Swensen Family

Family Fun While Heading East

2012-01-10T10:50:00.001-09:00

We got to South Dakota and God in His goodness and graciousness led us to a hotel for the night that was attached to a waterpark. For less than the cost of all the other hotels along the way,not only did we get a great room for the night, but the kids also got to spend the evening playing in a waterpark. For the first time ever, our deputation travels is feeling like a vacation. Well, except for still having to do school.

In the morning, before heading to Mount Rushmore, we stopped to gas up the van. Mark came out from paying and said we had to see the incredible display of trophies inside. We spent the next half hour viewing the excellent display of North American and African animals.

Mount Rushmore was spectacular! Our history class this year has mentioned Mount Rushmore several times, so it was inspiring to view it with our own eyes. It was the first I , Michele, had ever seen it.

And then off through the mid-west we went. The kids were not very impressed with the rolling farm land, but as “Aunt” Sue said, “We feed you.”

We spent five days in West Virginia with dear friends. The kids shared their CEF presentation 3 times at their AWANA.

The morning we left WV was Katelyn’s 8th birthday. Our friends had a birthday party breakfast for her, cupcakes, presents, party horns, and all. Thanks guys! It was a birthday she will probably always remember.

As we left WV, we viewed yet another means of generating electricity.

We arrived in PA that evening and celebrated Katelyn’s birthday at Grandma and Papa’s house. It was quite the day for Katelyn. It has been five years since we have seen Michele’s family and we are enjoying every moment with them. The first thing we did the next morning was visit Michele’s Papa. He is in the hospital recovering from Pneumonia. He also suffers from congestive heart failure. Realistically, this will most likely be the last time we get to be with Papa. The picture shows Neakita playing his old violin which he gifted to her five years ago and she just grew into this past summer.

Our weekend with Grandma started with play time at Chuck E. Cheese’s. We came to the conclusion that it is a dangerous place that plants the seeds of an addiction to gambling in children. Haha. It was lots of fun for us grownups too.

Oooooooh, what a treat my mom gave Neakita and I. She took us for pedicures. Our feet have never felt better.

And the icing on the cake for the day was seeing a Hershey Bears hockey game. Thanks Mom and Dale!

We couldn’t be in Hershey without visiting Chocolate World! Yes, there are five children in the picture with us, the one you don’t recognize is our niece. We have enjoyed having her with us on our outings. The kids have had a blast getting to know their cousin. Next weekend they will have a sleepover at her house.

Thank you all for your constant prayers for us. Our travels have been great. We still have a long way to go.

We are now on our way to New York state to visit my Dad, so ‘til next time ----May God bless you and keep you in His loving grace.

Heading East

2011-12-28T13:12:00.001-09:00

We have had beautiful driving weather. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
The first day we stopped for our sandwich lunch just along the road where we could watch a bunch of people ice fishing.

We stopped at Little Big Horn Memorial in Montana. It was a great history lesson for all of us.

The scenery through Montana and Wyoming was just breathtaking.

Christmas Fun with Family

2011-12-27T20:13:00.001-09:00

Our drive to Mark’s parents was beautiful and put us in the Christmas mood.

We used the driving time to get school work done . . .

but took every opportunity to enjoy the view and hike in God’s majestic creation.

The view from the suspension bridge was much enjoyed by the kids.

It was great to get to Mom’s and kick back and relax; the closest thing to a vacation we have had in years. We had the opportunity to speak at a supporting church where Neakita played her violin.

After the service, the church held a potluck for us so they could have time to fellowship and and get to know us better. It was a great time.

Tuesday the 20th began Hanukah. Mom told the story of the history of Hanukah, lit the menorah,

taught us to play the Dradle game,

and made homemade doughnuts.

What yummy fun!

Other fun things we did were puzzles and

ice skating,

Christmas eve, we were given a part in the Christmas celebration at The Little Brown Church. They had our family light the advent wreath, Neakita played her violin with Grandma,

Alaina played Away in the Manger with Grandma while the children sang (including Katelyn)

Christmas morning brought much fun and surprises.

The dollar store army men that Jeremiah got from us . . .

were enjoyed by Jeremiah and Uncle Zac for hours.

Over The River and Through the Woods. . .

2011-12-15T13:13:00.001-09:00

. . . to grandmother’s house we go! We are on our way to Montana to spend Christmas with Mark’s mom, step-dad, and brother. On our way we stop in Sandpoint, ID to tour Quest, the company that builds the Kodiak airplane. Mark just completed some flight training for the Kodiak in Spokane. On our way out of town, we stopped at this café for lunch. It caught my eye because I love antiques. So, while we waited for our food to be prepared, we did a little “shopping”.

We highly recommend the Café Bodega to anyone traveling near Sandpoint, ID! Their sandwiches are THE BEST! And their soup was superb. We all tasted each other’s sandwiched and it was unanimous; the Cuban was the best. The Café’s flyer describes is as “Sandpoint’s Bohemian eatery, features an assortment of international sandwiches, homemade soups, organic espresso bar, specialty teas and Italian artisan gelato.”

The Adventure Begins

2011-12-10T21:39:00.008-09:00

Well, we have made it to the lower 48. God has orchestrated every little detail. Blessings abound at every turn. Praise His Name!
Upon arriving in Portland we only had an hour to wait until the van we are using for our travels arrived. This was an amazing orchestration of God. Friends in Oregon offered us their 15 passenger van to use. It was not clear on how we would meet up to aquire the van, but God had the perfect plan. The day before we left Alaska, our friends called to tell us that his brother and sister-in-law were flying out of Portland the day we were getting in and they would drive the van up to be there for us. So, an hour after our arrival, they arrived in the van. They unloaded their baggage, we loaded ours in, and off we went.
On our way to spend the night in eastern Washington, we made a stop at Multnomia Falls. It was spectacular!

The van might be a gas guzzler, but it sure does make for roomy travel. This will hopefully make schooling in the van easier.

There are of course many opportunities to learn just by observing and discussing what we see as we travel. As we went we observed and discussed hydro and wind generated electricity. These windmills seemed to line the ridges most of the way to eastern Washington.

We have been in Spokane for a week now while Mark is undergoing Kodiak training.

The accomdations for our family is wonderful. We are staying in student houseing which has been perfect for our family. We have accomplished a lot of school work, getting ahead to lighten our load during weeks of heavy travel. There is also space for the kids to run and have fun too.

Each Sunday, we are visiting different churches to update them on or introduce them to our ministry in Alaska. The kids have been using their CEF training to teach children's church.

Please pray for God's continued blessings and for travel safety. Also pray that we will be as much, if not more, of a blessing to all of those around us.

2011-11-09T18:42:00.000-09:00

2011-10-27T20:11:00.013-08:00

Summer has come to an end and I think we are almost ready for snow to come. Firewood is piled high, our freezer is stocked with fish, moose, and chicken, our garden is harvested, and in a few weeks we will have some rabbit meat in the freezer as well. The subsistence food raising and gathering we do brings us a great sense of fulfillment. God's provision is bountiful.

Jeremiah and his best buddy were a great help on butchering day.
At the end of the summer Mark spent some time with a village pastor getting him ready to take his plane back to the village to use in his ministry there.

With the beginning of the school year also comes the beginning of Child Evangelism Fellowship after school Good News Kid's Clubs. I (Michele) am coaching a team again this year and the exciting thing is that half my team consists of my own children. Jeremiah joins the ranks this year after getting his training last spring. It is a thrill to have our children directly involved in ministry with us.

Jeremiah gives the task of teaching the kids about Jesus all he's got and the kids love it. Neakita has become much more articulate in her ability to communicate the stories with the kids.

Pray that the Lord will continue to grow them in their ability to communicate the Gospel with others.

I recently had the opportunity to go with Mark to the village of Togiak for the weekend. Mark's job was to transport people to Togiak from surrounding villages to participate in a weekend Singspiration. You can read more about it in a newletter that we will be publishing very soon.

Not only did I get to spend some much needed time away with Mark, I was able to spend much sweet time with a special friend. As a pastor's wife in a rural isolated village, she does not have any person she can freely unburden her heart to. I was able to be that listening ear and sympathetic heart that she so needed at this time. Pray for the pastor wives in the villages, their part in the ministry brings heavy loads for them to shoulder; they need God's strong arms to carry them and His wisdom to deal with everyday situations.

The village of Togiak is beautiful; the ocean on one side and mountains on the other. Commercial fishing is their main source of income. This is a picture of the inside of Togiak Baptist Mission. Construction on the church began seven years ago and it is pretty much complete except for a few details. There are 36 chairs in the sanctuary . . .

. . . and almost all of them have a seat cushion . I remember the first time I saw the cushions on the chairs, I said, "Oh, you really love your congregation!" But not all of them are in tip-top condition, so, I have a request for anyone who would be so bent as to. . .

make a seat cushion with a quilted top for these church chairs. They can be sent to Togiak Baptist Mission, C/O MARC, PO Box 511, Soldotna, AK 99669

2011-07-31T08:37:00.028-08:00

Neakita said goodbye to one of her bestest friends yesterday as she moves to Arizona. Please pray the Lord will comfort their broken hearts as the reality of it will begin hit in the weeks and months to come.

Jeremiah has done much of the fishing for the family this summer. He was right by Mark's side all through set net fishing in June, during which time we camped on the beach for two nights. It is always a fun get away for our family. Jeremiah has also gone dip netting twice, once with Mark and once without Mark. Praise God! It is good to have most of our winter supply of fish in the freezer.

Our three oldest children have all enjoyed their times at Bible camp this summer. Neakita and Jeremiah both attended Christian Youth In Action, Child Evangelism Fellowship's training camp. Jeremiah also went to Tanalian Bible Camp in Port Alsworth. Alaina attended Horse Camp at our local Bible camp for the first time (which she earned a scholarship to attend), and Neakita is at Teen Girl's Equestrian Camp this week, which she earned by working at the camp's horse barn for four weeks during the summer. She enjoyed the training and work immensely and looks forward to being a part of that work and ministry next year.

Mark has spent many days and weeks of his summer flying kids to camp from all over the state, mostly in the north west/central area, taking them into Kokrine Hills Bible camp. These flights and the ministry in this area became reality because of volunteer pilots and their Kodiak plane from Flying Under the Son Ministries out of California. Mark has worked very closely with Bill, Matt, and Mark getting them up to par for the flying conditions in Alaska. Most of the flights made and kids that they transported would not have happened without FUTSM.

