Back At Home

Brad is home from Alaska safe and sound!  He was really tired but managed to stay up a couple of hours to talk with me and the kids and give us some souvenirs he had bought.  Then he said a sweet hello to his CPAP and went deep into dreamland.  I felt bad that he had to get up at 6 a.m. to go back to work, but you can't put off reality forever I guess. 

I'm not sure if Brad was going to post again about his trip after he got home, but if he doesn't, I want to say thank you to everyone who followed along and read about his trip.  To all of you who prayed for their safety and to all of you who offered to be here in a jiffy if I needed anything while my hubby was gone,  Thank You.  It really means alot to know I've got so many people looking out for me! 

Parting Kotz Shots!

The Final Day in Kotzebue

Well, this is it.  The final day in the Kotz.  It has been possibly the busiest yet.  We woke this morning and started back on our wall repair work.  We took out a rotten piece of wood and replaced it with new, replaced "studs" that we had removed, and started cleaning up a little.  While we waited for John to pick up the insulation for the wall, I did something I hate and never dreamed I'd do in Kotzebue.  Weedeat!

After the weedeating was done, Ronnie and I got down to installing the insulation.

After finishing the insulation, we added strips of ripped plywood to the studs to make the surface level for the sheet rock and then added a layer of plastic.

After the plastic, we placed the new cabinets and countertop.  Although we didn't officially finish the project, I feel like we got alot accomplished for two amateurs. 

After the work was completed, we had dinner and got to ride ATV's on the beach.  Probably the highlight of the trip for me.  I'll post some of those pics later.  For now, I'm going to bed, because I'm headed home in the morning. 

Can you spot what doesn't belong?

Do you remember the old kids magazine Highlights?  Each issue would contain a section that had a picture featuring items that did not belong, and you had to circle the items.  I personally enjoyed those games and activities, so I thought I might offer up one for you to enjoy too. 

In the picture below, can you spot the item that doesn't belong?

The Bridge To Nowhere

The first night we were here in Kotzebue, John and Terri took us around the town showing us the sights and giving us a little background into the area.  During our tour, we came to a bridge.  John began to tell us that this is the bridge where most of the towns suicides occur, usually by hanging from the underside.  As we crossed the bridge, Terri told us that they had claimed the bridge for Christ and she began to pray over the bridge.  She prayed for safety and freedom from the enemy in Kotzebue, especially on the bridge. 

This has been the most somber moment of this trip.  The reality of the darkness that grips this world once again came flooding in.  While we have not really been here for evangelistic purposes, this one moment of trip reminded me, and hopefully you too, that we should go and tell.  Just like Christ commanded us to.  We are all on a "bridge to nowhere" without His touch, His grace, His salvation.  If you don't know the power of Jesus salvation, I pray you'll contact us.  Contact someone that is a Christian, a Pastor, someone that can lead you to Him.  You won't be sorry, I promise. 

By the way, there have been no suicides on that bridge this year.  Lets pray that it stays that way.

Misc. Kotz Shots 2

Just for you Nana

Wednesday and Thursday in Kotzebue

Yesterday, we went back to Ruth's house and installed a faucet and a few electrical outlets.  This was actually probably the easiest tasks we had tackled so far.  But after a little bit, we had her all wired and water flowing in the faucet.

We also finished the demolition of the wall and pulled out the old screws and staples in preparation for the sealer.

Today (Thursday) we started putting together the new cabinets for the area we are repairing.  Ronnie was the master craftsman, while I applied the sealer to the wall.

And the sealer, well lets just say it was nasty!

After this, we went back to Ruth's and finished the clothes line.  After dinner at the local Bayside (the best Kung Pao Chicken ever), Ronnie and I road the ATV around town and did a little sightseeing.  More of those pics later.  But the past two days have been hard work, but very fulfilling.  All in all as we near the end, a great experience. One I won't soon forget.

Price Check Aisle 3

Lay's Stax

Coffee Maker

Gallon of milk

Washing Powder

Oil



Tuesday in the Kotz

Today, we went back to Aggie's house to finish painting.  We finished the small porch, the trim got two coats of white, and we finished up with a coat of black on a few miscellaneous spots. 

After finishing up there, we headed to Ruth's house to shore up her clothes line.

This is Ruth and Olivia:

This turned out to be a bigger task than expected. We had to remove the top of the clothes line and then remove the new(old) poles that were leaning. After removing the old poles, we proceeded to make the holes deeper with everyone's favorite tool, the post hole digger!

Things were going great until we hit water, then gravel and water, and then no more digging with the post hole diggers. So Ruth went inside and pulled out a small boiler and we proceeded to dig out the remainder of the rock, mud, water combo that is soil here.

After much water and rock, we got to our desired depth, set our poles and called it a day.

All in all another beautiful day and quite productive too. Hopefully, the trend will continue. Until next time.....

Misc. Kotz Shots

A painting inside FBC Kotzebue

Genuine Dog sled

Dragonfly.....mosquitos just a bit smaller, but not much!

Another reason why people drive ATV's everywhere up here!

Price Check Aisle 2

20 oz. diet coke

I love this sign! Low Price Leader, yeah right!

Monday in Kotz

Ronnie and I had a great day.  We worked hard, but we also got alot accomplished.  We started the morning with breakfast and then we were off with John to visit two ladies in the area.  The first house needed some plumbing work and a clothes line repair. The other lady had some painting, wood to be replaced on her house, a planter to be reattached to the house and her clothes line also needed some attention.

So after consulting with the two ladies, we returned to the church and gathered our supplies and returned to the second house to start the painting.  The weather was perfect: 50 degrees with a slight breeze and full sunshine!  So Ronnie and I set to our work.

