Kalskag Debutant

Hiding away in Kalskag sounded like it was a sure-proof plan.  I guess the Chief had other ideas and hiding was not one of them.  I walk into the lunch room every Friday and hear,  “Shelly!  Shelly’s here!  Sit by me, Shelly. No, sit by me!” The children’s riotous sound of screaming echos in the gym.  The lunch duties roll their eyes and try to maintain order as the children are jumping up from their seats to hug me.

One Tuesday afternoon while the children were lined up to go home, a third grader hollers to me down the hall, “Shelly, you’re famous.”  I ignore her pretending like she doesn’t exist. I did not want THAT statement to get any attention!  I’m here to hide.

The next afternoon as the children were lined up to go home, the girl says it again, this time chimed in with other children, “Yea, Shelly, you’re famous.  Everyone likes you!”  I turned to her and the others and said, “Its nice to be liked.”  By Friday word apparently had spread because I walked into the lunch room to eat and got mobbed by 40+ kids screaming, “Shelly’s here!  She’s our Pop Star!” 

 
I think I’ll be eating in my room by myself on Friday’s.

Coats for Kalskag Part 2

Halloween 2012: 118 Coats given away and lots of candy!  People were so thankful for their new coats, hats, snow pants and gloves!!

Trash

As I was walking Curly, the black poma-poodle, around Lower Kalskag I noticed garbage laying around on the ground.  I thought it would be nice to have the village clean before the snow comes so it won’t be such a big job after breakup in the spring.  I bribed several kids with pizza if they would fill up one garbage bag with trash.  So Friday night there were about a dozen older children willing to pick up trash and eat pizza.  We made the pizza dough then as it was rising I gave each a garbage bag.  Trash was picked up all around the playground, school, homes, the post office and bingo hall.  Fourteen trash bags were collected and a dozen kids ate pepperoni and cheese pizza!  They had a blast!

Socks, Socks, Socks

The Chief whispered to some ladies in Atlanta, Georgia that the children in the Upper Kalskag elementary school could use some socks.  They collected 72 new socks and sent them out in a flat rate box.  I divided them up according to class and size.  I distributed the socks to the teachers one Wednesday morning.  The Chief arranged to have the superintendent of the Kuspuk public schools to be in Kalskag on the morning I gave the bags to the teachers.  The teachers gave a short geography lesson on Atlanta, a writing lesson on thank you notes, a math lesson on dividing up the pairs to students and adding all the socks together.  There are creative teachers in Kalskag!  The superintendent and the principal were impressed!  The children were ecstatic about new white socks!

 

Coats for Kalskag Part 1

My daughter and son-in-law had a brain storm idea about gathering coats for the children in Kalskag.  They came up with the idea of “Coats for Kalskag” and put a plan together.  A large school, a couple of churches, and some businesses in Wasilla began to collect used coats for the people in the village.  We will distribute about 100 coats at the church on Halloween.  “Coats and Candy” we will call it.  My Wasilla church is mailing them out to my Village Church in several large totes.  To be continued….

 

