Just testing to see if I could figure out how to post photos to our blog! I think it's working:) This isn't Savoonga, but I thought it was a great picture of Owen and Logan loving each other.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Savoonga, Alaska - First Impressions
As four sleepy travelers (Jacob, Kami, Logan, & Owen) touched the gravel runway in the 10-seater airplane, we tried to gather ourselves as quickly as possible to "disembark the aircraft." It had been a rather warm, sunny day in Nome, but the fact that the snow was flying outside, there was no "indoors" to this airport to be noted, and that our "ride" seemed to be missing as well, told us that we better bundle up before exiting the airplane. As we dressed ourselves in coats/hats/mittens... a man came on the plane and asked us if we were getting off. I replied, in what turned out to be a rather shaky voice, "I think so." He gave a little smile and laugh. I think it was clear that it was our first time to step foot in the Alaskan Bush!
We finally exited the airplane and it was windy and cold. We gathered our heavy bags (filled with the food and warm clothes that we were advised to bring along) and watched as everyone else drove away on their Hondas (4-wheelers). I looked at the village (wondering which building might be the church and if we did happen to stumble upon it, if it would be unlocked), our pile of bags, our frightened and chilly children, and the airplane. I said to Jacob, "Your mom said, `If it looks too bad, don't let that airplane leave without you. Just get back on, Kami.' " We laughed at her words while in Ohio, but I was beginning to contemplate them as sound advice. Just then, a man drove buy with a trailer and told us to throw our bags in the back...he would take them to the church. As he drove off, it did occur to me that for all we knew, he could be taking them to his home to enjoy our food while we starved and froze to death until, God-willing, the next plane returned. We began our walk and hoped we were headed in the right direction. Before long, an older man pulled up beside us and said, "I thought you weren't coming until 5. Get on." As Logan and Owen were still a bit frightened, I tried to convince the man that we would walk. I don't think he understood, so finally, what do you do, we hopped on...Jacob and Logan over the right wheel well and Owen and me over the left. I held tightly to the rack on the back and prayed the whole way! To my surprise, the boys finally relaxed in our arms. Apparently they found comfort on the 4-wheeler:)
We arrived at the church to find our bags (praise the Lord!) Upon entering the manse (the pastor's house), I was surprised. It was very clean, nice, spacious and warm. After a brief visit, the man left so that we could settle in. Later, a mother and son came to welcome us with a brief visit. Logan, Owen and I went to bed early as we were exhausted and decided we would take it all in better after a good night's sleep.
Over the course of the next 3 days, we gained a good feel for life in Savoonga. Of course, many aspects are still left to our imaginations, namely the weather and darkness, but we definitely gained a good feel of the remoteness and a surface level understanding of the people. I was surprised by the remoteness in two ways. First, as we flew over the Bering Sea, it struck me just how far away is Savoonga. Second, it struck me how well these people have adapted to this isolation. I expected to find a medical center much like the one where I was treated in Mexico City. A single room with a concrete floor, stool, and doctor with a medical bag. In Savoonga, I found a building that looked fairly new, with several exam rooms, a lab, an office, a waiting room, and even a dental room. They have a full-time Physician's Assistant and a Dental Therapist. They're open 5 days a week and on call 24:7. As I looked around the center, it was very evident that they were prepared for emergencies. During our visit, a man injured his head from a fall while suffering a stroke. He was taken to Anchorage and was doing well before we left. Upon news of the accident, the elders in the village gathered at the manse to pray. Later, another person fell ill and Jacob joined elders at his house to pray. We were amazed at the strong prayer life of these people. Other places in the village included, a fire brigade, two story city hall, post office, Seventh Day Adventist Church, Head Start Building, General Store (also a surprise to see how much they carried and aside from the $14 bag of tortilla chips, most items were only $1-$2 more than we're used to), a playground (in dire need of repair/replacement) and a K-12 school. They are currently building a new school that is very impressive. It should open Fall `09. The school they currently use is just steps from the church, as is the general store.
There are two sections of town...the new and the old. The new section of town includes the new school and several new homes. The old section contains everything else, including the church:) The old part is connected with wooden boardwalks. Logan and Owen loved walking on these! Around the old part of town and within the new part are dirt roads. We visited during the time of year when the snow is melting, leaving pools of water (in which the boys enjoyed trying out their new boots) and much trash. We were told that summer cleanup will come around and carry much of it to the dump. We were there early enough to see the beautiful sea ice breaking up. People were just able to begin leaving in their boats to go hunting. Our entertainment was watching them ride by on their Hondas, preparing to leave for hunting season. I think it was light 24 hours a day. The village remained fairly quiet until close to noon, but remained very active until hours after we went to bed. As we went out the first morning and were quite chilly as we played in the snow and such, we realized later that the locals were wise enough to make the most of the later hours of the day when it was warmer! We began to disagree with the description we received upon arrival of Savoonga people having a "slower pace of life." They reminded me of the Indian community whom I lived amidst in South Africa, in that, they worked hard and fast, but prioritized people, so would drop everything to visit and make you feel valued.
