M.J. Penfield Alaska Adventure: Kotzebue

I hope this reaches you doing well.

Things have been quite busy here in the assignment. Continuing in the ministry remains the motivating force for our efforts and endeavors as these very long Arctic Summer days begin.

As of today the Sun "rises" (not really) at 3:30AM and "sets" (again, not really) at 2:05AM. As you can do the math you see that the day is filled with about 23 hours of light. Starting this Wednesday, the Sun will not set in the sky until August when the days get a bit shorter day by day. This will be the "midnight sun" that I mentioned previously in my writings.

As the days have gone by leading up to this time, I have been taking steps to get as much sleep as possible in view of the fact that when I would normally sleep the Sun is still shining bright in the sky. This includes covering my eyes with a small cover and trying to close the blinds as much as possible.

Still, as I mentioned before, the sun in the sky is a welcome sight for myself and others as opposed to the total darkness we lived thru for months in the Arctic Winter. What a difference 6 months makes!

Along with this increase in light, and with the kids being out of school, the residents of the village are in full swing with activity. Fishing, hunting, hiking, off roading are some of the things that they are enjoying now. It takes some adaptation on our part, to tailor the ministry around their schedule and interests.

For example: The hunting that takes place is for Caribou, Beluga whale and Black whale, Spotted Seal. The Native Iñupiat residents have lived off of the land for hundreds of years and have an appreciation and respect for the sustenance that it provides them. This is one aspect of the message that appeals to them. So we try to make an effort to highlight that to them in the ministry in our daily conversations. The locals continue to be welcoming for the most part as we work thru the territory and meet others.

The Kotzebue Sound and Chukchi Sea are mostly thawed (See attached) and rapidly flowing. The mix of Freshwater and Saltwater make the water different colors and levels. This is quite the contrast to when I could walk across it and drive across on car and Snowmachine. Good times indeed.

Tomorrow marks 10 full months of being Isolated from the Organization and Congregation arrangement. Nevertheless, in spite of seemingly insurmountable obstacles, I continue to be strengthened by feeding from the Table of Jehovah and by means of Prayer and daily Reliance on Him. Please be assured that each of you are precious to Him and that "he cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7)

Continuing to pray Jehovah's rich blessing upon all of you, I remain,

Your fellow worker,

M. J. Penfield

Alaska Fact of the Week: In 1880, Alaska's population consisted of 33,426, of which only 430 were not natives.