Covenant Youth of Alaska Sending a Team
Volume 17 | Issue 5 October 2021
Bringing Care and Support to a Grieving Village. By Jaime Nanninga
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There is no greater honor for me, in my current role, than to be asked to serve on a team that shows the tangible love of Christ to youth. CYAK sends out teams to rural Alaska for many reasons; youth camps/retreats, training events, infrastructure development, and care. Last week, I was invited to join a team that was sent to care for and support a community dealing with the loss caused by suicide. The purpose was not to fix or make sense of the suicides, but to be present, listen, and grieve with them. We wanted them to know it was okay to be sad, scared, and hurt. Our hope was to come alongside others in the community to bring comfort and hope, to let them know they are seen. This was the third suicide in the village of Elim in just three short months, two of which were young girls. Just one suicide is heartbreaking but adding more puts on a new layer of pain. CYAK was right there with a fervent response. Byron, CYAK’s Executive Director, was informed Monday of the news and by Wednesday morning a Care/Response team was flying out. There were seven on the team which included staff, volunteers, and elders. Nine total when we include the missionary pilots, who stayed with us and were an amazing addition. Youth Pastors Mike Alverts and James Ventress led the group and gathering times. Sam Cross, Angela Lantz, and I found ourselves talking, crafting, and playing with the youth. Jean Mute and Dorothy Bekoalok, kindhearted elders, shared stories, wisdom, and prayed with the community. In addition, Aaron and Joel, the pilots, were selfless as they served alongside us and added to our time there. Each gift was perfectly used. It was a true blessing to see the community and the youth being cared for. The common refrain heard throughout the week was this, “God sure put the right team together.” We partnered with Elder Kenny Takak to prayerfully open our hearts up to what the youth and community might need and to plan some gatherings. Kenny shared his heart and longing for his people to feel God’s love. With only a month in between the loss of the 2 young girls, the village was grieving deeply. We quickly found ourselves surrounded by youth and their desire to be with us was evident throughout our entire trip. We noticed some who immediately joined us and others who watched from afar. By the end, relationships were formed that I will never forget.
We were able to host multiple community nights where we invited all to gather and feel supported during this time. We led worship, gave testimonies, told stories of our journeys, and prayed with them. We hoped being vulnerable about our struggles and God’s grace to get us through would also give them hope. We also had a night just for the youth grades 5-12 to walk alongside them and give them space to process. “I saw youth who are grieving but also scared, anxious that another friend or cousin may be lost.” James expressed. We shared a meal and played games to let them just be kids without the weight of the world for a moment. To hear them laugh with each other filled the church with God’s presence. One of the greatest gifts and greatest sadnesses for me was to walk alongside the girls who just lost their best friend. I was blessed to hear their hearts, their loss, and to process with them. They took me to the place where the young 12-year-old girl took her life and the spot where she left a message to her friends. The most poignant moment was reading the notes written by her and to her on the bottom of the playground slide. Seeing the nicknames they had for one another and realizing the depth of their friendship moved me almost to tears in front of them. I was able to hear them share about what they are going through and acknowledge the places they will continue to see every day. My heart breaks for them! My prayer is that the love of Jesus brings hope, healing, and peace.
“God sure put the right team together.”
We left Elim with questions of “Why do you have to leave?“ and “Can’t you stay longer?” James stated, “I believe going back at the end of the month or very early in November is critical for the community.” Living in Nome, he also shared “I can’t relocate and live there to be with them full time but I told them I can still be their youth pastor whenever they need to talk.” He made sure that they had his phone number and has been able to connect since. This trip and other trips are made possible by the generosity and partnerships with you! We plan to make more trips like this in the future. Thank you for believing in CYAK, the team, and the mission to reach the youth and young adults in Alaska. It is our honor to work alongside you!
MINISTRY HIGHLIGHTS
Care/Response Team
Aarigaa Workshop
YAR Fall Retreat
Praise God for proving a team and financial partnership to go be present and love on Elim. Please Keep Elim in your Prayers!
Praise God for a new work space in the Anchorage Aarigaa House! This is where young adults can learn the craft of making an Ulu.
Praise God for a succesful online Young Adult retreat. Please Pray for growth and connection to each other and God.
COVENANT YOUTH OF ALASKA PO Box 203356 Anchorage, AK 99520
To read more, visit: www.cyak.org/ministry-updates
“It was such a blessing to serve alongside this team as we cared for the Village of Elim.” - Jaime Nanninga
When you give to the Mission Fund, you make it possible for us to take teams out to the villages to care and walk alongside them. Please consider partnering with us! Quyana, thank you. www.cyak.org/donate
A relational outreach, discipleship and leadership ministry for Alaska youth and young adults A ministry of the Alaska Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church
Website www.cyak.org Email info@cyak.org Phone 907-222-1432