May Missions Update

Posted on May 13, 2013 by annaburrows

Tanalian Leadership Center Update

The Leadership Center students graduated on May 10th. The completion of the 7 month program came to a close with many emotions. Our students shared testimonies graduation recognizing the work the Lord did in their lives this year. We rejoice at what the Lord has accomplished in the lives of these young leaders and pray they would look to the Lord and His Word for guidance and strength as they return to their homes and live as lights among darkness. Please pray for them as they will face many challenges upon returning home, and that they have the opportunity to share and apply what they learned during the program.

Tanalian Bible Camp Update

Summer camp is just around the corner!

Work crews come in May to help do maintenance around camp and summer staff comes the last week in May for training. We are excited to have several TLC students and former campers on staff this year. One of Tanalian’s goals is to see native leaders raised up, discipled through the programs and returning to pour back into the youth from their own villages. It’s an amazing thing to see this happening and see them realize they can have an impact on their peers. Please pray with us for these young leaders as they serve this year.

June 3rd starts the first week of summer camp, Teen Pursuit for youth 17-19 and I get to be a counselor that week to 5-6 young ladies. I get excited thinking about it as I love camp and a chance to get to be a part of these ladies’ lives. Please pray in advance for myself as a counselor and all of the campers who will be attending. I will be involved camp this summer “part-time,” connecting with campers and counselors to build relationships with them and gain a deeper understanding our camping program.

Please pray the Lord brings the campers he wants at camp this year! We are hoping for 350 youth throughout the 7 weeks of camp. Pray for them to be impacted by the truth and hope found in the Word of God. We ask you pray for our staff and counselors each week who will be serving campers and showing them Christ’s love.

Campers in Paddle Boat

Development Update

The bulk of my job is spent on Tanalian’s internal structure and laying a foundation for development. This encompasses a lot of detailed planning, implementing internal processes and helping us focus on mission delivery. It’s a mountain of tedious work, yet I love this part of my job and feel the Lord has brought me here at a time where Tanalian is growing and the work to be done will enhance the organization in many ways. Pray for our team as we communicate through changes and that we would be unified and leaning on God for wisdom and direction.

I am continually grateful for those who have prayed for me, our staff and TLC students. You have been used in an incredibly important way!

Super Cub + Skiing = Alaskan Afternoon

Posted on April 24, 2013 by annaburrows

We had a warm winter with very little snow and an unfrozen lake. This amounts to feeling a bit confined to our one mile runway community. April has brought us a few weeks of sunshine and everyone has been drinking it up. A friend flew his wife and several friends up to Holy Mountain, behind Port Alsworth for an afternoon ski adventure. It was pure bliss.

You can see the super cub and below is Port Alsworth on Lake Clark. Awesome view with the lake reflecting the mountains!

We duck walked up and up the bowl, shooting for this small shrub. We created a lovely chevron pattern (so in these days) and got our thighs burning! But when we reached the shrub, it had fresh buds promising spring.

Heidi, Autumn and I climbed high, then skied around the bowl. Made me wish I had downhill skis on to swish down the slopes.

It was a fantastic way to get my first spring sun tan and the trip made my spring!

All Creation

Posted on April 22, 2013 by annaburrows

Happy All Creation Day!

Have you considered today who created the miraculous earth in which we live?

Do you worship creation or its Creator?

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, wether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities, all things were created through him and for him.” Colossians 1:15

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1

“You are the Lord, you alone. You have made the heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you.” Nehemiah 9:6

“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” Habakkuk 2:19

“Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exalt, and everything in it!” Psalm 96:11-12

“The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world and those who well in it, for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.” Psalm 24:1-2

Raindrops on leaves

“The heavens declare the glory of God, the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Psalm 19:1

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them.” Genesis 1:27-28

April Missions Update

Posted on April 18, 2013 by annaburrows

There’s a lot of things I want to say. I wish I could have a face to face visit with all of those who truly want to know how life is going this spring. For each it would last about 3.7 hours there’s just so much to say. Here’s my best attempt to sum it up…

The Tanalian Leadership Center students are graduating on May 10th! It seems like tomorrow, yet there’s so much still to be said and done. Chelsey recently shared “If you want change, change will happen here.” It could be the motto for the year. CHANGE. In every single one of us. For the students, change has been happening due to the coming of the end of this wonderful wild ride we call TLC. When you take 7 months to be intentionally in the lives of others and be in the Living and Active Word of God every day…CHANGE will blow you away. I have seen the mighty, transforming power of the awesome God I serve.

