God is Working — Soaring for Christ

There are so many things to praise God about from 2024. His faithfulness was evident throughout the six camps we helped with. And, it was shown in the unexpected obstacles we faced along the way. Some years the Lord moves in an obvious way, other years in a not-so-obvious way, and sometimes camp to camp. The past year had a little of all of those.

Highlights

One of the more obvious ways God is moving is through the growing influence of the Gospel in Western Alaska. At Kako, we had the highest number of attendees on record at both Family and Berry Camp. And new seeds were planted in many of the villages.

We also saw some amazing spiritual growth in kids at the Kokrine Kids Camps. Jeff was pleasantly surprised when one of the Junior High kids told him his favorite part of camp was the Bible lessons and that he planned to read his Bible regularly. We had first met this camper the year before at Elementary Camp. It is encouraging to see the kids maturing year after year.

And even though overhauling the engine in the Cessna 150 was a big unexpected cost, the Lord still provided enough to support our ministry. As Kris Lingham of Through the Word says, “Ministry is a call to do something you cannot do.” Without God’s help, our efforts would be fruitless.

Struggles

While many great things happened in the past year, there are still huge struggles in the villages. Some of the kid’s family situations are very troubling. For a few of them, the amount of emotional pain, broken families, and lives cut short is devastating. It also makes your heart break when you watch someone who has repeatedly heard the Gospel choose to follow the world down a path of hopelessness.

When you see all of this in real-time, it makes you want there to be instant results at all of the camps. But the way it really works is you plant a seed and wait, and then you will enjoy the fruit of your work.

It's worth it

From a human perspective, it makes you wonder, ‘Is it really worth it?’ But if you have the right frame of mind, you’ll realize that it truly is worth it, even for just one person. Because God’s word tells us, “Do not grow weary in doing good (2 Thes. 3:13),” “for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up (Gal. 6:9).”

Some days are beautiful clear skies. We can see the Spirit moving; we can see the fruit of our labor. But other times, the weather’s bad, we have engine and runway problems. People are falling apart—emotionally, physically, and spiritually. But the Lord is working in each of those situations.

Plans for 2025

In 2025, we’re planning to do it all over again, helping with the four camps at Kokrine and two camps at Kako. We’re also considering some other opportunities as the Lord leads.

We were also excited that so many of you decided to sponsor campers so they could attend Bible Camp. This year, we’re hoping the Lord will provide for even more sponsorships.

Prayer Requests

Pray that God will give us the energy and stamina to serve faithfully this year.
Ask that He will protect the flights as we carry out his work in Alaska.