Back Home

Well, I’m writing this final blog from Kansas, after having returned from my 10 ½ month term of voluntary service in Anchorage, Alaska. Looking back, I am really grateful for this year of service. For me, it was a good hiatus from academics and a time to learn more about myself and others. The most important aspect of this year, in my mind, is the relationships built and nurtured. If there’s one thing I learned it is that it’s always worth the effort to invest time and energy to get to know someone deeper. It is easy to live in the same house with someone and never get beyond a superficial relationship, even if it is one of mutual tolerance. Though I am guilty of some of this, I leave Service Adventure feeling like part of a family with our unit. To me, much of the joy of life is given from relationships with others.

As I look back to my arrival in August 2013, there are many memories I will cherish deeply. Here is a sampling:

• many sunrise and sunset photography trips to various points on the Anchorage coast
• cross-country skiing at all times of the day
• hiking many of the peaks near Anchorage and seeing a glimpse into the true wilderness of Alaska
• late-night conversations and snacks in the kitchen
• some of the most scenic locations for playing soccer and running I’ve ever experienced
• the joys of creatively cooking food for others
• the many shared laughs and jokes among the unit

I return home with new energy and excitement that will go with me as I soon travel to Goshen College to begin a new chapter of life. For the time being however, I am thoroughly enjoying being “home.” All the seemingly normal things that I previously took for granted but missed while up in Alaska… Friends and family who I have not seen for a long while… The familiar sights, sounds, and smells of home… Seeing the changes that have taken place while I have been gone…

As I wrap up this blog, I would like to say a big thank you to all my readers. Thank for your support all year, for your interest in what I had to say and show, for your prayers. I truly appreciate it.

Signing off,

Mark

Watching a winter sunset in Anchorage

On the Anvik

I regret the lack of any new material on my blog in the past couple months. To be sure, it is not for a lack of inspiration or things to write about. May and June were quite busy for us in the Anchorage Service Adventure unit. With summer in Alaska comes more daylight than one can use and a tenfold increase in energy compared to winter. In the past two weeks alone, I thoroughly enjoyed having my parents up for a visit and our unit’s  year-end trip to Seward and Homer – involving everything from a ferry ride to hiking and exploring glaciers to sea kayaking.

However, my time in Alaska is quickly coming to a close (July 14 is my last day up in the last frontier), and I’m not sure I have time to share everything I’d like too. So I’m doing to write about my latest adventure. My final four days of work at the Bureau of Land Management were spent in remote Alaska, assisting one of BLM’s wildlife biologists (Bruce) in a breeding bird survey.

The breeding bird survey is a “cooperative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey's Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and Environment Canada's Canadian Wildlife Service to monitor the status and trends of North American bird populations.” There are many routes (our survey was one such route) around North America.

My tent the first night on a Yukon river sand bar

The actual survey only takes half a day – much of the total four days were spent getting to and from the location of the survey. Day 1 included a 320 mile flight from Anchorage to the village of Aniak, a 20 minute flight to the village of Holy Cross. Here, we picked up our boat and put in on the Yukon River. After camping on a sand bar, we finished up the 40 river miles on the Yukon and reached the village of Anvik. After filling up with more gas, we proceeded to boat 70 river miles down the Anvik River and camped, in place for the bird survey the next day.

Our (somewhat) trusty boat

Our gear in front - including a shotgun for any bears that should (but didn't)  become dangerously interested in us

Campsite on the Anvik

Bruce, a wildlife biologist with BLM and excellent bird identifier

The following morning, we woke up at 4:00 am, packed up camp, and begin the survey. It consisted of 50 three minute observation windows, one every half mile for a 25 mile stretch of the Anvik River. During each of these three-minute observations, Bruce listened and looked for any bird. Upon identifying one, he called out its name, and I checked a tally on a data sheet. I really saw the depth of Bruce’s birding knowledge, as he identified dozens of birds by their calls alone. 

recording data

After completing all 50 stops, and 6 hours later, we had identified over 40 species, from the Red-breasted Merganser to the Semi-palmated Plover, the Slate-colored junco to the Hudsonian Godwit. The data we collected will later be submitted to USGS and used to help establish trends of bird populations and, as a result, inform land use decisions.

the data sheet

Fieldwork is often romanticized and thought of as some sort of vacation. While I did greatly relish the opportunity – participating in scientific study and seeing a new and remote part of Alaska especially – it wasn’t without its difficulties. Mosquitoes are known to be quite rampant in this part of the state, and while they weren’t as severe as they might have been, I was quite glad to be using a “bug jacket” that kept out most of the pesky insects. Also, we experienced issues with our jetboat (being used instead of a propeller due to the shallow waters of rivers) – a little pump that brings water up to cool the engine wasn’t working and the engine was overheating as a result. Luckily, a remote river lodge on the Anvik had the spare part, and we did a quick change out.