There are so many testimonies about the impact that summer camp has on the kids from the various villages. The most common is the tears that flow at the end of the week. The kids begin crying a couple day before camp ends because the entire week they have been in a safe and loving enviornment and they become distraught at the reality that they will return home to their insecure and often frightening home life due to alcoholic family members and all the fears and horrors that come with that. Pray that the children and teens will cling to the love of Jesus that they discovered at camp and that they will hold steadfast in their faith. Pray that the Lord will provide solid Christian mentors for them to help them grow in their faith.

A group of teens excited to go to camp.

A view of Kokrine Hills Bible Camp and their new runway. It is located between Tanana and Galena on the Yukon River.

I had the opportunity to go on a day flight with Mark in June. It was a beautiful day and a sweet time visiting precious friends in the midst of doing the job. After dropping Jeremiah off at Tanalian Bible camp and getting some time to chat with friends there (I hadn't seen my friend, Andrea, in years), we headed for Togiak. The purpose of the flight was to pick up a CEF team that had spent several days ministering through Kid's Clubs, but the best part of our ministry is these flights give us the opportunity to develop and build relationships with those we serve. We had a fabulous time visiting with Pastor Paul and Laura. I am fortunate if I get to be face to face with Laura once a year. This is the second time this year we have had opportunity to fellowship, otherwise, our times together are via phone, and only having 100 minutes of long distance calling per month with our phone plan does not give me much opportunity to keep up with everyone I would like to each month (not even our moms and dads).

Paul and Laura treated us like royalty. They provided a delectable lunch for us of carabou rib soup (it reminded me of my grandma's beef bone rice soup, a childhood favorite) and hard boiled Murre eggs on the side. below is a picture of them (that is my hand in the picture, not a child's) and below that a picture of some murres. These eggs were especially a treat to be had because in order to gather them, one must climb cliffs. Keep Paul and Laura in your prayers, Satan greatly strives to keep the native people of Alaska spiritually blinded and it is not easy for native pastor families to make ends meet financially as their lives are devoted to ministry.

We are beginning to gather a harvest from our garden and it continues to grow well, except for the carrots. We are hoping they are just coming in late. We are pleased with the tomatoes, cucumbers, pickles, peppers and zuchinni in our greenhouse, and our chickens are ready for butchering. We raised dark cornish chickens this year instead of the cornish cross and we have enjoyed them tremendously more in comparison. We will never do the cornish cross again if we have a choice.

50 chicks in a brooder.

Happy to be in the run.

In June, I hosted a 3-day CEF kid's club in our yard. It is always a highlight of the summer.

This summer has brought more dinner and overnight guests than ever before. We have had a fabulous time with the various ministry families that have come through our home this summer. My ministry dream has always been to have a guest house where I can provide a place to stay for and take care of ministry families that "come to/through town". Well, we are only able to offer them Jeremiah's room and/or the playroom/utility room to sleep in, but I absolutely LOVE every opportunity I have to provide a place they can relax, recoup, and be "loved on" in.

Neakita, Jeremiah, and Alaina all played soccer again this summer. It was a great season with great teammates and great coaches.

Jeremiah is in red. He played goalie for the first time this year and learned the postition well under the tutorage of an excellent coach.

In April, Neakita and Alaina participate in their year end music recital. It is always a treat for us parents and loved ones to watch and see what our children have accomplished over the year.

As always, thank you for your love, prayers, and support of our life in full-time ministry.

2011-07-07T16:17:00.003-08:00

News Flash:
MARC has a newly revamped website http://www.marcalaska.org/ where you can find the latest newsletter AND MARC is now on Facebook as well http://www.facebook.com/marcalaska where you can keep up with current happenings. Take some time to puruse these to keep up with the ministry we are involved in.

2011-03-25T16:58:00.002-08:00

As promised, here is the ending to last weeks story.

After becoming a Christian, Guy realized his life had value and God had a purpose for his life. He is now married with his own family and is a successful businessman. More importantly he is willing to share his testimony of how God changed his life, and gave it purpose and value. His smile and sense of humor were contagious, and a testimony of his faith.
When Bill, Jonathan, and Guy shared their testimonies everyone listened. I am sure that there were many people listening who shared some similar life experiences with these men. It is my belief that many realized that if these men could have their lives restored by Jesus, so could they. I believe that the testimonies of these three men gave some people the hope that their lives could be wonderful, productive, and have purpose, too.
Jonathan shared at many of the villages about how God had gifted Native American people with the use of drums and native dance to praise the Lord. His testimonies reminded me of the stories of David in the Old Testament, when he praised the Lord in the same way. During one of the songs at each concert, most of the people attending would join hands to form a long chain of fellowship and praise. Then everyone circled the room following Guy as he led us around the place of worship in a dance to the Lord. In Nome the young people honored Broken Walls by performing a dance of their own for the band.
At the first village where we stopped, a 22-year-old man had just committed suicide, and a broken hearted father shared how his daughter ended her live a few years earlier. At the end of the meeting, many of the fathers in the village came forward for prayer, and the village elders committed themselves to finding a solution to suicide together as a village.
The band was able to minister at another village where there had been three recent suicide attempts. At a third village a group of young people came forward and gave their hearts to the Lord. The last night of the trip, several people came forward for prayer. Everywhere we went all of the team members ministered to people’s needs, especially the youth. Young people would come up after the meetings and visit with them, and were encouraged to play with the band members, who would witness to them during this time of fellowship.
I know that I was richly blessed by the testimony of these men, the grace that was evident in their lives, and the blessing they were to everyone with whom we came into contact. After the trip, which was a week long, it was hard to say goodbye to people that were such a blessing to me. I will always have fond memories of our trip with Broken Walls. - - Bob Widman

2011-03-18T19:48:00.007-08:00

One of Mark's recent trips was transporting and supporting the ministry of Carry The Cure Ministries along with a Christian rock band called Broken Walls. They traveled from Anchorage to Tanana, Galena, Unalakleet, White Mountain, and Nome. The music is fantastic, spanning all ages and the testimonies are inspiring, "carbon copies" of what life is like for so many Alaskan natives. Hearing how Jesus can make a difference in ones life speaks of hope to the people. Hope is what they need: hope in a future worth living and hope in that their life has purpose. Following the pictures is the first part of a memoir write up shared with the staff by pilot, Bob Widman.

There was much time spent in setting up and breaking down the equipment as they traveled from village to village.

The music was great; rock music mixed with Native American music and dance. Wow!

The testimonies are the heart of it all.

Mark Swensen, Mike Boettcher, and myself (Bob Widman), had the privilege of traveling with Broken Walls, a Christian Gospel band, on their Iditarod tour at the beginning of March. The band included Jonathan, a Mohawk Indian from eastern Canada, Chris, a Native American from Thunder Bay Canada, and Pete from Wasilla, Alaska.

Bill is a Native American Tlingit Indian who was raised in a dysfunctional home. When Bill was four-years-old his uncle and friends who were in their home would make Bill take shots of whiskey, and smoke marijuana to see how much he could stand before he could not control himself any more. At age seven Bill's mother and father divorced, and he thought it was his fault because he was such a bad kid. At age eight Bill was addicted to marijuana and his mother was his drug supplier. At age twelve Bill's mother signed papers to give custody of Bill to a supposed family friend. This man abused Bill in every way possible. When Bill made even a simple mistake like putting his toothpaste away in the wrong place, this man would chase him around the house with a loaded handgun screaming derogatory things at him. Bill came to believe he wasn't worth any thing, and perhaps the world would be a better place if he was not around. He contemplated suicide but according to Bill the only thing that kept him going was a few positive things some friends and teachers said to him. These were simple things that were said like, "Hey Bill, what's up!", or a teacher saying, "Hey Bill, you can really play those drums, some day you will be a great drummer!" Some of Bill's friends invited him to church, and this is where Bill heard about Jesus and grace, and that Jesus loved him unconditionally. Bill gave his life to Christ. When Bill experienced God's grace through Christ, his life changed. After meeting his wife, they decided to minister to, and take care of, Bill's former abusive guardian. This man was so amazed by their forgiveness that he became a Christian. Bill was given a full music scholarship based on his ability to play the drums, and has taught as a music teacher.

Jonathan told about leaving his family in eastern Canada to become a rock and roll star. His dad, who was a pastor, walked him to the bus when he was leaving for California. His parting words to Jonathan were, "Remember, when your back is against the wall turn to Jesus." After getting established in the music business and opening for several famous rock bands, Epic records offered him a record contract on the condition that he would be willing to use profanity, sing about using alcohol, and other worldly topics in his songs. When Jonathan told the record company that these were the things that destroyed his people and he was not willing to include them in his songs, the record company took back their offer. Returning to his apartment discouraged and alone, he followed his father’s advice and turned to Christ. He now uses his gifts as a singer and musician to minister to people in many different parts of the world with the rest of the Broken Walls band.

Guy told of how he was left alone at home when he was a child, while the adults in his life were out partying and getting drunk. One day when he was playing with some boys that he thought were his friends, they threw him over a river bank into the Yukon River. At that point he said that he felt like trash, and that he was not good for anything. As he grew up he watched most of the people that were close to him die due to accidents, suicide, or alcohol related deaths. As time went on he got on the wrong side of the law and wound up in prison.

Will Guy get out of prison?? Join us next week for the second installment in Bob’s Article!

2011-03-11T19:42:00.003-09:00

Our winter 2010-2011 newsletter. Double click to enlarge.

2010-12-23T10:41:00.072-09:00

It is the end of another year. 2010 was anything but dull. We look forward to seeing what joys and challenges 2011 will bring our way. One thing is for certain, God will stretch us and grow us as we continue to follow Him and it will only be through His strength and guidance and your prayers that we will stay on our feet, standing strong.

There have been many happenings in the last few months that I have not had time to share with you, so here I am catching up and getting ready for the new year and adventures to come.

Mark's flight time has increased since being released from the position of flight scheduler. He has enjoyed being back out in the villages on a regular basis. The kids and I have also had opportunities to join him on some trips.

As of January 1st, Mark will be wearing a new hat at MARC. He will take on the role of Chief Pilot. Pray that the Lord will give him wisdom and discernment in his new position of leadership.

Now let's take a step back to this past summer. MARC participated in the Fouth of July parade this year. Members of the staff did an excellent job making an airplane float. The propeller even turned.

