Thousands of miles away, in a village only accessible by plane, is a camp situated between the mountains and Lake Clark. This camp is called Tanalian Bible Camp, and it is located in Port Alsworth Alaska. The camp welcomes children and teenagers from all across Alaska to join in community with others and learn about God and His love for them. Crazy enough, summer of 2019, I was blessed with the opportunity to be a camp counselor in Alaska to 5 amazing third and fourth-grade girls at Tanalian Bible Camp!
Before I share how I became connected with Tanalian Bible Camp and what my experience was like, I want to highlight a little about what the camp is.
Tanalian Bible Camp was established in 1963, and it, “exists to come alongside the Bible-believing churches in rural Alaska by providing an opportunity for evangelism, discipleship, and Christian fellowship through camping, conferences, retreats, and Biblical education.” Alaska is a beautiful land; yet, it is a hurting place just as the rest of the world is. Alcohol, drugs, and abuse are prevalent within its communities and most villages are isolated and only accessible by air. Thus, there is a lack of resources and communication, and the notion of opportunity and a “bright future” is often dismissed. The camp desires to instill hope in Alaska’s youth, and this is done by introducing them to God.
The camp offers different programs throughout the summer; these include Basketball Camp, Primary Camp (grades 3-4), Junior Camp (grades 5-6), Junior High (grades 7-8), High School (grades 9-10), Men’s Raft Camp (ages 15-17), and Teen Pursuit (grade 11). From these camp experiences, children and teenagers experience Christ, and they can share the hope and love of Christ upon returning from camp with their families and villages.
Tanalian Bible Camp is truly doing amazing work! You can learn more about them by visiting their website.
Now, how did I become connected with Tanalian Bible Camp? Through my church! I had a friend serve as a camp counselor at Tanalian Bible Camp, and he had so many exciting things to share about it. With my love for children and excitement to share God’s Word, I too wanted to serve at the camp. I love mission opportunities!
Sunday, July 7, 2019, my team and I departed from our church, Christ the Rock Community Church, for the airport to begin our journey. We flew from Minneapolis, Minnesota to Anchorage, Alaska, and then we took a bush plane and flew into Port Alsworth. Below is a picture of the bush plane we flew in! This was my first time flying, so this tiny plane was quite terrifying!
The first few days that we were at Tanalian Bible Camp, I and the other volunteer camp counselors had training sessions. We also had some time to do some exploring in the mountains and on Lake Clark! We were able to go see a waterfall in the mountains, and on Lake Clark, we went canoeing! I will say, the water was very cold! Below is a picture of the waterfall 🙂
Fun fact about myself: I really like the sound of running water.
The day finally arrived for my girls to come, and most came on different planes from various parts of Alaska! After getting to know my girls a bit, I realized how beautifully unique each one of them was, and I connected with each girl in a different way.
One of my girls was very outgoing and sometimes a bit crazy. It was a good crazy though 🙂 She always had so much energy and never wanted to go to bed. She was quick to volunteer for an activity, but, when it came to discussing Jesus, she would be a bit more reserved. The love of Jesus that she was being introduced to was a bit different than anything she had most likely encountered, and seeing her open up and engage more in small group conversations throughout the week was precious.
Another one of my girls was the opposite, and she was fairly quiet. This little girl simply enjoyed watching the other girls, but she did engage in the activities when her peers encouraged her to do so. With this camper, I witnessed what the power of support and gentleness can do for a child.
My third camper was so sweet! She had the kindest heart, and almost anytime you saw her, she had a big smile on her face. There was one small hiccup when this little girl arrived, but we were able to move forward soon after. The hiccup was that this little girl arrived at the camp with lice. I am not exactly sure what the camp nurse did for this little girl, but all I know is that once she arrived at the cabin, she was clean of her lice. We did have to spray tea tree oil in our hair each night just in case. At the end of the week, it was all good. No more lice cases!
My fourth camper was a bit more difficult to connect with, but she was very sweet as well. I was not told the familial and cultural backgrounds of each of my campers, but I did know that these kids were coming from some hurting families. I don’t, and I didn’t, want to assume that this little girl had a hard home life, but it did take a little longer to gain her trust before she began to open up and share her thoughts about what we were learning about the Bible in session. She did enjoy free time with her friends though, and she was always ready to give me a hug. Again, another sweet child 🙂
My last camper was a mixture of amazing qualities, and I liked to call her my water bug. Whenever she had the opportunity, this little girl was in Lake Clark swimming. I wasn’t lying when I said the lake was cold because she would come out shivering. But, that didn’t stop her from swimming! Besides her love for the water, this little girl was spunky, funny, and friendly. She was very encouraging to the other girls in the cabin and had a big heart. This little girl was the most familiar with Jesus and the Bible out of all the girls in the cabin, and she was the most open to sharing her thoughts during small group time.
All my girls were amazing, and I had so much fun getting to know them! Throughout the week, we attended different sessions, engaged in organized activities, told stories in our cabin, attended a festival the camp organized, and enjoyed some free time. It was difficult to say goodbye to them at the end of the week because I knew I most likely wouldn’t see them again in an earthly manner, but I hope to see them in heaven someday.
I would love to share more about my experience with you! If you have any questions, please comment them below and I will respond! I also attached some images from my trip for you to enjoy!
