ministry on streets

First off - I have a job! Tomorrow I begin training to be a Kayak Guide AND a Canoe Guide for Alaskan Travel Adventures! All of us girls have been able to find jobs that we are super excited to start!
The day before yesterday (Friday), we went on about a 3 1/2 mile hike out to a cabin right on the shore called Blue Mussel Cabin. There was a bit of rain on the hike out there but it cleared up, giving us time to get a fire going and cook dinner, and then restarted later in the evening while we were all sharing our life stories around the fire. When we got up in the morning we saw a few whales surfacing just off the shore!
After we got back home and showered, we went down town in partners with Solarium (a visual questionnaire to help provoke deeper conversation about life, spirituality and relationship with Christ) to talk to people on the streets of Juneau. I partnered with Melissa (one of the girls in my house). We talked to four different groups of high schoolers and college aged people of Juneau. Also we talked to a couple of women who work on one of the cruise ships that was docked yesterday. All of out conversations went pretty well. There was a great variety in how open people were with us, but using solarium really made a huge difference and helped people open up more. It was so great just taking interest in the lifes of the people we were talking with. Some of them really told us a lot about what their relationship with God is like and what they'd like it to be. I gave my phone number to a few of the girls that we talked to, so hopefully I will be able to hang out with them some throughout the summer!
It was amazing and incredilbly encouraging to see how God opened the hearts of these people to two complete strangers! Some of the most common things we heard people telling us was about how difficult it is living as a Christian in Juneau because it is such a dark place. One girl who goes to the University of Alaska - South East told me that in a class of hers she wrote on some text from the Bible and for that alone, she failed the assignment. Some people told us that from there perspective it seems like a lot of people don't have a full understanding of what it means to be a Christian, nor do they have a full understadng of who God is. It really broke my heart listening to some of the high school kids talk about how broken they feel right now and how badly they want to get out of Juneau!
We invited people we met on the streets to come to a camp fire that we had later on lastnight. Many of them seemed very interested, however I never did see any of the people I talked to show up. It was a little tricky to find the location of the fire though.
All that I experienced yesterday has really grown my desire to be here to spread the love of Christ through Juneau!

a few photos from the past couple days:

Good morning, Alaska!

I arrived in Juneau the night before last at about 10:30pm after 6 days of travel! The trip was incredible! We made the entire trip with no car troubles or flat tires, which was a huge blessing! We traveled through Jackson hole/Tetons national park, Yellowstone, Banf national park in Canada, and Jasper National Park! This road trip was such an amazing experience and friendships were developed through this 6 day road trip between the 20 of us traveling together so easily that I can't even imagine how close all of us will be by the end of the summer! It is an amazing group of people that have been brought together here this summer and I know God is going to much in each of us!
So far in Juneau, we have just been getting settled in and looking for jobs. I was initially planning to work at Glacier Gardens, where I would be leading tours up and down a mountain on a golf cart, but I have been looking into other jobs. Today I should hear back from 2 places about a position leading either kayak tours or zip line tours! Prayers for either of those to work out as well as for jobs to work out for every else would be much appreciated!
This morning we went through "orientation" and chose what churches we would be going to this summer. I initially had wanted to go to Douglas Island Bible Church, but later in the day the staff women asked me if I would come to the Nazarene church instead because there is a group high school girls there that they'd really like someone working with! So I will instead be going there and am so excited for it! Here are just a few of the photos I took during the roadtip..














a few of us decided to bath in the glacier water in Haines, AK... It was FREEZING!!!









on the ferry

Tomorrow!

**disclosure- it is 2:00 AM and I am a bit tired, but for whatever reason felt this to be the best time to write...so I apologize if this posting is a bit jumbled or rambling nonsense**

I can't believe how quickly this semester has gone by! Tomorrow, Wednesday, I will be on my way to Juneau! Tomorrow!! I began packing the day before yesterday. Well, I sort of began packing. Trying to determine what I will need/want through the entire summer while trying to keep things to a minimum seems to be a bit more overwhelming than I expected. My response to this has been to pile everything I think I want to bring onto my bed and sort it out from there... I still have not gotten very far but intend to finish packing before noon :)
While I am incredibly excited for all that this summer will contain, in the past few days I've began to realize how much I am going to miss everyone here in Peoria and the fun of Peoria summers! I've had to keep reminding myself and everyone else that I will be back at the end of the summer (for at least one more year). I don't even know what to expect this summer to contain for myself and the others that I will be spending it with. I actually know very little about what this summer will look like. I am giving the next 11 weeks (+travel time, so almost 13 weeks) to God, throwing myself in an apt. with a bunch of other girls I've never met, in an Alaskan city that can only be accessed by plane or boat. From what I understand, my life will be fairly scheduled... anyone who really knows me knows that my life runs on a very loose schedule and I tend to be rather spontaneous with how I spend my free time or weekends. This will be quite a summer, indeed.
Yesterday morning, I saw my doctor one last time for my ankle. He was a bit concerned with the fact that I forgot my meds ONE day and left them at home and was in pain most of the day. However, he thinks that I should be alright through the summer and gave me refills on my prescriptions large enough to last until I return. Come August, if I'm still having issues or if I do anything to mess up my ankle any more, it seems pretty likely that I will have to have surgery. My doctor and I are both hopeful that the swelling and the pain will continue clear up with a little more time though.
During this past week, as I was finishing up classes and really beginning to prepare for Juneau, I found myself to be experiencing greater attack on my spirit. I know that I am on the verge of embarking on something great for God. I know that this is precisely why I am feeling more attack. My knowing of these things, however, is not going to make it any easier. Giving it to God and finding strength in Him is what will overcome this.

Prayers:

• clarity of my mind as I am trying to figure out what/how exactly to pack for the entire summer
• continued preparation for myself and all that will be traveling to Juneau
• safe travels as I meet everyone and depart on the greatest road trip
• good spirit, energy, and much joy for this last day that I have in Peoria as I will be spending it with a few close friends and family
• my ankle to continue healing (now over 6 months)
  
• finding strength in God alone

Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do rather than the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
-- Mark Twain

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;
my hope comes from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
--Psalm 62:5-6