We spent most of our days playing within the manse (trying to gain a feel for what it would be like in those long winter months...challenging!) and walking around the village (attempting to meet people and see the town). We found most of the people to be incredibly welcoming as we received numerous smiles, waves, and "Welcome to Savoonga" greetings. We spent quite awhile in the General Store one afternoon as most people we met stopped to talk and share their perceptions of life in Savoonga. Another afternoon, we encountered a group of youth near the beach and they were so nice to play with the boys and visit (even after, to my horror, Owen threw a rock at one of the girls, putting a hole in her much coveted can of soda pop!) Everyone we talked with was quite excited about the possibility of having a pastor in Savoonga again. The last day we were there, a very skeptical looking older man stopped us and said, "Who are you? What are you doing?" (He's the only one who interacted with us in such a direct manner, by the way!) Jacob told him that he may be the next pastor at the Presbyterian church. The man's entire demeanor softened, a big grin covered his face and he said, "Praise God. This village needs a pastor."
We left Savoonga fully convinced that they do need a pastor, but I (much to my dismay) was not fully convinced that we were going to fulfill that role. I know it would be a much easier decision if I were not a mother! But I am and I have concerns for my children (and their grandparents!). As we continue to discern God's calling upon our lives regarding this matter, we will keep you updated on our decisions. I also hope to post pictures from our trip today or soon.
We finally exited the airplane and it was windy and cold. We gathered our heavy bags (filled with the food and warm clothes that we were advised to bring along) and watched as everyone else drove away on their Hondas (4-wheelers). I looked at the village (wondering which building might be the church and if we did happen to stumble upon it, if it would be unlocked), our pile of bags, our frightened and chilly children, and the airplane. I said to Jacob, "Your mom said, `If it looks too bad, don't let that airplane leave without you. Just get back on, Kami.' " We laughed at her words while in Ohio, but I was beginning to contemplate them as sound advice. Just then, a man drove buy with a trailer and told us to throw our bags in the back...he would take them to the church. As he drove off, it did occur to me that for all we knew, he could be taking them to his home to enjoy our food while we starved and froze to death until, God-willing, the next plane returned. We began our walk and hoped we were headed in the right direction. Before long, an older man pulled up beside us and said, "I thought you weren't coming until 5. Get on." As Logan and Owen were still a bit frightened, I tried to convince the man that we would walk. I don't think he understood, so finally, what do you do, we hopped on...Jacob and Logan over the right wheel well and Owen and me over the left. I held tightly to the rack on the back and prayed the whole way! To my surprise, the boys finally relaxed in our arms. Apparently they found comfort on the 4-wheeler:)
We arrived at the church to find our bags (praise the Lord!) Upon entering the manse (the pastor's house), I was surprised. It was very clean, nice, spacious and warm. After a brief visit, the man left so that we could settle in. Later, a mother and son came to welcome us with a brief visit. Logan, Owen and I went to bed early as we were exhausted and decided we would take it all in better after a good night's sleep.
Over the course of the next 3 days, we gained a good feel for life in Savoonga. Of course, many aspects are still left to our imaginations, namely the weather and darkness, but we definitely gained a good feel of the remoteness and a surface level understanding of the people. I was surprised by the remoteness in two ways. First, as we flew over the Bering Sea, it struck me just how far away is Savoonga. Second, it struck me how well these people have adapted to this isolation. I expected to find a medical center much like the one where I was treated in Mexico City. A single room with a concrete floor, stool, and doctor with a medical bag. In Savoonga, I found a building that looked fairly new, with several exam rooms, a lab, an office, a waiting room, and even a dental room. They have a full-time Physician's Assistant and a Dental Therapist. They're open 5 days a week and on call 24:7. As I looked around the center, it was very evident that they were prepared for emergencies. During our visit, a man injured his head from a fall while suffering a stroke. He was taken to Anchorage and was doing well before we left. Upon news of the accident, the elders in the village gathered at the manse to pray. Later, another person fell ill and Jacob joined elders at his house to pray. We were amazed at the strong prayer life of these people. Other places in the village included, a fire brigade, two story city hall, post office, Seventh Day Adventist Church, Head Start Building, General Store (also a surprise to see how much they carried and aside from the $14 bag of tortilla chips, most items were only $1-$2 more than we're used to), a playground (in dire need of repair/replacement) and a K-12 school. They are currently building a new school that is very impressive. It should open Fall `09. The school they currently use is just steps from the church, as is the general store.
