Vayahiy! (August 11, 2006)
The Cardwell family newsletter updating you on our mission to Scammon Bay Covenant Church in Scammon Bay, Alaska.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3).
hooper bay… [by jon c]
As many of you know by now, our neighbors just 45 miles south of us in Hooper Bay, suffered from a devastating fire that ran out of control for several hours on the morning of August 3, 2006. The fire was such a disaster that State and Federal authorities have declared this a state disaster. You can CLICK HERE to read one of the news articles about this tragedy.
By the grace of God our family, that day, was able to send a box filled with Bibles, soap, toothpaste, and some children’s clothing, items that only days before were sent to us by Timothy II Evangelistic Group. Like many of you, all we could do was pray, make phone calls, and send out some emails.
So many of the lower Yukon residents from Chevak, Mountain Village and Scammon Bay are related to people in Hooper Bay that this tragedy has affected everyone. I received a phone call from a Scammon Bay resident whose family lost several homes along the ridge where the fire spread.
Many of you responded so quickly to the email I had sent out. I was on the phone while simultaneously sending out email… but I don’t have much for you in the way of updates. Most of what I’ve learned came to me via email from ECCAK Director Rodney Sawyer, and the Church Council Chairman of Bethel Covenant Church, Luke Wells. CLICK HERE to read their updates.
If you believe that the Lord is leading you to be of more assistance to help the displaced families and shattered lives in Hooper Bay, you can send tax-deductible charitable contributions through the Evangelical Covenant Church of Alaska’s “Hooper Bay Fire Fund.” All the money donated to this fund will go directly to Pastor Grant Funk of Hooper Bay Covenant Church who knows the needs of the families and will disburse it with wisdom, timeliness, and discretion. Send those gifts to: Hooper Bay Fire Fund, c/o Evangelical Covenant Church of Alaska, P.O. Box 770749, Eagle River, AK 99577. For more information you can phone the ECCAK Office: (907) 694-6348.
cef and vbs… [by jon c]
While we were ministering in King Cove, Joel Caldwell of Arctic Barnabas Ministries was trying to get us connected with Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF). In 2003 I spoke with Steve McKinley, the director of Alaska CEF. I was interested in what Steve had to say but apparently it was not yet the Lord’s time for my involvement.
On July 13th of this year, my conversation with Steve was waaaaaaaaaaay different. As Steve and I walked along the gravel path at Covenant Bible Camp in Unalakleet, Alaska, I asked Steve, “How come I wasn’t doing this three years ago?”
On July 10, 2006, Lisa, Rachel, and I, along with Dee Dee Hunter and Danny Henry flew from Scammon Bay to Unalakleet to participate in Christian Youth In Action (CYIA), the training arm of CEF. It was awesome! Fantastic! Incredible! Words cannot describe the joy of seeing these young people, ages 12 and up, not only excited about Jesus, but enthusiastic about learning to teach God’s Word and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Following our CYIA training, a team of eight young people went with Pastor Terry Sundberg and his wife Kathy (of Christian Fellowship of Winlock, Washington) north to Koyuk to put on a 4-day Vacation Bible School. The rest of us stayed in Unalakleet to have a 4-day VBS from Sunday, July 16th to Wednesday, July 19th. Many children received Christ for the first time and several others made commitments to serve Jesus in ministry. Lisa and I got the privilege to pray with some CYIA teens that believed they were hearing God’s call upon their lives to enter the mission field.
We arrived in Scammon Bay on the afternoon of July 19th, we didn’t come alone. Jeff and Alissa Fulton (of Columbia International University) and Kristin Heritage (of Homer, Alaska) came with us to help us put on a 3-day Kid’s Bible Club. After a short rest on Thursday, we held the Kid’s Bible Club on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday afternoon. Many children and teens showed up as Danny, Dee Dee, and Rachel taught the Bible lessons and Scripture verses. 16 teens and children received the saving grace of Jesus over the entire three days.
