Bear!

We knew we were in Alaska when we saw a small black bear sauntering across the backyard late Sunday night. He walked past the swingset (gulp!), around the side of the house, across the front walk, and then he trotted off into the woods.

Then we saw a much larger bear the next day, but this time it was nowhere near the house. We took a day trip down to Alyeska, which is a ski resort town south of Anchorage. Just before beginning a two-mile hike, we saw this big fella crossing the road and walking into the woods. Then, after we started the hike, we spotted him again about 30 yards down the trail. This got our hearts pumping a little. We were sure to make a lot of noise the rest of the hike, which is a piece of cake with four children six and under.

On another topic, our house-hunting continues. We've probably looked at a dozen so far. This evening we got a call from our realtor, Terry (who also is a member of the church), about a house that just became available today and would suit our needs quite well. We drove out to Wasilla, took a look at it, and liked what we saw. One interesting fact about the house is the address: 880 N. Craig Stadler. That's correct, "Craig Stadler", as in the golfer, as in "The Walrus." I wonder if he knows he has a street named after him in Wasilla, Alaska? All of the street names in that neighborhood are golfers: Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson, etc. Robyn recognized exactly zero of the names. But, she does know who Tiger Woods is.

Summer Solstice

Today is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. Here in Wasilla, the sun will set tonight at 11:42 p.m. It will rise again in the morning at 4:19 a.m. But even during those hours it will be more or less light outside, like a long dusk.

Our time in Alaska has gone well so far. But we have only been here just under three weeks, so that we often catch ourselves saying, "I can't believe we actually live here!" I sometimes think that one morning I'll wake up back in Norman after having this dream in which we moved to Alaska. Because it is so far away and so different from other places we've lived, it feels like we've moved to another country at times. Apparently we are not the first to feel this way. A sign posted at the hotel in Tok said, "Alaska - The Last Foreign Country Still Friendly to Americans."

But we are thoroughly enjoying it here so far. I love the sight of the mountains, the occasional moose sightings, and hearing people talk about how "hot" it is at 75 degrees (to be sure, 75 degrees in the sun here feels much warmer than the same temperature in other places we've lived). I also enjoy the coffee kiosks on nearly every corner. I've become hooked on Americanos (an Americano is just a shot of espresso mixed with piping hot water. I like them because they are hot, strong, and cheap).

I'm enjoying preaching at Grace. I was just speaking to another minister about how preaching to a larger congregation is easier than to a small one (the church here usually has about 90 to 100 people present on Sunday mornings). One might think the opposite is the case; the fewer people, the less stress on the speaker. But actually for some reason, the more people there are, the more enjoyable the experience.

As I am just beginning my ministry here, I am reminded of something one of my former mentor-pastors said to me. He said that in the ministry, you must take a long-term view of things. Real change and real fruit will take years to come. The Spirit will work through the means of grace, but his timetable is often much longer than ours. This is good to remember when the press of each week's duties intensifies; I may be anxious about this Sunday's sermon or tomorrow's appointment, but God's time-horizon stretches far beyond the immediate. So I pray that the little I do each day will culminate into a ministry that bears fruit over the long-haul, and ultimately for eternity.

Alaska - our new home

We've only been here a week, so there are times when I look around and tell myself, "I can't believe this is where I live!" I'm sure the novelty will wear off sooner or later, but for now everything feels very new to us.

One thing that reminds me that Alaska is a unique place is the fact that in one week's time we haven't seen darkness yet. It is light when we go to bed (even as late as midnight), it is light when we wake up. If it is getting dark sometime in the night, we haven't been awake to see it. Thankfully, it hasn't disturbed our sleep at all!

We are learning a little bit about what it means to be a pilgrim people, as we are planning to live in three different houses over the next few months. First, we are staying in a beautiful house in a secluded setting in nearby Palmer. The family who owns this home is away on vacation and kindly offered us to house sit for them. Not only is the house comfortable, but we have had a couple of fun moose sightings while we've been here (this definitely makes us newbies to Alaska - people who have lived here a while don't get excited about seeing moose).

