Not Worth Comparing

Once again, this is long overdue, but for some reason, it seems I don't have as much quiet focused time these days to get  my thoughts organized. This might have something to do with the tiny human that will show up in some of the pictures below. Nevertheless, getting an update out to you all has been on my mind/heart pretty heavily lately, so I'm going to give it a shot!

Breakup 2020

I had mentioned in my last update that we had a real, cold Alaskan winter this past year. As a result the ice on the river was thicker than it has been in years, creating the longest ice road there has ever been. This is great for transportation during those winter months, but when springtime comes, and the weather warms, that ice needs to go somewhere! Because of the thickness of the ice, we thought breakup might be on the later side this year. The weather warmed and stayed warm quickly though, and the tripod moved and tripped the clock at 9:58 p.m. on May 3rd. I wrote in more detail about the Kuskokwim Ice Classic last year, but if it's interesting to you, you can go to iceclassic.org to learn more about the official start of summer in Bethel.

It was so impressive to watch the huge glacier like chunks of ice flowing together downstream. The problem with large flowing chunks of ice is that they don't always move in harmony, and when they don't, they run into each other and pile up, creating ice jams and backing up the water behind them. All of Bethel and many of the villages up and down the river were on flood watch for the weeks after breakup. Several of my patients, who had grown up in Bethel, told me stories of flooding in past years to the point that their family would use a boat to travel around in town and children would be playing on rafts in what used to be streets. While the concept of Bethel turning into a sort of Venice was intriguing, the reality really wasn't something we wanted to experience. The waters definitely rose, and the slough behind our house was soo much higher than we'd ever seen it, but thankfully God spared the town, for the most part, from any major flooding. The two pictures below were taken from the same spot several weeks apart. You can compare the beaver to put things in perspective.

The slough at it's highest

Normal water height

Smelting

Another big event at the beginning of each summer is the run of the smelts. Smelts are a small type of fish that live most of their lives in the Ocean (like salmon) but then migrate in big groups to spawn in freshwater streams in the spring. These little fish run just before the first run of Salmon, so they are an exciting sign of the official start of fishing season. When the first smelts are spotted, there is a mass run of boats to the river to go "Smelting." The run only lasts a day or two, so this is a, go now or miss out, kind of situation. Smelts are one of the few fish that can be legally harvested using a dip net, so everyone grabs their net, hops in their boat, and brings home what they can before the school has passed. Colby and I have not been able to participate in smelting before, but this year Francis asked Colby to go along. We didn't keep any smelts for ourselves, I wasn't sure what to do with them honestly. But, after talking to a few people, I've learned that they are usually just dipped in flour and fried whole. If we have the opportunity again next year I think we just might try it ;-)

 Summertime

In a lot of ways this has been a beautiful Bethel summer. We had quite a few nice sunny days and the temperatures climbed into the 70's, but we avoided those painful 90 degree days we struggled through last year. Unfortunately this was a summer of bugs. Mosquitoes are jokingly said to be Alaska's state bird, but they were definitely worse this year than we had experienced before. There was literally a cloud of them waiting outside of our door which would surround us as we dashed to the car and as many as possible would cram in there with us. I felt like Pig Pen from Charlie Brown, every time I dared to go outside. We considered buying Bug Shirts (you can all look that up) and know several people who did. We did cover David's car seat in a bug net after we noticed he was getting devoured on the way to daycare. Thankfully though, the most severe waves didn't last too long, and we were eventually able to get out and fully enjoy the sunshine. One beautiful day David was able to experience his first boat ride and picnic on a sandbar! He wasn't super sure about the life jacket, but somehow he 

still fell asleep on the way home! 

Growing and Gathering

For the past 2 summers we have had a row in the community garden. Last year with the very warm weather, and me feeling slightly under the weather most days, our row was not very productive. This year I decided to be realistic. I realized that even though it is not far away, I was less likely to make the necessary daily trips to the garden with David in tow. Instead, I decided to give container gardening on our porch a try! I kept things very small for this year, but I will say I did much better at keeping them alive! I was able to eat spinach and kale for a few weeks, to snack on snap peas and managed a few meals worth of turnips. Colby is also growing a row of potatoes in the community garden. We're excited to find out whats under the ground there in a few weeks.