I got to get in on a little boat repair!

the much appreciated bug jacket

I returned rather tired, but nonetheless definitely happy about the trip. It was my first actual experience with boat travel and it was a great way to wrap up my time at the Bureau of Land Management.

Thank you all for your continued thoughts and prayers as I wrap up my term here in Alaska. I’ll be sad to leave, but I’m also excited to return home!

We Have a Tuned Piano!

The piano tuner at work

After what seems like a much too lengthy and arduous process, there is finally a tuned piano in the Anchorage Service Adventure house. To make a long story short, for a while we had two pianos, but both were out of tune (you can read more about this and hear some piano pieces here). I recently managed to sell the worse of the two pianos, thereby financing a tuning for the second, higher quality instrument. And six months after I begun the quest for a better piano, we finally have one! To say the least, it has been an extra joy to play pieces on it – chords sound much better and it gives a new life and vibrancy to pieces. Though it may not sound like it's tuned on your speakers, trust me! To celebrate, I thought I’d share a couple pieces I’ve been working on as of late. Enjoy!

 

Prelude Op. 11 No. 5, Andante Cantabile - Scriabin

Prelude in E-flat Major, Op. 23, No. 6 - Rachmaninoff

A Weekend in Seattle

Two weeks ago, I had the privilege of traveling to Seattle, Washington to participate in a retreat sponsored by the Forum for Theological Exploration (FTE). If you haven’t heard of FTE, then you’re in the same boat as I was before coming to the retreat. In their own words, FTE is “a leadership incubator that inspires young people to make a difference in the world through Christian communities.” They basically provide resources and help build networks for young adults interested in exploring their vocation as a follower of Christ. Case in point: the “Discernment Retreat” that I attended along with 80 odd other service. You may be wondering what exactly one does at a discernment retreat. In fact, many of us attendees were wondering the very same when we arrived. All we knew was that some organization had paid for us to come to Washington for a weekend of dialogue and interaction. Well, it turned out to be a great event. We basically spent our time together talking about the idea of vocation and God’s call in our lives, with a special emphasis on a call to serving others. Here are some things I brought away from the weekend:

-An expanded view of who is involved in Christian service. I realized how narrow a view I had of Christian service. I was familiar only with Mennonite voluntary service opportunities, and though I vaguely realized that Mennonites weren’t the only ones giving their lives in tangible service, it didn’t really hit me until I saw the different denominations and backgrounds that other attendees came from. There were Episcopals, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Baptists, Unitarian Universalists, Catholics, and more. It was at once humbling and strengthening to realize how vast the network of young adults serving God and others really was. And of course, it’s always fun and exciting to make connections with other people: a Jesuit Volunteer also serving in Anchorage, someone who had volunteered with the same program in the same city as I did one summer during high school, and another who is good friends with someone on my soccer team here in Anchorage. The world is indeed small.

-Time to think on my vocation and calling. I was challenged to think on how God is calling me in my life. We mulled over questions such as “Who am I?” “What gifts do I bring?” “What do I love that loves me back?” “What is my identity and how can I articulate it in a full, poetic, nuanced way?” Many of the other attendees had graduated college and had many questions ahead of them of career, financial security, and what direction their lives would hold. For me, I feel as if my next four years of college are fairly defined and some of the uncertainties are farther away. That being said, I still found the question of God’s call in my life very pertinent. Where is God calling me? How will my time in college nourish and prepare me to serve others? How do I take what I love to the world’s needs?

-Renewed inspiration and energy for the rest of my term and beyond. The retreat was a time of replenishment for me. All around me, I saw creative, passionate, interesting people, excited about what they were doing in their service placements and full of hope for the future. It has been all too easy this year to – amidst both the routine and excitement – forget exactly why I am here in Anchorage, Alaska. The other young adults I met in Seattle re-encouraged me to focus on why I am here; not for a job, not to hike, not to photograph, but to serve others as Christ served.

We had great weather in Seattle for almost all of the weekend.

