Evangel Vol. 5 Issue 2

THE

EVANGEL

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Volume V, Issue 2

A Messenger of the Kodiak Baptist Mission

Fall 2004

As Christmas comes and the New Year approaches it is easier to reflect on all the events of the year and even the events of a lifetime. We tend to spend a few moments doing an accounting of our work and our lives and the changes that have occurred in the last few years. My father always said as he looked at the buildings around the Mission, “We aren’t using even one building for the reason it was built.” And it is true. Sonshine Christian Preschool was the Thrift Store. The Thrift Store was a garage. The Food Bank was a meat processing room. The After-School room was a storage garage. The Fitness center was a warm storage. The Chapel was cold storage. The Lounge is turning into administrative offices and the administrative offices are turning into preschool and after school space. Perhaps the only space still used for what it was built is the barn and even part of that is used for kayaks now. Nothing seems to be permanent at the Mission but instead we keep changing to meet the needs of the children.

Even the people who work here change quickly. Volunteers come and go. Even directors come and go. It seems but yesterday that Jeannie Volker was the director but the Mission continues. A year ago this Christmas Eve my father died after fighting cancer for a year. He was the chaplain of the Mission and in many ways the spiritual leader. He wrote and taught the chapels for the Day Camp program. Yet even after his passing the Mission goes on. Many have stepped up to fill his shoes with my mother organizing, me leading the chapels and numerous others becoming spiritual leaders. And so, though the people change, the Mission goes on.

Many have wondered that with so much change how can you keep a program running but in reply we can easily say that there is one truth that never changes. Although the buildings may shift from one use to another; though people may come and go, we are anchored to the Word of God. We have built our foundation on Jesus Christ and we seek to spread His Good News to all of the children of Kodiak. So as you read this Evangel you may notice many new people and even a few new programs yet I assure you that Christ is glorified through all of this.

Anthony Saccento looked through the In Mission magazine published by the American Baptists and thought to himself, “What can I do in missions?” Sometimes it is hard to imagine how God can use an accountant in the mission field but he kept reading and there he spotted the Kodiak Baptist Mission was looking for a CPA to help them. “This is something I can do in missions. I can do an audit.” Anthony’s church was not surprised to hear that he would be volunteering his time but they were surprised to find out that he would be traveling all the way to Alaska to do it.

“When I first thought about coming to work in Alaska at the Mission, I had very high expectations. I thought when I got there that everyone would be perfect but that wasn’t what I found. But I wasn’t disappointed when I found out that the workers weren’t perfect. I saw that everyone was working towards Christ along these lines and everyone was so sincere in their faith. I never met a person who wasn’t sincere in what they said.”

Anthony is one of many volunteers that have decided to dedicate himself to the Mission returning once a year to help in the way he can best serve. Once a year he takes time off from his job as Director of Finance for an architectural firm and journeys to Alaska. Trevor had a vision of a CPA coming to the Mission the first year he accepted the director position and it took three years before the Mission and Anthony found each other but both have been blessed by the experience.

“When I come to the Mission, I grow closer to the Lord because my whole time is focused on the Lord,” Anthony reflected, “It is like learning a foreign language. It is easier to immerse yourself into the country where it is spoken. When I am at the Mission I feel like I am immersed in the Lord.”

The Mission has been greatly blessed by Anthony coming because it allows us to apply for grants we could never have access to without a four or five thousand dollar audit every year. The Mission always appreciates skilled craftsmen and women of every trade. And though the carpenter and mechanic is always greatly appreciated at the Mission, we also would love to have an architect or architectural engineer.

On the day Anthony was leaving he said, “If another professional asked me about going to the Mission I would say definitely go, because God gives us gifts and talents and this is a great way to use them.”

It all started when my good friend Marilyn Davidson spoke about the children at Main elementary; those who were arriving as early as 7:30 a.m. to school and hanging around for an hour after. Marilyn was concerned for their safety and well-being. Her compassion and passion was so evident when she shared at a choir practice. God used her. She spoke, I prayed and then God spoke. I heard and felt leaving Main elementary one afternoon, “These are mine. Take care of them. This is where I need you.”

