Alaska Is...
Alaska is God’s majestic expression of nature.
Final Reflections
No one can properly prepare for the impact of this trip; not the reading of James’s Michener’s Alaska, not the looking at three year’s worth of photos of your daughter’s previous Alaskan trips, and not talking to friends who have been part of the project. Nothing. There are many wonderful memories associated with my 10 days in our country’s most spectacular state. My own personal memory that summed up all that is Alaska was around midnight at Seaside Farms. The camp was quiet for the night except for the sound of a fellow camper, not part of our group, who was playing a very beautiful and haunting Celtic song on his violin. There I sat outside my tent overlooking Kamchatka Bay with the Kenai Mountains extending from as far as you could see from East to West - looking at nature’s most spectacular landscape, listening to the birds, the violin, God’s magic moment.
Yet, my greatest and proudest memories involved the observation of my daughter (a senior Junior Leader) interact and lead fellow students. We all observe our children on a daily basis and take many things as they mature for granted; yet to be in a position to watch them become a leader before your very eyes is truly a gift. So here we are in the security line at the Anchorage airport ready to present ID. For those who travel and it does not matter how often, there is always a sense of anxiety at this moment. One step away from the man with the badge checking ID’s, a student realizes one of her AGLP water bottles is full. You can see panic set into her face and at the edge of tears. Up steps Roni Ranville, asking for the bottle, and within 10 seconds chugs down the water, and then hands back the bottle as if she just took a sip of Coke. Uncomfortable moment avoided. The TSA security man smiles and says, “Wow.” The kids laugh and move on through security. Dad, bursting with pride, knows that his baby girl is all grown up. That is what the Alaskan Great Lake Project is all about… |
- Paul