Friday, October 10, 2014

Village Updates

Tuntituliak:
Tutntituliak is down river from Bethel about 40 miles and it has about 400 people living there. Jason Bavilla (MEHS class of 2009) is the first ever Alaska Native on Young Life staff and he is working there in his home village!  He learned about God at Unalakleet Bible Camp and then grew in his faith through involvement with Young Life at Mt. Edgecumbe. Jason was one of Brent's guys and they have been connected in since then.  The past years Jason has worked in the village and coached Jr. high basketball, however, this summer God opened doors for Jason to come on to Young Life staff.  He is now in the beginning phases of youth work and is working on building a team of adult volunteers.   He has already met with the leaders of both churches, and the principal of the school. He has met with some teachers, and he has met with other young adults who may become volunteer leaders.   Jason substitute teaches and hangs out with kids a couple times a day.  He and the other leaders plan on doing things with kids that serve the community; such as getting drinking water elders and help people clean their houses.  It is rare to find a young man who lives a clean life and who invests in the community in positive ways.  Please remember Jason and the Tuntituliak team in your prayers.
Ferdie, Jason, and Andrea from Tuntituliak
Chevak
Chevak is a village of 900 and it is located far west on the Yukon- Kuskokwim Delta. The people from Chevak who came to the all-state Young Life conference were all awesome.  Elders John and Teresa Pingayak are regional cultural leaders and they came with their daughter Nicole.  They love Jesus, and they are hilarious.  They shared their wisdom, singing, skits and perspective with the Alaska Young Life family. After the weekend John and Teresa volunteered to lead the Young Life committee (support team) in Chevak.  They will support the youth work through praying (they have already talked to 40 people about the need to pray for the youth in Chevak).  They will support the youth through recruiting help from other adults for youth functions.  They will also help support the youth by finding ways to raise money for the youth ministry.  During the all-state conference, the Pingayaks shared that the conference had inspired them to go  be with the kids of Chevak. Teresa shared with me a great story of their first ride four-wheeler ride around town greeting all the kids.  The kids were all surprised to see elders coming out to visit them!  One of the Pingayaks daughters snapped a picture of them on their community ride and said "aren't my parents so cool."  That is a great picture of what one couple is doing to demonstrate that kids are worth it.
Morris, Nicole, John, Teresa, Grant, Nate, and Heidi

Morris is a worship leader in Chevak and is passionate about kids.  After the weekend Morris was re-energized and he felt led to take action right away.  When he returned to Chevak, he organized a weekend gathering of singing and preaching in order to help raise support for kids.  The gathering will happen this weekend and will include times of prayer, worship, and preaching. People will be coming from 3 other villages to share music a words of inspiration.  Morris and others are now working on the final plans, but as John said " our plans need to be vague enough to give room for the Holy Spirit to work."

The Kellars were also able to come to the all-state conference and and help share the vision of what Young Life is to people from rural Alaska.  The Kellars have experience both in Young Life and in the village, and they are therefore able to help relate and translate concepts and ideas.  The Kellars are instrumental in what develops for youth ministry develops in Chevak.  Please pray for wisdom and for God's leading during this exciting time in Chevak 

Sand Point
Sand Point is a village of 1,000 people and is on an island near the start of the Aleutian chain.   Austin and his wife Cheryl have been working with the Baptist church youth group in Sand Point for the past 4 years and in July Austin contacted me with interest in Young Life.  Cheryl grew up in Sand Point and they both she and Austin have a huge hearts for the kids in Sand Point. Both have felt a desire to be connected to other believers who share their same passion for God and kids. Austin, Cheryl and their family were able to join Young Life staff in August for a training weekend in Palmer.  They left very encouraged and better equipped. Since then Austin has been working on recruiting people from the community who will support the kids.  Austin is also interested in Young Life to help provide some training and structure for the youth ministry in Sand Point: he wants to be more effective in dealing with different types of kids.  Please pray for wisdom, unity, and God's timing as they move forward.


