Preaching, feeding and healing at First Native Baptist; late though it be, our first cold snap finally arrives: NC on Rogue release
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 at 4:00AM ;)
I had gone to Anchorage to do an interview and get a couple of photographs of an 11 year-old boy who fed the first bull caribou that he ever shot to the homeless people who gather each Sunday at the First Native Baptist Church in Anchorage to be fed.
I misunderstood a little bit, as I thought that the feeding would begin at 3:00 PM, so I made certain to be there on time. In actuality, a church service lasting just over an hour is held first, and then the feeding follows.
I had not intended to take any pictures during the service, but then this fellow was called up to speak. Alalsredo lives in Bangalore, India, where I have many in-laws. His stay in Alaska would be short. As I write these words, he should already be on a jet to continue his tour, which will now take him to several cities in the Lower 48.
"Why would I come from India to preach in the US?" he asked. His answer: Jesus had called him to travel across our nation, stop in all the churches that he could along the way and deliver this specific message:
The people of the US - particularly the church people - need each day to get down on their knees and pray to God. If they don't, he warned, "then this great nation of the United States will fall."
He said that the reason Jesus had sent him specifically to the church people of the United States is because they are God's choice people.
Afterward, he announced that he wanted to call up one person, at random, to pray for that person. He chose this young woman. She came up and he prayed for her.
;)
I had my professional digital SLR's with me to do the picture of the boy, but I did not touch them during the worship service. I tried real hard not to take any more pictures at all, but I could not altogether stop myself, so I did them with my pocket camera, which is perfectly quiet, whereas the DSLR's are noisy.
I had been greeted by one of the pastors when I first entered, and he had expressed his admiration for my professional DSLR's, as if he expected that I had come to use them, so I assume it would have been okay. Yet, they felt too intrusive so I stuck to the pocket camera and even then only shot a little over a dozen frames.
I think one day I might come back and do a complete story on the church's feed-the-homeless program and then, after I have spent more time with them and gotten to know them better, I will photograph the happenings to greater depth.
;)
There was a time to call for healing. This man was suffering pain in his legs. Maybe he felt better afterward, I don't know. I could not take the time to follow-up, but had to do the job that I had come to do.
;)
This woman suffered so badly that she wept. I hope she felt better when it was all over. As for the young man who I came to interview and to photograph, it all came together excellently. I am saving those pictures, though, until I put them to their intended use.
;)
The temperature in Anchorage had been about five degrees, but when we got home last night it was ten below. This morning, at 9:28, it was -18 (-28 C.). So it looks like we have finally entered our first cold snap. Not terribly cold yet, but still a cold snap.
I decided to check online and see what the official temperatures were at a few other Alaska locations, including true cold spots, like Fort Yukon. I had expected that it might be in the -40's, possibly even -50s, there, but it was -31. Fairbanks, a much colder place than Wasilla, was exactly the same as us: -18. Barrow was in the grip of a heat wave: PLUS one.
Anchorage was two above.
In some ways, this is not fair to Anchorage, as the official temperature is taken at the airport, right by Cook Inlet and there are other places in the city that can be 5, 10, 15, or even as much as 20 degrees colder.
I might add that I have checked our car thermometer against official sources and it is amazingly accurate.
;)
The Little Su.
;)
Grotto Iona.
;)
Two moose - momma and calf.
Sarah Palin releases her book:
As if you didn't know. In theory, being as how I am a Wasilla blogger and Wasilla's most famous resident seems at the moment to be the biggest news story in the world, what with the release of Going Rogue, I suppose that I should be writing about Sarah Palin today.
But 42 million people are already doing that and I have other concerns, so I have "no comment."
Not that I couldn't write about her today - I just choose not to.
That circus can tumble on without me.
Reader Comments (8)
Oy. Every circus must have a good clown. This must be a mighty fine circus indeed.