The Lord’s work continued on Monday as a team of 13 saints from Ohio put on a 5-day VBS for the children in the afternoons and held Bible studies for the teens in the evenings. Several of the team members had been here many times as this was the Ohio fellowship’s 6th year in Scammon Bay.
You can check out some cool articles and photos from the Winlock team on their web log by CLICKING HERE.
construction, graduation, & medical evacuation… [by jon c]
Lisa and Rachel were blessed with the awesome gift of a trip down to southern California to attend Leah’s high school graduation. Missionary friends in Alaska provided this gift. We are grateful beyond words for them and so blessed to know that Jesus will reward them for their love. As Lisa and Rachel departed Scammon Bay the last week of May, I was preparing for a missionary construction team from Wisconsin to come in to work on the parsonage.
May 23, 2006: Brian Bruxvoort, MARC pilot, and Eric Mayer, ABM pilot, fly in to Scammon Bay via a MARC flight. They bring in drywall and replacement windows for the parsonage renovation project. They leave that afternoon for Soldotna with Lisa and Rachel. Lisa and Rachel spend the rest of the week with the families of Arctic Barnabas Ministries.
May 27, 2006: Lisa and Rachel leave Anchorage International Airport for Ontario International Airport.
May 28-30, 2006: After having an “episode” of light-headedness, dizziness, stuttering, and “confusion” at the end of the Sunday evening service, the elders anointed me with oil, and with the laying on of hands, I recovered. Irene Kaganak, and son, Kyle, took me to the emergency room at Bethel the following Monday. I returned home on May 30th.
June 2, 2006: Eric Mayer (Arctic Barnabas Ministries), along with Fernando Villareal, Larry Burmesch, Mark Peterson, Steve Wolfington, and Steve Wynne, missionaries working through Don Shire Ministries, arrive to begin parsonage renovation project. These hard-working and enthusiastic brothers in Christ hail from Wisconsin and made quite a lasting impression on the Scammon Bay kids.
June 5, 2006: I have another “episode” and Eric Mayer escorts me to the clinic. With very high blood pressure, I was medivac’d to Providence emergency in Anchorage. Mark Swenson (MARC) was on his way from Unalakleet so he stopped by Scammon Bay to pick up Eric Mayer and I.
At Providence hospital, I have another “episode” in the emergency waiting room. Apparently my blood pressure soared to 196/148 for about 20 minutes. After the CT scan, they found nothing there (which is good news because if my head is empty, anything that I teach or preach must be of the Holy Spirit and not from my own stupid wisdom [?]).
June 7, 2006: Cutting their trip short by a couple of weeks, Lisa and Rachel arrive in Anchorage.
June 8-9, 2006: After some visits to the doctors and some medication added to my regimen, Eric Mayer, Lisa, Rachel, and I were flown to Soldotna by Joel Caldwell. Lisa, Rachel, and I spend the next few nights with Eric and Ginger Mayer and enjoy fellowship with the Zeigler’s (also of ABM). I also got a chance to meet with Steve McKinley and discuss this year’s CYIA training in Unalakleet.
June 10, 2006: Eric Mayer flies back out to Scammon Bay.
June 11, 2006: Attend Soldotna Bible Chapel with Ginger Mayer. Eric Mayer returns on an MARC flight with the parsonage construction team.
June 12, 2006: Lisa, Rachel, and I returned to Scammon Bay on a flight with MARC.
too much to tell…
There were just sooooooooo many things going on over the past few months that there is too much to tell here.
Lisa, Rachel, and I are just so incredibly blessed. We are so grateful to our brothers and sisters in Christ who serve our Lord through Arctic Barnabas Ministries, Mission Aviation Repair Center, Don Shire Ministries, Child Evangelism Fellowship, the Evangelical Covenant Church of Alaska, and Scammon Bay Covenant Church. What a blessing you have been and continue to be to us, and to so many others. Quyanna Chugneq (Thank you very much).
vayahiy.com
The Vayahiy website has been updated. We continue to pray that it becomes a source of edification and encouragement to the body of Christ. If you have any input as to what we can do to make our site better, please let us know. You can email me at: jon@vayahiy.com.
