Alaska Diary

 

Indiana Wesleyan Women's Basketball
Alaska Mission Trip Diary

 
Day 8 - Sunday, August 8, 2010
by senior Elaine Hessel

When you wake up to a blue sky and the sun shining in Alaska, you know from the start it is going to be a great day. Because of our fortunate run-in with the Total Exposure Choir at supper the night before, the team was invited this morning to attend the Leake Temple African Methodist and Episcopal Zion Church in Anchorage. Of course, we gladly accepted this opportunity to worship the Lord with a different church family on such a beautiful Sunday morning.

Walking into the church, we were immediately greeted with welcoming arms and smiles. As we sat through the praise songs (led by our new found choir friends) and the sermon (which was delivered in a more unique fashion than our team was used to), I think every member of our team felt the presence of the Lord and His love all around them. After an amazing service, the team was invited to stay for a home-cooked dinner provided by the church women. And what a meal it was!! To all the mothers that read this, have no fear because all of your girls had plenty of green vegetables at this meal. After everyone received their fill of the wonderful food and said their good-byes and thank yous, we headed back to the home base.

When we got back to the church today, we were given yet another surprising treat. Two of the week's most-devoted campers paid us a little visit and presented each girl and coach with a special gift and saying good-bye was definitely very tough.

After they left, the team set out to visit the city's seasonal market downtown. Booths were visited, gifts were bought, and our hungry bunch finished the last day in Alaska eating at The Moose's Tooth Pizzeria. It is said that this is the home of the #1 pizza in the United States, which most of our team agreed with. We ended our night (and trip) by preparing to leave the beautiful state on the Red Eye flight to Seattle, Washington but not without taking back more than we came with.

There have been many things gained from this trip physically, mentally, emotionally, but mostly spiritually. If someone had told us that we would get through to so many people here in Anchorage just through the game of basketball, I am not sure we would have been able to totally believe them. However, with God's help, that is exactly what we have done. We leave here with more friends than we ever thought possible, from ages 9 to 59. God put us here for a specific reason and that was to share His love with those around us, using the many talents He gave us and those do not just include athletics.

While I tell you how many lives that we have touched here, I must also say how many of our lives have been touched as well. We have had strangers' houses opened up to us, young girls promising they will travel to Indiana to visit us, church members inviting us to eat their food, and even rowdy boys begging us to come back next year. How can you go through all of those things and not see how much bigger this trip was than anything we could have done on our own?! God was with us through all of it and without Him, we would not have been impacted or impacted others the way we did. This team is truly special and I cannot wait to see what God's plan is for us. 
 
Day 7 - Saturday, August 7, 2010
by junior Steph Burtch
 

After a long week of camp, we were finally able to sleep in for what seemed like so much longer than we had earlier in the week. Once everyone was awake, we made our way to IHOP where we had brunch. It was nice to sit down and eat a hearty breakfast.

Breakfast ended and all of us girls were definitely excited to go out and see more of what Alaska was all about. We ventured out towards the area we went to earlier in the week but this time we continued past our last stop. After about an hour and a half of driving, we reached our first stop of the day. We went to an Alaskan wildlife center near Seward where we were able to see all the native animals to the area. These animals included caribou, bald eagles, owls, elk, bison, ox, and then everyone's favorite which were the black and brown bears! We all took several pictures and we all made sure to stop in the little gift shop to see if anything caught our eye.

Eventually, we had seen all the animals and shopped all that we wanted to so we headed onto our next stop for the day. We were told that there was a glacier not very far away. It seemed so crazy that there could still be snow and ice in the middle of summer somewhere! We drove about another 15 minutes until we reached a trail that led us straight to Byron Glacier. The trail was .8 miles long but with how many pictures we took along the way, it seemed like it was forever long. After a short hike, we reached the end of the trail. It was a sight that not even a picture could do justice. There were HUGE mounds of snow and ice all in front of us. Needless to say, we were all over in the snow instantly. We had fun climbing all around in it; some of us weren't so good at this! Haley may have wiped out just a few times. None of us really wanted to leave but the rain quickly came and forced us to head back to the van.

