Mission:Kalskag: 2014

Saturday, August 30, 2014

Kalskag, Alaska Info & Stats

Kalskag is a remote Bush Village in the interior of Alaska (meaning there are no roads to Kalskag). One must fly into Aniak (larger village) and take a second 15 minute flight to Kalskag or a 60 minute boat ride (snow machine in the winter) down the Kuskokwim River to reach the village.

Location

Kalskag is 100 miles northeast of the “hub village” of Bethel and about 40 miles west of Aniak. It is located on the Kuskokwim River that runs east/west through the middle of Alaska. The village is nestled on the edge of the hills and has trees and mountains. The vast Alaskan tundra (open flat land with many lakes/rivers) is west toward Bethel. It is in a beautiful setting.

The Two Villages

There are two different villages. Kalskag and Lower Kalskag are 3 miles apart and connected by a dirt road. Each is a different Yup’ik tribe, having separate tribal councils (leaders), post offices, and religions. Kalskag is mainly Catholic and Lower Kalskag is Russian Orthodox. Both Villages speak Yup’ik and English.

Population

Kalskag = 231 90% Yupik Eskimo

Lower Kalskag = 281 90% Yupik Eskimo

Apx 500 in both villages. About 220 are children/students under 18

Schools

All the children from both villages are combined into the 3 schools: Elementary School grades Preschool through 3^rd, an Intermediate School Grades 4-6 and the High School Grades 7-12. There is a school bus that runs the children from their bus stops to the different schools. Kalskag is in the Kuspuk School District (located in Aniak). Since the poverty level is low every child has free breakfast and lunch at school. For many children, these are their only meals of the day.

Calvary Mission

Calvary Mission is an interdenominational church. Rev. Mark Ausdahl has been the Pastor for over 14 years. His father, Martin Ausdahl, started the church in 1959. Rev. Shelly Blocker helps with special service projects and mid-week Bible Study ("Coffee with Jesus"). This summer Calvary Mission celebrated over 50 years of service in our Jubilee Weekend Celebration. We have people from different church groups attend, such as Baptist, Lutheran, Assembly of God, Methodist, and other denominations. Preaching is straight from the Word of God. We spend time in worship with hymns and choruses and in prayer. This little Kalskag church can hold about 25 people. People come from both villages to attend services since this is the only Protestant church. Recently the Church put up a radio antenna and the translator station KYKD FM 93.7 is on the air! This is a Christian radio station being aired 24/7 in Kalskag & surrounding Fish Camps! What a blessing this is to the Villages!

Amenities

The two main stores, Ausdahl Mercantile in Kalskag and Anica in Lower Kalskag, carry groceries and some hardware items. The items can cost triple what they are in the lower 48 due to the shipping costs to this very remote location. For example, a half gallon of milk is $8, a pound of hamburger is $8, and a gallon of ice cream is $25. There is a gas pump between the two villages. Unleaded gas is $6.70 per gallon. There are no restaurants, banks, coffee shops, video stores, theaters, clothing stores or even thrift shops.

What do people do in Kalskag for recreation?

Depending on the season there are many different activities both inside and outside. During the long daylight hours of summer/fall, the Eskimos pick berries, hunt and fish, swim in the river and camp in the wilderness or at their fish camps. They harvest beavers, bears, moose, salmon, birds and other animals to provide food during the winter and skins to keep warm by making mukluks (boots) or molokai’s (hats) or gloves. Coats are made out of seal skin, beaver fur or other animals such as rabbit, lynx, fox, or martins.

During the winter/spring the Eskimos ice fish, go on snow machine rides out of the village, make fires and have cook outs roasting hot dogs, moose meat & marshmallows over the open flame. They will pull the children up hills on sleds and slide down the mountain. There is fiddle dancing and native dancing in the village. People gather together for potlucks, community picnics or feeds. There are cross country skiing trails which is a favorite way for people to get exercise during our very short daylight in the winter.

