Family Fun While Heading East

We got to South Dakota and God in His goodness and graciousness led us to a hotel for the night that was attached to a waterpark. For less than the cost of all the other hotels along the way,not only did we get a great room for the night, but the kids also got to spend the evening playing in a waterpark. For the first time ever, our deputation travels is feeling like a vacation. Well, except for still having to do school.

In the morning, before heading to Mount Rushmore, we stopped to gas up the van. Mark came out from paying and said we had to see the incredible display of trophies inside. We spent the next half hour viewing the excellent display of North American and African animals.

Mount Rushmore was spectacular!  Our history class this year has mentioned Mount Rushmore several times, so it was inspiring to view it with our own eyes. It was the first I , Michele, had ever seen it.

And then off through the mid-west we went. The kids were not very impressed with the rolling farm land, but as “Aunt” Sue said, “We feed you.”

We spent five days in West Virginia with dear friends. The kids shared their CEF presentation 3 times at their AWANA.

The morning we left WV was Katelyn’s 8th birthday. Our friends had a birthday party breakfast for her, cupcakes, presents, party horns, and all.  Thanks guys! It was a birthday she will probably always remember.

As we left WV, we viewed yet another means of generating electricity.

We arrived in PA that evening and celebrated Katelyn’s birthday at Grandma and Papa’s house. It was quite the day for Katelyn.  It has been five years since we have seen Michele’s family and we are enjoying every moment with them. The first thing we did the next morning was visit Michele’s Papa. He is in the hospital recovering from Pneumonia. He also suffers from congestive heart failure. Realistically, this will most likely be the last time we get to be with Papa. The picture shows Neakita playing his old violin which he gifted to her five years ago and she just grew into this past summer.

Our weekend with Grandma started with play time at Chuck E. Cheese’s.  We came to the conclusion that it is a dangerous place that plants the seeds of an addiction to gambling in children. Haha. It was lots of fun for us grownups too.

Oooooooh, what a treat my mom gave Neakita and I. She took us for pedicures. Our feet have never felt better.

And the icing on the cake for the day was seeing a Hershey Bears hockey game. Thanks Mom and Dale!

We couldn’t be in Hershey without visiting Chocolate World! Yes, there are five children in the picture with us, the one you don’t recognize is our niece. We have enjoyed having her with us on our outings. The kids have had a blast getting to know their cousin. Next weekend they will have a sleepover at her house.

Thank you all for your constant prayers for us. Our travels have been great. We still have a long way to go.

We are now on our way to New York state to visit my Dad, so ‘til next time ----May God bless you and keep you in His loving grace.

Heading East

We have had beautiful driving weather. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
The first day we stopped for our sandwich lunch just along the road where we could watch a bunch of people ice fishing.

We stopped at Little Big Horn Memorial in Montana. It was a great history lesson for all of us.



The scenery through Montana and Wyoming was just breathtaking.

Christmas Fun with Family

Our drive to Mark’s parents was beautiful and put us in the Christmas mood.

We used the driving time to get school work done . . .

but took every opportunity to enjoy the view and hike in God’s majestic creation.

The view from the suspension bridge was much enjoyed by the kids.

It was great to get to Mom’s and kick back and relax; the closest thing to a vacation we have had in years. We had the opportunity to speak at a supporting church where Neakita played her violin.

After the service, the church held a potluck for us so they could have time to fellowship and and get to know us better. It was a great time.

Tuesday the 20th began Hanukah. Mom told the story of the history of Hanukah, lit the menorah,

taught us to play the Dradle game,

and made homemade doughnuts.

What yummy fun!

Other fun things we did were puzzles and

ice skating,

Christmas eve, we were given a part in the Christmas celebration at The Little Brown Church. They had our family light the advent wreath, Neakita played her violin with Grandma,

Alaina played Away in the Manger with Grandma while the children sang (including Katelyn)

Christmas morning brought much fun and surprises.

The dollar store army men that Jeremiah got from us . . .

were enjoyed by Jeremiah and Uncle Zac for hours.

Over The River and Through the Woods. . .

. . . to grandmother’s house we go! We are on our way to Montana to spend Christmas with Mark’s mom, step-dad, and brother. On our way we stop in Sandpoint, ID to tour Quest, the company that builds the Kodiak airplane. Mark just completed some flight training for the Kodiak in Spokane. On our way out of town, we stopped at this café for lunch. It caught my eye because I love antiques. So, while we waited for our food to be prepared, we did a little “shopping”. 

