Sitka YL Monthly Snaphot: Spring

Spring is a busy time of ministry for Sitka Young Life.  Here is a brief snapshot of this past month: 

• Club: 8 club meetings with 100 people at weekly.
• Campaigners: 20 times of getting together with high school students to study the Bible and 40 people participating- two times with middle school students and 25 people.
• Camping: Winter blast and a guys discipleship camping trip where 9 guys participated.
• Prayer team: 5 weekly prayer meetings with 7 people participating. ,
• People doing ministry around the state who are supported by Sitka Young Life: Tuntituliak- 40 kids around a campfire heard about Jesus calling his disciples, Bethel - six kids at Bethel Youth Facility who met with a Young Life leader to study the Bible.

Thanks for being a part of this work!

We would like to take 30 kids to camp and looking for people partner financially in giving to the camp scholarships fund.  Our goal is to raise $10k. If you would like to partner- click here.

Winter Blast This Weekend

This weekend we will be hosting our annual winter camp weekend, "Winter Blast."  There are four people flying up from three different states to help us pull off an unforgettable weekend where over 100 kids will have a chance to hear about Jesus.  Please pray for the kids, the leaders, those leading group times, those volunteering, for safety.  Pray, in everything, that God is glorified, that the truth of the Gospel is made known, and that kids respond to this life-changing message.

Currently at a new blog site

I have moved my writing over to  http://ylsitka.blogspot.com/

This will include updates from the Sitka and from the work we are doing around the state.  I will personally update this blog- but it will be taken directly from ylsitka.blogspot.com

Winter Blast Report

Our February winter camp was a lot of fun and a huge success!  We had two evening lock-ins back to back: middle school with 35 kids, and high school with 55 kids. Each camp had 4  club meetings (with games, songs, and message), 3 cabin time reflections, 2 meals and a snack, 1 crazy gym time, and lots and lots of chances to build relationships and talk about Jesus.  To see pictures, videos and hear more, click HERE.

The weekend started of at 7pm Thursday night with the middle school camp.  Our wacky program team did goofy skits to start off a great club and followed by great cabin time reflection.  Next we headed off to Sitka's very own Ninja Warrior Gym combined Sitka gymnastics gym.  This was the perfect place for kids to bounce off walls as well as climb them. Our middle school kids were challenged to look at it means to let go of control of their lives and give control to God. It was a great time of fun, crazy games, and great conversations with kids and leaders. 

High School camp started at 7pm on Friday.  Most of the students were from Mt. Edgecumbe High School, and they all felt very comfortable.  Again we had 4 clubs times meeting together where our speaker shared about how giving control of our lives to God makes all the difference. In small groups kids really opened up and shared about fears and what they face back home.  The weekend was filled with impromptu Native singing and dancing, Native Youth Olympics, wiffle Ball and 5 star food. It was an 18 hour whirlwind- but it's absolutely amazing what can happen in such a short period.  Here are a few pictures from the weekend....

Upcoming Winter Blast

We have been looking forward to this weekend all year- Winter Blast! Sitka Young Life will host a middle school and a high school lock-in starting on Thursday, February 23^rd and then follow that with a lock-in for high school students Friday, February 24^th. These events are an amazing chance for kids to share experiences, make memories, build friendships and hear about Jesus. Camp is aimed at kids who would not come to church.  Please pray that God would speak through all of camp and especially during the club talks and our cabin times. We want to make camp available to all and we have found that many high school kids have a hard time paying.  To make winter camp accessible to all students we are not charging for kids to attend this event. Camp costs $50 per student, so if you would like join us in making camp available to all kids by making a donation please click HERE. For more details click HERE

Last year we had 45 middle school kids and 55 high school kids come to Winter Blast.  We flew up two people to come do program- which means- design and facilitate games and humor that breaks down walls, creates shared memories, and helps people bond.  This year we have the an all star crew of Young Life staff coming in from Anchorage and Fairbanks.  Our speaker this year is a former Young Life area director in Texas and now travels around speaking in public schools.  Each lock-in will have 4 times where we gather as a large group to gather for games and a message.  Following each message, students will have a chance to break into small cabin groups and talk about how the message applies to their own lives.  Camp is a great time where God really works.  Please pray for safety and that God really moves in the hearts of these kids.

The Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta

The Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta

Mt. Edgecumbe Highs School in Sitka has kids from 120 different communities all over Alaska. Our connection with kids at MEHS can impact communities state wide.  Part of my (Aaron)  job is to help rural communities start youth ministries.  Last week I visited Jason Bavilla (first Alaska Native on YL staff), in Tuntituliak (population 600) and then went to meet with 25 people in Bethel (population 6500) who are interested in helping to start Young Life.  The frozen land is pretty, the passionate people are encouraging, and the dream to reach every kid is God sized.  To see and read more click here

In Tuntutuliak I had a chance to visit an MEHS Graduate (class of 2007) and his wife and 2 kids.  Jason is the first Alaska Native on Young Life staff.  The pace of life is in the village is different and no roads or running water effect how people spend their time. Jason coaches middle school basketball  and knows every kid in the village. He plans on using his home to host Bible studies, and sleep overs. And wants to give kids the opportunity to go to camp. Highlights for me were spending time with the Bavillas, seeing him coach basketball, and eating moose, riding on his 4-wheeler, and going to hunt for fox. Jason's big dream is to help kids in his village understand that God really loves them personally and wants to have a relationship with them individually.  He wants to show them how to learn from the Bible and how to continue their faith when life gets hard. The picture above and below are from Tunt.

I met my friend Dale in Bethel as we met with a group of people who are interested in starting Young Life.  Bethel is the largest "hub" community in Alaska.  6,500 people live there and it services another 19,000 living in 50 surrounding villages. In 5 days we meet with many people who had a deep passion to bring the hope they have found in Christ to the youth in Bethel.  Many of these people are already involved in ministries but hope that Young Life can bring structure and organization to help coordinate outreach and discipleship. efforts, also bring training and support.




High lights of the trip for me were:  being able to meet such great people, the group interest meeting (the group from the photo), home-made pizza party interest meeting at the Byrnes's, a 15 mile snow machine ride down river to a Bible camp called Camp Hope, and participating in nightly traditional native steam baths with the men of the Fox family.  Dolena Fox graduated MEHS in 2014 and has been involved with Young Life since she first came to Mt. Edgecumbe.  It was during her time in Young Life that she started her relationship with God and since then she has always dreamed that Young Life would come to Bethel and plans on returning to help with youth ministry.  She wants all the kids from her home to experience the love and hope she has found through her relationship with God.

Ice road on the Kuskokwim River

Tundra by Camp Hope

Prayer Requests:

• Wisdom and timing for Bethel Young Life, pray also for more people to be interested in being involved in the support committee and a couple people in Bethel interested in coming on YL staff.
• For Sitka Young Life in recruiting more leaders, prayer team, committee, and donors.

November 2016 Update

Much has happened since my last email. Our family is very appreciative for the prayers and support that you have sent these past months.  THANK YOU ALL FOR EVERYTHING.  Life changes, but God remains the same, and he is worthy to be praised. "O my strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love." Ps 59:17

Here is a quick update of what has been happening in Young Life Alaska:

Rural Alaska - 

September's All State Young Life conference encouraged many people from rural villages.  Since returning from the conference the people of Savoonga have restarted their weekly teen Bible studies. Volunteer leaders in Bethel are providing a variety of teen gatherings, and people in Mekoryuk, and Hooper Bay are exploring avenues of youth outreach in their community.

Here in Sitka-

On October 24th we hosted our 15th annual "Round-up fundraiser banquet." We had a great turn out with 200 people in attendance. Also one of our leaders felt God calling her to start a ministry for kids with special needs called Young Life Capernaum.  Janelle has had a heart for the special needs kids she worked with and felt God say, "just have them over and share your love with them".  She contacted the parents (all of whom were thrilled) and then began club in her house.  The energy and size of the group grows each time they meet. Pray for her as she navigates this new ministry. 

At Mt. Edgecumbe High School-  

We continue to have weekly club and about 35 kids come.  We also continue our weekly guys and girls Bible studies and we have about 10 consistent kids showing up. The first weekend in November we had an all-guys weekend for our Bible study guys and we had a great time as we looked in depth into the Lords Prayer.

Here is a picture from our guys weekend and a picture with the Capernaum group.  

Thanks for your continued prayers and support.  With love from Sitka,