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Fellows Update - The Great Alaskan Mission Trip!

 

After a two year hiatus, the Fellows were able to pull off a mission trip!

We decided back in January that it was too risky to go overseas, so we limited our choices to the United States. Of course, we chose the most remote place we could think of...ALASKA!

Kodiak Island to be exact. 

An island where there are more bears than people!

Yes, we did see one, bears, that is.

We saw a lot of other things too!

We were hosted by some dear, new friends at Kodiak Baptist Mission. They are incredible folks. Check out their website to learn more about them.

Other than the travel (I don't really want to talk or write about it), the trip was absolutely positively amazing. Get ready. There are a lot of pictures in this post. I've separated them by day. 

Are you ready?

Here we go!

TRAVEL TO

After a false start that caused a full day delay in our trip, we made our way across the country, first, arriving in beautiful Anchorage. 

Our delay enabled us to take a quick side trip to visit one of Winston-Salem's greatests - Katherine Bell!

She and her husband Klaus introduced us to the best pizza ever - Moose's Tooth!

Thank you Katherine!

The next morning, we took the quick trip over to Kodiak Island

DAY 1  - Arrive, Animals, Woody Island, White Sands Beach and Settling In

Kodiak Baptist Mission, in addition to being an outdoor school and preschool and afterschool program, is also a working farm! They are the only certified goat dairy farm in Alaska. We were able to sample the goat ice cream - yum!

Luke was able to fulfill a childhood dream and feed goats!

Wil got to be first mate on our excursion to Woody Island.

There are no bears on Woody Island, so there are cows and horses!


It is also home to the biggest hammock I have ever seen



After dinner we went to white sands beach. Most beaches are black sand because of Kodiak is made of volcanic rock. 


Jamo took a dip

 

This is the view from Kodiak Baptist Mission!


DAY 2 - Work Day, Bear "Hunting", and Creek Hike

We spent most of the day working around the farm. Three of us weed-wached every blade of grass we could find.

Others resurfaced all the horse stalls

After dinner, we went hunting for bear - we actually saw one on some salt flats. Super cool. Then, we went hiking up a creek into this other-worldly slot canyon.

This photo was taken at 11pm!

DAY 3 - Work, Fossil Beach, Cliffs, Surfers Beach Baptism, Horses, and Affirmation

We spent the morning moving dirt

They moved us around

To move more dirt

After lunch, we traveled to Fossil Beach to explore and climb cliffs and search for fossils

The biggest eagle's nest I have ever seen

Ismael actually found a fossil!


Afterward, we went to Surfer's Beach where Molly got baptized!



It was the coldest baptism I have ever performed, but it still worked!


It was a special day for Molly because after dinner we went horseback riding!

DAY 4 - Work, Abercrombie State Park, Whale and Orca Sighting and Sweet Time Together

We got to love on some kiddos in the morning

And scoop poop

After lunch, we went to Abercrombie State Park to explore and climb cliffs and look for whales (we saw Fin Whales and Orcas!)


DAY 5 - Work, Sushi, Three Sisters, Mission Statements and Ending Well

A group of us hiked Three Sisters Mountain. It was a cloudy windy day - more Kodiak Island like from what we here. 

This is what the mountain looks like in the sun

This is what the mountain looked like for us!

Can't quite capture how windy it was

But we made it!

HOME AGAIN

We had a long long long trip home too. Here we are sleeping in a park in Anchorage




But finally we made it

MORE PHOTOS




































































































Keep sharing the story and spreading the love, y'all


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