Kalskag Conveniences

Schools

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 three 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.

Conveniences

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 shipping costs to the Bush. For example, a half gallon of milk is $8, a pound of hamburger is $8, and a gallon of ice cream is $35.  There are no restaurants, hotels, banks, coffee shops, video stores, theaters, clothing stores or even thrift shops.  We do not have a Village Police Office (VPO) or Fire Department.

Medical Facilities
There is a medical clinic in each village with Health Aids running the clinics.  Any major medical emergency will be flown out to Bethel to the Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corp.  Expectant Mothers are flown out to Bethel or Anchorage one month before they are due to have their baby in a hospital.  Physicians, optometrists  & dentists from other areas such as Anchorage or Bethel will travel to the village once or twice a year to do well child check ups, dental check ups and eye appointments. 

Travel

The main mode of transportation around the villages is a 4 wheeler or snow machine.  A few people have cars or trucks.  The school bus will pick up people walking if they flag down the bus. There is a gas pump between the two villages. Unleaded gas is $6.70 per gallon.  Many people walk!  I live about 1/2 mile from school and I walk everyday.

 

Homecoming

I returned to Kalskag in late August with an exuberant welcome from the people in the village.  Kids are running up to me screaming, “Shelly!” I brace for impact as the mob is rushing toward me.  Vehicles stop, filled with passengers that are greeting me saying, “welcome back!” Hugs all around. Friends are jumping off their four wheelers giving me big bear hugs that won't quit. (Help! I can’t breathe!) Other acquaintances that are driving by will stop to pick me up and drive me to my destination.  I am so thankful for the rides.  Several friends (big & little) have stopped by my cabin to visit.  We drink coffee, tea or hot chocolate and eat popcorn.

Last weekend two of my friends came over to my cabin to cut up six salmon that another person in the village caught drift netting. We put down paper on the floor and got our ulu’s and knives.  I learned how to “cut fish.”  I cooked one of the salmon for our church fellowship time after the Sunday Service.  It must have been delicious for it all disappeared.

 

It's good to be home.
 

Where in the World is Kalskag?

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 or a 60 minute boat ride (snow machine in the winter) down the Kuskokwim River to reach the village.

Location

Kalskag is west of Anchorage about 500 miles.  It is located 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.  Kalskag 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.

Care Package to Kalskag

Care Package Needs in Kalskag:

Shelly Blocker
P.O. Box 68
Kalskag, AK 99607
(907) 414-2145

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  (I have several people stopping by daily)

Coffee (Costco or similar seems to be a favorite)
Coffee filters
Creamer (flavored small containers, or powder – Hazelnut is the favorite)
Herbal Tea
Hot Cocoa
Raw sugar packets
Cookies (homemade if possible -  I can freeze them and have them on hand all the time)
Wrapped candies (mini snack size, like Hershey’s or choc. Kisses etc, my personal favorites are mint kisses) They will be real cheap after Halloween
Coffee (more)
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, 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
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)
Nice smelling lotion
Shower gel
Shaving gel
Razors
Deodorant – secret unscented solid
Toothpaste – aqua fresh whitener
Floss tape
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)
Dry eggs
Pizza crust mix
Dry soup mixes (Bear Creek or similar)
Ice cream packets (I have an ice cream maker)
Box of liquid stable shelf milk (2% to drink or whole for ice cream)
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, bear 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)
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
Throw pillows (couch is brown, accent color is light green)
Throw pillow for bedroom (complements purple)
Letters & encouraging notes, even a newspaper to keep up on what is going on outside
LED light in case power goes out
Small children's boy or girl gifts for Birthdays (toy cars, lip gloss, etc)
Small gifts for women's brunches I host

Thank you for thinking of me and the Yup'ik Eskimos in Kalskag!

The Miracle Worker

Spring 2013

A magician appeared in Kalskag.  After two assemblies in the schools he performed an evening act for the Village.  After he mesmerized the audience he gave a strong, loving salvation message and 32 people accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.  After the performance the magaician gave me the commitment cards to follow up.  My “Coffee with Jesus” Bible Study friends began praying for all those adults & teens that made that commitment.

