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MONDAY • MARCH 2John 11:25-26 (ESV)I’ll See You Again Some Time“… I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though hedie, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. …”Rosemary Sternbeck and I, along with our volunteer team, were flying toPoint Hope, Alaska, to spend a week in vacation Bible school (VBS) with thechildren. En route, the weather turned on us, so the pilot flew us to Kotzebue towait for the fog to lift.My Inupiat Eskimo great-grandmother is buried in Kotzebue. I have family Ihad never met before who have always lived there. So, I called them.“You’re here now?!” Dan asked, surprised. A person just doesn’t wind up inKotzebue—especially a Midwesterner. Situated above the Arctic Circle along theBering Sea, an unplanned stopover is surely a “God thing,” our volunteer teamexclaimed.Dan and his wife, Elaine, came to the airport to greet us. I was delightedto realize just how much he resembled my grandfather. He asked the pilot if hecould introduce me to others in our family, so I had one precious hour to meetmy people.One relative, Rev. Johnny Snyder, was in hospice care, so we went to visithim and his wife first. Johnny shared his memories of my grandpa and thankedme for bringing VBS to the children in neighboring villages. Then he asked if Iwould pray with them. Yes, of course, so I began, “Dear heavenly Father …”Then, unexpectedly, all four of my Inupiat Eskimo relatives began prayingaloud with me, each in the Inupiaq language.Tears filled my eyes. I grasped Johnny’s hand and listened to their voicesand to a language that streamed through my blood but was nonetheless foreign tome. More than that, their Christian witness washed over me. I was in such awe oftheir humility that I would have rather never left that moment.I stopped praying just so I could listen and count it a blessing to be in theirpresence before God in prayer. Then, one by one, they ended their petitions, eachwiping away their own tears. Only Johnny continued to pray, by now in English.He did not pray for his healing but for the well being of others. He also prayedwith thanksgiving for our forgiveness and the promise of eternal life won for usin the death and resurrection of Jesus, our Savior.When I think of Johnny in heaven today, I find myself uttering a phrase inInupiaq that sounds similar to Kin-yell-see-pin ye-YAUT-nee, meaning, “I’ll seeyou again some time.”Dear Jesus, thank You for the forgiveness we have through Your shed blood,death and resurrection. We eagerly await eternal life with You and all our lovedones! In Your name we pray, Amen.Karen Higgins (Alaska Native)Barnhart, Missouri18