At this point, we were all definitely a little tired so we headed on back to Anchorage. We stopped by the church to change out of our wet clothes before we headed out to eat at the infamous Golden Corral, there is never a basketball trip where we don't end up eating at one of these! We thought this trip to Golden Corral was going to be like any other one but as we were eating, we experienced a little entertainment. A choir from Seattle was sitting at a table right behind us and as they announced it was someone;s birthday, they broke out singing "Happy Birthday". All of us loved the way they sounded. We talked to some of them and they said they would be singing at a local church tomorrow and invited us to come. Coach was more than happy to say "yes" to that offer. As both of our groups were leaving, we were again able to experience the choir singing as they sang "thank you" to everyone at the restaurant.

It was starting to get late but before we decided to head back to the church, we were able to stop by some shops where people were able to get some gifts for themselves, family, and friends. We shopped for around an hour and then headed back to the church for the night. It was a fun filled day that showed us what Alaska was really all about. We were able to see just how great God;s creation really is.

 
Day 6 - Friday, August 6, 2010
by senior Kayla Thompson
 
Rise and shine at 8:30 AM. Boy, do we love sleeping in a little bit! As Krystal mentioned earlier, our experience at the Boys and Girls Club has been stretching.

Today was a little better than yesterday because we had already established relationships with some of the kids and they began to give us a little more respect. During devotions before camp started, Coach Brooks talked to the kids about how important it is to have a good attitude. It was apparent that some of the kids tended to give up when things did not go their way but devotions gave them something to think about.

One occasion that stands out in my mind of the progress we have made in two short days in regards to the kids attitudes. Yesterday, there was a boy around the age of 10 who wanted to be the star of his team and had made up his mind that he was not going to include the rest of his team. Long story short, Kat had to sit him out for the rest of the game and talk to him about his attitude. It was evident that she broke through to him because he came back today with a noticeable difference in his attitude. He was a little late to camp but before he even touched a basketball, he asked us if it was okay if he played knockout with the others. He did not pass the ball as much as we would have liked but he never yelled at the other kids for not doing things the way he wanted or for not being as good as he was. It was so encouraging for Kat and I to see that what she had said to him the day before positively changed the attitude he chose to have the next day.

The remainder of camp was full of two-on-two games, five-on-five games, and knockout competitions. As we were leaving the Boys and Girls Club, some of the kids followed us out to the van and constantly asked us if we were ever coming back. Words cannot describe how hard it was to leave those kids behind.

In particular, a father of one of the girls in the camp graciously stuck by our sides the entire week of camp. After we showered at the YMCA, we followed Amir's father to Wasilla, home of Sarah Palin, where he introduced us to his friends, Fran and Clyde.

Right before we arrived at our destination, Coach Brooks spotted a moose on the side of the road! He pulled over and stopped the van so we all could take pictures of the first moose most of us had ever seen. We saw Bullwinkle!

Once we were back on the road and arrived at their home, it was full of bear skins, reindeer antlers, and many other wild animals that Clyde had previously hunted. Fran had prepared a wonderful feast of reindeer hot dogs and 85 chocolate chip cookies (we ate 81 of those cookies, taking home the remaining four and eating them in the van). We ate dinner in the lovely room of death (as Krystal put it), also known as their living room with all of the animal skins. After that, Clyde took us to see his reindeer down the hill where we were able to feed them bread. It was incredible to meet such generous people who would welcome 15 strangers into their home and have a native meal prepared all out of the goodness of their hearts.

We arrived back at our sleeping quarters around 10:00 p.m. ready to saw some logs. Sandin (another camper), Amir, and her father were at the church with us for a final goodbye. Although we were only here for 10 days, we have built relationships with them that will go beyond the borders of Alaska.

Amir's father plans on bringing the girls to Marion, Indiana for our summer camp next year! We came to Alaska to help kids play basketball but God has blessed us with relationships that we will not forget. After the goodbyes, we met as a team in the church;s sanctuary, having completed a full week of camp. I would like to end this entry with the one thought I have that stands out after being here: we are never the same after we truly encounter the love of God. I think I speak for everyone when I say that not one of us is the same person that we once were when we arrived at the Anchorage Airport last Sunday.
   
