I only ate the cake to be polite.

Even in the frigid air of the Arctic, one can feel the presence of the Gospel. From time to time, the ringing of the Church bells or the random singing of a hymn catches me off guard. In an otherwise evil place, God is still here. I can see Him in the sunrise over the DeLong Mountains and again in the sunset where the Chukchi Sea meets the heavens. I simply cannot fly amongst the winding rivers, far reaching forests and otherwise vast spaces without feeling a deeper appreciation for the great Creator. 

Sure I’ve been witness to pain, suffering, desperation and despair. Through it all, I’ve diligently continued to go to the Lord in prayer, reminding myself just how thankful I am for all that I have in life. And I pray for Kivalina.

Over Spring Break I traveled away from the Rock for 7 days. I flew in to Kotzebue where my friend, Ben, met me for a snowmobile transfer to his village of Selawik. Before we left Kotz, we met up with some friends from C3. Brian and KaySea Bailey are a young married couple that have previously taught Science along side each other at Kotzebue Middle School. I say “previously” because Miss KaySea is now a Stay At Home Mother with the couples’ newborn daughter, Rosalind.

I met Brian and KaySea in July and we quickly became friends as fellow campers on the swampy island that was the Buckland River Camp. Early on I found myself drawn to Brian and his bride. We visited over campfires. We laughed over chores. We even teamed up against the youngsters in a mean game of Norwegian Baseball. And we shared many a boat ride together in the early parts of our collective Alaskan Adventures.

One day Brian asked me if he could tell me something.

Brian had this burning desire to tell the world his news but was faced with the uncertainty of a giant career move in a far northern place. I remember the day he told me that KaySea was pregnant. They had signed their contracts to teach in Alaska and only days later found out that they were expectant parents. The NWABSD had no knowledge of the situation. As a matter of fact, KaySea and Brian had yet to tell their own family. I was the first one that they confided in, the first one they trusted with such happy news.

The three of us were able to keep our little secret for a few more days but eventually KaySea became more comfortable and soon word was out. The young couple spent their free time making baby mukluks to tell the folks back home.

Brian and KaySea are Mormon. They are the Salt of the Earth. (Matthew 5:13)

Sweet Baby Roz was born February 13, 2016 at home, in Texas, amongst KaySea’s family. She’s now back in Kotzebue with her mother and father. Daddy Brian is back to teaching and Mommy KaySea is beaming with pride, spending every possible moment with their precious daughter. I got a lunch date with the family on Day #1 of Spring Break and held the little girl that I’ve been waiting 8 months to meet.

God is good.

 My buddy Ben is Catholic. He’s a good man and is about as disciplined as a human being as I’ve ever met. He eats and works out like a body builder. He bakes and cooks like a master chef. Despite his bearded ways, he’s a good ol’, clean-cut Midwestern boy. I looked forward to my mini-vacation with him as my chauffeur and tour guide. I expected at some point he’d invite me to church.

Sunday at 11:00 a.m. Ben and I sat our hind parts in the pews of the Selawik Bible Baptist Church. Catholic as he is, Ben is godly enough and not too proud to attend a Baptist message. Pastor Warren led us in prayer and was accompanied beautifully in song by his wife, Gayle. The entire congregation numbered six.

On Sunday, March 13^th in Selawik, Alaska two dudes from Pine City, Minnesota made up one third of the flock of the Lord. But it was Church. And I thoroughly enjoy it. (Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three gather in my name, there I am with them.”)

I again was witness to how small the world can be. Pastor Warren and his wife know the Krahn family from back home in Warroad. As a matter of fact, the couple preaching and living in Selawik have been to my hometown thousands of miles away a few times themselves. Outside the temperature hovered 20 degrees below zero. Inside it was warm, comfortable and cozy.

Ben and I spent the week snowmobiling around the Selawik River and in to the Kiana Hills. We shot our fair share of ptarmigan and had a generally laid back, restful week. On Wednesday evening we headed back to church.

By Wednesday night the congregation more than doubled. I suspect that it had something to do with the prospect of a lighter message and a warm meal afterwards. Pastor Warren was unexpectedly called of to training in Kotzebue for his 9 to 5 job and left the pastoral duties to Gayle. After a tour through the hymnal and the solicitation of prayer requests from the pastor’s wife, we watched a 30-minute video on Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice.

What followed can only be described as “heavenly”.

Pastor Warren’s wife can sing and man can she cook! Miss Gayle’s homemade muffins were somehow still soft and warm. It’s possible that I ate five, maybe seven. The main dish of Red Salmon Chowder soup had been simmering in the crock and was about as hot as soup can be before it bubbles. But it was just too good. After the first taste, I was willing to risk first-degree burns between every spoonful. I couldn’t get enough.

Sitting at the tables beside us, the local villagers dressed up their soup with salt and pepper while they grated piles of cheese in to their bowls. I thought Miss Gayle had reached perfection with her initial dose of ingredients and went for seconds in record time.

Here in Alaska I am intent on trying anything and everything “authentic”. Such has been recorded, my eating of whale, walrus and all sorts of other dishes passed my way. The Red Salmon Chowder soup that I had after church service on Sunday ranked right up there with the best of the best. When Gayle came around with a pan of desert, I only ate the cake to be polite.

And followed the cake with a third bowl of soup.

God is good. God is good, indeed.