So began a new after-school program partnership between Kodiak Baptist Mission and Main Elementary. We called it MAIN.I.A.C.S. (Main Is After-school Cool). 5^th and 6^th graders were invited to attend a two-day a week activity program from 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. The first two six-eight week sessions we played basketball. During the last session Grant Shields (KBM volunteer) and Dan Eubanks taught a Karate class. Twenty to twenty-five students showed up for each session, eager to have something to do and spend time with their friends. God blessed our efforts. In March, we were approached by Marilyn Davidson and Ron Fried (principals at Main and East elementary), to partner with their schools and provide activities through a five year 21^st Century Grant. Details were worked out and the grant was awarded starting at the beginning of the new fiscal year. KBM would provide activities for four days each week at both Main and East Elementary, starting in September and running through May. Monetary compensation was made available through the grant providing a new source of revenue for the CAC program.

The programs have been far more successful than we could have possibly anticipated. Even if the first few weeks of the programs the response was overwhelming at times. At each of the two school sites over 100 students in 2nd-5th grades have registered. KBM Staff set up for the students, coordinate community volunteer instructors and provide activities for the kids following a short homework/snack time.

The majority of these students are from the Philippines, Samoa, Mexico or Central America. Students that are not meeting state educational standards have been targeted. This after-school program provides them with extra academic help to ensure they meet benchmark standards.

I often work with a young man in the 4th grade from El Salvador. He, like most of the students, is very bright, but does not speak English fluently and may not speak his native language fluently either. Getting him to focus and continue work is a challenge. But every time I see him at the school he always has a big smile and “Hi, Mrs. Norton!” This young man and others in the program have been given an alternative to going home to an empty house and the opportunity to succeed. KBM Staff have been given the chance to share our faith by helping those in need.

Several years ago there was a popular saying “Be like Mike!” This year I tried to be more like Marilyn. Open to God’s direction, willing to risk failure, passionate to care for those who are not cared for. I think Isaiah was the same way. May the staff of the after school program always have at its’ heart this thought…

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" Isa. 6:8 (NIV)

I had the privilege of moving back into Kodiak and I am helping at the Food Bank and Sale House. It is fun to see old and new faces volunteering. I see it is truly a calling that Russ and Mary Tschetter have taken on the work at the two places here on the Mission. Mary gave up working as a kindergarten teacher and moved here with her son, Joey. It is encouraging when people follow God’s direction. There are many other volunteers involved with the Food Bank from the community.

There are at least five volunteers that I know who are receiving services at the Food Bank but giving something back in return through volunteering many hours. Sometimes there are copious amounts of produce that will turn bad if we don’t give them out to families as soon as we can. Recently we had so many bananas that we were encouraging families to take full boxes of them. One of the volunteers, Francisco, jokingly mentioned to one woman that if she made some banana bread, to bring it back and share it with us. Sure enough, the next week at food bank, this woman brought in a circular pan of bread that was about 18 inches in diameter! It actually might have been bigger. However, the point was that she was able to give something back. That is our hope and mission for these ministries. Not just to give handouts to the “poor and needy” but to empower people to share the love they receive through the ministries with someone else.

I am pleased that Kodiak Baptist Mission does not fall into the trap of thinking we are somehow better off than the people we serve. Trevor mentioned to me that we can sometimes think that “if our clients only had Jesus in their lives, they would not have these problems.” I am reminded of the story of the weeping woman in Luke 7:36-50. She was a sinful woman who knew that she needed Jesus. The woman in this story knew Jesus better than the Pharisees there for dinner. We should never assume that we are in a superior position than the people we are serving.

Just the other day I was assisting with signing people up and judging their income for whether they qualify to use the food bank services or not. I thought, I should ask these people if they need prayer for anything, thinking I would somehow spark a conversation. As I asked one man if he needed prayer for anything, he candidly responded “I just need a can-opener!” I was kind of missing the bigger picture that we need to meet people where they are at. No one will be able to listen to us about God’s love if their stomach is churning with hunger. This is why I am happy that the Mission functions the way we do because we are trying to meet people’s needs where they are at. I am glad to be a part of it and see our clients getting involved in giving back to their community.

