Picture the setting.  The Apostle Paul has been to Crete and seen what is going on there…..better yet, what is not going there.  He sees something odd, out the ordinary, something that needs fixing.  He writes a letter to Titus telling him to go to Crete and set up a church.  Paul gives explict instructions on what Titus needs to do…..what?….. an assignment!  Titus has been given the island of Crete as his ministry,…..by none other than the Apostle Paul.  The apostle who was once the destroyer of the Christian faith and now is part of its restoration.  The fact that Titus is receiving instruction from Paul is proof positive that the Lord can use faulty broken people.   Jesus truly makes the difference!  Without Jesus Christ, Paul would have remained what he used to be – a destroyer.   His encounter on the Damascus Road truly set his life on a new path.  For this reason, Paul became a clay vessel the Lord would mold and shape to set things in order.

Much in the same way, like Paul, Titus is a vessel.  He was being prepared for a time when he would put to use the things Paul had been speaking into his life.  Titus understood that God could use seemingly broken vessels.   Some would say, “not him…not her…don’t you know what they were,” they are of no use.  Titus knew Paul, he understood that God could use anyone!  With this confidence, he takes on the assignment of Crete.  He has been prepared for this, He will follow the instructions Paul has given him.  Crete was that place for Titus, where possibility would be played out to reality.  He was prepared and equipped by Paul “For this reason”.

ABI graduates are like a modern day Titus.  They have answered the call the Lord has laid on their hearts.  They have given the last two years of their lives to the process of being molded into vessels.  They have seen something that is beyond them that only the Lord can bring closer.  They have reached out to complete the assignment that He has been equipping them for.  ”For this reason”…..they are ready for the next phase in their lives.  Graduation is not just an event at ABI, it is where the staff  says, “Here lies your Crete…go get ‘em!”   The graduates are declaring tonight….. “For this reason…..We celebrate tonight, to declare to you, with God our witness, we are prepared, equipped and ready to fulfill our calling.  To God be the glory!”

-Matt

One summer the kids and I joined my husband on a construction project in a small native village above the Arctic Circle, near the western coast of Alaska.   I was not yet on staff with AVM (had no idea that is where God was calling me), and had little experience in ministry.  There was a church and parsonage in the village, but no pastor, and no services.   I asked the village council for permission to have a weekly Bible club for kids, although I half-hoped they would say ‘no’!   I don’t sing (except alone in my car), I’m not very crafty, and the little experience I had with children’s ministry taught me that it’s usually loud and chaotic.  In addition I had been told that most of the village kids were away upriver at ‘fish camp.’    God kept nudging me in this direction, so when the council gave permission, I put up some posters and prepared to have a Bible Club with my children and possibly a few others.

The day came, and my kids grabbed the rope to ring the bell in the steeple.  Looking out at the village I saw kids of all ages pouring down the three dirt roads, running and skipping and riding their bikes, eager to come.  And amongst them I saw two elderly ladies, supporting one another, one with a cane, slowly making their way toward the church as the kids rushed past them.  These Inupiat ladies came to the Bible Club every week, and every day when they left they said “Thank you for doing this, for our children.”  What a blessing!  We had Bible Club every week for about 30 kids, and I always had a couple of moms who would show up to help. I taught the kids Bible songs (they are the only people in the world who have heard me sing) and we memorized verses, had stories, and did crafts.  They taught me Eskimo baseball and told me where to find the best blueberry patches.

I look at these kids now knowing there is not a pastor or Christian leader in their village, nor in many other villages.  The seeds have been planted but there is no one to tend the garden.  Would you consider serving God in the remote villages of Alaska?

-Tami

The week started out with a missionary meet and greet dinner.  This dinner hosted by Liberty’s missions department, was attended by missionaries and representatives of nearly 60 different mission organizations from around the world.  Monday, missions week formally began with the student convocation (or chapel service).  This was an awesome time of worship as the flags of different countries were waved and carried front and center to the stage.  This inspirational introduction was followed by a speaker with a heart for missions and a story to tell.  I hope this got the students excited about missions, it sure got me excited!  The missions focus continued throughout the week as missionaries spoke at other convocations, in classrooms and at meetings across the campus.  Mission organization booths were also set up in student areas so those students interested in missions had easy access to more information.  The AVM booth had plenty of action with lots of visitors and even more questions about ministry in Alaska.  Several students thanked us for coming and exposing the needs in Alaska and many others admitted they had no clue that Alaska was a mission field.  The theme of our booth was “The Mission Field Is Closer Than You Think”, and we feel that we got the message across loud and clear.

Will we see fruit from our labors at Liberty?  Will a village get a new pastor from Liberty?  Well … we can’t answer that as of yet.  But we can tell you this, more people now know of the needs in Alaska and as word gets out God will quicken and call.  I will tell you this, I would recommend Liberty to anyone seeking further Christian education … after they consider Alaska Bible Institute of course!

As I was heading out to the woods to pick up some logs, I found myself on a frozen river in an area that I had never been before.  It was then that I thought to myself, “I am in the middle of nowhere,  it’s negative 42 degrees, my body hurts, my face is numb and I am not only doing this for free, but I paid good money to be out here…what was I thinking?”

After a bit of time to re-focus and reflect….I knew what I was thinking.  ”I’m doing this because Christ died for me.  I’m here because He forgave my sins.  I want God to know I appreciate what He has done for me.  I have eternal life and this is one way that I can say…Thank You Lord!”

-Tim Harker

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Currently AVM operates nine FM radio translators in communities around Alaska.  In recent developments, AVM radio has been given the opportunity to expand  into a tenth community.  A new FM translator will reach the area of Seward, located on the Prince William Sound.  An application has been sent to the Federal Communication Commission in order to secure transmissions on 89.1 in Seward. So far, the FCC has not acted on this application. Please pray with us that  progress will be made in this application process.

Recent updates have also occurred in other areas of Alaska.  The station in Unalaska-Dutch Harbor has just undergone upgrades to new equipment that is less susceptible to signal drop-outs. The transmitting antenna located on the Homer Spit is also slated for upgrades.  It is over 25 years old and has been corroded by weather and bent by roosting eagles, yes eagles!