December 18, 2013
Dear Family and Friends,
As I write this letter, it is snowing heavily outside. An hour or so ago, our power went out, so I canceled my baking plans for the evening, donned a few extra layers, stoked the fire, lit some candles, and went to work on this letter using my computer’s battery back-up. I was enjoying the coziness of the moment and the satisfaction of being able to carry on with my evening undeterred by the power failure. A few minutes into it, my faithful, ever-prepared, ready-to-fix-it husband came home and fired up the electrical generator. The lights and heat are now on, my appliances are operational once again, and my little camping adventure has come to an end. While I am thankful to have my conveniences back, I am intent on sending this update out before Christmas, so the baking will still wait for tomorrow.
In the morning we will wake up to a breath-taking landscape: spruce boughs laden with snow, diamond-studded birch branches sparkling in the sun, rose-colored alpenglow blanketing the mountains, shades of pink and gray streaking blue skies, and dry, biting air stinging every breath. What a magnificent creation we enjoy here!
The ministry with Arctic Barnabas continues to go well. We have a new lead mechanic on our team, and Paul has moved to the position of aviation team leader, overseeing all of Arctic Barnabas’ aviation activities. He is currently revising the aviation Operations Manual to increase the safety and efficiency. He continues to enjoy time in the cockpit and flew 200 hours this year. He will be working towards his Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) rating this winter and hopes to add this to his resume by the end of the first quarter. With his CFI, Paul will be able to fly more proficiently, help other pilots maintain currency, and train missionaries who are working toward their pilot’s license.
In October, the Arctic Barnabas staff hosted our yearly Ministry Family Retreat (MFR). This year we held the retreat in the Mat-Su Valley north of Anchorage rather than in the village of Port Alsworth where we have traditionally gathered. The rationale for this new venue was the need for a larger facility to accommodate the growing number of ministry families that attend MFR. We also wanted the attendees to be able to combine their trip to “town” with the opportunity to stock up on groceries and supplies for winter. Twenty pastor- or missionary families attended MFR, including some new families we are just beginning relationships with. The new location seemed to work well and provide ample room for the various men’s, women’s, and children’s activities. As always, we are thankful for the opportunity to strengthen and encourage many faithful servants of the King who minister in villages around the state.
We have recently had the pleasure of hosting various missionaries in our home for meals or overnights. It is a delight to spend time with missionaries who have given their lives to serving their neighbors in the villages, to pray with them, and to learn how we may spur them on in practical ways.
Between Christmas and New Years we plan to fly out to Port Alsworth for Tanalian Bible Camp’s Sr. High Winter Camp. Sam and Ben will attend the camp, Paul will pick up campers around the region and fly them to camp, Anna and I will help out in the kitchen, and Aaron and Nate will play with the other kids. This trip promises to be one of the highlights of our year. We cherish sweet times of fellowship with friends old and new in Port Alsworth, and we especially value to chance to support the ministry of TBC. For some kids, camp is the only Christian influence in their lives.
I have two events to look forward to in January: a ladies’ retreat hosted by our staff and a village trip to Kodiak Island where we will help a pastor’s wife with a quilting workshop for ladies in her village. It has been a while since I have been able to participate in a ministry trip, so I am excited about this one. Please pray that God would use us to encourage and build up the ministry ladies at these two events.
In other news, Sam is in his junior year of high school. He continues most of his studies at home but takes math this year at our local campus of the University of Alaska Anchorage. He is starting to think about college and hopes to visit some campuses this spring. He enjoys working part-time at Papa Murphy’s pizza shop, spending time with friends, playing his guitar, and spoiling his little brothers with outings to the playground, McDonald’s, or bake shop.
Ben is a freshman and also does school at home. A highlight of his fall was wrestling for one of the high schools. He learned a lot about the techniques of wrestling but also about discipline, dedication, and sportsmanship. Ben always has a project going, usually fixing up an ATV or snow machine for his personal recreation or resale. He is a die-hard snow machine enthusiast and is thrilled not only about the new machine he purchased with earnings from his job at Papa Murphy’s, but also about the fresh snow to go with it.
Anna is in 7th grade. She is taking some of her classes on-line this year and enjoys learning from new teachers and having classmates again. This Christmas season, our home has been made merrier by lovely melodies coming from Anna’s violin. She loves to use her time and talents to bless others, whether knitting for new babies at church, creating delicious baked goods for the family, or taking Aaron and Nate outside to play in the snow.
Our two little boys are five years old now. Aaron and Nate have big imaginations and entertain us with stories of adventures that take place inside their world of make-believe. They also love reading about other people’s adventures in the pages of their story books. Imagine their excitement over their first public acting engagement this past Sunday when they made their debut as shepherds in our church’s Christmas pageant.
We are thankful for your prayer and financial partnership with us as we seek to build Christ's Kingdom by strengthening and encouraging pastor and missionary families in rural Alaska. If you desire to make a contribution to help us finish the year strong, you may use the link below to donate online securely or you may write a check to Arctic Barnabas with a note indicating it is for the Hadfield family and mail it to Arctic Barnabas Ministries, 135 N. Willow St., Kenai, AK 99611. We may also receive gifts directly to our home address (shown below), but those gifts are not tax-deductible for the giver.
http://arcticbarnabas.org/donate/
We trust that this letter finds you rejoicing in the Good News—that the Messiah has come to save his people from their sins and win them to God. May every joy and blessing be yours this Christmas season and throughout the New Year.
With love,
Sara, for all the Hadfields
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Ben with a halibut on Kachemak Bay
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Nate, Anna, and Aaron at Alaska Botanical Gardens
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Sam doing what he loves best
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Nate had his tonsils removed in May
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