Alaina and Katelyn got to ride in the plane.

Neakita and Jeremiah passed out airplane candies.

Mark was photographer and Michele was at home, sick.

Also in July, Papa and Grandma Jane visited. As you can see the kids devour every moment they get with them.

We enjoyed as much fishing as we could get in.

But no visit from Papa is complete without laps around the go-cart track.

We were very pleased with the harvest of our garden this year. We will enjoy potatoes, snow peas, pickled red beets, and cabbage through the winter. It was not a good year for greenhouse produce, however I did can about 16 pints of pickled green tomatoes -yum yum.

Neakita celebrated her 13th birthday with a bunch of her friends.
The party started with an appetizer of chocolate covered strawberries.

In leu of presents, each friend was asked to plan to share a talent for a show. There was illusions, singing, instruments played, martial arts demonstration, and art displays. Neakita has very talented friends.

For Jeremiah's birthday, he and Mark went on a one-night camping trip. They canoed across a lake . . .

and set up their camp.

They fished . . .

and hunted spruce hen.

Jeremiah was a happy 12 year old.

In September Mark and a summer intern, now a new staff member in the process of raising their support, ferried a Missionary Aviation Training Academy (MATA) plane that was on loan to Kako Retreat Center for the summer back to it's home in Arlington, WA. The flight through Canada was incredible, a memory that will last a lifetime.

Mark with new staff member, Kyle, arrived at MATA with new stories to tell.

While in WA, Mark got to spend the night with his brother and family. Mark walked the older neices and nephew to the school bus in the morning . . .

. . . and got to snuggle and play with the younger niece and nephew before leaving to get his flight home. What a joy it was for him to have a bit of time with them. I was at home green with envy.

In October we had two litters of bunnies born. We sold seven of the eleven which provided cash for about five months of feed. It was fun to watch them grow and snuggle the little babies. What did we do with the other four? Well, the orange one we are keeping for breeding and the other three will be dinner. We look forward to more babies in the spring and through the summer months.

Here is a video of the orchestra that Neakita is in, playing "Windjammer" by Carl Strommen

Neakita is sitting on the left, first row, beside the concert master (the lady that walks in and leads the group in tuning their instruments).

In November, Mark and I took another CEF team to Dillingham. (This was a follow-up trip to the one we went on in August, for details see our last newsletter further down on the blog) This time our focus was on training local teens to do the Good News Kids Clubs in their own school and church. It was a great time. Alaina got to go with us this time.

The training sessons were led by a CEF Alaska Intern.

Our teens were used in the training to work with the local teens individually. Here Neakita is teaching a girl to us the wordless book.

The team also held several Kids Clubs, continuing the lessons about the life of Christ, picking up where we left off in August.

Every once in a while a ministry trip has a "perk" attached to it. Mark had one of those in November when he flew a group from a church in Anchorage down to Old Harbor, Kodiak where they would help the missionary family get some things done before winter really set in. One of the things on the list was harvesting deer for the missionary family and the elders in the village. The group spent two days hunting bringing in 10 deer to process and put in the freezers. Praise God for His provision. Mark got to bring a bit of it home for us to sample. It was incredible!

Mark shot a nice BIG doe. The work is not over until it is packaged and in the freezer.

Mark and I headed up the AWANA Raingutter Regatta again this year. It was a great success thanks to the many others that helped us pull it off.

Katelyn did a great job and had a lot of fun with her boat.

AWANA crazy hair night is a favorite of our kids. Here is Jeremiah with his best buddy.

In December, Mark took a group from Arctic Barnabas Ministries to Golovin for a three day visit with the new Covenant pastor and his family. I was able to go on this trip as well. I was especially excited about the time I got to spend with the pastor's wife as Mark and I have been friends with them for the past six or so years. We spent much time talking, catching up, building stronger relationships, and laughing. It was a time of encouragment and strengthening for all of us.

And to top it off, the guys got a linen closet installed in their bathroom.

This year we cut an authentic Alaskan tree for our Christmas tree.

The moose stood by to watch us in our endeavor.

Our task was accomplished and we were on our way home.

We think it is the best tree ever.

Merry Christmas to you all. And as the new year begins keep your eyes on Jesus and watch to see how He will stretch and grow you.

2010-09-26T17:41:00.001-08:00

Our latest newsletter! Double click on it to enlarge it to read.

Summer Highlights

2010-07-21T09:05:00.035-08:00

YeeHaw! I am finally finding time to give to this blog. Oh, what a summer it has been and it is by no means over yet. I have been drowning in life and only now getting opportunities to come up for itty bitty breaths. Please pray me through the rest of the summer. Since it has been so long since communicating with you I will only give you a glimpse of the highlights of our summer. Mark has been doing quite a bit of flying this summer. Unfortunately there are no pictures because he does not know where his camera is.

In April, our three girls participated in their annual year end music recital. Alaina began the program with a piano solo. Katelyn was adorable playing her violin with another little girl her age. Neakita participated through the entire program with the exception of the cello solo and the duet played by her instructor and a fellow orchestra member on the viola. This year Neakita's orchestra group performed and also played along with the student soloists. The program was exceptionally well done.

In May, Mark was extremely busy giving flight instruction to a friend from one of the villages in addition to his regular responsibilities. Much after-hour time was put into the instruction. It was a joy for the kids and I to get to know his student during that time.

Can't you teach it better than that, Mark? It looks like he has become a bit confused by it all. Hee Hee!

Is he giving you a headache, Mark? Haa Haa!
We had a lot of fun during those weeks!

June began busy and ended crazy busy for us.

Neakita went to Christian Youth in Action, Child Evangelism Fellowship's training camp. The first week of camp they learned how to communicate the gospel to children.

During the second week of camp they practiced what they learned by doing kid's clubs at local homes.

I was able to host a club at our home.

We had a lot of kids attend the club at our house that they split the age groups up and had two clubs going at the same time. The older kids are in a group on the left side of the picture and the younger kids are in a group on the other side of the driveway. It was so cool to host two clubs at the same time.

We raised meat chickens this year. We got them as day old chicks, raised them up and . . .

. . . butchered them. It is great to have stored away chicken for the winter. Yes, the kids helped us with the butchering too! They are a great help in all the work we do to fill the freezer, whether it is chicken, fish, or moose.

All four kids have been playing outdoor soccer with the Boys and Girls Club this year. Here is Katelyn in one of her moments of playing her best. She has decided, however, that soccer is not her sport. Neakita on the other hand LOVES to play soccer and has really progressed in the skill of the game. Her team worked their way to the championship game. They earned second place! What a thrill the game was!

Alaina and Jeremiah played on the same team this year. It was a fun team that worked very hard together. All the kids have exceptional coaches. It is a sacrifice for anyone to commit to coaching a team.

We celebrated Alaina's big double digit birthday - #10. It was loads of fun with all her friends! We had a sleepover and the girls stayed up until 2 AM.

We had the most fun set net fishing this year! We camped on the beach for two nights. Mark set up a great camp for us. Although it rained most of the time, we were warm and comfortable. We get most of our year's supply of fish this way. The rest we get by dip netting and rod and reel fishing.

The end of June brought a visit from Mark's mom, step-dad, and brother. What a wonderful time we had with them here. We were on the go pretty much constantly, but we made time during the last two days to rest before they headed back home.

Zac was ministry flight crew member for a day. He helped take a group of bible camp counselors out to KAKO on the Yukon River.

During Grandma and Papa's visit, Neakita was a part of a big orchestra concert here in town. Her orchestra group had the priviledge of being the opening performance for the world famous Young Peoples Symphony Orchestra out of Berkeley, CA. It was an exciting evening.

July has continued to be overwelmingly busy, so I will have to wait until the next time I can squeeze in blog time. Please be patient and know that when there is not an entry for a long time it is because I am far too busy with life and ministry to get time on the computer which means I need your prayers all that much more.

Winter Comes, Winter Goes

2010-04-18T08:12:00.009-08:00

Winter came to us in October and in February it began to fade into spring. Winter decided to return during March for awhile longer. And then, in April it began to disappear fast, and oh, it was so exciting. It is understandable how we became discouraged as three inches of snow accumulated last week, creating a fresh, clean, winter wonderland. Yes, it was beautiful, but we are all ready for it to go away. It was a relief to see that it was only a tease, for those three inches were gone again in a couple of days along with even more of the old winter snow and ice. Yippee! Get out the bikes and roller blades - the driveway is pretty much clear. Jeremiah can bounce that basketball once again!

Mark spent the last five days in Nome at the annual Covenant Church conference. It was in conjuction with KICY's 50th anniversary. What a celebration it was! What struck Mark the most was how instumental our mission's founder, Roald Amundsen, was in the beginnings of KICY. The fact does not surprise me at all. Roald was a great visionary and trusted in the Lord as he pursued with all his being, that which God laid on his heart. Here is a link to an interesting Redoubt Reporter article about Roald http://redoubtreporter.blogspot.com/2009/01/on-mission-to-fly-roald-amundsen-blazed.html . Enjoy getting to know our esteemed founder a little better.

A couple weeks ago, Mark flew for a church conference that took place in Naknek. People from all over the Bristol Bay area were flown in for this event. It was a wonderful time of worship and teaching from God's Word.

Several baptisms took place at the village's high school pool.

A Child Evangelism Fellowship team from Port Alsworth conducted Good News Clubs for the children during the services.
And in between services, Mark did some flight instruction for a SEND missionary in Naknek.

At home, we are trying to enjoy each moment for all it is worth, even if all it is worth is a good laugh. The wacky glasses were actually for a special AWANA night. This week is our last AWANA for the year and it has been a great year. Each of our kids have earned their book award.
Six more weeks of school and counting. I don't know who is more anxious to be done for the year, the kids or me. It has been a great year. Each year is better than the year before. The annual curriculum fair is this coming week and I am excited about attending. I started in February making plans for next year and it is always fun gathering new books and materials. The best part about the fair is the speakers. I always go home inspired and encouraged in my role as my children's educator.

The most exciting event about to occur in our family is Neakita attending Christian Youth In Action, Child Evangelism Fellowship's teen training camp. Here is an exerpt from her newsletter explaining a bit about what she will be doing.

