Flightseeing!!!

So, we have been doing missions in Alaska this Summer, if you haven't heard or i guess read this blog at all.  We have brought in and through Alaska well over 800 people.  That is 800 new faces, 800 new stories, 800 lives changed by doing missions in Alaska, and that isn't even counting the literally thousands of lives of the people here in Alaska.

Lately we have been getting our groups in on a Saturday and orientating them on Sunday and then taking them sightseeing on Mondays.  Lately in the past two orientating sessions Scott has mentioned the sightseeing day as a day of worshiping your creator.  That when you see his beautiful creation that speaks volumes to his majesty, worship him, thank him for what he has created and what he is allowing you to see, do and experience.  With this little idea set in their minds, it has changed the way they look at this sightseeing day, not as a day that they have wasted instead of working with the community of Alaska, but as a day of worshiping their creator for what he has created.  There outlook on the rest of the week has been changed as well.  God's beauty is life changing and altering.

I got the chance to fly in a plane and see his creation from a whole different view.  I am only putting a few pictures on here, check out my facebook album entitled flightseeing to see the rest of the pictures.  No picture, no words can do justice to the awesome and indescribable beauty that i witnessed yesterday, I only mentioned the story to you to say this... why have we forgotten to worship the creator for giving us the nature and people and everything around us.  Why have we stopped looking at the mountains, the rivers, the changing leaves with awe and wonder.  I desire to give MY KING worship for EVERYTHING that HE has given me and shown me.

A few rules you should know

So... for those of you who are still coming to visit me... :) haha here are a few rules and laws of Alaska that you should know.

I just think everyone should know a little about Alaskan culture so, here are the two big laws that are different.

Law 1:  You should have your headlights on whenever you are driving your car... so whenever you are driving... you have them lights on.  The reason for this is because of those long long and incredibly dark hours of night that you have during the winter.  So instead of just saying have them on all the time in the winter, why not be simple and have them on whenever you are driving year round.  Now this doesn't mean you will get a ticket for driving with them off, because i and many other Alaskan's have driven around with no headlights on, it is more of a secondary offense i guess.

Law 2:  When driving down the highway's and byways of Alaska, keep in mind there are only two ways out of Anchorage... North (Glenn Highway) and South (Seward Highway), if you have more then five cars backed up behind you, you legally have to pull over.  WHAT??? is what you may be saying, why do i have to do that... well thank those people who go to Cross America RV rental places and consume the road systems of Alaska with RV's.  Because most of the time these highways are one lane (two lanes really, but one lane per direction) those big vehicles can cause a lot of problems and block a lot of road.  In fact there was a 30 foot boat in front of us the first time we were going South to Portage Valley and a cop got in front of us and pulled him over, for something flying around unsafe from the boat, but then the people towing the boat started going again and completely missed a turn off to let us go by them, and so the cops had a field day and pulled him over once more for hindering the traffic flow.

Oh and here is one Alaskan "joke," not really a joke but ehh.  There are only two seasons in Alaska, Winter... and road work. HAHAHA :) Get it?  It is true, there is a random and sudden summer that pops up, but the joke is that there are only those two previously mentioned seasons.  When the Alaskan winter ends and the snow and ice melt from the roads, the roadwork begins.  It is quite crazy and annoying because they will close down random roads and so your rout has to change on the fly, and when you are driving groups around you look crazy and like you have no idea where you are going.  But hey, if you want to come up to Alaska and make some good money, come up and hold one of those signs that say slow and stop, that will get you $20 + dollars an hour, thank you unions.  Lame i say, but you know.

Well i hope you have enjoyed some fun facts of Alaska, i have more to share along these lines... i think, so you may get them later in personal asking of me or not, not to sure, but hey, enjoy life my friends. Enjoy life.

Best Acting and Best Movie Ever!!!

I MEAN ABSOLUTELY UNREAL!!!

The movie The Dark Knight... which i saw tonight with Mike Wir$ (haha), Lily, and Jared was amazing.  I mean in all honesty i went out of the theater with the biggest smile on my face and hands lifted high in pure ecstatic joy.