Unfortunately alcohol is a problem in the village. Some people will buy a bottle of liquor for $100 instead of provide their children with necessary adequate clothing or even food. The drunks can be violent and because there is no police in the village, people fend for themselves and take the law in their own hands. Children need adequate clothing, shoes, boots, warm coats and a safe place to go when feeling threatened or in danger. Bingo is another set back with families. Parents abandoned their children to play bingo. They lose a lot of money then they drink and the cycle continues.

What Calvary Missions does to help

In 2012 businesses, schools and churches in Wasilla, Alaska helped with a “Coats for Kalskag” Drive. They collected over 100 coats and mailed them out to us that we gave away on Halloween. In Kalskag we called it “Coats and Candy.” The coats were gone within the first hour. Weeks later people were still asking for a coat. A girl scout group from Anchorage collected clothing and boots in January and we handed those out at one of the schools. People from the lower 48 have sent up new socks and shoes, hats and scarves for the children in Kalskag.

We feed the children dinner during “Kids Club”, a weekly Bible Study for children/teens in the village. Last year, 23 children were saved through our Kids Club. Vacation Bible School is a ministry we do during the summer between fishing and berry picking season. For adults we offer a Bible Study (called Coffee with Jesus). The people are hungry for the Word of God that one night a week was not enough and asked to have it two evenings a week. We offer soup or light dinner for the participants. The food is provided by people who want to donate and send us dry soups to help feed adults and children. Bibles are also sent out to Kalskag by people wanting to donate to the church. We can hardly keep the Bibles for a week. There is always someone who would like one.

Last December we organized & hosted a dinner for the elders of the Villages. We served native food and hosted it in our church building. In the Spring we had a teacher appreciation dinner for the teachers at the church. Many churches in the lower 48 contributed Teacher supplies that we generously gave to the teachers & staff of the schools.

Our big project again this year…

Christmas in Kalskag

Calvary Mission’s big project this year is to provide a Christmas gift for every child/student in the Villages ages 0-18. Christmas gifts are hard for parents to get due to finances and having to order everything online. Many children receive no gifts. With the help of Larry Hobbs in Louisiana and many people across the states, the children of Kalskag will have a Christmas gift this year!

Thank you for helping us make 220+ children in Kalskag very happy and blessed. For those who will be buying a gift feel free to write a little note to the child or the parents. You may also want to enclose a Bible or tract in the gift box.

Quyanna! Thank you!

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Quyanna!

“Thank you” seems hardly appropriate when I have overwhelming feelings of gratitude for all of you who participated in the ministry in Kalskag, Alaska the last couple years. From collecting coats and boots, sending out socks and mittens, helping with the Elder dinner, Christmas gifts, Teacher Appreciation Dinner, Ladies gifts for Mother’s Day, and just supporting my needs by sending boxes of supplies, gifts, monetary gifts and prayers, I am truly grateful.

We have made significant strides in loving the people in Kalskag. The Lord is opening doors in many different ways to speak His life and hope into the First People of Alaska (Yup’ik Eskimos). One Kalskag family, in particular, had been riddled by poverty, abuse and violence and through prayer and ministry we have seen 10 of the family members saved, delivered and by the grace of God, given a new home on Hillside Housing! Both the Catholics and Russian Orthodox members have invited both Pastor Mark & I (Protestant) to pray over some of their functions and meetings. This is a miracle! God is uniting Kalskag and Lower Kalskag like never before! This would not have happened without your support and gifts.

Last Christmas we had over 250 people participate in “Christmas in Kalskag” gift drive where we gave a gift to every child in the village ages 0-18. This was so successful it caught media attention. An article was published in the Frontiersman Newspaper in Wasilla and a news cast was aired on KTUU Channel 2 news on Dec. 24-26, 2013. Later another article was published in The Message Magazine about the ministry in Kalskag. Calvary Mission would like to give a gift to the children in Kalskag again this year. I provide a child’s first name, age and gender.

