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Jamestown (NY) Team to Work on ACC Campus
JAMESTOWN, NY (August 6, 2004) - A 14-member group from Zion Covenant Church
will leave next week for Soldotna, Alaska, where they will spend a week
working on the campus of Alaska Christian College (ACC). The group is
scheduled to return to Jamestown August 24.
Team members, ranging in age from high school through retirement,
include Marcia Ryan, Barb Hungerford, Ralph and Carolyn Johnson, Steve
and Becky Nystrom, Virgil and Marilyn Dey, Roger and Cindy Van Nostrand,
Kent Landin, Phil Landin and John and Carol Kepler. The mission team has
been meeting together since February to plan, pray and prepare
themselves for the experience, according to John Kepler, associate
pastor and team leader.
In addition to group travel expenses, $7,000 was raised in support of
the ACC campus projects. Funds came from a grant from Zion Covenant's
Mission and Evangelism Team and various fund-raising projects, including
a potato dinner, a golf scramble and auction, the sale of Costa Rican
coffee, a luncheon for the Chautauqua Area Retired Teachers group and
donations from Zion members. A very special contribution came in the
form of proceeds from candy sales generated by 10-year-old Will Pihl,
who sold candy in his neighborhood, at his school and following Sunday
morning worship services, Kepler noted.
"The people of Zion have been wonderful in their support," Kepler said,
also praising members of the mission team for their "variety of gifts
and abilities." The Zion team will be joined by members from the
Covenant church in Walnut Creek, California, who are scheduled to do
project work at the same time – "a bi-coastal effort" as Kepler puts it.
Another important aspect of this particular mission trip is the
incorporation of prayer partners, Kepler observed. "We have sought
prayer partners for each team member using a large poster in our
entryway. People sign up for a particular team member and take a little
reminder 'bookmark' that gives suggestions about what to be praying about."
The trip takes on more personal meaning as Kepler shares a story from
his past. "The fact that we're going to ACC was simply at my initiative
because I had heard of the school and felt it worthy of support," Kepler
explains. "But there is also a very unique and special personal story.
Twenty-five years ago I had the privilege of ministering to Glen
Ivanoff, a native Alaskan (Unalakleet) who was being treated for cancer
at the Veterans' Hospital in Seattle. At the time, Glen had a
five-year-old son and infant daughter. He made several trips to Seattle
(in and out of remission) and the Newport Covenant Church was very
supportive of the family. He went through extremely difficult times in
chemotherapy . . . I remember visits that were so difficult.
"Glen always said that he wanted his children to be raised with a
Christian education," Kepler continued. "Shortly after I left Seattle to
come to Chicago, Glen died. I remember writing his son, Curtis, a letter
sharing about his dad and his faith. Several years ago I was in an
elevator at a Covenant Midwinter Conference and found myself looking at
a name badge on a young man that displayed "Curtis Ivanoff." I asked him
if Glen was his father . . . and then told him who I was (I didn't have
my name badge on at the time). He looked at me with teary eyes and
hugged me saying, "I still have your letter." Indeed, it was Glen's son
who is now ministering through ACC and the Alaska Covenant Church."
Members of the mission team will be consecrated this Sunday during both
morning worship services at Zion Covenant and prayer partners will be
assigned. For more information on the Zion team, its preparations and
scheduled activities at ACC, call the Zion office staff at 716-488-9310.
Copyright © 2008 The Evangelical Covenant Church. |
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