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InterACTION Winter 2022 A Publication of interAct Ministries

Retired InterAct missionary Bob Moffat recently led the U.S. staff through a time of team building during their work retreat. Bob shared his experience as a young missionary adapting to a fresh mode of travel in the frozen far reaches of Alaska. As a first-time sled traveler, finding and building his dog team became a challenge he would never forget.

In the late 50s, Bob moved to Alaska, living in the bush among Alaska Natives. The only way to get around in the winter was by dog sled. Bob explained,

“I had one pup given to me–the rest of the team were cast-offs and misfits from other teams. Their owners had truly been kind to give me any dog, but they usually gave me their troublesome animals. I had harness chewers, fighters, slackers and even a blind dog. That made for a pretty ugly team, both in looks and performance. I constantly struggled with inexperienced, untrained lead dogs. One dog would drag my whole team into a passing group and start a dogfight. Another couldn’t comprehend directions, and the next leader I tried would just stand there and look at me with no inclination to pull at all. When I hooked up the team and picked one of them to lead, it was often a case of, which evil shall I choose?”

Bob was relieved when one day a successful Athabaskan (an Alaska Native tribe) trapper with one of the most experienced dog teams in the area brought his beloved lead dog, Barney. The trapper said, “He’s getting too slow for my team, but he is plenty fast enough for yours.” With a fond pat on Barney’s head, he walked away, leaving his special dog.

“My life suddenly got a whole lot better!” Bob said. “The dog led the pack well and was able to pull the team together.”
Barney (pictured above) became a trusted leader for Bob's sled dog team. God used Barney to protect and save Bob and the dog pack from potential disaster multiple times.

Bob’s experience with sled dogs became a parable for teamwork. He connected this metaphor to several biblical truths during his years in ministry. Teamwork begins when we have a healthy, biblical view of ourselves. The Bible gives us a trail map for who we are in Christ in Genesis 1, Romans 6, 1 Corinthians 12, and throughout Scripture. With an understanding of your identity in Christ, and from his experience with sled dogs, Bob lays out a few principles to consider as you run with the team God has placed you on:

  • Be a lover, not a fighter
  • Pull your weight
  • Respect leader(s) and teammates, and show an interest in each other’s work
  • Share the load
  • Celebrate each other’s victories and support one another through the setbacks
  • Create an atmosphere of safe transparency and willing accountability
  • Pray for each other

The most foundational of these principles is our love for one another, and love is the key to being a part of any team. Jesus stresses the importance of love in Matthew 22:37-39, saying that the first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord, and the second is to love others. In John 15:12, Jesus states, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.“ Paul emphasizes the importance of love in 1 Corinthians 13–that all ministry done without it is meaningless.

With these principles in mind, try visualizing yourself as a beloved, well-trained Arctic sled dog, harnessed closely with your team, pacing and pulling together through the elements. Imagine playing your part on the journey delivering precious cargo such as food and medicine to remote areas no other form of transport can reach. As you work with the people God has placed in your life, you move God’s purpose for this world forward. Whatever you do, wherever you serve, you are a critical member of the Body of Christ.

Nadine Meridy Gillespie, long-time Alaskan and wife of InterAct Ministries’ founder Johnny Gillespie went to be with her Savior and Lord on January 6, 2022. She was 102 years old. At the age of seven, Nadine put her trust in Jesus Christ and, in later years, would refer to it as the most important decision of her life.

While attending college at Biola University, she met her future husband, Johnny. Following their graduation in 1941 and six weeks after their wedding, the Gillespies boarded a ship for the Alaskan frontier. In 1945, John and Nadine began a Youth for Christ program in Anchorage. Six months later, Johnny was asked to pastor the Church of the Open Door.

John and Nadine Gillespie after arriving in Alaska in 1941.

In 1951, John was appointed general director of the newly formed Arctic Missions, a missionary organization to help individual missionaries unify their efforts in bush Alaska. While Johnny directed the mission, Nadine helped with correspondence, designed publications, cared for receipting of donations, and offered hospitality to traveling missionaries. Over seventy years later, Arctic Missions is now InterAct Ministries and works with some of the least-reached communities across Alaska, Canada and Russia.

