Planting the Seed
Beyond the snow-capped mountains, abundant wildlife and spotless cruise ships with well dressed tourists that one typically envisions when thinking of Alaska is a completely different picture. Tiny villages, with nothing more than a strip of gravel for a plane to land, and twenty or thirty tiny cabins, many of which still today have no running water or sewer systems. Add the complicating factors of lack of road systems, the expense of travel and lack of staff, the question became, "How do we reach people in these remote communities?"
Initially, the ministry began by using lower-power FM radio station packs that were self-contained and small enough to be mailed to a village. The goal was to mail a radio station to a village, in a simple enough format that a local resident could set it up and have it transmit 24/7 within hours of arrival for a total cost of $500. This humble beginning was the starting point for today's Arctic Mission Adventure (AMA) program.
AMA now has volunteers living in eight communities at an annual cost of $30,000 per village. Volunteers provide village-specific ministries which encompass day camps, the Adopt-a-Village program, food pantries, leadership development and specific outreach for the native people of Alaska. Each fall we endeavor to bring a Native artist or speaker to one or more communities to inspire and encourage residents who very seldom get to enjoy an event of this nature. The radio ministry has been restructured and has grown significantly with several radio stations broadcasting now in Bush Alaska.
There has been significant growth with AMA and we praise God for this, yet in many ways we have just begun. There are still over 200 villages with no AMA presence! We continue to move forward in faith as we bear witness to the positive difference in the lives of the people that AMA serves and the community response that the program has received. Please lift up AMA in your prayers asking God's continued blessing on this ministry.
Initially, the ministry began by using lower-power FM radio station packs that were self-contained and small enough to be mailed to a village. The goal was to mail a radio station to a village, in a simple enough format that a local resident could set it up and have it transmit 24/7 within hours of arrival for a total cost of $500. This humble beginning was the starting point for today's Arctic Mission Adventure (AMA) program.
AMA now has volunteers living in eight communities at an annual cost of $30,000 per village. Volunteers provide village-specific ministries which encompass day camps, the Adopt-a-Village program, food pantries, leadership development and specific outreach for the native people of Alaska. Each fall we endeavor to bring a Native artist or speaker to one or more communities to inspire and encourage residents who very seldom get to enjoy an event of this nature. The radio ministry has been restructured and has grown significantly with several radio stations broadcasting now in Bush Alaska.
There has been significant growth with AMA and we praise God for this, yet in many ways we have just begun. There are still over 200 villages with no AMA presence! We continue to move forward in faith as we bear witness to the positive difference in the lives of the people that AMA serves and the community response that the program has received. Please lift up AMA in your prayers asking God's continued blessing on this ministry.
