by Sue Chan Acuna on Friday, July 15, 2011 at 1:08pmWhile there’s really no such thing as a “typical” day on this mission trip, yesterday stands out as a day of unusual events.
We awoke to a distinct threat of rain, but it didn’t really hit until after lunch, as teams headed out to their respective villages. However, teams found that the farther out they went, the drier the roads were. Everyone enjoyed a cooler-yet-rain-free day, especially on the soccer field.
Mid-afternoon, the team in Kitwanga learned that one of the higher chiefs had passed away. They were told to wind things up and head out, and were warned they probably wouldn’t be able to return on Friday. Tradition dictates that when an elder dies, everything in the village is promptly cancelled. We were thankful that the villagers were still allowed to travel to our camp for Family Night, but they did arrive with confirmation that VBS was now officially ended. The Kitwanga team said their good-byes last night and will spend today helping with some camp chores and planning a program for our closing campfire tonight.
Thursday night is traditionally Family Night. Teams spend all week reminding VBS attendees to join us for a dinner of sloppy joes and hot dogs, accompanied by any potluck items that show up. Last night was a challenge due to intermittent rain showers, but thankfully none were drenching enough to chase everyone under shelter. The younger kids didn’t even seem to notice; jump ropes kept turning, and the volleyball, football, and soccer balls kept flying. As we gathered at the campfire to sing God’s praises with our 200+ guests, the sun broke through and a rainbow arched over the campground. Sometimes God speaks his approval very clearly!
Early in the week Derwin asked for 3 high school volunteers to give their testimonies at the Family Night campfire. Each year this has a powerful impact on our guests, many of whom assume the Christian American kids lead charmed lives. Last night three youth spoke about hardships in their lives - broken families, death of loved ones, and bad personal choices – and about how they saw God at work both during the tough times and in their lives today. All three were in tears by the time they got to the end of their stories, as were many of us who heard them.
On a side note: in order to get from this area to the highway 5 kilometers away, we have to cross a one-lane bridge over Hagwilget Canyon (approx. 60 meters to the bottom). All week, as we’ve traveled to and from our villages, we’ve passed a sign warning that the bridge would be closed daily beginning July 15 (Friday), from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., with openings at the top of every hour. As I pulled off the highway yesterday and headed for the bridge, I prayed, “O, Lord, please let their bridge repair be delayed.” When we approached the sign, we saw it had been changed! Work will now begin on Sunday morning, which will have a small impact on our departure, but nothing like it would have had on our daily trips to the villages.
So today we will close VBS and say our hard good-byes to our village friends. While we all hope to return next year, we caution our teens NOT to make that promise, because we can’t predict the future. There will be hugs and tears all around, and as we drive away, the tears will continue both inside and outside the vans.
Tomorrow about half the group will make a day trip to Hyder, Alaska, while the other half will hang out closer to camp (some will hike, some will go into town for a movie, some will just relax and nap). Please pray for safe travel for the travelers and good rest for the stay-behinders.
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