Day 5 - Thursday, August 5, 2010
by junior Krystal Stoneking
 
Well I know this blog is late, that's because us girls had a very eventful night last night and we didn't get back to the church until midnight, and I was way too tired to write a blog. Day 5 started out a little later than usual, but not by much. We had an extra hour of sleep before we had to get up to go to camp, which isn't a lot but all of needed it.

After eating, we all headed to the Boy and Girls Club of Anchorage for camp. Right when we walked in we knew that this day was going to be a test of our patience. And it sure was. Before the start of camp as kid were still arriving, us girls right away made some friendships with the kids, especially the little ones. All of them wanted on our shoulders, and wanted us to run around the gym and tag each other. Needless to say a lot of us were already tired before camp even started.

I made a friend right away as well. He is the cutest kid I have ever seen in my life, I asked coach if I could take him home with me. His name is Jonathan, he is 11 years old and was the best behaved kid there. He was so polite and hilarious; he even danced for us during lunch. He is my favorite kid at camp, mostly because he made up a secret handshake with me.

Once we got the kids in their lines and quiet, Coach Brooks shared a short devotional with them on Commitment. After we started to do some drills, to see where the kids were at in their basketball skills, but quickly ended that because the kids would come and go from the gym when they wanted. So we went straight to playing games, which they enjoyed much better.

After camp we all piled back into the vans and headed back to the church. But before we could leave, as we are all getting into the vans, 3 of the little girls that absolutely loved to climb all over Paige Smith, climbed the fence and came running to our van door as we were leaving. So Paige had to pick them up and put them back over the fence, and run back to the van before they climbed it again. Which they did, and all of us just laughed as Paige had to do it again.

We got back to the church, an some of us wanted to go get showers. So some people went to get showers and some stayed behind to relax. After we got back, we all got ready to head to Pastor's Levi house for a cookout. We had salmon on the grill, with chicken, corn, salad, and garlic bread. I think all of us ate our fair share of food last night.

After we ate, Pastor Levi had tons of games for us to play. So we got a partner and rotated through all of these games throughout the night. Paige Smith was my partner, and let's just say we're better at basketball then the games we played. We played Kemps, Botchy Ball, Spoons, Euchre, and darts. Ashley actually broke the dart game when our group was playing, but it started working again, no worries. The only game me and Paige won was darts. So we were pretty proud of ourselves.

After the games were over, we sat by the fire and roasted marshmallow's, and some of us had our fair share of marshmallow's as well, myself included. Then we said our thank you and headed back to the church. It was a very eventful night, filled with a lot of laughs and fun games. And now I think everyone is waiting on me to leave, and I know Elaine will have stories for you tonight in her blog.
   
Day 4 - Wednesday, August 4, 2010
by sophomore Jamaica Westfall
 

Day four of the trip started off as normal as any other. After getting up and grabbin' a bite to eat, we were off to camp. A slight glitch in the normal routine sent Coach Dobrik and Rachel on an adventure across Anchorage to the Boys and Girls Club while the rest of us held down the fort, entertaining the kids with a few specially selected games. The best of these, the "ha game" may very well have been the longest line of participants ever to attempt it with a total of 34 members. It was wonderful to get to simply sit back and enjoy God's gift of laughter as the campers and coaches united in a shared chorus of "ha's".

Eventually all campers arrived at camp safe and sound and camp was soon underway without any further excitement until the skit that took place after lunch. In place of our usual demonstration where we share some of our drills with the girls, today four of our girls (LeAnn, Lyzz, Elaine, and Krystal) put on a spectacular performance that had all of us cracking up! Not a single person left the room without a stitch in their side. It felt great to share in the humor, laughing along with each other for a second time during the day.

Camp quickly came to a close following the skit and ended with several pictures, ball signings, and hugs from the campers. After playing through a couple intense pick-up games, we rushed through the showers (well except for Lyzz ;)) and headed back to the home base for church.