A friend of mine told me about the Food Bank at the Mission. A few days later I decided to go and apply for the program. Upon arrival at the Mission store I was greeted by smiling faces.

While filling out my paperwork and verifying my income, I was treated with respect and dignity. Upon completion of my application I was told to pick out an outfit, free of charge, while my food was being packaged. Within 10 minutes, I was ready to go and my food was even carried out to my car for me.

After arriving at home, while unloading my food, I realized that this was the first time since my disability began, that I didn’t have to beg or jump through hoops to improve my life situation.

Because of this I knew that if it were possible, I wanted to be part of this Charity. After asking a few questions about volunteering, I was encouraged to come in and help out.

So once again I would like to thank the Kodiak Baptist Mission and Russ and Mary for not only helping me with food but also for helping me to, once again, feel like I am part of a community. Thank you! Thank you!

Trevor first looked at the old Coast Guard boat that was now surplus and envisioned a boat that could begin ministering to the villages again. The forty-two foot boat was smaller than he would ideally like to reach all of the villages but it was a start. The twin diesel engines were an added security and the fact that it was an old search and rescue boat built to withstand high seas made him even more comfortable. But it was not to be. No matter what was done he could never get possession of the boat because of one regulation or another.

Several years passed and it seemed like no progress was ever made but Trevor continued to write letters and talk to people in charge until finally after three years of work he received the title to the boat. A work group and Mission workers immediately set into painting and repairing this boat that had been dry-docked for years and within a month it was in the water and running like a champ. The boat was christened “The Diakonos” meaning the servant. Our first mission was very symbolic because we went to Ouzinkie to repair the furnace of Joyce Smith. Joyce and her husband Norm were the missionaries who ran the Evangel, a boat that ministered to the villages from 1951-1974.

It was through the inspiration of her work that the Mission began pursuing getting the boat ministry going again.

Now as we look into the future we hope to begin ministering in many new ways. We will continue to help deliver kids to and from Camp Woody and help Joyce in Ouzinkie but we also hope to reach out further into the other communities and start delivering Food Bank supplies to Ouzinkie and Port Lions. Perhaps we can begin Day Camp programs in these villages so the kids would be able to come to know Christ through new programs. The Lord has blessed us with this boat and we hope to use it to bless those around us. We still dream of getting an even larger boat so we can safely minister to all of the villages on Kodiak but this is the start of that dream and we hope you will pray for this new beginning.—Evan J. Jones, II

It was the calm before the storm and I raced through firing up the engines and dropping the lines in an effort to beat it out of the harbor before it really started to blow. This wasn’t how I planned it but with a change in the forecast we were leaving hours before I wanted to. I lamented missing the extra time to pin down some loose ends on the boat but with the weather closing in we needed to move.

The plan was to take a group from Native New Life out to the village of Ouzinkie for an annual revival, they have brought together musicians and Evangelists from across Alaska and Canada for this multi-day event scheduled to start that night and the Mission’s boat Diakonos is providing the transportation. Loading the boat I was a little surprised by just how much equipment musicians can pack along. As I hastily stowed the gear it just kept coming and soon I had every nook and cranny in the front of our 42 ft. retired Coast Guard boat jammed with stuff.

After pointing out the survival equipment in a quick safety meeting and a moment of prayer we pulled out. Just a couple of days earlier with some of the men from the Mission, I had piloted the boat back from Afognak Island in rough weather following a hunting trip. Even in the heavy seas the boat did great and that gave me confidence as I was now again looking out at some big water. The difference on that trip was the gear, which was pretty much a rifle and the clothes on our back. Possibly as an unconscious motivator for a successful hunt we hardly even brought any food along!

Now the boat felt heavy and I thought about the water in the bilge, the boat would ride a little higher if I stopped to dump it but it was not enough to cause concern so we pressed on to beat the storm. Underway we all started to relax a little and some of the guys joked around with me that it wasn’t as bad as I led them to believe. I myself wondered if maybe I misjudged it but I also knew that we weren’t at the most difficult spot yet.