Berry picking is another one of my favorite summer activities. This also proved to be a bit trickier this year with an extra helper. Colby and David both joined me for our first blueberry picking outing of the summer. As you can see a great time was had by all...but we decided that it might be best for them to stay home and let me do the rest of the picking on my own.

Work

God has been so incredibly good in this area of our lives over the past months. Colby stepped out on his own and officially started CDS Construction in April of this year. These are such uncertain times, and we weren't at all sure of how things would go, but we both felt a peace that this was God's leading. So far, He has abundantly blessed in providing work. This has made for a very busy summer for Colby, as so many things just need to be done during these few months when the ground is not frozen, but truly it is an answer to prayer. Colby has so much enjoyed working with Francis and forming and building new relationships in the community. There is definitely a learning curve as well as he determines how to run the business successfully, but still set aside quality time with David and I, time to complete some projects on our house and to pour into other relationships and ministry. Overall though, we can do nothing but praise God for providing and sustaining this amazing opportunity. P.S. Thank you to Jayson Whelpley for creating a logo for us : )

My work world continues to carry on in its new form of normal. I continue to see many of my patients over video as medicaid is not paying for travel for non-essential/emergency care. This is definitely not ideal, but I'm thankful for the technology that makes it possible for me to at least provide some form of care to those who have no way of getting to Bethel. One recent change to my work life is that I've been able to decrease my hours to part time. I now work three 10 hour days and have an extra day at home each week. The opportunity to do this has also been an incredible blessing.

Perspectives

Perspectives On the World Christian Movement is a course that Colby and I had both taken online while we were in PA. It's a great class that walks through the Biblical, Historical and Cultural aspects of God's global purpose and then dives into current Strategies in missions. We both grew and learned so much from the class. Last summer I was able to travel to Idaho to learn how to coordinate a class in hopes of hosting a live course in Bethel in the future. We got a little busy over the winter, but felt God leading us to move forward again this summer. We are currently guiding a small group of local couples through the course. We all meet at our house on Sundays to watch the weeks lectures, then have a time of discussion. It's been so good to go through the material again and especially to walk through it with others. We'd appreciate prayers that God will use this time to challenge and equip those taking the class. 

Grandpa!!!

The highlight of summer so far is that David finally got to meet his Apii (Grandpa in Yupik). I mentioned before that one of the hardest parts about the state of the world right now and the difficulty of travel, is that our little man hasn't been able to meet his extended family members. There are still many that we are longing to introduce, but after a few failed attempts, canceled/rearranged flights and other small difficulties my dad was able to make the trek across the country. There are a number of restrictions on travel to Alaska right now, but he was able to get his Covid test just prior to travel and the results came back in record time, just as he was entering the state. We took the necessary precautions while he was here, stayed out of public places and kept to ourselves. But, I cannot say enough, what a wonderful time it was. God gave absolutely perfect weather the entire week. We were able to have a little backyard campfire, go berry picking, and just walking around town. Dad was even able to ride along with Colby and a friend to go netting for salmon to fill our freezer for this year. He then helped us pack away said salmon in record time which was an added bonus. Most importantly though, Apii got to spend some quality time with David and they both had a blast!

Final Thoughts

I don't know about all of you, but we have struggled to remain joyful over the past months. I jokingly told my sister over the phone that the word for this year is "canceled." The parade is canceled. The concert is canceled. Your flight is canceled. Sports are canceled. School is canceled. So much that we enjoy in life seems like it's being canceled! I'm a person who very much looks forward to traditions, so it has been hard not to mope a bit as I watch so many things that I get excited about change or be set aside completely for this year. Little decisions seem more complicated than they ever were and the distance between us and many of our friends and family seems greater than it's ever been. Even the joy filled events that do happen, like my dads visit, are laced with a bit of hesitancy and extra caution. On top of those more minor disappointments, there just seems to be a heaviness about nearly every aspect of life right now. Listening to the news for even a few minutes makes it clear that people are hurting all over our country and world. Between the virus, rioting, political tension and natural disasters it's easy to feel like the world is spinning out of control. 

