Ezra Ross Routon and Liz & Tanana

In case you haven't heard: It's a Boy! Ezra Ross Routon was born on Sept 24 and he weighed 7lbs, 12 oz.  He was 20 inches long and was born with a heart condition called Tetralogy of Fallot and at birth he was very stable.  Five days later doctors operated on Ezra to do the full repair on his heart.  He again was very stable and recovered quickly and five days later Ezra was released from the hospital! He is a healthy baby boy with no chromosomal abnormalities and he will need further heart procedures in the future- but it could be 10 years from now.  We are very grateful and I want to say thank you for your prayers and support.  If you want to read the full story click http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/babyrouton

Yep- he is a cutie!

As part of my job I get to report back to you some of the things happening in Young Life and the ministry that you all are praying for and supporting.  In the past I have tried to write about 6 emails every year and lump up everything that has been happening into one email, but what I have found that there is so much happening, to fit into one email.  Therefore I want to try something new and send small emails more frequently. For this email I want to share with you about Liz and what is happening in Tanana.

Liz was a Young Life leader in Sitka last year and moved to Tanana this school year to teach.  She did awesome work with kids in Sitka and is now sharing her life with the kids in Tanana.  Liz teaches middle school and high school.  She is partnering with adults and churches in the community to make sure kids have a chance to hear about who Christ is and what he has done for them.  Currently she opens the gym for kids 3 nights a week, she hosts movie nights, and organizes/ runs youth fun events where kids hear about Jesus. She has gotten Bibles donated and handed them out to kids and she is challenging kids to consider Jesus. She has a heart for the kids and they are responding.  Liz also desire it that the adults of Tanana adopt the ministry and that if she leaves that the ministry would be taken over by local people.    Please pray for these things and also for Liz's housing situation.

Tanana is about 150 west of Fairbanks 

All-State YL and Waiting for Baby

-Today I write with mixed emotion, both joy and pain.  Both exciting and difficult things are happening around the state and in our own family.

Two days ago Emily received an email that the community of Hooper Bay had just had their 4th suicide in 3 weeks.  Hooper Bay has 1,200 people living there, and like most villages, most people are very connected.  The 4 people were in their early to mid 20's and we all in the same group of friends. The death of the three young men and 1 young woman will touch many people around the region and state.  In the same email we also learned that one of our own MEHS alumni, class of 2014, also committed Suicide.  Ashley Sagoonik was from Unalakleet and attended MEHS for 4 years.  She was involved in many activities, including some Young Life, church and Bible Camp.  She was well known and very well liked.  Her death is felt throughout the campus and serves as a reminder of to the kids of other loved ones they have lost to suicide.  Please pray for these families, communities, and MEHS

a group shot from Young Life All-State 2015

It is for reasons like suicide, abuse, and drug use that people in rural Alaska are so interested in doing something for the youth in their community.  On October 2-4 we had our annual All-State Young Life Conference.  We has a record number 170 people attend and also 13 rural communities were represented.  (Also in typical Alaska autumn style- 5 people were unable to attend due to bad weather and flight cancellations).  We had people there from Sitka, Kodiak, Galena, Tuntituliak, Sand Point, Ambler, Bethel, Chevak, Emmonak, Gambell, Karluk, Sovoonga,and Tanana. Some of these communities have thriving youth ministries, some have youth Bible studies, and some only have concerned adults praying for young people.  During our time together we collaborated and heard about what youth strategies were effective and which ones were not.  We spent time in prayer for the communities, and also time meeting in small groups discussing what the possible next ministry steps could be could be for each community. I introduced the group to how Young Life could help and support them in their communities.  People were encouraged and refreshed, and at the end of the weekend, John Waghiyi from Savoonga said "now we understand what Young Life is, it is going to be one of our main callings in life for the kids of our village."  It was a great time to meet with wonderful people who act out of great compassion. Please remember these people and communities in your prayers as they return home because Satan wants to squelch anywhere that God is working.  Pray for Bethel as they will be meeting with church leaders to talk about Young Life.  Pray for Savoonga as they have already experienced Satan's discouragement.  Pray for Tanana as Liz is hosting open gyms and game youth game nights, and is forming leadership teams of adults and kids, Pray for Karluk as they have recently experienced death of a young family member and they seek to find ways to help the other youth.. God wants to bring life and the battle in these villages is very real.

the 3.95 of us on the ferry down from Alaska

Now for the update on the Routon family: Since my last email - the Routons have temporarily moved to Newberg, Oregon.  On the 22nd of September we ferried out of Sitka with our dear friends the Hulls. Our time in Oregon has been good and we have had a chance to enjoy a fall in Oregon complete with spending time with friends and family, picking apples, visiting a pumpkin patch, and going to college and high school sporting events. It has been really fun to reconnect with old friends and bump into people I haven't seen in a long time.  We have felt the love and support of our friends in Sitka, the east coast, and in the northwest. Our time here has been refreshing and has given us time to prepare.  Ruthann loves spending time with her grandparents, and Emily is getting closer to giving birth.  Emily is getting more uncomfortable and our bags are packed as we anticipate any day rushing to the hospital.  We still don't know the baby's gender... but everyone seems to think this baby will be a boy. 

On our first doctor's appointment in Portland and the doctors were able to get better images of our baby's heart and they re-diagnosed the baby as having Tetralogy of  Fallot.  This is a less severe and more common diagnosis. Our baby has a more severe Tetralogy on the spectrum, but the rate of survival is much higher.  Right now our baby needs a valve to open and a hole to close. The doctors say that we should also prepare for the baby to have possible chromosomal defect which is linked to Tetralogy 25% of the time.  Our baby having a chromosomal abnormality is something that is difficult for me to process and has challenged my views on personal success and individual value.  I am reminded that God's ways are higher than my ways and his thoughts are higher than my thoughts.  His perspective on success and personal value are nothing like what is reflected in culture.  A person is not made more valuable by accomplishment, wealth, beauty, education, or respect. God's economy is different, AND our lives are not our own.  He understands hardship and is well acquainted with pain. In all things he walks beside us and will provide the strength we need each day. He is faithful:Through this whole process we have been learning a lot about prayer and have felt the support of many people's prayers. . Thanks for your prayers.  

Blessings to you and your family,

Aaron