Dear Praying friends,
Lois, Angie, Miss Barrie Greenfield and I left Inuvik on June 13th. 39 hours later we were in Fairbanks, Alaska. In another 60 hours I was heading for Rock Crossing Bible camp to preach at teen camp for the 8th year. The camp staff left Fairbanks around noon and by 11PM we were approaching the camp by boat after the hour and a half portion of the trip on the Tanana River. The hearty staff roughed it at camp for 16 days, some sleeping in tents, showering with water heated on an open fire and battling the ever present mosquito hoards.
There were two weeks of teen camp, one for aboriginal kids from villages in Alaska and a couple from Canada. The other week was for the teens of Bible Baptist Church in Fairbanks. These two weeks were back to back and surrounded by the backbreaking work of a wilderness camp that had to be set up and tore down.
I am told there were many decisions at camp. I do not stay for the invitation after I preach. During a closing appeal with heads bowed and eyes closed, I turn over the service to Bro. Dean Ojala to do as the Lord leads him. Bro. Ojala is the camp director and visionary for Rock Crossing. (A vision realized by great personal sacrifice and callouses.) I leave the invitation to Bro. Ojala to conduct because sometimes teens will respond to a preacher for less than spiritual reasons. Also whether the altar is full or empty, neither pride nor pity can assault me if I remain uninformed.
Back in Fairbanks, Lois cared for the Ojala’s home and kept things organized as 23 people passed through using the Ojala’s house as a bed and breakfast of sorts. Several eventually came to camp and some came for a door to door ministry to the Arctic villages of Alaska.
I leave for another week of camp in 5 days, this time in Vancouver BC, with Pastor Conner and Camp YES. While not nearly as remote as the Alaskan ordeal, it will be 22 days in Christian Camps this summer, and my body is in rebellion every step of the way!
The end of July will see us leave Alaska for the lower 48. By then, we will have had some important truck repair done, dentist and doctors visited and the camper prepared. Our next duty will be in mid-August to teach at Missionary Candidate School for Points North and All Points Baptist Mission. September aims us toward Ontario and October has a week of deer hunting scheduled. So yes, we are taking some family time and R&R this autumn. We are really looking forward to it.
Please pray for us as we travel. Keep Lois’ health in your prayers. Travelling is not as easy as it once was for either of us, but especially for Lois since the viral episode that took her hearing on one side and has left her with residual problems.
Thank you, Steve, Lois and Angie Donley