Why Alaska?
In 2018, the Lord allowed us to spend 6 weeks in Iliamna, Alaska, on a missions trip through Baptist Mid-Missions. We spent our time assisting Mike and Jeannette Clark in the work they do for the Lord's ministry in that village. Mike and Jeannette have been faithfully serving our Lord as church planters in Iliamna since 2006. "I (Aaron) felt a huge burden from the Lord while visiting one of these small bush villages when an elderly sister in Christ asked me, 'Are you the preacher I've been praying for?' At that point I knew He was calling my family to come back." Seeing the great spiritual need of the bush villages in Alaska gave us a great burden to return and make disciples of Christ in this part of the world.
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The Lord was also working in Mike and Jeannette's hearts. At the end of our internship He led them to invite us to work along side of them as full-time missionsaries.
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Why Alaska? Because there are many people in the remote villages who have never heard about the Gospel of Christ. Also, because God has been preparing us in many ways, some since childhood, and He has been increasing our burden for the amazing people who live there. As the Lord wills, we will continue to spread the Gospel using aviation to the nearby villages where there is no consistent Gospel message. Please join us in praying for these small native communities and the dear people who need to hear about the saving work of Christ.
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A word from a friend who used to live in AK and worked among some Alaskan natives:
"For many, AK is a place of fascination, a romantically rustic holdover from a bygone era. In some ways it is, but it also holds some unique challenges. The long hours of darkness and daylight contribute to a very real condition, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)."
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"Weather can change in a moment, which makes flying particularly challenging...Like the old saying goes, 'There are old pilots, and there are bold pilots. But there are no old, bold pilots.'"
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"Some Alaska Natives are very closed off to the 'white man's influence' within their culture or village. I faced this problem a number of times...Times when I thought that I was helping the village by removing a violent, predatory criminal from the community -- only to find that the village would rather have the criminal than me. I am confident this resistance is felt in the ministry, too. Alcoholism, substance abuse, sexual sin and depravity, indolence, etc., are common and some would rather keep what they are familiar with.
So our prayers go with you as you meet these challenges in a stunningly beautiful setting that so clearly displays God's creative glory."