The Home Visit

I am required to visit homes of the children I teach.  Friday, I went to one boy’s home to meet with his parents.  It was a good visit.  Another student in the class lives across the street.  She had been absent due to illness so I thought since I was in the neighborhood I would drop off her papers and newsletter to her mother. I also had a short survey I needed to take for the office.  I knocked on the door and I heard a muffled, “Come in!”  I slowly opened the door saying loudly, “Hello! It’s Shelly, your daughter’s (I named her) teacher.”  The father greeted me and I introduced myself, shaking his hand, since I had not met him yet.  I told him I was glad to hear his daughter was feeling better and handed him a pile of papers.  I went on to ask him if I could ask him 4 questions for a short survey.  He complied.  I completed my four and a half minute visit and turned to go.  He spoke up and said I may have the wrong child.  What?!!!  He told me that the girl I was looking for lived next door.  Oh NO!!! I got the wrong house?!  I apologized profusely and tried to back away slowly groping for the door handle, hoping this gentlemen would not call the troopers. He handed me the child’s papers.  The Chief’s voice spoke to me clearly through my invisible earphone and told me to properly introduce myself.  I turned around held my head up high and hand out to him again and announced, “Hello, let me formally introduce myself.  I am Shelly, the new white teacher who doesn’t know where the children in her class live!  This is my way of meeting the neighbors in my new village! I am honored to meet you, sir!”  If he told me his name, I would not have remembered it!  He began to chuckle and I graciously backed out of the house, thanking him for his hospitality.  Fortunately, no troopers showed up on my doorstep.  I am sure I was the talk of the village all weekend!  After I told a couple native ladies my story, they figured out whose house I went to and they agreed.  The white woman would be the talk of the village all weekend!

Kengumken wii’nga

I am learning a few Yupik words, taught to me by a 10 year old.  Kengumken wii’nga means “I love you.”  I thought that would be an important phrase to learn.

Gasoline finally arrived by barge.  However, my 4-wheeler is out of commission so I am hitching rides with a neighbor to work.  I rode the school bus home one day.  Glad it was a short ride!

 

Chief has given me another assignment: To start a group to study His Manuel for life.  I talked to the Pastor who gave a list of names that may be interested in a group such as this.  Chief has provided me a large living room and many chairs for hospitality.  Hopefully this will begin soon. 

Prep Week

Made contact with several families in the Villages (both Upper and Lower Kalskag) this week.  Some homes were alarming to enter.  No electricity, no running water, dirt, stench, sick babies, no hope.  My heart goes out to these broken families racked by alcoholism and poverty.  Part of my assignment in Kalskag is to be a resource of hope for these families.  One family I was able to help get on emergency heating assistance and food stamps.  Another home I gave suggestions on hauling water and cleanliness.  Both homes haunted me at night.

Transportation is a challenge as there has been no fuel (gasoline) in the village for a couple weeks.  Kids played a prank in the middle of the night and hid my 4-wheeler behind my living quarters.  At least it wasn’t damaged or completely missing.

Boot Camp

Destination: Bethel

Transportation: 8 passenger Era Alaska prop plane
Time: high noon

After moose roast lunch with a close-knit assembly of associates I was escorted to my meager little single propeller plane for my flight to Bethel for training and debriefing.  The ride was bumpy with nervous Eskimos hanging on to the seat back in front of them. In hindsight I should have been on edge since the locals had looks of terror in their eyes.

 

An agent from the company picked me up at the Bethel airport and identified herself with a hug.  She delivered me to another special agent in Bethel who gave me further instructions about my covert mission assignment in Kalskag.  My living quarters at the 5-day boot camp was tolerable.  The paper thin walls and bugs made it challenging to get adequate rest.  I arrived with one bag and left camp with four bags of books and food.  I believe I am ready for my great exploit.

Care Package Ideas

Care Package Needs in Kalskag:
Shelly Blocker
P.O. Box 15
Lower Kalskag, AK 99626

Most things can be sent in a Flat rate priority box (large is $15.45 to ship) or other boxes parcel post (it gets here close to the same as priority because it has to be flown in)

Here are a few suggestions – maybe you can think of other things to add

Ministry Needs  (I have several people stopping by daily)

Coffee (Costco or similar seems to be a favorite)
Coffee filters
Creamer (flavored small containers, or powder)
Herbal Tea
Hot Cocoa
Raw sugar packets
Cookies (I can freeze them and have them on hand all the time)
Wrapped candies (salt water taffy, mini snack size, like hershey’s or choc. Kisses etc, my personal favorites are mint kisses) They will be real cheap after Halloween
Coffee
Small paper plates or pretty napkins or holiday napkins
Fruit snacks
Nuts (cashews or almonds are a favorite)
Goldfish packets
Microwave popcorn
Crystal Light
Brownie mix
Cake mixes & frosting
Did I mention Coffee?
Bible I can give out if needed
Tracts
Composition notebooks (to use for journals that I can give away)
Knit gloves or socks I can give away or knit hats – there is no place to buy these things in the village
Lip balm

