Jesus says in Luke 10:2, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
Haley and I are preparing to reap the harvest in Alaska by serving with Tanalian Bible Camp. This is a HUGE answer to prayer. The “Harvest Field” we will be working in has a total of 732,298 people that reside in a state with roughly 353 villages dispersed throughout the largest state in the USA.
Haley and I are preparing to reap the harvest in Alaska by serving with Tanalian Bible Camp. This is a HUGE answer to prayer. The “Harvest Field” we will be working in has a total of 732,298 people that reside in a state with roughly 353 villages dispersed throughout the largest state in the USA.
Meet Alaska
- Alaska is the largest state but has the fewest people per square mile than any other state.
- From north to south, Alaska measures 1420 miles, the distance from Denver to Mexico City, and east to west 2500 miles, the distance from Savannah, GA to Santa Barbara, CA.
- With only a limited road system in the eastern part of the state, most towns in AK are only accessible by air.
- During the long, cold grip of winter, Alaskans build ice roads to traverse rivers and ground that is otherwise too soft to drive.
- Since flying is a necessity, Alaska has the highest population of pilots per capita than any other state.
- Alaska has 102 seaplane bases, far more than any other state.
- The village we will be living in is called Port Alsworth, which is a fly in only village with around 150 residence.
- The smallest village, however, in Alaska has only 12 residents!
But Not Everything About Alaska is so Beautiful.....
- According to the state of Alaska’s suicide prevention council- Alaska has the highest rate of suicides in the country.
- At least one suicide has occurred in 176 Alaskan Communities between 2000 and 2009.
- Alaska had 1,369 suicides between year 2000 and 2009 an avg of 136 per year which is roughly 2.6 suicides every week or more than 10 a month.
- In 2009 (most recent from Center for Disease Prevention and Control) the average suicide rate in the United States was 12.0 per 100,000 people. In Alaska the rate was 22.6 suicides per 100,000 people. Most occur in females between ages 15-19 and men between the ages of 20-29.
- According to a 2010 survey of adult woman in the state of Alaska out of every 100 adult women 48 have experienced intimate partner violence.
- 37/100 experienced sexual violence and
- 59/100 experienced intimate partner violence, sexual violence, or both. (Stats from the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault.)
-In nearly 1,000 sexual violence cases studied over a two year period, the average age of victims were 16 years old, while the average age of those accused was 29. In four out of five cases, the suspects were relatives, friends or acquaintances.
-Most people who live in bush villages are actually related.
-Overall, 89% of the victims were female. One out of three cases were reported more than a month after the abuse occurred, leaving evidence hard to collect. The reason is that "When a victim knows who harmed them and they live in a small community where everyone is related, they know that if they report that they were harmed, then other community members will be impacted," DeWitt said USA Today. (Rural Alaska Steeped in Sexual Violence USAToday)
Hard Living...
Life in bush Alaska is not easy physically, emotionally, and as you can see from these brief statistics, Living in bush Alaska is very difficult from a spiritual level as well. This is why Haley and I have decided to partner with Tanalian Bible camp, which exists to come alongside the Bible-believing churches in rural Alaska by providing an opportunity for evangelism, discipleship, and Christian fellowship through camping, conferences, retreats, and Biblical education.
Seeds of Hope Video:
Seeds of HOPE from Tanalian Bible Camp on Vimeo.
Tanalian Bible camp has been serving Bristol Bay and Southwest Alaska for 50 years serving (most recently) about 400 youth and 300 volunteers a year. Tanalian Bible camp was established to help with the many desperate needs in Alaska, the most important is the need for transformed hearts and changed lives. This ministry to reach teens and young adults started in 1963 and was called Iliamna Teen camp. It soon expanded to provide camping for 9-19 year olds. In 2005 Tanalian recognized a need for 18-22 year old Native Alaskans to be further trained in the Word of God, equipped with practical life skills and mentored to become leaders impacting their communities.
Seeds of Hope Video:
Seeds of HOPE from Tanalian Bible Camp on Vimeo.
Tanalian Bible camp has been serving Bristol Bay and Southwest Alaska for 50 years serving (most recently) about 400 youth and 300 volunteers a year. Tanalian Bible camp was established to help with the many desperate needs in Alaska, the most important is the need for transformed hearts and changed lives. This ministry to reach teens and young adults started in 1963 and was called Iliamna Teen camp. It soon expanded to provide camping for 9-19 year olds. In 2005 Tanalian recognized a need for 18-22 year old Native Alaskans to be further trained in the Word of God, equipped with practical life skills and mentored to become leaders impacting their communities.
