Summer brings many different things. For farmers it means tending to their fields. For parents it means they have their kids home all the time. In many areas it marks the beginning of tourism season. Up here in Alaska it means we start up our summer ministry programs!
To those of you who have read and followed along our journeys different summers welcome back! You know you are (Kevin Lee). To those of you who are new welcome! Let us introduce ourselves and what we do up here in the Last Frontier. This summer we have Zach and Katy Kusper who are celebrating their 3 week anniversary as a married couple today! We also have Jessica Nikunen and myself, (Heather Hansen). We travel around remote Alaskan villages only accessible by plane or boat to teach Vacation Bible School. That last sentence sounds more normal the more often you say it. Believe me it‘s year six for me.
Get on the airplane and off we go! We’ll the rest of the team came up from Minnesota on Wednesday the 25th and after an overnight stay in Anchorage made their way to Naknek the 26th. Spending the next 3 days learning lessons, singing songs, packing our crafts, packing our food, and packing our personal items. We loaded up the airplane commonly known as the Cherokee 6 and headed out to Ekwok on Monday. Once we landed I asked what song is stuck in everyone’s head and sure enough we all had a VBS song stuck. If you want one stuck in your head too you can find them on YouTube and Spotify just search Zoomerang! (Not being paid to promote it just a die hard VBS leader).
Heading out to the church we had help getting our belongings to the church. We got set up and ready for our first day of VBS! We had four kids the whole week. The school teacher came over to help us too and let us use her kitchen to make some meals! It was a blessing!
One of things with doing VBS up in Alaska is that you always forget to pack at least one thing every week. This week it was a tablecloth. In God’s provision we had packed a white flat sheet that we used instead. That sheet got marker on it the first day but it was an extra so it was okay. That evening after VBS we began to color on it. Throughout the week the kids would add artwork to it or as we called it masterpieces. To see them gain confidence in their different abilities throughout the week was wonderful to see. One of the girls said that she had made a mistake but it was okay because it was still her masterpiece.
This last week we got to instill into their brains that they are God’s masterpiece. To be honest it was a reminder that I myself have taken away just as much from as the kids. If you’re like me it doesn’t take long before you see other’s talents, gifts, abilities, and skills before you see your own. It doesn’t take long before you start to compare yourself to it. Living in a world where we constantly get messages of you need to do this or be this way or have these things it’s easy to get off focused of who God created us to be. To be able to come into the village and share the truth that will stay with them as they grow into women is humbling.
My highlight for the week was getting to do a program. Probably because there was a brief time when it wasn’t going to happen. On Wednesday I believed the lie that we only have four kids so a program wouldn’t be good. I kept that to myself and Thursday comes and Katy asks, “Are we going to do a program?” I said, “Yes.” I actually waited a couple of seconds and then agreed. Getting to see the parents, grandparents, and community members hear the value that God has given to their life too was encouraging to see.
Of course our weeks don’t always go as planned. I ended up with some stomach pain this last week that resulted in a couple more trips to the outhouse than I would have liked. I”m back to my normal self now keeping the team on their toes. No one else got sick which was an answer to prayer. Due to warmer temps and bugs we took many of our evenings to have team time. This week it consisted of sitting around the table doing some sort of craft or art. Jessica has become a pro at making friendship bracelets. Katy has done a little bit of everything from bracelet to drawings. Zach has made a maze and a pro lesson planner. I embordered and drew.
This next week we’ll be heading out to Koliganek. Prayers are always appreciated! Let us know how we can praying for you! Turns out when you don’t have cell service or wifi you have more time to pray!
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