Did you know that many Alaskan children never attend church or Sunday School?
Several years ago, when I was little, I spent a week in the village of McGrath with my parents and a CEF team of four teenagers. It was a time I will never forget. I made a new friend and had a fun time being a part of the Bible clubs the team had for the kids.
The teenagers told all the kids about God’s salvation through Jesus Christ.
Now, I am old enough to be trained to do what that CEF team did. I am excited to tell kids about Jesus and it is going to be cool to be a part of why my family lives and works in Alaska.
There are Good News Clubs held in our local public schools that I will be a part of. I am most excited about going on village trips to share Jesus’ love with the native children.

Please be praying for Neakita. She asks prayer for courage and the ability to learn the material quickly, good health, personal growth in her relationship with the Lord, and that many children will give their hearts to Jesus.

Back to February

2010-03-27T10:50:00.017-08:00

I never did share the special events that occured in our family, especially with the kids, during February. It was a crazy month in our lives, with so many great memories.

Mark's Dad and Step-mom sent the kids a box of everything needed to make valentines for their friends. They had a blast.

Then they had an opportunity to give away the valentines at a Valentine's Day party organized by another homeschool mom in our church. There were thirty kids at the party, all from our church. At the party they got to make a holder for their all the cards they received. We look forward to more fun times together.
Another fun school event was attending a workshop about the Iditarod. A couple local mushers participated in this workshop. One had a slide presentation and shared about what it is like to be a musher and run the Iditarod. The other brought two of his dogs and demonstrated what goes into preparing his dogs to race.

A great part of these activities is spending time with great friends. Here is Jeremiah with some of his buddies.

Neakita's big moment in February was her Suzuki Book 1 recital. Neakita's friend, Libbie, also finished book 1, so her mom and I coordinated the event together. The preparations involved in making this happen for our girls was all consuming. It was a lot of work for both the girls and us moms (and several dear friends that helped us make it a beautiful event), but it was well worth it. The evening was blessed by the sixty-some people that attended the recital. It was fun to celebrate their incredible accomplishment. Here Neakita and Libbie are pictured with their teachers.

Then Katelyn had her moment in the spotlight. The annual AWANA Sparks Raingutter Regatta was in February. Mark and I headed up this event. Again, it was a lot of work, but well worth the time we put into it and we look forward to next year.

Katelyn won second place in design for her boat. Way to go Katelyn!!

Spring is coming!

2010-03-25T20:48:00.003-08:00

The snow is melting fast dispite the new snow that has fallen at night this week. My chickens have found some patches of dirt in their run and are happy ladies. The flower seeds I started a couple weeks ago have sprouted. I look forward to planting the next batch of seeds this weekend and in the weeks to come in preparation of filling our greenhouse. I can just taste the homegrown tomatoes now. Mmmmm, Mmmm! Mark is looking foward to the homemade pickles. I haven't been able to grow and can pickles since we lived in Tennessee.

On Monday, Mark flew the family he took to Anchorage, back to Old Harbor. Their picture is in the previous entry. Here is a note they emailed Mark once they got home. It is very encouraging to us to receive a note like this.

Mark,

Thanks so much for bringing us safely home on Monday. We so appreciate your ministry! Traveling with you was peaceful, and as hassle-free as travel in AK can be. Josiah really enjoyed his co- pilot ride too. :) Really fun memory seeing him up there with shades and charts. God bless,

Today, Mark and Don flew a ministry team from a Christian school in Anchorage to Nulato. The team will spend their days volunteering as teacher's assistents in the public school. During the evenings they will have evangelistic programs in the school gym for the village children and teens.

This is a picture of the village of Nulato. The runway is in the upper right hand corner. Nulato is located on the Yukon River.

Please pray for God's blessing upon the minsitry of this team. Pray that the Lord will open the hearts of the youth to receive His gift of salvation.

2010-03-18T20:14:00.009-08:00

Winter finally came during the month of March. Jeremiah ended up snowblowing four times within one week.

But when the snow brings work, it also brings opportunities to have a lot of fun.

What I like are all the birds the cold and snow bring to my kitchen window.

There are no more babies in our home, at least none that belong to us. Katelyn lost her first tooth and another is close to falling out as well.

Mark recently flew down to Old Harbor on the Island of Kodiak to pick up a ministry family and take them to their mission organization's annual staff conference. At this conference they have to opportunity to spend time with other families in their organization. It is one of the few times these families have a chance to be together to encourage eachother and build relationships as co-workers.

Welcome 2010

2010-01-31T20:24:00.003-09:00

Our new year began with celebrating Katelyn's 6th birthday.
Katelyn had a marvelous afternoon partying with some of her friends.

January has actually been a quiet month for us. School keeps us busy and on the go. Responsibilities at the airport has kept Mark here at home base. However, the month is ending in a flurry of busyness as February moves in. We will need your prayers through the month ahead. There is much I am responsible for in the coming weeks outside of home and school (and home and school are all consuming). Pray I can focus on each day as it comes and what needs accomplished in that day only. The potential for being overwhelmed is great. I am seeing God work graciously towards me and it is clear to me that His hand is in all that needs to be done. My number 1 rule - Keep my eyes on Jesus. And my purpose - to glorify Him alone.

2009-12-30T14:32:00.019-09:00

In November, Mark was flight following three of our pilots. Weather was not cooperating which can be a source of frustration when it is your job of get groups of people from one place to another for an event that they have been planning on and looking forward to for awhile. I was given permission from Sue to reiterate a portion of their most recent newsletter. It explains very well what went on .

"One weekend, back in November, three MARC pilots using two airplanes provided round trip flights for 81 teens and adults who attended a five day Alaska Moravian Youth Fellowship event in the village of Goodnews Bay. Because of some very difficult weather conditions at Goodnews Bay (frequent snow squalls moved through the area for much of the first two days) several of the flights were delayed and some even had to be cancelled. Our pilots worked hard to get the teens and adults into the village. Occasionally they would land at one of the surrounding villages and wait for the weather to temporarily lift before they would try to land there.

On one particular flight, our King Air flew to within six miles of Good news Bay before snow squalls moved back in over the airstrip. Because It was getting late in the day, the pilots chose to turn around and fly back 100 miles to the airport of origination and wait for better weather the next day. The main speaker, Pastor Clifford Jimmy, was on that flight and the pilots were frustrated with their inability to get him to the event. It wasn't until the following morning that the pilots learned WHY God had not allowed them to land at Goodnews Bay the day before. During the night, Pastor Clifford Jimmy developed heart complications and was Medevaced to Anchorage for medical care. Had he been in the remote village of Goodnews Bay, it is very possible that the medevac flight would not have been able to pick him up because of the poor weather conditions that persisted there.
We are thankful that God is Sovereign and that His plans and purposes are far superior to our own. We are also very thankful for the Lord's care for Pastor Clifford Jimmy and the safety He provide our pilots and their passengers. We have been told that Pastor Clifford Jimmy is home now. Please continue to pray that our staff would make wise decisions with regard to safety as we fly and as we carry on daily maintenance activities."

We don't always get a glimpse of God's purpose when flights do not go the way we plan them. But when we do see the reason why, it is an encouraging reminder that God is in control of ALL aspects of our lives - not us.
When we really think about that fact, it brings a flood of relief to know the truth of it, fore if we were in complete control, what a mess we would make of life.

It is in those times when God's purpose is not revealed to us that our faith and trust in God kicks in over-time. There is peace when we put our trust in God's Sovereignty. When the storm is raging all around, we can either kick and scream and shake our fist at God OR we can trust that He is in control and the out-come will be in our best interest, molding us into the person He desires us to be. He is then able to use us to benefit others.

December has been an interesting month as far as our weather goes. We had several days of ice fog. It was a beautiful display of a winter wonderland, but there was concern about trees breaking. Right before Christmas it warmed up and and we are now left with icy snow on the ground.

We had a strange sighting of a flock of flamingos in town. Here is a picture Jeremiah took of them gathered at McDonalds. Every few days they would show up in a different place.
We enjoyed our Christmas celebration. We were all healthy, which was a great blessing to us. We enjoyed advent using the Jesse Tree readings. One of the kids' Christmas gifts from us was a gingerbread house kit. They had a great time making it and eating it. I was quite impressed with the result.

I received a wonderful unexpected gift. Oh, boy, this gives me a chance to talk about my chickens! A church down the street had a four evening Bethlehem Revisited production. As we were walking into it, Mark told me that he heard that the lady with the chickens was looking for a new home for her chickens once the production was over. So when we saw her I asked her about it and sure enough she had more chickens than she desired to have and was looking for someone to take 9 of her Barred Plymouth Rocks. I eagerly volunteered to take them and she brought them to our house on Christmas Eve. Oh, how exciting it was. They are beautiful birds that lay us large light brown eggs.

Well, since I am already talking about the chickens, I just have to include a picture of some of our grown up babies. They were beautifully roosted on the pallets in the run today in our 25 degree weather.
From left to right we have Margarete (a Deleware), Arrowhead (Black Copper Maran/Ameraucana mix rooster), Rhodie (Rhode Island Red), and Peachie (Black Copper Maran/Ameraucana mix)

We enjoy our fresh eggs immensely. Here is a picture displaying the array of colors of eggs we get from our ladies.

We have enjoyed our Christmas break from school. I am afraid it will be difficult to get back into the swing of school again on Monday. Please pray over this matter with us. It has been a challenging year for Neakita and the challenge continues to loom overhead. Please pray Jeremiah will be motavated by the shear thrill of accomplishment in his work. And pray that I can keep up with Alaina and Katelyn. Pray that in the midst of it all, I find ways to make it fun for the kids.

2009-11-21T15:50:00.030-09:00

October came and went without snow. The extended fall season gave everyone extra time to prepare for winter. It was a huge blessing for us, as we had not quite accomplished the outside projects we needed to before snow. It was a Sunday in Novemeber when the last project was completed and it was that night that we got our first snow of the season. The ground is now covered with only about four inches, but it is here to stay.

Early October took Mark to Barrow, Alaska, a first time experience for him. The purpose was to transport people to a funeral in Barrow.

While Mark is away, gallavanting all over the state, the kids and I remain at home with our noses to the school grindstone. The last three months were challenging for me as I had been dealing with a health issue. The kids were great during that time. They kept right on going with their schoolwork needing minimal attention from me. I am doing much better now and once again feel like we are on track with our work.

Simulating rock crystals with gumdrops and toothpicks. Who says school can't be fun!

Neakita observing the composition of an igneous rock.