Free audio bible studies are the newest addition to our website (CLICK HERE). They are also available for download sermonaudio.com. Currently we have the entire expositional Bible study through the book of Jonah as well as Revelation 1-8.
With love for you all as we anticipate His return,
jon, lisa and rachel cardwell
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Vayahiy! (September 22, 2006)
The Cardwell family newsletter updating you on our mission to Scammon Bay Covenant Church in Scammon Bay, Alaska.
“Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind” (1 Peter 5:2).
blood pressure update… [by jon c]
I went to Bethel on August 4th and returned on August 9th. The trip allowed me to go to the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Center to get a check-up on this blood pressure condition. It also allowed me to visit with the saints at Bethel Covenant Church and share the Word on Sunday.
As far as my blood pressure goes, I was given some medication, however, all the symptoms I’ve been having remain the same: severe headaches, absent-mindedness, forgetfulness, occasional stuttering, etc. Although I had a CT scan, the doctors that saw me in the Bethel Emergency Room this past May recommended that I get an MRI as soon as possible.
I’m trying to get on the VA system in Alaska and have an MRI scheduled through them. In the meantime, thank you all for praying for me. The gifts, prayers, and encouraging words from all of you bless me more than I can express.
Please pray that the family and I can have the wisdom to do what is right with regard to my health and that we can continue to do what pleases the Lord in spite of my health.
children/youth ministry update… [by jon c]
We were blessed with a missionary team of seven who did Kid's Bible Club and Youth meetings for a week, from August 16-23. We had a house FULL of people but it was fun and worth it. They were Dennis Lake of Hooper Bay, Alaska, Mary Cameron and Vanessa Myers of Arkansas, and Wendy Southwell, Chris Galcatcher, Leo Bird, and Willie Teehee of Oklahoma.
For youth gatherings, we've had over thirty teens come to the meetings held on four nights. The children’s church and Vacation Bible School while this team was in had between 50-60 children each of the five days. All of the groups that came this summer, the CEF group, the Ohio group, and the Oklahoma-Arkansas group, did such an awesome job. Now, the congregation here in Scammon Bay needs to ensure that the necessary follow-up occurs.
One of the members of the most recent team, Vanessa Myers, made a big impression upon our children and youth. Apparently, they made quite an impression upon her as well. Vanessa has told us of her desire to return to Scammon Bay as a full-time missionary to minister unto the children and youth. She is no stranger to missions as she was born and raised into a missionary family on the mission field. She was a tremendous blessing to the village, and to us this summer, and we know that she will be an invaluable blessing if the Lord is putting things together for her to return.
Please pray that Vanessa will have clear vision from the Lord as to what He would have her do… and if it is to come to Scammon Bay, pray that God provide all she needs to return and minister.
Lisa’s teen ladies’ fellowship is not only going strong, but it’s growing in strong as well... despite the fact that eight of the original core group have left for college (3 ladies), moved to Mountain Village (2 ladies), and went to school at Mount Edgecomb in Sitka (3 ladies). Sometimes the parsonage is packed full of teenage gals and other times it’s just a small intimate get together for more personal discipleship.
We’ve started a young men’s fellowship at the request of some teen boys but it’s still a little hit and miss. Nonetheless, we press on for the teen guys that do come.
toddie and leah… [by jon c]
Scammon Bay School opened for classes on August 24th this year. Because the recent fire in Hooper Bay burned down the school, and since the new one won’t be completed until November, we have been blessed to have one of the girls that attends Hooper Bay Covenant Church stay with us while she goes to Scammon Bay School. Her name is Tatiana “Toddie” Tomaganuk and she just had her 17th birthday on August 25th (hey, that’s my birthday!). Toddie gave her life to the Lord this past January and is hungry for discipleship. She doesn’t want to miss out on any education and has set her sights on attending Alaska Christian College when she graduates from high school.
