Warm wishes from North Pole, AK!

We've been waiting six months to be able to say that!  Those who record and track these facts tell us this has been the 4th coldest winter in Fairbanks since 1904.  When someone asked Earl how we stay warm at those temps, he told him we “sleep between the mattresses.”  Not quite, but it gets a chuckle.

Well the tightening up screws on the bladder tank didn't work.  The outboard tank leaked on my last long flight.  I'll be pulling it soon and sending it out and praying for a repair rather then an overhaul.

The truck has good tires on it now, and two brighter lights.  The lights aren't perfect, but I can see farther down the road, and that's a good thing.  I finally was able to afford the injector kit.  The engine had begun to run so badly, I've had to park the truck.  After two days of work, I started the truck and was backing it out of the hangar.  Long (and embarrassing) story short, I wound up outside the truck and the truck door was folded back and ruined.  Oh well.  Now I still can't use the truck. 

Well, all of our summer help has headed south.  Much has been accomplished this summer, and our Lord kept us safe through it all.  Praise His Name!  We are grateful for each of the folks who gave of their time and finances to serve the Lord up here.

But... hear comes winter... ready or not!  A near moose, er, I mean a near miss with a moose brought home the need to put on "moose lights" or big spot lights onto the truck.  Finding used tires and installing them is important too.  Driving 360 miles, round trip, every Sunday, mostly in the dark, to hold services in the village of Manley gives ample opportunity to see some of Alaskan wildlife up close and personal.  Where were they during hunting season!

Winter-izing the hangar so the pipes don't freeze, getting the plow truck up and running, finishing the inspection on N316AK, stocking up on firewood, constant maintenance on the plane, and catching up on all the smaller details that seem to get put off during the summer will keep up busy until... everyone comes back up in the spring!

Thanks for checking in!

Struggles to be Reliable

I believe we all struggle to be reliable, dependable and consistent in our daily lives.  But sometimes, the extenuating circumstances can make it even more difficult.  The last two weekends of January are perfect examples.

Sunday, January 23rd, we woke up to -53F in Manley Hot Springs. 

Earl finally arrived back in Fairbanks with the Navajo Chieftain.  There were many challenges and opportunities to grow spiritually.  Most notable was when the left engine lost oil pressure over the Canadian Rockies, 40 minutes from Whitehorse, Yukon Territory.  After shutting down the left engine, the hardest part was finding the runway at Teslin, Yukon.  A blanket of six (6) inches of fresh snow made it impossible to see the lights until

Dear Prayer partners,                                August 2010

The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. (Psalm 103:8)
Earl experienced the truth of this verse on July 31, 1985, and on his “birthday” this year, he called his uncle to thank him again for being willing to share the Gospel with him.  How many of our friends and family have never experienced the mercy and graciousness of our Saviour?  May our Lord give us opportunity and boldness to tell others!

Thank you for praying for the efforts of Operation Saturation. 

What a beautiful weekend!  Bright blue skies and -10F with very little wind.  Earl was able to drive to Manley and hold service.  What a sweet time.  There was a sweet spirit apparent and the singing was good.  Earl preached out of Luke 2:20 "And the shepherds departed..."  on the thought,

The “Silent years” before the birth of Christ must have caused many people to wonder what God was doing!  They were blind to the magnificent work God was doing behind the scenes.  God was busy orchestrating events and the affairs of men world-wide.   “But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law...”  

Springs is on it's way!  We added 30 seconds to our day today. (With only 3 hrs. 44 min. of daylight, you take what you can get!)

Greetings!

While we were on furlough, our web-master (Fred Laxton of Info TechDesign) suggested we update our website and take advantage of some of the latest web site design options that are offered now.  Even with the lure of making articles easier to post, it was still tough to let go of the old website.  We still receive compliments about the “old” site, and, well... we are the type of people who still have a few old vinyl LP records laying around.  It's hard to change.