Girla & Chelsey Speaking

Chelsey and Girla shared recently at the 50 Year Celebration Fundraiser for Tanalian Bible Camp. Here is an excerpt from Girla’s speech of how that change is happening:

“Lately I have been learning a lot about faith and trusting the LORD. God has shown me the power of forgiveness and how freedom will come when I forgive people who have hurt me in the past. Going through this process has given me peace. God has used people in my life who challenge me to trust Him with this area of my life. I have been learning that my testimony can be valuable. God has given me a unique life that he has redeemed and can help my native people learn that truth and freedom can only come from the LORD.

I thank God for the role TBC/TLC has played in my life. I believe this ministry should continue because God will use it to radically change hearts and shape the future of Alaska.”

The change God is doing in her life was a powerful visual of what the Lord is doing through the Tanalian Leadership Center. Please pray that as this time draws to a close, that the students and staff would stay engaged and challenge each other through the last days. To finish strong.

Tanalian Staff and Students Oh yeah… the 50 Year Anniversary Fundraiser! That big event I was planning… it happened and it was incredible beyond my imagination. Despite a freak winter snow storm, 200 people over flowed the space and we gave God the glory for 50 years of working in Southwest Alaska. History was shared, testimonies given and people reconnected. Financially, we were blessed beyond expectation and it was a highlight to see the depth of love and commitment for this ministry.

The next two days, I was able to be a part of a development strategy meeting with a long-time camp supporter who is a professional development consultant. It’s like I was given 1 million dollars. She spoke my language, affirmed me, she gave me my next steps, she inspired me and I left with confidence to “build the airplane” as we fly it. I have my work cut out for me, but left even more sure that the Lord has me right where I’m supposed to be, right for this time. It’s incredible to see how he truly put together that event and continues to do the work for me. My prayers are for patience and wisdom as I continue to push into the unknown and build the structure for development at Tanalian.

TLC Ladies on Easter Port Alsworth is out of hibernation. We are buzzing with energy from the sun. It’s glorious. The ground is thawing and planes are roaring more and more frequently telling us the pace of life is picking up. This weekend is Tanalian’s Spring Conference where families from around Bristol Bay fly to Port Alsworth for a weekend of reconnecting and encouragement. Shortly after that, work crews come to help spruce up the grounds and buildings, preparing for summer camp… Oh yea! Camp starts in 7 weeks! Woohoo!

Thanks for those who have spent hours praying for me and the students at Tanalian. Your faithfulness is what sustains me (us) and please help us finish strong! “He who calls you is faithful; He will surely do it.” 2 Thessalonians 5:24.

Dinner and a Murder

Posted on March 1, 2013 by annaburrows

Only once a year is there a chance to have a true dinner date in Port Alsworth. A three course meal with full service and theatre performance to boot. No kids, dim lighting and a chance to be served a three course meal. You might even pull out that nice skirt or dress that is shoved in the back of your closet, saved for your one chance a year to “dress-up.”

The catch?

You enjoy this 76 other of your closest friends and neighbors. True Port Alsworth style. Oh the romance.

Dinner Guests

Dr. Master Chef Jon Burrows cleared his schedule, pulled out his black coat, refined his French accent and dreamed up a menu full of taste sensation fusion for the drooling crowd. I had the privilege of being a sous chef, along with Megan, another culinary master and Anthony, future Iron Chef champion. Together we poured 10 hours into the genius of food envy that would be the buzz around town for days afterward.

Cooking Team

The menu was carefully planned and executed.

Appetizer: Beef slider with caramelized onion and melted gouda on a pan toasted ciabatta. All I can say is, booya.

Salad: Organic spring greens sprinkled with peppers, shredded organic Alaskan grown carrots, toasted almonds, crumbled with feta and hand tossed with a light champagne vinaigrette. Taste explosion.

