Greetings from Port Alsworth Alaska!

It’s been about three weeks since I arrived back in PA and I wanted to share some highlights of what God is doing in my life and at Tanalian Bible Camp.

This week kicked off the start of Tanalian Leadership Center with the students arriving on Tuesday. These young adults will receive 8 months of daily, biblical studies and vocational training. Last week there were several days of training for the TLC staff. On one of the days, we learned how to communicate biblical truth effectively with Gen Z. It was outstanding! The second day, I was asked to co-lead the staff in a training about assessing and adapting for special needs with the students.

A new endeavor at TLC this year is a student run coffee shop that will be open to the community. It’s exciting to see the hard work of so many people coming together for this venture that will teach the students hands on and practical skills. One of the things I’ve been doing since I’ve been back is helping all of the behind-the-scenes tasks for the shop to come together. In the spring, we hope to incorporate lessons on bookkeeping and budgeting so maybe one of the students can take my job one day!

My first week back in PA was full of meetings to wrap up this past summer camp season and plan out the next year of ministry. TBC has a rich history in summer camp ministry but in addition to that and TLC, they offer a spring conference and family retreats throughout the year. This coming year, we also hope to add a special needs ministry in the form of summer camp or a family retreat. I’m very excited to be part of the team making plans for this. God seems to have brought me to TBC at just the right time to share my love for special needs programming and Jesus. I can’t think of a better place to do it! One of the verses we discussed during our meetings was John 15:5 –
“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing”
It was a good reminder for our ministry to be fruitful we must first abide solely in Jesus.

On a personal note, I’ve had a bit more time this stay in PA to get more involved in the local community now that the hustle and bustle of the summer camp season is over. The learning curve is still very steep for me figuring out how to live in rural Alaska. It was a little humbling to have a 13-year-old give me a lesson on how to get an ATV started so I could drive to work! It is bear season here so a generous family has lent me an ATV for a few weeks so I don’t have to walk the mile to work. I even learned how to get gas from the gas ‘truck’ which involves turning on the pump and writing how much gas you used on the clipboard in the office but not on the clipboard for aviation gas… just the one for regular gas. It’s been an adventure. God wouldn’t have it any other way.

I’ll be back in IL in mid-October and am hoping to connect with many of you. I’d love to share more about what God is doing at TBC! If God is laying it on your heart to partner with the ministry here, I’d love to talk with you about that as well. I am about 40% funded for my ongoing monthly support needs and I am trusting the Lord to bring the remaining support in His timing. At this point, it looks like I’ll be returning to PA with a one-way ticket in January.

Prayer is the most powerful tool we have and I’d be honored if you joined me in prayer over the following:

• For the TLC students to grow spiritually and for a year of fruitful ministry for them and for wisdom for the mentors and staff

• For the campers who were here this year that they are able to continue to grow spiritually and for those in hard circumstances that the Lord would protect them

• For my practical needs here including housing, transportation and for financial support

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN EVERY WAY!