Service was short but good. Several of our campers joined us brining along their parents and completing our circle of outreach. A Mexican potluck dinner was served afterwards where we were given yet another chance to build relationships with teammates and campers. Good conversation and even a piñata followed dinner.

As the newcomers filed out and the population dwindled, a new adventure surfaced. All of us filled the van and were off for an Anchorage Wesleyan Wednesday night tradition of Ultimate Frisbee with the interns from the church. Tagging along happily, three of our new camp friends joined us allowing us yet another opportunity to make an impact. Along the way the first moose of the trip was spotted to many "ooo's" and "aaah's" from the passengers.

Upon arrival to the field, teams were chosen and the game was underway. The game didn't seem to hold much interest for many of the girls (partly due to some very strong winds and some soggy field conditions), however, a select few (Coach Dobrik, Taylor, Lyzz, Ashley, and I) continued to wrestle it out on the field. We each proved ourselves in our own way and helped our teams out significantly. Ash and I slid out with the win after an hour and a half long game to 10. Getting to meet some of the other interns here and join in a friendly yet competitive game was definitely a day highlight.

The other girls seemed to have had a productive time as well getting to see two more moose and take several more pictures, capturing these memories forever. Noting the trip as successful and lots of fun, we all slid into the vans yet again and headed home. Retelling our tales and sharing our new excitements with each other, we arrived back at the church and called it quits for the day. Who knows what tomorrow will hold, each day has been so different. Surely tomorrow will have highlights of its own, but I speak for us all when I say today was definitely a day to remember.

   
Day 3 - Tuesday, August 3, 2010
by junior Rachel Steinbarger
 
Waking up for the second day of camp was a treat. It was actually sunny in the morning for the first time and we all couldn't believe how blue the sky was. Seeing the sun gave us a sense of excitement to go and see the campers and witness to them yet again another day.

We worked on a lot of shooting instruction today and we then ended by switching things up and had the campers play a two on two competition the second part of the camp. They were really excited to play because many of them really have never had the opportunity to play two on two in an organized manner. During the second half of camp, all Krystal and I could think about was giving our testimonies. Though we were both nervous, it was the first time that the both of us went through our testimonies without getting too emotional and crying.

After camp concluded, we scrimmaged once again. Today was different though. During the second game, Taylor was getting in the gap to help because Elaine was driving to the basket. Taylor ended up getting an elbow to the forehead and hit the ground hard. Taylor is always a tough cookie though and jumped right up but said, "Man, I am bleeding!" She raced to the bathroom and LeAnn and Lyzz followed to check on the gash on her forehead. She ended up having to go to the hospital and came out with one stitch on the inside layer of skin and five on the outside of her forehead.

We finished playing and showered in some of the slowest showers we have ever used. They don't just run like normal ones because they turn off after a few minutes and you have to keep pushing the button for the water to keep running. All we heard in the shower was the slapping noise because of the frustration from all of the girls.

After showering and getting all clean after a long day at the gym, we decided to go back to the Anchorage Wesleyan Church to relax for some free time. We all wanted to wait for Taylor to get done at the hospital so that she could eat with us. A lot of us read and some people played ping pong while others did a crossword puzzle...good time for team bonding. After waiting for a good while, we all piled in the fifteen passenger van and headed to find some food.

We ended up at an amazing authentic Mexican Restaurant. Taylor, Kat, and Coach Dobrik met us there after Taylor was finished at the hospital and that is when we saw her for the first time after her head-on collision. She ended up telling us all that she can't play for the rest of the week which is a bummer but just knowing she made it out of there without a concussion was a great thing to hear.

After leaving the restaurant and once again piling back into the van, we looked out the windows and saw the most beautiful mountain scenery we have seen thus far. They had the sun shining through the clouds on them which cannot be captured by a picture but many of my teammates tried to get a good picture. It was something that you can only talk about because it is such a beautiful sight.

