We took one step closer towards the empty nest this past year. It is a blessing
to see God working in our kids’ lives as they seek to follow him.
Jaime—lives in Anchorage and continues to work for Hope CommunityResourceswhich is an organization that serves the mentally and physically disabled.Although this job has its challenges, she enjoys the relationships she haswith those she serves. Jaime is a city girl who loves Alaska so Anchorage is agreat fit for her at this point. She has settled in well there and has great
relationships. Although she is a homebody, Jaime spent this past summer helping to lead a ministry team across Europe. She saw many new things and grew in many ways. Now that she’s home again, we enjoy having her close enough to visit. Anchorage is only ashort 100 miles away. Pretty close by Alaska standards!
Allison- graduated from GlacierView School this past May and spent her summer working locally for one of therestaurant/lodges in the area doing housekeeping and waitressing. She reallyenjoyed this job and the relationships she built with her coworkers from aroundthe world. This school year she is enrolled in Kauai Bible College on the islandof Kauai, Hawaii. She is enjoying the relationships she is building, theopportunities she has to serve and of course the warm weather! We arelooking forward to having Ally home for a few weeks this Christmas.
Brandon—is 12 years old and in the sixth grade at Glacier ViewSchool. He is the only 6th grader and one of only four in the middle school. Hereally enjoys academics and looks forward to school. The Alaska weather issomething he really loves. What better place to be when you love snow. Heenjoys the mechanical side of life and will take things apart just to see how theywork.This past year he was a huge help for his dadin gathering firewood for the winter.
Transition
Joel- As many of you are aware, we came to Victory nearly fouryears ago to serve on staff here. When we arrived, God revealed to us that ourplans for coming we're not His plans for us. I was asked to step into the role ofDirector. Although I felt very unqualified, God's grace prepared me for thisposition and I have enjoyed serving in this capacity the past 4 years.
This past year our ministry has seen the need to have someone who can spendmore time in the relationship side of what we do both in Alaska and across thelower 48. Along with that, we also see a need to support our staff better throughresources, training, and development that currently are
not being supported as best that they can.
As a result, God has led me to step into this new role onbehalf of the ministry.My role will be as Ministry Development Director. In this position, I will have three main areas of responsibility. The first is outside relationships. I will spend moretime visiting "Victory" areas in the lower 48 to more effectively connect andcommunicate what God is doing at Victory.Second, I will be responsible for all the recruiting and hiringfor full-time and summer positions within the ministry including Victory, Li-wa and other locations that may develop in the coming years.The third area will be to oversee the service we give to our guests on ourcampuses around the state.
I am excited for this new position and the opportunities it will give me to usethese gifts in ministry. It has been exciting to see God lead in this transition.This has included His provision of someone to step into my current role here onthe VBC campus.The transition will take place over the first 6 months of 2014. I hope to be fullyengaged in my new role by July of next summer with the new director for thiscampus also I place and fully engaged as well. Also, this will not involve a movefor us. We will continue to live on the Victory campus and serve in the GlacierView community.
Inreach
Ryan Cote, our maintenance director, is transitioning into new opportunities as well. In this new role Ryan is focusing on relationships with ministries around the state to see if there are ways we can work together to support their needs through Victory’s resources. We are callingit “Inreach”, In other words, we are reaching into other ministries in Alaska and working to assist them in meeting the needs of their community. The needs in Alaska are limitless so it has been exciting and encouraging to see God build relationships around the state where we can serve.
In the coming year throughInreach, we are preparing to support three locations around the state of Alaska. They are Kingdom Air Corp with their Brooks Range Bible Camp, Tanalian Bible Camp in Port Alsworth and also Galena Bible Church. With KAC and the bible camp we are looking to send teams to their camp in July with set up support and also counselors for the camp. The needs at TBC are work related in late May to help with camp setup and maintenance. In Galena, we are sending work teams to work with the local church in helping them rebuild after a devastating flood that destroyed their town in May of this past year. This will take years to rebuild and we are committed, along with many others to sending our support until it is no longer needed.
If you would like more info on how you can be apart of these opportunities, or to organize a work team, please contact us at Victory.
Dara- I am adjusting to being at home mostly full-time. This is something I have never experienced before andsurprisingly,it has been a rough transition. After…well, my whole life of school and working, it has felt foreign and uncomfortable.Too much time to think about old wounds and old hurts…or is it? Now almost one year in, I am just beginning to see it as the gift God meant it to be for me and I am learning to focus in a new, quieter way on the “one thing worth being concerned about”.
As the guilt and even anger of not doing “something” is daily left on the doorstep (God’s that is.), I am finding a new freedom, vulnerability, healing of those old wounds, and peace in simply worshipping God; sitting at his feet. I am learning much about myself; the not so good but also the beauty, mercy, and loveliness that, although marred by The Fall, is there and redeemed. I am experiencing a new side of God’s faithfulness, strength, love and protection. I am blessed.
Prayer Requests
* Smooth transition of job change responsibilities
* Full time staff needs-we continue to grow as a staff and that creates staffing needs. We currently have a need for a Human Resources Director and Bookkeeper/Finances
* That our perspective remains God's perspective. It all starts with staying in a healthy, daily relationship with him.
2013 Highlights
* Work team from Federated Fellowship Church in Pella came in June
* Ally's graduation from Glacier View
* 700 campers this summer
* A growing Guest Services season with many new guest groups and relationships
* New staff additions in horsemanship and maintenance including friends from Pella (the Mocks)
* Frozen and fixed water pipes in February (9 days without water). Very thankful for a great staff who alongside maintenance worked hard to fix and restore everything
* Successful start to the internship program with a full slate of 6 interns serving with us this year
We are volunteers here for Victory and it would not be possible to serve herewithout your support. For this we say, thank you! Each year we need to raiseour entire salary in order to meet our financial needs to the ministry. This includes compensation,health insurance, and more. Thanks to the many who support usmonthly, quarterly, or as you are able. You are a blessing to us and we consideryou partners with us as we serve.