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SCAMMON BAY (pronounced SKAMM-in Bay) lies just to the north of the 2,300-foot Askinuk Mountains and on the south side of the Kun River at approximately 61° 50’ N Latitude, 165° 35’ W Longitude, a mile east of the Bering Sea.
The Yup’ik Eskimo name for the village is Mariak, and its residents were called Mariagamiut. The nearby bay was named for Capt. Charles Scammon, who served as the marine chief of the Western Union Telegraph Expedition (1856-67). The name came into use when the Scammon Bay post office was established in 1951. The village was incorporated as a “2nd Class City” in 1967 within the Bethel Recording District of Alaska’s Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region (Bethel is the largest city in the region with a population of approximately 7,000).
The people are friendly, courteous, and genuinely interested in knowing who you are. The population has grown from 400 when we first arrived to 500 now, 97% being Native Alaskan. At least half of the population are 18 years of age and below. (With exact figures from the Scammon Bay Medical Clinic in February 2007, we had 226 children between newborn and 14 years old). CLICK HERE to find out more about the Yup'ik and Cup'ik cultures.
The climate is maritime with temperatures ranging from -25°F in the winter to as high as 79°F in the summer. Annual precipitation is about 14 inches, with 65 inches of snowfall. Severe easterly winds in the fall and winter sometimes limits accessibility.
Village access is via air and water. There is a state-owned 3000-foot gravel airstrip on the north side of the village and a city-owned seaplane base on the Kun River serving air traffic. Barges bring in bulk supplies from about mid-June to October when the Kun River and Bering Sea are ice-free. Winter trails also exist between Chevak (25 miles away), Hooper Bay (32 miles away), and Mountain Village (75 miles away).
Local transportation is either by foot, by “4-wheelers” (ATVs) in the summer, and by snowmachines (called snowmobiles in the lower 48 states) in the winter.
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SCAMMON BAY COVENANT CHURCH is a congregation of believers that has matured under the leadership of such pastors as Harvey Fiskeaux and Wassilie Mute. When we began, membership was numbered at about 30 worshipers, although Sunday attendance was often higher. In the Cardwell's first month there, an estimated 25% or more of the population has attended at least one of the weekly services. During our last months in Scammon Bay, from August 2007 to January 2008, approximately 33-35% of the village population atteneded either the morning or evening service. God has raised up a Bible teacher and pastor among the Yup'ik natives in Scammon Bay's very own John Uttereyuk. The church continues to grow in maturity through John's God-given and God-sustained leadership. The Chrisitan community has met as a congregation of believers in Christ since 1930 under the leadership of Covenant missionary, Oscar Andrewuk. The fellowship was incorporated with the Evangelical Covenant Church in 1975. This fellowship is rich in faith and strong in love for their Lord and love for others. Our vision for Scammon Bay, when we first embarked, was the LORD God, Himself. The Bible says, "Where there is no vision, the people perish" (Proverbs 29:18). Often we get caught up in the work of ministry or the results of our efforts; but if we recognize that our relationship with God is the most important thing in life, that He is our vision and that all the results of ministry are in His hand, then we need not be anxious about doing this thing or that. All we need is to be rightly related to Him regardless of what service we perform. We will endeavor to accomplish this by teaching the Bible to reveal Jesus Messiah on every page, to preach the Cross of Christ as the only way to the Father, and moving men, women, and children through God-- by prayer. The vision continues to be the same among the leadership in the congregation. Since the results, are in the Lord's hands, we just pray that in whatever is accomplished, God is glorified. CLICK HERE TO VIEW PHOTOS
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Alaskan villages like Scammon Bay are certainly remote and considered very foreign to those accustomed to the affluence and conveniences of western civilization. Goods and supplies that are not fished, hunted, or gathered on the tundra must be freighted in by air or by sea as weather permits; therefore some items in the local store may cost 6 to 10 times more than one would pay for them in Anchorage or in the lower 48 states. For example, a small jar of mayonnaise or sandwich spread priced at about $1.00 in California might cost $6.50 in Scammon Bay. For that reason, many items are just not available.If life there is so remote, so different, and so expensive, the question may arise: “Why go?” Our answer: Jesus commanded us to be His witnesses “unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). When encouraging missions at Andover, William Borden asked, “If there were ten men lifting a log, nine at one end and one at the heavy end, and you wanted to help; which end would you lift on?” CLICK HERE TO VIEW PHOTOS
PHOTOS CLICK HERE to view a photo montage of our ministry preparation for coming to Scammon Bay. CLICK HERE to view a photo montage of happenings since arriving in Scammon Bay. CLICK HERE to view a photo montage of more Scammon Bay happenings. CLICK HERE to view the photo album from our CEF Summer, July 2006. CLICK HERE to view the photo album of our Ohio VBS Team, July-August 2006. CLICK HERE to view the photo album of our Arkansas-Oklahoma VBS Team, August 2006. CLICK HERE to view the photo album of the Arctic Barnabas Visit, October 2006. CLICK HERE to view the photo album of the ACC Fundraising Dinner, November 2006. CLICK HERE to view the photo album of typical blizzard preparations in Scammon Bay, January 2007.
If the LORD has touched your heart concerning His work among His beloved Yup'ik people in Scammon Bay, please consider supporting the ministry work of John Uttereyuk and his family. One of the awesome Christian witnesses manifested in Scammon Bay actually came by way of the tragic drowning deaths of John and Carolyn Uttereyuk's boys, Reichel (10) and (8) in July of 2007. You can read the article about God's glory amidst this heart rending tragedy by CLICKING HERE. You can send ministry support donations directly to John at... Pastor John Uttereyuk, Scammon Bay Covenant Church, P.O. Box 109, Scammon Bay, AK 99662 or you can send it via the ECC Office in Eagle River, Alaska (be sure to mark your checks payable to John Uttereyuk ministry donation)... John Uttereyuk, c/o Evangelical Covenant Church of Alaska, P.O. Box 770749, Eagle River, AK 99577 Audio messages of the Uttereyuk viewing (A Living Sacrifice) and the Uttereyuk funeral (Conformed to Christ's Image) are available through SermonAudio.com or by streaming the banners below...
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