HUSLIA HAPPENINGS

Don and Brenda Ernst

InterAct Ministries

OTHER MINISTRY
What do we do with our time outside of the ministry programs? Maybe this wjll give you a picture. Don attended an Alaska Leadership Team Meeting in Palmer September 27-29. They will have monthly teleconferences over the next several months. Many of the harvest items (garden produce, berries and moose meat) were taken around to elders who can't get out to access them. They enjoy the visits too. Don plans to have the men of the church over to the house once a month to discuss future church activities and make decisions for the church's direction. They will be studying teachings in God's Word on the New Testament church to use as direction and incorporate their culture into it too. The Sport Reach director visited Fairbanks and villages where missionaries live to explore with us the possibility of bringing in Christian young people to teach basketball clinics. The visit went well and looks like a staff visit may happen this spring in a village followed up by a team in the fall. Then after an evaluation, expand their outreach. The basketball clinic would be for all school aged kids and there may be a 3 on 3 tournament for the high-school, followed by awards.

Don's workshop was an active place over the Labor Day Weekend. Villagers gathered to help build a fence and cross to cover the gravesite of the boy who died this spring. Many came with food or to help with the building, sanding or painting, as a way to show their respect This took place over a 3 day period.

PERSONAL
Brenda:
*did an exam on an expectant mom in early labor. A boy!
*gave haircuts. Short.
*attended a wedding held outdoors. Beautiful.
*burned leaves. Burned out.

Don:
*winterized the house. Warm.
*injured his back while climbing onto and fueling the plane with 5 gallon jugs. Fixed.
*fell in the river while loading firewood in the boat. Dry.
*flew Search and Rescue. OK.
*organizing the shop. Slow.

Don and Brenda:
*hauled in firewood by boat. Burning.
*moved the plane dock on the lake out of the way of the sno-go trails. Clear.
*thanking the Lord for you all.
Amen.

Tidbits of interest...

• 9/30- first snowfall
• 10/6- ice flowing on river
• 10/6- lake froze
• 10/9- 4" snow and staying
• 10/11- woke to -2 degrees
• 2 processing days per moose
• Sunrise: 9:30 AM
• Sunset: 7:00 PM

Attendance numbers...

Kids Klub (K-5th) has 2 sessions on Wednesdays. 26
WWJD (Jr. andSr. high together) met Saturday. 11
Church attendance is increasing this fall, as usual 20
Young Adults meet monthly for a meal and lesson. 6
Adult Bible Study is focusing on First Peter on Tuesdays. 8
Those left on the first e-mail lessons of 'Breaking Free'. 2
Those signed up for new e-mail lessons, 'Believing God'. 7

HARVEST
We had a good harvest this fall. The garden produced green beans, peas, lettuce, cabbage, cucumbers, zucchini, carrots, onions and potatoes. Some of these are in our freezer. Having a garden is something we have wanted to do for years and enjoyed the chance to finally have one. Brenda was able to pick blueberries, raspberries and cranberries. It is satisfying to look in the freezer and see the variety of color in berries.
We stocked up on firewood as well, to hold us until the snows come for us to go to our winter wood-yard. I helped Don with 2 boatloads of wood but as the trees got bigger, I let Wes and Don handle it. They did 3 more loads.
The men have done some spruce and willow grouse hunting. Trevor has enjoyed being 'big enough' to help hunt for these and did well.
It wasn't until the last week of the hunting season that the men saw any bull moose and the only ones they saw were the two they got. So our freezer is full of fresh meat. Last year's meat is being used up for the jerky and sausage we make. God has blessed!

FAMILY
Ministry includes family. For us, it means keeping in touch by phone and e-mail with our parents, siblings and children.
We were busier keeping in touch when Hurricane Dean appeared to be heading to Cancun, Mexico where our son (Jason Darius), his wife and her family live. They were spared. Or when 8 inches of rain fell in 24 hours where Brenda's parents live. The flood waters just stopped short of their house (literally by inches) but flooded the 2 buildings and 7 trailers they rent out. They were partially spared. Or checking on Don's mom as she tries to adjust to life alone. She wasn't spared.
Joshua's job required him to camp out in a cabin for a month downriver a ways from us during hunting season to check hunters and their harvest. He sure enjoyed being outdoors and meeting many of the villagers he grew up with.
We joined our daughter, Jessie's family for many boat rides during hunting season, and they joined us for many days at our house processing moose meat.

Prayer Requests:
*that the programs would be well attended, and hearts would be opened to and changed by God's Word.

Jason Darius and his wife, Suendy, are directing the first class of 15 students at their YWAM Discipleship Bible School.

BED AND BREAKFAST
We enjoyed having our son Joshua spend a week with us. He spent several days with his dad in the Brooks Range as Don hunted for sheep. They saw only 3/4 curls, which can't be harvested.
After that, Don's friend from Oklahoma came to see Alaska. He was able to do some fishing on the river and some lakes. He also camped with Don in the Brooks Range as Don looked for sheep. No sheep were taken but some pictures of beautiful scenery were taken.
The mission pilot, his wife and the Sport Reach director spent one night A lady with Fish and Game doing subsistence fish surveys spent 2 nights with us. She requested the use of the church but we felt it would be better with us.
Coming up next month, our member care leaders will spend a night or so with us as they come through visiting the missionaries in the villages. Again our mission pilot will be flying them around.

don.ernst@interactministries.org