Just another day in the life: Alaska Grown

Now that recruitment is over, I actually have a moment to sit down and catch up on my life. My trip to Alaska seems like a lifetime ago, but the friendships and memories that were made are just as fresh as if they happened yesterday. I have never been somewhere so beautiful before in my life. It was just a breath of fresh air to be somewhere so visually beautiful along with beautiful people who changed me.

I went with an organization called 963 Effect. They want nothing more than to spread the love of God anywhere they can. Being around each member of this team humbled me every single day. While we were there, the sun would never set. It was light all day everyday which was definitly a shock when we would walk out of the Church that was housing us at 11 at night to find that it only looked as though it was just about to be 6 o'clock. The weather was perfect. It never got terribly cold, although there was still snow on the mountains when we would go hiking. The kids we met gave me a new perspective on life and made me realize how much I complain about silly little things when they are running around in tshirt and shorts in 50 degree weather.

For the first five days that the team was there, we helped the Rabbit Creek Community Church in Anchorage with their Expedition Day Camp. It was basically a traveling VBS. It was open to the community so there were a handful of kids who had never heard of Jesus before. Throughout the week we would take our groups to different places in the area. We went on a hike and glacier sledding and we also went to the Anchorage zoo and to the botanical gardens. To try and describe the beauty in this place is impossible. It literally took my breath away to even try and think how our God loves us that much to make a place so beautiful for us to take in and be apart of. These kids were wonderful and loved having us there with them. Each person in our group taught me something different about myself and the Lord's love for me.

Each night, we would head straight to the Boys and Girls Club. These kids know how to have a good time. We would sing and dance and love on each other until it was time to leave. It was so cool to see how the Lord worked in bringing kids to know him. The first day we were there, there was maybe a handful of kids that came. By the end of the week, there were more kids than we knew what to do with! We had gained amazing releationships that will never be forgotten. These kids grew to trust us and to confide in us. I will never forget any of them.

We also did some yard work at a local Boy's Home where boys with behavioral problems would stay while they are waiting to be adopted. They all expressed to us how it was the best day just because we were they. They all came out and helped us and we spent the day playing in the dirt and cleaning up their daily environment.

For the rest of the weekend, we were blessed in getting the chance to just tour the area. We went on a 26 Glacier Cruise where we made friends from London and got to witness the most amazing sites. We got to go to the Saturday market in downtown Anchorage and see how people spend their every day lives.

What I will never forget about this trip is the people that I spent it with. They were so encouraging and they have the best hearts of anyone I have ever met. All they wanted to do was to pour into any one we met in Alaska and to do so by loving them for who they are. I learned so much about the culture and how people are just by spending time with the handful of them that I came into contact with. I cannot thank the people who supported me in going on this trip enough. They made it possible and did so by beleiving in me and wanting me to experience the greatness of this world that God has provided. I wanted to be able to share a little bit of my experience as best as I could with everyone so here are some pictures! It doesn't give my trip much justice but it will show you all a little glimpse at what I got to see. Enjoy!!