Eagle, Alaska flooded May 2009

Here are some pictures of the flood in Eagle ............

 

  

  

The island was covered with trees before the flood.

 Don Mann's home after the flood.

 

Nick Turner's Home

 

Another view of Nick's house. Dennis worked on Nick's house for the two weeks he was in Eagle. He also became friends with Don Mann who was often over to Nick's to help.

 

The Trading Post

Watch for pictures of Nick's new house.

Gospel Opportunity

Before Dennis left for Alaska his prayer was to connect with someone and build a relationship. Over the summer the Samaritan's Purse workers have been praying for someone to connect with Nick. The first day of work Dennis was assigned to work on Nick's house because he has roofing experience. Nick is quite fussy who works on his house and Dennis is one of the few that he has allowed to return to continue working. The first week he watched Dennis very very carefully and instructed him how to do the job. By the second week a trust had been built and Dennis could freely work - more work got done in less time, too. During this time a friendship bond has been growing. Back home I knew that his desire had been for building a relationship so it has been exciting to hear the stories of this growing relationship. I began to pray for Dennis to have the opportunity to share his testimony. His phone call home today was with great joy as he was able to share his testimony on coming to know Jesus with Nick. And Nick receiving what Dennis shared with an openness. A sweet friendship has occurred and I suspect that somewhere in our future will be a return trip to Eagle. Things wind down this weekend and Dennis and Roger will prepare to fly out on Monday. They hope to spend some time in Anchorage before their flight leaves. They fly overnight and arrive in Chicago Tuesday morning....a long night....and Dennis thinks he's going to work on Wednesday. Watch for some pictures this next week!

"In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name." Psalm 33:21

Up the Yukon

The guys are getting tired but not too tired for a trip up the Yukon with one of the locals. Burr took Dennis and Roger for a boat ride in his motorized canoe. When asked about his goal in life Burr says, "to wear out my boat and motor." While traveling down the river Dennis spotted some Dall rams on the mountains. He was told he's one of the lucky few. Not many people have an opportunity to see the Dall sheep. The Dall sheep are known for their magnificent curling horns as you can see in the photo. But their sightseeing was not done. They met up with some hunters in another boat. As they approached the shore Dennis saw a large wolf jump up in the air. From there the action was fast. Burr was out of the boat to join the other hunters and Dennis and Roger were left to get the boat to shore. Before long the wolf had been hunted down. The size of the wolf was very impressive - the size of a man. Those are going to be some interesting pictures. Well, it's not all play - Dennis was quite tired this evening after installing tongue and groove flooring in Nick's house. These were heavy 4 x 8 pieces of flooring. The day ended a little earlier than usual.

Pick-ups, Blueberries & Harps

Last week Dennis put the roof on Nick's home. This week he has been installing windows, a door and the floor. Once the floor is in Nick will be able to install his wood-burning stove. It is very important at this time of year to complete the homes to the point of being able to heat them. Nick shared with Dennis that last winter he had to duct tape his door to keep the snow and cold out when they had a three day stretch of -60 degrees. Brrrrrrrr!! The road to Eagle will be closing in early October so everyone is preparing for the winter. When asked, "What do you do in the winter?" The answer is "take walks and cut wood." Dennis has enjoyed building these special relationships and the people of Eagle are very appreciative of the help they have received. During the summer many of the children have the opportunity to learn how to play various musical instruments. This week they put on a concert and to show their appreciation  invited all the workers to attend. One evening during their supper meal the volunteers enjoyed the music of a harpist. Not every moment is spent working. Roger and Dennis took a ride in a pick-up. They drove for 1 1/2 hours towards the summit and met no one. When it started getting dark, they began to consider their situation - out on an Alaskan road in an older pick-up truck, absolutely no one else traveling the road and night time approaching - they decided spending a night out there was not desirable and it was time to return to Eagle.Over the weekend they went to the summit of the mountain and picked blueberries in the tundra. This week Dennis is anticipating a boat ride on the Yukon. And the wives .......missing the husbands and wishing them home no matter how much they love Alaska.

Alaskan Update from Roger

Roger sends his greetings through his wife Chris. Roger shares from the Samaritan's Purse base camp in Soldotna: It's 6 a.m. and still dark but the stars are out. There's a group of 8 guys here from North Carolina. It's Monday morning (Aug. 31) and breakfast is at 7 and at 8:30. We will go to the airport hangar which is 3/4 mile away. Samaritan's Purse has two hangars and five planes. Our flight to Eagle will take us about three hours, with a stop in Anchorage (25 minutes away) to refuel the planes. The log homes are all built and we will be building kitchen cabinets, etc. Samaritan's Purse hopes to be done in Eagle by the 15th of September. They have to bring out their truck, etc. by road and the road in and out of Eagle closes by the 1st of October or sooner depending on when it snows. 

There's a volcano here near base camp that is letting off some steam. Dennis says base camp reminds him of what it was like in the army. There's about eight tent-like structures with four beds in each one, a tent with showers and washrooms, and a tent as a kitchen/dining area. Samaritan's Purse is in the finishing phases of building a new dining/kitchen, a new shower house, and four new log bunkhouses. I visited with a couple from the Carolinas last night that moved up here two years ago to work with Samaritan's Purse. He's the airplane mechanic and she does the cooking at base camp. They said it has been an unusually warm summer. Last summer they only had three days above 70 degrees and cloudy, rainy weather.   

Arrived in Eagle

Dennis and Roger flew out of Chicago Sunday morning and arrived in Kenai around supper time (Alaska time). There is a three hour difference in time. They spent the night at the Samaritan's Purse Base in a tent. They are joined by eight volunteers from North Carolina and another volunteer from Michigan who has been there for the last month. Samaritan's Purse is planning to have the log cabins completed by September 15 so the guys are part of the final group of volunteers. Today they flew into Eagle on a Cossack cargo plane that seats 19. Dennis said it was smaller than the B-130. I think you have to be a WWII buff (which Dennis is) for that to have meaning. At 1:00 they had orientation followed by a tour of the log cabins. It has been raining every day so there is mud everywhere and the extended forecast is calling for more rain, rain, rain. He's pleased to have an air mattress for sleeping - makes camping for two weeks more comfortable. When asked what Alaska is like Dennis says, "beautiful, just beautiful! He wishes he could send pictures back. Well, we will have to wait .....when they get back we'll do a picture blog.

If you have any questions, please ask. Dennis or Roger will try to answer them or find answers. So, ask away. Until the next update.............mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.

Off to Alaska!

Dennis and Roger Lindh leave Sunday, August 30, for Eagle, Alaska to volunteer with Samaritan's Purse. In May the Yukon River flooded and rose to more than 37 feet above flood stage. But it wasn't just the flooding that devastated this small Alaskan community on the Canadian border. A massive ice jam came crashing into the tiny town. Nearly every riverfront building, including the town clinic, was crushed. 

Samaritan's Purse is helping rebuild 13 houses that were destroyed by the ice and water. These homes will be built from log cabin kits. A video can be seen on the Samaritan's Purse web site - "Rebuilding in Alaska". The work began the first week in July and will continue to the end of September. It is now a race to finish the homes before the Alaskan winter sets in. The night time temperatures will already be in the 20's when they arrive. 

Dennis and Roger desire your prayers.

• For the people in Eagle who lost their homes in the flood.
• That the work will be finished before winter.
• That hearts will be open for the Gospel.
• For Roger who is recovering from Lyme's Disease.

We will keep you updated during the time they are at Eagle, but there is no internet or cell phone service. So pictures and the greater details will have to wait until they return on September 15.

"....let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." I John 3:18 (NIV)