Keeping in Close Contact 8/19/04

I hope you don’t mind the frequency of our e-mail updates as of late. I really want to keep in touch as we make it through these transitional times.

Arctic Barnabas Ministries is moving! We have been given the opportunity to move into the same building where our plane is hangered. Our old office served us well for three years, but we have outgrown it in a big way. And the new location is within eyesight of the location where we plan to build our Ministry center building next year. (Correspondence and monies can continue to the 805 Address - We have a year forwarding on the old address and I'm sure there is old envelopes and stuff to use up, so the change may not show up immediately)

Kris and I both have been involved some in the move, but Kris far more than me. I am still focused right now on securing work. So I really have to say "No." when my heart says "Yes." That's no fun at all! But to get frustrated and flustered would be to deny that God has been involved in this process.

I really beat the bushes last week, but the good paying jobs just don't come around that often here. Added to the challenge at hand has been family sickness. Cassie got it first, then Kris and I. And now, Chelsie, Kris and I all have it! Some sort of a throat bug. Kris has lost her voice and I'm waiting to see if mine is going to go out. We were both out of the loop a few days this week.

I have been able to do a few more computer jobs since my last e-mail. Once again, we are simply living out each day as it comes, marveling in God's provision.

There are a few things "in the pipe" and they all are exciting, but we are really on our knees more as we seek to stay true to our call to bush ministry. If you would like more details on what is happening, please give me a call on my cell, or at home in the evening. Just keep in mind that its four hours EARLIER here than on the East coast - and as excited as we are about seeing what God has in store, I might not sound to excited if you call me at 5 am!

Keep praying. Keep giving. Keep living for Jesus!

Gary Harris

One Day at a Time & Cassie's Report 8/13/04

First, we appreciate those of you who took the time to e-mail me after my last update, where I detailed to you some changes we were needing to make in our ministry. Your continued support and encouragement is a real blessing. Although firmly committed to our call to ministry in rural Alaska, this "closed door" so to speak, has given us some time to reflect.

Kris has taken on the role as Director of Women's ministries with a new vigor. But she is also working part time at Alaska Christian college. This will only be until I find steady work.

Cassie came back from 5 weeks in the village of Port Alsworth, where she worked at Tanalian Bible Camp in the kitchen, and also on various work crews. TBC partners with ABM every fall for our Ministry Family Retreat which is held at their camp. Kris and I love the folks there and do whatever we can to support their ministry bringing Christ to villages in the Bristol Bay area of the state. More on Tanalian bible camp can be found at www.tanalianbiblecamp.org.

Anyway, Cassie wrote up a little summary of her time in Port Alsworth. I have included it below. Thanks for upholding her in prayer.

Scoopin' up the manna - - - - one day at a time!

Gary & Kris

Going to Port Alsworth this summer to work at the Bible camp there turned out to be more than I expected. I knew that I was going to work hard, have fun, and in my mind that was it…. WRONG!

For those of you that haven’t been to Port Alsworth, the only way that I could describe it is a little bit of heaven, the only thing that didn’t make it heaven was the mosquitoes and the white socks! Anyway, you wake up to Tanalian Mountain every morning, and you just realize God’s faithfulness and love. I experienced his forgiveness at times where it was just I, and the scenery.

I worked on clean up crew for 2 weeks, and that was a lesson on patience and perseverance. At times I felt like going up to James Walsh, and telling him that it was no use cleaning those bathrooms ‘cause 5 hours later it didn’t even look like I touched a broom to it! Those of you that have been on some kind of crew like that know what I mean. It was a great experience when God softened my heart to realize I was there serving him, so to make the best out of it. When you have friends along side you cleaning the kitchen etc, its not really that bad either. Especially when you have water fights. (All at the expense of 1 crazy 15-year-old guy and his uncle of course! In other words my roommate, Sarah, and I WON!)

The last 3 weeks I was there I worked as a cook. If any of you wish you could have been on Candid Camera, should have been a mouse in my pocket while I was there. I learned how to bake, cook, and to laugh at myself, I never would of thought that that last lesson would go hand in hand with cooking, but now I know better. When you spill 5 gallons of lemonade, have a war with powder sugar when its in a mixer, give yourself 3 2^nd degree burns, and cut yourself numerous of times, yes, you learn to laugh at yourself! The first time those things happened to me, I felt like bawling, but along with great “co-workers” in the kitchen, I learned to laugh, and laugh hard!!

On a more spiritual note, God worked on me, big time! The very first day I was there, God was teaching me things that he wanted me to learn, and it wasn’t all that easy at times. I was there while the camp had high schoolers and people just entering college, so I sat in on some of the chapels when I wasn’t cooking. That was a great experience. I learned a lot by just sitting in, and taking in the word of God. The people in the community helped a lot too. The directors there James and Sharon Walsh were kind of like my 2^nd pair of parents. The helped me through a lot, and helped me make a lot of decisions that I couldn’t make on my own. That’s not to say I didn’t have MY parents, I did, but it was good to have a family right where I was.

If I sat here and told you about everyone that impacted my life, I’d be sitting here forever. I wish I could, but I can’t. I had so much fun just being around these people that it was hard coming home. Although most of them, when asked would just say “we talked, hung out and had fun,” we did that, but this summer was just a great experience.

Transitional Times! 8/9/04

Kris and I are writing to tell you that we really need you to focus on us in your prayers over these next few weeks.

As many of you know, we were hoping to get our support levels up to an amount specified by the board of ABM by August 1st, or need to consider going to "part time status" with ABM. If that happened, I would then seek other work, and we would concentrate on Kris' role as Director of Women's ministry. I would fall back into more of a support role for her.

So we spent the past three months focusing on support raising, culminating with a trip outside in july. That trip went very well and we received several invitations to travel and share our ministry.

But we didn’t make it to the 60% level by the date specified and are still about $380 per month short of that goal.

So, for the next few weeks, the key word is TRANSITION.

I have fallen back on my computer background some in the past and possibly can continue to do so for the next several weeks. Although this would seem to be an ideal way to go, we are still looking at it as transitional, and the economics of our situation may require me to take whatever I can get in the way of employment.

We see the fact that we did not make it to the level required as an indication that we need to seek God in a number of ways. Rest assured, however, that we are still fully committed to our ministy to those in the Alaskan bush and view this simply as something along the way in that process.

Specific prayers:

1. We lack wisdom. We find answers in the Word, in counsel, and sometimes in that "still, quiet voice." Pray for discenment as wee re=evaluate and adapt.

2. Pray that I can generate some billable time doing computer work (networking, hardware, software, tech support, business applications, etc . . .)

3. Pray that, If I do need to pursue other employment, we will be patient to wait on the Lord, but not sitting around on our hands either. I may need to hit the streets!

4. Pray for the staff at ABM as we all deal with this change.

5. Pray for Kris as she looks at the possibility of ministry where I am not involved, at least temporarily. We celebrated 23 years together yesterday, and our greatest strength in ministry is our marriage. Not being together in ministry will be difficult.

Regarding my billing out computer work, this would not be run thru ABM at all but I would do this under a separate business license that I have. If you and may be able to use my services in this way, please let me know. (local to us, yes . . . But even with remote assistance)

I would be happy to discuss our situation with any of you. This is not an appeal for additional money. We believe we are still remaining true to the call God has placed on us in ministry - - and we just want you to continue in your partnership.

Thanks!

Gary Harris