We started with the painting. A previous missions team started the project so we only had to finish it. We scraped the old paint off, applied a coat of Kilz, and painted these windows, some trim, and a few miscellaneous spot around the house. Next we turned our "amazing construction skills" :) to reattaching the planter! During the winter, the snowfall was so great that the planter was politely removed from its place. Man was this thing heavy....thus the number of supports underneath it.


We followed this up with the clothes line repair. We took out an old brace, loosened the cords and we tilted it over. Once it was over we braced it down and shimmed it up to keep in place. We added a couple of braces and we were done.

After good lunch of hamburgers, we went back to the house and added some boards to the edge of the house which had just arrived from Anchorage. We also scraped a few more spots on her shed next to the house while the Kilz coat dried on the boards.


All in all alot was accomplished there. We will be back today, weather permitting, to finish the painting.

We also started the work on the wall at the church. We began the demo phase and got alot accomplished there as well. We will be doing alot more here as we continue throughout the week.

Well since pics are so slow to load here I'll end there and do more later....

Sunday in Alaska

Yesterday was of course Sunday.  And Ronnie and I had the chance to see how FBC Kotzebue does their worship services.  Sunday school started at 10 am.  Three classes in all.  Kids, youth, and adults.  We probably had close to 20 in our class and it was a really good class.  A lot less energetic and loud as our class- I mean that in a loving way :)- but good nonetheless.  A young man named Jake taught the class and we were talking about freedom in Christ (Jake is the local wrestling coach, apparently wrestling is as big as football at home).

After Sunday School, we started the service at 11:15 local time.  We sang several praise and worship songs being led by Tammy, the associate/youth pastor's wife.  This is where the difference in our two churches begins.  Apparently they have no pianist.  So the praise and worship songs were done via projector and a special DVD they purchased with the music and words running like a power point slide presentation.  Great songs, beautiful videos in background.....and very worshipful.  After those three songs, we had a fellowship time.  This lasted quite sometime.  It reminded me a lot of the church Amy and I were married in during fellowship time.  Everyone moved and everyone was greeted.  Everyone.  So it was nice and got to meet some nice people.  We even met a man from Columbus, MS who is up here building a seawall and road.  Mississippi is everywhere!

After the fellowship, John Forrester got up and we did praise and prayer request time.  It was really nice to hear people talk about what good things were happening in their lives and even the not so good things they needed help with.  For instance, a native woman named Minnie had just returned from Anchorage where she had been hospitalized for several weeks.  She got up and praised Him for His goodness, thanked the people for praying and then she sang a hymn....not sure the name but it was really nice.  And then she sang a verse in her native tongue.  That was simply amazing to me.  I have no idea what she said or even what language that was, but it was obviously worshipful and pretty.

After this time of prayer and praise, we sang a couple more songs out of the Baptist Hymnal a capella.  Yeah no music.  It was nice though (sorry Amy).  Different but good.  Then John gave his message.  It was a very evangelistic message out of Romans.  Very good sermon followed by the traditional invitation, again a capella.  We ended around 12:30ish. 

All in all a good service. I always enjoy seeing how others "do church".  Well, getting hungry so I'll leave off here.  More soon.....

Price Check on Aisle 1

Ronnie and I were eating dinner last night (grilled cheese and chips) when he noticed something quite interesting......please note the price tag on this family size bag of doritos.  And no that is not a type-o!
And oh yeah, the only gas pump we saw yesterday the price was $6.65 a gallon for regular.  Now let me all hear you say it.......WOW! Yep shocking I know.  More to come....see ya soon.

We are FINALLY here!

Hello from the Arctic.  Ronnie and I have finally arrived and actually got to sleep a little last night.  And as Ronnie said, "I just couldn't find my spot."  Ditto that. But at least we did sleep even without my CPAP.

Just a quick recount of the day or should I say eternity?!  We left Jacktown around 6 am Central Time.  Next stop Atlanta.  And despite my fears we had absolutly no problems (or so I thought).  Now the long leg on to Seattle was next, and wow what a demolisher.  I haven't felt like that in a while.  It was like I was a boxing match with George Forman, and he was winning!  Anyway, we survived and made it to Seattle.  Now the previous two trips to Seattle Airport were stop at one terminal let people off, add a few more and the off to Anchorage.  However, this year we had to change carriers and wow what a trek across Washington state.  As John Forrester would later tell us, Delta's terminal is in Tacoma and Alaska's terminal is in Seattle.  Quite a trip down stairs, up and down escalators and two trams and voila our new terminal.  I promise if you'd had to walk that it would have been at least 2 to 3 miles.  But we made it.  And on to Anchorage (John had joined us in the airport for the last leg) and on to Kotzebue.  Quite a long day I must say....lots of headaches and bodyaches but we arrived safely.

At the Kotzebue airport, we got off and met Teri and John Mark Forrester and stood and waited for our luggage. And we waited. And we waited and we waited. And oh there's my bad, whew!  And we waited some more, but no sign of Ronnie's bag!!!! NOOOOOOO! 3000 miles away and no clothes?! Yuck.  Luckily, John was friends with the Alaska rep in the airport and she quickly got on the job. Come to find out Ronnie's bag never got on the plane in Atlanta?! And was currently in route via another set of planes up to Kotzebue.  And at 8am local time we have finally been reunited with the long lost bag.  I guess it liked Atlanta.....it probably wanted to eat at the Varsity!

Anyway....we had a nice dinner at a local restaurant and off to bed we went.  And so now I leave you with the latest pics and off to church we will go.  See ya soon.

The Wayward Bag has returned.

Russia is about 250 Miles that way.

Snow Mobiles.

FBC Kotzebue

MORE TO COME.......

Pictures from Alaska