Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
John 8:12 ESV
|
|
|
On a recent trip back to the lower-48, a pastor asked me, "Which is worse: the cold or the dark?" My answer was immediate. The dark. You can always dress warm, sit by a fire, and drink a hot beverage to warm up, but you simply cannot recreate the power of the sun to truly drive out the darkness.
As I shared with him that the darkness was the harder element, the Lord made plain a spiritual truth. Only the light of Jesus drives out the darkness, and there is no substitute for Him. He is "...the light of the world" and those who follow Him do not walk in darkness but "...have the light of life." That is the sole reason we do what we do at Arctic Barnabas Ministries...to help advance the light of Christ.
Thank you for your part in that and we hope you enjoy this edition of The Arctic Encourager!
|
|
|
“It does fly after all,” I thought to myself, letting out a sigh of relief. I watched our Piper Aztec aircraft roar off into the air; the golden evening sun gleaming off the wings. It was a long-awaited moment for me and the rest of the aviation team.
Our Aztec had not flown for three years, due to ongoing heavy maintenance. It had become our silent dusty nemesis lurking in the corner of the hangar. Every time we thought the aircraft was close to airworthy, a new issue seemed to arise.
However, the Lord was there in every step of the process. From finding rare parts that aren’t manufactured anymore, to passing Airworthiness Directives that could’ve cost ABM hundreds or thousands of dollars more than it did.
It is such a blessing to see the many hours of maintenance from volunteers, ABM candidates, and full-time staff come to fruition. The Aztec is currently sitting at another local aviation ministry, MARC, awaiting a brief Annual Inspection. A hopeful summer full of flying awaits this “ole bird” as we add it back to our fleet of airworthy aircraft. We are beyond excited to see how the Lord will continue to use it as a vital tool in the ministry of Arctic Barnabas Ministries!
|
|
|
At Arctic Barnabas we have two unique kinds of staff. Our Career Staff are full-time with our ministry and work directly for ABM. Our Associate Staff are not employed at ABM, but still serve our ministry families alongside us. Our ministry reach would not be the same without both kinds of staff.
Upon coming to the end of their secular careers, Shelby and Debbie Smith had the attitude of “what next God?” After exploring opportunities where they lived In Texas, they had the opportunity to visit with the staff of Arctic Barnabas in 2019. God made it very clear to them that this is where “next” was. They left life as they knew it and drove 4,500 miles to begin serving God as ABM Career Staff in September of 2020. Shelby has served on our Ministry team, as well as coaching new staff candidates. Debbie has served in many roles on our administrative staff. Reflecting on their time at ABM, Shelby and Debbie share these thoughts:
"The new relationships we have established seems to be one of the highlights of serving with Arctic Barnabas. Amongst other ministry visits, the opportunities to go to villages and stay with children while their parents take trips out of the villages reminds us of the huge level of trust and responsibility given to us by these ministry families. As associate staff, we will continue to do this, with even more flexibility in our schedules, as we continue following God’s will for our lives. We look forward to each “next” opportunity God has for us to serve."
This April they transitioned to Associate Staff, untethering from the office to be able to minister to our families in the field more freely. We are honored that God called Shelby and Debbie to serve alongside all of us at ABM, and celebrate this ministry milestone with them. Congratulations, Smiths!
|
|
|
It was a blessing to have our winter intern, Noah, with us for two weeks in February. Much like the apostle Paul invited young partners to join him in ministry, we value the opportunity each year to host an intern, and Noah was a joy to our team.
Noah jumped right in at the Arctic Barnabas hangar, helping install two massive ceiling fans. He also assisted with snow removal during a particularly snowy stretch. As Noah said, "Even though I was working, it felt like service and not work. I knew I was doing it to help further the name and glory of God."
Noah also joined us on two flights to remote bush villages to encourage ministry families, clearly demonstrating a God-given heart for people. With his great strength, he was a valuable teammate when the time came for hard work. We’re grateful for his time here and are praying that this experience helps guide his next steps after high school.