Nadine never lost an opportunity to challenge others in their life’s purpose. She was known as a prayer warrior, an encourager, and a counselor to her final days. Above all, she was committed and consistent in her love for the Lord. She practiced the scripture; “For me living means opportunities for Christ, and dying, well that’s better yet!” Philippians 1:21 LB

Historic Storm Impacts InterAct Alaska

New Year’s weekend of 2022 rolled into Alaska’s Mat-Su Valley with historic blasting winds and below zero temperatures. Gov. Mike Dunleavy issued a state disaster declaration for the area on Monday, January 3rd. The governor also issued disaster declarations for the Fairbanks North Star Borough and Copper River Basin REAA, where InterAct missionaries serve.

A tree fell away from apartments on campus during the storm, avoiding major damage.

The aftermath of days without power in 20-35°F below zero temperatures has particularly impacted InterAct’s Lazy Mountain Campus in Palmer, AK. The storm caused a swath of destruction throughout the city. It was common to see downed trees, snapped power lines, damaged power stations, flipped airplanes and trailers. A tree fell away from apartments on campus during the storm, avoiding major damage.

After the storm, a small team of InterAct staff on campus worked around the clock on broken plumbing and heating in multiple frozen dwellings on site. Three days after the main impact of the storm, Toby Curtis, InterAct ministry coordinator at Lazy Mountain, stated, “There’s only three of us here, and we could use more volunteers to help. We also just need rest.”

Join us in prayer for InterAct’s ministry team in the storm-affected areas of Alaska to have wisdom, support and rest.

Chad and Andrea Peterson were saved at a young age and developed a heart for missions before they knew each other. Andrea had been praying for God to show her where He wanted her to serve, and Chad had lived in a small village north of the Arctic Circle for a few months, where he developed a heart for the Alaska Native people. After meeting in February 2013, they fell in love with each other’s hearts for serving God. They were married by November of that year and now have three beautiful children.

Chad and Andrea Peterson serve in Copper Center, AK ministering in the village.

In 2016, Chad and Andrea began working towards their dream and goal of reaching the people of Alaska through InterAct Ministries. In August 2021, the Peterson family arrived on the field in Copper Center with a desire to make disciples through building intimate relationships with Alaska Natives. They work closely with InterAct team members Ron and Jean Paull, ministering in the village through discipling, church planting, and children’s ministry.

Andrea has enjoyed ministering to Native young people in sometimes unexpected ways through a children’s Bible club ministry. There, kids spend time in God’s Word and can make new friends. In addition, Andrea has had opportunities to develop relationships with teen volunteers who come to help with the program. The Petersons are hopeful that God will open doors for them to work with Alaska Native kids and youth in the Chitna area as well.

Chad also works one day a week at the local airport, where he’s had the opportunity to get to know coworkers, and he serves in the local church, which is critical to their ministry. In May 2022, the Petersons look forward to the arrival of a short-term team that will work on Strelna Lake Bible Camp, which will be another integral part of their ministry. They are excited for all God has in store for them and the people He has placed in the path of this ministry!

In an instant of time, the calendar flipped from 2021 to 2022. The significance of that moment was lost on me. After three long days of travel on snowy roads, I was oblivious to the fireworks crackling outside my window. I didn’t have a long list of resolutions that I would soon forget, but I did wake up on New Year’s Day, recognizing the implication of a new beginning. One look at the creation story reveals the embedded rhythms of life. There’s day and night, six days of labor then rest, spring always follows winter, and the earth circles the sun in yearly regularity. Those rhythms are God’s gift of structure and renewal.

Stories abound of God working in 2021. That year has ended, and its history is written in stone, to be remembered but never to change. The potential of 2022 is ripe with anticipation. We move forward with confidence in the Lord of the Harvest, trusting Him for transformed lives, maturing disciples and gathered believers.

InterAct’s vision and methodology have changed little over our 70-year history. We continue to prioritize relationships, walking shoulder to shoulder with those we serve. This year we again look for fresh ways to accomplish our God-given mandate–make disciples, gather and reproduce. 2022 will see expanded training in the best methods for communicating the gospel through better worldview understanding and chronological teaching of the Word. Attention will be given to training both staff and those we serve to become more skilled in communicating Scripture’s answers for life’s challenges. Growing committed Christ-followers among the next generation will be a priority. We dream of growth among our whole-life discipleship pro-grams and youth ministries across Canada and Alaska despite current pandemic limitations.

At the top of my 2022 list remains the commitment to be a growing lover of Jesus that overflows with His love! If my passion spills over to challenge the daily lives of InterAct’s missionaries, and that passion spreads the aroma of Christ across the North Pacific Crescent, I will consider 2022 to be an excellent year.

Will you partner with us to bring the hope of Jesus Christ to the North Pacific Crescent?

InterACTION is a publication of InterAct Ministries

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