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