Alaska 2.0(11)

Who would have thought that I'd be back in Juneau, Alaska, this summer!? God is so good and a wonderful mystery and (to make a long story short) brought me back here to Juneau for another summer, this time, as staff.
We had an amazing road trip up to Juneau in May. We began our transcontinental adventure with four of us crammed in a Volkswagen Jetta and five people's luggage for the summer. Needless to say, it was tight. We stopped in Laramie, Wyoming; Boise, Idaho; Seattle, Washington; and Vancouver, British Columbia, and picked up two more members of the staff along the way (and another car, don't worry!) We had a beautiful trip along the Canadian Rockies and fun camping adventures. God protected us and made it a smooth trip (and a lot of fun!) Much less hectic than last year.
God has been so faithful in uniting our staff team and helping us work together. It is a huge blessing to work with people who have such a heart for Juneau and the men and women who come up here.
All the students came last Tuesday, and it has been wonderful getting to know these beautiful women of God! God shows me how big He is as I see them all begin to build authentic community with one another, even though they are from all over the country. They are so much fun and excited to be here. I am continually humbled by their big hearts and desire to grow in their walk with Jesus.
On Friday, we were helping out at a women's shelter, deep cleaning some rooms and helping them organize some stuff (we did not get to actually spend any time with the women because that involves considerable risk on the part of the shelter). As I was wiping down the woodwork in the bedrooms upstairs, I decided to start praying (inspired by Jenny and Jarah) for the women who lived in these rooms. I soon became very discouraged as I realized what these women needed most was Jesus and that was help they would not receive here. The only thing that was going to fix and heal what was really wrong, no one was telling them. I became very disheartened and my heart was breaking for them. Who is going to reach to these women and tell them Christ loves them and wants to give them so much more? Will they actually listen if someone tried to tell them? As I became more frustrated with their situation, I bent down to clean the bottom of the bunk and I froze. There, on the underside of the top bunk written in pink crayon, were the words "Psalm 148 <3 Amen." I almost cried. Here in this dark place with little hope, God is shinning. Who am I to say God can't reach them here? We serve the Creator of the universe. A God who is big enough to reach every tribe, tongue, and nation. This week, God's been showing me how infinite He is. He is so much bigger than our plans or ideas. If we would just surrender, He would do so much more with us.
Please pray for:
1) The hearts of the people of Juneau. Darkness reigns here and tries to suffocate all hope. Pray that the Holy Spirit would be working on peoples hearts and preparing them to there the good news we bring.
2) The students coming on this project. Some of these college students have sacrificed a lot to get up here and the transition can be hard. God has amazing growth opportunities waiting for them, but Satan can try to distract them in many ways. Please pray that they will be willing to take steps of faith and grow deeper in their relationship with the Lord.
3) The staff team. Please pray that we would continue to seek the Lord first in EVERYTHING we do. It is all about His glory. Pray that the Holy Spirit would continue to give us unity as a team and His vision for this summer. This job can be very exhausting; please pray that Jesus would refresh us and give us the energy to pour into these students. Also, pray that individually we would be seeking the Lord as we have nothing to give if it doesn't come from Jesus.

For our King,
Emily Ann

Isaiah 45:5-6

Nearing the End

Hello again!

It has been a very long time since I have updated you on the goings on here; sorry about that! It has been a very busy month!! We have been on many adventures and hard at work.

We have been crabbing, halibut fishing, hiking to Mendenhall Glacier, kayaking on Mendenhall lake, ran a 5k, making homemade salmonberry jam, hiking out to Echo Ranch, and riding a helicopter to Herbert Glacier. We've been real busy! Also, the staff have left us and we are now running our own project. Scary? At first, it was intimidating, but since we've been on our own for 2 1/2 weeks, we've got the hang of it. It has been challenging, but God has really brought us together and unified our project. He has really blessed us with our new leaders and poured out His wisdom and discernment upon them. They are truly amazing and do a great job!

My work has been better than ever! My job is such a delight and blessing to me, and I am so thankful my Father has blessed me with it. He knew exactly what I needed this summer, and my job could not have been more perfect. I usually have a couple hours in the morning to package soap and there are few customers, so I get to spend a lot of time in prayer every morning. What a blessing! Jimmie and Pat are the best employers a person could ask for! They trust me enough to let me handle it on my own many mornings. Also, as a gift for working for them, they set me up with a helicopter ride to Herbert Glacier. It was amazing! They are some of the best models of Christ I have ever met; my summer would not be the same with out them. They have had a huge impact on me and my faith.

The past month, Christ has been teaching me so much about joy! Over the past year and a half, I have really struggled with finding joy in all circumstances. One of my goals for the summer was to restore my joy and refresh my relationship with my Savior. This summer, He has shown me some of the reasons why I struggle with it and helped me overcome some of these obstacles. What freedom! I am experiencing so much joy these days, and it's not because of my circumstances - it's all because my Father in heaven loved me enough to send His son to die for me so we could be in relationship. Words cannot express the joy He has poured into my heart!

