Well, we are almost in June.  And that means…the rest of the family will be coming shortly!  David and I are so excited we can hardly stand it!  Please be in prayer for Kelly, Rachelle, and James as they finish getting all of our household goods stored.  As of right now, they should all be leaving for Akutan the week of June 13th.  An exact date has yet to be confirmed but we are all excited!

There has been much going on here in Akutan.  Recently David and I attended what is called the “Elder’s Dinner” in the village.  It was a wonderful time of meeting more people from the village and enjoying a great meal.  Of course sea-lion stew was on the menu again and smoked salmon was a new addition for us.  There are many more kids in the village now.  Most all of them attend school elsewhere in Alaska and then come home for the summer.  So, David has made a few new friends here.  It is a very different way of life out here in the bush.

The weather continues to be fickle.  It pretty much rains everyday with temperatures staying in the upper 30’s.  Thankfully the snow has begun to melt and the grass is starting to poke through!  David and I had an opportunity to take a hike without snowshoes last week.  It was beautiful!  Once over the ridge behind the church the whole world becomes silent with only the cries of the eagles filling the air.  We took a break and just read through a few Psalms and took in the view.  Magnificent, is the best word I can come up with to describe the experience.  It has appeared that not too many people get out into the mountains to enjoy creation.  Each time we have gone out, we haven’t seen a soul…quite different from Virginia!

The ministry is doing well.  We have had quite a decrease lately in attendance of all activities.  I am told that this is due primarily to the strange fishing season we have had.  There are still crab boats coming in with their catches and most workers have gone home to see their families.  There should be a gradual influx of people over the next month or so, but we will see.  The largest part of our ministry lately has been one-to-one contacts with folks.  At times it is frustrating due to language barriers (Arabic, Russian, Somali, you name it, it’s here!).  But the Lord continues to open doors for us and has given David and I great opportunities to grow spiritually.

Please continue in prayer for us as we serve here.  I won’t sugar-coat it…at times, it is very difficult being away from our family.  Clearly the Lord has sustained us over the last few months (as He has Kelly, Rachelle, and James also).  Pray specifically for James and his transition as well.  We are still exploring curriculum for his schooling.  In fact, anyone who may have any recommendations for a “Home-based” DVD schooling curriculum for children with Autism, we would be very happy to hear it!  Please drop us an e-mail or give us a call.

Until next time…we remain, Faithfully Serving,

The Fox Family

Spring is Coming......hopefully!

Well, it has been a little while since I have posted here.  David and I have been quite busy with the everyday ministry (and of course, he has school).  So, hopefully this will help catch you guys up on what's going on!

Our Friday Movie Nights continue to be a huge hit!  Although a majority of the workers here have gone home to be with family, there remains a brave few who are helping with the remaining crab season here.  Everyone admits that this is just the strangest weather they have ever seen.  Even the State of Alaska has extended the crab season by one month because of all the ice here!  But, the movies are a welcome break for the workers.  They work long hard hours and have little to do with their rare "down-time."

We are in our last session of The Way of the Master evangelism Bible study this Wednesday.  It has been very well received by the few who have been able to attend.  Many have been challenged and are beginning to share their faith more boldly.  I have also been preaching through the book of Galatians on Sundays, and as the Lord would have it, it has blended perfectly with The Way of the Master series!

We have been going through the Gospel tracts that many of you have graciously provided money for, and we thank you.  This place truly is a mission field!  We have found that the tracts find their way into the hands of many who have no intention of setting foot in the church.  We are also purchasing Bibles and various Gospel books in other languages which people are picking up and reading.  It is truly wonderful to see what the Lord is doing!

Please be in prayer for Kelly, Rachelle, and James.  We hope to have them join us around June 16th (our anniversary!).  They have a lot to do before setting out for the bush.  Please pray that the Lord will work out all of the details of the move and storage of our household items.  Of course pray for safe and timely travel for all of them as well.  Travel up here is not like anywhere else on earth.  You could be stranded for days, or even weeks, on some remote island because of weather or aircraft difficulties.

Well, having said all of that, this post wouldn't be complete without a few pictures!  So...

About a week ago, we noticed large patches of "pink" in the ocean, in front of the church.  So David and I went to check out what in the world was going on.  These patches of "pink" were all up and down the shore!

Upon closer inspection  we saw that they were Krill!  Apparently they start coming into the harbor here at the start of Spring.  We have been told by the villagers that the Salmon and Trout should be soon to follow!  I will say this;  when left on the shore at low-tide...they begin to give off quite the aroma!  So David and I have been encouraging the seagulls to eat as many as they can!  ;-)

If you take a really close look at them, they look like tiny shrimp.  The seagulls here  have been having a ball feasting on all of them!

Some people have watch-dogs.  We have a watch-eagle!  Ezekiel has been our constant companion here in the absence of Angel (our family dog).  I took a few shots yesterday of Ezekiel on our porch with our flag in the background.

God is so amazing!  As I was outside talking to Ezekiel, yes I talk to the animals now, he cocked his head to one side and was watching something in the sky.  I looked up and could not see anything.  He looked back at me and then back up to the sky.  It was like he was saying, "Look!  Right there!  Don't you see it?"  Sure enough, waaaaayyyy up in the sky was a tiny black speck barely visible to me.  I used my camera's telephoto lens and sure enough...there was another eagle circling above us!  Ezekiel has become quite protective of our home.  He chases away foxes that come to snoop in our trash, and sometimes people he doesn't like.  When David or I walk outside, he will fly onto the porch and stay there with us.  If someone else comes by and we are not there, he generally will fly off to a safe distance and begin yelling at the person.  It's rather funny.

Thank you all for your continued prayer and support.  We look forward to being able to share more with you as time goes by!

Till His Nets Are Full,

Peter