It is 39 here. We've had a couple days of snow flurries since the October 15th storm that destroyed my poor lilac. It has been amazingly warm. I raked leaves in my shirt sleeves on Saturday.
One final question. I really must know. How did Bear Meech get his name?
Oh. And I thought of something else. How many people does a moose feed, anyways. They are such a large animal. And I hope that you got pictures of the generous young hunter.
Funny thing. Kalib and Wasilla were in my dreams last night.
I like this post. Even if I don't like cold snaps...especially if they occur here in Iowa!
particularly liked the photo of the healers and all their hands. born a jew, i'm a devout atheist and look upon nature and pocohantas as my higher power. finally learned how to use my digital kodak on my european tour. photographed the arrival of the leaf sucker-up truck this morning here in PA where it's a comfy sunny 60 degrees, i'd wager.
All I know for sure is, when you know someone's praying for you, you can feel it. And it's good.
As for minus-anything -- well, I figure beyond a certain point (like when it hits single digits, and never mind "minus!"), it's just TOO DARN COLD! Throw another log on the fire and deal me out! :-)
debby - Oh - I see! The Bear Meech question is on this page, that is why I could not find it on the other. Well, I answered it there but I will answer it again. The name just came out of Melanie's head. One day, she decided that he was a little bear, and then meech just seemed to be the natural tag-on.
As to how many people - that is a good question. Lots. This was a caribou that the boy shot, and it is not as big as a moose. I have a whole, nice little photo-story on the boy. Once I put it to it's intended use, I plan to rework it into this blog.
Whitestone - I hope it was a good dream. Now brace yourself, because it probably won't be long before the cold air that is up here slips away and goes down there.
Ruth - I never heard of such a truck. Must be interesting.
Cynthia - You're right, it does. This may not make sense - I don't like to be cold - in fact, I hate it - but I love being in the cold.
First timer here. I just happened across your site by accident when I saw your comment on a page with some Native American pics.
Reading your more recent post about the injured grandma (hope she gets better, btw) sparked memories -- I lived in Flagstaff, and had a friend there, an artist named Shonto Begay, named after the community where he was born, I understand.
One of the things that disturbed me when I lived in Flagstaff, but something I never really mentioned to anybody, came up when I visited the Navajo lands. There were more Christian missions there than gas stations and convenience stores. All the time I was living in the area, I wanted to see these unique cultures, the Navajo, Hopi, Paiute and Supai, but I kept finding Christians instead. It was like thirsting for pure water, but never being able to find anything but muddy water.
Generally speaking, I think the price of religion on humankind has been vast and negative. The harm has been greater than we imagine, and I'm still not sure it hasn't killed us all (population and unreason). But there in Flagstaff it was tangible -- I came up with the phrase 'cultural genocide' to name what I felt there.
Oh, yeah, Sarah Palin: Argh. Amazing. Watching her is like looking at a big open sore. Decent people see it and look away. But some people are fascinated, they can't stop looking. And that's probably the weirdest part of the thing for me -- all those people gathering around that sore, looking and looking. And even news reporters broadcasting pictures of it to those who can't get enough of it.
Another weird part: If you say anything bad about it -- "Hey, stop looking at that thing! It's disgusting, embarrassing." -- you get "Why do you hate the sore so much? You're so mean. The sore has every right to be out here. Some of us LOVE the sore!"
And now the sore has "written" a book, and appears to be angling to become an even bigger sore. I say again: Argh.
Well, anyway, nice blog. And you have a beautiful kid.
Oh, yeah -- love your pictures. And your mission statement. I lived in a cluttery, unplanned little town in the mountains of California for many years, and it had a deep character all its own. But apparently I was one of the few who felt it. The Empire Builders came in and turned it into a painted whore for money's sake. Built "resorts" and golf courses -- what I called Emerald City. And killed every bit of that character. I kept saying "Disneyland is a great place to visit, but nobody real lives there." Eventually I had to move.
Anyway, HERE are the kinds of pictures I take.