I mean I honestly cant convey in words how joyful and pumped about this movie that I am.  Yes it was dark but i found quite a bit of light, especially towards the end.

And as for the role of the joker, one... he looked amazing and two.  HEATH LEDGER NAILED IT!!! i mean kicked it up a notch or two.

THIS MOVIE ROCKED MY FACE OFF, I MEAN QUITE LITERALLY ROCKED MY FACE OFF. :)  I mean i am even being way serious, but also i walked out and still have the biggest smile on my face.  ahhhhh this movie is soooo good. See it again or see it if you havn't.  I mean it is unreal how good it was.

Follow Up

As i have been reading this book some like to call the Bible, God has blessed me with insight and humbling thoughts.  Some things i read and take strait to heart, and others i mull over a little bit and then apply them to my life.  But recently i have been reading 2 Kings and today something jumped out at me.

If you have ever read the 2/3 of 1 King and pretty much all of 2 Kings you may have realized two very frequent phrases as it talks about all the Kings that reigned in Israel and in Judah.  The more frequent phrase being " And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord," and the second less frequented phrase is "And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord."

I find it quite interesting that as the Bible talks about most all of the Kings it says that they did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.  For the life of me i can't comprehend why.  I mean some of these kings even sacrificed their own children, they "passed them through the fire."  And then it will mention another King and say that they did what was right in the sight of the Lord.  Every time i get to where that phrase is said i get giddy with anticipation because i love seeing the Kings do what is right in the sight of the Lord.  I love seeing how they are blessed.  But the said truth about it is, is that i have read 21 chapters in 2 Kings and only one time... 1 time out of all the other 20 plus kings, does it mention a king that took down all the other places of worship of the other Gods.  Time and time again it mentioned that kings did what was right in the sight of the Lord but they did not devote to destruction all the things of the other God's.  Only one man thus far has done it, but as his son succeeded him, he put back all those places of worship and built other things to God's and went the complete opposite way of his father.

So this morning as i was reading i thought of these scriptures and the thing that came into my mind was that there was no follow up between the kings that did what was right and the kings that did what was wrong.  It never specifically mentions that the kings that did what was right, did or did not raise their sons in their ways, but you have to wonder if the "good kings" ever discipled or taught their son's the Law of Moses that God gave him.  You have to wonder why their son's turned their back on God.  You have to wonder why did this all happen.

For me, I apply this to missions, and where we are in Alaska.  As i have talked to some of my friends on this team the thought of follow up and making sure we don't just leave these people with any plan or any people who can teach them, is a concern of ours.  As we do all of our events we mention that they need to get involved in a church and a community that they can grow and learn about God in.  We want this community in Anchorage to explode for God and praise his name... but if we just leave, they will do what is evil in the sight of the Lord.

I am not saying God cant change them without us here or if they don't go to church, but all these references in 1 and 2 Kings makes you think, what is going to happen if we leave with no follow up ministry.  Our huge desire is to get the churches to disciple these new believers.  Another desire is that we get specific people from these congregations to help us do this ministry why we are still here so the kids and adults have familiar faces to see and recognize because the truth of this all is by August 31 all of the team i have been working with is leaving.  The truth of this all is, the people that the community has seen working week in and week out with them for over 2 months are leaving. 

I want this community to do what is right in the sight of the Lord, i want them to follow and be disciples of Jesus.  I want these people to grow together, but one thing i have noticed from doing ministry and even reading these scriptures, is that with no follow up and no focus on these individuals, no matter how much WE (our team) did what was right in the sight of the lord, this community of Anchorage that we have reached, with no follow up and with no discipling can and will do what is evil in the sight of the Lord.

The shame of this all is, is i have realized that i have done mission trips before and even gone back to communities where i had previously been and it seems that some people have reverted back to their old ways.  I have been on mission trips before and have seen some where there was no follow up information gathered, or maybe it was overlooked, but still how can we let these new believers make such an amazing decision and give them no way to grow and learn about Christ.

God has been teaching me about community and it is something that i want to grow in with those that are around me, whether friends already or not.  Non the less, i desire to grow with those around me.  I have been reading some amazing things on community and i desire with everything in me that God has put them deep within me and my heart so as i travel around and do mission trips, I help community grow, I help disciple others, and I myself am changed for the better by those around me.