The kids are participating in Pizza Hut's "Book It" program. As their teacher, I set extra-curricular reading goals for them to accomplish and they each earn a personal pan pizza at the end of each month.

Mid-October found Mark in Manakotak transporting people from surrounding villages to a Moravian Church Spiritual Feast. It was standing room only for the services that lasted late into the night.

While there Mark had the extra special opportuntiy to observe walrus being butchered (I left out the really bloody pictures.) Walrus is still an important part of the Eskimo diet.

The kids had a blast participating in this years AWANA Grand Prix Races. Here, Jeremiah is meticulously working on his car.

There were a total of 23 entries.

The kid's cars were fast. If there had been 4th, 5th, and 6th place trophies, they would have won them.

Neakita won 1st place for design.

Honestly, I was amazed at the results of Neakita's car. When she said she wanted hers to look like a violin, I didn't think it would be possible. Since this was her last Grand Prix race, winning a trophy made it an extra special memory.

Alaina's car didn't quite turn out to look like she had imagined it to, but she was content with what it was. Her attitude made Mark and I very proud of her. She had lots of fun racing it.

Jeremiah's car looked great - a real racer.

After the Grand Prix races, we were ourselves racing against time to get Neakita to the auditorium where her orchestra group was performing with the Kenai Peninsula Orchestra. Being Halloween Day, the orchestra members all dressed up for the occation.

In November, Mark took a Child Evangelism Fellowship family team to Nulato to evangelize through Kid's Clubs. This family has been going to Nulato twice a year for the last eight years. The consistency has made an impact. Two girls from the village were themselves trained at this years CEF training camp where they learned to teach children about Jesus with CEF materials. The hope is to some day soon see the teens in Nulato conducting their own CEF clubs, teaching, and evangelizing the children in their own village and then reaching out to surrounding villages. But to see the goal accomplished takes dedication and perserverance now.

Nulato's teen center is were Mark and the CEF team eat, sleep, and minister while they are there.

While there, Mark had the opportunity to help the missionary in that village to take care of his sled dog team. Here are a few of his dogs. Oh, Mark was able to take with him on the flight out there, a new lead dog for the team.

When most of us feed our dogs, we just get a scoop of food out of a bag and dump it in a bowl. In the villages, when people feed their dog teams, first they have to build a fire. Then, a big pot of salmon (heads and all) is cooked over the fire. Sometimes rice is added.

Then the salmon "soup" is ladled into the dog's bowls. Now imagine doing all that in sub-zero temps.

With winter's arrival, I pick up one of my favorite hobbies, fur-skin sewing. I am on my third pair of baby slippers. I've gifted one pair to the newest MARC family member and the other two will wait to see what babies will come along in the months ahead.

My big project for this year was a hat and matching mittens. What fun I have had the last month working on these things.

2009-10-05T07:49:00.007-08:00

We had the special treat this week of having a pastor from Togiak and his wife spend a night with us. They had attended a local conference and stayed with us the night before going back home. It was a time of sweet fellowship and encouragement. The village ministry families never cease to amaze me. To describe their work to minister and live as "hard" is an understatement. Please keep the village ministry families in your prayers. Pray for endurance, good health, financial provision, wisdom, clarity in communicating God's Word, and blessings to shower them. Pray that the staff of MARC are a source of help, encouragement, and trusted friendship to confide in to these families.

Yesterday was a bitter-sweet day for me. After a wonderful, uplifting, convicting, challenging, self-searching worship service and message at church, we got to have the children of a fellow staff family go home with us while their mom and dad headed to the hospital for the birth of their third child. Our car was full, and I voiced that with our 2 year old and 1 year old afternoon wards we might get a taste of what it would be like to have six children. Well, I think we would have to have the children in our care a bit longer than an afternoon to truly experience what it would be like, for they were cared for and doted on by our children all afternoon that I barely had the opportunity to play an active role in caring for them. We also had friends and their children visiting with us for the afternoon, so it was really a relaxing afternoon for us even with nine children in the house.

The bitter part of my day was finding out that one of my best friends miscarried that morning. It is heartbreaking to see the loss and hurt experienced by those you love. Please pray for them, for comfort and peace, physcial recovery, and understanding for their 3 children ages 6, 4, and 2.

It was around 6:30 when we found out that our little guests have a new baby brother. We quickly packed them up and anxiously headed for the hospital, bursting with excitement to see him.

On our way, we saw MARC's King Air approaching to land from their day's flight, so we detoured to the airport to help the pilots take care of their passengers and the plane. In the picture below Mark is putting the plane away in the hanger. It is always an encouragment to the pilots to have someone at the airport to assist them after a long day of flying.

As we left the airport I got this great shot of one of MARC's navajos with the sunset in the background. The sunset was an incredible display of God's glory.
Finally arriving at the hopsital, we got to revel in the most breathtaking display of God's glory -- one made in His own image. Elisha James was born at 6:02 weighing 6 lb. 15 oz. Mom looked great. Big sister was tickled pink over her new brother. Big brother will come to realize the new addition to the family in the days to come. Please pray for the Boettchers as they adjust. Pray for quick recovery. Grandparents will be arriving in a couple weeks (Elisha decided to make his appearance two weeks early), pray for safe travel for them.

May all glory and honor be unto God in and through our lives each moment.

2009-10-01T08:03:00.005-08:00

October is here and we are almost ready for winter. Frost is outside in the mornings and we are running our woodstove continuously. Thank you Lord for a warm home. The garden is harvested and the chickens are cleaninig it out for us. There is still firewood to gather and cut, and other almost finished outside projects that need to be finished.

Jeremiah brought home his first meat a couple weeks ago. He and Mark spent a Saturday morning spruce hen hunting. Jeremiah got this one right as they were about to leave to head home. A good chunk of their hunting time was taken up by helping an 82 year old man who was out moose hunting to get back into his car. In the excitement of spotting a moose he jumped out of his car which locked with the keys still in the ignition. The poor man didn't get the moose and drove home with a damaged hatch window which was how they got into the locked car. Mark "just-so-happened" to have a hacksaw in the truck. Don't you just love how God has us prepared to be useful to others in times of need: just the right tool on hand, scripture to share that we just read or memorized, or a life experience in our past that is similar to what someone else is going through.

MARC's winter flying season has begun. By "winter flying" I mean that our pilots fly groups out and stay with them, working alongside them, and then bring them back in. "Summer flying" on the other hand is a lot of one day trips with a schedule too busy to be able to stay with those we fly. Mark will be flying at least two weekends in October. Please keep him and our other pilots in your prayers for safety, wisdom and discernment, and God's glory.

This week MARC flew Arctic Barnabas Ministries staff to Port Alsworth for their annual Ministry Family Retreat. Port Alsworth is located on beautiful Lake Clark. This picture is a veiw from the beach in front of the church.

It is an incredible location for Alaskan ministry families to escape to for a time of physical and spiritual refreshment. Last Saturday, Alaina and I put together bathroom travel kits for the ABM staff to have available to those attending the retreat who may have forgotten such necessary items. It was a lot of fun sorting and packing the kits. All the items used to create these kits had been dontated to MARC over the last year from various sources.

Please continue to pray for the kids and I as we homeschool. It has been going very well so far this year, but has also been especially challenging for Neakita, now in 6th grade. Pray for clarity and understanding of the materials for Neakita. And pray that I am able to communicate information clearly. Pray they always have a passion for learning.

2009-09-07T16:58:00.037-08:00

September is bringing much change. The trees are turning yellow, the fireweed is turning red, it is getting cooler at night, we have started a new year of school with some new curriculum which the kids are enjoying very much, but the biggest change of all for us and all of the staff at MARC is we have a new director.

The Baker family comes to us from Afghanistan were they were serving with Missionary Aviation Fellowship . We are very excited to have them working with us. Pray for them and all of the staff during this transition.

We have a new addition to our family. This is Payton Ann Marie, born to Andy (Mark's brother) and Mary, Thursday, September 3rd. She joins brothers Andrew and Tristin and sisters Alyssa and Ashley. They live in Washington State.

With the coming of winter is the scurrying of preparations. Mark is doing his best to get the greenhouse built before the snow flies so it can be used come April. I can just imagine all those tomatoes, cucumbers, zuchinni, peppers, and flowers filling the greenhouse.

The whole family has been working hard to put up firewood. We have collected about 3 cords worth of logs so far. It was quite the work for me and the kids as we helped Mark load logs and rounds onto the trailer.

Alaina is a very hard worker and has put in much time to help get the rounds split and stacked.

Everyone pitches in, including our friends two year old little girl.

Jeremiah had a great birthday (Aug 22). He invited five friends to celebrate with him. We had a rocket for each of the boys and went to the local ball field to shoot them off. Jeremiah turned 11.

Our garden is growing great. We have been enjoying picking from it to include in our dinners.

Last week Jeremiah and Alaina got to go with Mark to ferry the Child Evangelism Fellowship's Cherokee 6 for it's Annual Inspection.

Okay, I just can't resist telling everyone about our chickens. But don't fear, my posts won't always include the chickens. I will do my best to not report so extensively about the chickens from here on out.

I just love having chickens. They are therapeutic for me. When I am stressed I just go sit on the coop step and all the stress goes away.

Our chicks have joined the hens in the coop. The transition went very smoothly to my relief. We have had some surprises as to what breeds the chicks are. We thought they were all Easter Eggers, but it was not so.

As previously suspected, one of our chicks is a cockerel. His name is Arrowhead (Jeremiah named him) he is an Easter Egger (a cross between an Americauna and a Black Copper Maran) He is a sweet boy. We plan to keep him.

Neakita's chick, Goldie, we are waiting on to see if it is a pullet or a cockerel. Leaning towards a pullet but not totally sure. It is an Americauna.

Jeremiah's chick turned out to be a cockerel as well, so we traded him in for this sweet lovable Rhode Island Red. She is by far the sweetest chicken we have. She will sit down right beside me and let me pet her. She is very easy to pick up and hold as well. Jeremiah has not decided on a name for her yet, but I call her Rhodie.

I asked the owner of the hatchery we got the chicks from to come over and see them and our set up. It was a big help to have her visit. She brought with her three pullets just in case we wanted to trade out the cockerels. Jeremiah instantly fell in love with this little lady and bought her with his own money. Her name is Belle. By far the prettiest chicken we have. She is an Americauna.