We highly recommend the Café Bodega to anyone traveling near Sandpoint, ID! Their sandwiches are THE BEST! And their soup was superb. We all tasted each other’s sandwiched and it was unanimous; the Cuban was the best. The Café’s flyer describes is as “Sandpoint’s Bohemian eatery, features an assortment of international sandwiches, homemade soups, organic espresso bar, specialty teas and Italian artisan gelato.”

The Adventure Begins

Well, we have made it to the lower 48. God has orchestrated every little detail. Blessings abound at every turn. Praise His Name!
Upon arriving in Portland we only had an hour to wait until the van we are using for our travels arrived. This was an amazing orchestration of God. Friends in Oregon offered us their 15 passenger van to use. It was not clear on how we would meet up to aquire the van, but God had the perfect plan. The day before we left Alaska, our friends called to tell us that his brother and sister-in-law were flying out of Portland the day we were getting in and they would drive the van up to be there for us. So, an hour after our arrival, they arrived in the van. They unloaded their baggage, we loaded ours in, and off we went.
On our way to spend the night in eastern Washington, we made a stop at Multnomia Falls. It was spectacular!



The van might be a gas guzzler, but it sure does make for roomy travel. This will hopefully make schooling in the van easier.

There are of course many opportunities to learn just by observing and discussing what we see as we travel. As we went we observed and discussed hydro and wind generated electricity. These windmills seemed to line the ridges most of the way to eastern Washington.

We have been in Spokane for a week now while Mark is undergoing Kodiak training.



The accomdations for our family is wonderful. We are staying in student houseing which has been perfect for our family. We have accomplished a lot of school work, getting ahead to lighten our load during weeks of heavy travel. There is also space for the kids to run and have fun too.


Each Sunday, we are visiting different churches to update them on or introduce them to our ministry in Alaska. The kids have been using their CEF training to teach children's church.


Please pray for God's continued blessings and for travel safety. Also pray that we will be as much, if not more, of a blessing to all of those around us.

Summer has come to an end and I think we are almost ready for snow to come. Firewood is piled high, our freezer is stocked with fish, moose, and chicken, our garden is harvested, and in a few weeks we will have some rabbit meat in the freezer as well. The subsistence food raising and gathering we do brings us a great sense of fulfillment. God's provision is bountiful.

Jeremiah and his best buddy were a great help on butchering day.
At the end of the summer Mark spent some time with a village pastor getting him ready to take his plane back to the village to use in his ministry there.

With the beginning of the school year also comes the beginning of Child Evangelism Fellowship after school Good News Kid's Clubs. I (Michele) am coaching a team again this year and the exciting thing is that half my team consists of my own children. Jeremiah joins the ranks this year after getting his training last spring. It is a thrill to have our children directly involved in ministry with us.

Jeremiah gives the task of teaching the kids about Jesus all he's got and the kids love it. Neakita has become much more articulate in her ability to communicate the stories with the kids.

Pray that the Lord will continue to grow them in their ability to communicate the Gospel with others.

I recently had the opportunity to go with Mark to the village of Togiak for the weekend. Mark's job was to transport people to Togiak from surrounding villages to participate in a weekend Singspiration. You can read more about it in a newletter that we will be publishing very soon.

Not only did I get to spend some much needed time away with Mark, I was able to spend much sweet time with a special friend. As a pastor's wife in a rural isolated village, she does not have any person she can freely unburden her heart to. I was able to be that listening ear and sympathetic heart that she so needed at this time. Pray for the pastor wives in the villages, their part in the ministry brings heavy loads for them to shoulder; they need God's strong arms to carry them and His wisdom to deal with everyday situations.

The village of Togiak is beautiful; the ocean on one side and mountains on the other. Commercial fishing is their main source of income. This is a picture of the inside of Togiak Baptist Mission. Construction on the church began seven years ago and it is pretty much complete except for a few details. There are 36 chairs in the sanctuary . . .

. . . and almost all of them have a seat cushion . I remember the first time I saw the cushions on the chairs, I said, "Oh, you really love your congregation!" But not all of them are in tip-top condition, so, I have a request for anyone who would be so bent as to. . .

make a seat cushion with a quilted top for these church chairs. They can be sent to Togiak Baptist Mission, C/O MARC, PO Box 511, Soldotna, AK 99669