Meeting Abby

 Abby is the floor director at Stone Soup Cafe. It didn't take long before I seen she is the ideal person for this position. She has such a heart for the homeless and hurting people in Fairbanks. Abby's quiet and humble strength is amazing which is required for this very, very demanding position. At 7:30 AM folks have either been up all night, far less than suber or not quite woke up looking for this first cup of coffee. Either way they can be a handful knowing Abby is full of understanding to smooth out most misunderstandings.

What I soon realized is 14 years volunteering at the FT. Wayne Rescue Mission hasn't prepared me for this ministry because over 50 percent of the people entering would not be allowed entry in the rescue mission. You must be completely dressed and suber to enter the Rescue Mission.

Fairbanks 2023

 In 2022 our dear friend Alexa shared with us " we love having you both in Circle and we love what you do for our elders, but if you really want to help my people, stay in Fairbanks, base your summer around volunteering at Stone Soup Cafe (soup kitchen), and love up on our people there as you do here". So before leaving Alaska we spent time at Stone Soup Cafe to consider completely changing our reason for coming to Alaska. What we found is this change was going to be so much more expensive, but God showed us that this change offered so many opportunities and so much that would fill each day helping in many different ways. We also felt led to, again reach out to Global Food Initiative of the Church of the Brethren for a Grant for Stone Soup Cafe Garden that helps support Stone Soup Cafe.

Bill arrived in Fairbanks in late April knowing a 9,000.00 check was due to arrive at Stone Soup. Seven thousand to be used to complete the garden's drip system, plus a couple new raised bed's along with store bought soil that's used in each of the 50 plus raised beds. Stone Soup Cafe opens each morning at 7:30 AM for two hours. Each person entering is given a meal plus a sack lunch for later in the day. There's a single shower so a person can get on a list to shower, plus bathroom toiletries are given cost free along with over the counter medications are offered. Within minutes I understood why Alexa made this request for us to be in Fairbanks. I was seeing a completely different side of so many people I knew from the villages. I was seeing them at rock bottom before returning to the villages to "dry out", and be loved up on by relatives. I was now able to talk to them in their darkest hour and other Gwich'in people could see the relationship I have with each of the people I knew so they had a comfort with me before we even had a chance to strike up a conversation. This was such a win win situation with each passing morning, plus other " Caucasian" volunteers seen my friendship with the Gwich'in people so they had a more comfort to interact with them. What an incredible blessing this summer was going to be!

2022 Return to Bremen, Kentucky

 Two months earlier God absolutely led us to Bremen, Kentucky. A dear friend of ours is the National Director of Minanite Disaster Services. Steve told us " the national news coverage is all going to Dauson Springs and no one is going to Breman, please go there". Once we arrived in Breman the National Guard told us to turn around and leave." We don't want tourist here in Breman" Even though we had Brethren Disaster Ministries signs on our vehicle. We turned around. Penny asked "what are we going to do"? I went three blocks and took a left saying " I'm going to find a dirt road and go that way around" We did find a dirt road and did make it to the devastation. After dodging another check point we found ourselves where God wanted us to be. After passing out food and gift cards and more importantly hearing stories from traumatized people we prayed with them. Then we returned to a church that caught our eye.

Power Baptist Church had converted their gymnasium into a distribution center. We left dozens of lunches and dozens of gift cards, saying "we would return".

So now in Feb. of 2022 we did return with our pastor and one of the leadership team. We dropped off several thousand dollars of gift cards and asked then to make a list of what's truly needed. Then we traveled to Walmart and spent 2280.00 on household items and had a blast loading carts. When we checked out employee's as well as costumers stopped and watched in amazement as the carts were checked out. We returned to a joyful group of people at the distribution center. We left town knowing we did as God led our congregation to do, help our neighbors in need. Even when our neighbors were a few hundred miles from Home.  

2021Tornado's in Kentucky

Dauson Springs, along with so much of Kentucky was destroyed from mind blowing tornado's just a couple weeks from Christmas. As PleasantDales Disaster Response Coordinator, this just broke my heart watching the news reports from the effected areas.

Knowing our denominations disaster response " Brethren Disaster Ministries" doesn't arrive until after the clean up, and stays for months and years to work on rebuilding brought joy knowing I would be involved in that effort. 

There's a reason God brought Penny and I together and this is one of them. Penny asked "what are we going to do over Christmas? Are we going to set around with friends and family, or are we going to travel to Kentucky"? So, that Sunday at PleasantDale during Joys and Concerns I announced Penny and I would use Penny's time off from high school teaching to travel to Kentucky. We're going to make up lunch bags and drinks to give out to folks God places in our path and if you feel led to donate Walmart gift cards please drop by our house and leave on our porch like always, if we're not home. We're leaving the day after Christmas, in four days. Over the four days we were given 42 gift cards, and 3,000.00 plus in cash.

On Christmas day we left the family celebration with our 11 nieces and nephews, formed a

procession line to make up large lunch bags with a flashlight in each bag. The lunch meat was in coolers with loaves of bread to give out. Cold drinks were in coolers. This 1600.00 worth of lunch bags Pe

nny and I paid for so all the money and gift cards didn't go for the food or gas. We paid for the gas.

Pictures will be put on soon.                

2023Fairbanks

 At some point in the next days we'll take time to put the pictures with the posts. We've been so lazy about posting since the two year disruption covid-19 has brought about. We've been lazy about posting, not about following God's plan for us.

Also, this forgetful writer is guilty about putting the posts in the correct order, so b

are with me!! 

2023 Following God's tugging on one's heart

 Our summer was filled with work at Stone Soup Cafe, five shifts each weekday, working in the large garden in downtown Fairbanks, as well as four shifts a week at the food bank. Yet, something was pulling at our hearts and we didn't know what. Then we were led to call home to our dear brother in Christ, Jeff. We said we feel strongly that he needs to pass a hat in his study hour class at our church and we didn't know why. We asked to please send the money to Stone Soup Cafe. 

When the money arrived Hannah asked "what is this for? We used the money you gave for garden and kitchen upgrades. Where do you want this money spent"? We said "we don't know, that's for you to decide". Three days later we arrived for work to find out the boiler had went down. Abby said " we're on a shoestring budget and don't have the funds to repair now. We're able to cut corners in the kitchen but the homeless won't be able to shower. May we use the money for the repairs"? We said "we told you, that's for you to decide". A repair company was called and the boiler was repaired late that evening. And wouldn't you know the repair invoice came to nearly 1872.00, which was what our Discovery Class had sent from our church in Indiana. PRAISE THE LORD for laying this on our hearts. 

2023 God's plan for us

 Staying in Fairbanks is polar opposite from traveling on to one of the villages at or above the Arctic Circle. We feel this is where God wants us for the time being and that was never more evident when the village of Circle was basically flattened from the ice breakup. Had we been in the village of Circle our gardens would have been destroyed and we would have been homeless like a good portion of the village. The natives who were displaced traveled to Fairbanks and other locations to live with family or friends. Penny and I would have had no choice but return home to Indiana with a failed effort. God has a plan for us and it wasn't to return to Indiana.