Our Host Churchby Mel Frecceiro (Trollman) | June 20, 2022 2:30 AM
We are thrilled to be settled in at our Alaska partner church, Matsu Evangelical Covenant Church, in Wasilla. We are lodging in their Christian Education building right next door. We are positive God has some incredible things in store for us this week, and we are excited to serve!
We attended Sunday morning worship service. The message Pastor Rick shared aligned with our team's morning devotional. The congregation welcomed our team, and one of our team members even jumped up on stage to sing!
Eagle River Nature Centerby Mel Frecceiro (Trollman) | June 20, 2022 2:34 AM
After church service and lunch, our team visited the Eagle River Nature Center. It was an incredible place to view God's creation. We were impressed by the mountain views, rushing river and beautiful flowers.
Kids Kupboard Introductionsby Mel Frecceiro (Trollman) | June 21, 2022 2:03 AM
Our team is serving with 7 different ministry partners this week. One of these partners is Kids Kupboard. They feed 1,200 to 1,500 kids around the Mat-Su Valley every weekday. With only three staff and a driver, and accepting no federal financial aid, they heavily rely on volunteer work and donations in order to be able to serve the children of Mat-Su Valley.
Sofia's Cafe Crewby Mel Frecceiro (Trollman) | June 21, 2022 2:08 AM
We just had to take a group selfie with Pastor John. He runs a coffee shop in Palmer, Alaska. But on the weekends it becomes a church! Recently they acquired a space next door which is being renovated to expand the church. We are excited to be the first crew to go in and help make this a reality. Today we scrubbed, cleaned, removed nails and hooks from the walls, and are working towards making it ready for a fresh coat of paint.
Serious Scrubbingby Mel Frecceiro (Trollman) | June 21, 2022 2:14 AM
This is one of our elite cleaning squad gals in action!
The YAKby Mel Frecceiro (Trollman) | June 24, 2022 3:13 AM
The YAK youth center in Palmer, Alaska is a space where kids can come to hang out, play, and spend some time with volunteers and staff who love them in a Christ-like way. During the school year, the building is packed with kids. During the summer, there are less kids and limited hours. But they rely entirely on donations and volunteers in order to stay open. We got to hang out on Monday and Tuesday of this week, chatting and playing pool with kids who ventured in.
On Wednesdays and Fridays, kids can sign up to go on Yakventures, which are adventure outings led by guides and volunteers from the community.
Filling every momentby Mel Frecceiro (Trollman) | June 24, 2022 3:15 AM
Our team works hard, and even in moments where we could be relaxing, we tend to find projects to tackle. Like weeding outside of the youth center! Overgrown grass? Challenge accepted!
Fix it menby Mel Frecceiro (Trollman) | June 24, 2022 3:20 AM
We noticed the wheelbarrows at the church where we are lodging were in rough shape. We took them apart, identified the broken parts and pieces that needed replacing, and repaired them! We also cleaned up sticks, scrubbed out coolers and fridges, picked up scrap construction materials, and found all manor of things to do at the church. And that was just in our downtime that we did these things!
Hurdlesby Mel Frecceiro (Trollman) | June 24, 2022 3:23 AM
Working on so many projects throughout the week is not without its challenges. But we all love to laugh together and enjoy the moments.
Assemble!by Mel Frecceiro (Trollman) | June 24, 2022 3:25 AM
A small group of us helped put together shelving kits at a food pantry called Frontline ministries. The shelves were heavy and difficult to build, but we were really proud how we came up with a system that allowed us to put shelves together in no time.
Dust everywhere!by Mel Frecceiro (Trollman) | June 24, 2022 3:28 AM
At kids Kupboard, they asked if we could clean out a room. They expected it to take us much longer than it did, but we showed them just how quickly and efficiently we can work together as a team.
Working togetherby Mel Frecceiro (Trollman) | June 24, 2022 3:30 AM
We kept up the teamwork, stacking and sorting through food and relocating boxes.
Say cheese!by Mel Frecceiro (Trollman) | June 24, 2022 3:32 AM
Had to get a group photo by the Kids Kupboard sign, of course!
Bathroom cleaning in Wasillaby Mel Frecceiro (Trollman) | June 24, 2022 3:34 AM
Everyone loves a freshly cleaned bathroom!
Bathroom cleaning in Palmerby Mel Frecceiro (Trollman) | June 24, 2022 3:36 AM
Like sister, like brother. Joe did the same task as his sister on the other side of the Mat-su valley. Two thumbs up!
Frontline Ministriesby Mel Frecceiro (Trollman) | June 24, 2022 3:39 AM
We build shelves, then cleaned and stacked food at Frontline Ministries Food Pantry. It was incredible seeing the difference after just a few hours of labor!
A gardening projectby Mel Frecceiro (Trollman) | July 4, 2022 2:27 PM
Our team is primarily helping out in the community. But we wanted to bless the church that is hosting us. We noticed their lawn could use some cleaning up, and their gardens and landscaping in front of the church were full of weeds, and the planters did not yet have flowers planted. So we got to work!
Teamworkby Mel Frecceiro (Trollman) | July 4, 2022 2:50 PM
Pulling up weeds in front of the church.
Thrifter's Rock by Mel Frecceiro (Trollman) | July 4, 2022 2:51 PM
Thrifters Rock is a non-profit started by a neighboring church. Their proceeds go towards local and global missions. Our team helped with reorganizing and switching out seasonal items at their warehouse.
Weeding againby Mel Frecceiro (Trollman) | July 4, 2022 2:53 PM
It seems like every time we get a down minute where we could be relaxing, our team finds a patch to weed! It turned into a bit of a competition of who could pull up the largest chunks of grass. "So satisfying!"