It's just funny to think that we all eventually leave where we are at in one way or another, but are we growing a community around us that when we are gone, will still follow after Christ.  

I MISS YOU!!!

Yah, you read the title correctly, i miss you.  I mean i really do... well maybe not you, but the other person reading this post.  AHHHHH just kidding, sure i miss ya, well maybe.

But for serious, i have got to be real and honest.  I really really with all my heart miss this one individual.  I didn't think i would but every day i miss them more and more.  My heart longs for  them.  They may have somewhat bad breath, be color blind, illiterate, and scared of real loud noises like fire works (yay 4th of July) or thunderstorms.  At times they may have bad allergies and smelly ears.  They may get startled and react to a doorbell from the TV, but you know what... He is my little short bus rider.  I mean sure i am glad i haven't had to deal with his weak bladder, but I... Paul Michael Stippich (Yah, get your laughs out and thank my mother) MISS GOLIATH ARCHIBALD STIPPICH.  Man i miss that little puppy.  I love him soooo soooo much.

I just felt like i needed to share that I miss my little G-Baby. :(

Penguin Slide

This dashing young gentleman right here...

Yah him, his name is Joey.

He is one of my many new Alaskan buddies.  For awhile now i have been training under him for some pretty cool Alaskan tricks.  It is a shame i have no pictures or other type of proof, but you will just have to take my word on this story. Haha :)  

So we hiked Byron Glacier again, and the trail looked completely different.  The snow had melted and revealed a part of the path that had been completely covered before.  Well as we broke out into the field of snow we walked around and had a SNOWBALL FIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF JULY!!!  Well after walking around we had to head back to continue the rest of our sight seeing trip and as we were heading back i saw some people slide down the snowy slope... so I figured, what better a time then to use the skills that Joey taught me.

I did the penguin slide.  I ran as fast as i could and then jumped head first and slid on my belly on the snow down the slope.  OH THE PENGUIN SLIDE!!! Be jealous. :)  I must say that i looked pretty graceful, but i got to give mad props to Joey.  Thanks my little bow-tied buddy.

Simplistic Healing

This morning... well yesterday as in Monday morning i woke up at five o-clock in the morning and felt completely horrible.  I felt like puking and so i slowly made my way to the restroom and took out my retainer... just in case.  Well lets just say it wasn't the outcome i expected but non the less lets skip those interesting and incredible details.

Any who, i still felt pretty sick as i was waddling back to my room and i just felt God's presence on me.  I thought of something so intriguing and mind boggling that i bet you won't guess what i did.  Hahah, it is so simple but it is something so underused... i two of my friends that honestly God has laid on my heart for awhile and has been growing an amazing friendship in both areas, and as i texted them i asked them to pray for me.  texted They both said i would and the one friend even gave me a request which I prayed for.

Well after texting my compadres (i know that needs an accent, so how  bout you read it with a spanish accent for me) Any ways, i felt like reading the Bible, i felt that God would heal me as i read his words.  Well honestly i was reading the Bible, i could feel my sickness melting away.  As i finished up a chapter or two i slipped back into bed with an amazing feeling... prayer works.  I could feel the prayers of my friends interceding for this little sick feeling and actually healing me.  I truly believe their prayers and God's word worked within me immediately.  Even though i still felt a little sick as a lay down for another little rendezvous with dreams, when i woke up i felt worlds better.

I love how something so simple can heal.  I love how we as people honestly under use prayer.  As i have been up here God has been changing me.  God has been helping me care for others, and one way that i have done that is by asking others how i can pray for them.  So my peeps, any prayer requests you want to post on this little comment part.  If so, do, and when they are answered repost.

But again, i find it so amazing that prayer works and that you can feel it.  I find it incredible that by reading my masters love for me... it heals me.  I love our Lord and i love the ways he has given us to unite and to heal.