Hanna Rocks, naked and unprotected looks straight out into the unimpeded Gulf of Alaska. It’s a favorite battle ground for the tide and wind and it has a notorious reputation among local mariners. Having to round these rocks I’ve personally come home kicked and beaten more times than I’d like to think about and that’s what still lay ahead. Originally we would have met them at slack tide, hours from now, but with the early departure we were going around them just as the tide really started ripping.

As we approached the rocks they did not disappoint. The bow dug deep into the quartering seas and water blasted over the boat as we broke through the backside of each wave. The seas became stacked tight together and I could only get an occasional glimpse out the windshield as the wipers served only to further stir the hundreds of gallons pounding down on the glass. On an old boat there are lots of places for water to get in under these conditions and water seemed to be pouring in from everywhere. While we had already finished refitting the hull last fall I thought about how great it will be after we’ve replaced all the window and hatch seals and re-caulked the boat’s house next summer. The icy water chilled the windows fogging them more quickly than a person could squeegee them off. I wished that I had had time to soap the windows which prevents fogging in these conditions. I ran the heaters on full trying to cut through the condensation and soon sweat ran down my nose in the heat of the cabin. People started to get sick and there was no more joking.

Our course now brought us head on into the wind and waves, a condition that amplifies our boats worst handling characteristic. Because of all the prop protection added to the boat, the rudders are sluggish and she just doesn’t like to point into the wind. You are forever being blown off to the portside and then starboard. With twelve rotations of the wheel from hard-over to hard-over, trying to match the spiraling wind was a feat of near futility. Added to this the GPS was only intermittently able to get a lock on our position and after a couple of times of realizing that we were headed on a different course than the GPS indicated I abandoned it for the good old fashioned compass. The sea water continued to drive over the front of the boat and I wished I could take all the gear we packed safely in the front of the boat and throw it on the back deck where a boat handles a load best but that wouldn’t be a very good environment for guitars and amplifiers. I wished that I didn’t have the two extra anchors up in the fo'c'sle and that all the extra chain stowed with them was back in the lazaret. Why didn’t I empty the fresh water tank located directly in the bow of the boat?

We have to make choices in life, mine was to cut preparations short and hopefully come out ahead by avoiding an intensifying weather condition. It’s impossible to know how we would have faired if we left later as scheduled in bigger seas but better prepared.

And then something strange happened, a whale surfaced directly in front of the boat and in the next moment, with other whales, on both sides of us. It’s one of those eerie yet comforting things to encounter sea life out in these rough conditions. So many times, gritting my teeth at the wheel of a pitching and rolling boat I’ve been startled by porpoises or whales coming alongside the boat. At first it’s unbelievable that they are out there in these conditions, it’s unimaginable that there is life out amongst this turmoil and truly up until that moment you felt completely alone in the desolation of it. For me it is a reminder that we are surrounded by things unseen. It sounds a little superstitious but each time this has happened I’ve seen it as a metaphorical promise of God’s guiding presence.

It took nearly twice as long as usual but finally we pulled into Ouzinkie and the prayers of our ashen faced friends were answered as their feet met the dock. A couple of the presenters were flying out instead of taking the boat and as I looked at my passengers I thought most of them probably wished they had too.

Regular life is full of spiritual lessons and I contemplated the one in this experience as the revival music played that night. There’s no question about it, this is a lousy way to head out on an ocean journey, a person really needs the time for preparation but at the same time it’s a great way to come to Jesus. I looked around at the people and wondered if there was anything holding them back. I thought about the rest of the people in the village that weren’t there. I thought about all of us and wondered about all the things that we felt we needed to get squared around before we could come to Jesus. I wondered how many people had an extra anchor holding them back, maybe a lot of chain weighing them down or too much water in their bilge. If you need to get to Ouzinkie I caution you, if you need to get to God none of that stuff matters. Smoking does not matter, drinking does not matter, sexual sin does not matter. Waiting and dealing with that on your own before seeking God probably won’t work. Don’t even check the oil or warm the engines get on board, fire up and head full force for the only harbor that can protect and heal us from that kind of storm. It’s not a good way to head out on the water but it’s a great way to come to God.

