About this time last week I arrived back in College Station after an amazing week in a place God has blessed me with a love for. Thursday March 8 2012 marked the beginning of my third trip to Nome Alaska for the Iditarod Outreach. In the weeks leading up to our departure I was anxious to go and desperate to see what God had in store for the week I would be gone.

After a few last minute errands, the three hour drive to Dallas seemed forever long, and yet short because we were finally on our way. As we traveled, we met up with more and more headed to Nome to minster with us. A long night of travel, including sleeping on the floor of the Anchorage airport, meant we arrived safely in Nome at nine in the morning. And apparently there is no such thing as a normal Iditarod Outreach volunteer after serving there twice before, and being a summer missionary. We had no more than put our bags down then we where whisked off to set up the other church.

Each day I was in Nome was amazing and a huge blessing in my life. I had the privilege of working with and developing relationships with many. I was able to work alongside some of the leaders at Nome Iditarod Headquarters, helping them out a few times.

One of the best nights of the week was when I pulled the over night shift at the minnie, I got to listen to two men who have been involved with Iditarod for years. To hear the ways they struggled and fought their way down the trail and what they learned along the way. I got to spend time with one of my closest friends from this summer that same night. We continued with our light banter and meaningful conversations like the ones that taught me so much this summer. I got to see and hear one of my teammates come in from working outside with a light in his eyes and a joy in his words showing how much he loved the work he was doing.

From washing dishes, everyday it seemed. To making a homemade strawberry cake for a wonderful older friend on his seventieth birthday. Playing with two amazing young kids on the sanctuary floor. Showing them the joy in being cared about by two college kids willing to spend their final hours in Alaska spinning them around and investing in their lives and talking with their Mom. Whether promising to keep the boat from sinking, though nothing was said about keeping it from leaking. Or desperately praying I am able to fulfill the duties given me to keep from disappointing so many around me.

It seemed everyday was filled with me discovering something new about myself, laughing with people I have not seen in months, yet are in many ways closer than those I am around daily. Being shown how God is moving across the arctic tundra, being a part, an extremely small part of what God is doing.

I am sure much of this makes no sense to many of you. If you wish to hear more about one story that was only hinted at, let me know I would love to share more, it is just hard to try and condense it down to something readable. Hopefully I will put up pictures soon so you can see a small part of what my week was filled with.

Please pray for Nome and the arctic region. God has so much in store for that area and it is amazing to start to see it unfold. Please pray for me, I have many decisions to make soon. Decisions that could potentially change the direction of my life. Wisdom is something I am desperately in need of right now and I am very grateful for the support given to me through your prayers.

Excitment

Tomorrow I leave to fly to Nome for the third time. All I can think about is how amazingly blessed I am. I have been so excited the last week or so, at times I couldn't even focus. I was sitting in church, thinking about Alaska. I was at Breakaway thinking about how the people of Alaska are going through many of the same things as where being talked about. I resisted the urge to count it down until week before. Then I kinda went into crazy overdrive mode. Randomly texting people when it is four days out, totally packed, two days before.

In all of this, I am so ready to be there to see the people I have grown to love over the years. I want to sit and talk with people who have such a love and passion for where they live, and the Savior they serve. I can't wait to learn, grow, experience all the amazing things I know are going to happen next week.

Please pray for me.  Pray for the people of Nome and those coming in to visit for the Iditarod. For my teammates that we would all be open to the urgings of Christ. That through it all lives would be changed for the better and challenged in ways that would push them into new dimensions of their life.  

Thank you all for the support you have shown and given me throughout the years.  And for letting me show you a little bit of my heart for Alaska.