Akutan Quilt

We are very excited about an upcoming ministry at Safe Harbor Church. A three week quilting class featuring the "Akutan Quilt" will be taught here in September. Margo's love for quilting, the generosity of her quilting teacher, Kitty Sorgen and quilting friend Carol Herbert from Friday Harbor and God's provision have made this event possible. Kitty and Carol will arrive in Akutan on September 7. You can read about Kitty's mission trip to Kenya last year to teach women in Mashaka how to support their families through the art of quilting. Please click on the link at the right of this post to read about Kitty's Missions trip. When you get there view the video by clicking on Oasis Africa -Mashaka to see Kitty in action.
Our prayer is that the women of Akutan and Trident will not only end up with a beautiful quilt but that their lives will be impacted by the love of Jesus and the lives of these amazing Christian women. We appreciate your prayers.
The quilt was designed by Kitty and sewn by Kitty and Carol. All the fabrics and sewing kits for the ladies have been donated by the gals in the Rain Shadow Quilting Arts Guild in Friday Harbor. The batting has been donated by Elsie Campbell.

Launching Miz Becky

I promised Adam that I would post pictures of our new boat tonight, so here they are Adam. Miz Becky is a 16' Starcraft with a 55 hp Evinrude motor and a 7.5 hp Honda kicker. It came fully equipped with safety equipment.


Our new (used) boat was shipped from Tacoma and arrived on a barge last week when Gary was gone to a Dr. appointment in Anchorage. As soon as he got home he prepared Miz Becky for her maiden voyage and with the help of our friend Boris, she was launched on Sunday afternoon.


Boris used his 4 wheeler to tow the boat and back the trailer down the airplane ramp which doubles for a boat ramp.


On our first outing we went to a creek at the head of the bay where Gary showed me how to "dip net" for Pinks. Gary had been here with Boris a couple of weeks ago so he was experienced! I have two nice ones in the net. What a blast!



Gary rinsing our catch in the bay at the mouth of the stream. We spent the next hour walking on the beach and exploring new territory for us.


Docking Miz Becky in our slip at the Akutan City Docks. This happened to be the only available slip in the marina and we felt fortunate to get it.


Besides life preservers we each have Coast Guard approved survival suits. Without them hypothermia would set in within 15 minutes in our 36F waters, with them a person could survive 24 hours or more. So don't worry Kids. Besides we are in God's hands.

Blast Off!

Gary included the boys from the village in a Summer Rocket Project. They each built and painted a rocket and then launched them in the park an several summer evenings.

Anthony and Gary setting up the launching pad an ignition switches for our the last launch of the summer.

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Blast Off! Ian, Mia and Jay counting down for ignition and blast off.

Ian, Gary and Anthony getting ready to go fishing on the Akutan City Docks where they caught several Bull Heads just for fun.

Our Emerald Isle

I thought you might like a glimpse of what we are seeing on Akutan recently. These pictures were all taken within the last week and give you an idea of how beautiful it is here in the Summer.

We walked for several miles on the beach at low tide and returned along a hillside trail at high tide.

The return trail was completely obscured by beautiful purple, white, pink and yellow wildflowers.


Gary caught this nice Halibut when he was out on a boat with his friend Boris from the village. Gary filleted it and we cooked some of it on the Weber and froze the rest. Best Halibut I ever tasted!

Some mornings the bay is so calm it reflects perfect mirror images. Other days, like today, it's so foggy I can't see across the bay and the wind is skimming across the water.


Early morning fishing trip with our friends Joe and Lorraine at Entrance Point. We caught several Black Bass and a big Gray Cod.

The Great North Islands Gospel Tour

Trident Seafoods, Chuck and Diane Bundrant and Kory Ness hosted a Gospel music tour that performed three concerts in Akutan on Sunday July 11. It was part of a joyous celebration of spiritual and gospel music uniting the coastal communities of Norway and Alaska. The three concerts featured the lively and uplifting country vocal duo of Synnove Aanensen and Solfrid Brekka, sisters from Karmoy, Norway. Other musicians on the tour were our friend Fred Holmberg from Sand Point, Alaska and Aleksander Hauge from Norway. The music and the message were very warmly received by the workers at the Trident plant as well as those who attended the concert at the church from the village. Our hearts were lifted in praise to God and encouraged by the fellowship and music. Three of the musicians and their spouses stayed in the parsonage with us and the others stayed at Trident. It was a whirlwind tour which included all of the Trident plants in Alaska as well as Hawaii.

The Great North Islands Gospel Tour group arrived late Saturday evening on two PenAir "Geese" and departed Sunday evening following a reception at Safe Harbor Church.

Sisters Synnove Aanensen and Solfrid Brekka from Karmoy, Norway sang and played such favorites as I Saw the Light, Sweet bye and bye, I can only Imagine, How Great Thou Art, Amazing Grace and several Norwegian Folk songs.

Synnove

Gary with Chuck Bundrant, sponsor of the Music Tour, Trident owner and Safe Harbor Church board member.

Akutan Spring

A busy Sunday at the Port of Akutan! The Goose is approaching the landing and a cargo ship is tied up at the City Dock. This view of the church shows our home, a lovely four bedroom, two bathroom residence with a family/dining room and separate living room. In addition to a lovely kitchen in our residence, this area also includes a large commercial kitchen and office. We are blessed!

We took the Alaska Marine Highways Ferry to Dutch Harbor last Saturday and spent the day with some Pastor friends there. What a blessing to fellowship with them. This is the approach to the Akutan dock on our return home on Saturday evening.

Gary has spent the last two weeks sanding, buffing and refinishing the Gym floor. Just finished yesterday and now we wait seven days before we can allow traffic on the floor. Because this is the busiest time for the workers at Trident, it was a good time to shut the gym down. By the time they get some time off the floor will be set up.

My friend Lorraine planted tulips in her Dad's grave and they are just beautiful this Spring. The Russian Orthodox church is in the background.

Leaving the Dutch Harbor Docks on the ferry Saturday evening after a full day of visiting and exploring. We were grateful for the sunshine and change of scenery.

We gave a birthday party for Moria, Lorraine's 12 year old grandaughter who is visiting from Anchorage for the summer. There are several other kids visiting Akutan for the summer and we had the whole gang for the party.

Ian and Raimie came for the party with the big kids. I put them on stools at the kitchen counter instead of in the living room on the carpet!

Humpback Whales feeding on Krill in the bay right in front of the church last Saturday. We will try to get better pictures but thought you would like to see what we are seeing!


Gary built new shelves for storing fabric in my sewing room. I am excited about an upcoming quilting class in September. My friend and quilting teacher, Kitty from Friday Harbor is coming with another quilting friend, Carol to teach the ladies in Akutan how to quilt. They will be here three weeks and we are praying that this will open new opportunities to build relationships with the women in the village as well as women at Trident. More details about the class will be posted as they develop.

Small Blessings

There is a woman playing the piano in the church right now. I met her earlier and found out that her name is Aurora and she has studied classical music. I don't think she speaks English and I'm not sure if she is Mexican or Filipino but her music is lifting my thoughts and heart this dark and cloudy Akutan morning.



My friend Lorraine dropped by this morning to have devotions with me and brought me a seagull egg. Isn't it beautiful? I will eat it for breakfast tomorrow. She also brought a picture she had taken of a bird in her feeder last night and we eagerly looked it up in my Sibley's bird book to see if we could identify it. It is a juvenile Swainson's Thrush. Kind of a plain looking little bird, but fun to watch and identify. We usually see only water birds and Eagles, Ravens and Gulls.