I now live in Alaska.
It snowed a couple times this week, also known as September.
Two weeks ago, after a challenging and confusing summer, after a wonderful goodbye party thrown by my mom and sister, I boarded my first flight to my destination: sweet, small little Galena, Alaska.
After five flights, four time zones, fainting twice on one flight, one hotel room, a buffalo burger with a friend, jet lag, and a 16 passenger plane, I made it. I was picked up by my dear friends Amanda and Jake, and they showed me around my new home while filling me in on what life has been like in Galena.
The first week is a bit of a blur, the combination of catching up on sleep, shadowing co-workers on the job (I came into the job later than everyone else), getting my apartment in order, trying to learn 100 high school girls' names, trying to figure out what a day on the job looks like, and the reality settling in that I just moved to Alaska.
Overall, it's been a great two weeks. I still cannot believe that I am getting paid to hang out with and love on high-school students. I nearly have every girl's name down, and some of the boys, not without often humorous error. My apartment is beginning to feel a little more home-like, and with the super generous package of food from Walmart from my sister, I finally have something more than cereal, peanut butter, and ramen noodles. I have been grouse (it's a wild bird) hunting, have eaten moose burgers and grouse, live behind the airport, have already been able to play music with Lou and Ellie at church, and seen the spectacular green Northern Lights.
Thinking about it right now, I just feel so blessed. The Lord provided a job, and one that I think I am going to love. I work and live with incredible people, I work with great (and challenging) students, the Christian community here is so much greater than I expected, and God's provision is great.
It's an adjustment. Living alone in an apartment, working with kids who have great needs, being far from home, learning a new job, and living in bush Alaska. Yes, we have two small markets with overpriced groceries, a coffee shop, an airport, and a post office, but it is different not being able to drive to Target, Applebees, or take a train home for the weekend. But I get to hang out with awesome people, experience -70 F weather (sometime in Jan/Feb), and my job really is such a great opportunity.
I want to learn what it means to love the students well, live intentionally in small community, use my free time wisely, and push myself in personal growth when school isn't there to do it for me. As I continue this year, I anticipate some very difficult times will come along, but it is humbling to realize that God has placed me here and will not leave me to fend for myself. May he use this year to shape me more into someone who lives life in a consistently Christ-like manner, eagerly seeking his will each day. May I truly be the love of Christ to those around me.
This post was titled after a song by Josh Garrels called White Owl which has kind of been a soundtrack of the last month of my life. I haven't been able to stop listening to it for weeks. Be blessed.
When the night comes,
and you don’t know which way to go
Through the shadowlands,
and forgotten paths,
you will find a road
Like an owl you must fly by moonlight with an open eye,
And use your instinct as a guide, to navigate the ways that lays before you,
You were born to, take the greatest flight
Like a serpent and a dove, you will have wisdom born of love
To carry visions from above into the places no man dares to follow
Every hollow in the dark of night
Waiting for the light
Take the flame tonight
Child the time has come for you to go
You will never be alone
Every dream that you have been shown
Will be like living stone
Building you into a home
A shelter from the storm
Like a messenger of peace, the beauty waits be released
Upon the sacred path you keep, leading deeper into the unveiling
As you'r sailing, across the great divide
Like a wolf at midnight howls, you use your voice in darkest hours
To break the silence and the power, holding back the others from their glory
Every story will be written soon
The blood is on the moon
Morning will come soon
It snowed a couple times this week, also known as September.
Two weeks ago, after a challenging and confusing summer, after a wonderful goodbye party thrown by my mom and sister, I boarded my first flight to my destination: sweet, small little Galena, Alaska.
After five flights, four time zones, fainting twice on one flight, one hotel room, a buffalo burger with a friend, jet lag, and a 16 passenger plane, I made it. I was picked up by my dear friends Amanda and Jake, and they showed me around my new home while filling me in on what life has been like in Galena.
 |
| Flying somewhere over Canada. |
 |
| Flying into Anchorage, AK |
 |
| Little 16 passenger plane you cannot stand upright in. |
 |
| Somewhere between Fairbanks and Galena |
It is small village of about 500 residents, on the Yukon river, and is surrounded by marshland - hence, the only flying in and out the village. I was amazed at the fact that the season of fall was in full force while at home, summer was still hanging about. Even more fascinating, is that now as I look out my window, fall is gone, winter is here, and leaves are no longer on the trees at all.
 |
| Flying into Galena |
 |
| Galena |
The first week is a bit of a blur, the combination of catching up on sleep, shadowing co-workers on the job (I came into the job later than everyone else), getting my apartment in order, trying to learn 100 high school girls' names, trying to figure out what a day on the job looks like, and the reality settling in that I just moved to Alaska.
Overall, it's been a great two weeks. I still cannot believe that I am getting paid to hang out with and love on high-school students. I nearly have every girl's name down, and some of the boys, not without often humorous error. My apartment is beginning to feel a little more home-like, and with the super generous package of food from Walmart from my sister, I finally have something more than cereal, peanut butter, and ramen noodles. I have been grouse (it's a wild bird) hunting, have eaten moose burgers and grouse, live behind the airport, have already been able to play music with Lou and Ellie at church, and seen the spectacular green Northern Lights.
Thinking about it right now, I just feel so blessed. The Lord provided a job, and one that I think I am going to love. I work and live with incredible people, I work with great (and challenging) students, the Christian community here is so much greater than I expected, and God's provision is great.
It's an adjustment. Living alone in an apartment, working with kids who have great needs, being far from home, learning a new job, and living in bush Alaska. Yes, we have two small markets with overpriced groceries, a coffee shop, an airport, and a post office, but it is different not being able to drive to Target, Applebees, or take a train home for the weekend. But I get to hang out with awesome people, experience -70 F weather (sometime in Jan/Feb), and my job really is such a great opportunity.
I want to learn what it means to love the students well, live intentionally in small community, use my free time wisely, and push myself in personal growth when school isn't there to do it for me. As I continue this year, I anticipate some very difficult times will come along, but it is humbling to realize that God has placed me here and will not leave me to fend for myself. May he use this year to shape me more into someone who lives life in a consistently Christ-like manner, eagerly seeking his will each day. May I truly be the love of Christ to those around me.
This post was titled after a song by Josh Garrels called White Owl which has kind of been a soundtrack of the last month of my life. I haven't been able to stop listening to it for weeks. Be blessed.
When the night comes,
and you don’t know which way to go
Through the shadowlands,
and forgotten paths,
you will find a road
Like an owl you must fly by moonlight with an open eye,
And use your instinct as a guide, to navigate the ways that lays before you,
You were born to, take the greatest flight
Like a serpent and a dove, you will have wisdom born of love
To carry visions from above into the places no man dares to follow
Every hollow in the dark of night
Waiting for the light
Take the flame tonight
Child the time has come for you to go
You will never be alone
Every dream that you have been shown
Will be like living stone
Building you into a home
A shelter from the storm
Like a messenger of peace, the beauty waits be released
Upon the sacred path you keep, leading deeper into the unveiling
As you'r sailing, across the great divide
Like a wolf at midnight howls, you use your voice in darkest hours
To break the silence and the power, holding back the others from their glory
Every story will be written soon
The blood is on the moon
Morning will come soon
you're pretty amazing... just saying.
ReplyDeleteYou should post more stuff. :)
ReplyDelete