Hello, John!by Mel Frecceiro (Trollman) | July 4, 2022 2:55 PM
We had one of our evening debrief meetings over at the Yak youth student center. Our fearless leader, John, joined us from afar through video!
The Hoffman'sby Mel Frecceiro (Trollman) | July 4, 2022 2:57 PM
The Hoffman family from our host church invited our team over to their house for dinner. They have a beautiful farm that we enjoyed exploring.
Helen's Cookingby Mel Frecceiro (Trollman) | July 4, 2022 3:00 PM
Helen made us delicious dutch oven bread to dip into two incredible homemade soups: Caribou stew and salmon chowder. What a fantastic Alaskan treat!!! And to top it all off, she made a raspberry crumble for dessert. Wow!
Yakventuresby Mel Frecceiro (Trollman) | July 4, 2022 3:02 PM
On Wednesdays and Fridays, the Yak youth center offers an adventure for students to join for free. They go on outings all around Alaska. We happened to be there during the week they went canoeing.
Relationshipsby Mel Frecceiro (Trollman) | July 4, 2022 3:04 PM
Our role on the Yakventure was to be relational with the children. We sat in the middle of the canoes so the kids could paddle, and our main role was to talk to them, hang out with them, get to know them and share Christ with them. We may have also run to Walmart the night before and purchased squirt guns, just for a fun twist. We had an incredible time and met so many amazing kids! It was hard to say goodbye.
Coffee please!by Mel Frecceiro (Trollman) | July 4, 2022 3:06 PM
Alaska is notorious for its coffee huts. Many of the parking lots have a small building where you can pull up and get a quick drink. We may have indulged in several of these stops throughout the week.
Picnic stopby Mel Frecceiro (Trollman) | July 4, 2022 3:09 PM
Some sections of our team would go to a ministry site and stay throughout the day. And a couple of our small groups would start their day at one place and move to a new ministry in the afternoon. One of our mobile groups passed right by a park during lunch time, and we had a little time to stop and eat by the lake before getting back to work.
Trash canby Mel Frecceiro (Trollman) | July 4, 2022 3:12 PM
One of the coolest things that can happen on a mission trip is connecting on a deeper level with the locals. Rachael was one of the main leaders for the Yakventure, and she enjoyed our team so much. She was able to join our team a couple of nights for dinner. And of course she loves to play! So she showed our team the game trash can, where our goal is to tug and pull to the last man standing who did not touch the trash can in the center. We enjoyed her so much.
Recreation dayby Mel Frecceiro (Trollman) | July 4, 2022 3:15 PM
Of course after all that work, there needs to be a little bit of play. A handful of the members of our group arranged for a seaplane flight Thursday morning. The rest of our team headed South to Girdwood. This is a photo of us by Portage Lake. The glacier we hiked back to visit is the one directly behind us called Byron Glacier.
Tasting the glacier waterby Mel Frecceiro (Trollman) | July 4, 2022 3:16 PM
One thing that our team enjoyed from last year and did again this year was drink the water from the glacier. It was cool and refreshing!
Snow in Juneby Mel Frecceiro (Trollman) | July 4, 2022 3:19 PM
Part of the nature of this glacier's location is there is a lot of shade in between the two mountains, and then the icy cool from the glacier itself causes a large portion of the snow that fell in the winter to remain throughout the summer. We had a fun time playing in the snow, making snow angels, throwing snowballs... It is always a fun phenomenon playing in the snow on a hot summer day.
Say "Glacier"by Mel Frecceiro (Trollman) | July 4, 2022 3:21 PM
It was so beautiful in the Byron Glacier Valley. Perfect spot for a group photo. We should add that Schelle genuinely fell on her butt as this photo was being taken. She made a quick recovery for the camera!
Band photoby Mel Frecceiro (Trollman) | July 4, 2022 3:23 PM
We took a band photo while we were still in the glacial valley. Now all we have to do is record our album!
Alaska Wildlife Conservationby Mel Frecceiro (Trollman) | July 4, 2022 3:28 PM
The Alaska Wildlife Conservation is an incredible place with the largest space for their animals, more than any other conservation in the US. They are dedicated to saving animals who have been abused, wrongfully hunted, abandoned too young or are injured in the wildlife.
Baby mooseby Mel Frecceiro (Trollman) | July 4, 2022 3:31 PM
These baby moose were either abandoned by their mothers or orphaned too young to survive in the wild on their own. The staff at the conservation have been nursing them. Some of the animals can be released back into the wild before they become too used to human interaction, while others call the conservation their home.
Hatcher's Pass by Mel Frecceiro (Trollman) | July 4, 2022 3:34 PM
Our last stop for the day was Hatcher's Pass. Some of our team hiked up to a lake called Gold Cord. Some of our team decided to pull out a sled and enjoy what was left of the snow, such as Jim here. Some of us walked around and explored the historic Independence Mine, while others went to the creek and panned for gold.
Beluga Pointby Mel Frecceiro (Trollman) | July 4, 2022 3:36 PM
We didn't all make the group photo, but this is the majority of our team standing beside Beluga Rock, a good viewing spot for Beluga whales South of Anchorage.
Goodbye for now, Alaska!by Mel Frecceiro (Trollman) | July 4, 2022 3:38 PM
Our team left early Friday morning. We were all sad to leave, but if the Lord wills it, we will be back! We enjoyed our time in Alaska and loved serving the Wasilla and Palmer community. What a blessing it is to serve in such a beautiful place!