Super Glue Blessings

Here in the village oral hygiene is not a priority, and the closest dentist is a $172-roundtrip-airfare away, so you can imagine my distress when part of my permanently cemented retainer popped off my tooth.

My quick-thinking (and very thrifty) husband immediately advised me to call my dental assistant friend for advice. She gave me two options: super glue it or remove it.  Neither option sounded too appealing as they both included Steve’s bull-in-a-china-shop hands tinkering in my mouth.

After weighing the options, I reluctantly decided to let Dr. Steve glue the retainer back in place. 

The scene would have made any dentist cringe.  First, Steve made me swish with rubbing alcohol “to dry out” my mouth (note to self: using rubbing alcohol in the mouth is akin to gargling with fire and will subsequently cause the mouth to salivate uncontrollably in order to cool itself down).  After I recovered from the oral inferno, I laid down on the less-than-sanitary church floor while Steve blasted my mouth with a hairdryer “to dry it out”. 

When my mouth felt as dry as the Sahara Desert on a summer day, Steve worked diligently to keep the super glue from touching anything that wasn’t supposed to be glued while Assistant Maddie held an all-purpose flashlight in my mouth, and Assistant Klaira tried unsuccessfully to keep Riley (our dog) from licking my open mouth and the dental tools (which Steve later informed me were used on his Great-Grandpa’s sheep farm--lovely).  Meanwhile, I was choking on the paper towels Steve was stuffing into my mouth “to keep it dry”, and praying he wouldn’t take this vulnerable opportunity to glue my mouth shut.  Several long minutes later, my retainer was back in place. 

But Dr. Steve wasn’t done yet!  Enjoying his debut in dentistry, he decided I needed my teeth cleaned, too, so he scraped off some plaque and “polished” my pearly whites with a toothbrush.  Remote dentistry at its finest!

The whole ordeal was completely unsanitary but my retainer is once again retaining, my teeth are cleaner, and my mouth isn’t glued shut.  Success! 

Through this Alaskan adventure, God is teaching us to be aware and grateful for even the smallest things (like a tiny $10 bottle of super glue!).  We pray that you too, are experiencing some of God's "Super Glue Blessings". 

A Place to Call Home

There is something about anniversaries that makes us very reflective.  It was a year ago today that Steve and I stepped off a tiny bush plane into the unknown world of Port Graham, Alaska.  The streets were deserted on that frigid Monday morning and my spirits felt as dreary as the weather. 

I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t what I found.
  
Understandably, the villagers we met that day were kind but cautious—was this just another white family moving to Port Graham for the thrill of remote living?

After our village tour, the Chief drove us up to the site of our future home, the church.  My spirits sank further still as I walked into the cold, stark building, void of any personal touches.  Fighting back tears, I wandered through the rooms wondering how I was ever going to make this into a home for my family.
  
None too soon, it was time to fly back home.

Home…the place where our family and friends lived; a beautiful house with plenty of space and a spectacular view of Mt. Hood; a comfortable salary with benefits; the backdrop of so many wonderful memories; a place we knew well and a culture we understood. Was God really asking us to leave everything behind and follow Him into the unknown?

Over the next weeks and months as we went through the motions of “letting go” of our comfortable life, I would often pour out my heart to God.  Sometimes I would be angry with Him for asking us to give up the life I felt entitled to (after all, hadn’t HE provided it for us?!).  Sometimes I cried on His shoulder for the tremendous sense of loss we felt as our worldly possessions found other homes, we said good-bye to our pets, and friends turned their backs on us.  And sometimes I just wanted to know why. 

Retrospectively, I can clearly see God’s hands masterfully carving out a new home for our family, and I can hear His still small voice speaking truth into my anger, sadness and fear.  

When I bemoaned leaving my family and friends, God reminded me that He “sets the lonely in families” (Psalm 68:6). And then He opened the hearts of the community to welcome us. 

When I complained, “We can’t live in a church—we need a house!”  God pointed out that living in His house is a privilege. David said, “One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.” (Psalm 27:4-5)  And then God provided the means for us to transform the church building into a beautiful place of worship on Sundays and a warm and welcoming home during the week.

When I worry about finances, God smiles and promises, “[I] will meet all your needs according to the riches of [my] glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19).  And He has.

When I fret about the lack of sunshine in the winter, God gently says, “I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12). And then He surprises us with care packages of Vitamin D and Happy Lights from our thoughtful friends!

When I remind Him that I am not “Pastor’s wife” material, He fully agrees with me but explains, “Now [I], the God of peace,…[will] equip you in every good thing to do [my] will, working in [you] that which is pleasing in [my] sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever.” (Hebrews 13:20-21). And then He gives me grace as I step into that role.

When I ask, “What is there to do in Port Graham?”  He quietly recites, “Be still and know that I am God…” (Psalm 46:10). And then He quiets the noise and fills my soul with an inexplicable peace.

