So just when I had thought my Alaskan blogs had come to a close, my last day proved otherwise. So, there I was driving the bus back from shuttling the Noon Wilderness trip to the put in, talking on my phone to Princess Tour Desk manager Leslie, when in mid conversation, she cuts me off to ask me if our boatyard was on fire. Since I last saw it, there was no fire so I had hoped in my absence it didn't catch fire. Our conversation was cut short with a series of "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh...Brittany, there's a fire heading towards our tour buses, I've got to go!" ...click. Dumbfounded, I put the bus pedal to the metal and booked it down the highway back to the office to inquire about this fire.
I call our office manager Sara Mae, who was at the boatyard at the time to fill me in where Leslie had left off. Mine and Sara's conversation proceeded as followed:
Me: "Sara Mae, what's g"oing on?! I talked to Leslie and she said something about a fire at the boatyard?
Sara Mae: "Dude, there's a big fire behind the boatyard that is heading this way if the wind changes at all! We're evacuating all our stuff, what do you want me to grab?!"
Me: "No way, crazy!! All my bags are already packed in my room, just grab those!!"
Sara Mae: (frenzied) "I'm on it!!"...click.
I inform our other office girl, Tabitha, that I am grabbing a crew rig and heading back to the boatyard to see what is truly going on and to grab anything that needed to be grabbed. So, here I am, driving this beat up, "drive by shooting" looking van with a trailer attached going as fast as I can- I get over the hill and there it is; a huge cloud of smoke right in the vicinity of our boatyard! I get to camp and the fire appears to be about 100 yards east behind our living quarters with a wind blowing north (definite favorable wind direction). I get in my room and literally it is spotless, Sara Mae did a more than adequate job of evacuating my stuff...if you ever need to evacuate in a hurry, she's your gal. I found Sara Mae up at the Chevron in the photo person's Subaru chock full of mine and hers belongings.
Fortunately, the people of Healy, along with our raft guides responded quickly and hastily to get the fire quenched. Helicopters were flying in from every direction dropping water on the fire lines. People in bulldozers were knocking down trees to make a fire line, etc...even the coal mine people brought in there ginormous water tank! Needless to say, the fire was put out without too much damage. They say the source of the fire was from a squatter's campfire that was improperly put out. At least it provided an eventful last day of work and left me with another story to write home about. And remember kids, "only you can prevent forest fires!"
So, I have been gathering a list of personal accomplishments from this summer's endeavors- a list of things that a year ago I probably never saw coming. It does prove to me that ALL things are possible through Christ...you can call what you will, but in my minds eye, that's how I perceive it to be. Here is a brief list of challenges, firsts and tasks I learned/accomplished this summer...
*Moving somewhere out of state on my own for the first time.
*First time in Alaska
*Wilderness Responder certified- how to treat and rescue people injured in the wilderness.
*Emergency Trauma Technician certified- how to bandage and treat trauma victims.
*Advanced First Aid and CPR certified
*Swift Water Rescue certified- rescue victims in whitewater including how to tie different knots, make Z drags, flip rafts, etc...
*Studied and passed all my written exams for certifications, Alaskan Driver's license, Commerical Driver's license permit and Passenger Endorsement written test.
*Passed my CDL driver's test.
*Learn how to drive a bus, dock a bus and parallel park a bus.
*Degrease bus engines
*Learned and trained to be a guide.
*Hiked MT Healy
*Had an encounter with a grizzly bear and lived to tell about it :)
*First time in a small engine plane
*Got to fly around the largest mountain in N. America- Denali/Mt. McKinley
*Got better at driving a manual :)
*Experience daylight 24 hrs a day
*Finally can back up a trailer!
And most importantly, I truly realized my dependency on Christ- He is my source of all things. This list may not seem like much to some people, but it means a lot to me. My, how four months can fly by when you're having fun and being challenged. I recommend that all of you dream BIG, recount all that you've accomplished and reflect on who was your source of strength, encouragement and wisdom. Denali National Park, Alaska- Summer of 2010...you will forever remain in my heart!