Galena
Galena is an interior village on the Yukon River (about 1/2 way between Fairbanks and the ocean) that is home to one of Alaska's 3 statewide boarding schools.  Galena Interior Learning Academy has 225 students from around the state and they have a great Young Life program.  They have 14 volunteer leaders- who work in the dorms in the evening, and five volunteers who live in the community.  Galena was home to a USAF base during WWII and the cold war. Galena has since then become a hub for regional aviation including missionary aviation efforts.  SEND North has just chosen to place a 6-seater plane permanently in Galena.  This is great news for Galena Young Life because for the past few years, they have been dreaming of doing club in the surrounding 5 villages that are only accessible by air or water.  A partnership between Galena Young Life and the mission organization could make it possible for teams to put on monthly clubs in 5 rural villages. Please pray for connections and that God raise up the right people to be a part of the team.  Also pray for Galena as they are looking to hire a full-time area director, another factor that must be in place in order to put on club in these other villages. 
Galena's Pitka Airport on the banks of the Yukon in the winter.
Tragic deaths happen all too frequently in rural Alaska, but in the past week students at GILA have experienced a lot. Tuesday a local Galena student's dad passed away due to subsistence abuse.  In Shagaluk, a former GILA student's parents were murdered by a family member who was under the influence.  Also, this Wednesday in Marshall, a four-wheeler accident involving alcohol resulted in death. Please remember these villages and the Students in GILA in your prayer.



Kodiak:

There are eight communities on Kodiak Island:  9,000 people live in Kodiak and another 1,000 are spread out between, Ouzinki, Port Lions, Old Harbor, Ahkiok, Karluk, Chiniak, and Larsen Bay.  Steve grew up and taught school in small villages and he has always had a heart for people in rural Alaska.  25 years ago Steve and his family moved to Kodiak and 10 years ago he became involved with leading the middle school Young Life group in Kodiak. Steve has organized leaders and youth functions for middle school kids in Kodiak since then..  He also has helped put on camps for kids from the surrounding villages and has made numerous trips to each community.  In the past few years, many of the smaller communities have requested help from Steve to get their youth programs going.  He has felt stretched to maintain what is happening in Kodiak while helping these other communities.  Great news: this year people in Kodiak are volunteering to help Young Life like never before and Young Life will finally start in Kodiak High School this year.  All these new volunteers have allowed Steve time to better help the rural villages initiate their own youth programs.   Please pray for wisdom for Steve and for the start of Young Life in Kodiak High School. 

Savoonga
Savoonga is a town of 500  people located on St. Lawrence Island, which is in the middle of the Bering Sea. The community is very isolated and very traditional- whaling is still a major part of village life.  We had 4 people come from Savoonga.  Three of these people are currently working with the youth, and one is completing her doctorate in counseling. The all-state conference was a great chance to see these sweet people and to hear what they are doing for the kids of their community.  God is all about relationships and it was great to build a relationship with these folks and encourage them in the great work they are doing.  It is easy to feel isolated and alone and these times together are extremely life giving and encouraging.  At the conference they were able to brainstorm new ideas on ways to help kids and they were able to connect with others doing similar work. Right now in Savoonga they are looking for a facility where they can hold regular youth gatherings.  Remember these guys in your prayers too.
Nick, Amy, Jen, and Tiffany... so fun.


There have been so many great things to report.  Thanks for your time and support.

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

He restores my soul

"The Lord is my shepard, I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures: He leads me besied the still waters.  He restores my soul: he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake."  Psalm 23:1-3

These words have be especially meaningful during the busy times of fall.  So many things crowd in and make time go fast (school begins, programs start, summer projects need finishing, subsistence hunting and fishing for winter).  Even among the busy times, God wants rest refresh us and restore our souls- what follows are a few snap shots of what God has been doing around the state.


