Finish Well

How do you finish something well? Is it about the actual accomplishment of the task, the attitude along the way, or the people that you meet and impact each day? Each day with Doulos we have taken time to learn about servant-leadership. For us, it hasn’t been so much about the task at hand, but the person doing it. How do you treat the people you work with and for? Are you living and leading like Jesus?

The last group brought a lot of physical finishes. The bike trail around Shallow Lake that we had begun early in the summer was finally completed amidst swarms of mosquitos. We were even able to add a gravel base to each end of the trail by hauling wheelbarrows and buckets full of gravel we dug out from the side of a mound. Another project that we finished was the disassembly of a second Quonset hut; a project they have discussed for years. More metal was scrapped and organized as well as having a crew on wood cutting all week long. We also wrapped up the last of the bagged lunches for regular summer camp.

There was something special about the conversations and people in this group. I saw how God has used my experiences to relate to and encourage some of the girls. I saw the coming together of different people and personalities. And I saw the impact that a week at camp can have on one person. This group was the second group of youth from the same church as group three. Because of the time spent with the first group, we had common ground and were already familiar with some of the group dynamics. Benjamin and I both agreed that it was amazing that you can get to know someone fairly well in such a short time. We have been incredibly thankful for the people who have surrounded us this summer. The examples of leadership, hard work, and diligence were displayed in a variety of different personalities over the summer.

It has now been nearly a week since the last Doulos group left Victory Bible Camp, and I am finishing this update from the airport as we wait to board our final flight home. A lot has happened in that week. The majority of summer staff departed while we were in Seward with our last group and when we returned it was a much quieter camp than we had left behind. We were able to spend time with a lot of friends in the community in the last few days we spent in Alaska. I will add some pictures from our trip to Valdez as well as our trail ride around camp. Spending time with friends was the perfect way to end a wonderful summer. We are so thankful that we were able to come and serve for another summer and we will miss the people who made it so incredible.

Thank you for following along on our summer journey and for praying for us as we continue to seek the Lord wherever we are. We look forward to connecting with each of you again soon and sharing more of our experiences with you!

–Mikaela