And in those moments when fear of the unknown is lurking at my doorstep, God shouts, “…do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10). And that is exactly what He continues to do.

Today as I reminisce back to that unforgettable trip one year ago, I am humbled by God’s patience with me as I struggled to obey His calling, and I am grateful that we serve a God whose “ways are higher than our ways” and whose “thoughts are higher than our thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9).  For if God had given me what I thought I wanted, I would have missed out on the tremendous blessing of being able to call Port Graham...home. 

Emergency in Remote Alaska

Our skin is a pretty remarkable organ.  I just read that we have 19 yards of blood vessels, 95 oil glands, 650 sweat glands, and over 19,000 sensory cells in ONE INCH OF SKIN!  Wow.  Did you know that the average adult's skin covers an area of 22 square feet?  Now that is a serious amount of vessels, glands, and cells!  And did you know that our skin renews itself every 28 days?  Our skin is like a really cool suit of armor that's tailor-made just for us.  It keeps all our insides in and an army of harmful stuff out, and when it's damaged it heals.

So a few weeks ago when Steve nicked his finger on a fish tooth (does it count that it was the tooth of a really big, beautiful, and tasty silver salmon? :-) ) he didn't think much about it.  48 hours later his finger looked like a polish dog from Costco, a fever had taken up residency in his body, bright red streaks were lighting up his arm like fireworks on the fourth of July, and he was in excruciating pain (not a good combination when one lives in remote Alaska!).  Steve needed to get to a hospital immediately but the howling wind had grounded all the planes, and the swirling seas would have turned any skiff into a coffin.

Nearing a state of panic I called the experienced village health aide who took one look at Steve's swollen digit and diagnosed him with "Fish Handler's Disease" (you'd think an avid fisherman would know about such diseases!).  She kicked into high gear, calling ER doctors from Homer to Anchorage, looking for approval to dispense a much needed antibiotic.  Two hours and more than a few ibuprofen later, our angel in scrubs handed Steve the miracle in a bottle.  I've never been so happy to see an antibiotic in my whole life!  It got us through the night (and bad weather), and the next morning Steve was on a flight to Homer for a trip to the ER.

Fast forward sixteen days, two rounds of antibiotics, and $5,000 later (I'll spare you all the gory details of a giant blister, oozing puss, and blackened skin), and Steve's finger is still attached to his hand and looking...well, almost normal.  Thank you, Jesus.

In this adventure with Steve's giant sausage finger, I learned that without the proper care, the tiniest little nick on our skin makes us vulnerable to extremely painful, ridiculously expensive, and even deadly infections.  Funny how the same lesson holds true in our spiritual lives as well.  If sin nicks our spiritual armor, it sends infection into our system.  Left unattended, it will be exceedingly painful, horribly expensive, and eventually it will be deadly.  Don't let the trials of this world penetrate your spiritual armor.  Read God's word daily, know what it says, and follow it without compromise.  There's no better antibiotic for the infection of sin than that.

P.S. - A special thanks for all the prayers (and help) during this incident--I believe they kept Steve's infection at bay, and I know they kept me from being admitted to the loony bin  :-)

Without Excuse

Sometimes in life God chooses to remove us from our comfort zones in order to get our attention.  Moving to remote Alaska has definitely taken us out of our comfort zone, and away from the noise of life. In the quiet stillness of Port Graham, nature shouts of God's glory and majesty.  As you step for a moment into our little corner of the world, may the Apostle Paul's words resonate for you as they have for us: "For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky.  Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature.  So they have no excuse for not knowing God."  Romans 1:20





Trust in the Lord forever,

for in God the Lord,

we have an everlasting Rock. 

Isaiah 26:4

Those who hope in the Lord

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 40:31

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."  Jeremiah 29:11

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.

He leads me beside still waters,

He restores my soul....

Psalm 23:1-3a






The grass withers, the flower fades,

but the Word of the Lord stands forever.

Isaiah 40:8

The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of His hands.

Psalm 19:1

He made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding.  Jeremiah 51:15

Special thanks to our daughter Maddie, for providing the beautiful photos for this post!

Update From Port Graham

A view from our church.  Amazing!

Hello from the remote village of Port Graham, Alaska!

Remember us, the Ristows?!  Contrary to the rumors, we have not been eaten by bears, carried off by giant Alaskan mosquitos (although they have tried!), nor have we fallen off the face of the earth.  Thanks be to God, we are safely settled in the beautiful village of Port Graham.  We miss all of you dearly and have been so appreciative of your letters, packages, phone calls, support and prayers. 