Bread: Organic artisan spelt grain bread. Healthy never tasted so good.

Main: Almond crusted pork loin seasoned with Dijon, layered on a bed of fresh pan seared green beans, nested over garlic mashed potatoes. All drizzled with a Dijon sauce that will make you want to fly all the way to the middleofnowhere Alaska to try it! Can you taste it? YUMM.

Dessert: Cheese cake with a hint of orange on an oreo crust, peaked with a fresh raspberry and blackberry checkerboard.

I got the joy of hand slicing and arranging 300 of these delicate berries with help from Lisa the master school chef. Tedious but worth it for the final WOW of the night. My favorite part of the cheese cakes was that plans changed with how the cheesecakes would be baked. Twelve pans were needed and not had. What do you do? Call one key woman in town, who calls other women in town, collects and delivers 12 pans in under 30 minutes. Reason #267 why I love small town life.

Raspberry Blackberry

The master at work with his beloved pork. Maybe not so beloved after #80 was hand cooked and plated, but done with love none the less.

Chef at Work

The students who wrote, directed and acted in their OWN play also served the guests. These YA’s (young adults) are incredible people. Future world changers with the amount of talent and personality that is found in the YA’s of Port Alsworth. I feel privileged that at one point I cleaned their toilets. But no talk of toilets when there are salads this delicious to be delivered!

Megan is a focused garnisher. The stress level was relatively low despite plating 76 dishes and getting them out the door. Look at the finesse at which that Dijon sauce is drizzled and parsley is sprinkled! Award winning!

And our final master piece which I felt a personal soul tie too with those delectable berries. Pure genius meets simple sophistication.

Cheesecake topping It was a very fun evening serving my friends and seeing the YA’s take their talents to a new level. I didn’t see the full theatrical performance, but I know it was a murder mystery that involved some mysterious colored drink…but the culprit? I never found out…maybe he/she still lurks around Port Alsworth.

Bristol Bay Travel

Posted on February 26, 2013 by annaburrows

Do I really live in America?

I often feel like I live in another country, here in rural Alaska. Life here focuses on different priorities and the world is not centered on the apple’s newest technology release or Taylor Swift’s latest hairstyle. Where you don’t just load up in the SUV for a quick meeting, but go through tedious steps of prepping and caring for the airplane before each take off and after each landing. I recently got a deeper understanding about where I live when I traveled to four other villages in Southwest Alaska.

Mark, Andrew and I loaded up in the Cherokee and flew about an hour away to Naknek, the salmon capital of the world. Our intent in visiting these villages was to meet with people impacted by Tanalian Bible Camp’s ministry and interview them for a video being produced for the 50 Year Anniversary Fundraiser being held in April. Part of Mark’s job as Director of Follow-Up and Outreach is to maintain relationships with campers and partners within the local church, so he frequently travels to these villages during community or school events.

In Naknek, we visited several families who are involved with local youth and some founders of TBC. Over coffee and salmon we were enthralled by stories of the beginning of camp, when people went by dogsled to local villages. The whole intent for starting Tanalian Bible Camp was to have something for the teens in the area to do. A time where they could see each other, reconnect and learn about the Living God. I began to see the ripple effect that has taken place throughout the generations of those who have attended camp. It’s hard to measure the impact, but through each person we talked with, we heard the impact… Love. Fun. Friends. Reconnecting. Hope. Learning about God. Growing spiritually. Tanalian has been around almost as long as Alaska has been a state. For 50 years. 50 years! The impact is greater than we can ever know.

Naknek Arial View Bristol Bay fishing boats dry docked

Weather came down, dumping snow, blowing snow and causing us to stay put for an extra day. We prayed and the weather lifted the next day allowing us to head further down the Aleutian Peninsula to Pilot Point.

Population 55. An old fishing cannery guards the shoreline leaving a weathered building with stories untold. Our time was blessed by our hosts, who I found out grew up in a town 30 miles north of where I grew up. Small world moment #569 in Alaska. Andrew and I got a great tour of the village at sunset, the weather cold enough to numb my fingers and chill me to the core. It is beautiful in such a different way than Port Alsworth. I’m sure it’s stunning in the summer!

