June 15-26
Copper Center
Community Chapel
What an awesome opportunity to
build a brand new church in the Ahtna Khluti-kah village in Copper Center.
This native Alaskan village is approximately 200 miles northeast of
Anchorage near the Wrangel
/St.
Elias National Park.
In May of 2011, the first crew from Mount Joy Mennonite Church built a 52'X100' church building in May. In 5 days they built this building from a cement slab to installing metal on the roof. Click on the photo (above right) to see some photos from that team.
Later
in the summer another group installed
windows and siding. Currently the church
building is withstanding a harsh Alaskan
winter with deep snow and temperatures
hovering in the 40-50 below zero range (in
January). Inside the church
there are stacks and stacks of drywall r
eady
for installation. Our goal is to
bless the leadership of the church and
provide tools that will help them minister
to their people more effectively. Please
pray for Pastor Jim
Eaches and his wife
Pam
(pictured to the right) and their seven children.
I know that they will be encouraged by
completing this new church. The
building they are currently meeting in is
old and very inefficient. Finishing
this new church building will help them
better serve their people and be better
stewards of the money they have.
Bob
& Becky Herr
(pictured to the left) helped lead
last year's team and will be leading this
year's team as well. They have a love
for people and for their Lord Jesus Christ.
Their desire is not only to bless the people of
Copper Center but also build up and
encourage their team members as well.
What skills do you need?
This is an insulation and drywall hanging crew. Y
ou will need to have a generous, teachable spirit that is willing to work hard throughout a 40 hour week.When will we be leaving?
The team will be leaving from Hope Community Church in Mount Joy sometime on Friday, June 15th and arriving in Anchorage later in the day. There is a four hour time difference between Pennsylvania and Alaska so going there will seem shorter than what it really is. The flight will take approximately 10 hours.
What will happen when we get there?
The team will go to WalMart to get some simple personal supplies (like a fishing license if desired) and then we will stop to grab something to eat before driving to Palmer which is approximately 40 miles away. We will be staying overnight at Mountain Home Fellowship (the Sunderland Ranch). The team will try to get a good night's sleep and drive to Copper Center on Saturday, the 16th and stay at the Carew's home that night.
What will the weather be like in Alaska in June?
Days will be from the 50's to the mid 70's and nights could be in the 30's. In previous years we awoke to temperatures in the 30's but later in the morning we were in t-shirts. You should be praying for beautiful weather. God has answered our prayer many times.
What will we be doing after working on the church?
After working hard for 40 hours during the week, on Saturday, the 23rd, we
will be going out
to Strelna Lake Wilderness Bi
ble Camp which is part of the ministry of
the church. We will stay overnight and have church in the log chapel at
the camp. You will have an opportunity to fish at the camp (click on the
photo to the left to see Kenton Baer). Sunday afternoon, the 24th, we will
be returning to Copper Center and staying overnight at the Carews. Monday,
June 25th we will be driving to Anchorage
and doing some touristy shopping and your flight will depart in the evening.
You will return to Pennsylvania on Tuesday, June 26th and someone will pick you up at
the airport and return the team back to Mount Joy in the evening. Exact
times are yet to be determined.
Who can go?
We need 7 people who agree to the conditions on the registration form and return the completed form by the first financial deadline. You must agree to participate in daily Bible study, discussion and prayer with the group. Team unity is essential for a successful trip.
What should I bring?
We will be talking to you about this in the coming days.
Registration Deadline
Every year we must give a deadline for registering to go on these missions trips in order to purchase airline tickets in time. Deciding to go and filling out a registration form "locks you in" as a member of our team. Then you are placed on an email mailing list and you will receive many emails describing the ministry you will be a part of in June. Please download this form, sign it and return it to us with a $40 processing fee as soon as possible. The deadline for registering is April 6, 2012. But please do not wait till then to register. You should register and start raising support as soon as possible.
We communicate primarily by email. We strongly recommend that you have an email address and check it regularly. If not, you will miss out on a lot of information. The email address you need for this trip is: bherr@embarqmail.com - Bob Herr (team leader).
Raising the Financial Support
The cost of this trip will be $1650. Many people choose to pay their own way but others choose to operate through their local church seeking missionary support. We highly recommend the latter although we leave it completely up to you. This is a missions trip. Therefore we help all team members communicate with their local church members, family and friends in describing the work that lays ahead for you. You will be working approximately 40 hours during your week in Alaska. This should not be seen as a vacation either by you or by those sending you. There is a job to be done. The Bible teaches that all of us who are followers of Jesus have been given gifts and talents by Him to be used for teaching our world Who He is! This trip is an opportunity to serve the local church in Copper Center and help them build their new church.
When you register to be a part of this team, you will be given support letters upon your request to hand out to family and friends seeking their financial support. It will be our goal to establish a relationship between you and the people sending you as missionaries to Alaska. Later we will give you a list of all those who supported you so that you can thank them and give them your prayer requests for the trip.
What is the $1650 used for?
Transportation (air and road travel) costs make up the majority of the costs. All food will be provided except for between meal snacks. Lodging will be your sleeping bag laying on mattresses on the floor. Please do not expect a comfortable bed during this trip. Some of the money will be used for running the operations of LightShine Ministries which is sponsoring the trip.
What are the deadlines for raising the money?
There are two deadlines for raising support.
Half of your support ($825) must be raised by April 6. This allows us to have the money in place to purchase airline tickets.
The deadline for raising the balance of your financial support will be May 18. It is very important that you take the cost of the trip and this deadline seriously. There are a lot of expenses in organizing a trip like this one and we need every participant to do their part.
Please begin to pray about your involvement with our team this June and talk to your spouse and employer about setting these dates aside. It is highly recommended that you begin this process as soon as possible. Every year some people get into trouble because they wish they would have started raising funds earlier. Please plan ahead and make your commitment now.
Please contact us soon if you are interested in becoming part of this year's team. Help us by determining to meet all the deadlines given above. It helps the trip go much smoother. And don't forget to keep every aspect of this trip in prayer. We have seen God do some great things in us and through us in past years. Again, the email address for this trip is bherr@embarqmail.com Bob Herr - (team leader)
"And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to everyone according to his work" Revelation 22:11
