One of my responsibilities at the Mission is picking students up from school and bringing them to KBM’s After-school Recreation for Kids program. Over a period of about an hour and a half, my route takes me, in various segments, from KBM to North Star Elementary to East Elementary to St. Mary’s to Kodiak Christian, back to KBM, respectively.

There is waiting involved. There is waiting behind buses, at crosswalks and stop signs and for the loading and unloading of my passengers. There is afternoon traffic to deal with, and for me, Kodiak traffic is metropolitan compared to my hometown back in the Dakota Territory. The thing is, I very much enjoy this time in the afternoons. I love to drive, and it’s been a good experience for me to drive on roads that aren’t flat, straight and end up in Nebraska.

I cherish the little blessings I encounter while driving. I cherish the five seconds it takes each time to pass by the vista at Mill Bay. I glance out over the ocean and consider the tide, always amazed, rain or shine. And when the sun does come out to play, I praise God for the way it waltzes with the waves. The atmospheric light God gave to Kodiak is exquisite. Whether it’s casting cerulean shadows down the north face of Pyramid or generating the ethereal glow of distant Afognak Island, its presence is striking, and its character is unique. Mind you, these things do not distract me from my driving. Sometimes the blessing is in simply knowing they are there. They have been there since the Genesis. Simply being aware of that is what makes me grateful.

Those things make my afternoon routine special. But what makes the experience meaningful is the precious cargo I carry.

When I first began doing pickups, I thought to myself Okay, how can I make this time with the children meaningful? What can I say? How can I be a good influence on them? I didn’t want to always rely on the proverbial “How was school?” or “What did you learn in school?” especially when such questions are often answered with “Fine” and “Nothing”, respectively.

I realize that when delivered sincerely, common courtesy and simple greetings are often enough. But I just wanted to make it a goal to try and communicate in a meaningful way every day, and for them to communicate back a positive response. So I’d often try to think of a story or perspective that might make some kind of creative difference to them. As all such endeavors begin with zest, so did this. But I began to realize that such endeavors, stretched out over a longer period of time, become difficult work. I may be a missionary, but I am certainly not always a perpetual wellspring of inspiration or creative thinking.

This began to discourage me a little bit. I wondered if I was cut out for the job. Of course I greeted the children, asked them how their day was going, and did my best to be in good cheer. But I felt that I wasn’t invoking significant conversation during the time we spent driving. And then one day it hit me, like a droplet of rain from above. I had been trying too hard in thinking that I needed to inspire them, say things that would help them grow and be a light unto their day. But I was overlooking a critical component to the fulfillment of this process. What about them inspiring me? What about them helping me grow? What about them being a light unto my day?

It was on one particular day, a week or so after Easter, that one of the children said something I will never forget. As we were pulling out of the school parking lot, the child was gazing out the window in contemplation. Then he said “Can we go someplace far away?” I replied “Um, well, no. But why do you ask? Where do you want to go?” And he said “Someplace where they have Easter everyday.”

Well, that was awesome. But I didn’t know if he was talking about Easter as a cultural routine or Easter as a spiritual reality. But he never mentioned chocolate bunnies, and I thought it would be superfluous to question his motives. So I simply suggested that in heaven there will be Easter everyday, and there won’t be any problems there, and we’ll all get along. Then he asked if there were bears in heaven, and whether or not they were mean bears, and if we would get along with them. And I said that if there are bears in heaven, they are definitely not mean bears.

After that day I began to talk less, and listen more. I began to consider them, their commentary and perspective on life. And so I began to ascertain a broader appreciation of their unique intellectual character and how it plays into the grand scheme of things just as substantially, if not often more gracefully than the convictions and philosophies of us adults. It is often easy to overlook what children say, because all too often it is preconceived as, well, “childish”. And to a certain extent, it often is. But that shouldn’t cause us to spend our energy with them in haste or routine.

The very presence of children is meaningful and their character is profound. Although what they often say may seem to add little practical value to the social infrastructure, their ideas and creativity adorn our dark world with color, light and resolution. And when I lack the words to encourage them, I take comfort in the blessing of just knowing that they are there, inspiring me to live more for Christ and less for myself.

They have been with us since Genesis. And on this Easter, and for all Easter’s to come, it is such a treasure from the heart of a child that will now stay with me forever, long after the oceans and the mountains fade away.

We were a little over a mile into day one (which was planned to be seven miles) of a three day hike, climbing a very steep part of the first of the three mountains we were to summit that day, when one of the counselors finally exclaimed, “I can’t do it. I can’t go any further. Just go on without me.” Leaving a person behind to travel back to the beginning of the hike by herself is never a great idea but now we were in bear country and that is a really bad idea. For protection we had bear mace, an air horn (loud noises scare bears) and as last resort a 44 magnum and I don’t think anyone really wanted to get too far from our protection.

