Fly-by Pastor

It is a little cloudy, but overall we've had a clear view the last 30 minutes. Four people are squeezed into the Cessna 182. Our destination should be already in sight, but clouds are covering the area. Our pilot circles the area and finally finds a gap. A few seconds later we land on the snow covered airstrip. At the end of the runway are two men waiting for us on their snow machines. Everybody finds a seat on the machines or in the sled. A dozen people in the small log cabin church are already waiting for us. I start preaching right away.

The little congregation has no pastor and for weeks we had planned to go there once a month, but there were two blizzards the last two weeks, and the minimum temperature for flying with the Cessna is -25° F. But now we are here. After the service, we have a potluck together. We have moose stew, salmon sandwiches, and dry fish. The people praise our coming out to their village.

It´s afternoon, and the first teens show up in front of the church. We invite them in for lunch as well. The next two hours we have a teen program. In the beginning we play some games, later on, we talk about the first Christmas in Bethlehem.

It is almost three o'clock, so we gear up again in our warm winter clothes before it gets too dark to fly. A tail wind gives us a quick return home. Our mission for today is accomplished. In the evening we get another foot of snow.

-A SEND North team member

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