Neakita said goodbye to one of her bestest friends yesterday as she moves to Arizona. Please pray the Lord will comfort their broken hearts as the reality of it will begin hit in the weeks and months to come.

Jeremiah has done much of the fishing for the family this summer. He was right by Mark's side all through set net fishing in June, during which time we camped on the beach for two nights. It is always a fun get away for our family. Jeremiah has also gone dip netting twice, once with Mark and once without Mark. Praise God! It is good to have most of our winter supply of fish in the freezer.

Our three oldest children have all enjoyed their times at Bible camp this summer. Neakita and Jeremiah both attended Christian Youth In Action, Child Evangelism Fellowship's training camp. Jeremiah also went to Tanalian Bible Camp in Port Alsworth. Alaina attended Horse Camp at our local Bible camp for the first time (which she earned a scholarship to attend), and Neakita is at Teen Girl's Equestrian Camp this week, which she earned by working at the camp's horse barn for four weeks during the summer. She enjoyed the training and work immensely and looks forward to being a part of that work and ministry next year.

Mark has spent many days and weeks of his summer flying kids to camp from all over the state, mostly in the north west/central area, taking them into Kokrine Hills Bible camp. These flights and the ministry in this area became reality because of volunteer pilots and their Kodiak plane from Flying Under the Son Ministries out of California. Mark has worked very closely with Bill, Matt, and Mark getting them up to par for the flying conditions in Alaska. Most of the flights made and kids that they transported would not have happened without FUTSM.

There are so many testimonies about the impact that summer camp has on the kids from the various villages. The most common is the tears that flow at the end of the week. The kids begin crying a couple day before camp ends because the entire week they have been in a safe and loving enviornment and they become distraught at the reality that they will return home to their insecure and often frightening home life due to alcoholic family members and all the fears and horrors that come with that. Pray that the children and teens will cling to the love of Jesus that they discovered at camp and that they will hold steadfast in their faith. Pray that the Lord will provide solid Christian mentors for them to help them grow in their faith.

A group of teens excited to go to camp.

A view of Kokrine Hills Bible Camp and their new runway. It is located between Tanana and Galena on the Yukon River.

I had the opportunity to go on a day flight with Mark in June. It was a beautiful day and a sweet time visiting precious friends in the midst of doing the job. After dropping Jeremiah off at Tanalian Bible camp and getting some time to chat with friends there (I hadn't seen my friend, Andrea, in years), we headed for Togiak. The purpose of the flight was to pick up a CEF team that had spent several days ministering through Kid's Clubs, but the best part of our ministry is these flights give us the opportunity to develop and build relationships with those we serve. We had a fabulous time visiting with Pastor Paul and Laura. I am fortunate if I get to be face to face with Laura once a year. This is the second time this year we have had opportunity to fellowship, otherwise, our times together are via phone, and only having 100 minutes of long distance calling per month with our phone plan does not give me much opportunity to keep up with everyone I would like to each month (not even our moms and dads).

Paul and Laura treated us like royalty. They provided a delectable lunch for us of carabou rib soup (it reminded me of my grandma's beef bone rice soup, a childhood favorite) and hard boiled Murre eggs on the side. below is a picture of them (that is my hand in the picture, not a child's) and below that a picture of some murres. These eggs were especially a treat to be had because in order to gather them, one must climb cliffs. Keep Paul and Laura in your prayers, Satan greatly strives to keep the native people of Alaska spiritually blinded and it is not easy for native pastor families to make ends meet financially as their lives are devoted to ministry.

We are beginning to gather a harvest from our garden and it continues to grow well, except for the carrots. We are hoping they are just coming in late. We are pleased with the tomatoes, cucumbers, pickles, peppers and zuchinni in our greenhouse, and our chickens are ready for butchering. We raised dark cornish chickens this year instead of the cornish cross and we have enjoyed them tremendously more in comparison. We will never do the cornish cross again if we have a choice.

50 chicks in a brooder.

Happy to be in the run.

In June, I hosted a 3-day CEF kid's club in our yard. It is always a highlight of the summer.

This summer has brought more dinner and overnight guests than ever before. We have had a fabulous time with the various ministry families that have come through our home this summer. My ministry dream has always been to have a guest house where I can provide a place to stay for and take care of ministry families that "come to/through town". Well, we are only able to offer them Jeremiah's room and/or the playroom/utility room to sleep in, but I absolutely LOVE every opportunity I have to provide a place they can relax, recoup, and be "loved on" in.

Neakita, Jeremiah, and Alaina all played soccer again this summer. It was a great season with great teammates and great coaches.

Jeremiah is in red. He played goalie for the first time this year and learned the postition well under the tutorage of an excellent coach.

In April, Neakita and Alaina participate in their year end music recital. It is always a treat for us parents and loved ones to watch and see what our children have accomplished over the year.

As always, thank you for your love, prayers, and support of our life in full-time ministry.

News Flash:
MARC has a newly revamped website http://www.marcalaska.org/ where you can find the latest newsletter AND MARC is now on Facebook as well http://www.facebook.com/marcalaska where you can keep up with current happenings. Take some time to puruse these to keep up with the ministry we are involved in.

As promised, here is the ending to last weeks story.