But as i write this, i feel uneasy, i feel like i have wasted a little of my night, not from writing this but by dilly dallying with other stuff.  I don't know, i just have this bad feeling.  But pray for me, i have quite a long day tomorrow, starts at 9:00 a.m. and doesn't end until 2:00 a.m.  And no i am not traveling back in time to be tricky.  I am really going to be working with groups and getting ready for airport pick ups and other shtuff.  I know this though, my Lord gives rest and peace. Amen!

House in the Middle of the Street

So on my way home today, and when i say home today i mean 12:25 a.m., i saw a tractor trailer that had a house that was taking up both lanes on it.  The only thing about this vehicle that was a little odd was it wasn't moving... at all.  So as i saw policeman racing past me, through lights to get to this situation that i previously didn't know about, i would never have guessed that a house was in the middle of the road.   Oh and the best part is, it conveniently broke down right after the turn to checkmate drive which will eventually lead to Boniface.  Conveniently for those who don't know the Anchorage street names.  Checkmate is the road i have been living off of this Summer.

So i came home and told Connie this and she said, we should roll our house (impossible to do, so humor all the way) in the middle of the street because that would really make the stuff hit wouldn't it? oh it was humorous.

But really this post is kinda a continuation of the first one of last nights.  Talking about how these kids won't forget these life changing events that happened this Summer.  Well as i was driving Lily home we got to talkin and we mentioned this little fact.  That it is all good and well to serve these kids doing vocation Bible school but there are so many opportunities of untouched ministries up here.  Opportunities that would seem to have a greater impact then these VBS's.  Now i am not saying we should stop doing VBS or that it isn't impacting the children at all, because that would be a lie.  I am just saying there are some basic needs that need to be met.

One last thought from our little convo that we had in the car was that we are feeding these people for days and days, but we are leaving them hungry for life.  The proverb that says you can catch a man a fish and feed him for a day, or you can teach him how to fish and feed him for life (i am sure that is misquoted but take the gist and run my friend).  We kinda realized that with these beautification processes, and VBS's and picnic in the parks, it all means nothing with no follow up.

As we discussed this all, it was kinda clear that it is going to take full time missionaries and or fellow Alaskans to continue this change.   Because we as the volunteer's who come in can only set up a foundation for something, it is the Alaskan who is going to have to cause the real change.  It is the Alaskan who will have to disciple and teach  so that a community can grow and reach the rest of Alaska.

Battle of the mail

Let's just say i got the coldest and coolest Alaskan package ever known in history today!!! :)

Means the mail record is 1 everyone else to Lily's 50 million.  We have a little ways to go in beating her in receiving mail but hey... it can happen.

But once again, i mean this piece of mail made my LIFE!!!

Soon to be Deja vu

So tonight was kinda sad, the realization that Summer is slowly coming to an end has hit.  Within a little more then three weeks, i will start heading back to Atlanta.  Within three weeks memories of people, events and laughter will soon start to fade, only to be remembered by me from this blog that i have set up... along with the journal that i am writing.

As a group from right outside Athens Georgia was talking about their most memorable moments, they mentioned the fact that they will never see those kids again.  It hit me, we leave, but they don't.  The kids will be here next week, next month, and most all of them will be here next year.  And even though they may fade from our memory's, we never will fade from theirs.  We have changed lives and given love, and food and laughter, and some unforgettable experiences.  Not to be conceited with any of the past statements, but it is interesting to me that without this blog and letters that i have written, i don't know if i would have remembered half of this stuff.

I hate good things coming to an end.  I hate this change of leaving this place in such a short time, but i know I am being called away for other ministry and other lives to touch.  

We are going to leave... but they may never.  We are going to leave but they are going to stay.  We are going to leave, but will we remember and will we continue to pray and support.  We are going to leave...

Open Eyes and Ears

Being here in Alaska God has showed me some pretty amazing things.  But i realize the only reason why i see and hear these truths and mission opportunities that i am speaking of is because i seek after my heavenly father.  I love spending time with him, and the sad truth of it is, i am nervous about coming home.  I want this change that i can see to be real and life lasting.

But because I seek after God and spend time with him, he has opened my eyes and ears to something that i had been praying for, since before i got here, and that is to be able to see and hear the joys and struggles of others.

