Today's sunrise/sunset: 3:07a.m./12:41a.m. Length of day: 21hr, 34min
Today's low/high temp: 52*/75* Yesterday's length of day: 21hr, 38min (solstice is past;
the days are getting shorter!)
Dear <<Greeting name>>,
I recently read an article in the Washington Post that talks about the consequences of all of the forest fires that have burned over 1 million acres in Alaska this summer. In short, fewer plants to absorb carbon dioxide will lead to more permafrost melting which will release more carbon into the air, which will lead to more global warming, all of which is caused by man.
But what does Scripture say? "When He utters His voice,
There is a multitude of waters in the heavens:
And He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth.
He makes lightning for the rain,
He brings the wind out of His treasuries." (Jer. 10:13)
When God speaks, the vapors (even carbon dioxide) ascend. When God speaks, He makes lightning which causes forest fires. When God speaks, He brings the wind, which carries the smoke of all those fires into Interior Alaska.
As we recognize that God is in charge of the fires in Alaska, we are also seeing how He directs ministry through those fires. We had planned to make our first trip to Grayling as a family sometime in the middle of June. I was coordinating with the man who is the spiritual leader in the village and is also managing the house that we will be staying in. Right in the middle of our plans, he and many of the people of Grayling were called up to fight fires on the Kenai Peninsula, and they have been there ever since.
Plan B: Our friends from Grayling and the crew were scheduled to come home on July 3rd. Great; we can make plans for a trip after that. The very night we began plan B, thunderstorms rolled across Alaska. The number of forest fires went from under 100 to over 300. “With the state burning up, they will want us to stay,” was the message last week.
So as we move to formulating plan C, we recognize that we will only be allowed to go and speak God’s Word when He speaks. He is in control of everything: fire, smoke, wind, and even carbon in the atmosphere.
To the Praise of His Glory,
James and Shannon
PRAISE THE LORD FOR
Rain that cleared the thick smoke from around our house and helped bring fires under control
God's continuing work of sanctification in our daily lives
Funds continuing to come in to ready the plane for instrument navigation
InterAct's Alaska Field Conference at the beginning of June
Sunrise at 2:45a, June 16
PLEASE PRAY FOR
Current airplane work: some electrical troubleshooting, getting the annual done in the next few days, ratings preparation
Our spiritual readiness for ministry
Safety for firefighters and all threatened by fires
Fire to stay out of our neck of the woods; we are in an "extreme danger zone" at the top of a draw (and time to do some needed firebreak tree cutting)
Sunrise at 2:45a, June 16
