Skagway - Week 12

Good Morning,

I hope and trust that all is well with each of you. This week was a rather interesting one and I am glad to share some news with you.

This past Tuesday, November 18th, 2014, I received an email informing me of a decision made by the United States Branch Committee and approved by the Service Committee of the Governing Body, to reassign myself and my teammate from our current location of Skagway, AK some 981 miles Northwest to the town of Kotzebue, AK (Pronounced as "KAHT-zi-byoo") Approximately 4,381 miles from my last assignment in South Florida and 3,633 miles from my hometown of NY. (See Attached)

66.8972° N, 162.5856° W are the coordinates for this remote town, the furthest point northwest where there are native inhabitants in Alaska. Known as the "Gateway to the Arctic" and lying some 33 miles north of the Earth's Arctic Circle, Kotzebue lies on a sand spit at the end of the Baldwin Penninsula in the Kotzebue Sound where the Noatak, Kobuk and Selawik rivers end. The Kotzebue Sound was named after Otto von Kotzebue who 'discovered' the sound while exploring for Russia in 1818. The site was a trading location for local natives for over 600 years.

The local name for the site is Kikiktagruk. Or Qikiqtagruk, which means "almost an island". This is a reference to its location on the Sound. With a population of over 3,000, about 70-80% Native Alaskan (Inupiat Eskimo) it serves as a supply hub for 10 satellite villages in the Northwest Arctic Borough and one in the North Slope Borough.

The Inupiat people who call it home speak the same language, Inupiaq (In-yu-pak), as other Arctic Circle communities in Northern Canada and Greenland, given a difference in the local dialects. They’ve found ingenious ways to survive in one of the harshest environments on our planet. I too will soon learn the art of survival from my time living and working with them. As is the case in this unique and isolated assignment, there is no local congregation, no other local witnesses, no kingdom hall.

The area has a subarctic climate bordering on the Tundra climate, with long, somewhat snowy, and very cold winters, and short, mild summers. Monthly daily average temperatures range from −3.5 °F in February to 54.7 °F in July, with an annual mean of 21.8 °F. Days of above 70 °F are not common, but can be expected on about 5 days per summer. Precipitation is both most frequent and greatest during the summer months, averaging 10.1 inches  per year. Extreme temperatures have ranged from −58 °F to 85 °F, with the latter occurring as recently as June 19, 2013.

As you can no doubt imagine because of the coastal nature of this northern town, I will also now have to face the very real danger of Polar Bears and other wildlife such as striped Seals, Arctic Foxes etc. As well as the opportunity to directly view the Spectacular colors and pattern of the Northern Lights. These unique elements will now be a part of my new life serving almost 1,000 miles Northwest in Alaska.

Our Branch Committee has approved all 5 teams of brothers to attend the upcoming Kingdom Ministry School in Anchorage, after which the other 4 teams will return to their current assignments of Barrow, Dillingham, Haines and Nome and settle in for the Winter. Myself and my partner will be the one and only team moving. We will join our dear brothers in Barrow, AK as the 2nd team to serve North of the Arctic Circle. We have an arrival date in Kotzebue of December 10th, or 17 days from today.

You can imagine this was quite a bit to take in and wrap my mind around, but as is always the case, the daily text that day was a particularly appropriate one. Because of that fact and the magnitude of what I am going to now face moving forward, it is a verse that I know will stick with me for the rest of my life, along with that date of the 18th of November.

In Genesis 12:1 we read, "Go your way out of your country and from your relatives...to the country that I shall show you.​"

We can only imagine how Abraham, then named Abram, felt when Jehovah told him to do that. I am sure that Abraham felt some anxiety because of what he had just been told, but Jehovah’s next words would melt that same anxiety away. He says in Verse 2 and 3 of that same chapter: “I shall make a great nation out of you and I Shall Bless You . . . And him that calls down evil upon you I shall curse.” With those words, Jehovah took it upon himself to become a secure dwelling for Abraham. I am confident that He will do the same for me in my new isolated assignment that he has 'shown me' in this case, above the Arctic Circle. I look forward to seeking his continued direction and finding Joy along with His blessing each and every day.