Lily's group is working with the Church of God in Christ which is right next to, if not really in, the Mountain View area.  Her team from North Carolina has had an amazing impact on that little community of kids in that area.  This is the first week that we have done an event in that area and God has blessed us.  We had previously had teams go and canvas the area with flyers to tell them that we were going to be there, and that we want to help them with any needs but the community didn't want any of it.  So even though we had some worries, God has blessed us tremendously.  

Today though, we saw something, we saw a need that was going unmet.  The kids were coming up to the team after the Bible camp, and asking if there was any left over snacks that they could bag up and take home for later, for a small dinner and to share with their dad.  The team asked the kids if they had eaten anything for dinner or breakfast and they received hesitant replies.  This community that was to scared to ask for food and help, is going with unmet needs, but because of the prayers of the past and open and receptive eyes and ears... God's love is going to be shown.

As we have done ministry in this area, a lot of our plans and thoughts of what to do has slightly changed, but all because we are seeing needs that are going unmet, and we are seeing problems that God is allowing us to fix.

As for this community that Lily's group is in, we are going to start changing our strategy a little so that we can feed the hungry and so that we can love on the community not with VBS snacks, but something filling that they are truly longing for.

A never ever

So tonight something happened that could only happen in an Alaskan Summer.

We took 41ish people to Kenai (Soldotna really), which is 3 hours south of Anchorage.  So we started our journey at the airport, took them out to China King, which is an all you can eat buffet of, you guessed it, Chinese food.  Well we started our trip and a little after we got on Seward Highway which heads South out of Anchorage Tony and Bud were getting some dinner with there 20ish people and were about to be heading our way.

So the plan was for us to arrive in Soldotna and drop off our group and take a midnight flight back to Anchorage.  Well it was raining all the way down to Soldotna and the clouds were a little low. so we didn't really know what to expect for flying out.  Well after dropping the group off we arrive at the small private airport and the pilot, Bob (I think) meets Scott and says that the runway lights are not working and because it is raining and we are losing light, we would have to leave now.  He said he felt bad about leaving our two other team mates but we had to go.  So as Scott rushes us to the plane and informs us of what is happening and it all sinks in, we are going to have to leave Tony and Bud in Soldotna because the runway lights were not working, so we could take off safely only with the little bit of daylight left.

So as we frantically are trying to get a hold of Tony or Bud to see where they are we are getting ready to taxi to the runway and fly on out of there.  We eventually get a hold of them and they were an hour off, so we told them what was happening and that they would fly back in the morning the next day.  So... we take off at what time... 12:22 a.m. YAH... unreal i know.  Only in an Alaskan Summer do you have enough light to take off at 12:22 a.m.  

But as we barely make it out of Soldotna we have a pretty bumpy plane ride because of the turbulence but our pilot was amazing.  And as we reached the airport, some strong winds flung us around like a rag doll, but the pilot just eased our plane to the most smooth landing i have ever experienced.

So we got out of the plane, loaded up the six passengers who were heading down to help out with a project called Salmon Frenzy.  And we went home.

The moral of the story is never doubt or go against a pilots gut. Never ever ever pressure or doubt the person.

Thanks pilot Bob, who works for MARC (Missionary Aviation Repair Center)

Yay for me Birthday

I feel so incredibly loved my friends.  Thanks for all the birthday wishes on facebook and texts and for you extra go getters... thanks for the calls.

God is amazing and has blessed me this summer with some pretty cool relationships

One of the blessings came from a guy i met from a team in Tennessee.  What an amazing team, and when i get back home i plan on visiting them.  But one of the team members sent me a birthday card and it really blessed my day.

Also, the teams that are here this week sang to me and our GPM team sang to me at the meeting today and we had an amazing chocolate cake with chocolate icing, ALASKAN STYLE. (Thanks Connie for all this).

But i think the best gift was from my BFF Duke.  (He likes to snuggle and he sleeps with me sometimes... so there is some more background for this card.)

So if you cant read mirror, aka backwards then the front of it says 

"It's always fun to buddy up with you."

And when you open the card it plays the song "You've Got a Friend in Me"... You know, the one from Toy Story.  Oh, and on the inside it says Happy Birthday, friend.