The gap from my time up here til my departure is dwindling each day and reality is assuredly setting in. At times, the monotony of work can easily cause me to forget exactly where I am living. Alaska is unlike any other place in the world, especially in the United States. From its limited road system, limited indoor plumbing and running water to the active volcanoes, glaciers, animal population, etc... it truly fits its title "The Last Frontier". I have stopped myself on occasion to simply be still and allow the mountains and scenery around me to captivate my senses, at that moment, I am filled with absolute awe- its completely mind blowing and I haven't even seen the tip of the iceberg yet(no pun intended, lol). I have learned and experienced a lot on my journey in the far north, an experience that will never be forgotten.
The other day, I was helping an elderly gentleman out of his dry suit who seemed a bit absent minded and was traveling solo- I asked him if he enjoyed his raft trip and was enjoying Alaska. He looked me kindly in the eyes and spoke with pure contentment and told me that this was a check off his bucket list. We have many "bucket listers" up here and the guides kind of joke about that term, but what it really means are people's dreams being fulfilled. It's a beautiful thing to look into the eyes of someone who accomplished a life-long dream. I wouldn't say that coming to Alaska is a check off my bucket list, but it certainly was an opportunity afforded to me that many people only dream of and for that I am truly blessed and filled with a sense of gratitude. I definitely want to come back to explore more of this incredible state- it offers so much and with its massive size, it really could take a life time to see all of it- maybe that will be something for my bucket list.
I really wanna thank all the wonderful people I had the opportunity to meet and get to know. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to be a part of your life- all of you will forever have a special place in my heart. This season of life certainly has been the beginning markings for more doors to open and has allotted me the confidence to make those first steps!
Famous journalist Horace Greeley spoke on the issue of slavery, making the powerful statement: “Enslave a man and destroy his ambition, his enterprise, his capacity.” I read this quote while reading a novel about the Civil War and the events that led up to the division of early America, as many of us learned in high school history, the issue of slave labor was a big discussion and many would claim that it was the reason behind the dissension. Slavery and slave labor certainly isn’t a new idea or was a recent development, although in western cultures when we think of slavery, our picture of it is of Africans brought over on the Middle Passage and forced to work on cotton plantations- without rights and having minimum benefits as in living accommodations and food. Slavery has been an institution since the dawn of time- many to most civilizations were started and thrived on slave labor. I think that it would be safe to say that most groups or ethnicities all at some point have reaped the pangs of slavery in some shape or form.
As I read Greeley’s powerful statement, it really sunk in the powers of slavery can have over a person’s identity and what they are capable of. The word “capacity” in his quote somewhat echoed through my thoughts, the dictionary defines capacity as “the ability to perform or produce; the maximum production possible…the ability to understand the facts and significance of your behavior.” Enterprise can be defined as “the readiness to embark upon new ventures” and ambition meaning “a cherished desire…strong drive for success”. It’s flabbergasting the destruction power of slavery over an individual’s future and handicapping their potential to grow into the fullness of who they were created to be.
Spiritual slavery is in the same category and I would be as bold enough to say that it is worse than being physically in slavery. When you are in spiritual slavery, many times, you don’t know that you are in it and when you do recognize its hold on your life, it can be difficult to find freedom on your own (don’t believe me, talk to anyone who’s ever struggled with a real addiction). In the Bible, God makes His opinion very clear on the subject of slavery. In fact, God is extravagant when it comes to releasing you from slavery- in any form it takes shape in. He parted an entire sea and guided the Israelites to safety so they could escape the oppressive chains of slavery in Egypt. God is adamant about your freedom because He sees the detrimental effects the shackles of slavery have upon His children. So what slavery may you find yourself in? Well Paul talks in Romans about how you are a slave to whatever you choose to obey- obedience can be defined as “to submit or conform in action to”. Here’s to list of few things that can enslave you spiritually but not limited to: depression, alcohol, drugs, sex, anxiety, fear, codependency, relationships, abuse, anger, bitterness, religiosity, self image, unforgiveness…just to name a few. All of these can cripple you- cripple you in your future, your identity, your relationships and your capacity (what you’re able to accomplish). Don’t be discouraged, because there is hope- there is a God who is passionate about freeing you from destructive habits and mindsets. You can’t change what you tolerate- don’t tolerate spiritual bondage in your life. I hear excuses like “well, that’s just how I was made” or “I can’t change”- don’t get comfortable in your habits because there is life waiting. “We were meant for better things; things that come with salvation” Hebrews 6:9. Come to Christ and He’ll part the seas to get you to a position of freedom, I know, because He did it for me and is still doing it!