The retreat was at a beautiful church camp so I managed to make some time to explore their trail newtork

When I went to the retreat, not much spring green had appeared in Anchorage yet. It was a visual feast, then, to see the lush greenery in Washington.

Fundraiser Notecards

At the end of every Service Adventure term, the unit takes a year-end trip. This trip is a time to deepen our unit relationships, see a new part of the state that we maybe weren’t able to earlier, and have a fun time before ending our term and heading back home. This year, we are planning to explore the Kenai Peninsula, an area of land south of Anchorage and how to all sorts of interesting and beautiful places and events. To help raise funds for this trip, our unit is selling (limited edition) nature photography notecards. Each notecard set features 10 different images of local Alaskan beauty, made by myself or one of my unit mates, Marlene Allebach. Images are printed on high quality glossy cardstock and come with accompanying envelopes. The price is $20 per notecard set. If you live outside Anchorage, we are offering free shipping! You can order and pay with PayPal by following this link or email me at mrkreider@cox.net and send us a check in the mail (made out to Service Adventure) to 1310 W. 47th Ave, Anchorage, AK, 99503. I would also be happy to answer any questions you may have. Our unit thanks you for your support – through financial means, prayer, and all the other ways you help to make our experience possible. Thank you!

The front of the notecard set box

The back of the box, showing the 10 images featured.

Three of the Alaskan nature photography images featured.

Easter!

Happy Easter everyone! This morning the new dawn ushered in new life and light. Through Jesus’ resurrection, God has triumphed over death. Love has made a mockery of evil and we are given a new hope. I hope you have a joyful Easter season and enjoy these few photos of our window garden – a sign of the new life we see in Christ.

green onions

spinach

tomatoes

And finally, some of the eggs our unit dyed on Saturday - one of my favorite Easter activities!

A Glacial Glimpse

For many of you reading this, I would presume that winter is either partially or fully done with the process of ceding power over to spring. The same is happening here in Anchorage; sidewalks are mostly clear of snow, it is beginning to smell earthy and fresh, and one hears birds chirping in delight. However, before winter is reduced to only a memory, I would like to share one last adventure from the season. 

Several weeks ago, our unit drove down to Portage Glacier, one of the closest accessible glaciers to Anchorage. About 45 miles southeast of Anchorage, we have been meaning to check out the glacier for a while now, and finally took the opportunity. Like so many glaciers in the world today, Portage Glacier has retreated significantly over the past several decades (check out http://extremeicesurvey.org/, a project combining the art and science of photography to document the effects of climate change and other human activities on glaciers).  In 1986, a visitor center was built at one end of Portage Lake, across which the glacier lay. Today, the glacier has retreated around the flank of a mountain and can no longer be seen from the visitor center. In order to see it, folks are left with the options of hiking in, taking a short cruise, or through the use of a plane. In winter however, Portage Lake is frozen and so we were able to ski across the lake to see the face of the glacier. 

A graphic showing the retreat of Portage Glacier, around the corner and out of sight of the Visitor Center

Skiing across the lake to the glacier (which can't be seen in this image but is about a mile straight in, and then right)

A glacier is a thing of great beauty, and a clear blue sky served to heighten its appearance, allowing light to penetrate down into the blue recesses of the ice. Glaciers are otherworldly in their form and gigantic scale. Portage is a small glacier compared with many others in Alaska and elsewhere, but humans are still dwarfed by the huge face. I was drawn to the jagged forms of some of ice and the smooth, sculpted form of other parts. 

A glacier is also a thing of great power. Though one may initially think of glaciers as inert objects, they are in constant motion. As we watched the glacier, loud pops, cracks, and grating sounds could be heard from within. We witnessed several small ice calving events, the process whereby pieces of ice break away from the face of the glacier. The largest of these, upon falling from the face, produced a surface wave on the ice; much like what happens when something is dropped into water. It was slightly unsettling to see the ice sheet a quarter mile away rising and rippling towards us. Glancing sideways towards where the ice-covered lake met a rock cliff, one could see the entire ice sheet we were standing on moving slowly up and down perhaps a foot or more.  In fact, ice is very flexible and a small disturbance like this probably isn’t anything to worry about, provided you are a safe distance away from the calving face. But it does pay to take heed of the potential dangers associated with glaciers and respect the tremendous power that exists within them.

A chunk of ice calves off from the face of the glacier 

people probably standing too close to the glacier

two figures are dwarfed by the glacier