Thanks Duke! :)

And Goliath... i am hurt. :(

I mean really???

2 things right off the bat.

1: i know i am a couple of posts behind on some things... sorry

2.  God is amazing, i mean yes that is number one but you know... since this is the point i will be talking about a little bit i think it is ok to have it as number two.

So besides the fact that i have felt like a total man today, because i have fixed a toilet and worked on cars.  I have seen God provide for our team in some unreal ways.  Some of the ways that he has served us is by giving us team members that fit specific needs for this Mission Mountainview project.  Those ways have been through people being in charge of recreation, service projects, food shtuff, little side trips and travel and other areas.  The main team that has been here this summer has filled in those gaps incredibly.  

But tonight is where i really really noticed Gods glory and how much he really does have an exact plan for us.  I mean if we want to get spiritual we can bring up Jeremiah 29:11 " For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."  But hey why stop there... lets keep going. vs. 12-14 " Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.  You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.  I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile."

mmmm mmmm, now we could take all of this out of context but lets take a few versus before it as well. vs. 4-7 " Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce.  Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease.  But seek the welfare of the city where i have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare." (All of this was ESV)

I stinkin love these verses all together because it really speaks of the plan God has for you, for us.  He wants us to live to the hilt, he wants us to live to the fullest for where he has us.  I LOVE IT!  Not only that, but he really does have a plan that is going to rock our faces off.  A plan that we may not always know and understand, but it is a plan that works beyond our understanding.  As we pray to him, he listens, as we seek him... you will find him.  I love that he listens, and i love that we can find him when we truly seek him out.

All of that to say this one thing.  A battery for one of the vans that we are using this week was just horribly dead.  We looked at it and tried to fix it but all that we could do was just crank it up off of another van.  Well two guys from one of the groups from right around Athens Georgia overheard us talking about it and went outside to go see what they could do.  Well they were able to take out the battery and go get another one and so when they returned they started replacing the two clamps that go from the car to the battery.  Any who, aside from any technical car jargon they eventually replaced the battery.  But as they were replacing it and cutting some wires one of the guys who was helping mentioned that has been an electrician for thirty years.  The first thought that came to my head was "Wow, this is the first time that the van acted up this way, and God has given us an individual has been working with wires and such and another who knows how to work on cars."  For the first time in a long time it finally came to my realization that God does provide, in the most amazing, and unforeseen ways.

I mean I was so enthralled with the fact that God provides in some unreal and cool ways.

Million Trips to the Airport

Tonight was crazy crazy crazy.  Yes... all of those crazies are much needed.  Today was the start of even more craziness for the month of July.  We had 59 people come into Anchorage today and within those 59 are three teams at, you guess it, three different locations.  I mean in between one of the pick ups of the groups i got to talk to some amazing friends, but aside from that it was a constant going from one location to the airport to another, all the time switching vans.

So 59 people later, A momma moose and her two babies stopping traffic, to siting in the moose caboose on the side of the road watching a moose eat in the middle of a little bog if you will with little duckies swimming away... i say today along with even more shtuff was pretty full and pretty crazy.  BUT I LOVE IT ALL.  Praise God for all of this! :) 

Oh, and even though the Atlanta team left today which is sad, because the night before at 11 we all ate together, well most of our team... Tony, Jared and Me, ate with them.  It was the most full and variety of dishes from Okra, steamed broccoli, broccoli and cheese casserole, green beans, and a pineapple cobbler and an apple pieish dessert.  PRAISE JESUS it was good.  Any who they sadly left today, but i know i will get in touch with them once i am back in Hotlanta, i mean because i made some pretty rockin friendships.

12:00 a.m. landscape

Well only in Alaska can you still do yard work at 12:00 in the morning.

Jared and i set out at ten last night to take out a tree that the moose of Alaska have eaten literally to death.  The, what used to be a tree just looked pitiful.  Oh and Scott is trying to sell his condo so it is really just to increase the sellability of the place. 

