Youth With A Mission - Fairbanks, Alaska

Upon the arrival of our new staff family last July, whom we moved into what was then our office, work began on contruction of a new, "trapper-style", log office.

Former office--now serving its original purpose as a two-bedroom staff house for the Rychener family.

A dear Christian brother, Charlie Bohart, brought his backhoe over and donated his time to dig the foundation!

Mission Builder, Mike Stenberg, from California, spent a month with us and was a big help to Ken in getting the foundation ready for the logs.

In August we had the awesome help of a team of adults and teens from a church in Missouri.  They peeled and toted logs, helped lay them up, and helped us get the roof on--all in one week!

Work had halted for a bit as funds ran dry, but a generous love gift to install a heat source put us back on course to continue the finish work on the interior, even as winter set in in earnest!

Lord willing, we look forward to moving into our new office quarters in the springtime!  A huge thanks to all who have contributed their labors, finances, and prayers to get us this far!

On December 3rd-5th the Wallaces and the Rycheners traveled to Minto to offer two nights of teaching to the church. Minto, an Athabascan village of several hundred, is located about a three hours drive from Fairbanks. 

YWAM Fairbanks began establishing relationships in Minto as early as 1999, when one of our Norwegian staff members--Arne Jortveit--began living  there part-time.  Arne then spent 4-5 years as a fulltime resident of Minto, occasionally joined for a season by other short-term YWAM staff.  While there Arne's focus was "friendship evangelism" and, in light of such, just served, loved on, prayed with, played with and worked alongside the village residents.  Arne's legacy of love is evident as the Minto folks express how much they miss him and ask when he might return!  (IRS regulations forced Arne to return home to Scandinavia a few years back, where an unexpected blessing awaited...a BRIDE!)

Janelle Rychener poses in front of a pretty sunrise over Minto Flats.

Janelle and Josh Rychener, YWAM Fairbanks staff, teach on godly communication between couples as Minto folks, Josh and Vera Weiser, listen.