Oh, yeah... coffee (everyone drinks it around here and they believe they will convert me! At least I can have it for them.  I’ll stick with hot cocoa, tea or sugar free cider packets)

Office supplies

List paper
Pens
Highlighter
Paper clips
Copy paper to put in printer
HP 920 (xl) ink cartridges (3 colors/black)
Staples
Batteries, AAA, AA, D, C
Sticky note pads

Cleaning supplies or bathroom supplies

Lysol
Hand Sanitizer
Hand wipes or disinfectant wipes
Paper towels
Toilet paper (even if you stuff in 1 roll into the box)
Hand soap (I like Bath & body Works anti-bacterial hand soaps and hand sanitizer)
Airborne
Zicam dissolvable tablets (orange)
bandaids

Consumable Food Supplies

Tomato Paste/Sauce
Spaghetti Sauce
Noodles
Seasoning packets: taco, Italian, fried rice, burrito, enchilada, other seasonings for rice dishes, sloppy joe, shake & bake, gravy, active yeast, chili mix
Jello or pudding boxes
Mac & cheese box
Bisquick mix
Muffin mix (just add water may be best)
Pizza crust mix
Dry soup mixes
Chex snack mix
Chewy granola bars
Trail mix/fruit & nut mix
Vitamin C
Gummi multi vitamins (costco)
Dinner in a box: Send a dinner & desert I can make (probably non-perishable items, I can find meat, eggs or other perishable things here). 
We have a potluck every Sunday after church, so ideas and recipes and basic ingredients to share a meat-less side. Ground beef is $8/lb.  Other people bring the moose roasts, salmon or beaver meat dishes

Other ideas

Your Pastor’s Sermon recording on CD’s or mp3’s on cd
Amazon gift cards or online credit (I can order just about anything and get free shipping)
Music: I love Jesus culture or contemporary Christian, or a CD of your worship service
Scentsy wax (I lean toward flowery smells or cooking smells like cinnamon rolls although I like the DUKE scent)
List of websites or blogs you like (I don’t have time to research)
Letters & encouraging notes, even a newspaper to keep up on what is going on outside
LED light in case power goes out

Thank you for thinking of me and Kalskag Eskimos!

9 Days

I had 9 days from my assignment delivery to the actual flight to the mission site:  Sort, pack & ship items, say goodbyes, change phones, have a birthday party, dinner with family, 4 trips to Anchorage… what a whirlwind!

I strategically flew into Aniak and then to Kalskag where the principal picked me up from the little gravel airstrip. He drove his SUV right to the airplane and we unloaded my cargo bags right from the airplane to his vehicle. There is no terminal.  I got marching orders, looked at the headquarters and found the living arrangements adequate with running hot water. My vehicle arrived: Bright red Honda Foreman 4x4 (4-wheeler). Word spread quickly.  An hour later I was greeted by a tribe of natives in my living room. I gave them each a cookie to make a peace offering then asked them to help me move furniture. Gratefully they complied. 

The next people to arrive were my cohorts.  We had a cup of tea and more cookies!

Early the next morning I made contact with the leader of the village: The Pastor!

Flood of Doubt

What am I thinking?! Leave my secure job, nice comfy home, close friends and my kids?  I can’t do this.

“You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.”

Alright, Chief, I hear your message loud and clear: Be a trail blazer.  You have given me my assignment and provided shelter.  You will provide all the tools I need and even more than I ask for since You have all the resources.  Please comfort my children, Chief, and give me encouragement for my sad, lonely heart.  I can do all things through You.  You strengthen me for the adventure ahead.

