Church

I like Church. I like worship, I like preaching, I like Sunday school, I like fellowship (that should be obvious for anyone who knows I like to talk), I like the experience of a Sunday morning. I really liked this spring when we would eat lunch together and fellowship even more. The early church model is my favorite for the Christian Church lifestyle.
Not only do I like Church, I feel that I need Church. I think many would agree with me on this topic, here are a few standpoints for that agreement:
-from a Biblical standpoint, knowing that we are instructed to gather with fellow believers.
-from a Spiritual standpoint, hoping that more time with Jesus will make me less, well, troublesome.
-from an intellectual standpoint, knowing that I learn a lot when I go to church.
-from a social standpoint, as its the only time we know we will see each other.
Feel free to list others, I am sure there are a lot of reasons people think I (and you yourself) need church. I oftentimes feel that I need a weekly sanctuary to come, properly prepare my heart through worship, and hear biblical preaching.

But do I really need Church? Does fellowship with other believers make me a better Christian? Do I need Biblical teaching to grow in Christ? Do I need to sing five songs led by another person to feel like I have properly worshipped? Why do I feel that I need to go to a place on Sunday morning to have a complete week?

Take a look around at other Christians around the world. Do they all have the luxury of going to Church every week? Some people are the only Christians they know. Do they wither and fade away because they aren’t going to Church every week? Especially missionaries, who are living amongst a people group for the very purpose of leading them to Christ. Its highly doubtful that they will find an awesome church to weekly fulfill that need in their lives.

Church is good. Anytime I can, I make Church a priority. But Church should not be depended on. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” Church is an excellent place to find, fellowship, and grow in Jesus. But its not the only place to accomplish these things.

hunting/trapping

This is not a post advocating fin and feather.* For the most part, they make our lives miserable. I understand that they are there for a reason. Moving on...

Some friends and I were hanging out the other night watching a movie, and all the sudden Danny shouts, "Fox! Gotta get my gun!" I look over at the sliding glass window, and there was an orange ball of fur with black beady eyes. Right on the porch. I had never seen a live fox before that night. Danny comes racing back through the living room, opens up the sliding glass door, and points. The fox slides through the rails on the porch, but sits down just out of range of the light. BAM! The orange ball of fur quickly becomes the first fox I have ever seen shot.

He will claim it under his trapping tag. According to the slightly more liberal trapping law, he can shoot. As opposed to hunting... No, I guess it's not supposed to make sense.

*Also known as Alaska Department of Fish and Game

mind the socks

Church: One of my favorite weekly events. While its a good Christian thing to say that I like Church, the reason isn't entirely Godly. Yes, I enjoy hearing the preaching. Yes, prayer time is crucial. Yes, worship brings our hearts into the right place. Yes, its the only time in the week I am guaranteed to see several friends. But there is another reason I enjoy going to church.

Socks.

Since there is so much mud around here, (nothing is paved) the best way to control the amount of dirt inside buildings is by leaving shoes at the door. Even at church. The entry way is lined with benches and hooks to hang jackets and remove shoes. From children to grandparents, we all attend services in our stocking feet.

If you come for a visit, make sure you have at least one pair of wild socks with no holes in them. You will need to wear them to church.

Clear winter night

Winters are dark in Alaska. However, when the moon is near full, its hard to fear the darkness of night. I walked over to a friend's house last night, and I didn't need my flashlight at all. The moon was so bright I had a clear shadow following me in the snow. The mountains were clearly visible in the darkness, with the snow reflecting the bright moonlight.

Somewhat eerie, but absolutely beautiful.

homelessness

I feel homeless right now. I understand that its a part of transitions. I have been through enough of them recently! Port Alsworth doesn't feel like home yet. I am getting used to the daily life of walking everywhere, being able to go home for lunch, and only worrying about wildlife on the commute instead of wild drivers. I am getting to know people in the community a little better. I just get to the point where I miss having people around me who have experienced life with me.

When I went to Anchorage last month, I had to prepare myself. I had just begun to feel settled and established in Anchorage when I left. I had to tell myself that the city I was visiting is no longer home. It was great to spend some time with friends, and I can only imagine how easy it would be to be absorbed back into the city lifestyle. At the same time, I often found myself looking around and feeling out of place.

We went to see a movie at Bear's Tooth Friday night. Bear's tooth has two dining areas and a one screen movie theatre. They show movies that have mostly cycled out of the main theatres, as well as some classics and documentaries. The theatre is set up with booths and tables, and food is brought to you during the movie. A fun, and very popular, experience in Anchorage. I looked around at the crowd as we were leaving our movie. The line was all the way around the building for the next movie, and every seat was full from our movie. I think there were more people there at that point than live in my entire burough.

Anchorage, with all its entertainment and crowds, is not home. I am ok with that. But Port Alsworth isn't home yet either. When I am frustrated, I long for home. But where is home? Its a good way to remember that I was not created to be on earth forever. It can be my dwelling for now, but its never going to be a place to settle down.

NaNoBloMo.... whatever it is

Well, there's a thing in November dedicated to writing. From blogging every day, to writing a rough draft of a novel in a month, everyone from the novice blogger to the published author have an excuse to ignore responsibilities and write write write. As much as I dislike responsibility, I thought it would be a great excuse. Until it got to be a third of the way into November and I hadn't written anything. Oh well, there's always next year, right?

mail

Getting mail here is a little different. Of course, everything is different, so its really not surprising, right?

The most exciting thing is UPS and FedEx. I was actually kind of curious how that works, until someone explained it to me. I don't know if you have an idea of what the runway looks like here, but I just can't see a big Boeing jet landing on our humble 3000 ft dirt runway. FedEx has several Caravans, which wouldn't have a problem landing here, but I can't imagine it would be terribly ecenomic to stop off at EVERY village in this state with a few little packages on a regular basis.

First off, the packages check in to Anchorage. They sit at their respective facilities until someone takes them to the mail carrier (Illiamna Air Taxi for us). Everything, from FedEx to US mail piles onto the mail plane and lands here every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Well, unless the weather is bad. Usually it comes the next day.

So, things get here... eventually. It takes a little extra time, but nothing has gotten lost yet!