Big News!

Greetings!

We are excited to share with you that we have accepted a position as full-time staff at Victory Bible Camp in Glacier View, Alaska! Most people in our lives are at least vaguely aware that we have spent most of our summers in the recent past doing something in Alaska. That “something” has been volunteering at Victory Bible Camp (VBC). It has been roughly ten years since God first introduced us to the ministry that would challenge and shape us throughout the coming years. In 2016, when Mikaela finished her first summer at Victory serving as a cabin leader in what is now the “Venture” camp, she knew God would continue to use VBC to challenge and grow her faith in the next year, but had no idea that would still be true 10 years later. Benjamin eventually decided to also apply for the summer after being introduced to VBC through Mikaela’s summer trips. As God worked out the details, we were both able to serve simultaneously at camp in 2019.

It was during that summer that Benjamin felt a clear and direct call to help at camp. In obedience to that call, he packed his bags in the fall of 2019 and drove up the Al-Can to spend the winter as an intern at VBC. During that time he experienced some of the highs and lows of camp ministry in the “off-season”. Benjamin spent the winter shoveling snow, spending long days in the kitchen, completing odd jobs around camp, helping with the church youth group and getting to know the community. (We are looking forward to rekindling these connections and deepening longheld friendships.) Benjamin returned to PA in the spring of 2020 to propose to Mikaela and as we planned our wedding for the coming Fall, we also looked forward to another summer of ministry. The summer of 2020 was an exciting and fruitful year of ministry at VBC, and another summer which we assumed would be our last. Yet that winter, we got a call asking us to come back to serve as a couple with Doulos.

Named for the Greek word Paul uses when describing his relationship with Christ (Doulos) the program seeks to challenge youth to lead and serve like Christ did: to make the faith they grew up around their own and to live what they claim to believe. The Doulos program is designed to welcome church youth groups as work teams in order to accomplish many of the time-consuming and repetitive projects around camp, such as splitting wood and baking cookies. More than that, however, it is a chance for discipleship and ownership of their faith. We look forward to taking over the leadership of this program and pray that God will continue to use it to bless and encourage all who encounter the ministry at camp. 

We will be running Doulos full time in the summer months and during the winter Benjamin will assist in maintaining the facilities at camp. As we prepare to move forward in obedience to God’s call on our lives, we recognize that it won’t all be easy. Leaving behind a thriving construction business, our home near our families, the convenience of self-employment, and – to be quite honest – easy access to cheap locally grown food, is not an easy thought, but living in obedience to God with open hands to his will is absolutely worth it. 

As we look forward to stepping into this new role we are asking you to join us. Most importantly we need your prayers. As we step into full-time ministry there are bound to be setbacks and spiritual attacks to slow us down, therefore we need your help in fighting the spiritual battles we will face. Please pray for us. VBC has purposed to keep costs as low as possible for campers, therefore, all staff raise support instead of receiving a salary. The prayer is that the burden of finances does not keep a child from hearing the gospel, so would you consider also supporting this ministry financially? Because of the increased cost of living in Alaska and the “hidden expenses” (like needing quality winter clothes, not having access to discount grocery stores, longer heating season, etc.) we are asking you to pray about giving on a monthly basis. Even $10-$15-$30 a month will add up. We know that where God has called, he will make a way because all the funds in the world belong to him anyway. We have simply been entrusted to steward well and listen to his direction. If 100 people re-allocate $67 a month to supporting God’s work at VBC on our behalf, we would reach the $80,000 yearly goal we have prayed over. If three people are able to give $300 a month, it drops that 100 total people down to 86. Join us in praying that God will connect us with the people he has already prepared to make this a financial reality. We have also been told that the cost of moving and settling in can be as much as 12-14k, so we have a need for larger one-time gifts to help fill that void. For us, this would look like travel and fuel expenses as well as repurchasing some furniture (and possibly washer/dryer) which are not worth hauling up. We also plan to sell all our current vehicles in order to purchase reliable transportation back and forth from town in all the seasons.

While we have set our move date for the end of March 2026, we are ready to move sooner if we reach the support needed. As per camp’s policy, before we “hit-the-road” we need to have the equivalent of two months’ salary in reserve as well as a bare minimum of 80% of monthly funding raised. We have a unique opportunity to rent a house just down the lane from camp which will allow us to continue to host and be involved in the local community (as we have been in PA). This also means we will have space to host any of you who are interested in experiencing VBC or Alaska firsthand! So please pray with us for humility, wisdom, and boldness as we move forward and take this leap of faith.

For those who are interested, VBC was founded in 1947, which was 12 years before Alaska became a state! Having grown from its original 80 acres to over 400 acres, VBC now is thrilled to welcome over 1,000 campers during the course of the summer camp season. Throughout the rest of the year it provides a beautiful conference and retreat site location for groups up to 300 people. As with any ministry there have been ups and downs over the years, but it is clearly a place where so many have experienced God at work. The words of the founder of VBC ring true and embody the heartbeat of camp even today: “More important than the physical facilities is the work of Grace wrought in the hearts and lives of literally hundreds [now thousands] of people. Not only have boys and girls been reached with the Word of God, but hundreds of young people who have served as counselors, and older ones who have helped in various ways, have seen missions first hand and lives and goals have changed for eternity.”

In Christ,

Benjamin & Mikaela Naugle (and family)

2 Peter 1:3-4

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

Please pray:

For humility, wisdom and boldness in our walk with Christ

That we would be connected quickly with the people God has chosen to financially support this mission

That lives will be changed even by hearing of VBC and Doulos

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See the contact page for more information on how to get in touch with us and follow this link if you are able to join the ministry financially.