Any who, so we start out on this adventure and end up having to borrow a shovel from a neighbor because the one we had was just for scooping shtuff... like snow and ice.  Well after two hours of using a hay fork thing, some hedge clippers, manual of course, and two shovels we eventually were able to rip this little baby out of the ground with our manly Alaskan muscles.  Not before breaking the tree in half and me busting the button on my shorts from Wallie World (lame).  But all in all it was fantastic, plus i had draw strings in my shorts so i didn't need to borrow Jared's belt.

So after loading up the tools and refuse, i was going to go strait home but i decided to return some stuff to a van that we had brought to help take out the tree, (a tire iron and some chain), and to also drop the key off at Muldoon.  So as i walk in the building i here the Atlanta group talking and i see that they are playing cards (i forget the name of the game but it looked a lot like spades) and getting ready for a drama tomorrow.  Any who, i started talking to their leader Charles, and it was just so encouraging and enlightening.   He just gave me some reassurance, sound advice, and all around good conversation.  That man is on fire and i want to stay in connection with him my friends.  So i will make sure to get some contact information and  check him out when i get back in Hotlanta.  God is just amazing.  He brings you to the right places and right people at the right time. :)

Learning how to ref

So last Thursday was my first time ever really  refereeing a game of basketball.  I mean sure i did it at Fort Walton for Super Wow, but nothing like this past Thursday.  I mean it was legit.

So tonight, as i got in at 2:00 in the morning i remembered that i am going to be refereeing another game today, and so two nights ago i had looked up sights and a you tube video so i can catch up on some rules so i don't look like an idiot.  So now that i am done watching and reading them, i just need to execute this all with confidence.  I love helping at the boys and girls club, and these guys that are shootin the hoops rock.  I am loving this opportunity to just chill and play some B-Ball outside of the school.

Treasure for the biggens

So as i climbed down the mountain i ran in to this guy named Sam. I had passed him on the way up to the top and i was going by him when he was about to summit the mountain and he said "You sure ate that up quick."  I smiled and we just started talking.

We were sitting down on some rocks which overlooked the entire city of Anchorage and we just shot the breeze.  I found out that he was a camp director in Northwest Arkansas and just visiting a pastor friend up here for the week.  I told him about Global Partnership Ministries and Alaska Mission Outfitters and just a little about myself.

During our little conversation he mentioned that he did some geocaching which is basically a world wide big kids treasure hunt.  People hide things all over the world and you can use a little hand held GPS to find these treasures.  An ongoing treasure hunt, because as you find whatever it is that is hidden in a box or small Altoids can, you take that item and put something else in its place.  So as i was about to go down and meet up with Lily who read a book while i climbed, he asked me if i wanted to help him search for this next treasure.  We looked for about ten to fifteen minutes but i had to go because i had to make dinner plans with the "family" (which i was thirty minutes late for anyway) But as i went down he kept on looking.  Plus he said he had found a small green box buried under some little boulders, and i think it was at the point right before you get to the top of the stairs from H-E double hockey sticks.  (sorry for being so descriptive) :)  Any who we parted ways and he said he would pray for us and he said he would give his pastor friend the information on our organization.  

I am just so excited for the random relationships and encounters God is bringing in my life.  I just hope he gives me conversations for all of them. haha, but seriously.

In the stillness

I don't know if you have heard of this guy... his name is Elijah, you can find his story in the Bible in a little book i like to call 1 Kings.  Any who he has complete relevance to what i am about to tell you.

Sunday i got to re-climb up flattop mountain and it was beautiful, it took me a little under an hour and it was a glorious hike / climb.  I love climbing, it is definitely a fun hobby for me.  I was climbing one part near the top and it was dangerous because if i fell, lets just say i would drop a few feet and then slide for a good twenty or more.  Any who, not the point... well not the main point. So i end up summiting the mountain once again and up top the wind is so strong that it is almost blowing your where it wants.  I mean crazy wind.  Any ways i start walking to the other end of flat top and all of a sudden there is a silence.  No wind... no nothing.  All the time i had been climbing i had been thinking about different things, about being a servant to others, basically what i wrote about in the previous blog.  So hear i am in the silence, and i just hear God speaking to me. 

