The Ohio Independent Baptist, January 1968

• • zssionary f « .u ~r , '1itt- tk ~fa t~ J~tut ""~ to, ,\lt'\U ~ f.)J ®' AL\...~" I~ \..hti~t'°' The Kirbys Where do you f.ind itowerin1g m·oun– h ains, vast gLacier ice fields, abun– f3. iant wildlife and the modern way of nl ife coilltrasted with the primitive? o Where do you find scen.ric beaurty vi th a wide scope and variety of ijt ~randeur? In what place do you find , )il wells and moose sharing the ~ ,ame range and ,totem poles ,adorn– I ng the highways? What "great ·land" :an boast of the tallest mountaiin >n the North American conttinent, he most beautiful sunsets in the • vorld and the "midnight sun?" Of ·ourse ithe answer is the "great land" ,f Alaska. Alaska is a ' 'great land" but she i in need of the great Savjour. Bap– ist Mid-Missions began its miniS!try n Alaska in 1949. Fourteen mi - ionaries are presently engaged in .nissionary work and others are wa1t- rea by Rev. Verne L. Kirby ing fo r st1pport. Mi ion,ar y work in Alask,a is different fron1 home mis- ion work in 1he " lowe r 48." Some of the people in Al·aska h ave come becau e they wanted to be independ– er1Jt and free to do thing their own way. They are a self-suffioient people. Many of the people we re home– s teader. in past yea r and a number of then1 s till Ji ve on ,their original home leads. A nun1ber o f o ld cahi ns have been replaced wit1h more n1od– ern s tructure . Missionary work in Anohor Poin1t, Alaska wa begun in 1957 through a on ervative Bapti ·t mi ssionary. The fir t ervice were held 1 n a garage aero firom ,the present church location. In th,e spr.ing of 1964 the church voted to become a part of the Baptis,t Mid-Mission fami ly, but i1t wa August 1964 before mission– arie could be placed on rthe field. It was at this t,ime lthat ,the Verne Kirby family arrived rto begin tiheir mini try. Ohurch wor.sh iip services were being conducted in the base– ment of the church building. The frame work and s 1 u1bsiding was on the ups tairs part. Since Augus,t 1964 the upper part of the church h as had redw,ood sidin 1 g put on, a centval heating sysitem ha 1 be~n ins talled , a permanent ,roof has been pult on and electric wiri,ng and insulation ,have been instalJed making iit poss ible for t he up tairs to be used for serv– ices. AI o a tower has been construct– ed to house a large belJ in ithe upper pa rt , and a s tairway in the lower p aint. ' • Here They Worship At ,the Anchor P oint Baptis t hurch regul ar church ervices are he ld and boys and gi rls are being reached two d ay each week in afiter ch ooJ JOY lub . Friday night "get– together " offer a ,time 0 1f fun and fell ow hip for people of the area. The Kirby delight in working with the youth. They h ave found ,that colo r ful vi ua l aid exciting tech– niques and a variety of activity he lp a ,they present hrist ito the young. They realize, too, that mi ionarie. are dependent on fe1low-laborer who give and pray for t hem. 11he Bible say "And all thing , whatso– ever ye h all a k in prayer, believing, ye hall r eceive." (Matthew 21: 22). a n we count on you to pray for t he "great land" of Ala ka and Bap– ti t Mid-Mi ion n1issionarie work– i ng in Ala ka? Land of the Midnight Sun The Kirby Children i'fE OHIO INDEPENDENT BAPTIST JANUARY, 19G8 PAGE 11