about working for Young Life. We prayed and decided to take the step of faith. In this new position I will have an opportunity to share God’s love and hope with these teens as they are away from home, during a time in their life when many are searching for answers.  These kids are ready to form relationships with adults.  I get to use my experiences and knowledge of statewide resources to build a support network for kids.  In a very real sense, the mission field of Alaska comes to one place and one school- and I get to be a part of a ministry that will have far reaching impacts.  

I am also excited because this new position means that I will be building a team of volunteers and supporters to share in this opportunity to bring Christ’s hope to people of Alaska.  We will need volunteers to walk with these kids and take them to Young Life club, campaigners, and camp.  We will need people to pray for the students and volunteers of Mt. Edgecumbe Young Life.  We will also need financial resources that will make it all possible.  Please pray for our work at MEHS and, through MEHS, for our work around the state of Alaska.
If you are interested in learning about the interaction between Alaskan Natives and the western world, you can find a good article by clicking HERE. It details the first interactions and describes how the Alaska Native Brotherhood and Alaska Native Sisterhood started. (It is very fascinating)

My Initial Letter

A Small Place Making a Big Impact 

Sitka, Alaska is a small, remote dot on the map, but it makes a big impact on the State of Alaska. In 1947 Mount Edgecumbe High School opened as a boarding school in Sitka for rural Alaska Natives from the villages all over the State. Most of Alaska’s current Native leaders were educated at MEHS and tomorrow’s leaders are among the 400 students enrolled here today. Influence Mount Edgecumbe High School and you influence rural, Native Alaska. 

 

And rural, Native Alaska is in need of positive influence. The incidence of drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, suicide, and incarceration are extraordinarily high among rural Native Alaskans. And yet still, each fall, beautiful kids -  Inupiaq, Yupik, Athabaskan, Aleut, Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian kids - from all over the State leave their villages and families and gather at Mt. Edgecumbe High School for a higher quality education in hopes of a better life. In a very real sense, the mission field of Alaska comes to one place and one school. 

 

Alaska Native Ministry in Sitka 

This strategic place merits a full time Young Life staff person. There has been great volunteer Young Life ministry in Sitka to MEHS students for over 15 years, but there is so much more that can be done. We want to be able to reach more kids and keep in touch with them after they leave Sitka for their village. Many Alaska Native kids get trapped in a cycle of dysfunction, alcohol and drug abuse, and low expectations for life following high school. A focused dynamic ministry at Mt Edgecumbe will give kids the chance to hear clearly about Christ and to have their life transformed. A full-time staff person growing a team of volunteers and devoted to connecting with MEHS kids and their families will make a huge difference throughout Alaska. Maybe these kids would start Young Life in their villages and transform the next generation!  

 

Introducing:  Aaron & Emily Routon!  

Alaska Young Life has asked Aaron Routon to lead this ministry as a full time Young Life Mission Staff.  Aaron is engaging, inspiring and a joy to be around. He has worked in Sitka for 10 years with kids from around the state as a recreation director, coach, and public school teacher in both the regular classroom and in an alternative drug rehab setting. He has volunteered faithfully and effectively as a Young Life leader and a summer Bible Camp counselor in Unalakleet, Alaska. His wife, Emily,  is a teacher at MEHS and volunteer Young Life leader. She is a bubbly energetic addition to his ministry! 

 

The Alaska Native Ministry at MEHS will be a part of the Sitka Young Life area, led by Area Director Chris Voron, and gain supervision and training from Regional Director Brent Cunningham. The Sitka area staff and regional leadership resources will use a team approach to support and encourage the Native Ministry in Sitka. The Murdock Foundation, recognizing this great potential, has given a start-up grant to partially fund the first 3 years of ministry,  but much more support is needed to make this a sustainable ministry.  

 

 

 

Funding Plan for Alaska Native Ministry
Salary/Benefits	$ 65,000.00
Office and Program Expenses	$    3,600.00
Staff/Volunteer Training	$    4,800.00
Alaska Bush Travel	$    3,600.00
Camp Scholarships	$ 10,000.00
TOTAL	$ 87,000.00

 

 

“The way to impact Rural Alaska is to impact Mount Edgecumbe High School. The state is enormous and inaccessible. Most villages can only be reached by small plane. In Sitka, Alaska kids come to us! It's so important and strategic. I have wanted a staff person there for years who can give a full time focus and energy to these kids, and I think we have a perfect staff person in Aaron Routon. He has shown his heart for village kids and a longing to share the love of Christ with them.” Brent Cunningham, Alaska Regional Director 

 

“During the past decade I have developed a heart for these kids. I’ve seen the joys and pains they face in their daily lives.  This Mission Staff position excites me because it allows me to spend my energy helping kids get to know the Christ who can bring true joy and healing.  I love the kids of Alaska and I want them to know the life changing love that God offers.” Aaron Routon, Alaska Native Ministry 

 

Please help us make a difference in these kid’s lives by sharing God’s love and hope with them. We strongly believe that God has prepared Aaron for this very role of full time ministry to Mt Edgecumbe students. Will you join us by financially supporting Aaron’s work with these kids?