Trip to Alaska

Passing the Technical Evaluation with MAF was very exciting for our family and we are eagerly anticipating officially joining MAF in July.  These last few weeks leading up to our candidacy class with MAF have been crazy and at times very stressful.  We have a lot to get done and very little time to do it in.  Our family is definitely in a state of limbo right now with a lot of unknowns on the Horizon.  The largest question looming for us is, "Where will we be serving?  Africa?  Indonesia?"  

It will also be a big transition for our family to live off of ministry support instead of being in the work force.  Leaving a steady job to go into ministry feels like a huge step of faith.  We know that we are in the Lord's will however, and are putting our trust in him fully to provide for our needs while we serve him through working with MAF.  God has been very faithful to us so far and has definitely had his hand in providing the means for the training needed for us to join with MAF in the first place.

Speaking of leaving the work force that means our family will no longer *sniff* have flight benefits.  I personally haven't had to purchase a plane ticket since 1997, I can feel all of your sympathy welling up for us right now (sarcasm intended).  We decided to take one last trip and visit some friends of ours up in Anchorage, AK.  The trip ended up being just what we needed and it recharged our family physically, mentally, and even spiritually. 

Macie and Colton watching the rampers in SEA

It is hard to be surrounded by the beauty of Alaska and not have this verse pop into your head:  For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.  (Romans 1:20)

It is so easy to feel God's hand in creation and his presence in the vast expanse of the mountains and wildlife that surrounds you when you are outside enjoying the beauty that God made.

Quick stop for a picnic.  A hike was planned as well but a bear was spotted in the parking lot!  So hike was cancelled.

We stayed with our friends Aaron and Katie that Mike met when he went to Ecola Bible in Cannon Beach, OR.  Our friends have 4 boys so needless to say there was never a dull moment on this trip!  Our friend's Grandma owns a cabin in Soldotna right on the Kenai River so we drove down the peninsula to try our hand at fishing.  Mike and Colton tried to catch a King Salmon but had no luck.  Interesting fact:  The average cost to catch a single King Salmon in AK is $150!  We decided to switch gears and try for Rainbow Trout instead on a lake in town when we went back to Anchorage.  Our friend Aaron took Mike and Colton out in his canoe on Sand Lake and Colton actually hooked into 5 fish!  Colton's fish keep getting bigger every time he retells his story in true fisherman fashion.

Colton's first catch

Our friend Katie's parents live near an airport community where the houses have hangers below them.  We would pass Piper Cubs with big Tundra tires on them every time we visited her parent's house and we would imagine how much fun it would be to fly in one of them.  Luckily for us Katie's dad talked to his neighbor and told him how our family is going to serve with MAF and would love to go for a flight.  His neighbor was pressed for time but he managed to take Mike and Colton up for a quick flight.  They got to spot a few goats and bears in the surrounding mountains and Mike was able to fly the plane a bit as well.  Mike has been feeling grounded lately now that he isn't training for the Tech Eval anymore.

Tundra tires are huge!

Another check off the bucket list for these two

We visited our friend's church on Sunday and the pastor was kind enough to write a sermon just for our family.  Isn't it funny how it works that way?  He showed clips from the movie Groundhog Day and his message was to take life one day at a time and to live it fully for God and not for ourselves.  God has placed us in our current situation for the day we are living and we need to honor him in it.  A fitting sermon for an overwhelmed family.  One day at a time.  

Even though we aren't officially support raising yet MAF (of coarse) came up in conversation because we can't stop talking about it, and a few members of their church are very excited about our future with MAF.  The church had recently been involved in sending out a couple with MAF down to Nairobi, Kenya and a lady had just returned from a visit to the MAF base in Africa.  It is nice to know that we will have people interested in our mission and praying for us clear up in Alaska!  

We are back in Washington now hard at work preparing to attend candidacy class in July.  If you would like to stay updated with us and join our prayer/support team email one of us your address and we will add you to our mailing list.