Wow! I just got back from Alaska...it sure is beautiful up there! I got to direct the mission trip, and was superbly blessed to have a really easy team to work with, plus Jared handling a lot of the logistics for me. We ran three-day workshops in Kenai and Homer (both on the Kenai Peninsula), got to eat VERY fresh Kenai River King Salmon, prepared in an insanely wonderful way by Kenai Jim (http://www.fishalaskanow.com/), and saw and got to eat our first moose. We discovered the near futility of trying to keep time in Alaska, but still managed to keep the workshops on track; the groups we taught learned things very well, and did a great job. Sunday we drove from Homer to Anchorage to Chistochina (a small village about halfway between Glenn Allen and Tok). We stopped before reaching Anchorage, to hike up to see Byron Glacier. After buying supplies in Anchorage, we drove the rest of the way to Chisto, where we went straight to sleep.

For the next four days we worked with the kids from the village, doing a vbs-style program we planned out each morning. The kids had a rather large store of energy, but balanced it out with lots of love. They were a joy to work with, and we learned a lot as we taught them. The first evening after the program, we didn't have anything special to do, so we stayed and worked on some things for the end of the mission trip. Two out of three of the remaining days, however, we headed to the nearby village of Gulkana, to help play softball with kids there, and do a short presentation. The second-to-last night, we were invited by the members of the Chisto community to join them for a community barbecue. When I got into SD, I laughed, because I saw a sign for Copper River king salmon, and had just had some, freshly taken from the river and prepared by Alaska natives - Mmm, good!

Friday we drove back to Anchorage to catch our flights home...The team went through strange rituals to make sure I'd want to direct them again (giving me a t-shirt, keychain and song), and after a wait of several hours, we were off! I sat next to a member of the Baha'i World Faith, which was rather an interesting experience. She was very intelligent, although dead wrong in her beliefs. I talked to her for the whole five hours of the flight, and though I respect her very much for being able to disagree with me so thoroughly (she believed there are many "paths" to reach God, although there may be just one per person =p ) and yet still be able to stay civil in conversation, it made me sad that I was not able to sway her. God is sovereign. I was trying to think through why He may have placed me next to her. It may be because He will use what I said - if anything, I hope she remembers that I was SURE of the Truth. I also met a young mother afterwards whose faith was encouraged by overhearing our discussion, so that could also be God's reason for putting me there, or it may be something I won't know 'til that day. Whatever the case, I am convinced that I absolutely had to share with her. God is good. May He use my words to fulfill His purposes.