The YouTube video link for last year is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AE5T_TkORU

Blog Pictures: http://missionkalskag.blogspot.com/2013/12/christmas-in-kalskag-2013.html

Magazine article: http://www.openbiblemessage.org/index.php/the-shattered-glass/

Another Magazine article: http://www.openbiblemessage.org/index.php/an-unexpected-alaskan-christmas-gift/

Newspaper article: http://m.frontiersman.com/news/wasilla-woman-organizes-coast-to-coast-christmas-project/article_44e7111c-6435-11e3-a791-001a4bcf887a.html?mode=jqm

This fall I would like to start an afterschool Kids Club for at-risk children once a week and could use left-over supplies from your summer VBS or camps. Crafts or prizes would be much appreciated. Any stable shelf snacks that we can serve to the children would also be good to send since we don’t have much out here and if we do it costs (at least) triple what we can get it for in Anchorage.

I will start Coffee with Jesus Bible Study again this year. People are growing in their relationship with Jesus during these times. I could use dry soup mixes (Bear Creek or similar kind) for dinner during these Studies.

Any care packages you would like to send to me personally or for ministry can be sent to: Shelly Blocker, PO Box 68 Kalskag, AK 99607. If you would like to support me financially you can send a check to Calvary Mission, PO Box 99, Kalskag, AK 99607 Attention: Shelly Blocker. (This will provide a tax deductible receipt). If you would like to participate in any of these projects contact me through Facebook Message or email: ToughAlaskaChick@gmail.com.

Quyanna! Thank you (in Yup’ik)
Rev. Shelly Blocker

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Kindness & Mercy

I have two firearms out here in Kalskag. I named my .22 Rifle, Kindness. I will kill them with kindness. My newest addition is a .22 long barrel I named Mercy. It will be a mercy killing. The boys and I recently went out to site in and target practice with Kindness and Mercy. Solomon brought his newest addition to site in, too. I was the only one who had ear protection so the boys had to take turns wearing my pink earmuffs!

Mercy made an interesting trip from Olympia, Washington to Kalskag, Alaska. At the Seattle airport, I had to check in at the “other services” counter and declare her. Then I had to take it to TSA where they thoroughly checked my bag. I locked it up and off it went down the chute. When I arrived in Anchorage my bag was not there! I tried not to panic but went to the customer service desk and told them my bag WITH MY FIREARM is not here. The gentlemen immediately started tracking it down. My daughter arrived to pick Mercy & I up from the airport and I told her the situation. “They LOST MERCY?!” she exclaimed. Two hours later I got a call from TSA telling me my bag with my firearm had arrived in Anchorage and they would lock it up for the night and deliver it to my door in the morning. I was so relieved when Mercy showed up.

A few days later I arrived at the Anchorage airport for Mercy’s second leg home. This flight was arriving in Bethel. Again I went to the “other services” counter to check in and declare Mercy was on board. I was standing in the line and a man behind me asked quietly if I had a firearm. Why else would I be in a line without a pet or children? I guess it makes sense. When the ticket agent called me up he immediately inquired if I had a firearm. What? Do I have a sticker on me that says I’m packing? I smiled and told him yes, politely. He checked me in and I filled out the firearm paperwork. I took the bag over to TSA. On my way over to the line toting my bag another customer asked me if I was carrying a firearm! I figure I must have it tattooed to my forehead! When I got to TSA there were several customers standing around and the TSA agent picks me out of the crowd and asks me….you guessed it! “Do you have a firearm? I’ll be right with you.” It arrived safely in Bethel with the rest of my luggage.

The last leg of the journey home to Kalskag was such a typical Alaskan bush experience. I went to check in and declare Mercy in the Bethel terminal. The lady at the counter checked me into my flight and I told her I had a gun in one of my bags. She glanced up at me with the “duh, who doesn’t?” look. She never asked me which bag it was in. She just weighed the bags, tagged them and off they went to the airplane. No declaring, no paperwork, no TSA inspection. Mercy made it to Kalskag without further incident!