"Be still and rest in me.  Listen.  Have faith in me like you do your skills in climbing.  Trust in me and be adventurous and strive after those goals i have given you.  Follow me and i will bless your ministry with beauty like this landscape."  As i stood there for a second, i was just listening, and as i continued on i saw this valley of absolute beauty.  With scattered patches of luscious vibrant green woods.  A crystal clear blue creek of water, all surrounded by mountains reaching to the sky.

God is amazing and speaks in the stillness.  The reason why i reference Elijah is because he found God on a mountain, in between the gusts of wind.  Elijah went on to do amazing things, as i know that i am going to do amazing things in Christ.  I completely believe he is going to bless my ministry of service and of speaking.  I don't know who he is going to bring me to or let me work with, i have some hopes of people though (Andrew Walden). But i know God is going to rock this world using his children.

Realizing Me

A team from HOT LANTA came in today!!! YEAH BABY!!! Oh it is so good for a team to finally represent my stompin grounds.  

But that is not the only reason for this post... the other is because of what i have realized i have become.  For a long time now i have been reading 1 Corinthians 13... that is right, all 13 verses and a little more reading in other parts of the Bible.  But as i have read those versus i have learned so much and one of my biggest desires is to grow and be a man of love.  That is something huge and something i have been praying for, for so long now, for a couple of months actually.

As i am here in Alaska i am faced with many struggles, many teams, many much people and plenty of tasks that i don't really like all that much.  Today has been a day of a big realization... i am a man of hate, a man of laziness, bitterness, pain, disgust... the list of negatives can go on.  I know that i can love more, i know that i need to serve with no complaints, not because of that verse Philippians 2: 14 "Do everything without complaining or arguing,"  but because of a verse in 2 Samuel 9.  King David Blesses one of Saul's grandsons in honor of Jonathan.  Any who David puts this servant and his entire family in charge of taking care of this man who was Saul's Grandson, just to show this person kindness on behalf of someone else.  This servant who was put in charge of all of this man's caring didn't complain one bit, he had an easier life in front of him but with this task, he said yes lord to David and he served this individual.

I see something like that and i hear my sarcastic responses and i see my attitude of annoyance or hate towards certain things come out.  Long story short, Lily and i were talking and i said that i honestly don't mind cleaning and can do it, but she came back with "But your attitude towards it is that you hate it."  It is true, my attitude is horrible.

And as i was just talking to Clarence, ( If that is how you spell his name) outside and he was full of such joy and... it was just awesome to see his attitude towards life.  That man is so real and takes joy in so much.  I just thought to myself, i am full of such hate and bitterness, and arrogance. I am not turning out how God intended me, i am not being his child of love and joy and peace.  

I want to be this man of love... i want to be a man of joy, and it seems to be such a struggle to reach, i mean to others they see they can see the joy of Christ and my enthusiasm towards serving and helping others, i have heard that before... but on the inside i am broken and full of filth.  

I know God has healed me and is cleaning me up, but right now i am in a place where i see filth.  I know i am clean, and i am his child... but right now, i am hurting and wallowing in my own filth, i honestly just need to run home to him.

Pray for me... please. 

Well, see you around.

MMM MMM Block Party

Well we recently had a team come from the good old state of North Carolina and they were a lot of fun to talk to and get to know.  They did a Vocation Bible School (VBS) at Muldoon Road Baptist Church, where they were staying, actually where most of our teams at least pass through for a night or two

Any who, the Sunday that kicks of the VBS week there is always a huge block party for the surrounding community.  And so the team set up some games, free food stations like cotton candy, pop corn, hot dogs, SNOW CONES... Yes Alaska is all about the ice. :)

So here are a few pictures my friends, enjoy the past and enjoy the fun. 

Here is an angle of where all the food was

and the other angle.

Everyone loves the inflatable bouncy thing

knock those cups down.

Tasty

A little upcoming MIX

Well these next few blog posts will be mixed with a little old and a little somethin somethin that is new. So thanks for reading. :)

Sorry Homies

The internet has been down for three days, plus even before that my days had been long and i was filling my time with other things then blogging. Soooo... all that to say, i am sorry my peeps for not blogging the past 6 or seven days... however you want to look at it. 

But hey, know that more love from me is coming to you soon. ;)