THE STORY BEHIND THE MISSION
Alaska has the highest suicide rate per capita in the entire US. The highest rate of suicide being men and woman between the ages of 15-24. Unalakleet and the surrounding areas are especially susceptible because they feel trapped with no options for a future. Unalakleet and the surrounding villages are only Accessible by plane leaving the native very little opportunity to leave their small town or village. It's a tragic and seemingly never ending problem but Covenant Bible Camp brings hope. Covenant Bible Camp is a wilderness camp for the youth of Western Alaska. Campers come from dozens of different villages in the Norton Sound, YK Delta, Nana Region, and even the North Slope. Campers with ties to Western Alaska also come from the road system all the way from Sitka, Soldotna, Anchorage and up to Fairbanks. Covenant Bible Camps mission is to serve Alaska youth and young adults through Christ-centered ministry, partnership and discipleship, to raise mature believers who will lead the Church for generations to come. Please visit their website to learn more.
https://www.cyak.org/mission.html
OVERVIEW OF ACTIVITIES:
This year our service trip will be spread over two weeks. The first week we will be working on the Covenant Bible Camp where we will focus on completing necessary camp repairs that will benefit over 350 youth from the Village of Unalakleet and surrounding areas. Alaska has long extremely harsh winters that wreak havoc on the entire camp. Because of this there is always a tremendous amount of repairs needed to get the camp in working order.
This year the projects will include but are not limited to:
Clear land and trails
Fallen tree cleanup
Clean up brush piles and put them through the chipper
10-foot Clear space around each of the staff and camp cabins
Vehicle repair and maintenance
Misc. building repairs and maintenance
Re-plumbing the outdoor handwash station
The second week you will get to be part of the Covenant Bible Camp staff. This is a great opportunity to meet and interact with other staff members and meet some of the kids attending the camp. This week allows the Camp to get started off on the right foot. There are always challenges to opening a camp up after it's been buried in snow for an entire winter. Even when the best effort is made to complete all the necessary fixes and maintenance you don't always know what doesn't work until the campers arrive and start using it. This is where you come in. You will be fixing things as they come up, emptying garbage cans, and whatever else may pop up that needs to be addressed.
What To Expect
On Your Way to Unalakleet: If you are flying into Anchorage, AK on your way to Unalakleet, you are encouraged to eat a hearty meal because there is typically only one connecting flight and it may be delayed. After arrival in Unalakleet, all luggage bags will be moved to a van or trailer so waterproof luggage is not necessary but can be helpful. Finally, we suggest you have rain gear readily available – be prepared for rain.
Once in Unalakleet: A typical day includes having breakfast around 7:30 a.m., morning devotions and praise around 8 a.m., working on projects until 5 p.m. in the afternoon, and interacting with the locals. See itinerary link below for detailed schedule.
Where We Stay & What We Eat
The first week we will be staying in a gymnasium in the town of Unalakleet. Make sure and bring a warm sleeping bag, sleeping pad/air mattress, and a good pillow.
The second and third week we will be staying at Covenant Bible camp in the staff Cabins. The cabins have bunk beds with pads. You will need a sleeping bag, pillow and extra pad if you require a more comfortable option.
How We Get Around
The local Covenant Church provides us with a 15 passenger van along with a truck. There is also opportunity to walk around the village and local landmarks.
What to Bring
- Bible
- Bedding: sleeping bag, pillow, alarm clock and ear plugs (if a light sleeper) etc.
- Bath: bath towel, soap, shampoo, toothbrush and toothpaste, personal items, flip flops for shower etc.
- Clothes: work clothes, clean clothes for church (nothing fancy), layered clothing (like jackets, sweaters, etc.), work gloves, rain gear etc. Please note, there is a washer and dryer available as well.
- Shoes: work boots and/or calf high rubber boots (tennis shoes are ok for the airport and around the village but not so good for fishing, hiking etc.)
- Other: fishing gear (pole with a spinning reel and lures for trout), camera, flashlight, non-aerosol bug spray, hand sanitizer, water bottle etc.