This is Katelyn's Easter Egger pullet, Peachy. She is also a cross between an Americauna and a Black Copper Maran. See the feathered feet. This indicates that she will lay olive green colored eggs
Alaina's little Bonny is also an Easter Egger, a cross between an Americauna and I don't know what (I should find that out). She is a cute little runt and the bravest little chick we have. She will sneak up behind the hens and steal food scraps. Belle will too, but the others stay clear away.

Last but not least is my girl. Her name is Margarete, the name of the lady thought to be the inspiration for the fairy tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. I wanted to name her Snow White, but the kids argued that we already have a Snow White (our white zebra finch), so I had to figure something else out. Margarete is a Delaware.

2009-08-13T15:53:00.009-08:00

On Monday, Mark and prospective staff pilot, Mike (their application is in), flew passengers for Alaska Christian College to Unalakleet. From there they took Vision Camp staff home to Elim and Covenant Youth of Alaska board members home to Anchorage. Besides a strong headwind, the flights went quite well.

Please continue to pray for safety for all MARC flights. There are weekly Wednesday and Saturday flights to Unalakleet, where Covenant Camp is getting a new chapel, and weekly flights to Eagle where Samaritan's Purse is building new homes to replace the ones lost in spring thaw flooding.

This week and next week, we are doing some review work for school before we begin the new school year the first week of September. I am impressed that the kids have not lost any ground over the summer break, but have exceeded my expectations of where they should be. Besides getting up earlier in the morning (which is just as hard for Mommy as it is for the kids), I think starting another school year will go quite smoothly. Even though I am confident about it all, I would still appreciate your prayers in this area. No matter how much confidence I might have, I still can not MAKE the kids learn, it has to be their own desire. I can present the materials and information and make them do the work, but that does not guarentee they are learning. So please pray they will have a heart's desire to learn.

Our chicks are growing fast. They will be ready to put in the coop in another four weeks. I never knew how soft chicken feathers were. We handle these little girls (I hope they are all girls anyway) at least twice a day.

Our coop is now occupied by 10 beautiful, sweet chickens. We aquired these ladies just last night from a few friends. We have four Australorps that will lay light brown eggs,

four Black Sex-Links that will lay brown eggs,

and two Leghorns that will lay white eggs. We'll have a nice assortment of egg colors. Especially when our Easter Eggers begin laying in January, with their blue, green, and pink eggs.

By lunch time, Jeremiah had collected two eggs. Not bad for the first morning in a new home.

2009-08-05T14:31:00.010-08:00

Several years ago I had organized a monthly prayer luncheon for local women in full-time ministry. It's purpose: to create unity by means of building relationships with each other. It went strong for a year and then Katelyn was born and it did not continue on after that. Now, five years later, with the help of another ministry wife, I have hope that such monthly meetings may become reality once again. We had a delightful luncheon yesterday, where some ladies met for the first time and others got to know each other better. We discovered common interests in hobbies and who enjoys activities that another one can't stand.

We are all wired/gifted so differently and because of this, we can support each other and work effectively as a team. Praise God for diversity among His body of servants.

The ministry organizations represented were MARC, Samaritan's Purse, Arctic Barnabas Ministries, and SOAR International. Please pray that the Lord will use these times of fellowship to unify us and strengthen us as we work together to serve the people and ministries in Alaska and Russia.

On Monday, Jeremiah got to go on a day flight with Mark. Unfortunately no pictures were taken. They flew to Tuluksak, Manakotak, Dillingham, back to Tuluksak, and then home to Soldotna. The flight was to take people home from a Moravian Church of Alaska Singsporation. About a year ago we received an email telling us what a difference these Singsporations make in the lives of those that attend.

After coming home from the singspiration, parents and some community members have noticed a change in some of the youth. A grandmother said her granddaughter has been listening to gospel songs and her attitute has improved. Another parent mentioned that her daughter helped out around the house and she has noticed a change in her behavior.

There are youth that have given themselves to Christ in the past few days. On Friday, Eric called wanting Larry to talk to a student that was in his office. Apparently, he was scared of death and hell. So, over the phone, Larry led the student to Christ.

Atmautluak had their first youth service yesterday. The pastor told one of the coordinators that they should have more services like that. Then, I had a call from an elderly woman this morning that she had a dream about having a youth service outside. I guess she had thoroughly enjoyed the singing and the message last night.

After coming home from church, a teenager called saying she wanted to accept Jesus as her personal Savior. Her mom had talked to her and wanted Larry to share the plan of Salvation with her over the phone. God is so good.

It is thrilling to receive testimonies like this. What a priveledge it is to be a part of the work God is doing in Alaska.

2009-07-30T17:58:00.022-08:00

Mark was taxiing out for a flight and the nose tire went flat. With wheel and tire changed out, he was once again ready to go. He arrived at Anchorage International to pick up more passengers, but now was stuck out in the middle of the taxiway with another flat tire! The one he had just changed! The airport had to close the taxiway. He sat there watching the 747's and other airliners taxi by and takeoff. Arrangements were made to move his passengers to the pick up area where they would stay while Mark waited for another MARC plane to arrive with another new wheel and tire. Thirty minutes later the "cavalry" arrived, the wheel and tire replaced, planes switched for there was no way Mark was going to take the chance of having another flat tire in the course of the day, passengers loaded, and he was off - a little late in the schedule, but on his way. The passengers were excited to finally be in the air. Mark took them to Council on the Niukluk River where they would go by boat down to Tom and BJ Gray's fish camp where Jonathan and Indira Maraj will hold evangelistic meetings. Jonathan and Indira spend two to three months a year here in Alaska filling empty village pulpits and conducting Bible Studies. Many lives are changed as they proclaim God's Word. Alaska is one of their many stops around the world. They spend the winter months in India, Malaysia, and Trinidad. It is our privilege at MARC to be a part of their ministry. Please keep this dear couple in your prayers. Pray the Lord will bless them with continued health, with strength and endurance to minister to the hearts and souls of the people, with the finances they need to continue in their ministry, with wisdom and discernment, and with overall protection.

Katelyn had the privilege of being a flower girl last Saturday. What a thrill it was for her. The wedding was a beautiful one that seemed to not have even one glitch occur. The bride was stunningly beautiful. The groom was just plain ecstatic that after waiting seven years for her, she would finally be his. The reception was delightful, a genuine celebration. I had a hard time keeping the tears in check. If I am this way about a dear friend that I had babysat at one time, I am going to be a mess at my own daughter's weddings. However, I was told I would be too numb from all the preparation and the event itself to become emotionally unstable. There may be hope for me yet.

Neakita had one of the best weekends of her life. Sunday was her 12th birthday for which she invited six friends to celebrate with a slumber party. We shipped Jeremiah off to a friend's house so he would not have to suffer with a house full of girls or was it so the girls would not have to suffer with his presence. Hahaha. The girls had a blast orchestrating a "dance contest", painting each other's nails, eating carmel corn and watching movies, making bead jewelry, working a puzzle, playing with the various critters we have, and just hanging out together. I was told the next morning that they didn't settle down and go to sleep until 4 am. They did a good job letting us sleep. On Tuesday, as a special birthday Daddy-Daughter date, Mark took Neakita to see a Lipizzaner Stallion Show. It is an event I don't think she will ever forget about.

My neighbor and I have been facilitating a rock class for our kids this summer. We are learning about Igneous Rocks using the Ring of Fire curriculum. The kids are having fun while they learn and I am learning stuff I never knew before -one of the side benefits of homeschooling. It is all very interesting.

2009-07-23T09:52:00.015-08:00

The summer days have turned from warm and sunny with blue cloudless skies to cool, cloudy, and a bit rainy.

Last week Mark left his desk and the paperwork which continually nags him day after day no matter how much of it he accomplishes to fly the King Air with Brian while I spent the day with Brian's wife helping to prepare their salmon for packaging. Mark and Brian along with the Casa, the Caravan, and another King Air, transported a VBS team to Napakiak and materials along with a work crew to Unalakleet to continue the building being done at Covenant Camp. Mark and Brian had a great day of work and flying and Elizabeth and I had a wonderful time working together. The work always seems to go faster and easier when it is accomplished through teamwork and great fellowship.

Mark and Jeremiah have been working hard to bring in the last of our allotment of personal use fish. The fish portion of our freezer space is full and we praise God for His provision. The salmon we harvest during these summer months will last us through the year.

Mark and Jeremiah with their dip nets in the water.

Jeremiah with the small one he caught. It will provide one GOOD meal for our family.

The shore along the mouth of the river is lined each day for weeks on end by not only local dip netters but many who come from as far as Anchorage and camp on the beach to harvest the salmon.

Our garden is doing great. It is so satisfying watching it grow. I'd post a picture, but with all the rain lately the chickweed is everywhere and I don't want to show you that. I don't know how, but I hurt my lower back this week and need to let it heal farther before I get out there and deal with the weeds.

The chicken coop is almost ready for chickens. We will acquire 10-12 older laying hens in August to start us out. We bought six chicks on Monday and have immensely enjoyed having them. They are so cute and so funny. I love how they fall asleep standing up and then topple over. I'll go over to the brooder and talk to them and they all look up at me. Here are a couple pictures. Oh, I have to brag on Mark - he made the brooder for me!

Aren't they adorable! They are Easter Eggers.

We are almost at the end of soccer season. August 1st is the Jamboree. The kids have had a great season and have shown much improvement in their ability to play the game. Jeremiah may have broken his toe last week and had to take it easy - sitting out on one game, but this week he is back in it and giving it his all.

Alaina blocking the ball and getting it to the other side of the field. She has done great in both defense and offensive positions.

Neakita shines as an offensive player. Her dribbling ability has improved greatly. And has no fear of the ball - even when she is smacked in the face with it.

Jeremiah has become much more aggressive in the game. He is a great defensive player that can really boot that ball.

Summer is coming to an end quickly. The fireweed is blooming - a sure sign. It is time to start getting materials and supplies ready for school. Which I have been doing for the last four months, even before the current school year had ended. Pray that I will be organized and ready. Pray that the Lord will prepare the kids hearts and minds for the new school year. Pray they will have an insatiable desire to learn.

