Four Concordia students joined a mission team from St. John Lutheran Church in Seward June 20-28 to Akiachak, Alaska. This was the fifth annual trip from Seward to provide Bible camps and basketball camps for children in Akiachak, a remote Yupik village along the Kuskokwim River.
“The door is opening for ongoing work in this village as together, St. John and Concordia work to share the love of Christ with the Yupik Indians of Akiachak,” said Rev. Scott Bruick, senior pastor at St. John. “For the residents of the village to see a mission team from the same town in Nebraska and from the same church come back time and time again, this is confirmation to them that we care.”
About 600 people live in Akiachak, approximately 140 of which are children. The group from Seward incorporated Bible stories, drama, crafts, music and prayer into each afternoon’s Bible camp followed by basketball camps for different age groups where children and youth participated in drills and scrimmages before having a sports-based devotional time with the team leaders in the evening.
The team worked with the approval of the village elders and under the guidance of Alaska Mission for Christ, a recognized service organization of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod.
Students participating in the mission trip included:
Amanda Abbott, junior, Lincoln, Neb.
Cody Eitzmann, senior, Hardy, Neb.
Rachel Dahlke, junior, Everett, Wash.
Katelyn Peterson, junior, Ord, Neb.
