Happy Groundhog's Day

Well, if this were Bill Murray's movie, I'd certainly make a little better use of today. But I'm pretty sure I'll wake up tomorrow, and it'll be the day the music died and life will go on.

January was a busy month with Wes & Elaine and the Mountain Chapel Hospitality House. Intern-prospect David was here for three weeks, 'tasting and seeing' the ministry, in hopes of joining the Alaskan team for a longer internship later this year. It was great to have him around, to have another hand in teaching, cooking, and loving people.

We also had a visit from Cadence's Pastoral Care director. Gene came for a week, and met with Wes & Elaine and Dan & Barb to help process and talk through all of the many changes and stresses the recent months have brought. We are thankful to God that we work for an organization who cares so much about us, and our walks with the Lord.

Somewhere in there Wes fell victim to the Alaskan winter and road system. Our beloved Jeep that you may remember from a previous post is no more. Thankfully Wes walked away from this vehicle that rolled off the highway one dark morning with nothing more than a bump on the head and a few scratches.

Wednesday night Wes will begin teaching a new series at the chapel on evangelism, and Elaine will be teaching a series called "Understanding the Bible in 30 Days" which will actually be a 13 week class. We're both excited about these opportunities and the people who attend.

Next week begins our long awaited Australian vacation. We'll be sure to post pictures and stories!

God bless,
Wes & Elaine

New Year=New Adventures

Welcome to the Future! It is really hard to believe it's 2010 already. So far this year has started off with a bang. A few days ago this moose in the video above started camping out in our yard. He is a huge bull moose. Yesterday, I (Wes) got really close to him while I was checking our mail. Like most moose in Alaska they are bothered by you unless you bother them.

Coming Events

We are looking forward to new Bible Studies, outdoor adventures and all around ministry for the coming year. So far we are planning some snow caving (diging under feet of snow and building a big kid fort) and other winter sports as well as checking out the Alaska Aces hockey team before the season ends. In February, Elaine and I are heading to the Outback for a vacation. We will visit Sydney, Australia and New Zealand. We will be down there for about 10 days. I told Elaine after we decided to stay in Alaska in August that I would need a big vacation to look forward to. It is almost here! I can't wait.

Prayer Requests

Ministry is going well but I seem to be lacking the needed energy to do everything. I'll be honest, I am having a hard time trusting God with EVERYTHING. Therefore, unnecessary stress has occurred. Please pray I continue to practice the Good News that I preach to these awesome Soldiers and Airmen--You can trust God with everything. It's the truth, now I need to apply it. Elaine is doing well and I want the world to know how much I love her. She is an awesome lady that I certainly don't deserve. I am so glad I vowed to be with her through the good times and the bad. I told her today what I recently heard a pastor say, "If you ever leave me, I'm going with you!"

More to come soon,

Wes (& Elaine)

Merry Christmas

Second annual Christmas morning Broom Ball game.

Joy to the World!

Two consecutive years are enough to call it a tradition, right? Our Christmas celebration came and went this year before we even knew it! Throughout the 24th-25th we had around 50 people in some combination of Christmas eve sleepover, sticky bun breakfast, broom ball, dinner, and a gift exchange, complete with a nap through Charlie Brown's Christmas at the end of the day.

We are truly blessed to have a God who loves us, who sent a savior in a human body to save humanity and draw us into a reconciled relationship with him. We haven enjoyed two Christmases in Alaska, and have loved sharing them with our Soldiers and Airmen. Damien (an Aircraft maintainer from Pittsburgh) is our dedicated dishwasher (you'd think it was an opportunity of a lifetime every time there are dishes to be done). He said to me over the sink after dinner, "If you can't be at home for Christmas, this is the next best place to be". And I could tell he was serous, not just using flattery. We celebrated Christmas with our family. While we all missed mom & dad, grandma & grandpa, and cousin Billy Bob, we were not without family this year.

Freezin' for a ReasonEarlier this month the house participated in a fundraiser for the Alaska Special Olympics. We raised $1,000 for the organization, sponsoring 10 of our folks' crazy desire to jump into a frozen lake. It happened to be about 2 degrees that day.

Elaine's Hiatus

(Here is a picture that shows the current weather here)

Hey everyone,

Wes here, with a long needed update. Elaine, my sweet wife, has been very diligent over the last few years keeping this blog updated. I guess after writing week after week she just ran out of things to write. So, for the next few months I will be your tour guide through the world of Wes and Elaine.

A hard couple of months

Many of you know about the two miscarriages Elaine and I have gone through as well as my dad and stepmom's divorce which have cause me and my bride deep sorrow and stress. It has been a blessing to watch my dad turn his whole life to Christ and call out to his savior in his time of need. The transformation has been miraculous. Through this we are really focusing on practicing what we preach. If we tell others that they can trust God with everything then we must trust God with everything. I am praying daily for the reconciliation of their marriage. We witnessed the ultimate act of forgiveness and reconciliation on the cross as Jesus died for us and I pray that we all live lives that reflect that wonderful act. I know he can gently restore them, as well as heal their wounds and broken hearts.

Christmas Season

Christmas is here and we are super excited to spend it with our loved ones here in Alaska. These guys are family. We invite all of the Airmen and Soldiers (as well as anyone they invite) to come spend the night Christmas Eve and celebrate Christmas day with us. We eat together, open presents, sing songs and celebrate the Birth of of great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Please pray we can love the folks coming over with the love of Christ and that we can set a great example for them all on this wonderful occasion.

Winter Hits Us

As you can see from the picture winter slammed us yesterday and today. We have gotten a least a foot of snow and it isn't slowing down. I plowed and snow blowed this morning and it needs it again already. Being from Texas this is a really awesome experience for me. Anyway, more updates to come, and hopefully more videos!

Wes (& Elaine)