2009-07-01T09:38:00.019-08:00

Matthew 14:22-34 is the passage about Jesus and Peter walking on the water. Much truth can be gleaned from this passage, but for me, in the past couple of years it has admonished and encouraged me to keep my focus on the Lord no matter what my situation is. Just like Peter, as long as we walk toward Jesus, focused on Him, we will stay on top. It is only when we start to look at ourselves and the situation around us that we begin to drown in it. If we are not trusting all aspects of our life to the Lord, this life and the world around us will devour us - chew us up and spit us out. Only in the Lord is there peace, contentment, and life to the fullest. Jesus says in John 10:10, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and distroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." Two sentences prior to this statement, Jesus says, "I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved." Have you entered into the promise of eternal life through Jesus? He is the only way - John 14:6 "Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." Don't let this life drown you, trust in Jesus to keep you above it all.

Last week, Mark came home from his day flight saying, "What a great day of flying!" I love hearing the joy in his voice as he tells me about the work he does. It is a work we are priviledged to be a part of. This particular day was an incredibly long one for Mark. From the time he left the house to the time he returned home must have been at least 15 hours. His task that day was to take staff and campers home from Covenant Camp. It was the last of camp for the summer in Unalakleet. There are five Bible camps throughout Alaska that MARC flies for. Please, pray that the many youth who attended summer Bible camps will grow in their faith throughout the year and will have the courage and clarity to share their faith with their family and friends.

Over the last year, the kids and I have gotten together one to two times a month with a few other homeschool families at our home for art class. The kids have loved it and have produced some great artistic creations. There is nothing like enjoying these times with friends. We will continue to enjoy these classes together in the coming year as well.

The kids have started the summer soccer season. They have great teams and great coaches. Please pray for their safety as they enjoy this activity.

With summer vacation upon us, I have plunged myself into ministry outside my home. I am teaching the 4th grade Sunday School for the summer and loving it. I have a great group of kids in my class. I have given extra attention to the ladies ministry that we MARC wives are continually involved in throughout the year. It is a blessing to work with the other wives toward a common goal. It draws us closer together, strengthening and encouraging eachother as we strive to be a blessing and encouragement to the pastor/missionary wives serving in the villages. I have stepped in temporarily to help out with getting the next MARC publications accomplished. Our church's VBS was a short term commitment I made. It took place in June and was an incredible success. It was a priviledge to once again work with the other 75 plus volunteers that sacrificed their time and abilities to minister to the children in our church and community. A big part of my minstry is communication through newsletters, emails, and regular updates which is the purpose of this blog. Communication takes an emmence amount of time. Unfortunately, during the school year, I don't have much time to devote to it as I am very focused on my children's education. Therefore, one of my goals this summer is to establish a routine in communicating. I have hope that this blog will be the key to my communication success.

2009-06-22T18:53:00.044-08:00

The month of May brought beautiful weather and visiting friends from WA. It was a fun time. As you can see the kids took advantage of the warm afternoons. Mark arranged for himself and Scott to help move a pastor's family from one village to another in the CASA. Mark loves to show Alaska and our ministry here to visiting friends.

June has brought more beautiful weather and flowers. I have enjoyed planting flowers in containers around our house.

But nothing beats the wild flowers growing all around us. My favorite is the dogwood ground covering. We also have lupine and wild roses blooming.During furlough, Alaina's rabbit died. So when we returned home we began looking for a new rabbit for her. We had to wait a few weeks until the bunny was ready, but we added Blackberry to our family menagerie. Then a couple of weeks later we got two female half-sisters Dorothy Ann and Miksee. Miksee is Jeremiah's rabbit, so named because she has one blue eye and one brown eye.
The first week of June I hosted a Child Evangelism Fellowship kids club at my home. The Lord blessed us with warm sun-shiny days to hold the clubs outside.

We had the special treat of having new friends from Montana visit with us while they were passing through on vacation. It was a joy to have the time to get to know them better. Our kids are still talking about them. We praise God for the people He brings into our lives and every opportunity we have to fellowship with them and strengthen the relationships.

Another big event during June was Alaina's birthday. This one was her ninth. She invited about 12 friends, had games outside,
a chili supper, ice cream cake from the only DQ in the whole state of AK which happens to be here in Soldotna,

and more games outside.

VBS is a big June event for us and our church. I wish I had pictures to show, but I don't. I was again in charge of the snacks and kitchen staff. We served approximately 180 children and 75 volunteers.

Last week was consumed by getting our years supply of fish in. We always look forward to spending this day on the beach bringing in the catch,

relaxing and playing, even wading in the water - as crazy as it may have been, they had fun, eating salmon cooked over a fire - you can't get fresher than this, oh, yeah, and the corn cooked in the coals. Once the fish gets home, the work of processing begins. It takes four days to complete it. It is exhausting work, but now we have a new supply of one of our main staples to enjoy for another year.

Most of the flights MARC has been doing these last few weeks is for various Bible camps throughout AK. Pray that the Lord will use the time the kids have at camp to open their eyes to their need to have Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Pray that as the kids return home that they will be able to hold on to their new faith and that the Lord will grow it through the year dispite the critizism and mocking they might receive from family and friends at home.

Literally tons of cargo has been flown out to support the various summer work projects for churches around the state. These include a project at Covenant Camp, the youth center at Unalakleet, parsonage remodels at White Mountain, and Scammon Bay, and a garage/shop for the pastor in Mountain Village, to name a few.

Pray for Mark as he continues to work as flight scheduler/coordinator. The schedule changes day by day and sometimes hour by hour and requires constant oversight - even on days off. Pray that Mark will have discernment, wisdom, and clear communication with those we serve and those we work with. Pray that he is able to keep on top of the work. When he is out flying it piles up and is difficult to catch up on. Despite the demands of work, Mark has been able to accomplish much at home which has been a miracle of God in my eyes. We now have a woodstove installed as our primary source of heat. Now to be able to stock pile the wood before winter comes. We finally have a fence around our garden and it is planted. We have potatoes and peas and other vegetables popping up. We are very excited about the prospective harvest.

It is huge, isn't it? It is necessary to have such a big (8 foot) fence to keep the moose out. The next project is a chicken coup and run.

2009-05-31T18:12:00.022-08:00

Some have asked how the kids did with the Standard Based Testing for school. I am happy to say they got through the week with mostly smiles. They especially grinned ear to ear when the testing was completed, for we had banana splits for a celebration.

April was so busy, before we knew it, it was over. Mark's first overnight trip was to take a Child Evangelism Fellowship team to Port Alsworth to conduct clubs during Spring Conference at Tananlian Bible Camp.

The next week Mark was out flying again this time for a Moravian Youth Rally in the village of Quinhagak. Weather made it a challenge to get attenders to the rally and unfortunately many were not able to go, but Mark was able to get 54 kids from various villages there.

Mark returned home just in time to participate in a Mission Safety International Safety Seminar. The first week consisted of the MSI staff conducting interviews of all our staff members including the wives to create a report that can assist our mission in making improvements in areas that would help us to be more effective in our ministry and create a safer working enviornment. The MSI wives provided two opportunities for the wives of MARC, Samaritan's Purse, Arctic Barnabas Ministries, and SOAR International to get together to fellowship, build relationships, and be encouraged. Both evenings were a blessing.

The Safety Seminar included Underwater Egress training. It was a great opportunity for our pilots. The kids and I were able to be there to watch.

In April we celebrated the life of fellow MARC staff member, Marge Cochran, who went to be with her Lord and Savior. We miss her very much as each of us will not forget how she has blessed our lives with her love and prayers. Please pray for Dave as he continues on without Marge by his side.

The end of April brought the end of AWANA. We are always ready for it to begin again after the summer break. Here is Mark listening to verses recited by one of the children on his Spark's team.

2009-05-26T16:20:00.024-08:00

Now back to the second half of our furlough.

While in Eastern Washington, we were able to visit with Mark's aunt and uncle. This visit will be most memorable for the kids because they had the rare opportunity (for them anyways) to see a herd of white tailed deer gathered in the back yard.

It was great to be able to catch up with what is happening in our extended family's lives.

We had a wonderful ten day visit with Mark's mom, step-dad, and brother. The kids were completely spoiled. Okay, Mark and I were spoiled too. We had quite a bit of time to just kick back, relax, and pretend we were on vacation. And how could we not relax with a view like this out the living room windows.

(A typical misconception of "furlough" is that it is a vacation for missionaries. Furlough is a time for missionaries to visit friends and family and also to speak at churches to update them on the ministry. It is fun, but it is exhausting. It is more exhausting than being home and working in the minstry we are in Alaska to do.)

Grandma sure knows how to make a hot chocolate drink look like as Katelyn said, "My birthday cake!"

Grandma set up a table just for them, where they could do all sorts of coloring, painting, and crafts.

The kids had a blast riding around on the 4-wheeler.

Playing video games is always fun, especially when you get to play with Uncle Zac.

The kids got to experience bowling for the first time. We were very impressed with how well they did.

There was always a puzzle to work on. We must have gone through at least eight puzzles that week.

Flying kites was a highlight of the week for all of us.

.
Grandma even made a ping-pong table out of the dining table.

Alaina and Katelyn made sure they captured as much of their Uncle Zac's attention that they could.

Making cookies with Grandma was a treat that lasted for days.

In addition to having time to play, which included an early Easter egg hunt, Mom planned and hosted three dinner parties to give everyone who knows us and opportunity to spend time with us. This alleviated the need for us to run around visiting everyone individually. Thanks Mom, it was a blessing.

Before returning to Western Washington, we spent a weekend with Mark's grandpa and Grandpa's dear wife. It was a sweet time for us.

Back in the Seattle area, we had only one more week to visit with everyone we hadn't seen yet and get ready to go home. What a feat it was. There were friends that we didn't have a chance to see and we are sorry for those missed opportunities. We sure did have a great time with those we did get to see. You know who you are.

We made sure we got one more visit with Mark's dad and step-mom. They gave the kids an Easter egg hunt and made a candy craft with the kids. What a fun time.

We are happy to be back in Alaska. Please continue to keep us in your prayers as the days have gotten longer we have been going at full speed, but have done our best to make opportunities to have a bit of fun in it all. With spring's arrival and summer approaching quickly we had fun this past weekend planting flowers around the house. And we made our annual Memorial Day hike to the Russian River Falls.

We're Home!

2009-04-06T08:54:00.006-08:00

I know, I am really behind on keeping up with what we have done during furlough. I hope to catch up this week while the kids are at their Standard Based Testing for school. But first I wanted to let you all know that we are back home now and so happy we are.

