Canoe Trail And Baptism
Watermelon, sunshine, and 70 degrees

Watermelon, sunshine, and 70 degrees makes for a special day in Alaska. Add to that good friends and the celebration of a baptism and it is an extra special day! On Sabbath, June 15, dozens of people from our church community paddled the canoe trail from Cottonwood Lake to Wasilla Lake. We ended at the home of Joel and Ashlee Starn where we enjoyed a picnic and celebrated the baptism of Corali Starn on their waterfront. God has given us the gift of community. On that Sabbath afternoon, this gift was enjoyed.

 Come enjoy community with us! Our Summer Break Calendar is full of activities where we will continue to enjoy connecting. Here are two opportunities coming this week:

 On Friday, June 21, we are climbing Matanuska Peak. We will meet at the end of Smith Road at 10 am. It is a big one. Join us for part of the hike or go all the way to the summit. Kids 12 and under need to come with a parent or make pre-arrangements for their child to hike with a trusted adult.  

On Sabbath afternoon, June 22, we will head out on another paddle adventure. We will start at Jim Lake (end of Maud Road) and paddle the Knik River down to the bridge on the Old Glenn. (You could continue on to the bridge at the Glenn Highway, but you will have to arrange your own shuttle.)

We will meet at Jim Lake at 3:00pm and give some time for people to get boats in the water.

There will be a carpool that will leave Pioneer Campground at 2:45pm. The parking lot at Jim Lake fills up on nice days.

There will be an organized shuttle at the end of the trip to retrieve the cars left at Jim Lake.

CORRECTION- We proofread the calendar many times but still, there is a mistake. Please note that the family hike at April Bowl should be on Sabbath, June 29. It has been mistakenly listed on June 28. All other information for that hike is correct.

Thanks for building a community that reflects the character of God!

Ryan Rogers 
[email protected]

Other Worlds
I still remember my 6th-grade science teacher’s presentation

I still remember my 6th-grade science teacher’s presentation of only nine existing planets. At the end of his presentation, he excitedly shared that NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) started a new program for teachers in space and that he would be submitting his application. I was so excited for him and sincerely hoped my teacher would be chosen. 

Not long after my teacher’s presentation, I found a small book with stories from Ellen White. There, she described her visit to other worlds:

“The Lord has given me a view of other worlds. Wings were giving me, and an Angel attended me from the city to a place that was bright and glorious. The grass of the place was living green, and the birds there warbled a sweet song. The inhabitants of the place were of all sizes; they were noble, majestic, and lovely. And they bore the express image of Jesus, and their countenances beamed with holy joy, expressive of the freedom and happiness of the place.” Early Writings pp. 39

From then on, I believed that other planets had not yet been discovered. Then came the era of the Hubble space telescope (Launched on April 24, 1990). With ever-increasing clarity, Hubble has given scientific proof of worlds beyond our solar system. Hubble’s data now has evidence of more than 2 trillion galaxies, which contain planets or other worlds. 

World-renowned astrophysicist Bill Degrass Tyson said that when speaking about the possibility of intelligent life in the universe, it would be “unrealistic” to “demand of the universe that we are alone.” Vargas Reports

“Every eye in the unfallen universe is bent upon those who profess to be Christ’s followers here in this atom of a world; an earnest warfare is going on.” Review and Herald September 29 1891

As time marches on and this planet moves ever closer to the return of Jesus, I believe, like the Hubble Telescope, the word of God will come into focus more and more. What was once shrouded will become clear and unobstructed. The heavens declare the glory of God, And the firmament shows his handiwork. Psalm 19:1

Dexter Saddler

Between the early 1990s, when the first exoplanets were discovered, and the beginning of Webb’s observations in 2022, more than 5,000 exoplanets had been detected in the Milky Way, with more discovered yearly.

Webbtelescope.org

Events
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