Big Wild Life

Anchorage, here I come! I accepted a position today directing student ministries at Trinity PC. I am super pumped. I’m somewhat nervous and terrified as well, but mostly just excited. I have been drawn to Alaska for pretty much my whole life and have been making real efforts to get there for a few years now. I finally made it last month on a mission trip to Nome, and being there just made that feeling stronger for me. Now I will be living there. My life will be in Alaska for the next few years. Wow. It is really amazing the way stuff kind of came together with all of this.

Last fall, I skipped class one Tuesday for Theology on Tap (which I only did twice all year) and found out from that day’s discussion moderator about the spring trip to Nome. There was an information meeting that Thursday night. Everything just seemed to drop into place and before long I finally found myself setting foot on Alaskan ground.

After graduating in December, I moved back in with the family and took a while before starting to actively search for a job. I put up my resumé on the Youth Specialties job bank and the next day got an email from an Aggie working at a church in Anchorage who was looking for interns. I nearly fell out of my chair reading that email. For two years I had been trying to find a way to live and serve in Alaska for an extended period. It just seemed meant to be. But after considering many things, I decided I would focus on finding a full-time job instead of a summer intern position. Nearly a month later, I got a call from them to tell me they were now in a search for a youth director. Everything just really began to fall into place, and after going to Alaska in March and briefly meeting the pastor and a few others from the church, I had a growing sense that it was the place for me. Last week they had me up for kind of an extended interview, to meet a ton of people, see parts of all the different ministries of the church I would be involved with, and really get a feel for what the job would be like. By the end of the week, I really felt like it would be an excellent fit.

I loved it. I am so incredibly excited about this. There are certain aspects of moving to Anchorage that are hard (primarily the challenge of a very long distance relationship). I do feel somewhat scared and nervous. But I don’t feel hesitant. I really feel like it is the right thing to do, the best place for me to be. Alaska.