GOD's Fingerprint

MOUNT REDOUT

God's fingerprint - the beauty of His creation

Mount Redout is an active volcano that is visible from many places in Soldotna.  The last major eruption of Mount Redout was in 2009.  It is an amazing sight to come around a corner and see the volcano towering above the horizon.

THE MOOSE IS ON THE LOOSE

My kids are really love the moose stories because of the all of the roadkill we have eaten since we arrived.

Here is a moose Jennifer and I saw in someone's front yard.  It was funny because we had to stop and take video / pictures and the locals were frustrated with us for blocking traffic.  The moose had been eating something from the front yard but at this moment he is staring down the neighbor's cat.  We thought for sure we were about to see a moose go toe to toe with a cat.  The cat however was smart and made a dash for the back yard.  I'm sure the moose was thinking "hmmm...  that kitty looks tasty.  Here kitty kitty..."

Jen and I spent all day yesterday at MARC.  We met more of the staff and got a tour of all of the facilities.  There are 2 hangers together at Soldotna airport - one belongs to Samaritan's Purse and one belongs to MARC.  The 2 organizations work hand in hand to serve Alaska and one scheduler handles all flight schedules.  Most of the flying I would do in the first years would most likely be in the Piper Navajos:

 or the King Air A-90s

We had the opportunity during our time at MARC to sit down with the Director of MARC - Drew Baker.  We talked about vision and missions.  Drew was an Air Force pilot before he went to a very Muslin nation to serve as a ministry pilot there.  He has a clear vision where he believes the Lord is directing MARC to reach more people and provide more resources to bring the Gospel to lost people in bush Alaska.

Before Jennifer and I left the airport we had the privilege of meeting 2 guys that were hanging out at the airport - Tim Amundsen and David Cochran.  Tim is the son of Roald and Harriett Amundsen who were the founders of MARC in 1964 and David is a pilot/commercial contractor.  The two of them are buddies and have stories about their service around the globe with Samaritan's Purse.  We really did not know who they were and almost walked right past them.  I was worn out from talking to people all day and hungry because we had skipped lunch.  It was Jennifer who decided to introduce herself and this great conversation followed.  David has worked to bring resources to many African villages and Alaskan villages.  He has used his contracting skills to build youth centers, worship centers and homes.  What a blessing to get their perspective.

Last night Jennifer and I had dinner with another couple from MARC.  To me it was an honor to meet this gentleman and his wife.  He has been flying here since 1982 and has logged over 14,000 hours serving God and reaching people.  The stories they had to tell were rich.  They have 4 children that all love the Lord and even one of their kids is serving in China at this time.  They had a gentle spirit and it was obvious they were fulfilled by their years of service here at MARC.

Please continue to pray for God to give us clarity.  We will come to a time of decision here quickly if they offer us Candidacy.  That will mean we will have to come back for at least 2-3 weeks and Jennifer will have to be with me.  They would even prefer the whole family come because it is a time of evaluation for everyone.  Please pray for God to bless our resources.  As we progress in this process we will have to sell our home, our land in Northern Greenville county and many of our possessions.  We will have to trust in God in a way we have not done before.  Please pray for the families that have so willingly and lovingly supported us during this week by caring for our kids.  It is huge that someone can love a brother enough to not just watch our kids but to love them as if they were their own.  Our friends and our church family are cherished.

James & Jen