I can't believe we only have 2 weeks left here! This summer has completely flown by! I'm not ready to leave yet, but I'm confident of His timing. It has been phenomenal to build relationships with these women on project. They are truly beautiful women, and they encourage me so much. Also, here at the end of the summer, I have gotten to know so many other women who live here and they are absolutely wonderful. The LORD has blessed me so much this summer with a great community!

As I near the end, please be in prayer for the following:

1) The rest of my support. I am still $750 short. If you at all feel called to support the work up here in Juneau and my summer, it's not too late to help. Please send a check made out to Campus Crusade for Christ to
Emily Kingsley
Juneau Summer Project
4300 University Drive
Juneau, AK 99801
Even $5 would be a huge blessing!

2) The ministry up here. These last couple weeks, God has really been opening doors within our work here! It's so exciting to see our God at work! Through building friendships and boldly sharing our faith, we are starting to see some growth. Please pray specifically for...

A. A girl I'll call Michelle. God has really put her on my heart and I've been looking for ways to share the gospel with her. Pray that the Holy Spirit would be at work in her heart to help her see her need for Him and that He would open a door for me to share my faith with her.

B. Missio Dei. We are holding an outreach/revival event this Saturday. The vision is to unite the body of Christ here in Juneau by bringing local churches together to reach out to this hurting city. There will be a large portion of time set aside for people to go and share their faith and a worship time, plus a speaker, and a meal. Pray that God would give the church here a heart for the lost people of this city and that He would begin to bring people to Him.

C. The ministry in the workplaces. There has been a lot of fruit from the relationships built by project people in the workplaces. Pray that within these last two weeks we would use every opportunity to point our coworkers to Christ; and that after we have gone, Christ would be at work in their hearts.

3) That God would begin to prepare my heart for coming back home, but still keep me focused up here. Project is not over yet, so I need to still be here and finish strong. Pray that I can complete the work He has prepared for me up here.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blogs and pray for my summer! It has made a huge impact!

For our King,
Emily Ann
1 Timothy 6:12

Downtown Days

Greetings from Juneau!
I know it's been a while since my last post so I thought I would update you all on the wonderful things going on up here. There maybe pictures later. But no promises.
I have a job!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE it! I work at Glacier Smoothie Soaps. No, we don't sell smoothies. We sell hand made soap, made here in Juneau. I work at world headquarters: a small log cabin looking shop downtown. http://www.glaciersmoothie.com/index.html It's awesome! The people I work for are such a blessing to me! Jimmie and Pat work with me every day. They are originally from Texas, but have lived up here in Juneau for about 20 years in the past 30 years. Jimmie is the pastor of a local Baptist church here. Their daughter makes the soap. A lot of members of the family are involved in the soap business. The great thing is that out primary goal is not selling soap. We want people to have a great experience. I really love meeting people from all over and hearing their stories. I have met people from Scotland, Australia, South Africa, Quebec, Hungary, India, Singapore, England and Germany. I've even met a couple who went to Camp Geneva as kids and their daughter is looking at Dordt for a college. Small World!
I never would have expected that this would be the job I would have. But God knows exactly what I need! My ministry is very different than I would have expected. My co-workers are wonderful Christians who bless, teach, and encourage me everyday. Mostly, I just talk to customers and show them Christ's love. Cool story! Earlier this week, a lady came in kind of stressed and Pat started talking to her. Turns out, she had just finished handling a prayer-in-school ordeal. She had proposed to keep pray at the graduation ceremony. Things got crazy and the news even got involved. The school board voted no, but the students stood up and said the Lord's Prayer during the ceremony anyway. We were able to hear her story and encourage her in the battle. Our God is so big! And He is still in control!
The church I go to is also a huge blessing! It is so full of joy and love! The families are so welcoming and love having us there. The fellowship is really neat. I'm excited to get more involved and build relationships with the college and high school students.
We have gone on two camping trips thus far. The first one was pretty taxing plus it was hot out. But we overcame! The view from up top was beautiful and well worth the hard work. The other excursion was much easier and sooooooooo beautiful. It was probably the most beautiful place I have ever been. We camped on a beach and we could see the mountains on the other side of the ocean covered in fog. Behind us was valley then more mountains. We could even see some whales from the beach! Basically, God blows my mind! He is so creative and knows beauty.
God has been teaching me a lot since I've been here. It is hard to describe it in words. I have been learning more about myself and who I was made to be. I have so much more to learn! The community of women has blessed me so much! These women are seriously amazing! It is so encouraging to be around them and share these experiences together. My roommates have shown me so much love and encouraged me every day. The ladies in my action group show me so much grace and understanding as we all grow together spiritually.
Please Pray for...
1) Our ministry here. Juneau is a very dark place. Kids struggle a lot with suicide, drugs, and alcohol. Depression is rampant. Many people are 'spiritual' but don't want anything to do with Jesus. Pray that the Holy Spirit would lead us to those who are ready for the Gospel. Pray that the Holy Spirit would be at work in the hearts of the people here, that they would turn to Him as Savior.
2) My strength. We have a ruthless schedule with very little wiggle room. It is hard to even find time to do ministry with some of the women I have met. I have to fight for time with Jesus and make it a big priority every day. I usually end up getting up early to do it, which is a HUGE deal for me. Pray that Jesus would be my strength and continue to give me the energy to pour into others.
3) My personal growth. Pray that I would continue to be vulnerable with these women and let them in my life. Pray that I would continue to choose to grow and work through the ugly, messy stuff. Pray that I would have boldness living out my faith in my actions and words.
4) My support. I'm still about $1,000 short. Pray that God will provide and guide me in what to do next.
Thank you all for your prayers! We have a God who listens to our pleas! He is so good and takes care of us! Have a blessed week and grow in the knowledge of Him who is beyond understanding. How beautiful, merciful, and sovereign is our God!