Please pray for Toddie’s education, for her family in Hooper Bay, and most importantly, for her spiritual growth.
Leah will be coming to stay with us for a while, before she continues to pursue her college education. Lisa will be flying out to Anchorage via Bethel on October 2nd to meet Leah at the airport and return on October 4th. Leah may be staying until mid-February or mid-March of next year.
Please pray for Lisa and Leah’s safe travel and that Leah’s paths will be made straight for the Lord as she lines her future up with His will.
the bridge and project hope… [by jon c]
Chuck Cook, Director of Project Hope, and a member of The Bridge in Nixa, Missouri has been in Alaska on sabbatical. While living in Soldotna, Chuck met Eli Johnson. Eli was born and raised in Scammon Bay. On August 28-29, Chuck came out to Scammon Bay with Eli. Chuck was so taken with Scammon Bay and with what the Lord is doing here that he’s sent several gifts out to us. And after returning from Nicaragua on a short missions trip with Project Hope, Chuck brought his son, Matthew, and two of his pastors from Missouri out to come visit Scammon Bay on September 20th.
Richard Baker, the senior pastor of The Bridge, and Joe Evans, The Bridge’s associate pastor, planted The Bridge (Church) in Nixa, Missouri specifically with missions and discipleship in mind. The Bridge is a very missions-oriented fellowship of believers and takes the Lord’s commission to take the gospel to the uttermost parts of the world very seriously. Pastor Richard and Pastor Joe wanted to come and see Scammon Bay and prayerfully consider if the Lord would have them be a part of what He’s doing here. Their thoughtful and thought-provoking questions allowed me to reflect upon what we were doing and what we were not doing as a congregation… as well as what we could be doing. Whether the Lord brings them back or not, it was a blessing to get to know these brothers and spend some time with them.
Please pray that the Lord continues to bless Chuck, Pastor Richard, and Pastor Joe with His hand of guidance on all that they do. If it is to be here in Scammon, may we all be united with the Lord’s vision for this people. If it is not here, may we pray that the Lord continue to use The Bridge and Project HOPE as a channel of His blessing wherever they go.
ladies’ tea… [by jon c]
Not only does the team from Arctic Barnabas Ministries pray for us constantly; not only do they bless with their love, time, and resources: fixing our parsonage, flying hard-to-get-items out to us, etc.; not only do they partner together with other ministries, such as, MARC, Don Shire Ministries, church missions departments, and so on; the ABM ladies have a ministry that ministers to the pastors’ wives and the ladies in the communities.
On October 10th, the Arctic Barnabas Women's Ministry will be here to set up a "Ladies' Tea Time" in the chapel at 7 o'clock p.m. This is an awesome opportunity for the ladies of Scammon Bay to be ministered to and relax with a fun time of fellowship.
The ABWM has ministered to Lisa and the ladies in King Cove at our last pastorate so we are really looking forward to this event.
Please pray that this be a time that the ladies can draw nearer in their relationships to one another as they draw closer to God in their relationship with Him.
fall blast… [by jon c]
Covenant Youth of Alaska (CYAK) is holding this year’s Senior High Fall Blast in Scammon Bay this year over the weekend of October 13-15, 2006. Fall Blast is a weekend retreat where students from all over the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta gather together for fellowship and encouragement in God’s Word. Last year 85 high school students from the Norton Sound region gathered at Koyuk and were presented with the Gospel. This year’s theme is “Roots: Growing Deeper in Christ” based upon this Scripture:
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by water that sends out its roots by the stream” (Jeremiah 17:7-8).
This event is open to all students in grades 9-12 and registration is $50. If you would like to volunteer to cook for this event, please contact me (Jon) at 558-5033.
