CJ & Autumn Miller

We were blessed to be in Iowa to celebrate with some of our very favorite people!
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CJ & I were honeymooning on Vancouver Island, BC Canada. We backpacked the Juan de Fuca trail along the coast. I still love that guy. Happy anniversary CJ!

                                     Brooks Range Bible Camp 2011

            We made it safely back from the Brooks Range where we directed Bible Camp the last two and a half weeks.  Autumn & I came home Sunday night worn out physically, emotionally and spiritually, but thankful to be used by God. Thank you all for your prayers!

            When we arrived at Kingdom Air Corps in Chickaloon, AK to prepare for camp, jumped into a whirlwind of activity.  We had four days to finish getting ten small airplanes ready for the long flight north, finish orientation with camp staff, and get to know the staff that we would be serving with over the next two and a half weeks.  With the Lord’s help we took off only 20 minutes behind schedule on Monday morning, July 11th! 

            The flight north was uneventful and we made it into Paradise Valley, the gold mine where camp is held, in one day!  We spent that evening getting the grounds ready for campers who would arrive the next day.

            Tuesday morning we awoke to low clouds that prevented us from taking off early to pick up kids, however, by midnight all 30 kids had landed at camp!  The staff settled in with the 8 to 12 year old campers and geared up for four great days of camp.  Autumn & I really enjoyed playing games and swimming with the kids!  They love to swim, even in the ice-cold stream on a cold and rainy day!  Chapel was held twice a day where we memorized the armor of God passage in Ephesians 6:10-19 together & Mike Roub, pastor of Chickaloon Bible Church, spoke each night.  Most of the kids seemed to enjoy their time at Brooks Range Bible Camp.  There was some tension between the kids of different villages, but by the end of camp most of the kids were getting along very well.

            Sunday morning eight airplanes took off for the village of Anaktuvuk Pass.  They were filled with 15 campers and 10-15 camp staff.  The campers were heading home, and the staff was excited to attend church in their small village!  Autumn shared with the church elders what was done at camp that week and thanked them for sending their kids. Meanwhile, the pilots continued to shuttle youth campers out of Paradise Valley and teen campers in.  The staff had no rest between camps and it was only by the Lord’s strength we were able to handle this!  By Sunday night we had completely converted to Teen Camp. 

It was a real treat for Autumn & I to see familiar camper faces from past years.  They remembered us and we were excited to see how they had matured over the years.  In the past, Teen Camp had been very difficult due to hard hearts, but this year most teens had been to BRBC as youth campers, and were hungry for God’s Word!  As we worked to memorize Ephesians 6:10-19 campers were so eager that they worked ahead to memorize the next chapel’s verse.  It was very encouraging to see how the Lord continues to work even after camp is done. 

We had twenty three teen campers, eight more than we expected.  Due to some rule breaking we had to send 5 of the campers home.  This was very difficult for us as directors, and it broke our hearts to send them home, but the Lord worked through even this.  In sending some of the young men home, they began to understand that their actions do have consequences.  When we sat down with the two girls going home, we boldly shared Jesus’ gift of salvation and one came to know the Lord as her Savior, while the other was encouraged in her walk with Jesus.

We returned the campers to Anaktuvuk Pass, Wiseman, & Allakaket Friday morning, cleaned up all the cabins and trails that afternoon, and took off for home by five o’clock that evening!  Everyone was exhausted.  After landing in Fairbanks we realized there wasn’t enough daylight to get back to Kingdom Air Corps, so we stayed the night with friends in Fairbanks, and continued our journey the following day.  All the old airplanes made it safely to camp and back, which was a miracle in itself.

Autumn & I are back home in Port Alsworth now, and thankful for a slow week at work which allows us to catch up and regain strength.  Thank you all for your prayers and support!  We couldn’t have done this without many praying for us as we went to battle for the souls of these precious children of Alaska. Please continue to pray for the kid’s spiritual growth & that we would have an opportunity to visit & encourage them this fall.

CJ & I have been appointed as the camp directors for Brooks Range Bible Camp this summer! We plan to depart Port Alsworth for King Ranch Thursday, July 7th to begin staff orientation for camp. Weather permitting, ten small aircraft takeoff from King Ranch Monday, July 11th, headed north, past Fairbanks, crossing the Arctic Circle & into the Brooks Range mountains. Lord willing, there will be two weeks of Bible camp at Paradise Valley, an old gold mining camp. If all goes well, we are scheduled to pick younger kids up via aircraft Tuesday, July 12th in their villages. Sunday we return the young kids & pick up teenagers for camp until Friday, July 22.

Please be praying for:
- CJ & I in this new leadership role
- Kids & teenagers to come to know the Lord
- Safety for all aircraft
- Our stress level as we are super busy with life & work right now
- Relationships to be maintained with the villages
- Unity of camp staff
- Wisdom in decisions
- Camp to be an encouragement to those who already know the Lord

Last weekend we set out on a backpacking adventure to Kontrashabuna Lake. We packed a bear gun, coffee grounds & plenty of warm gear. CJ & I  cinched our packs & began from our front door, through town & into the mountains. Teco carried her own food in her doggie pack & blazed trail for us all. We met Luke, Eliza & Mike at the trail head & trudged through the mud to Tanalian Falls. Kontrash Lake was a short hike away. We borrowed canoes to get to our desired camp site up lake. Teco decided she would rather ride than swim the distance, so she jumped in with Luke while Eliza & I walked the shoreline. We spent Saturday doing important things: trolling the shore in canoes, gathering firewood, and watching the sheets of ice separate & melt into the water. With Luke's fishing skills, we were able to catch 13 lake trout with little effort. For dinner we feasted on lemon-battered trout cooked over the fire & s'mores. The great Alaskan sun stayed up past midnight & so did we. Once in our tents, we slept lightly, listening for sounds of bears & wolves. Sunday breakfast was coffee, fruit & more fish! 

    I had the opportunity to spend time at my grandparent's house while CJ was in Georgia quail hunting. Christy was there as well & we were able to get spoiled together. Grandma cooked hearty meals & we iced grandma's favorite sugar cookies together in fun spring shapes. Grandpa beat us in Caroms, as usual, & told us stories of growing up during the depression. We drank coffee & laughed late into the night.
    During my time in Ohio I was reminded of the wonderful legacy my grandparents are leaving. They have led selfless lives, even in their retirement years. Their time has been purposely spent on things of eternal importance. Grandma & Grandpa have consistently invested in people & God's kingdom, which was evident even in our short time together last week. Grandma's testimony came up casually in conversation & the working of God in her life is part of a greater story. I am greatly blessed to have grandparents that pray for me & encourage me to store up treasures in heaven.

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth & rust destroy, & where thieves break in & steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth & rust do not destroy, & where thieves do not break in & steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Matthew 6:19-21