By God's grace though, in the midst of all of this craziness I happened to be reading through Roman's in my daily Bible reading plan. One day when I was feeling particularly down, the words of Roman's 8 jumped off the page at me. The chapter is filled with soooo much incredible truth, and I highly recommend you just take some time and read and dwell on it. But the word's that most resonated in my heart this time were "not worth comparing." In Roman's 8:18 Paul writes "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." He goes on to talk about how "the whole creation has been groaning together" longing for the day when Christ will return and make right all that sin has made wrong. These words reminded me once again that this world is just not our home. The Bible makes it abundantly clear that we will face difficult times in this life but as believers we have a future to look forward to that will make even the worst trials here seem insignificant in comparison. Over and over again during these past weeks, just as I've started to sink into sadness over the current state of things, God has reminded me to keep my eyes fixed on the joy that's coming. When I'm able to keep my focus on the glory ahead, I get a whole new perspective on the things I face in the day to day of this life. I have no idea what struggles might be in front of you right now, but hopefully these words can be an encouragement to you as they've been to me. Spend some time in God's word and let Him lift your eyes to live these days in light of the awesome future ahead of you. 

Prayer Requests

• Please be in prayer for Colby and his family on both sides. His mom's side of the family has experienced a lot of loss in the past year, and his mom was recently diagnosed with cancer. Colby's dad has also been dealing with a lot of pain and loss of mobility and is scheduled to have a knee replacement this week. Pray for healing and especially for God's peace in the midst of those situations.
• I know this is not unique to us right now, but we are struggling to figure out what ministry should like during this time of Covid. Our hearts desire is to be serving God and reaching out to this community, but in a way that will not put others at unnecessary risk or damage our testimony. King's Kids is currently on hold as we seek God's leading in what it should/could look like this year. We would very much appreciate prayers for wisdom as we navigate so many complicated situations.
• Continue to pray that God would strengthen our marriage and improve our ability to serve him as a team. And now especially that he would give us wisdom as we raise David and begin to shepherd his little heart. As we walk through the early stages of parenting, pray that God would guide us as we seek to live our lives for him as a family. 

A Few More Random Pictures

Sunset from behind our house

Baby swallows leaving the nest in our backyard

Boaters behind our house during the flood

Beavers getting to work this spring

Noisy toy compliments of Grandma Walter

Then There Were Three

Finally taking some time to sit down and write today in the midst of so much craziness. Just over one week ago Colby and I were discussing plans for how to divide our time during our first trip to Pennsylvania as a family of 3! We planned to fly to Florida for Job's wedding (which was on Friday!! Congratulations!!!!) Then make the jump to spend 2 weeks in PA. There was going to be a baby dedication and lots of hugs for David from grandparents and other family members. However, after much prayer and discussion we both felt that given the state of our country, and the clear request of our government to avoid unnecessary travel, it would be wise to cancel our plans. Compared to what many people are facing right now, a canceled trip is not a big deal, but as this was our little mans only chance to meet his grandparents (at least as far as we can see) for quite a few months, it was a very difficult decision and a big disappointment. Although I'm still pretty sad, I've been reminded that "The heart of a man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." ~Proverbs 16:9. I can't say I understand why things are currently unfolding as they are. But I do know that our God is sovereign, and I know that He is good and works all things together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose. So I am praying that he will give me the strength to trust Him and to use this time for His glory. Having said all of that, I'm going to start by updating you all on our last few months (which were pretty eventful). Hopefully this will at least give you something to read if you also happen to be stuck at home!

Pennsylvania

 

As most of you know we were able to travel home for a few weeks in November to spend Thanksgiving (and the start of rifle season ;-) with our families. The travel was a bit less enjoyable for me than it sometimes is, as I was pretty pregnant, but God gave us great health and safety throughout. During our time, my sister planned an amazing Baby shower for me which allowed me to catch up with friends I might not have otherwise had the chance to see. We packed our time and did our best to see as many people as we could during the short time. We also spent quite a few hours in the woods during the week after Thanksgiving and were both successful! Colby was able to harvest (or catch as they say up here) a really nice buck, and I got a doe. Truly we were so blessed in every aspect of the trip, and even though it was hard, as always, to say goodbye, we returned to Bethel feeling encouraged and refreshed.

