A MISSION JOURNEY TO ALASKA
Our team was composed of members from Chapel Hill UMC, Christ UMC, Convis UMC, Marshall UMC, and Second Missionary Baptist Church – all Battle Creek, area churches. This was the first mission trip for about half of the team. On the first evening that all members were in attendance, the Community UMC church community welcomed our team and provided a pot-luck dinner with traditional foods from the area. Salmon spreads, King crab legs, and local berries (blueberries and salmon berries) were enjoyed. Some members of the team even tried the whale (muktuk) that was shared!
Our team was housed at Community UMC in Nome. Imagine, one bathroom with 14 people! Fortunately, the senior center run by the Nome Community Center (a National Mission Institution of United Women in Faith) offered the use of their shower for the team. While there, we performed a great deal of construction and plumbing work at the church and connected spaces, held Vacation Bible School for the community for three nights, cleaned the church playground to make it safer for those that spent time there (at any moment during 24 hours of daylight!), and assisted in organizing items at Community UMC building and at its resale shop. The resale shop supports the community and is run through the Community UMC.
Prior to our arrival in Nome, the mission member churches pulled together to provide items for layettes. These items were knitted, crocheted, sewn or purchased by members of the church community in Battle Creek and delivered to Community UMC and the Norton Sound Regional Hospital in Nome, Alaska. These items will be distributed throughout the year to provide for the newborns in Nome and neighboring villages.
Our large construction project was not completed as much as we would have hoped. The Community UMC is very grateful for what we were able to accomplish and allows opportunities for other mission teams or another team in the future from the Battle Creek area to complete. Some of the things we accomplished were building two new full bathrooms, moving a vanity into an existing shower room, making a true utility room with a utility sink and washer/dryer combination unit. This included all the electrical and plumbing needed for these spaces to support the items installed. Our team learned of the challenges in doing such large projects in remote areas. There were no stores such as Lowes, Home Depot, Menard’s, or big box stores to go to for supplies. There were two local suppliers that we made many trips to for items that were needed. Our team adapted as needed based on the availability or unavailability of items. Completing these projects was a tremendous and much needed change to an existing apartment and the church community space.
Our team held Vacation Bible School (VBS) for the community – opened to all that desired to attend. We provided a meal at the beginning of each evening for ALL in attendance – parents, family members, supporters, and children. During VBS, many of the family members stayed and participated or talked with members of the team and shared their journey to Nome or their lives as a generational Nome community member. These interactions provided for the community to share what they were proud of and, in some cases, share their concerns and needs of the people of Nome, individually and as a group.
Mornings were a time of reflection and space for some of the team members. There were early risers that walked around Nome – probably every street and area that was in town, and those that chose to go to the edge of the Bering Sea and enjoy the peace while searching for sea glass and listening to the waves at high tide. Being together, with God as our guide, allowed us to feel His presence and prepared us for the day ahead. These moments were impactful and will be deeply missed.
Our team worked well together in preparing our breakfast and dinner. The location, stores, availability of perishable items, and space to store those items required planning. Grocery shopping for the next day was required each evening, setting up for breakfast was required, dinner was cooked each night, and the dishwasher was run at least once per day - usually twice! There were those that planned and prepared most of the evening meals and cleaned up from those meals. Their work allowed our team to enjoy wonderful meals and great fellowship after long hours of mission work. Each evening, after VBS, clean-up from the meal, and construction work, devotions were held along with a team member that would journal the daily happenings. This allowed our team to reflect on all that was happening and how this journey was impacting us individually.
The team interacted each weekday with the Elders and members of the Nome community by sharing prayers and lunch at the XYZ Senior Center. This was a source of great spiritual connection for our team members. Immersing the team with members of the indigenous community, being present, and listening to their stories and history. The team was able to witness hymns being played on instruments and sung in Iñupiaq, an official Alaskan Native language. The language is beautiful and this sharing allowed our team to be immersed in culture and language in ways that had not been experienced by most. This experience brought many of our members to tears. This was a true Alaskan cultural experience that the members of the Nome community shared while welcoming us to their metaphorical “living rooms.”
A moment that changed perspective for many of the team members occurred midweek. As our lead pastor for the journey, Rev. Julie Elmore, had previously served in Nome. Rev. Julie has a relationship with the current pastor at Community UMC, and she was asked to perform a funeral service for two members of the pastor’s family while in town. Our entire team attended the funeral service as a show of support and respect. The service was very different from what is witnessed in Battle Creek, or even the lower 48. During the service, Iñupiaq and English was spoken. The funeral service was very moving and felt by all team members who witnessed the grief of the family. Before burial, as one of the deceased was a military veteran, one of our team members offered to perform Military Honors for the family. Our team member and our local liaison, also a veteran, performed Military Honors for the decedent. This act of kindness brought a connection to the family and community that was unexpected and well received.
A word that was brought up often during the journey was “awe.” I believe that all members were awed by the beauty, kindness, way of life, and all-around experiences while in Nome. We witnessed the way of life in a small village that has no road to access the entire state, requiring barges and airplanes to bring their supplies for food, building supplies, medical supplies, vehicles, and any other needs for the community. Prices were much higher, time was much slower, and the sun never set…not really.