The Island
The flights do not always land at this outpost in Alaska. My flight landed after breaking through the cloud cover over the south side of the island. This is a very famous place for it’s beauty, world-class fishing and largest bears in the world. Kodiak is a town of just over 7,000 residents and the great Kodiak Brown Bear. I did not see any of the bears but I did meet some awesome people who call “the island” their home.
I had been to “the island” only twice before. In 1978, I was on a construction crew that built a building at the remote Karlik village. Then in 1995, a group of friends went to Afognak Island to hunt for deer. I could not remember much about the town of Kodiak. This trip was much different, it was time to meet some of the residents and share about the work of IFC.
The meetings were set up by friends, Tevis and Autumn, who now were living in Kodiak. They are very special friends and it was just awesome to have a few days with them. It is a historic and beautiful place but the real value is with the people. Pastor Mark and Susan came to visit the first evening. I knew I had met a couple who were first-class leaders and loved serving the people of Kodiak. Dan Holmgren, IFC Board Member, joined me on Saturday. We had a great time telling people about the amazing work in Indonesia.
In the time Dan and I were there we found that the people we met had some very big hearts. It really was a true blessing to hear the stories of those we met. There were nine people who voiced an interest in going to Indonesia this summer. It was an honor and pure joy to go to “the island” to meet some of the choice people. We left with only thanks and a prayer for those we met.