For our King,
Emily Ann
Colossians 1:10-14

Journey to Juneau

Hey all!
I thought I should let everyone know that I have safely made it to Juneau, Alaska! It was a crazy road trip, but our Lord is Jehovah Jireh! My trip consisted of 4 guys from Nebraska and myself. Crazy? I know! Three of the guys go to school with me at Wayne State, and the fourth I know from camp and his brother goes to WSC (Man, Wayne is just a great place to be : D).
Anyway, we left Tuesday morning from the Tompkins residence around 10:00. By the time we were in South Dakota the van was not doing so hot (hahaha, well actually it was hot). It wasn't shifting properly and it was making loud noises. It died while we were on the Interstate. So, we tried to find a mechanic to fix it. The next several towns we drove by were either ghost towns or too small to have one. Finally, an hour and a half later and several more times when the car died, we ended up in Kadoka, South Dakota. We found a mechanic there and he looked at the engine. Not good. He thought we had melted a piston. For all of you out there like me who have no idea what that means, the engine was shot.
So we could
1) Buy a new engine
2) Rent a car for the whole summer once we got to Rapid City
3) Buy a new car
4) Have a friend let us borrow their van which might not make it either
Our options were not looking too hopeful and really expensive. So, we stopped and prayed about it. Then we called some parents and waited for our Father to provide. A few hours into our stay at Kadoka, Paul's dad called and said that he was going to buy another vehicle to replace the van, then bring it up to us to take to Alaska. I was shocked! Words cannot express my gratitude to the Tompkins and the selflessness they exemplified. What great examples of Christ!
Another amazing part of this story is the mechanic shop we stopped at. It was actually run by a Christian! He and his wife were such a blessing to us! They brought us with them to Wall to hear the Oak Lake Christian College Choir perform at a church there. It was an amazing experience (the choir was really good!). Then, they let me sleep in a bedroom they have in the back of the shop and they let us use their shower in the shop too! We were so blessed by these people and they really encouraged us.
Well, Wednesday morning came and Mr. Tompkins showed up with a 1999 Chevy Suburban. He had managed to buy a car and get it licensed in one night. I'm still amazed! We got the vehicles switched and were back on the road in no time.
We had to make it to our ferry in Haines, Alaska, by 1:15 on Saturday so we drove straight through most of the rest of the trip. We only stopped (once other than to get gas) up in the mountains in Canada one night because there was dense fog and a snow storm. But after a few hours, we could see so we soldiered on. We arrived in Haines Friday late afternoon (early!) and wandered around town that evening and the next morning. They have nice playgrounds there. Our ferry was delayed, but we finally got into Juneau, Alaska, around 5:00 PM (Alaska time, which is three hours later than Central Time). We made it!
We couldn't actually stay in project housing until Tuesday night, so a girl who was on project last year and is working up here this year(Mego), came and picked me up. Mego totally took care of me! She made delicious meals (much better than PB sandwiches) and let me sleep in her bed! I cannot say enough how thankful I am for her! She stays with a woman named Debbie Douglas, who has lived up here in Juneau for the past 12ish years. Debbie is quite possibly the most hard core person I have ever met. Seriously. She used to be a firefighter, now she is "retired" but she is a kayak guide and regular adventurer. You should hear some of her stories! She has been so many places and done so many things; it's amazing! I have been blessed by her and her ministry so much! She told me on Monday that God had a reason for bringing me there. She was so right! Our God does have a reason. For everything!
On Tuesday, the other project women began to arrive and we moved into the dorms. Yay! The dorms are amazing! Ours has a kitchen and living room and lots of space. I love it! I am staying in a dorm with two other women, Kelly from Wisconsin who goes to school in Minnesota and Hope from Texas who goes to school in Arkansas. They are awesome women and I can't wait to get to know them better!
Project officially started yesterday. Our women's project has 7 students and 3 staff ladies. It's awesome! The women are all so nice and I can't wait to spend more time with them.
The major thing now is finding a job. I could really use your prayers in finding the job I'm supposed to do this summer. Our job site is where our main ministry is and I would really love to be where I can be the most effective in my ministry. Also, I only have about half of my support raised. I know this is where I am supposed to be this summer, so God will provide!
Well, we are going for our first hike/camping trip today! I can't wait! I better go and pack up!

For our King,
Emily