1 John 5:12 says, “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” There is a definite lack of enthusiasm for life in bush Alaska. Again, remember the suicide and abuse statistics mentioned earlier. These are just a few examples of the spiritual condition of village life. I haven’t even mentioned the physical, alcohol, financial, health, historical, or family dynamic difficulties that people who live in bush Alaska face everyday.
Haley and I desire, as a part of the body of Christ, to bring life that is only found in Jesus Christ to those living in Alaska by utilizing the tools, skills, gifts, life experiences and truth God has instilled in our lives to reach a community that is in desperate need of hope, love, and a faith that surpasses all understanding. 1 John 5:5 says, “Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”
Haley and I desire, as a part of the body of Christ, to bring life that is only found in Jesus Christ to those living in Alaska by utilizing the tools, skills, gifts, life experiences and truth God has instilled in our lives to reach a community that is in desperate need of hope, love, and a faith that surpasses all understanding. 1 John 5:5 says, “Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”
Considering how God has been working in our lives and the skills we have been able to learn, along with our desire to spread the love of Jesus to hurting people, serving with Tanalian Bible Camp is a perfect fit for me and my family. With that being said there will be many challenges that come with this ministry.
For the camp to sustain another full-time family to serve in Alaska we need to raise a total $4,000 a month in ministry support. We realize this seems like a lot of money, and believe me, we have NEVER made that much money in our lives. So to bring it into perspective ...…
We will be living in a bush village that is only accessible by airplane. The cost of food is at least double and our major grocery shopping will have to be done via airplane. Since there is very limited housing in the village the cost of rent and utilities is extremely high. Not to mention health insurance, and medivac insurance since there is no health care options in the village. Which means anytime we need to go to the doctor we need to fly which is easily over $100 per person. ** Unless any of you would like to donate a plane for our family vehicle since Willie is a pilot :)** In fact the 4,000/month we are raising now is just the minimum we will need to get there and get started, and it is likely we will have to raise more in the coming years.
We will be living in a bush village that is only accessible by airplane. The cost of food is at least double and our major grocery shopping will have to be done via airplane. Since there is very limited housing in the village the cost of rent and utilities is extremely high. Not to mention health insurance, and medivac insurance since there is no health care options in the village. Which means anytime we need to go to the doctor we need to fly which is easily over $100 per person. ** Unless any of you would like to donate a plane for our family vehicle since Willie is a pilot :)** In fact the 4,000/month we are raising now is just the minimum we will need to get there and get started, and it is likely we will have to raise more in the coming years.
We know God has gone before us to prepare the hearts of those He has chosen to partner in this ministry with us. If you sense that you are one of those people we encourage you to fulfill the willingness that God has given you to give to this ministry.
God’s word says in Philippians 2:13…
“it is God who is at work in you both to WILL and to WORK for His good pleasure”
I can tell you, not everyone is willing to give.
But if you are, philippians 4:17 tells us it is a blessing from the Lord for your benefit as well as ours.
He also says in 2 Corinthians 8:12&13…
“if the WILLINGNESS is there the gift is acceptable to the lord according to what one has, not according to what one does not have”
God's desire is not that others would be eased while you are hard pressed, but that there would be equality.
You can only give what YOU can give. God does not expect you to give what you don’t have or compare your gift to someone else’s.
And lastly in 2 Corinthians 9:7….
Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
If God has given you the willlingness to give, we’d urge you to fulfill it with a cheerful heart, not out of compulsion or obligation.
These willing and cheerful givers are the people that we want to partner with in ministry because while it is true we need the money to do this ministry, we will also need great encouragement (PRAYER) to endure when times are tough and we know that is only going to come from people that are truly invested out of a cheerful and willing heart.
So, If you feel like God is calling you to support this ministry by lifting us up in prayer or also giving financially there are many ways you can do that. Please follow this link www.tanalianbiblecamp.org/give or go to our GIVE page for other options to get involved! Hope this opportunity is a blessing to you!!!
-Willie Nickols
nickolsfamily@gmail.com
tanalianbiblecamp.org/give
tanalianleadershipcenter.org
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