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The Flight Plan
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Download a 2-page print copy of this newsletter.
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| Galena Emergency Flood Evacuations | |
On 27 May, MARC responded to emergency requests from the village of Galena on the Yukon River in western Alaska, evacuating 81 people as flood waters dangerously approached within inches of the top of the dike protecting the airport.
Affecting all 400 residents, roughly 90 percent of the community's homes were damaged, along with the sewage system, the power plant, and the village's few roads. Pray for village residents as they recover from the disaster. Life in remote Alaska is never easy, and losing all your earthly belongings in such a place is devastating.
Read more of the story below of how God provided during this emergency event and please continue to pray for healing for this devastated community.
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| Galena Flight Response |
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At 10:30 pm our Chief Pilot called saying the Village Elders had asked MARC to help fly people out of Galena, because an ice jam was blocking the Yukon River and causing severe flooding in the village.
Earlier that afternoon, I had heard on the radio that some homes already had 12 feet of water. I called our pilots, and we assembled at MARC to plan the evacuation flights and fuel the planes. We asked for help from Samaritan's Purse, and they immediately started doing the same.
Our first plane was airborne at 11:41 pm (only 1 hour and 11 minutes after learning about the evacuation), and the fifth and final aircraft took off at 12:12 am. This rapid reaction was unprecedented in MARC's history.
While our aircraft were en route, the number of people wanting to be evacuated kept increasing, so I began flight planning for our aircraft to make multiple evacuation trips. After the first aircraft departed Galena for Fairbanks, conditions on the ground changed again, and we were asked to take 27 people to Ruby, which is just 45 miles upriver. This permitted us to evacuate more people in a shorter amount of time.
No emergency operation is complete without a little extra unexpected difficulty, but God blessed the hands of Samaritan's Purse pilot/mechanic Mike Barlow when one of their aircraft engines initially refused to start on the ground in Galena. All in all, our two organizations flew close to 25 hours and were able to evacuate 81 people and 5 pets, with the last aircraft arriving back home at 7 am the next morning.
Although this type of flying is not part of our normal activity, we were very honored and blessed to be able to participate on such short notice and to provide a helping hand to those we serve.
- Don Bosworth (MARC Scheduler)
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Thank You So Much!
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These words still play over and over in my mind: "Thank you so much-you guys are the only ones who have come for us!" said a woman who just lost her home in the flood as I was helping her into the plane during the evacuation.
I hadn't known what to expect at Galena, but once we arrived it was evident the people needed help-and they needed it fast! The ramp was full of people holding anything they could grab before their homes were destroyed by the flood waters. I remember feeling overwhelmed and wondering whether we could really help everybody. But later that early morning we received the most rewarding call: "Everybody is out, everybody is safe, come on home."
I was so impressed by how well the MARC and Samaritan's Purse teams worked together all through the night and morning to get the job done, and I am so thankful God allows me to serve alongside these great men and women of God!
- Daniel Mahr (MARC Pilot)
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Latest News & Updates
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- Praise for the safe arrival of the Bodolosky Family
after their long cross-country and Alaska-Canada Highway journey to join our MARC missionary team here in Alaska!
- Praise for UIM missionaries David & Olivia Wolf again serving on loan with MARC for the busy summer.
- Praise for no loss of life in the Galena flooding!
- Thank You! Flying Under the Son Aviation Ministries has once again graciously partnered with MARC this summer by providing full-time usage of their versatile Kodiak turboprop utility airplane. Praise God for this loan, as it allows us to meet more ministry needs!
- Pray for safety and God's blessings as we fly many youth to Bible camps across Alaska this summer!
- Praise for a faithful steward who has promised to match each donation for Kids to Camp this summer. Haven't donated yet? Now you can double your impact with each gift between now and 1 September!
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| Teen Pursuit Week - Tanalian Bible Camp | 
I had looked forward to this day all year! A group of teens from North and South Carolina flew up to volunteer during Teen Pursuit week at Tanalian Bible Camp in Port Alsworth, and today was the day they arrived in Anchorage!
After greeting them at the airport, my family and I took them to the mission house at Anchorage First Baptist, fed them pizza, and got them to bed by about 2:30 a.m. The next morning we had to be at the airport by 8:00 a.m. We were tired but pumped with adrenaline. The weather was a little overcast, but the MARC aircraft and crew safely transported us from Anchorage to the camp.
For Teen Pursuit week, campers are either in their last two years of high school or their first year of college. During the week, I was privileged to serve as a counselor and had five campers in my cabin. Every day the camp director/pastor taught the kids and encouraged them in their faith. After chapel we spent time in our cabins discussing the Word of God that had been taught and also hearing what was on the campers' hearts.
During the day, there were a lot of activities allowing the counselors and campers to interact. Some of the activities were physically challenging and some were mentally challenging, but all were designed to get the teams to bond together. Our crew from the Carolinas served however they were needed: counselors, work crew, and kitchen crew. Regardless of each teen's role, it was awesome to see them interacting and building relationships with the campers in many ways. We had the opportunity to connect with kids from several villages and formed some lifelong friendships.
A really inspiring time of camp was testimony time. Each day during morning and evening chapel, a counselor was invited to share his or her testimony with the campers. By the end of the week the campers began to open up and share their testimonies as well. It was amazing to hear what was on their hearts, but at times it was difficult to share the pain that was deeply embedded in their lives.
It was hard to leave camp and know that many of these kids are going back to an environment that hurts so much. On the other hand, it was comforting to know that many of these campers return to Tanalian year after year and that their lives have grown closer to Christ as a result.
- James Bodolosky (MARC Pilot)
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Contact Us
Missionary Aviation Repair Center
PO Box 511
Soldotna, Alaska 99611
Phone: (907) 262-5388
Impacting Remote Alaska with the Hope of Jesus Christ through Missionary Aviation |
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