Here is our photo site for the trip: http://oursaviorinalaska.shutterfly.com
And here is the church's website: http://oursaviorhartland.org/
-Christina
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Saturday, June 23, 2012
You asked for it so here it is...Shawns blog post. I speak of myself in third person only here because it just FEELS RIGHT!
So all I really did this week was play games and drive. That could really be the end of my post but it is not because then I'd be selling the whole thing short. Playing games is sort of self explanitory, but what isnt is watching these kids try their darndest to understand what youre telling them. Most of the games we know go by different names here, and the games that have the same names have different rules. Being told how to play a game by a 4 year old is a seriously humbling experience, especially when hes missing most of his teeth and mumbles into my bad ear. By the way, he's also carrying on three or four conversations at the same time with three or four other 4 year olds. What a gas! Speaking of gas, lets now touch on the subject of driving. Driving in Alaska has been more like cross country travel than a vacation. Nothing is close, and what is close is so darned expensive that it makes you want to drive a hundred miles for a cheaper price...which we almost did. But it was more like 50 miles. And sight seeing from a drivers perspective is nothing short of...road. And we surely werent running short on road here. Big roads, small roads, short roads, long roads, high roads, low roads, dirt roads, paved roads, we've seen them all and I have driven all of them. Now I'm not complaining; I love driving. By the end of today I think we will have covered almost 2000 miles. Thats not too bad considering almost half of that was with either a full load of screaming kids (I like to consider this part it Combat Driving), or hauling butt on my way to pick up a load of screaming kids, thus willingly engaging myself in the act of combat driving. The driving part tho is what really opened my eyes to exactly WHY we do this. Im not picking most of these kids up from great homes, or really exciting video games, or a nice air conditioned house to bring them to some kind of torture( whomever decided to put the words VACATION and SCHOOL in the same sentence should be fired), but to a place where, just for a while, people truly care enough about them to teach them a whole manner of things from the Word of God to how to behave properly in an over crowded room. And you know why they actually learn anything here? It's because they can actually see that people care about them and want them to be greater than they are. This is why I drove all that way and played all those games. Not just for the heck of it, but for the monkeys!
So all I really did this week was play games and drive. That could really be the end of my post but it is not because then I'd be selling the whole thing short. Playing games is sort of self explanitory, but what isnt is watching these kids try their darndest to understand what youre telling them. Most of the games we know go by different names here, and the games that have the same names have different rules. Being told how to play a game by a 4 year old is a seriously humbling experience, especially when hes missing most of his teeth and mumbles into my bad ear. By the way, he's also carrying on three or four conversations at the same time with three or four other 4 year olds. What a gas! Speaking of gas, lets now touch on the subject of driving. Driving in Alaska has been more like cross country travel than a vacation. Nothing is close, and what is close is so darned expensive that it makes you want to drive a hundred miles for a cheaper price...which we almost did. But it was more like 50 miles. And sight seeing from a drivers perspective is nothing short of...road. And we surely werent running short on road here. Big roads, small roads, short roads, long roads, high roads, low roads, dirt roads, paved roads, we've seen them all and I have driven all of them. Now I'm not complaining; I love driving. By the end of today I think we will have covered almost 2000 miles. Thats not too bad considering almost half of that was with either a full load of screaming kids (I like to consider this part it Combat Driving), or hauling butt on my way to pick up a load of screaming kids, thus willingly engaging myself in the act of combat driving. The driving part tho is what really opened my eyes to exactly WHY we do this. Im not picking most of these kids up from great homes, or really exciting video games, or a nice air conditioned house to bring them to some kind of torture( whomever decided to put the words VACATION and SCHOOL in the same sentence should be fired), but to a place where, just for a while, people truly care enough about them to teach them a whole manner of things from the Word of God to how to behave properly in an over crowded room. And you know why they actually learn anything here? It's because they can actually see that people care about them and want them to be greater than they are. This is why I drove all that way and played all those games. Not just for the heck of it, but for the monkeys!
