Back Home

We began our journey back home on Saturday -- finally arriving back home on Sunday afternoon.  It is always bittersweet to leave Kokrine Hills.  We know that counselors and the kids will be arriving within the next few days.  We pray that the Lord is please with our worship of work and service to the camp.  We pray that His Holy Spirit will speak directly to the Native Children who attend camp and that all of them will experience the Love of Jesus and accept Him as their Lord and Savior.

The CCC team had a wonderful mission trip.  We served the Lord by helping to restore the camp from a harsh winter, connect the well supply, bake cookies, build up/finish the bathhouse & pantry areas and donated monies for scholarships to camp.  In addition to the physical things we all grew spiritually and closer to one another and to Jesus.  This is all what missions work is all about -- being called by God to use your gifts to His Glory and in return He will bless you and bring you closer to Him.

SIDE NOTE:  Because of the recent floods that happened in Galena, Roger and Carole will be offering the youth from Galena (they have been displaced to Fairbanks, AK as a result of the flood devastation) free summer camp.  This will obviously place additional strain on them (financially and more kids are now wanting to attend camp this summer). But we have faith that the Lord will provide.

Serving Christ, Mark

PS if you would like to donate to Kokrine Hill Bible Camp, please let me know, I would be happy to connect you with Roger Huntington.

This week at KHBC something truly special happened.  Well actually, it happened right after we left camp.  There were three other work mission teams with us this week - Anchorage, Maine, and Portland.  The Holy Spirit was very active all week working on the hearts of each team and team member.  There were two particular team members on the Portland team where the Holy Spirit was convicting them.  Then after the Portland team left camp and was in Anchorage it happened.  Todd accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior and was baptized.  Scott who had never been baptized as an adult believer was also baptized!  Tarek had the privilege of helping to baptize both of them with Pastor Brad from the Crossings at Birchwood Church.  Praise Jesus!!

Tarek (left), Todd (center), and Scott (right)

Camp Update

Hi everyone,
Well we are on our last day at KHBC. It has been a week filled with His Holy Spirit all to bring Glory to the Father.
To recap the week's activities - we have all been busy with various projects. Chuck, Chris,Meredith, Luke and I all did lots of brush clearing - I'm taking acres of brush. Kelly and the youth followed that by removing brush and trip hazards. Now some of you many not understand the important of those two projects. Well remember we came to prepare a place (a safe place) where Native Alaskan kids can hear and respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Therefore, we have to clear the brush to eliminate possible hiding spots for bears and pick up trip hazard so the kids can run and play without hurting themselves.
Linda baked HUNDREDS of cookies for the kids who will be coming to camp next week. And she served us meals everyday with such joy.
Jordan and built pantry shelves and a new bench for the basketball court (one of my special axes t camp). Kelly then painted the shelves.
David was truly Mr. Jack-of-all-trades - his skills were highly south after. He made an incredible impact on this place.
The Borcich family installed and painted the walls in the laundry room.
And Chuck, our team leader installed shower doors and did whatever was asked of him.
We did several other small projects. And today we are tying up loose end and cleaning up for the counselors and the kids.
Now I am sure several you may be wondering why would we use our vaction rime to travel nearly 4400 miles to swat mosquitos and massive horseflies to clear brush, build shelves, bake cookies, hang plywood and ensure record heat - well it's quick simple. Jesus.  Jesus endured the cross so that we can be reconciled to God.  The Native Alaskan children the villages along the Yukon need a place where they can learn the Gospel of Jesus and be reconciled with the Father. As we see, given all the God has done for us in our lives, serving Him and worshiping Him with our talents at KHBC is the least we can do and all the Glory goes to Him.
Serving Christ, Mark

Living Water

Hi Everyone, 

This evening I have let you all know that at Kokrine Hills Bible Camp, a miracle happened.  Now let's not rush to quickly by what I just said. By miracle, I mean we stopped relying on our own power and turned to God and His power to solve our problem.  With that as a conclusion let me start from the beginning so that you can see the miracle as it occurred.  

