Bill & Penny's Adventures

Thursday, November 15, 2018

Ashlyn Crow

Elora and Ashlyn Crow are two of our best helpers and dearest of friends we have anywhere. These two children have been so eager to help water the gardens, also willing to help with anything we would have a need for. Over the years we've had the prevledge of watching them grow into tomorrows Gwich'in leaders, knowing they would be employed at TCC or Doyon Limited. Both of them are so intelligent and will accomplish whatever they set their minds to.
Several weeks ago they were returning to Circle from Fairbanks with their grandmother Ruth Crow and aunt Kim. The Steese Highway is a very tricky highway during the summer months. But when you add a layer of ice, every trip is dangerous.
Too much time past with Elora listening to her aunt Kim in such pain, knowing her sister and grandmother had died. All four were safely seat belted in, yet Elora was the only one unhurt.
Not much has been said about specifics concerning the crash, just the sad fact of the heartbreaks for this family being felt in all the Gwich'in villages. And also in Monroe, Indiana.

Circle, Alaska: Blessings resulting in a dilemma.

For years the prospect of staying in Fairbanks to spend the summer with the truly hurting Native sisters and brothers has been on our hearts. We decided to see what help we could be at The Soup Kitchen, to start.
After just an hour or two it's like God has put so many people and opportunities before us, that this must be what we're to do. During this time we were asked to pray with a director, a business owner and eight homeless natives as they shared the life decisions that put them where they are, homeless and drunk at 10:30 AM . The only reason so many opened up to us, we shared about our last twelve summers along with the Gwich'in people we know and love.
We left Alaska thinking we knew where we should spend next summer. That is until we heard about the two accidents on the Steese Highway and who died and who are injured.
The people in Circle have lost so much and are really hurting. We know this isn't the time to tell them we're not coming back.
We do feel a few more trips on the Steese next summer could result in helping out in both regions. There's so many opportunities to be a real blessing next summer in both Fairbanks and Circle

The beautiful gardens at the soup kitchen could be more than tripled if they had a couple more volunteers next summer.

Wednesday, September 5, 2018

Circle, Alaska: 2018

This summer's time in Circle was so extreme on every level. It's going to take some time to rap my mind around how to share. The important thing is we are knee deep into next year's effort as we plan for the October trip to Puerto Rico.