Kotzebue - Week 1 (15)

I hope that this reaches each of you all doing well. I apologize for my delay in not writing to you sooner. For the last week and a half, I haven't had a location to write as I have been traveling for the Branch. I also haven't had very much internet in my various locations, so I have had to wait until I could get a very limited WiFi signal.

As you can see from the title of this post, I am writing to you from my new Branch assignment of Kotzebue, AK. I landed and arrived on the ground here on Wednesday December 10th at about 6:20PM from Anchorage. I had spent the last few days there in Anchorage attending the 2015 Kingdom Minstry School with the other 9 brothers assigned here and the Elders of Alaska Circuit 1. (See attached) What a privilege it was to attend and share in the program with these brothers! The love and hospitality that were shown to each of us by the local friends and Jehovah was truly incomparable. In addition to this, over the days there were other necessary matters to care for, such as Dental maintenance and getting clothing and gear suitable for the Harsh climate that I would be living in, that the Branch office wanted cared for before arriving into Kotzebue.

On Wednesday, after arriving on the (very cold) ground here in Kotzebue, what a joy it was to discover that my cell phone didn't work at all. This would mean that I would have to get a new phone and number in the interim here in Kotzebue from the Regional carrier that locals use. After getting my bags, my teammate and I took a taxi from the airport to our temporary accommodations of a small, local hostel. The trip cost each of us $7 to go a half mile. So $14 in total. Yes, that's correct. What they consider to be flat rate I suppose. I also learned that gas is $8 a gallon here. (Yes you aren't reading wrong) Little did I know that this "rate" was just a small preview, really a fore-gleam of what I was going to find in general with regard to prices in this town. After putting the bags in the room, we took a half mile walk in the -48°F cold to the local grocery store.

And was it ever a shocking, and eye opening experience! The usual, everyday things that you and I eat or use cost considerably more. In some cases 350% more. Orange juice, ice tea, chips, etc. I have attached some pictures so that you can see what I'm referring to. Do some comparison to the prices you usually pay for the same things and see the difference. After walking and gathering my composure (lol) I bought some Pop Tarts and a bottle of Water. After being rung up by the cashier for $22.87 (Yes) for the 2 items I walked back to the place I would lay my head for my 1st (of many I'm sure) Arctic night.

The next morning, we had some things to take care of. Such as, getting local cellular service to let family, friends and the Branch office know we were safe and could establish contact with them. We were able to get that taken care of. The next item on the list, was finding longer term accommodations as per our instructions from the Branch Office. We went to the local Tribal Housing Authority called KIC or Kikiktagruk Iñupiat Corporation. There we were asked to fill out an application for housing in the area.  This quickly changed when we informed them that we were missionaries and that our Headquarters in NY would be caring for payment and leasing details. The leasing manager told me: "Well if you hurry you can still reach them before 5pm..." I quickly looked at my watch (which I leave set to Eastern Time-That's another story) and it said 4:56PM. I quickly called my contact at the Branch who had been waiting to hear from me (remember no cellular service for going on 36 hours) and I informed him of what was the current situation. He told me that he would get in contact with them and get the process going for us to move in and get going on our assignment.

Upon hearing this, the manager said: "Well...let's go look at some of the places." To which we agreed. We rode over to a apartment building they manage and before long we had picked out a place and we're given keys to the place in less than an hour. Obviously, "the Blessing of Jehovah" (Prov 10:22)

To switch gears for a moment, a very good friend of mine recently mentioned something very interesting to me about the author Jules Verne. You may be familiar with him perhaps. He wrote such notable titles as: "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea", "Journey to The Center of The Earth" and "Around the World in 80 Days" and now with my new location and some of the experiences that are ahead of me, I could perhaps write a story or a chronicle of a similar title like "Life Above the Artic Circle" or just simply "Above the Arctic Circle" (kind of catchy right? I may have to trademark those lol) and while each title is very truthful and accurate titles for the life I will have now, I couldn't help but think of a more appropriate and truthful title for this journey found in the book of Psalms.

If we consider the 65th Psalm verse number 5 notice what's said. There we read: "You will answer us with awe-inspiring deeds of righteousness, O God of our salvation; You are the Confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of those distant across the sea."

This latter part of this scripture rang out in my mind when I looked across the Kotzebue Sound and saw the vast frozen Arctic Sea covering the distance between where I was standing and the country of Russia with only 50 miles separating each point. (See attached)

Notice the interesting title that I think will fit well, my journey going forward: "The Confidence of all the ends of the earth." We see here that the word Confidence is shown in this passage with a Capital letter "C". Why is that? Well if we also look above in the context of the verse, we see there that this is referring to our Father Jehovah God. This is yet, another one of the many titles He carries. It's encompassed and embodied in His very name. So He is our Confidence and not just that, but that Confidence has no limits, yes it extends to "all the ends of the earth, and of those distant across the sea." This comforts us and bolsters us, stabilizing the Anchor of our Faith.

Continue to read further there in that same 65th Psalm verse number 8, and notice what is further said: "The inhabitants of remote places will be awestruck by your signs; You will cause those from the sunrise to the sunset to shout joyfully."

Very interestingly we read: "The inhabitants of remote places...." Knowing the very unique makeup of the population of my new home here, I eagerly look forward to helping the Iñupiat people who inhabit this "remote place" make My Father their Confidence as well. I thank Jehovah for this privilege each and every day.

Please know and be assured that I keep you all in my daily thoughts and prayers to Him. Yes, it is true, now I am serving "Above the Arctic Circle" of the Earth. It's very cold, to a deadly degree. The Sun doesn't rise. It's dark 23 hours a day here. Food and sustenance are very expensive. Basic Survival becomes a part of ones daily routine and a very simple yet, at times, an intricately complicated objective. And still, I continue without having congregation meetings or the support of a congregation of local friends to associate with. But in spite of these extreme & perhaps seemingly insurmountable conditions, I continue to find my Joy. And with that Joy I send to each and every one of you my warmest love and greetings from the other side of this Planet. May our Loving Father Jehovah for all Eternity, continue to be, your "Confidence of All the Ends of the Earth."

Your Fellow Worker and Slave,

M. J. Penfield

Alaska Fact of the Day: The position of the Arctic Circle is not fixed. It directly depends on the Earth's axial tilt, which fluctuates within a margin of 2° over a 40,000-year period, notably due to tidal forces resulting from the orbit of the Moon. The Arctic Circle is currently drifting northwards at a speed of about 49 ft per year.