Last day in Alaska-Jenna
It is hard to believe after all the planning and preparing that the VBS is over for this year.
I think that the VBS went very well this year. We had a consistant group of kids who came each day, and the children all seemed to have fun.I saw the Holy Spirit at work throughout the week when I heard four year olds reciting Bible passages for memory or heard children talking about the love of Jesus or when I was told by a young child that Jesus loves me. This is why we come to Copper Center-to give these children the Gospel message and assure them that God is always there and will never leave them.
The children all come to the VBS for different reasons-it could be something to do or some time that the parents consider is for themselves. Whatever the reason they are here does not matter, but what does matter is that the children are able to hear about Jesus Christ that they might not otherwise have had the chance to hear.
Well we are headed back to Anchorage today and flying out tonight. Continue to keep Copper Center in your prayers.
Jenna
Moose count:12
I think that the VBS went very well this year. We had a consistant group of kids who came each day, and the children all seemed to have fun.I saw the Holy Spirit at work throughout the week when I heard four year olds reciting Bible passages for memory or heard children talking about the love of Jesus or when I was told by a young child that Jesus loves me. This is why we come to Copper Center-to give these children the Gospel message and assure them that God is always there and will never leave them.
The children all come to the VBS for different reasons-it could be something to do or some time that the parents consider is for themselves. Whatever the reason they are here does not matter, but what does matter is that the children are able to hear about Jesus Christ that they might not otherwise have had the chance to hear.
Well we are headed back to Anchorage today and flying out tonight. Continue to keep Copper Center in your prayers.
Jenna
Moose count:12
last day of alaska today. yesterday with the waterballoons didn't go as i imagined. 1st. filling up the balloons. the balloons were ment to be filled up with a hose. we had no hose. so, ok, then we had four fausets to use. too bad only the kitchen one would work with it. after one cooler was filled up with balloons, i had to place the spares stratiegicly so they wouldn't be found by little, greedy fingers. there is a whole lot of failure with the balloons outside. most of it having to do with the kids being greedy and restless. <should've planned for that one... oh well> anyway, all concluding from waterballoons for VBS is that i will never do it again. or... not just with the little kids.
when everyone had left yesterday, we took our dinner and went out to a spectaculer veiw of a valley and mountains, and ate our lasagna dinner. afterward, we traveled out to a place were we saw another moose, porcupine and a pair of eagles. we also saw SEALIONS!!!!! they were cute. thats all i can give you now. weare heading back to achorage today. hopefully i can have one of the reindeer sausages sold by the street venders. :)
Happy Birthday Mom! if forsome reason jet lag has made me forget some things tomorrow.
from be no blogger: Jake Nichols
when everyone had left yesterday, we took our dinner and went out to a spectaculer veiw of a valley and mountains, and ate our lasagna dinner. afterward, we traveled out to a place were we saw another moose, porcupine and a pair of eagles. we also saw SEALIONS!!!!! they were cute. thats all i can give you now. weare heading back to achorage today. hopefully i can have one of the reindeer sausages sold by the street venders. :)
Happy Birthday Mom! if forsome reason jet lag has made me forget some things tomorrow.
from be no blogger: Jake Nichols
Final day of VBS
Well, yesterday was the final day of VBS. It was also slightly shorter, VBS-wise, but we made it a longer day by doing a little more sightseeing.
We took the group photo after opening on Friday and the kids made frames for the photos in craft with me. The kids were also excited to sign each other's shirts! It was a fun day. We started taking kids home around 4:30 so we could be out of the church by 5:30 for another group that would be meeting here. We cooked our lasagna throughout the afternoon and then packed it up to eat overlooking the mountains. Once we were done with dinner, we continued on to Valdez. We saw some sea lions (or sea otters? One of the church women asked me this and I guess I'm not sure yet - we need to look at the photos closer) from a distance but I was happy because that was one of the things I really wanted to see.