We apologize for not updating you sooner, but we are fully experiencing what it means to be unplugged.  For example, we ordered internet service on June 4^th and our installation date was July 12^th (last Monday) and still we have yet to be hooked up (we’re borrowing a friend’s internet service for this update).  Our cell phones (as many of you know) are spotty at best and only work when we lift our left leg, point to the SE and hold a fork in our right hand.  Amazon Prime (our new remote village “shopping mall”) touts of a fast 2-day delivery, however in remote AK it means a one- to four-week delivery, and that’s only if they agree to send it in the first place!   All to say, we are learning to be patient and are fully thankful for any modern services at all.  Thank you for being patient with us!
It seems to all of us that we’re living in a bit of a time warp.  So much has happened, so many people met, so many lessons learned.  Last July we asked God to radically change our lives...today, exactly one year later, we’re living in a church, people are calling us the “Preacher Family”, our girls are regularly catching giant halibut, picking wild chives and driving the ATV, and our world consists of living together with 150 native Alaskans!  We thank God every day for the blessing of serving Him. 

So what’s been going on the last two months?  In a nutshell, lots of training, meeting people, moving, deep cleaning, painting, preaching, fishing, swatting mosquitos, and slowing waaaaaay down.  The villagers attending the church are eager to grow in their relationship with Jesus and have kindly embraced our living among them.  God continues to give us little treasures here and there in the forms of friends, kind words, and gifts of fish and food.  Although beauty surrounds us, the spiritual warfare here is alive and well.  There is not a day we don’t feel the eternal battle for this village.  Thanks be to God for His armor, His Holy Spirit, His giving us the courage to stand for Him, and our ultimate victory through His son, Jesus Christ.

We have so many stories to tell you and look forward to when we have internet to keep you better updated.  Again, thank you so much for your patience, your support, friendship and prayers…they mean the world to us.  We too are praying for you and your families.
May God bless you and keep you!

Warmly in Christ,

The Ristow Family
 

Here’s a few pictures to give you a snapshot of our new life:

Meet Wallace, our friend and fishing
buddy.  He’s lived in Port Graham all his life,
and knows everything there is to know
about the village, fishing, and history of
the Alutiiq people. 

Fishing is the lifeblood of Port Graham, especially in the summer
months when the salmon are running.  Since freezer space is limited,
nearly all the homes in the village have a smoke house to preserve
fish for the winter months.  At this time of year, there is a
distinct “smoked fish” smell wafting through the village.

 

Inside a smoke house. Preserving fish is a time-consuming and tedious job. The villagers check their nets several times a day, and process the fish as they catch them. The process includes cleaning and filleting the fish, cutting them into strips, and then individually tying the strips to “rafters” in the smoke house.  The smoke must be maintained or the villagers run the risk of the fish rotting before it is completely dry.  There are many factors that play into the amount of drying time (weather, humidity, size of smoke house, etc.), but most of the fish take anywhere from three days to a week to dry.

 

Klaira shopping in the “Down Store”.  The store is
well-stocked but it comes with a hefty price tag. 
We regularly spend $150-$250 for a small (kid-sized)
shopping cart of food.

 

Main Street, Port Graham…at rush hour!

 

Our local gas “station”.  They just recently installed the
“pay by credit card” pump so we don’t have to prepay
for our gas at the store.

 

Our local dock.  Many villagers have “skiffs” (fishing boats),
in order to bring in enough fish to feed their families
through the long winter months.

Port Graham airport.

 

Fishing at 11:00 pm.  It doesn’t get dark here until
12:30 or 1:00 in the morning!

Port Graham’s Chief, Pat, throwing an arrow, Aleutiiq-style
at the village’s “Celebration of Life” event – their
version of 4^TH of July.

A typical Sunday Service with our fellow believers in Christ!

  

 

Bison, Moose and Bears, OH MY!

We made it!  After months of planning, weeks of packing, and days of driving, we arrived in Alaska last week.  The drive was nothing short of amazing.  Perfect weather, very little traffic, incredible scenery, and the wildest of wildlife.  Here are some highlights we experienced along the way...

One of many great stops along the road.  Speaking of roads, this 22-mile gravel section was full of deep potholes, washboards, and broken pavement.  We still had all of our teeth by the end of it, but we were minus a few brake lights and plastic car parts!

Bison were plentiful--this newborn was just hours old and still wobbly on his feet.  Along the way, we knew we were in Bison territory by the thousands of bison "presents" along the road.



One of the numerous streams we saw along the way. If Audrey hadn't packed Steve's fishing poles in the middle of the trailer, we might still be in Canada!



Klaira & Maddie attending to Riley (the only one of us detained, thank you God!) at the Canadian Border crossing.

 

 One of the 12 bears (7 grizzly and 5 black bears) we saw alongside the road.  This one was our favorite...he even stood on his hind feet for us.  What a ham!

 

Remnants of old mining villages scattered the highway.  Here was an old chapel in the middle of nowhere, Canada.

On the road in Canada, hundreds of tourists have made their mark alongside the road.  We like to say the Ristow(s) Rock :)

These gentle giants are prolific in Homer.  Yesterday, I was pumping gas in town and out popped a moose about 20 feet from me

Enjoying a reindeer hot dog in Anchorage (Riley our dog was impressed!)

 

Home(r) at last!