 

Real Alaskan Winter

We returned to Bethel in early December and were welcomed by frigid temperatures and lots of snow. Unlike our last 2 winters here (and really winters here for quite a few years), this one has been legit. Our temperatures seem to have been below zero more than above and I have gotten quite a few pictures like this one from Colby... Because of the cold work got really busy through the month of December with wound care cases for frostbite. When temperatures are in the -20's with even colder wind chills, frostbite can happen to anyone who is slightly unprepared or finds themselves in an unfortunate situation. When you add in the fact that many people out here struggle with alcohol, the low temps become even more dangerous. The other problem with the extreme cold is frozen pipes. Frozen pipes at the gym, at the hospital, at the police station, and (minorly) in our house, and many others around town. Colby will tell you that dealing with this problem is probably one of his least favorite things. If you think about what is typically carried in pipes that drain out of one's house, you can probably imagine why :-P While we are ready to see some temperatures that aren't preceded by a little dash, cold up here is truly what makes life run well. The ice road is thicker and longer than it has ever been and snow machine trails are in excellent condition, making travel between villages and to the Yukon much easier. People have been able to ice fish and travel to hunt moose to provide for their families. All things considered we're thankful for the cold!

The Great Remodel...

With the expected arrival of our little person quickly approaching, we (especially Colby) felt a pressure to push forward and finish the big, messy projects in our home as quickly as possible. The day before we left for Pennsylvania in the fall, Colby finished hanging the drywall in our entire upstairs. Just a few short weeks after our return he had finished painting, installing flooring and interior doors (upstairs and downstairs) as well as some molding. We are relieved to announce that aside from some final touches (like counter tops...but plywood is working just fine), we are done with this home remodeling phase of our lives and able to focus our time and energy elsewhere. We are praying that God will show us ways to practice hospitality and open our home to be a blessing to others. Here are the nursery before and after pictures for you....

Visitor...and an Early Arrival: )

Shortly after the start of the New Year, we had the blessing of another visitor from PA! Colby's longest friend Brad made the trek across the country, and braved the cold to spend a week in Bethel with us. He chose to come in the winter months in hopes of traveling with Colby to the Yukon to experience a moose hunt, and he managed to time the trip to also hit the K300 dog sled race. This just so happened to mean he would be here until about 1 week before my due date...but we were just banking on an on time, or slightly delayed, entrance.

When he hit the ground in Bethel, we showed him all of the highlights of town (this took about 1 hour). He then spent the first few days helping Colby with some tasks, and tagging along with our usual activities. He got to watch Colby lead King's Kids, which I think he thoroughly enjoyed. After a few quick trial runs on a borrowed snow machine, and a whirlwind of gear gathering and packing, the boys headed off on a day trip adventure to the Yukon. God gave them absolutely perfect conditions, with beautiful snow, cold (but above zero) temperatures, and a clear day. They made the 70 mile trip in good time and Colby was able to shoot a moose before they even reached the island where he usually hunts. Brad got to experience skinning, quartering and loading the massive animal onto a sled before their smooth return trip to Bethel. 

The two of them spent the majority of the next 2 days cutting, grinding and storing meat. They got the last bags packed away late Thursday night....And early Friday morning (the day of the K300) I woke up with contractions. Things weren't too bad, so I decided to go to work on Friday, assuming it would be quite some time before a baby arrived. To our surprise, I let Colby know he should come around 11:30 a.m., we walked upstairs (benefits of working in the hospital) around 11:53 and David Lawrence Spatz made his appearance at 12:58 p.m. I can't tell you how incredibly thankful we are for the way the entire day unfolded, and for a healthy little boy!

Clearly this was not in our plans for the week of Brad's visit. In fact we were praying that this would not happen until after his time here, but once again, Gods plans are far better than ours. Thankfully Brad is a very independent guest! He took himself to the K300 and got some great close up pictures of the dogs and mushers, then brought Colby a burger (hospital food was not working for him) and got to be one of the first to meet David. It was really amazing to know that someone was in our house, making sure things were still working, while we spent the night in the hospital. Before heading home, Brad ended his trip by being the first Pennsylvanian to hold this little guy : ) 

Sleepless Nights

The first weeks after David's arrival are a bit of a blur to me if I'm honest, but I think they can be summed up by saying they were some of the hardest and most wonderful weeks of our lives so far. So many adjustments on so little sleep. I was told by many people that God uses children, much like marriage, to refine us and draw us closer to him. As a person who very much likes to live by a schedule and be in control, nothing has made me so aware of areas of idols and lack of trust in God in my life. Not a fun process, but a good one, and I know this is only the beginning. 

