October Work Team

NEWS: This team date has been temporarily delayed due to permits needed to continue construction on this church. Please consider being part of this team by registering and preparing to go anyway. We are currently communicating with the pastor in Wasilla and finalizing a date.

Please contact us if you want to be put on our email mailing list! lightshinealaska@comcast.net

LightShine Ministries has the opportunity to help build a church with Word of Life International Ministries (WOL) in Wasilla, Alaska.

Word of Life is a congregation of Russian/American believers who have been meeting in other facilities and have purchased property to build their own church. We had the opportunity to visit them and enjoyed sharing their Easter Sunday Service this year. The Lord has put them on our heart to come together and stand beside them and assist with the construction of their new church. When we were there in the spring they had the foundation in place (see below left) and have been working on the structure and will have it under roof and enclosed by the time we arrive in October. The current room will be used for youth in the future. The banner to the left shows their true commitment to building the international Body of Christ!

The folks at Word of Life have been saving and believing that the Lord would provide them with their own facility for may years. And they are now seeing that goal come true for them.

Facts about Wasilla, Alaska

Mountains around Wasilla

The following information was taken from Wikipedia:

Wasilla is a city in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, United States and the fifth-largest city in the state. It is located on the northern point of Cook Inlet in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley of the south-central part of the state. The city's population was 5,469 at the 2000 census; the Census Bureau estimated that it had risen to 9,780 in 2007.^[1] Wasilla is the largest city in the borough and a part of the Anchorage metropolitan area, which had an estimated population of 362,340 in 2007.

Established at the intersection of the Alaska Railroad and Old Carle Wagon Road, the city prospered at the expense of the nearby mining town of Knik. Historically entrepreneurial, the economic base shifted in the 1970s from small-scale agriculture and recreation to support for workers employed in Anchorage or on Alaska's North Slope oilfields and related infrastructure. The George Parks Highway turned the town into a commuter suburb of Anchorage. Several state and federal agencies have offices in Wasilla, including the Alaska Departments of Environmental Conservation, Labor and Divisions of Public Assistance, Social Services.

Wasilla gained international attention when Sarah Palin, who served as Wasilla's mayor before her election as Governor of Alaska, was chosen by John McCain as his vice-presidential running mate in the 2008 United States presidential election.

Wasilla is named after Chief Wasilla, a local Dena'ina chief.

We welcome you to come help us this coming October!

What skills do you need?

We would like to have electricians, electrician helpers, plumber and plumber’s helpers we can also used those who have general carpentry skills. Don’t let what you think is your limitation hold you back from going on this trip. Send us an email and ask. We can also use general laborers to help out in other areas. This is s great opportunity to help other brothers and sisters realize a vision for Christ.

When will we be leaving?

The team will be leaving Mount Joy early morning on October 23 and going to the Philadelphia International Airport and arriving in Anchorage in the early afternoon. There is a four hour time difference from Pennsylvania to Alaska so going there will seem shorter than what it really is. The flight will take approximately 10 hours.

What will the weather be like in Alaska in October?

Days the average high is 42 and nights average low is 26.

Who can go?

Anyone who agrees to the conditions of the registration form. This trip is also open to women as well. We have had team members in their teens as well as people in their retirement years in the past. It is not a requirement that you are a follower of Jesus to go. But you must agree to participate in daily Bible study, discussion and prayer with the group. Team unity is essential for a successful trip. We encourage all of our team members to use discretion in all their behavior during this trip. The use of alcohol is strictly prohibited. The main reason is because alcohol abuse is a major issue among the native people we work with. We want to be a good example to those we minister to.

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 September. 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 August 30th, 2009.

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:

lightshinealaska@comcast.net

Raising the Financial Support

The cost of this trip will be $1310. 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!

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 $1330 used for?

Transportation (air and road travel) costs make up the majority of the costs. All food will be provided. Lodging will be your sleeping bag. Please do not expect a comfortable bed during this trip but if you get one be blessed. Be flexible!

What are the deadlines for raising the money?

There are two deadlines for raising support.

Half of your support ($655) must be raised by August 30th. 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 September 30. 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 September and talk to your spouse and employer about setting these dates aside. It is highly recommended that you begin to raise support right now. Don't wait till the last second! Every year people get worried as they get closer to the trip because they wish they would have started raising funds earlier. Please plan ahead and make your commitment now.

Please contact me soon if you are interested in becoming part of this year's team. Help me 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:

LightShine Ministries