ETA Kalskag: 2 days

Shelter

“Good Evening, Shelly.  This is Sophia again.  I found you a duplex with running water.  It’s very nice for Kalskag!  It’s one bedroom that is all furnished.  It has a couch, recliner, bed, full refrigerator and a large living room.  If you wanted to have a room mate you could, but the price alone is affordable and includes all utilities.  There will be teachers in the houses close to you.”

“Thank you, Thank you so much, Sophia!”

Wow, Chief, you gave me more than I asked for in housing.  And no roommate!  I can talk to you any time of the day or night and not have to be cautious of anyone listening to my covert mission conversations with You!  And the large living room!  I can have people over and teach them your Master Plan and train some of your troops!  Thank you, Chief!

The Assignment

As I was lounging in my Explorer on this warm August day watching my grandchildren play in the castle park, my daydreaming was disturbed by the numa numa ringtone.

“Good Afternoon, Shelly.  This is Sophia.  I would like to offer you the teaching job in Kalskag. Will you join our team?”

After a few more details about the job and move were exchanged I clicked the end button on my phone. The realization of the Chief’s mission hit me. Butterflies were welling up in my belly and I didn’t know if I should jump for joy or throw up!

I guess you were right, Chief, you gave me my assignment.  Now where will I live?  You said there would be shelter. Please let it be reasonably within budget and with running water.  I’m not asking much…Oh, and will you give me a female room mate that I can live with and doesn’t smoke.

I’ll sic my pastor on this request to the Chief!

The Interrogat..… Errr… Interview

“Hello, Shelly.  This is Sophia.  I have three other people on the phone with me….Shannon Johnson is the director, Sarah Andrews and Sue Ellenson are in Human Resources.   We’d like to ask you some questions.”
 
I sat up in the cold metal chair and leaned my head back looking at the one small light bulb swinging slightly in the immensely dark empty room.  Shivers ran all over me.  My hands were clammy.  I desperately longed for a few drops of water for my parched tongue.  Here we go.  Bring it on!

First Contact

“Hello, Shelly Blocker?  This is Sophia Hanagin from Bethel. 
I just received your application for employment.  With your credentials and experience, ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?!   ARE YOU FOR REAL?   YOU WANT TO COME TO KALSKAG…..WHY?”

“No, yes and yes, Sophia, because I just returned from Kalskag a few days ago.  I went to meet the people of the Village, help in the church and pick berries.  I enjoyed my time and want to return to the Village to teach children.”

“Oh, (long awkward pause), we will need to interview you.  We can do this over the phone.  Will next Monday at 3:00 work?”

“Yes, that will work for me.  Thank you!” 

I hope I didn’t sound too excited so as to blow this cover before I even start my mission, Chief.

(Names have been changed to protect the innocent).

The Mission Assignment

Your stealth mission, Shelly Blocker, should you choose to accept it, is to go under the radar into the enemy camp of the Yupik nation.  We will fly you in by small plane to Aniak where you will find a river boat waiting to pick you up.  You will boat down the Kuskokwim River about 2 hours to get to your destination:  Kalskag.  You will be the trail blazer.  The troops of the Lord’s Army will follow you after you blaze the trail.  You will be given the assignment and shelter. Beyond that, I will give you instructions daily.  Yours Truly, Chief.

This message will self-destruct in 5……4……3…..

Kalskag

This blog is based on a true story that is unfolding before your very eyes.  The names have been changed to protect the innocent (except the main character.)

Kalskag is an Alaska bush village of about 500 Yupik Native mix of Eskimos located on the Kuskokwim River 100 miles East of Bethel.  It is divided into upper and lower Kalskag, about 3 miles apart.  It includes a post office where you can send me care packages, general delivery to Kalskag, Alaska 99607.  Kalskag has a small airport and a mercantile store.  The new High School serves about 70 7^th-12^th grade students.  I have  been assigned to work in the elementary school in Upper Kalskag.