In the midst of those first weeks,  my sister flew across the country to meet her first little nephew. It was so great to have her here. She got to enjoy the little guy, and did so much cleaning and organizing in our house that I just wasn't able to get to. We also got to spend some good time together to talk and catch up when David slept. Thankfully she was able to come and go just before the current wave of events and restrictions unfolded. There were definitely some tears when she left, but we're grateful for the moments we get to spend in the same state.

Another Moose Hunt

Most recently we got to enjoy another visit. This time from a good friend of ours, Derek Black, who is a Pastor/Ministry leader in Soldotna. He and his wife, along with another couple from Soldotna, had come to Bethel early in February to lead our annual Marriage Gods Way conference. The conference was a wonderfully encouraging/challenging time (Colby and I were able to attend the whole thing with a very little David in tow). During that weekend Derek mentioned that he had not yet been able to make the snow machine trip to the Yukon or shoot a moose. He had attempted this several times in the past, but trips were prevented due to the ever changing weather conditions out here. As conditions have been great this year, Colby offered to travel with him to the Yukon and help with the moose. Derek arrived in Bethel on a Thursday afternoon and the two spent the day gathering gear and packing the sled (I've gotten quite used to this process), then left early Friday morning. Once again God gave a safe and successful trip and they returned with Derek's first moose! On Saturday we turned our house into a meat processing plant and managed to de-bone, cut, grind, package and pack the entire thing into totes before his return flight to Anchorage on Sunday morning.

Final Thoughts

I recently came across these quotes from Corrie ten Boom; "Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength." and "Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God." I will be the first to admit that I struggle with worry, really on a daily basis, and Satan is certainly attempting to use the current pandemic and the worlds response to it, to launch a new attack. These are clearly uncertain times, and the amount of change we've seen in the last week can easily make a person's head spin. I am so thankful to be able to look to an unchanging God and to cling to his everlasting word in times like these. In ladies Bible study last week we read 1 Peter 1 which reminds us in vs. 23-24 that God's word is living and abiding and that "All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever." God's living word is our guide to navigating any situations/events that the world may throw at us. It reminds us not to live in fear (2 Timothy 1:7), to put others before ourselves (Philippians 2:3), to give thanks in ALL circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18), and to be anxious about nothing, but bring all of our concerns and requests to the Lord in prayer (Philippians 4:6). It also reminds us that our God is unchanging and in Him we have a great hope as the anchor for our souls (Hebrews 6:19). I love the picture of an anchor holding us fast in the midst of the storms that life throws at us. In the middle of this storm I want to be another voice encouraging you (and myself) to use this time to dig deeper into Gods word and let Him be your guide, strength and hope through difficult situations.

Sun Halo..what happens when light is refracted through ice crystals in the clouds on incredibly cold days

Prayer Requests

• Please pray for Bethel and the YK Delta region in response to the coronavirus. Given the tight living quarters and generally poor health of the population, as well as the small and understaffed hospital serving them, a significant outbreak out here could be very harmful. In response, travel has been limited to all villages and several have closed themselves off to any travel in or out. In an area where fear and depression are already widespread, additional isolation could be as detrimental as the disease itself. Pray that God would spare this area from the effects of the virus and that the precautions/restrictions could be short lived. For wisdom for medical providers at this time. And above all that God would use this situation to draw more people to himself. 
• As Colby and I continue to adjust to our new roles as parents, we would appreciate prayer for wisdom as we begin to raise this little guy, and also to know where to invest our time/energy outside of our home to serve the Lord most effectively in this community.
• As Job is now beginning the next chapter in his life, Colby will no longer be working for Job's Done Right, and is working to attain his own business license to continue working as a general contractor here in Bethel. Pray that all would go smoothly with the process and that God would provide work opportunities.

A Few More Pictures...

Before...

After! Colby decided to trim up for Job's wedding : )