There are two sections of town...the new and the old. The new section of town includes the new school and several new homes. The old section contains everything else, including the church:) The old part is connected with wooden boardwalks. Logan and Owen loved walking on these! Around the old part of town and within the new part are dirt roads. We visited during the time of year when the snow is melting, leaving pools of water (in which the boys enjoyed trying out their new boots) and much trash. We were told that summer cleanup will come around and carry much of it to the dump. We were there early enough to see the beautiful sea ice breaking up. People were just able to begin leaving in their boats to go hunting. Our entertainment was watching them ride by on their Hondas, preparing to leave for hunting season. I think it was light 24 hours a day. The village remained fairly quiet until close to noon, but remained very active until hours after we went to bed. As we went out the first morning and were quite chilly as we played in the snow and such, we realized later that the locals were wise enough to make the most of the later hours of the day when it was warmer! We began to disagree with the description we received upon arrival of Savoonga people having a "slower pace of life." They reminded me of the Indian community whom I lived amidst in South Africa, in that, they worked hard and fast, but prioritized people, so would drop everything to visit and make you feel valued.
We spent most of our days playing within the manse (trying to gain a feel for what it would be like in those long winter months...challenging!) and walking around the village (attempting to meet people and see the town). We found most of the people to be incredibly welcoming as we received numerous smiles, waves, and "Welcome to Savoonga" greetings. We spent quite awhile in the General Store one afternoon as most people we met stopped to talk and share their perceptions of life in Savoonga. Another afternoon, we encountered a group of youth near the beach and they were so nice to play with the boys and visit (even after, to my horror, Owen threw a rock at one of the girls, putting a hole in her much coveted can of soda pop!) Everyone we talked with was quite excited about the possibility of having a pastor in Savoonga again. The last day we were there, a very skeptical looking older man stopped us and said, "Who are you? What are you doing?" (He's the only one who interacted with us in such a direct manner, by the way!) Jacob told him that he may be the next pastor at the Presbyterian church. The man's entire demeanor softened, a big grin covered his face and he said, "Praise God. This village needs a pastor."
We left Savoonga fully convinced that they do need a pastor, but I (much to my dismay) was not fully convinced that we were going to fulfill that role. I know it would be a much easier decision if I were not a mother! But I am and I have concerns for my children (and their grandparents!). As we continue to discern God's calling upon our lives regarding this matter, we will keep you updated on our decisions. I also hope to post pictures from our trip today or soon.
Summer Travel
We have returned from Savoonga and if the boys continue to nap well I will share our experience with you! First, let me dedicate this post to our summer travel. Since May 6th, our family has flown from CA to Ohio. After a week, we drove to Grand Rapids for a week before returning to Ohio. After another couple of weeks, we flew from Columbus (layover in Detroit) to Seattle where we spent 1 1/2 days with my family before flying from Seattle (layover in Anchorage...layover in Nome) to Savoonga. We spent a few days in Savoonga before flying from Savoonga (layover in Nome...layover in Anchorage) to Seattle where we spent two days with my family before flying from Seattle (layover in MN) to Columbus. We will have spent another week in Ohio before flying back to CA for a long weekend and then spending 6 days driving our car and moving truck to Seattle. The boys and I will stay put there until we discover the location of our next home, but Jacob will continue to travel to New Mexico (Boy Scout Camp chaperon) and South Dakota (to visit another church). So that means that in the space of 2 months, Logan and Owen will have boarded 14 airplanes and spent at least one night in 5 different states. While I am enjoying our transient life, I did envy my friend a bit as she recently described to me her normal day to day activities with her son about her home:)
Monday, June 2, 2008
Country Living
I haven't been great about keeping up with this blog, but figure that you will hear from me more than you probably care to once we are snowed and darkened into our Savoonga bungalow this winter!...if that is where God places us:) Tomorrow, we leave for Seattle and then Savoonga, AK. I'm sure that we won't have computer access until we return to Ohio, June 12th, so check back in after that date to learn more! I'm excited to know what I'll be writing too...I really have no idea what to expect when we get off that airplane. Over the past few weeks, I've come to realize that although I've traveled to areas of the world where people lived very differently from the way I was accustomed to living, Savoonga will be entirely different from anywhere that I've ever been. When I lived in a small village in the mountains of Honduras, it's true that they didn't have many material possessions, but they were able to do some things that I was familiar with to meet their needs...they had a few farm animals, they grew a few crops, they had a stream to collect water and wash themselves/clothes. None of those will be options for us in Savoonga. Sure, I have high hopes of growing some veggies indoors/experimenting with greenhouses...but I recognize that this will more likely be more of a hobby than a nutritional success! I wonder if we have a working washer/dryer or if I will be washing diapers in the bathtub. Gma Meadows took us to visit a local farm. Logan and Owen really enjoyed the young goats and I asked them if they'd like to share their room with one in Savoonga so we can have fresh milk and cheese. If we do end up in Alaska, life will indeed be different than we've ever known it to be. In all honesty, some days the adventure excites me more than others. We'll keep you posted.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Michigan - Graduation & More!