Noah shared, "In my short time there, I was shown how much God works through ABM and it was an eye-opener to see what ministry is like in Alaska. The staff at ABM deeply value not just the support, but the personal connection with these families, which is critical to properly supporting them."
If you would like info about internships with ABM, please email info@abmalaska.org.
|
|
|
When I think of how ABM has impacted our lives as a family, all I can do is smile. The way they have poured into our lives has been amazing. They have been there for us from the very beginning of our ministry journey here in Alaska, and it started out with a mini-vacation in Homer.
They housed us and watched our 2 young children as Travis and I were in the hospital having our third child, and then again for our 4th! Ever since then, ABM has been an integral part of our lives. We have received phone calls to check in, places to stay when we travel out, babysitters in and out of Kotzebue, food-providers, prayer warriors, friends and confidants.
We are grateful for the teams that have come to help us with repairs and pulpit coverage, and for places to stay in times of need. We have been so refreshed by events such as Ministry Family Retreat (MFR), dip-netting, and the Ladies Retreat. The biggest impact that MFR has had in our lives is the family we have gained through ABM (Grandpa Shelby and Grandma Debbie Smith!). We are so blessed to have the prayer-warriors, ministry support, friends and family that make up Arctic Barnabas Ministries.
|
|
|
Winter in Alaska can feel especially dark and cold, and when you pair that with living in a bush village of 300 people or fewer, it can be easy to feel isolated and alone. Because of this, we see the need to provide opportunities for remote village ministry ladies to come together, encourage one another, and be reminded that they are not alone.
This year, Arctic Barnabas Ministries hosted our Ministry Ladies Retreat. We were blessed to have 11 ladies from eight different villages across Alaska join us for four wonderful days of encouragement, fellowship, and spiritual renewal. We were also honored to have Shellie Rushing Tomlinson lead our session times as she shared about strengthening our prayer lives.
The women who attended face many unique challenges in their daily ministry including isolation, long dark winters, and extremely cold temperatures. Because of these challenges, the retreat serves as a time to recharge and reset before they return to their villages.
One of the highlights was the “Share and Prayer” time following each session. During this time, each of the ladies had the opportunity to share how they have seen God working in their lives and ministries, as well as specific ways we can pray for them. Afterward, we gathered together to pray for each woman and her ministry. We will continue lifting them up in prayer as they return to serve their villages across Alaska.
|
|
|
Nothing quite compares to a personal visit with dear friends! As we provide care to the pastor and missionary families in remote Alaska, the highlight of that care is having the privilege to visit them in their village. Gaining this personal glimpse into their life and ministry provides us valuable insight as we continue providing care later over the phone. Usually, we enjoy a few days together as we fellowship and join them in their everyday life, however not every visit provides this
length of schedule and we can be limited to shorter times of visiting.
Recently, we were greatly encouraged to fly a short distance and see a pastor family in a remote coastal village. As the Teele family enter their second year of service, our morning visit stretched into the lunch hour as it filled with stories of open doors God is providing them. Active community involvement and making themselves available have been blessed with several opportunities for discipleship.
A lifestyle of Christlikeness outside the four walls of the church building proves itself most impactful in this remote setting, where hearts are hungry for unconditional love and trustworthy friendship. An added blessing, this trip included having my wife and son along for a complete connection with the entire family.
A personal connection point for wives and children can be difficult to arrange. After several hours of chatting, multiple games played, and all the pizza and salad was eaten, we gave hugs and pressed on back towards home; encouraged.
|
|
|
- Pray for upcoming summer ministry trips.
- Praise that we signed a lease for a Soldotna hospitality house.
- Pray for ABM team members preparing to transition to Alaska this summer.
- Praise for the Piper Aztec aircraft back in service.
- Pray for our ministry families in the busy spring and summer seasons.
- Praise for the DeJongs serving with us all winter and pray for their journey back to the lower 48.
- Praise for the amazing support for the ABM Homer Missionary Retreat.
|
|
|
|