The All- State Young Life conference was held at the end of September in Wasilla outside of Anchorage.  It was historic as well as AWESOME!  We had 17 rural native people attend and another 12 who work directly in villages.  We had native elders attend, as well as young people.  We had a team 7 people come from Chevak, 4 people come from Savoonga, 3 people come from Tuntituliak.  All three of these communities have indigenous leadership teams. We also had 11 come from from Galena Interior Learning Academy (a state boarding school much like Mt. Edgecumbe), 2 from Bethel, and another from Kipnuk and Buckland.  Our goal during the conference was to describe Young Life and have the communities figure out how these principles could be applied to fit their community. We had great resource people at the conference and each community was able to go home with some strategies that some folks have already applied.  The conference speakers were great and the messages fit perfectly with what is at the core of Young Life: Jesus and the value he places on people.  Elders from Chevak (on the right in the 2nd picture) opened the conference  prayer and many native folks shared their perspective with the large group.  For the first time- it felt like Young Life Alaska represented the people in all of Alaska.

We had most people for the photo here... but our elders are in the next picture... can you find them?
Having the native people from rural Alaska attend the state retreat has been an answer to prayer.  For the past two years our regional director has been really moved that Young Life Alaska is to encourage the whole state of Alaska, an not just the urban centers.  People all over the country have been praying for things happening in western Alaska and even small places like Tutntituliak.  I was able to share with the people from rural Alaska that they had been prayed for for years and that there are people who really care about what is happening in their village.  One woman said "wow, we never knew there were so many people who love God and who care about what is happening in our little village."  One man said that this weekend encouraged him and his faith in a way that he didn't think was ever possible again.  Another said, that he never thought that he would fun like that ever again.  This past weekend was exhausting, fun, encouraging, and restorative.  The people who came desire that people in their home villages find the hope and joy that only come from God.  Please remember the youth workers of Chevak, Tuntituliak, Savoonga, and Sand Point in your prayers.

Young Life Alaska
The Kellars trip to Chevak was awesome and they made a lot of great connections, however, upon their return to Washington, a tragedy hit to the village. First off, let's hear about their visit - The Kellars brought their three boys to Chevak and were warmly greeted by many friends and previous students. They walked the roads and played basketball at the school and were invited to many homes. They met and prayed with many folks and were able to share with a few about their experiences with Young Life.  They attended the house church meeting and experienced great love from the community.  The Kellars gave many hugs and took many photos and returned home. For the full story please visit http://loveforchevak.wordpress.com/2014/08/21/were-here/   (Password:Chevak)
"Heidi and the boys getting a ride on a Chevak minivan"
One day after the Kellars' returned home a 19 year old Chevak woman was murdered and her naked body was found behind Chevak health clinic.  There have been two suspects identified and the case is still open.  Heidi said, in the village you can expect accidental deaths or suicides, but things like this don't happen in Chevak, and it really has people shaken up. (The young lady was one of Heidi's former students and the Kellars had been able to see her just days before).  For the whole story please read Heidi's blog entry at http://loveforchevak.wordpress.com/2014/08/28/terrible-news/         password Chevak.)  Pray that God can bring some good from this situation - even if it is just a greater awareness of the need for action.


The Giving Grandmas:  During the past six years there have been two faithful women volunteer leaders at Mt. Edgecumbe: Elise and my wife Emily.  During their time as YL leaders they have hung out with girls, invited girls over, had sleepovers, cooked for prom dinner, been to school functions, brought kids to camp, cooked breakfast and hosted the Bible study weekly.  They have invested in the girls of MEHS faithfully.  Last school year the need for more leaders was apparent as we had over 50 girls regularly attending Young Life Club.  Both Emily and Elise have full-time jobs and families and so they needed help.  Through prayer we decided to ask a population of people who have time and energy.... local grandmas!
We are missing a few and not everyone is a grandma
Twelve women attended our first interest meeting, and there I found out that several of these women moved to Sitka to work specifically with Mt. Edgecumbe kids. So far we have had 2 breakfast Bible studies and these ladies have been awesome!!!  Now our large group of girls can now grow to include even more. These ladies have come at the right time to restore energy to other volunteers and to encourage girls from around the state.


My next email will include the great things happening around the rural part of the state in places like Tuntituliak, Galena, Sand Point, Chevak, and Savoonga.