Show Notes
There are 250 remote villages in Alaska that remain largely untouched. Every year, Samaritan’s Purse builds a brand-new church in one of these remote places, taking the Gospel to village-dwellers. Corey Lynch, who is the director of North American Ministries’ projects in Alaska, spoke with Kristy Graham about the most recent church build in Mekoryuk, and how much he loves taking part in this challenging project.
Kristin Holben, the regional program manager for this project, shared what it is like to live in these native villages for months on end, intentionally building relationships with the people, and in turn, building the Kingdom of God. In Mekoryuk, Kristin’s own faith was challenged as she witnessed an alive and vibrant church. The people gather for hours at a time to worship and share how God is at work in their lives.
“We get to live among the people that we are serving and ministering to. It's so much easier then to build deeper relationships, and so the Gospel that we are sharing, we get to live out from day to day and they see that.”—Kristin Holben
Corey talks about the importance of longevity in these church construction projects. The goal is to build a structure that can last. It becomes the center of the village, but more importantly, it makes a spiritual impact on the community as people make disciples.
“My heart is to give a building that's an incredible place to come and be comfortable. And obviously the goal is to bring the Gospel closer to people's hearts.”—Corey Lynch
This project, just like all Samaritan’s Purse projects, could not continue without constant prayer. Kristin shares how essential prayer is and provides ways for listeners to pray for the project and the people residing in remote Alaska.
“And these projects are covered in prayer from the very first time we even hear about where we're going, often a year before the project starts, until well after the project is finished. When things are covered in prayer, the Lord is able to work, and [He] just continues to work through us and in us.”—Kristin Holben
Mekoryuk is so remote that the people on the island first heard the Gospel in the 1930s. While living in this community, Corey had the privilege to hear stories about how people were exposed the Gospel. One man named Tom remembers being a little boy and someone bringing a Bible in and presenting the Gospel to his parents. It created a ripple effect that would continue on for generations. The Gospel has changed the hearts, minds, and lives of families.
“[Tom’s] dad basically said ‘This is what our culture has been looking for this whole time. This is what we've needed.’ and he said, ‘Now that I've heard these words, I don't need bread anymore. I don't need water anymore. These words of Jesus Christ will strengthen me the rest of my days.’”—Corey Lynch
Join us in praying for this team as they prepare for next year’s church build. Pray for the people in these remote Alaskan villages, that they would follow Jesus the rest of their lives. If you’d like to keep up to date with more stories from On the Ground, please visit samaritanspurse.org.
Every year, Samaritan’s Purse builds a church in remote Alaska as part of our efforts to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Hear from Corey and Kristin, who work on this project year-round, about the challenges and joys that they encounter while serving as well as how you can pray for these church builds and the people in these isolated areas.
Resources
· Read more about Samaritan’s Purse church build in Mekoryuk, Alaska.
· Volunteer with U.S. Disaster Relief and Alaska Church Builds.
· Listen to “Passing the Torch in Ecuador: Operation Christmas Child” to hear what it was like for Wheaton College students and staff to take part in Operation Christmas Child outreach events and a graduation ceremony for The Greatest Journey.