I have the chance to be part of a mission team that will be going to Klawock, Alaska (a small village near Ketchikan), August 4th – llth. Our team will be working with the North of Hope mission, a group of Foursquare missionaries serving in Southern Alaska.
The North of Hope mission was founded on the vision of working with the Native American tribes in southeast Alaska to help heal cultural wounds that arose out of previous attempts to “Christianize” native customs and identity. North of Hope is seeking to work alongside native Alaskans to rebuild culturally significant structures and traditions. A large part of our mission in August will be physical - the construction of the Carving Shed in Klawock, but we are also anticipating opportunities to reach out to the youth of Klawock by either hosting an AWANA camp or Vacation Bible School.
Our partnering with North of Hope will be a missionary work in an interesting way. Our main goal is not to go into villages to preach the Word in an organized or formal way – especially given that the construction will take the majority of our time and effort – but rather to be salt and light and to bring Jesus with us by our sweat, our actions, our testimonies and our love. It's not unusual for missionaries to go into a community and literally help to build it up, and that's what we seek to do - to help, with no other purpose than to help.
When I became the senior/junior high youth pastor this past fall I learned that our youth send out a mission team every other year or so. Though I had never been on a mission, I began to look around for possible ministries that we could partner with. Over the past few years our church has sent many teams into India and that seemed a natural place to start, in fact, I began to assume that was where we would go. God had other plans.
I have been fascinated by Alaska and it’s native people since I was a teenager (I even tried to convince my parents that I should attend college there). When the North of Hope mission was suggested as a possible partner for our mission team, my brain was still stuck in India. Alaska?! I wasn’t sure how to process that frozen possibility. Don’t mission teams go into third world countries? Areas war torn or ripped apart by natural disaster? But as more details about this trip were revealed the more I knew that this was our mission, this is my mission. This has become so much more then job requirement. This is where God is sending me.
Our team needs to raise $18,000 to cover transportation to and from Klawock, AK (airline, float-plane, ferry), food for the week, and ministry supplies. My portion of that is $1500. I have $1000 due by June 1, to cover airfare with the balance due by July 15th. I am asking, and hoping, for support for the trip; both prayer and financial. First, I ask that you pray for our preparation efforts and for the trip itself – for safety, discernment, and that we are able to partner with God’s plan for the week. Second, I ask for financial support to assist me pay for the trip.
If you would like to help support me with prayer and/or finances, I have enclosed a self-addressed envelope and pledge card for your convenience. Any donation amount and/or prayer support would be welcome and appreciated. Please make any check payable to “Tualatin Foursquare Church,” and specify “Alaska mission 2012” in the memo. Your donation is tax deductible, provided my name is not on the check.
Thank you so much for your support. If time and facilities permit, we will send out email updates during the trip. After we return, I will send out a letter with stories and hopefully some great pictures too.
In His Steps,
-Beth