I must admit I was a little annoyed. I knew we were on a tight schedule and that in order to finish the fifteen-mile hike we needed to make good progress the first day while we still had fresh legs. I had gone through how difficult a hike this would be with all of the counselors. We were going to be climbing five mountains and covering miles of ground with no trail, in country that was rarely traveled and I wanted everyone to be prepared for a tough hike. When I really looked at her, my frustration quickly dissipated and I realized she was giving her all. As a group we sat and talked about the possibilities and after a half-hour discussion (and rest) everyone felt good enough to move on. No one was ready to walk that mile and a half back, defeated by the hike.

We would take breaks every fifteen or twenty minutes and read from the Bible starting in Galatians and moving through Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians. I think the readings and prayer had a profound effect on everyone as we traveled. We walk by faith and are not bound by the law (Galatians 3). “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free….do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yolk of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). “You were called to be free” (Galatians 5:13). After we had come to realize the spiritual freedom we have as shown in Galatians we moved right into Ephesians and learned the need for unity among Christians.

Our burdens did lighten, but it was not easy. Sometimes we would only make a hundred yards up the steep mountain face in ten minutes and need a break. I still heard the occasional, “I don’t think I can go any further.” But each time it would be met with a chorus of encouragement. We were hours behind schedule but I stopped caring about the schedule and started focusing on the people I had surrounding me and at last I began to enjoy myself. During one of our readings two sows and three baby bears started walking directly at us about 300 yards away. Although bears are dangerous I knew these mothers knew where we were and would not bring their cubs into danger so it was a joy to watch them as they effortlessly moved through the brush that we struggled through and eventually turned towards the valley and headed to a river. It was a thrill for all involved.

The first peak came into view and some were overcome with joy so that they ran the last 200 yards up the mountain. All of us had made it and joy was in the air. We struggled through two more mountains and at the peak of the third (and last) for the day we read from Philippians, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” I knew we could not finish the schedule I had laid out but I knew that it really did not matter because our goals had been accomplished on the first day. We had reached within ourselves and found something that we did not know was there before. Something we did not even realize God had given us. For some it was the strength to climb. For others it was patience. For me it was peace in the middle of frustration.

We are not meant to live our lives on a mountaintop. We are meant to work in the valleys with the people. Peter, James and John wanted to stay on the mountain and build three temples but Jesus knew that the real work was below and even though it was an incredible experience, it is not what he called them for. They were to be among the people. So it was also for us. Our real work was to be counselors for as many as 100 kids on any given day. It really is hard work and on more than one occasion (including from me) I heard someone say, “I don’t think I can do this anymore.” We knew better. We knew we had it within us and with a lot of effort and the Holy Spirit we began to see miracles happen in many of kid’s lives. It may have just been a day without a time-out for a hard to handle kid or one of them asking Christ to guide his life but they were miracles to us.

“Those are last year’s model,” one of the boys told me. Last year’s model, I thought to myself, they’re a pair of shoes. How could they be last year’s model? I had just purchased a pair of new (or so I thought) Nike shoes and now I’m finding out there are different model years for shoes too. I’m aware that cars are different every year and baseball cards too but shoes? I’m a bit of a cheapskate so when I saw a pair of size 15 (that’s right, size 15) Nike shoes on sale for $35; I jumped on it. Finding size 15 in Kodiak was a bit of a surprise but for under $100 was a minor miracle. Never the less here I was faced with the fact that I had purchased out-dated, out-of-style and outcast shoes. Fortunately, not only am I cheap I also don’t care if I am out-of-date, out-of -style, or wearing outcast shoes.

I spend my afternoons working in the After-School Recreation for Kids (ARK) program. We do crafts, art, baseball, basketball and many other activities but perhaps the most important is the short time we spend in chapel each day. I am thankful that there is something about me that is never out-of-date and that is my walk with Christ. The Word of God is as pertinent today as it was last year or a thousand years ago. In a society where fads come and go and it is hard to keep up with what is current, I am glad that I can present to the kids the simple message that Jesus needs to be in charge of their lives. I am glad that I have a message that never goes out of style.

I realize that writing an article like this we are supposed to glorify the work that is being done with the kids so that people will want to join us and support our activities but I will be honest: working with kids is hard. They often bring some very heavy baggage with them each day that makes them pretty hard to deal with. Many are from broken families. Some have severe learning and behavioral problems. I have a Masters of Economics, so it really doesn’t help me too much with diagnosing the problems of the kids and how to treat these problems but being a Christian allows me to awaken a part of them that they may not even know exists.

Each of us has a soul which can be ignored but that does not change the fact that it is there. I feel the most important part of my job is not providing a safe environment or even loving the kids (don’t worry we’re still good at both of these), but rather to show the kids that there is more to them than just flesh and blood and sporadic electrical activity. I need to demonstrate to the kids something within them that can’t be touched but is the most important part of them. On top of this, I need to help them understand that we are meant to become joint heirs with Christ and let him take control of our life.