Friday, August 22, 2014

Jubilee Celebration

Calvary Mission in Kalskag, Alaska began in 1959 when Martin & Audrey Ausdahl felt the call of God to move their family from Minnesota (in 1958) to Alaska and landed in Bethel in the fall of 1959, followed by the move to Kalskag, 100 river miles up the Kuskokwim River. In early 1960 they moved their children to Kalskag and established their permanent home. The church has been active in ministry for 55 years. Audrey went to be with the Lord on Christmas day in 1992 and Martin joined her in April 2000. Their son, Mark Ausdahl, has been the pastor of Calvary Mission since his father passed away.

Ausdahl family in 1964

August 15-17, 2014 we celebrated over 50 years in ministry! Flyers and invitations were distributed and mailed and people began to come on Thursday, August 14.

Friday night we hosted a Community Bon Fire and Praise Gathering on the Kuskokwim River. We served hot dogs, juice and other refreshments. Matt Stinson and Kevin Whitley led worship and praise songs. Several people shared stories and testimonies of what the Lord has done for them. We gave out 2015 Community Calendars with the theme, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.”

Song Service by the River

Cousin Fred at the River Service

Pastor Mark at the River Service

Saturday tragedy struck the village with two sudden deaths. Many of the Ausdahl siblings ministered to the grieving families, since they grew up with the families in the Village. I was at the clinic, too, just to give hugs and love on the people. I prayed with small groups of people. In the midst of this tragic event the people of Kalskag warmly welcomed me back and were glad I came “home.” I had just returned to the village after my summer break.

The youth hiked around Kalskag, then later in the evening we had a song service at the church. Many people from the community came and participated. Mark, Dan and Dora blessed us with songs. Phillip and Avivah gave their testimonies. I gave the testimony of how my children were healed of cysts and tumors. God is faithful!

Pastor Mark, Dan and Dora

Phillip giving his testimony

Avivah giving her testimony

Sunday’s service at Calvary Mission was packed! Cousin Fred Carlson and Pastor Mark led the testimony and song service. Old time favorite songs were requested, as well as, a couple modern worship songs. A lunch was provided by the church and others and we enjoyed a community meal together. We distributed Calvary Mission T-shirts throughout the weekend.

Joey, Cousin Fred and Fred

What a special time of celebration! We praise God for His love and many blessings for over 50 years! Calvary Mission is so thankful for our community for the love and support shown to our ministry for the past 50 years.

T shirt Front

T shirt back

KYKD 93.7

Kalskag just received its first Radio Station translator to broadcast the Christian Radio Station KYKD out of Bethel. The tower was installed at Calvary Mission yesterday. It’s coming in loud and clear! Thank you, Palmer Bailey, for installing it! Thank you, Jesus, for using the broadcast for Your Kingdom. Tune in to 93.7 FM.

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

The Journey Home

Whenever I travel to or from Kalskag I always experience some degree of culture shock. While in Kalskag, I settle into the rhythm of slow village life. An environment without radio, TV, internet, billboards, traffic, restaurants, banks and other amenities. When I travel to Bethel, Anchorage, Seattle or Kona there is always some trepidation of entering into a high pace culture with people, lots of them, cars, traffic, horns, lights, well, you get the picture. You probably live it every day and that is the norm. This summer I traveled to Anchorage then out to Wasilla to visit my daughter. Next stop on the summer itinerary was Seattle to visit my parents and son who reside in Olympia, Washington. I met two of my friends in Seattle and off we traveled to Kona, Hawaii, where I stayed in my brother’s house for a month. I reversed the itinerary home, with a stop in Bethel overnight, then out to Kalskag. I watched the terrain from Bethel to Kalskag and wondered why I chose to be so isolated. Only God knows! I must admit that this is the first year I returned to Kalskag and felt like I was coming “home.” Through all the stops in major cities I realized that I missed the people and the lifestyle here in Kalskag. I am home and looking forward to another year!