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To my Bell Road Family:

Date: Sat, 2 Jun 2007


Howdy, you all. That's how everyone in my team talks.

|Every one of all the summer missionaries that are here in Alaska with me are all from the south. I am the only normal- talking person here, and trust me everyone on my team loves picking on me for having a movie actor as a Governor.

My first hour here I was talking with some church people that where hosting me, and all of them talked funny, so I asked if Alaskans had a accent. Come to find out they all just happened to be from the south.

Okay, wow where do I start? I flew out of Sac on the 29th at 635 am and then got into Seattle around 845 am and find out that my flight had been changed.

So after about 30 minutes of seeing every part of that airport I finally find my new flight, and with only 2 minutes to spare.

Man, let me tell you my heart was going.

But God is good and I got in Anchorage on time and met with my Orientation Coordinator and was off to my host church, by this time it was about 2 a.m. (which by the way there is a 1 hour time change here). I'm one hour behind as my team mates would say, you-all...

As soon as I got back to the church to meet my host parents (that I would be having just tell the end of Orientation), they put me right to work replacing a hot water heater at the church and cleaning up water stains (all the way down the hallway --on their brand new carpet might I add).

After that my beautiful host mom took me out to dinner and and then home where I met my host brother and a couple of friends. The hard part s trying to sleep in broad daylight, I mean your talkin' crazy nuts...The sun has serious issues here, It goes down at 1 or 2 and comes back up at 3 or 4. That's just crazy if you ask me!

So after a rough night of sleeplessness, I got up and cleaned up and off to meet some of the other summer missionaries I went.

There is ten of us here but I came a day early and others came a day late. It wasn't until Thursday that we were all together. I went with two of the other missionaries to the mall which if you ask me was a joke 'cause, man it had like all of 25 stores and it is the biggest in Alaska.

We went bowling and ice skating and found the one out of all 4 Starbucks in the whole state (what a shame). Then about 5 came around and we got picked to go back and finally meet the others and have a time of worship and prayer and training together.

I think by the time I got home, It was 10:30. I did some paperwork and talked most of the bright night with my guy partner that I'm with through the whole summer. His name is Jimmy--and man, God's going to teach me something this summer! Jimmy is our medical man (age 23) and very bright, but Jimmy is excessive compulsive and a little slow for real, and to top that all off, he is ornery as all heck.  I mean there's never a dull moment with him but, man, to be honest, its been two days and I'm climbing walls and going nuts.

God is truly amazing because Jimmy drives me crazy. Jimmy and I,  from the first time we talked, had a bond--something like brothers would have and Jimmy and I have our quiet time in the morning together. Its just cool because we both other then picking on each other so much really encourage each other.

Then theirs Elaine and Morgan (19 and 20) and later on June 10th we will be joined by Ashley (who is 23) and a actual Southern Baptist missionary. She's coming from Russia. Morgan is from Mississippi was out here last year. We're all flying out in the morning to Fairbanks where we will be for two weeks doing Backyard Bible Studies and a VBS the same one you...all are doing out their in the south. I say South because Alaskans call everyone from the states southerners.

After being in Fairbanks for 2 weeks, we will be in a extreme camp in the middle of nowhere. It's 2 hours from a house and 3 hours to a store. It is 40 acres, has 4 cabins and 1 eating hall and lots of mosquitoes--the size of small birds.

I mean, we're talkn' out of anyone's comfort zone. This is crazy madness.

The local people in town even know where we're going and think we're nuts. We will be there the last 5 weeks. So I think I'm off to try and get some sleep because today was a long day.

We got up early (which isn't hard cause of the retarded sun) and did everything. We went to a iceberg on a ship, and went shopping, saw a moose and bear and bald eagle and jumping fish. We went from 40 degrees to 25 by the iceberg.
We also saw a glacier--which I learned today is different than an iceberg.

We had evangelism training and VBS training. Please, keep me in your prayers.

I love and miss you all. You all are my family and all a part of this trip as much as I am. It is your prayers and love that keep me going on. 

Love your brother in Christ,

Ben.

P.S. A missionary is anyone who tells others about Jesus. Simple!   But do we do it?

My challenge to you all just sometime in each chance you get (whether with your friends co-workers or family), just start telling them about the hope that lies in you.

YOU CAN NEVER MAKE A LOST PERSON ANYMORE LOST, think about that.