My son and I were there as part of a missions group serving locals in the Crab Festival. This is an awesome time of celebration of one of Alaska’s most lucrative types of fishing, Crab Fishing. It happens every May and is so uniquely Alaskan. There is music, games, rides and more. The team of which I was a part was there to share the gospel by passing out gospel tracts, cocoa, hot lemonade and there was plenty of opportunity. This event brings out more than 10,000 people. These folks come from all walks of life and from every village around Kodiak.

I had been sharing the gospel with loads of people that day. I would catch people setting down resting or having a snack and take the opportunity to get someone to talk. It was great. Then I met him. There was this young man, probably 18 or 19 years of age. He was Native Alaskan. I started a conversation right after he got off of one of the rides. You could catch them while they were still dizzy and not walking too fast. He seemed surprisingly willing to talk so I did just that.

Like on our previous trip to Alaska, God uses all the circumstances around us to teach me more than I could ever imagine. This time would prove to be no different. The fellow who was willing to talk, the young man whom I have targeted to receive the gospel, the guy that I was going to teach about the Savior, was about to teach me something. This was going to be a big lesson. This was going to be a God sized lesson.

As I walked him through the Way of the Master, he was all about everything I was saying. He understood his need for a savior. He understood that he had transgressed God’s laws and was destined for hell It was time for me to ask the question…”Would you like to receive that gift?”. He thought for a moment and said, “But my priest says I’m ok”. Huh? His priest? He had just told me that he was concerned about going to Hell. Well his priest might be convinced where he was going, but he wasn’t. He needed to know. The bible says we can know.

I continued the conversation and then it hit a dead end. He was convinced his priest had his back. I just asked him a simple question…”Hey why don’t you come to the church Sunday for service and we will talk some more.” He looked at me and laughed. This young man, whom i had invested time, laughed right in my face. First, it was God’s time, not mine. Next, the lesson. I asked…”What is so funny?” He said, “I live in a village miles from here. The only way for me to get here is by plane.” I was sunk. I had no thought about the isolation. I had been to Alaska before. God called me to this vast land. I understood the distance and had talked about the isolation, but this time, it was smacking me dead in the face.

The reason we go to the villages is because in many cases, there is only one church and in some cases not even that. Many of these folks have never heard that the gospel is a gift and that it cannot be earned. We need to share the true gospel with these folks. We need to tell them that there is a God who loves them. We need introduce them to the God of the universe.

That May day in Kodiak, God taught me an important lesson. We go to them. We go to take the message of the gospel, to people who cannot come to us.

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