Next, we are going to house sit for another family who lives in Eagle River, which is actually closer to Anchorage than it is to Wasilla. It will make for long commutes to the church, but should be a good arrangement for both us and the family that owns the house. Then, a woman who lives near the church has offered to have us stay with her for a time. Again, a very gracious offer for which we are thankful. She has two young children so the kids will love it. Her husband is in the military and currently serving in Iraq.

We are now looking for a house to buy so we can quit our nomadic lifestyle. It is a good time to purchase a home here in Alaska, since supply seems to be greater than demand.

I've unpacked my boxes for my office at church and have officially "moved in". I have met with some folks in the church and have cracked open a few books for study. It feels good to be engaged in ministry again after a month or so of being in transition.

Day Nineteen - Wasilla, AK

We made it! Technically, we are not yet in Wasilla, but in the neighboring town of Palmer. A family from the church here has graciously allowed us to house sit for them until they return from vacation later this month. But, the driving is finished, and by the grace of God, we made it here with our bodies and minds intact (mostly).

Today was not the easiest day of the trip, though. It began with another early-morning Maggie throw-up. This time it happened at 4:40 a.m. We got up, dressed the kids, packed the car, ate breakfast, and finally hit the road about 8:00 a.m.

The drive started out fine until Meredith threw up...in the car. However, I was able to find a plastic bag, open it up, and shove it in front of Meredith's face just in the nick time. I don't think I've ever moved that fast in my life. But there's something about a child on the verge of vomiting that makes the adreline surge.

So Meredith's clothes, the surrounding toys and books, and the car were all spared by the bag. Actually, the credit goes to Meredith herself for her self-control. I am very grateful that we avoided what could have been a real mess.

Soon after that episode, we hit road construction that slowed us down considerably, even forcing us to stop at one point for about 20 minutes. Under usual circumstances, it wouldn't have been so bad except that we were just a few hours away, we were all tired, and some of us were sick. I think we pushed the poor kids to the limits of their physical ability. But, as we say in our family, they were real "troopers" during the entire trip.

I just checked our trip odometer and it reads 5,678 miles. I set it at "0" when we pulled out of the driveway in Norman. That included some side trips, of course. But it is still our family's record for driving. We drove about 5,000 miles a couple of summers ago for a vacation. I don't believe we are going to top this one anytime soon. If we do, it'll be in about 20 years.

Now we are here, and are excited about the days ahead. Tomorrow is our first day at Grace OPC in Wasilla, so my pastorate here is about to begin. I have believed that our coming here has been by the leading of God. Now I am anxiously looking forward to see how he may use me, and our family, here in this church and in this part of the world.

Day Eighteen - Tok, Alaska

We have finally made it to Alaska! The place we are staying at tonight is located on Mile 1314 of the Alaska Highway. Although the highway goes on for a little while longer into Alaska, this is our stopping off point. So we drove a little over 1,300 miles on the Alcan. A long drive, but it is hard to imagine a more beautiful one.

The day started early at 5:00 a.m. with a wake-up call in the form of Maggie throwing up. Thankfully, that was her last time to get sick, but Sander picked up the baton later at lunch time, throwing up at a rest area. I have to give the kid some credit - at least he did it after he got out of the Suburban (whether that was planned or not is another question).

I am amazed that no one, including Robyn and myself, got sick in the car today. For about 300 miles, the road was extremely bumpy. The bumps were not small ones like speed bumps or potholes, but more like tiny hills. So for hours the car went up and down like a ship on the high seas. Since our belongings travelled down the same road in the moving truck, we are wondering how all the china held up.

We went through customs today with no problem. After I explained who we were, and what we were doing going into Alaska, the border patrol officer interviewed Meredith to verify my story. Meredith did an excellent job answering all of her questions, confirming for the officer that she was in fact our daughter, the other children in the car were in fact our children, and that the dog was in fact our dog.

Meredith was genuinely excited to be here. She said after we crossed the border, "I can't believe we are finally in Alaska!"

We have enjoyed the drive and the scenery. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But, we are glad tomorrow is our last day on the road. The hours in the car take a toll both on us and on the little ones. But it is not as though we have merely survived; the trip has been alot of fun, and we will have good memories of it for years to come.