Leaving Kalskag

KALSKAG friends:
So BUM! I won't be able to come back to Kalskag this fall. God is moving me on to something else.  I have learned so much from my friends, the kids and the Elders. I've enjoyed teaching Head Start for a few years. With the Lord's help, I brought in coats, boots, clothing, and many other things for the community. I was blessed to host two Elder feeds and the HUGE undertaking of Christmas in Kalskag, where over 200 families across the U.S. provided gifts for the children/teens. We even landed on KTUU Channel 2 News! Over the years, I've had the privilege of helping families get their lights on and provide wood for heat, helped with taxes and getting job training or a GED. We laughed together and cried and hugged each other. At Calvary Mission I've lead Coffee with Jesus Bible Study, held kids club & VBS, ministered in services and of course, prayed for our communities daily. I am very sad to not be able to return to my home and community but I know God is doing this for His glory and my good (Romans 8:28). The Kuspuk school district started a preschool and evicted head start out of the school. Head start was unable to secure a building for a center based program. Head start had been serving the communities of Kalskag & Lower Kalskag for over 20 years. I pray the Lord will allow me to return soon. I will truly miss you all. I am forever changed by the love you showed me.
Love, Sayak ~ Shelly

My activities in and around Kalskag

The Elder Dinner and gifts

My little friends in Head Start!

My Church and Bible Study friends

Calvary Mission is where most of the ministry took place with Pastor Mark Ausdahl.

My special friends in Kalskag

Christmas in Kalskag

Even though the temps drop God has given me a promise and reminds me by a
double rainbow over my house... and we can still dance!

A TIME TO MOURN

April-May 2015: Within a month the people of Kalskag and Lower Kalskag have experienced so much tragedy. Life can be  fragile.  Seven of our community members passed away this month.  The communities have not had so many deaths in one year, let alone one month.  The grief is nearly uncomprehendable.  Every person in the village has been affected.

The funerals are pretty standard for the village.  A person passes away and the body is flown out of the village for autopsy or inspection.  When that is finished the body is flown back into the village.  Many people come to the airport as the body box is transferred from the plane to the truck.  There is a procession to the person’s house where the family members prepare the body and the coffin for viewing.  The home is open for viewing and giving the family condolences. Many people bring traditional Native food for the mourners. There are pre-burial services given by the priest during this time.  After the third day the body is brought to the church for the 2 PM service.  There is singing and traditional protocol. The people line up to kiss the deceased person to show respect.  Finally, they take the body to the burial place and have another service.  The people go to the person’s home for a Feed (dinner).  The funeral and Feed lasts for several hours, well into the night.

I’ve lost a dear friend, Marcia, a mother of two young children.  I also grieve for a three year old, Gwendolyn, who would have been in my Head Start class.  The others I did not know well but I know the families and my grief is for all those dear loved ones.  Truly, a sad time for the village.

See you in Heaven, Marcia!

We will always remember your beautiful smile and joyful laugh!

 

Christmas in Kalskag 2014

Christmas gifts began to flood into Kalskag through many Secret Santa’s shortly around Thanksgiving and throughout December.  On December 20^th 240 Kalskag Children were blessed with a special gift just for them.  The enormous project to give a Christmas gift to every child (ages 0-18) in Kalskag began in July.  Pastors and friends across the nation were requested to support the project through letters, social media such as Facebook, and pleas from the pulpits.  In October, each “Secret Santa” was given the first name of a child, his or her age/grade, sizes and an idea on what the child would like.  Several families from the prior year wanted to support the project again and requested the same children they “adopted” in 2013.  By Thanksgiving all but 18 children were adopted for a gift.  With another key leader on board a plea was sent out through Facebook and within 3 hours all 18 children were covered.

 

The gifts began arriving by plane in late November.  Northern Air Cargo and Ryan Air graciously donated freight from Anchorage to Kalskag to deliver the boxes for the High School students.

             

 

Plane delivering boxes

 

Boxes coming off plane

 

Loading boxes in trucks

 

Loading boxes in cars

 
 
 

The small Calvary Mission chapel began to be filled up with boxes…and boxes….and more boxes….

 

Children were waiting for Christmas to come!

 

Gifts were given out December 20^th and 21^st.  There were so many happy faces from babies to Seniors in High School!

 

Pastor Mark Ausdahl & I thank all of you for participating in Christmas in Kalskag.

 

Other projects that Calvary Mission does in Kalskag.

 

2015 Care Package to Kalskag

Care Package Needs in Kalskag:

Shelly Blocker

P.O. Box 68
Kalskag, AK 99607

Most things can be sent in a Flat rate priority box 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 

• Coffee
• Coffee filters
• Creamer (flavored small containers, or powder. Hazelnut or French Vanilla seems to be a favorite)
• Herbal Tea
• Hot Cocoa
• Raw sugar packets
• Cookies
• Wrapped candies (salt water taffy, mini snack size, like hershey’s or choc. Kisses etc, my personal favorites are mint kisses)
• Small paper plates or pretty napkins or holiday napkins
• Fruit snacks
• Nuts (cashews or almonds are a favorite)
• Goldfish cracker packets
• Saltine Crackers
• Ritz crackers
• 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, yea, 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
• Copy paper to put in printer
• 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 for packing)
• Hand soap (I like Bath & body Works anti-bacterial hand soaps and hand sanitizer)
• Nice smelling lotion
• Shower gel
• Shaving gel
• Razors
• Deodorant – secret unscented solid
• Toothpaste – aqua fresh whitener
• Floss tape
• Airborne
• Zicam dissolvable tablets (orange)
• Band-Aids

 

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 (Like Bear Creek or similar)
• Chex snack mix
• Chewy granola bars
• Trail mix/fruit & nut mix
• Vitamin C
• Gummi multi vitamins
• 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)
• A good book you may have read lately (obviously can be used)
• List of websites or blogs you like (I don’t have time to research)
• Twin sheets (I have a purple comforter)
• Full Sheets for my futon
• Letters & encouraging notes, even a newspaper to keep up on what is going on outside
• LED light in case power goes out

Monetary Support

• A monetary gift can be sent to Calvary Mission, PO Box 99, Kalskag, AK  99607 to be used for fuel oil ($6.25 per gallon and I have two 55 gallon drums) or toward my rent.  Just make a note that it is for Shelly Blocker. The church phone is 907-471-2327, ask for Pastor Mark.

• An ongoing monthly support can be sent directly to me at the address above or deposited into my bank account (WSECU or MVFCU or Alaska USA). Contact me for details.  I don't get any paychecks during the summer months so I need to raise my own support in June, July & August.

Thank you!!