Soon after the magician took flight, the Kalskag children kept coming to my door wanting to know more about Jesus and His Word.  After days of a revolving door I suggested that the children come on Thursday evenings after school and we will have a “Kids Club.”  We put up advertising signs around town and announced it on the radio.  The first night we had 18 children at Kids Club.  Pizza, games, memory verse, and door prizes comprised the agenda.  I gave a basic gospel message and asked the children who wanted to believe and trust Jesus as their Lord.  Nine children raised their hands and made a commitment. Week two: same agenda and five more children came to Jesus.

One evening I heard a knock on my door.  There were six teenage girls on my front porch.  They asked if they could come to Kids Club even though they were older than the 13 year old cut off age.  I told them, “of course!” They can help with Kid’s Club or we can have a club for them on another night of the week.  These teenagers began coming and helping on Thursday’s.  After five weeks of Kids Club, 23 children came to trust and believe Jesus to be their personal Lord and Savior!

I was warned to be prepared for persecution by the Russian Orthodox parents of these children.  Several of the people in my Protestant church have been shunned and publically humiliated over the years because they spoke about Jesus to the children.  I told my friends that the parents said nothing negative to me. As a matter of fact, I had two RO parents come to Kids Club and help me with the children.  My church friends warned me about one particular elder in the Village that will give me a hard time.  I turned to my friends and gently told them that she hasn’t said anything to me, in fact, she was the one that adopted me into the Village by giving me my Yup’ik name! (Sayak – meaning “Giver of Life to the Village”)  My friends were flabbergasted. They have never seen the unusual favor of the Lord upon any “guzik” (white stranger) that has come into the Village before me.  I am humbled and give all the glory to Jesus, the true Miracle Worker.

The Enemy Hit Hard but I Came up Fighting!

They say that if you are doing the Chief’s (Lord’s) Work, the enemy will try to take you out.  I must be doing something the enemy doesn’t like.  I was struck with perorbital cellulites and had to take an emergency flight to the Bethel hospital where I was treated 6 days with IV antibiotics. I was released from solitary confinement of room 154 just before Christmas and made it to Anchorage to be with my kids! I made the best of my imprisonment as I had one visitor in which to discuss the Chief’s bigger plans. My nurses and tech’s would come into my hospital room just to take a respite from everything going on in other rooms on my ward.  It must be a room of peace!  One nurse, “Mr. Mark”, invited me to celebrate Christmas with him, since he had to work on Dec. 25.  I graciously declined and told him I needed to leave to spend Christmas with my family.  My night nurse was a tall, intimidating, older man who flipped on all the lights to change my IV’s and put eye drops in.  The first time he ripped off the surgical tape that took some skin, I exclaimed, “Whoa! Nice wax job!  I think you missed your calling, JC. Do you have any more tape?…I didn’t have time to shave my legs before I came here!”  We had a good nurse-patient relationship after that.  I even saw him crack a smile the next night and had him chuckling by the end of the week.  The chief had me write a different kind of thank you note that the nursing staff will be laughing about for a while!

Dear JC,

          Our relationship needs to end.  I am leaving.  You hurt me. LOL  Thank you for helping me “see clearly”.  And tell “Mr. Mark” that I cannot accept his offer to spend Christmas with him.  Although it was a nice gesture.

But a lady has to do what a lady has to do!

                                                                             Room 154, Shelly

  

A few days after I got out of the hospital my 4 wheeler was stolen in Kalskag and hasn’t been recovered.  I am going back to Kalskag with no transportation and a few miles from work in sub-zero temps.  Hmmm, I wonder how the Chief will provide for me when I get back? 

There is nothing in my life that is circumstantial or happenstance.  The Chief has every aspect of my life in His control.  Big things like potentially fatal illnesses and stolen 4 wheelers to little things like making a nurse smile on a hard day.  What would happen if you believed the same thing?  Would there be any room for disappointment?

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.