Close

LOST

Tags: SEND North, Story

Each of us as parents share a common fear: A missing child! We know what it is like to be in a grocery store, turn our back for a second, and have our heart drop when our child is not there, even if it is only for a brief second. When the kids become teenagers that fear is there as they start to take off on their own with the car. Any story of a missing child hits each of us because we would hate for that to be our child.

In Alaskan remote villages, people have different thresholds for that fear. It is not uncommon for teenagers to head out on their ATVs all day for miles into the wilderness. It is common practice as long as one is prepared and lets someone know the planned route of travel. But when two teenage boys were gone for over 24 hours on a hunting trip, the parent's fear was triggered.  When they discovered that no one knew where they went and that they didn't bring their gear, panic set in.

Thirty-six hours into the ordeal, the police chief called our teammate, William*. Just two weeks previous, William had offered the use of his plane, the only plane in the village, if there was ever an emergency. The chief called to say the ground search by ATVs were coming up empty, and the plane was needed. The first pass scoured 10 square miles to the North with no results. William returned to refuel and check the status of the search. It was not going well.  

William knew it was time for a group prayer to back up his earnest private petitions. In the remote Far North, tragedy is all too common, and time was running out. So, even though he was the only Christian in the group, no one objected to a prayer for help. With updated information, William flew south in the next leg of the search. As he flew over a ridge something was out of place, so he went for another pass. Then he saw the missing teens, safe and sound!  Everyone was elated that this 48-hour ordeal was over with a happy ending because they knew it was a close call. 

This was a God-sized victory in so many ways! William's heart is that Jesus is glorified, and people come to know Him as Savior. William is in that little village because he truly loves the God that dearly loves these people. This was an opportunity for William to show God's love and the power of prayer in a tangible way. Also, it takes time for people to accept "outsiders," and this act of love is a step in the right direction. Finally, that airplane was available because William is supported by people like you. Outside partnerships make a real impact in the Far North.

Please keep William in your prayers as well as our other teammates, as they live and love in difficult places. Pray for continued support, so our teammates have the tools to meet the needs in their villages. Pray that those who are spiritually lost may truly be found by their Heavenly Father!

If you would like to discover more about the ways God reaches out up here, you can follow SEND North on social media : Facebook      Twitter     Google Plus    LinkedIn    Pinterest     Download the free report, God's Extreme Love; Life and Ministry in the Far North. (*Not his real name)