A Mountainous Journey: Winds-day? No Just a Sunday

Today was yet another eventful day, but I’m learning that this whole Alaska internship is one adventure after another. I arrived at church at 9:00am for choir rehearsal. After practice I ventured downstairs to prep for full rehearsal of the Children’s Christmas Service as we would practice during Children’s Church. I was glad that my mom was here since we did not have an accompanist to play for the rehearsal. The Children’s Church practice went well, with only slight chaos.

After church I recruited some men to help set up risers. Then it was time for organized chaos. The dress rehearsal for the Children’s Christmas program began by placing each student strategically on the risers, chairs, manger and floor. Do you know how much strategy goes into separating the students who always talk, the ones who can and cannot handle holding a microphone, and making sure each student can be seen from the pews? Well I had never given it much thought until I am now directing the Christmas Service.

With each student organized, we began by lining up and practiced walking on and off the risers. You wouldn’t think this would be so difficult but students were not paying attention, other sibblings were teasing one another (as siblings do), and Mary and Joseph got lost in the whole mix and wound up not at the manger but stuck in front of all the risers.

I directed Mary and Joseph around the pulpit and crawled under the bell tables to get them in place. If you would see the front of the sanctuary there is not much room up front with full Christmas tree, an extra-large Crèche, the risers, and bell table but we made it.

Ericka, is my right hand man. She frantically runs around to each speaking part (since our small congregation only has 3 microphones) to ensure that each student has a mic at the time of their lines. I must also praise Jennie as she was in charge of the preschoolers. She is VERY good at what she does especially since there is lots of stop and starting and the little ones get bored.

I continue to direct the pianist (my mom, who thankfully is here to accompany us) as to how many verses and when to stop and start all a long I am squatting as my feet fall asleep as I do the actions to songs such as “Away in a Manger”, and “He’s got the Whole World in His Hands”. Note to self, this week at the actual Christmas Service I need to wear cooler clothing, not my Christmas sweater.

As the rehearsal came to the second to last song I stepped back to realize that we could not see the students in back of the risers so we opted to put another small riser up on the stairs immediately in front of the alter to get them higher. After doing so one of the moms pointed out that we could move the risers to the opposite side and avoid the height problems. We then moved all the students into the pews while the men re-arranged the risers.

Meanwhile the children were restless so I told them to count the ornaments on the Christmas tree, and that kept them entertained as there are 97 ornaments total. We then re-positioned each student and with that we finished the final song. Despite restless students, and what seemed like chaos at the time I feel it went well.

I went home for a much needed nap. While I was attempting to sleep I heard the wind pick up. My mom was out in the living room when there was a loud “whap” against the window. The downspout had hit the window. The lights flickered and then there was a sound of thunder followed by shattering glass. It was a distant crash but defiantly glass breaking. Mom and I ran up to the upper stories to check windows, I knew it was not our house because of the muffled crash but to be sure we checked. We strained to look out the huge windows, pressing our faces against them hands shielding the house light to see out into the dark , and then we saw down one switch back the neighbor below us maybe 500 feet below was out with a flashlight and his car headlights on . There was a huge tree that had crashed through his house roof and big picture windows to capture the view. We stood speechless as the electricity went off and on three times. The Old Glenn Highway and the village below was a domino effect, Like ripples in a lake when casting a stone Lights off then on. The rule of three. Then total dark. Like turning your Christmas village off all the tiny bulbs in the lighted houses silent. The power went out. We opened the door to look outside only to see leaves, and RAIN (not snow), blowing literally sideways.

A blizzard warning was also issued until 10 p.m. Sunday for higher elevations of Anchorage, Eagle River, Indian and Eklutna. Officials expected from three to six inches of snowfall, with southeast winds from 35 to 50 mph and gusts from 85 to 100 mph. A peak gust from the southeast was reported at 97 mph at Glen Alps. See this link for the details of the storm...http://www.ktuu.com/news/winter-storm-hits-southcentral-authorities-discourage-driving-121111,0,1819938.story

I got on my cell phone to call my host parents to look for a flashlight. I could not get a hold of them so I called their daughter Jess. She informed me that they were at the neighbors and told me to locate flashlights upstairs by the kitchen.

Mom and I turned our flashlights on and then Chuck (my host dad) called me and told me that they were coming home but it would be a while since there was a tree at the end of the neighbor’s driveway down so they had to bust out the chainsaw.

With the power out and winds blowing 70mph we decided head down to Pastors as he was hosting his annual Christmas open house. If I was back home I would have headed for the basement thinking it was a tornado but in Alaska these high wind storms occur almost monthly. I told mom to cover her face when we go out since two weeks ago when there was a windstorm my friend Lydia had a leaf blow across her face and sliced her cheek open. Mom and I headed down the mountain we stopped counting the tree branches broke over the road. The police were on one of the switch backs pulling off trees with their 4 wheel drives.

As we arrived at Pastors house we saw only two vehicles there. Pastor did not have power either. We were greeted by Steven (A confirmation student) with a flashlight). Inside candles and flashlights brought light into the room. Gaye pointed me to the big bay window to reveal that Pastor had a 40 foot Black Spruce tree down on his roof and up against his big dining room window. In spite of all we sat around in candle light and had good food and fellowship. How perfect the darkness was for our Christmas Party it certainly is a very memorable annual Christmas Open house. Always and adventure in Alaska.