In the end the weather had closed in so bad the planes weren’t able to fly and only the people who took the boat made it. If we didn’t have the Diakonos there wouldn’t have been a revival in Ouzinkie that night. I thank God for all the possibilities He’s giving us here, that there was a revival in Ouzinkie and that we have this boat to open the doors to ever growing possibilities. I spent the entire next day preparing for the trip home. I dumped the bilge moved the anchors and chains and emptied the fresh water tank. It was calm and the sun shown surreal over a seemingly different world than two days earlier, Hanna rocks looked more majestic than menacing. Amazingly none of my passengers elected to fly home and everyone who traveled on the first leg of the trip was aboard for the second leg home. We didn’t see any whales this time but we didn’t need to.

(Disclaimer: As is often the case in seasickness some people in this story possible wished they would, but none were in any danger of dying).

When one door closes God often shows another way and the same can be said here at the Mission. Campbell’s Soup announced that they would no longer be offering 15-passenger vans as part of their label promotion and many of you know we have been saving labels for years trying to reach the goal of 1.5 million labels so that we could get a new van. It was disappointing because we were near the half-way mark and we are to the point where we need to be replacing vans now.

Last year a work group from Kansas led by Rev. Bob Turner donated a van to Camp Woody. Chris Ladner of Ladner Motors has a business in which he buys cars that have been in accidents and rebuilds them to look like new. The work group put their money together and purchased a 15-passenger van and Chris set to work making it look like new. When the van was delivered we were amazed at the results. A totaled van in the hands of Chris had become like new. After discussing it for a while Chris agreed to rebuild one for the Mission. Even though we had seen the results of his work before, Chris still was able amaze us when he pulled off the ferry in the new van.

The Mission exists on people like Chris and the many other people that support us. Chris demonstrates the character of Christ by taking something that has been declared a total loss, something destined for the junkyard and in his hands it was transformed into something new and beautiful. We too wish to join hands with Christ and work with the broken spirits and broken lives of the many families who come here and make them whole again. Thank you for the van and thank you for inspiring us.

As an added surprise, one week after writing this original article, a second 15 passenger van arrived from Southport Baptist Church in Indiana. The Ell family drove it up and presented the van to the Mission and then volunteered several weeks of service. Sometimes God provides beyond our expectations.

Anyone who has read The Evangel for the last few years has read the many exciting adventures, work and victories that we have

experienced through our KBM Day Camp Program and now we are putting out the call for volunteers for the Summer of 2005. We are seeking mature Christ led high school graduates who feel called to minister to young people between the ages of 6 and 14. We offer food, housing, Christian community, camping trips into the back country of Kodiak and Alaska, whale viewing, fishing and too many other experiences to mention and in return we ask that you share your life with the kids of Kodiak. I have never met anyone who has come whose life has not been changed from this experience. It is a time of reflection, hard work and growth and a time where one can become focused on what God would have them do with their lives. We invite to visit our website to find more information or you can call us at 907-486-4126 and ask for Heather.

Financially this has been a hard year for the Mission. Giving has been down substantially over the past year and we have certainly felt the effects. We began to ask ourselves how can we best serve those who give to us and we came to the conclusion that we need to make it as easy as possible to sponsor KBM in its many activities. In the past I believe many people have felt that they would like to give a small amount each month but it was too difficult or it did not seem like enough to bother with. We would like to extend the invitation to become a steady supporter of the Mission by offering credit card services. By using your credit card we can easily charge you once a month for any amount you wish to support whether it be $10, $100 or more every month without you having to write and send an additional check. Or you may make a one time donation using your credit card by filling out the attached card and sending it to us or by going to our website and giving over the internet through a secure system. If you would rather we can always take your credit card requests by phone. We also offer Combined Federal Campaign giving for federal employees and military so that any amount can automatically be deducted from your paycheck each month, just call us for more details. We hope that this will help you become a supporter of KBM if you do not already and we hope it will make it easier if you already do.