Some of you may be thinking he is one of those people who are naturally good at working with kids but that really is not true. Thankfully, God gives us what we need when we need it to further the kingdom of God. The Mission is beginning to think about our fall programs and as we put them together we are praying that the volunteers will come to help us run these programs. Perhaps you have thought about working with kids but were never quite sure. Maybe you are a bit like me and never considered working with kids but you are just seeking to serve God. The Mission is the perfect place to stretch yourself because we work with kids from 3 years old until they are 18 (and even beyond) and we need volunteers for a myriad of different programs and needs. If you are at all intrigued by this work I hope that you will begin praying how God can best use you. You don’t have to be an eloquent speaker or great with kids, you just have to be willing to work and share the gospel of Jesus Christ. God will give you everything else you need and it will never be out of style.

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The tables were laden with pizza, chocolate truffles, hamburgers, hot dogs, sodas and much more. The TV was on and the couches were filled. No, this wasn’t some lazy day movie fest: this was a marathon. Okay maybe not the type of marathon that most people are used to. It was the Kodiak Island Food Bank’s 2^nd Annual Non-Run Marathon. This is the Food Bank’s annual fundraiser that seeks to include everyone.

When Food Bank first began to think of a fundraiser, a marathon came to mind but we considered the fact that we already had many supporters who could not run a race or even walk one for that matter. From this humble beginning came the idea of a race that had the nice shirt for entering, it had the prizes but it left out the whole running part. Anyone and everyone could take part in this race.

The theme this year was, “Why Run When You Can Have Fun?” and fun was had by all. Over fifty local businesses donated prizes to the cause from massages and acupressure (given by professionals right there at the event) to a vacation for two to Hawaii. The people of Kodiak came forward with tremendous support for the second year running (or sitting that is) and made the event another success.

The race against hunger is still not over, however, and we want to extend to you the invitation to purchase one of the 2^nd Annual Kodiak Island Food Bank Non-Run Marathon long sleeved shirt with the logo shown here. Send a check for $25 to the Kodiak Baptist Mission and you too can show your support for the fight against hunger.

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The Lord has provided for our every need and we know that God is already preparing the heart of our yet to be hired workers. As Faith Bancroft steps down as Food Bank director to pursue her Masters of Social Work degree KBM is seeking to fill the full-time, paid position. When Faith arrived she had no plans of working in the Food Bank and KBM had no plans of having a Food Bank but God had a perfect plan. God prepared Faith for service she never expected and provided for KBM to open the Food Bank. The Food Bank director is responsible for coordinating food donations from local businesses, completing government commodity requirements, coordinating volunteers, and too many other duties to list. A person filling this role must be of strong Christian character who can glorify God while performing many thankless tasks. We are also seeking a full-time, volunteer Food Bank Specialist who would assist the Food Bank Director in the many jobs that need to be completed.

The Sale House works in conjunction with the Food Bank and we are seeking a new volunteer Sale House coordinator. The Sale House resells donated clothes and goods to raise money for the Mission. The Sale House also provides, at no cost, anything that might be required for those in need. We hope that anyone interested will prayerfully consider these openings.

For more details call Trevor here at the Mission and talk over the possibilities of working in any of these positions.

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School Supplies Needed!

The Kodiak Island Food Bank of KBM is putting out a call to everyone who can help us gather school supplies or donate money to this cause. Students are required to purchase a set of school supplies for the beginning of each school year. The Food Bank is hoping to help provide these school supplies to families in need, so that this busy time of the year can be less stressful for kids and families alike. The following is a list of supplies required by the school district with recommendations in parenthesis. #2 pencils, pens (red,blue&black, no gel), Crayons (boxes of 16&24), watercolor markers, highlighters, colored pencils (sets of 12), supply boxes, pencil sharpeners, plastic pencil bags with zippers, 3-ring binders (1”), Trapper Keeper, erasers (pink pearl— large and small), wide ruled paper, wide ruled spiral notebooks, folders with pockets, scissors (Fiskar quality— blunt end; 5”-7”), Elmers 4 oz school glue, glue sticks, calculators (TI 108), flash cards (addition and subtraction), 35 mm film (ASA 200), wet ones, large boxes of tissue. All donations (money or supplies) must be at KBM by July 30th so packets can be assembled to give out at the beginning of the school year.

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Each year KBM makes sure that every summer Day Camp volunteer is greeted with a gift basket of toiletries and goodies to help cheer their arrival. We thank those who have already generously supplied many of the needs and now we are asking for a little more to complete the project. You can help by sending these items or designate money to help purchase them. We still need 12 medium size wicker baskets or shower caddies (to present the supplies in), 8 sets of bath towels and wash cloths, deodorant, razors, hair brushes.

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You may have noticed that each of our articles has ended with a plea for help. The Mission exists on the volunteers and workers who have dedicated themselves to the cause of furthering the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If you are 18 to 108, able and willing to work to glorify God then consider spending some time here at the Mission. We accept volunteers for one month or one year or longer. We need many different skills from maintenance to office workers in addition to the positions already mentioned. Please spend some time in prayer and then call or write us for information.

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