Johanna's Birthday

Renee and Johanna in front of her cake with cousin Jadyn 

With Gram and Gramp and Aunt Kristin and Uncle Kevin at their place for the pool party.

With her  new quilt her grandma made her to mark the occasion.

Happy Birthday Johanna!

Celebrating Our 19th Anniversary

We got away to Amish country, and found this water fall.

It turned into a hike to see another one about a mile down stream.

It was a nice way to mark the day we married in June, 19 years ago.

Josiah Turns Seven Years Old

Happy Birthday means Buzz Lightyear Cake

with friends and family

and ice cream!

(did I mention cake?)

and Legos

and grandma Suzi.

Small Group Final Dinner and Goodbye

Depicted outside our town's best restaurant, Ellensburg Pasta Company.

But I'm kind of opinionated.  Love ya guys!

Johanna Graduates 8th Grade with Honors Scholarship

With ECS Eagle Award and NG Academic Scholarship

At a skate (early birthday) party with ECS friends

At Graduation Ceremony

Dr. Joe (Dad) and I Attend Vet-Net Missionary Talk

Since Dad is a veterinarian and staying at Crista Ministries, we found Christian Veterinarian Mission on the same campus a while ago.  They invited us to come and hear Dr. & Mrs. Woolsey talk about their ministry in Mongolia.

We hope to see then in Ulan Bator next fall.  They work with a respected well know group in Mongolia called Vet-Net.

Next Generation Supports Alliance Kingdom Reality

Ethan is looking ready for missions dressed as a festive Mongolian. 

 Thanks for your support ABC!

Mongolia and Alaska Alliance of Similarities

Here are two interesting articles I found written in local papers featuring Mongolians living in Alaska.  They seem to appreciate the similarities as well as I do:

https://www.adn.com/opinions/2019/02/01/alaska-and-mongolia-more-alike-than-you-might-think/

https://www.alaskapublic.org/2019/05/03/49-voices-geser-bat-erdene-of-anchorage/

May the North Pacific Alliance be fruitful for the Kingdom Reality, Awaken!

Pot Luck Surprises

I pulled up at the pot luck Friday night at the church and a guy on a Harley pulls up behind me.

I get out to greet an Alaskan church goer, and am surprised it's my friend Marc from Ohio!

He got the prize for traveling the furthest to church that night, 7000 miles!  He'd been on a month long trip, and happened to attend Sunday, and stayed until Friday so he could surprise me.

These kids enjoyed dressing up in Mongolian clothes as a wrestler and princesses.  

We had a nice picnic at this lake park today. 

This fly fisherman was doing 100 foot casts, practicing for a competition in distance casting.  There is a moose grazing on the opposite side of the lake. (underneath the house)

Alaskan Wildlife

Mongolia has bears, but I'm sure they're not as big as these Alaskan ones.

Mongolia also has these kind of Yaks.

And Bactrian Camels like these, which are Biblical.

"Two (humps) are better than one"  In cold climates, they act like a saddle with heated seats.

Here is a picture from 2016.  Alliance President Lxavga grew up herding camels.  Here he is giving me a ride on one on a February day.

Alaska Alliance Tour

Photos of seeing the sights

From the heights above and around Anchorage

At the Zoo

On Kenai's Glacial Lake

Seeing Moose around the neighborhood. 

On the ocean bay west of Anchorage (visible behind)...

...with the Chugach Mountain Range behind (where we started the tour)

It's not every day that you see the Words of scripture displayed in an American public park.  These are Matthew's description of the first Good Friday Earthquake.  Alaska's Good Friday Earthquake happened in 1964 measuring 9.2 on the Richter Scale.  The original Good Friday quake description capture the feeling of the 5 minutes of shaking in March 1964.

Happy Mother's Day to These Three

God bless Mom and mothers Renee and Jeanne!  Pictured here celebrating at Sugar Thai Restaurant.

Camel Beauty Contest? Looks Like a Real Thing

in Gobi desert town of Bulgan, Mongolia...  Read all about it here ?  It was news to me!

Clara Field Trip to Fishery

 Clara's 5th grade class dawns waders to explore good habitat for releasing Coho salmon fingerlings.

She named her baby Coho...

then released it into a good deep bend in the creek bed. 

And there they are, repopulating the Yakima river with traditional runs of fish

that fed first peoples here for centuries, and hopefully retain a piece of local culture for the next.

Mongolian Winter Sport Makes News

Mongolian Ice Shooting
https://www.npr.org/2019/04/21/712874115/for-mongolias-ice-shooters-warmer-winters-mean-a-shorter-sports-season

Awaken to Kingdom Reality

This is the title of our missions theme for the year in the Alliance.  The subtitle is Always be Ready, Always be Investing, Always be Serving.  I just read a good article by our former National Church President that explains why.  You can read it here: Maranatha!

Okanogan Valley Alliance Church

The whole family enjoyed a great visit with a very supportive church over the weekend.  

We enjoyed fellowship over lots of meals.

And enjoyed exploring Omak Lake on Saturday.

We even discovered a rattle snake slithering under a bush.  It was moving slowly for the cool weather.

The lake is about 5 miles long.  It was peaceful to hear the waves on the shore.

Thanks for your partnership and support!

Johanna Learns to Ski!

Her friend invited her along with a parent to chaperone.

Some time on the bunny hill...

And then up the chair lift and skied all the way down!

Thank God it snowed half the day, making for great learning conditions.

The sun was shining at the end of a great day!