Please pray that teens that don’t know the Lord will be prepared to receive the Gospel, and those that do know Him will grow in a deeper commitment to the Biblical Jesus.
the parsonage… [by jon c]
We are so thankful for all the repairs that were made to the parsonage this summer. Arctic Barnabas flew out once again on September 5-8. The team consisted of Eric Mayer and Rob Dillingham of ABM and Jake Struempler of Circle Plumbing. While Eric and Rob worked on attempting to level the parsonage from her 15-degree lean, Jake reconfigured our heating system and repaired our boiler. Now, the house is level enough that we can back a pie without half the contents spilling out of the pie pan and the heating system looks like art and works like a dream.
Our sewage system still has a problem. Even with a pressurized toilet, the toilet, shower, and washer still back up. We may have found the problem is in the outgoing line at the end of the property. Although we still have to use “honey buckets” for the most part, we realize that we have it much better than some folks in the village that are on honey buckets 24/7. Pastor Grant Funk and family of Hooper Bay have been using honey buckets and have had not had ANY indoor plumbing (running water or sewage) for the past seven years.
Please pray that we can get our sewage problem resolved… or that God can grant the ladies and our visiting guests the grace to survive with less showers and the inconvenience of having to use honey buckets.
I’ve been dumping the contents of the honey buckets for the past year now and ya know what? There isn’t any honey in there! Sweet by and by.
king cove bible chapel… [by jon c]
King Cove Bible Chapel in King Cove, Alaska has been without a pastor since August 2006. Pastor Bob Welch is now in Anchorage. As many of you know, I was the pastor there prior to Pastor Bob. As much as I would love to go back there, we know God has called us to Scammon Bay. We hope to build a new website for KCBC in the next week with hope of finding a new pastor to fill the pulpit. Chris Babcock has been doing a wonderful job as lay pastor; however, his duties at the police department and fire station can be overwhelming even without the added responsibility of ministering to the congregation daily.
Please pray that King Cove will be blessed soon with a godly pastor that is a student and teacher of God’s Word.
bible study & worship center… [by jon c]
In August, Pastor Wilson Ladringan and the staff at Bible Study & Worship Center in Castillejos, Philippines had a multitude of Aeta families flock to the church facilities because of the brutal murders by insurgent rebels that took the lives of two natives in the Aeta lands. The tragedy has subsided and the incident has allowed for the Aeta natives to be ministered to by the Gospel of our Lord, Jesus Christ. CLICK HERE to see some the details of those events.
Thank you all for your prayers and support during this time. Because of the awesome work God is doing through Pastor Wilson and BSWC, we hope to build them a website very soon. Just knowing what God is doing among the people there in Castillejos and beyond is encouraging to the body of Christ.
Please continue to pray that BSWC, the Aeta Children’s Home (and school), and the School of the Great Commission (ministry training center) continue to bring God glory through the preaching of the Cross of Christ and the teaching of God’s Word.
vayahiy website…
We hope you enjoy some of the new updates to our website…
We continue to pray that it becomes a source of edification and encouragement to the body of Christ. If you have any input as to what we can do to make our site better, please let us know. You can email me at: jon@vayahiy.com.
Two new articles are available on our Prophecy Page. One is entitled “The Sealed Scroll” and the other is entitled “The Apostasy.” Go to the Prophecy Page to read these articles.
Free audio bible studies are the newest addition to our website. They are also available for download sermonaudio.com. Currently we have the entire expositional Bible study through the book of Jonah as well as Revelation 1-9. Since our last newsletter, we’ve also added several topic messages from our Sunday services at Scammon Bay Covenant Church. Go to the Vayahiy’s Audio Library to listen to these messages.
Service Times for Scammon Bay Covenant Church have been added to the website as well. You can click on “Scammon Bay Service Times” which is found on the left hand column of every page on our website.
Summer photos should be posted within the next few weeks if the Lord should tarry.
With love for you all as we anticipate His return,
jon, lisa and rachel cardwell
