Living in remote Alaska has its ups and downs, joys and trials. The cost of food can certainly be a trial. So when anyone flies to Anchorage they are sure to include a massive trip to the local sam's club, Costco, and the grocery store. Shopping this way is easier said than done. You would have to get an expensive hotel room that may or not be comfortable and eat out every meal. You will have to take a taxi everywhere, including to the grocery store. Then with the meter running you dash to the post office with packing tape and extra boxes, box up the groceries in the parking lot, haul it to the counter and ship it home. This is a lot of work and a lot of stress, but it is necessary for survival.
SEND North has workers out in remote villages who pour out their lives in love to others to share and demonstrate the good news. This is more taxing than you can imagine. If they are going to thrive in ministry over the long haul, they need some support. We have a Logistics & Support Team in Anchorage for this purpose.
The example above is a task that our people must undertake every time they come to town. One small way we empower them is by making grocery shopping easier. We have an apartment building where they can stay cheaply with a full kitchen. (We only charge to cover the actual costs.) Those who run this guest house help drive people to get groceries and the airport and the post office. We have a room dedicated to storing and packing items that sure beats a parking lot. This small service provides major relief to those who work in some very hard places. This is only one of many ways the L&S Team supports the spread of the Gospel.
We want our teammates to thrive over the long haul.
We have a finance department that receives donations tracks the budget and keeps the IRS off our back. We have an aviation department with a chief pilot who covers much of our logistical flying needs. He also keeps our church planting pilots well versed in safety procedures, life-saving responsibility. We have a member care team that pays special attention to the spiritual and emotional well-being of our teammates. There is also the partnership development staff that works to connect the broader body of Christ to God's work in the Far North. Last but not least we have our Area Director, who casts the vision and leads with compassion. He will be aided soon by the arrival of our new Assistant Area Director. The truth is everyone does much more than this brief description and each person selflessly jumps in wherever needed. This work is not 'glamorous' but each of us knows it is vital to the marathon that is a ministry in the Far North.
SEND North has been serving for over 75 years, and each of us is in it for the long haul.
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