We spent the past week in Grand Rapids. Our primary reason to visit was to witness the culmination of Jacob's previous five years of study at his graduation. Jacob has attained a Masters of Divinity and is very excited to see where the Lord leads us next. While in GR, we also enjoyed visiting with old friends and neighbors. Logan and Owen were soooo happy to spend several days with their new friends Isabel (2 1/2 yrs.) and Charlotte (6 mos.) and all of their amazing toys. We were blessed to watch the children enjoy themselves while relaxing and fellowshipping with our dear friends Ben and Melody from seminary/church. During this time, the boys and I visited the school where I used to teach. It was wonderful to visit with the teachers and my "4th Graders" (now much taller and in 6th grade!) and to see the school doing so well. As I watched the 6th grade boys sincerely encourage one another and love each other, I longed for Logan and Owen to be part of such an amazing, holistic learning environment. Later, we enjoyed food and fellowship with the Mast family...they provided us with food and we provided them with entertainment (2 rowdy boys!) We also enjoyed sharing a meal with 2 other families from the seminary. We went out to a restaurant and I couldn't help laughing about how when we all first met 4 or 5 years ago we would have needed 6 chairs and now we need 6 chairs and 5 highchairs with another on the way in August! At least we're not outnumbered yet! How the Lord blesses:) Jacob's family joined us for the weekend. Uncle Tom and Cousin Alex helped Logan conquer his fear of the water and he actually joined them in the hotel pool! It was a beautiful sight. We also enjoyed visiting the old neighborhood and other favorite places. Our last night was spent with Simon and Judy (former housemate) and, as always, they blessed us with good food and fellowship. Amidst all of our other engagements, we managed to see our favorite doctor. At 30 lbs, Logan has returned to the 95th percentile, while, at 26 lbs, Owen continues to hang out around the 40th:) Both are healthy and happy. While we immensely enjoyed our time in GR, I think we all returned to Ohio exhausted! We look forward to resting once again.
Oh, before I sign off...we heard from Savoonga...we will be visiting June 5-9. We also learned that there is an exciting ministry opportunity open to us in South Dakota. Please pray for us as we discern God's calling in this matter.
Oh, before I sign off...we heard from Savoonga...we will be visiting June 5-9. We also learned that there is an exciting ministry opportunity open to us in South Dakota. Please pray for us as we discern God's calling in this matter.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Ohio - At Last!
After a 5 hour flight and a much needed layover in Milwaukee, we arrived at Grandma Meadows' home a few days ago. We have finally adjusted to the 3 hour time difference and are enjoying life with a shorter "To Do" list! Being in the heart of Ohio in early May has made me realize how good we had it with the weather in southern CA, but also how nice it is to be able to take a breath of fresh air. I definately miss the people we grew to love in CA, but am glad to be currently surrounded with more grass and trees than pavement and cars. We do frequently think of and miss our dear friends. Yesterday, Owen tried to stand up in the back of Grandma's Avalanche. As he hit his head on the truck cover, I said, "This isn't Susie's truck, Owen." Today, we played in a sandbox and I said, "Do you miss Gma K?" Both boys nodded and said, "Yesh." The neighbor started his lawn tractor and Logan looked to the sky to see the helicopter that makes a similar noise. We miss the helicopters!:) So, as with every move, this one is also filled with mixed feelings. We look forward to spending the future days with Grandma and Grand Rapids friends and will also enjoy returning to Bellflower the end of June.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Still Learning
We are about to depart southern CA and I promised many of you that I would start a blog before we leave! Here it is. I still have much to learn in the uploading photos area, but at least this is a start. A quick update: We have much more packing/cleaning/errands to do before flying to Ohio in 2 DAYS!! We will spend a little over a month with Jacob's family and travel to Grand Rapids to visit old friends and for Jacob's graduation. June 20th, we will return to our home in CA for my cousin's wedding, a final goodbye, and load the moving truck. Our plan is to drive north, visiting friends along the way, to Seattle, where we will store our belongings and visit friends and family until we learn of our next step. We are still in communication with the church in Alaska and hope to visit the latter part of May. We'll keep you posted as our journey progresses.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)