The interviews were so encouraging! Only 10-ish youth attend school, so coming to camp means seeing friends only seen once a year. More friends. More fun. A rich time of learning about the One who created and loves you.

One young lady who we interviewed, shared how her life was changed by receiving Christ at Tanalian her one an only year at camp. She now wants to go into youth ministry and was debating whether to work at Tanalian this summer. Coincidence we showed up? I think not. It was amazing to see how the Lord is changing her life, and we encouraged her to serve at camp this summer. The time will not return void.

After Pilot Point, we followed the coastline 1.5 hours north-ish to Dillingham. Not a village, but one of the biggest towns in SW Alaska. Four of our TLC students are from there, and I was wishing they were with us to show us their life. It was a quick trip, picking up a local pastor who is coming to TLC as a guest speaker. We grabbed a hamburger at a “restaurant!” Oh it tasted so good. First hamburger in maybe a year?

From Dillingham, we flew back toward home, landing first in Kokhanok to gather with local believers for a Monday afternoon service. We worshiped, prayed and listened to a great message from Mark. By that point I had been chilled all day and the building not normally heated, smelled slightly of fuel oil as the monitor heater attempted to warm it up to 40 degrees. Despite my personal discomfort, I enjoyed visiting with the ladies and truly seeing the need for this weekly gathering.

I was richly blessed by the trip. A chance to see the impact camp has had and is having on people across the region. I saw how local believers are vital to maintaining relationships with the youth and that everyone is working toward the same goal. Sharing the message of hope and freedom, found only in Christ Jesus.

Winter, we need to talk…

Posted on February 7, 2013 by annaburrows

Let me just paint you a picture people. With lots of dirty brown.

Last winter was a winter of extremes. We either lived in a perpetual snow globe, accumulating record amounts of fluffy white goodness that just invited me to run outside arms out, laughing with joy as I rolled through the snow. OR we endured breath-taking record lows causing the liquid in my eyes to freeze, painting my eyelashes white and causing me to lose 34 hours in the dressing and undressing stage as I exited and entered every building.

This winter has been like Mexico compared to last year. We swapped our six weeks of bone chilling lows (-35 average) with six weeks of 35-40 degrees above zero. Booya Seattle, we even beat you in warm winter weather! Children have been frolicking in flip-flops and shorts. In January! That’s a 70 degree temperature difference/increase people. **70**! Gahh! For those who don’t live around snow, let me tell you, 35-40 degrees isn’t cold enough to snow. I have been staring at the ugly brown tundra for about a month now. No, I’m not bitter.

%22Summer%22 winter

I feel like I have a relationship with weather in Alaska. It affects every aspect of my life. And this year, winter and I have had a few spats. Aggression, silent treatment, bitterness, forgiveness… on both parts. So winter, I’d like to confess my bad attitude and ask your forgiveness. It’s not your fault the democrats are making the globe warm. I joke.

I forgive you for not being 7-23 degrees, the perfect Alaskan winter temps, because I truly didn’t mind not having numb fingers for 3 months straight.

I forgive you or not snowing every week, like I wish it would, but I’m very grateful for the times it did snow allowing me to enjoy skiin

I forgive you for confining me like a hamster in my 1 square mile of terrain, I have appreciated being able to hike and run, wearing only two layers instead of four.

I forgive you for not freezing the lake over and stealing my joy of the vast expanse it provides. I will appreciate kayaking even more this summer.

I forgive you for not letting us go wood cutting, instead I am thankful Jon channeled his inner squirrel last year and stashed away enough wood for two winters.

Snow on birch tree

BTW (Mom, it stands for By The Way), I think winter accepts my apology.
It’s snowing right now!

And I will forgive you, winter, if I wake up and it’s 40 and raining, washing away all of this blessed white hope. You’re still loved for many, many reasons and I will hold on to hope until April that you will still show you’re pretty little face.

I mean lets talk straight. Anyone who gets to look at THAT is super blessed. That’s me. Blessed.

Mission Memos

my adventures, adorations and anecdotes on life in rural alaska

Super Cub + Skiing = Alaskan Afternoon

All Creation

Dinner and a Murder

Bristol Bay Travel

Winter, we need to talk…