Normal Life

Life is normalizing here. We've been settled into our home for awhile now, our jobs are fully underway, we have no trips planned in the near future to break things up, and we have a pretty good routine figured out. The tell all is the fact that Aaron and I have both contracted the "Bethel Crud" as we heard it's been called. Apparently, anyone who moves here is sick a lot during their first year. I doubted it would happen to us, but I guess we're not immune. Plus, I think our sinuses are permanently damaged from living in a really old dusty Chicago apartment for two years where the carpet appeared to be twenty years old. But I digress. Anyway, we've been a little under the weather for the past few days, but life feels pretty normal.

I think there is this really mystical idea of Alaska, and certainly those elements exist, but the reality is that people's lives up here are uncannily similar to people's lives everywhere else. People work, go to school, volunteer for community events and causes, go days on end without seeing any Alaskan wildlife or wilderness, and watch lots of TV and movies like people everywhere else. I think the real difference is that you learn to appreciate the little things, that are really the biggest things, in a place like this. We pay $14.00 for the cheap gallon ice cream, and $7 minimum for a gallon of milk, so we think a lot more about the food we go through. We've had more rainy and cool days this summer than I've ever experienced, but it makes us really appreciate those rare warm sunny days we've had the past few days more than ever before. You really notice it when you don't have it all the time. And the same goes for the standard things a lot of people have access to everyday. When I heard a group of co-workers talk about a trip to Anchorage and what they like to do when they go there, you'd think they were going on a Vegas vacation! The places to eat, the movies to go see, the shopping to do. These are normal things in most circles, but they're not at people's fingertips here in Bethel. They're at least a plane ride away.

If you find a good group of people and take the "inconveniences" of living in the "bush," as a way to appreciate the essentials of life that are often taken for granted, Bethel can be a great, normal place to live. And as can be seen, our Kiah girl is enjoying a very normal life here. She's growing leaps and bounds and makes us laugh everyday. I think it's true that pets are the best therapy, especially a good dog.

Weddings and Marriage

Last weekend we were fortunate enough to be able to travel back to Michigan for Aaron's brother's wedding. We were so grateful to be a part of the day and see family, despite the long trip to get there and short time on the ground. Here are some snapshots from the big day:

Mr. and Mrs. Anderson!

The Groom

The doting best man/brother

A characteristically heartfelt Anderson speech

It was a beautiful wedding, and we wish them many marriage blessings. Speaking of weddings and marriage, about a month ago we celebrated our second anniversary (woo-hoo!). So we made a cake. And we went blueberry picking

I took a nap later in the day and woke up to this:

What a sweet husband!

He surprised me by dressing up in the suit he wore the day we got married and setting up a romantic little evening that included the unity candle used during our wedding ceremony, a dance to our wedding song "Highlight", some "bubbly" (aka sparking juice since there is no real bubbly sold here in Bethel), and our favorite romantic comedy "Fifty First Dates." It was a fun and relaxing day that brought back lots of good memories. Two years have flown by, and I look forward to what is still ahead!

Adventures with Kiah

Two weeks ago we ventured out onto the Kuskokwim River for a day of fishing with our friends Russel and Brenda and of course our trusty companion Kiah. We left early in the morning and headed north on the Kuskokwim river until we reached the mouth of the Kwethluk river which we traveled on for roughly two hours until we reached a place called Magic Creek. Once at Magic Creek we landed the boat on the shore and began to fish. Within one hour we caught ten silver salmon, all nicely sized. It was incredibly fun watching Rox fight these large Silvers. Of course Kiah had to get in on the action as well, coming up and greeting each fish that we pulled in.

After this short fishing session on Magic Creek we continued up the river to the base of Three Step Mountain. Rox, Kiah, and I decided to climb part way up the mountain so we could see over the tree line. It was absolutely beautiful. You could see the mountains off in the distance, the river we just traveled up, and the many lakes scattered throughout the tundra. We spent a significant amount of time just sitting and taking in the beautiful sight before us. If it weren't for the mosquitoes, it would have been perfect. We climbed back down the mountain and back to the river where we picked berries for a little while.

During this time Kiah decided to jump in the river for a swim, but miscalculated the strength of the current and her own swimming abilities. Before we knew it, she was being swept down river. She did the right thing and angled towards shore but the boat separated her and the land and the river pushed her under the boat. I ran down the shore and when she popped up on the other side of the boat I jumped in and grabbed her, pulling her to shore. The water was extremely cold! Afterwards I told her, “Kiah! I just saved your life, so someday you will have to save mine. You owe me one.” Rox said that she thought Kiah was a goner. Needless to say, it was an exciting 10 seconds of our trip.

After going for a most enjoyable “swim,” we all decided that a fire and some food was necessary. We found a gravel bar with plenty of wood and made a fire. I made a sock drying rack and we sat around the fire roasting hot dogs and drinking coffee. We even cut up a piece of salmon and roasted it over the fire on a stick for Kiah. She is a spoiled dog! I did try it and it tasted really good, confirming the theory that everything tastes better when cooked on a fire. After we ate, it was time to go so we processed the fish, packed up the boat, and headed back to Bethel. As we headed back a rainbow formed over Three Step Mountain, which we watched for a good portion of our boat ride home.

It was a day in which we all felt greatly blessed. We were with good friends, a good dog, in a beautiful place and it is our hope that we will have many more days like this one.

Here are some pictures that highlight our day...

Our New Home

We finally made it! After much anticipation, many months of preparation, 5 long days of driving, and one short flight, we finally made it to our new home, Bethel Alaska.

It has been a full month now since we first arrived in Bethel and we are completely moved into our new house. The community here has been very welcoming and helpful in our adjusting to life in rural Alaska. I really believe that it is the people here in Bethel that makes this place so wonderful.

My new job (Associate Pastor of Youth Outreach and Church Ministries) started almost immediately after arriving. The senior pastor and his family had to leave town for almost three weeks and I was asked to give the message all three weeks. It went very well, at least that is what my wife tells me. I have also made connections at the youth correctional facility where I will be volunteering on a regular basis as well as the high school. Overall, everything is going very well and I am very excited about the future. Speaking of jobs, Rox just got a job and started this week. Yes! What a blessing and answer to prayer.

The weather here since we have arrived has been in the 50's and 60's with rain. I can almost count on one hand the number of days that the sun has been out, but that has not stopped us from enjoying the outdoors. We have been told to get out as much as we can now, because winter will be here soon! So apparently you need to start thinking about winter here in August.

One of our favorite activities is going for walks on the tundra with Kiah, our 5 month old Newfoundland puppy. She loves the tundra which has a lot to offer. There are lakes to swim in, birds to chase, and plenty of space to run. One of her favorite activities is playing fetch with "the flying squirrel," a frisbee for dogs. She is also content watching us pick the many wild berries that the tundra has to offer. There are blueberries, salmonberries, cranberries, and blackberries, all being equally delicious, especially when mixed with ice cream! Our longest tundra walk was two and a half horizons as our guide told us. It was almost five hours round trip and we (Kiah included) could hardly walk by the time we got back, but we were blessed with many salmonberries. We also have enjoyed the abundance of fresh salmon that the Kuskokwim River has to offer. Our freezer is filling up with fresh silver salmon which are currently running up river in good numbers. I think we are going to need a bigger freezer, especially with moose and caribou season right around the corner!

All in all, I would say that life here in Bethel is going well. God has greatly blessed us so far and we are excited about all that God has in store for us in the upcoming year.

To sum up this first blog post in one sentence...

Bethel is really beginning to feel like home.