A good amount of recent snow meant digging out and cleaning off the plane the day before we planned to leave

Chasing the sun as we head west to Grayling

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Lots of interesting terrain between here and there

Yukon River

This trip, for the first time, we didn’t have to pack pillows, cooking utensils, or pack the sleeping bags from the plane, because waiting for us at the house was a shower of gifts from many supporters – full of furnishings for the house!

After getting some salmon chowder cooking on the stove, we were ready to dig in!

As we opened and tallied each package, we were overwhelmed by the love that was being shown to us in each thoughtful gift.

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Scripture-embossed mugs for sharing hot chocolate, tea, and coffee

It was surprising how soon the visiting girls noticed a towel with Scripture and spent time examining it

Rachel’s encouraging art

Perfect weather to tackle a half cord of wood

Jared joined Dad, trying his hand at splitting for the first time – and doing well!

Some of the boys helped Jared move the wood into the basement

Another friend brought by his new kid-sized snow machine; Jared had a great time trying it out.

It’s always a joy to share a meal with friends

Christmas service in the Grayling Tribal Hall. It was a nice evening of singing, Scripture reading, and a devotional by James about the humility of Mary and Jesus in the Christmas story. We had planned to hold services in some of the surrounding villages, but weather did not permit us to fly.

That same weather delayed our return trip home, but that was a blessing. Instead, we were invited to the community Christmas dinner of prime rib and shrimp!

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We got a chance to meet some folks we hadn’t met before, both from Grayling and nearby villages

They even had gifts for our kids!

Heading home – 400 miles to Fairbanks – Christmas Eve. Three days past solstice. The sun is about at its zenith at 2.07* above the horizon, about halfway between sunrise (11:12a in Grayling) and sunset (2:43p) in Fairbanks.