After becoming a Christian, Guy realized his life had value and God had a purpose for his life. He is now married with his own family and is a successful businessman. More importantly he is willing to share his testimony of how God changed his life, and gave it purpose and value. His smile and sense of humor were contagious, and a testimony of his faith.
When Bill, Jonathan, and Guy shared their testimonies everyone listened. I am sure that there were many people listening who shared some similar life experiences with these men. It is my belief that many realized that if these men could have their lives restored by Jesus, so could they. I believe that the testimonies of these three men gave some people the hope that their lives could be wonderful, productive, and have purpose, too.
Jonathan shared at many of the villages about how God had gifted Native American people with the use of drums and native dance to praise the Lord. His testimonies reminded me of the stories of David in the Old Testament, when he praised the Lord in the same way. During one of the songs at each concert, most of the people attending would join hands to form a long chain of fellowship and praise. Then everyone circled the room following Guy as he led us around the place of worship in a dance to the Lord. In Nome the young people honored Broken Walls by performing a dance of their own for the band.
At the first village where we stopped, a 22-year-old man had just committed suicide, and a broken hearted father shared how his daughter ended her live a few years earlier. At the end of the meeting, many of the fathers in the village came forward for prayer, and the village elders committed themselves to finding a solution to suicide together as a village.
The band was able to minister at another village where there had been three recent suicide attempts. At a third village a group of young people came forward and gave their hearts to the Lord. The last night of the trip, several people came forward for prayer. Everywhere we went all of the team members ministered to people’s needs, especially the youth. Young people would come up after the meetings and visit with them, and were encouraged to play with the band members, who would witness to them during this time of fellowship.
I know that I was richly blessed by the testimony of these men, the grace that was evident in their lives, and the blessing they were to everyone with whom we came into contact. After the trip, which was a week long, it was hard to say goodbye to people that were such a blessing to me. I will always have fond memories of our trip with Broken Walls. - - Bob Widman

One of Mark's recent trips was transporting and supporting the ministry of Carry The Cure Ministries along with a Christian rock band called Broken Walls. They traveled from Anchorage to Tanana, Galena, Unalakleet, White Mountain, and Nome. The music is fantastic, spanning all ages and the testimonies are inspiring, "carbon copies" of what life is like for so many Alaskan natives. Hearing how Jesus can make a difference in ones life speaks of hope to the people. Hope is what they need: hope in a future worth living and hope in that their life has purpose. Following the pictures is the first part of a memoir write up shared with the staff by pilot, Bob Widman.

There was much time spent in setting up and breaking down the equipment as they traveled from village to village.

The music was great; rock music mixed with Native American music and dance. Wow!

The testimonies are the heart of it all.

Mark Swensen, Mike Boettcher, and myself (Bob Widman), had the privilege of traveling with Broken Walls, a Christian Gospel band, on their Iditarod tour at the beginning of March. The band included Jonathan, a Mohawk Indian from eastern Canada, Chris, a Native American from Thunder Bay Canada, and Pete from Wasilla, Alaska.

Bill is a Native American Tlingit Indian who was raised in a dysfunctional home. When Bill was four-years-old his uncle and friends who were in their home would make Bill take shots of whiskey, and smoke marijuana to see how much he could stand before he could not control himself any more. At age seven Bill's mother and father divorced, and he thought it was his fault because he was such a bad kid. At age eight Bill was addicted to marijuana and his mother was his drug supplier. At age twelve Bill's mother signed papers to give custody of Bill to a supposed family friend. This man abused Bill in every way possible. When Bill made even a simple mistake like putting his toothpaste away in the wrong place, this man would chase him around the house with a loaded handgun screaming derogatory things at him. Bill came to believe he wasn't worth any thing, and perhaps the world would be a better place if he was not around. He contemplated suicide but according to Bill the only thing that kept him going was a few positive things some friends and teachers said to him. These were simple things that were said like, "Hey Bill, what's up!", or a teacher saying, "Hey Bill, you can really play those drums, some day you will be a great drummer!" Some of Bill's friends invited him to church, and this is where Bill heard about Jesus and grace, and that Jesus loved him unconditionally. Bill gave his life to Christ. When Bill experienced God's grace through Christ, his life changed. After meeting his wife, they decided to minister to, and take care of, Bill's former abusive guardian. This man was so amazed by their forgiveness that he became a Christian. Bill was given a full music scholarship based on his ability to play the drums, and has taught as a music teacher.

Jonathan told about leaving his family in eastern Canada to become a rock and roll star. His dad, who was a pastor, walked him to the bus when he was leaving for California. His parting words to Jonathan were, "Remember, when your back is against the wall turn to Jesus." After getting established in the music business and opening for several famous rock bands, Epic records offered him a record contract on the condition that he would be willing to use profanity, sing about using alcohol, and other worldly topics in his songs. When Jonathan told the record company that these were the things that destroyed his people and he was not willing to include them in his songs, the record company took back their offer. Returning to his apartment discouraged and alone, he followed his father’s advice and turned to Christ. He now uses his gifts as a singer and musician to minister to people in many different parts of the world with the rest of the Broken Walls band.

Guy told of how he was left alone at home when he was a child, while the adults in his life were out partying and getting drunk. One day when he was playing with some boys that he thought were his friends, they threw him over a river bank into the Yukon River. At that point he said that he felt like trash, and that he was not good for anything. As he grew up he watched most of the people that were close to him die due to accidents, suicide, or alcohol related deaths. As time went on he got on the wrong side of the law and wound up in prison.

Will Guy get out of prison?? Join us next week for the second installment in Bob’s Article!

Our winter 2010-2011 newsletter. Double click to enlarge.

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.

And to top it off, the guys got a linen closet installed in their bathroom.

This year we cut an authentic Alaskan tree for our Christmas tree.

The moose stood by to watch us in our endeavor.

Our task was accomplished and we were on our way home.

We think it is the best tree ever.

Merry Christmas to you all. And as the new year begins keep your eyes on Jesus and watch to see how He will stretch and grow you.