Kake Day 6, Friday, July 16th

Darrel, Steve and Bil talking with Nick a young man who is very talented in artistry.

The team!

One last day at the culture camp.

Christopher and his buddies - please pray that Chris follows through with getting help for his drinking problem.

The ladies at Bible Study - they had a great week connecting with some of the women in Kake.

Kake Day 5, Thursday, July 15h

Kara showing off one of the masks made during story time at the culture camp.

Some of our guys helping out with damming the river for swimming.

Tom, Darrel and Jerry put the finishing touches on fixing up the park and fence!

Steve working on the skirting for the Mans (A fancy word for Parsonage).

Kake Day 4, Wednesday, July 14th

Anthony leading the kids in singing Tlingit songs.

Russell is traditional Tlingit garb.

Three of our friends from Kake.

The Halibut and Salmon were cooked beneath the fire wrapped in large 'cabbage' leaves and topped by rocks and fire.

Kake Day 3, Tuesday, July 13th

Some of the team with their faces painted symbolizing different animals in the Tlingit culture.

Story time with Robert at culture camp.

"Bullet" Bill with the kids showing off their new puppets at culture camp.

Janna, Gloria and Diann busy getting breakfast ready.

Kake Day 2, Monday, July 12

Megan getting to know our new friends Sean and Drew.

Janna working at the culture camp.

Mark and Brown with Russell who stopped by with some fresh octopus!

Kake Day 1, Sunday, July 11th

Some lunch after worship service.

One of the many beautiful sites of Kake.

The team getting ready for the Ultimate sports camp.

The boys doing dishes

The Ferry and Kake Day 1 (July 9 and 10)

We left Juneau on Friday at 2:00 in the afternoon and arrived in Kake at about 10 on Saturday morning. The ferry was very nice and we spent together as well as mingling with the workers and other passengers. The ferry was fairly empty probably around 75 people with groups of Junior High kids. One interesting part of the ride was watching a movie on the Tlingit culture and we did have several whale sightings. It was amazing to see God's creation revealed to us through very picturesque sites!

We were greeted in Kake by several local leaders and others who made our transition to the Presbyterian Church a breeze - they even brought us lunch! The rest of the day was filled up with settling in, making ministry preparations and spending time with local children, teens and adults. It is a great adventure for us getting to know the Tlingit culture and the people of Kake. A few highlights of the day included the warm welcome, two bear sightings, time spent exploring the ocean at low tide and our group time together in worship and prayer - and of course the wonderful food provided by our cooks Jerry and Heidi!

The Church that would be our home for the week!

Arriving in Kake at the ferry terminal.

The team watching a documentary on the Tlingit culture aboard the ferry.

Our ferry the "Keku"

Some of the children we would get to know.

Megan with a little girl.

Kaya holding one of Hazel's puppies.

The kids getting in a game of Ultimate.

A couple of the many bears that we saw over the week!

We are just about to arrive in kake - the group is getting along well and are looking forward to the week ahead. We covet your prayers!

We are getting ready to board the ferry - 20 hours of great views and team bonding!

Thursday's Update from Juneau

God's blessings from Juneau! Our entire team is now together and very eager to get started in Kake. Some of our group visited the Alaska Museum today and many others visited the Mendenhall glacier just a short distance from where we are staying.

One of the many beautiful mountains surrounding Juneau. The magnificence of God's creation is everywhere.

A view of the Mendenhall glacier from the park area leading to the glacier and nearby waterfalls.

Our trusty "rent-a-wreck" transportation which Stan Bomsta has been piloting. You should ask Stan about starting this thing. He's getting very good at it!

Faith Lutheran, our gracious host church while in Juneau.

Some social time before our lasagna dinner in the kitchen at Faith Lutheran.

Our entire mission team outside Faith Lutheran. We all enjoyed a perfect sunny day in Juneau. The locals keep telling us that it's not like this very often.

Our fearless leaders, Pastor Tom and Vicar Mark, outside Faith Lutheran next to the Greek sign meaning Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior.

Thank you to all that are following our mission and praying for our team. Today's prayers are for safe travel, the people of Kake, and team members Stan and Gloria Bomsta.

Please remember tomorrow's prayers for our ferry trip to Kake, team unity, and team members Diane and Jerry Panning.

Hello from Juneau!

The advance team arrived safely in Juneau yesterday to an absolutely beautiful day. We enjoyed some time at the Mendenhall glacier which was unbelievable. After that, we got down to business and went shopping at the Home
Depot and Costco. Our efforts resulted in nineteen boxes and a full refrigerator of food. It is a bit of an adjustment for us as we acclimate to the new time zone and a bit more daylight.

Special thanks to Pastor Mike, Wayne, and Faith Lutheran for all their help and hospitality.

Today is another beautiful day and we look forward to the arrival of the rest of the team.

This evening we will prepare and enjoy a meal with another mission team, from Indiana, that will be traveling to Angoon, Alaska.

Hello to all our family and friends back home!

Almost There!

Thanks for stopping by to check out our blog! We would love to have you join us as we travel to Kake, Alaska for this exciting Mission Experience. Half of the group will be leaving on Wednesday to purchase supplies and the rest of us will be flying out on Thursday. Stay tuned for some great pictures and stories of God at work! Please follow our prayer guide!

Thursday, July 8th

- Safe travel as we travel to Juneau.

- For the people of Kake.

- For team members Stan and Gloria Bomsta.

Friday, July 9th

- For safety as we journey 20 hours on a ferry to Kake.

- For team unity.

- For team members Diane and Jerry Panning.

Saturday, July 10th

- For safety and patience as we acclimate.

- For opportunities to share Jesus with locals.

- For team members Heidi and Dave Hove.

Sunday, July 11th

- For the team as we lead worship.

- For good communication between team members.

- For team members Steve and Diann Lindeman.

Monday, July 12th

- For the culture and sports camp.

- For the week long woman’s Bible Study.

- For team members Mark and Kara Koschmann.

Tuesday, July 13th

- For the culture and sports camp.

- For health of team members to remain strong.

- For team members Janna and Megan Wutke.

Wednesday, July 14th

- For the culture and sports camp.

- For continued growth of relationships with locals.

- For Team members Sue and Darrel Bach.

Thursday, July 15th

- For the culture and sports camp.

- For the youth talk.

- For Team members Emmanuel Brown and Bill Betthauser.

Friday, July 16th

- For the culture camp celebration and sad good-byes!

- For the Mens breakfast and Bible Study.

- For Team members Karen St. John and Bil Lund.

Saturday, July 17th

- For safe travel and many sad goodbyes!

- For the people of Kake.

- For Team member Pastor Tom.