Swensen Family: December 2010

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.