Our bags are packed. The dryer is humming away as we do our best to leave Anchor Park UMC as neat and clean as we found it by washing bed linens and towels. Soon, we will head to the Anchorage Airport. Most of us carrying with us as many souvenirs as memories!

The Native Peoples here devised the totem pole as a means to tell their story. Carved in wood the totems last from one generation to the next preserving history, heritage, and sharing with future generations one generations experience. The story is told vertically, but the people who live out their lives around it do so in a network of relationships with the land and one another that becomes community.

As a VIM team we have formed a small community tightly woven by means of conversations in the close quarters of the church van, the sharing of devotions morning and night, and shared experiences. We are now about to stretch these bonds that have been formed as we return home to families, friends, and church communities. Memory is the means of bonding individuals together, families, communities, and peoples. Sometimes we need memory joggers like the totem pole or the poem. Here is one of my memory joggers.

Alaska Genesis
Spruce trees stand tall.
Spired tops point to the sky.
In unity they breathe their fragance to the heavens
like incense.

Eagles ride the air currents
Piping their clear, shrill call.
Adding to Creation's Choir.

The ocean swells and heaves
And breaks against the rocky shore
Keeping rhythmic time day and night.

Moose and goat graze the deep lush grass,
While bear fish for salmon in the streams.
Silvery and thrashing
Protesting the quick journey from life to death
All the way.

In the midst of this I stand with them.
All of us caught in this moment of time
Navigating our way
Through the tangled goodness of Creation
Proclaiming to the Great I Am
"It is Good."

Good Morning from Alaska, we are preparing to return "outside" as they say here. We have immersed ourselves in this place, with these people, and with one another; and we have all been transformed by the experience. As we return to the reality of our ministries in the PNW we will carry this experience with us, may it make us better pastors and better Christians. Pastor Stan of Sandpoint

Good morning, it's our last morning. We are preparing to say farewell to this spot of beauty and now new affection. Many new friends and connections have been formed. I cannot, in this space, with only words tell you what it has meant to have this experience. That is why the pictures help so much to tell about our journey. If you see me back at home you will hear much about it. Looking forward to seeing you again. Love, Kathy

Last night in Alaska. As you can imagine we are pretty tired and excited to see our families and friends back home. Today we went to 4 different churches in Anchorage - Turnagin, Chugiak, Anchor Park and Samoan UMC. Three of us preached in those congregations.

I had the honor of preaching at Turnagin UMC. I talked about how it has been a struggle within our group to embrace that our purpose is to build relationships and not do work. It is hard to exlain to folks that our mission is to just be with people, especially when there is so much work and attention needed at home. We are so good at doing but not as good at just being. Being is uncomfortable, makes us face one anothers rough edges, and can feel like we are not accomplishing a thing. But while doing can give us some commanality, it cannot make up for sharing stories, reaching across differences, and being vulnerable with one another. As United Methodists, connectionalism is who we are. And after experiencing this being trip, I am realizing that our connectionalism is only as strong as our ability to just be together. It is an learning that I will take back to Blaine Memorial and to my own spiritual life.

As this will surely be my last posting, I wanted to make sure to say that I'm so grateful for the opportunity to get to know the 11 other people I've traveled with. We have pushed one another's buttons and have loved onle another through it. Many of these people I would never had had the opportunity to get to know and certainly not this well. My life has been enriched by the stories, life experirences, laughter, wisdom and depth of my friends.

Peace out
Kathleen

More Work Party Pics

Birchwood work party pics

Anchorage Notes Aug 8 2009

Trails. Yesterday we walked a trail up close to Exit Glacier with the Bishop and his family. This morning I found a quiet trail to run on away from the busy, noise world around and then Kathleen gave us some extra time for quiet reflection. What a wonderful way to start the day. What other trail will we find today? Blessings, Jim Hewson

Proof that it does get dark in Alaska

First Samoan UMC Anchorage

Exit Glacier Pictures

An Alaskan Psalm

The earth groans under my feet and You are there.
The world groans around me so that my ears are blinded,
but You are there.
The earth rejoices in the playfulness of its creatures,
The world rejoices in itself but You are there.
The earth knows your fullness in the rising and holding of the sun,
The world tries to drown the earth with its selfishness, that God you are there.

More boat tour pics

Wildlife Pics

Boat Tour Pics

Pics of the Day

Greetings from Seward. We had a great drive down from Anchorage through the Chugach National Forest stopping at the Gridwood UMC Chapel. The new building is a work in progress that they hope to be in soon. They will still need finishing work next summer for anyone looking for a VIM project. Then we stopped at the Portage Glacier. Glaciers are certainly one of nature's wonders. One of the highlights for me on Tuesday was the beautiful Easter Totem at St Joseph UMC. Blessings to all Jim Hewson.

Some more awesome pics from Bruce

We continue to experience so much here in Alaska. Yesterday we had the opportunity to take some time to rest and digest what all we have experienced in our first 5 days. As I think about what I want to make sure to remember, these moments come to mind: building community within our own group (so much of this happens with all of us riding in one 15 passenger van); seeing our connection unfold as we talk with faithful United Methodist from Barrow, to Nome, to Anchorage; seeing the majesty of the mountains, the black spruce story, and feeling nurished by the rain; wondering what other ways we can tell the story of Scripture that would speak more clearly to people in this world (this comment comes from seeing the Christmas Totem and knowing that it tells the story to some folks much more clearly than the words on the page); being in the sweat lodge at Alaska Children's Services and feeling the holiness of that place as it continues to be a place of homecoming, release and encouragement; and so much more!

I'm excited to head down to Seward today. I anticipate seeing some fabulous glaciers and sea animals in the next couple of days.

Peace
Kathleen Weber

Good Morning from Kathy B - We are driving to Seward today and will experience the Kenai Penisula. New images and cultural experiences are filling every day. Yesterday we saw 2 moose, too. It's all good. God Bless.

Midway Thoughts

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