One of the main projects that we needed to accomplish this week was to bring water from the well to the camp.  David worked on this project most of the week digging the trench.  As it turns out, that was only part of the project.  The other part was to connect the pump to deliver the water.  Unfortunately, accomplishing this task proved to be more frustrating and challenging than anticipated.  The teams worked on this most of the day and were not successful.  We had already converted and drained the old water supply prior to having the well operational.  So, we were without water.  Our project leader, Greg was becoming very frustrated.  If the well didn't work, we would have to revert back to the creek supply - which would take time and possibly impact the kid camp's next week.  So after dinner, Greg's wife Lyndee came to me and asked me to pray for Greg. I went to Chuck (our team leader and prayer warrior) to tell him about the situation.  And the next thing that happened was EXACTLY what people of Christ do when we don't know what to do -- WE Pray!  Everyone in the camp gathered around the well and we prayed.  We asked the Father to guide our actions and for His power to prevail and resolve the pump (which was buried several feet underground) issues we were having.  And we didn't stop there -- we BOLDLY asked God to bring water within the hour.  And about 50 minutes later, we had WATER -- Living Water flowing back into the camp!!! Praise Jesus!!   In John 4:14 Jesus said "but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst.  But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."  Then later in John 7:37 Jesus said, "If anyone thirst, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the Scriptures has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." 

As a collective group of believes, we went to the Father to provide us water for the camp.  We had faith that he would provide.  We believed He that he is the source of the water and it was His to supply.  We trusted and did not lean on our own understanding -- And God answered our prayers.  Three hours ago there was an air of tension about the camp because of the well issues.  Now, as I type, I hear water flowing in the kitchen and Greg and Roger are talking about fishing stories.  God has prevailed  and the kids will have a working bathhouse with a FULLY functioning well with an endless supply of Living Water!

Serving Christ and Believing in His Miracles, Mark

HAVING FUN!!!!

Sup, Jordan here. I put something on the blog yesterday but it didn't go through. So I'm doing yesterday's today. 

Yesterday we started out with a devotion lead by Mrs. Kelly. Then after breakfast we and my dada went on a little ride on the 4 wheeler. Mr. David was finishing up the REALLY long trench. Me and my dada are finishing the shelves while Mrs. Kelly paints them. The rest of the team is just workingon getting the camp ready. Like: Mrs. Kelly raking sticks and leaves, me and my dada building shelves, AND A WHOLE LOT MORE!! 

signing off for now, 

Jordan Jones (AKA: JJROCKS)

HEADING INTO OUR LAST FEW DAYS

Hey, Kelly here.  We are in our last few days at camp.  Internet usage has been touch and go, and this is our first "connectivity" in 24 hours.  Things have been moving along with many small projects.  Chuck did move a building yesterday (with a forklift though I wonder if he could have just carried it :).  Mark and Jordan have been busy making shelves in Viki's new, extra pantry, and I have been painting those shelves though I probably get as much paint on myself as on the shelves.  :)  Chris and Brock have been part of a team that has been putting up walls in the laundry room (finally done!) and now the painting has started.  The rooms look so nice and clean all in white.  Meredith has been helping out where needed, always filling in.  David finished digging the water line trench and has been busy with odd jobs.  Linda is busy every day in the kitchen, cooking and feeding 30 hungry people at each meal.  Luke has been a hard worker, always hauling debris when needed.  It's been a very busy, hot week with very warm weather by Alaska standards.  Unfortunately, the heat has done nothing to stop the skeeters.  :)

Father's Day

Hi everyone, sorry for the lack of updates, but we have had a few generator and connectivity issues.
On Sunday, we had a great day. We began with a devotional lead by Kelly on the zzzz. It spoke to unity of our team and the individual gifts we bring to give honor and glory to our Father God. Then after breakfast Roger lead us with Sunday service and really drove home the fact that like the apostle Paul, we are not to be ashamed of the Gospel and we are to tell the whole Gospel of Christ. We reference how Jesus began His ministry in Matt 4:17 - From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17 NKJV). He began with repentance and before He accended Jesus said - And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things. Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” (Luke 24:45-49 NKJV). It was a powerful and very clear message.
We then went to work on some projects to help prepare the camp for the kids who will be coming next week. The major project is to dig a trench from the newly dug well to the bathhouse.  Some of you may recall the bathhouse project that we worked on the past couple of mission trips. Well the bathhouse is fully functional and now we are converting the water supply to be from the well instead of the creek. The creek freezes in the winter and the goal of the building the bathhouse was to make the camp accessible year round. So David ran the big excavator to dig the trench and Chuck and I brought sifted fill dirt. Kelly worked on storage shelves for the new pantry.  Linda has been helping Ms Viki in the kitchen and keeping us well fed. The kids are bein extremely helpful with general clean up and delivering items to the various work sites as well as clearing out Porcupine Hall. Meredith and Chris did various jobs Sunday to get the camp ready.
We ended our day with a wonderful treat. The ladies of the camp sang Happy Father's Day to all the fathers and presented us with a cake. A prefect ending to our Father's Day.