How do you maintain Joy when you are Isolated from a Congregation? From other witnesses? From the Organization? Some have asked that question and the simple answer is: You have to Find Joy. What do I mean by that? Well, when you have circumstances that require more than the usual effort to maintain your relationship with Jehovah, without a congregation or others to build you up, the quality of Joy may not be as readily evident to our imperfect eyes, hearts and minds. As a result, we become susceptible to negative thinking. The fact is, the Joy is right there, but for whatever unique reason to us, we can't "see" it. So guess what? You have to get tough on yourself, fight your imperfect mind, battle that negative thinking, and make a concerted and Special effort to Find that Joy.

This is the case when you find yourself isolated from the congregation, brothers and sisters or the Organization for one reason or another. Consider just one fact: Our relationship with Jehovah is a reason for Joy that we all have. That Joy comes from an interesting source: Within oneself. Why? Because it's from the same source, the same exact place as that imperfect, negative thinking that loves so often to show itself. Within. So you can choose to fight and combat those thoughts, and we can allow the Joy of Jehovah to replace it, if we let it. We each must continuously look for reasons for Joy and fight against the opposing thoughts of negative thinking. Do not be quick to give in to it! Please keep that in mind as you go about your days and continue to Find your Joy in your beautiful and sacred Service to Jehovah.

To touch on a previous subject of Sunlight in my last writing, we read in Ecclesiastes Chapter 1 and verse 5: "The sun rises, and the sun sets; then it hurries back to the place where it rises again." These words help us appreciate that while in some places and times the Sun may not be visible, it has a "schedule" that it has been assigned and set in motion by our Creator. You can know that I will be sure to meditate on this thought since I will not see the Sun for at least 2 months.

From mid-November till the end of January, however, sunrise and sunset may not be obvious in many areas north of the Arctic Circle. (That's Me) There people (including Me) have no choice but to endure the long dark nights of the Arctic winter.

It's interesting to note a difference in two terms that you and I use quite often and have direct impact on this next assignment. Those terms being "Daylight" and "Sunlight". Is there a difference between the two? And if so what is that difference?

"Daylight" is the volume of natural light that enters an area to provide illumination of between dawn and dusk. Whereas "Sunlight" refers to direct sunshine daylight.

So to put this concept into real and applicable terms, there will be perhaps an hour or less of "Daylight" that we may observe from miles away in the distance, but we will not get "Sunlight" for months. I am interested to see and live thru this phenomenon shortly.

To conclude, I would like you to notice something very interesting in the book of 2nd Corinthians. There in the 4th chapter and looking at verse 1, the congregation in Corinth and by extension you and I, are told by the Apostle Paul: "Therefore, since we have this ministry through the mercy that was shown us, we do not give up."

Notice there we are told, "we do not give up." Why? We can clearly see that we each have a very specific assignment. Paul says: "We have this ministry." So you and I as servants of our Father have been entrusted with the privilege of carrying an important, life-saving message to others, whether in our own local territory or a foreign field, an English speaking population or a foreign language field. What an honor to be used in this capacity by the Most High in all the universe!

My prayer for you dear ones, is that you continue on firm in the faith, and remain loyal to whatever unique and individual assignment you have. But especially in the assignment of "this ministry", may we each be found Zealously and Joyfully proclaiming the bright and glorious hope we have for the Future, thanks to our God Jehovah. As we do so, imagine the shout of praise that will ascend to to His name, not just now but for all eternity to come! I join you in that awesome shout, from the other side of the Earth, keeping each of you close in thought and prayer. Please persevere in running the race for Life Eternal with endurance and Joy.

Sending you Warm Love,

M. J. Penfield

Alaska Fact of the Day:
The Arctic is located at the northernmost part of our planet. Scientists usually define the Arctic as the area above the 'Arctic Circle' — the imaginary line that circles around the top of the globe. Interestingly, the word "Arctic" comes from ‘arktikos’, the Greek for ‘bear’. The reason is that Ursa Major, the Great Bear constellation, is seen in the northern sky.