Returning back to the church many of us gathered around a table and played the card game "spoons". Haley even wore a helmet just in case the game got too physical. It sure was a sight to see. Then all of a sudden Krystal said, "Guys, it's my birthday!" Everyone then proceeded to sing her Happy Birthday with LeAnn taking the lead which was really hard on all of our ears because we all know how LeAnn sings. Overall, today was another great day…if you take out the hospital trip and stitches.
   
Day 2 - Monday, August 2, 2010
by senior LeAnn Douglas
 
Waking up to start camp in the early morning it was nice as we got out on the road after a few minutes and look out the window and see the moutains to the east!
 
As camp was beginning and the campers were arriving (and as we struggled to remember their names) Shamayea, Carington, Robianna, Amir, Chavon, and many other kids played "bump"(aka knockout) with us. The campers ranged from 9-12 year olds and were a very fun group of kids. All of them were so energetic and fun to talk to and be around. We played half-court games, station-work, then full-court games, and a million other relay games. Elaine and I gave our testimonies and we got to know the kids on a more personal level as they were so curious and had ALL KINDS of questions. One camper said, "you people from the lower 48 states just think we live in igloos."

As the campers left after camp, we split up into teams to scrimmage. Wanting to shower at the recreation center (where there was more than just freezing water), we all got ready there before heading out for the day. After cleaning up, we set out for a destination of food. Imagine that...our team plus food. We stopped at Bear Tooth Grill. It was delicious!

And then... we went on our way to our next stop and on the way, well...Kayla lost her phone. As we headed back to the gas station that we had stopped at and as we were headed there with Kayla sweating,the van in front of ours held out her cell phone. So we headed back on our way to our final destination.... ice cream. We stopped at Baskin Robbins... yummm.

After returning to the church for the night, Pastor Levi encouraged us to reach out to Anchorage, stating that Alaska is the most unchurched state in the United States and relayed to us how much of an impact we can have on the kids and hopefully the community. To wrap up the night now,Krystal is playing the drums and Kayla is playing the guitar, thinking they know how.... and Elaine is trying to sing. Yikes!

     
Day 1 - Sunday, August 1, 2010
by junior Ashley Brooks
 
After traveling for over twelve hours and making two stops (one in Houston, one in Seattle) before reaching Anchorage, we arrived to Anchorage Wesleyan Church at 4 a.m. Indiana time (but only midnight in Alaska).

We instantly picked out which air mattress would be ours for the week and fell asleep. We were able to sleep in today because church service is held on Wednesday evenings rather than Sunday mornings in the summer. After rising, we all got ready for our day of sight-seeing.

We piled into our 15 passenger van and mini-van and headed down the road along the coast of Anchorage. We were instantly memorized by the beauty of God's creation. The mountains were gorgeous. We stopped two times on the side of the road to take time and capture these beautiful sights that we do not get to see in Indiana. The weather was fair and we enjoyed wearing shorts and long-sleeved shirts.

Once we arrived to our hiking destination, Alyeska Mountain, we were told to try out the North Face trail. It was about a 2.5 mile hike up to the tramway. We were instantly surprised by the difficulty and our lack of mountain climbing was evident. It seemed to many of us to be twice as long as what we were told but we enjoyed the wonderful views along the way and at the top. God is a wonderful maker. The mountains and waters were breathtaking. We got rewarded for our efforts after the climb and headed down the mountain using the tramway. We were quite shocked to be told that what we just spent several hours climbing, many people enjoy as a light hike or run.

After burning off all our energy, we stopped to eat at a local restauraunt for some pizza. We ordered SEVEN 17" pizzas and only had ONE pizza left over. Lyzz Smith wins the prize for most pieces eaten with NINE. Let's just say Lyzz won't be eating pizza for awhile.

We then made the ride back to the church for some rest and relaxation. There were games of euchre and ping-pong that were played along with some great laughter and team bonding. The day ended with a team devotional where we were challenged to make this week a time of great team bonding anda time of allowing God to take us on His journey and process. Itis off to bed now for us as we starta week of mentoring girls in the game of basketball and their faith. We are excited for this opportunity and are excited to see what God has planned for the rest of our trip!