We got "home" or back to the church around 1:30 am, and yes, it was still pretty light out! We were up at 8:00 this morning so we can do blogs, cleaning, packing and get on the road fairly early. We still want to buy souviners in Anchorage and get dinner before our flight at 8:55pm.
Thank you everyone who has kept us in your thoughts and prayers this week. I may write more after I arrive home and have had time to really process the whole thing! I will also post a link to photos once we have them uploaded (we're thinking a shutterfly site might be the way to go).
Please pray for safe travels today! We have a long drive and then 2 flights before home.
-Christina
We took the group photo after opening on Friday and the kids made frames for the photos in craft with me. The kids were also excited to sign each other's shirts! It was a fun day. We started taking kids home around 4:30 so we could be out of the church by 5:30 for another group that would be meeting here. We cooked our lasagna throughout the afternoon and then packed it up to eat overlooking the mountains. Once we were done with dinner, we continued on to Valdez. We saw some sea lions (or sea otters? One of the church women asked me this and I guess I'm not sure yet - we need to look at the photos closer) from a distance but I was happy because that was one of the things I really wanted to see.
We got "home" or back to the church around 1:30 am, and yes, it was still pretty light out! We were up at 8:00 this morning so we can do blogs, cleaning, packing and get on the road fairly early. We still want to buy souviners in Anchorage and get dinner before our flight at 8:55pm.
Thank you everyone who has kept us in your thoughts and prayers this week. I may write more after I arrive home and have had time to really process the whole thing! I will also post a link to photos once we have them uploaded (we're thinking a shutterfly site might be the way to go).
Please pray for safe travels today! We have a long drive and then 2 flights before home.
-Christina
Friday, June 22, 2012
today was pretty cool, well, it was actually hot. unfortunatly i wasn't doing a water game outside today with the kids. instead, we played eagle's nest. it is kind of like capture the flag. it game was a raging and roaring success. the kids and the teens loved it, and its one of those things that there is so much competitive sport, people will want to play over and over. hopefully tomorrows weather will be nice and hot, i have a day of water balloons planned. its the kids last VBS day and i'm gonna make sure they have a fun and memorable time in my group. :)
after the picnic today we just got an intense downpour. that really cooled things down. and when everyone had left, Christina and Shawn went down to the river and me, Jenna, and Christine went for a really long walk. yep, left Gary all alone at the church. poor Gary. since today was the longest day in the Alaskin year, Jenna, Christine and me took our pic at 12:00 pm. you'd be suprised at how light it was then. simply wickedly amazing.
Well, thats all i can remember, Jake Nichols
after the picnic today we just got an intense downpour. that really cooled things down. and when everyone had left, Christina and Shawn went down to the river and me, Jenna, and Christine went for a really long walk. yep, left Gary all alone at the church. poor Gary. since today was the longest day in the Alaskin year, Jenna, Christine and me took our pic at 12:00 pm. you'd be suprised at how light it was then. simply wickedly amazing.
Well, thats all i can remember, Jake Nichols
Picnic & Performance
We all had another good day at VBS. The children have really become quite comfortable around us. They're able to begin opening up more. It is so cute how they just crawl right on your lap. I believe that Christina had about three kids sitting on her at once!
Today our story was when Paul and Silas were shipwrecked and that Paul was bitten by a poisonous snake but didn't die. God surely was with them and continues to be with us today. In Matthew 18:20 Jesus says "where two or three gather in my name, there I am with them." And God has certainly been among us on this week. He continues to plant seeds in these children's hearts.
The Community Picnic was today; hotdogs, hamburgers, a few macaroni salads, and ice cream sundaes. Parents and family members of the children, congregation members and others in the area were invited to join. It was very encouraging how many people were able to make it. Seeing the children with their parents is fun. It also gives faces to the prayers for them. The children sang joyfully and did their performance skits with gusto. I would say that there were good feelings all around today.
In Christ's love,
Christine Klug
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