Inside Story: The Key to an Alaskan Village

Inside Story for Friday 27th of December 2024

By Andrew McChesney

Mission pilot Jim Kincaid found it hard work to fly from remote village to remote village in the U.S. state of Alaska. Taking off and landing in the bush was the easy part. Finding Alaska Native hearts who were receptive to the gospel message was more challenging.

Image © Pacific Press

It looked like trouble when Jim landed his small plane at a settlement about 150 miles north of Fairbanks. He was flying literature evangelists from village to village to sell Bibles and other Christian literature. As he parked, all-terrain vehicles swarmed around the plane. The occupants were very unwelcoming.

“Who are you?” one said.

“What are you doing there?” said another.

At that moment, Jim remembered a name. A man from the village had attended one or two evangelistic meetings that Jim had led in Fairbanks sometime earlier. Jim turned to the village gatekeepers.

“Is Robert Frank in town?” he asked.

Immediately, their expressions changed. Angry looks gave way to curiosity and then hospitality.

“Oh, you know Robert Frank?” said one.

“We will take you to see him!” said another.

Jim was taken to visit Robert. It was like he had the key to the village.

Robert was eating a meal when Jim arrived, and unfortunately didn’t immediately recognize the pilot. Jim had to remind him about how and why they knew each other. But then Robert remembered, and he was very cordial. He offered Jim a piece of fresh bear meat.

And so it was that Jim and the literature evangelists gained entry into a new village that otherwise would have been out of reach. All it had taken was knowing someone’s name.

Jesus also knows people’s names. Jesus said that He, the Good Shepherd, “calls his own sheep by name and leads them out” (John 10:3, NKJV).

If Jesus knows names, might it also be a good for His followers to follow His example?

“Knowing someone in the village, even if it is just knowing the name of a person in the village, can give you rapport with an entire village,” Jim said. “It’s like in any culture. If you remember someone’s name, it goes a long way.”

Part of this quarter’s Thirteenth Sabbath Offering will help to open a center of influence for Alaska Natives in Bethel, Alaska. Thank you for planning a generous offering this Sabbath.