The kids and I arrived home Monday night, March 30th and Mark got in Tuesday morning. Our flight from Seattle to Anchorage was diverted to Fairbanks due to Mt. Redoubt and delayed there for five hours. We were very happy to get into Anchorage only to discover that the airline messed up our commuter tickets into Kenai. It would be another two hour wait unless they just happen to have room on the next flight. We did get on the next flight but there was only five seats instead of six, so Mark stayed in Anchorage to wait for the next flight. I was not quite sure how I was going to handle four children and 20 pieces of baggage once we landed in Kenai. But Mark knew exactly what to do, he arranged for a friend to be there to help us. And what a joy it was to see Tom standing there when we arrived. He had our car running and warmed up and took care of all the baggage for me. All I had to do was drive home. God has blessed us emmencely with good, faithful friends.

Mark jumped right back in at the airport with King Air training and the kids and I took the week to unpack and get settled.

Here are some pictures of Mt. Redoubt. The daytime picture Mark took from our road and the night shots were taken by someone from an oil platform. We have not been effected yet by the eruptions, except for the flight delay on the way home. So far the wind has been blowing the ash away from us. The eruptions could last for months to come, so please keep us in your prayers concerning it.

2009-03-07T05:52:00.004-09:00

God continues to give us incredible memorable moments as we travel and visit family, friends, and supporters. Neakita was priveledged with an inspiring opportunity to play her violin with a professional violinist. Here Neakita is picuture with her as she accompianies on the piano. The memory card in my camera filled before I could get a picture of them playing a violin duet. Lesson learned: always carry an extra memory card.Our time in Eastern Washington was filled with more visiting than we expected, but it was the most relaxing time we have had on this trip which helped us to recooperate from a virus that overtook us despite all the measures to stay healthy.
Memorable moments for our children during this last week have been for Neakita, playing her violin with a young woman that has been playing violin since childhood. It was so fun to listen to it. I tried to upload a video clip of it, but it wouldn't work for me.
For Jeremiah, he lived a dream of his to play an electric guitar and there is no greater fun for a boy than to shoot bow and arrow.

We are blessed to have friends who love us and give of their time and resources for us.

2009-02-23T11:51:00.015-09:00

It has been a whirlwind of travel for us these last couple weeks. This time of furlough has been very beneficial. We are meeting (some for the first time) and getting to know our supporters better. God is lavishing us with His blessings.

We have had opportunities to kick back and have some fun. One of those times was watching a pinewood derby that Jeremiah's friend was a part of. He won 2nd place in speed and design.

We spent a morning at Covenant Shores Retirement Home where Mark spoke at a men's prayer breakfast. After the incredible breakfast, the kids spent time enjoying the green grass and the shore of the lake.

But the highlight of that morning was definitely the time spent talking with a couple of the residents. The lives they have lived were facinating. The children enjoyed the "grandparent" treatment. Best cookies and hot cocoa in town.

We had a fabulous time visiting with a supporting family who live on a farm. The kids got to collect eggs

play on a tire swing

and climb a mountain of hay.

Katelyn has been the most endearing social bug I've ever seen. She has latched on to and loved on everyone that will let her. She is soaking up every ounce of attention she can get out of those we visit.

One of the many outings with Papa Swensen was spent at a navel museum. The kids had a blast using their imagination in one of the hands on displays.
Another lasting memory for our kids is the time we spent with supporters in Oregon where Jeremiah got to shoot off a rocket several times

and Neakita had her wish of petting a horse come true. Her dream is to own one of her own.
Our time with friends, family, and supporters has been wonderful. We have enjoyed every moment with everyone we have been with. We pray we have been as much of a blessing to each person as they have been to us, for we feel we have been showered with love by everyone. Our schedule is filling up fast and we have much traveling ahead of us. Please pray that God keeps us in the safety of His hands.

Our health has been good. We attack any bit of sickness that tries to overtake us and nip it in the bud. And try to get the sleep we need to stay healthy which has meant not setting an alarm unless absolutely necessary. Please continue to cover us with prayer in this area. Please pray for Mark’s back, he has had some slight discomfort, which he thinks is from all the driving.

School is going better than one could expect, although with all the moving around from one place to another, it is getting harder and harder to accomplish what I want to. God has given me much encouragement through others in this area and I praise Him for giving me these boosts of confidence.

2009-02-06T08:27:00.016-09:00

Mark spent the first week of our time in the lower 48 in Witchita, KS for Caravan training. While Mark was away the kids and I stayed with friends in Orting, WA. They have two children Neakita and Jeremiah's ages. We accomplished a lot of school that week. Yep, we are continuing school while we travel and so far it is going well. Each day, the kids worked hard as they waited with anticipation for their friends to get home from school. Katelyn has especially enjoyed all the extra attention of having additional adults around her. She is right there ready to get her hands into anything an adult is doing and "help".

Mark's training in Witchita went well. Once he returned to join us he hit the ground running. The first thing he did was take a train to Oregon to pick up a vehicle that dear friends have so generously allowed us to use for the next two months. Jeremiah went with Mark, it was his first experience on a train.

When we are not visiting with friends and supporters, Mark is on the phone and computer making plans and arrangements. Having this time to develop and strengthen relationships has been a huge blessing to us.

Our first Sunday was spent at the church Mark grew up in, the one we attended while we lived here before moving to Alaska. It was great to be able to share what we have been doing for the last four years in Alaska and to catch up on what is happening in their lives as well.

I do believe that the highlight for our children has been the time spent with Papa. Papa took them on walks,
on a ferry ride,
out for shakes,
read book after book after book,
wrestled, and played games.
One of the coolest things was getting a tour of the Habitat for Humanity houses that Mark’s dad has been donating his time to work on.

We set aside a day to take the kids to the Pacific Science Museum. It was a blast. Some of the things we did was explore an indoor tide pool display,
walk through an arboretum with butterflies fluttering all around,
and attend a planetarium show during which we learned about our starry sky- it was an excellent presentation. But I think the highlight for the kids was eating at a food court. Everyone got to choose what type of food they wanted; it is a special treat to have such a selection.

This last weekend, Neakita participated in a Saturday evening talent show at a supporting church we were sharing at the next day. She did very well playing a Bach Minuet.
I think Jeremiah's favorite thing was climbing a tree at the home we were staying at for the night. Alaska does not have such trees to climb.

I will be attempting to add blogs more frequently from here on out, so keep checking in to find out what we are doing. Keep praying for safe travel and good health for us during this time and that God will continue to bless us and use us to bless others.

2009-01-22T18:35:00.002-09:00

After a smooth flight in the sunshine, we arrived in Seattle this afternoon. Sunshine? well....until about 500 feet above the ground anyway, then we descended into cold soggy and foggy Seattle. We will be on furlough for the months of February and March. Our travels will take us from Western Washington down to Oregon up through Eastern Washington and then into Idaho and Montana before winding up back in Western Washington.
It has been interesting getting ready for this trip. One thing after another broke. First we had water pouring into our utility/playroom when the temp spiked from -30 to +40 and melted the snow and ice around the house. Whew, we got that cleaned up and things sealed up just in time for the arrival of the family that is staying in our house while we are gone. That same day, the vehicle that we got last spring, the one that is not suppose to need to be worked on by Mark because he just doesn't have the time to be working on our cars, left him stranded in town. It was an electrical problem, that Mark was able to fix, but it took away from the time he needed to get ready for the trip. Then our toilet tank cracked and was leaking. Now our stove is making a funny buzzing sound. So, our poor friends have a list of things to fix while we are gone, but they have such a sweet generous attitude about it all. We are so happy that they will be taking care of our home and animals and that our home is a provision for their family these next two months while they are going through the orientation process at MARC. Pray for the Lazaros family these next two months, that the Lord will guide and direct them in what He wants them to do.

Even in the midst of the busyness and stress of preparing to leave, the Lord was so good in giving us moments of relaxation and fun. Twenty hours before we were to get on the plane, this is the scene I found and I just had to take a picture.

Mark leaves on Saturday for training in Witchita. When he returns we officially begin our time of furlough. Please be praying for him as he studies and is tested this coming week. The kids and I are staying in Seattle with friends, pray that we will be a blessing to them. Pray for travel safety and for good health. Thank you for taking us to the throne of God.

2009-01-19T07:58:00.010-09:00

In December, Mark spent four days in the village of Beaver. For information about Beaver check out http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/dca/commdb/CF_BLOCK.cfm

He took a Wings of Mercy team in to conduct revival services in the church during the evening and youth activities after school. The church in Beaver has no pastor, therefore the people are very excited and enjoy having evangelistic teams come and minister to them, especially during the sub-zero winter months.

They used demonstrations to convey Biblical truths

Had craft activities

Puppet shows Distributed Christmas gifts to all the children And ministered through music

Did I mention it was cold?

At home, school continued at full speed. In science, we are learning about our solar system and beyond, the perfect subject to study during our darkest months of the year. Please pray that I will continue to be prepared for teaching the children and that they will have teachable hearts and minds.

MARC’s founder, Roald Amundsen, joined his beloved, Harriet, at the feet of Jesus on Thursday, December 4. He is now in eternal glory, worshiping his Lord and Savior. Please keep his family and loved ones that remain here in your prayers as they greave their loss.

Our time in Anchorage for the quarterly Child Evangelism Fellowship State Board meeting of which Mark is the Chairman, was a great family get-away. Weather was good and road conditions great. We continue to be excited and encouraged with how God is using the ministry of CEF in reaching and changing the lives of the youth of Alaska. Pray that God will provide the workers and the finances needed to continue and grow the CEF ministry in rural Alaska.

God has blessed us: our health, our family, our marriage, our relationships with others, our ministry through MARC. Your prayers have had a major role in this. We appreciate and never take for granted the time you spend upholding us to the throne of God. Thank you.
Our hearts ache. There are so many we know and love that are hurting: they deal with health issues that are irritating to potentially fatal, there are strains in family relationships, their marriage is in jeopardy, their lives are falling apart. I have no doubt that your hearts ache for those hurting around you. Please pray that we are able to benefit those around us. That God will use us to encourage and strengthen through words and deeds those that are hurting. Pray that He will give us the wisdom, strength, and energy to make a difference.

Our First Blog!!!

2009-01-18T17:38:00.000-09:00

Welcome to the Swensen Family's first blog. Please check back often as we will be updating it often. Thank you for stopping by.

God bless,
Mark, Michele and kids