Maybe Potlucks Aren't So Bad . . .

Many of you know that I'm on the local board of Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). We sponsor 47 huddles at area schools (a huddle is a 'group' at that school that meets weekly to encourage athletes in their walk with Jesus) . . . and one huddle on the North Slope of Alaska. A local coach went there this year to teach and coach as an 'FCA Missionary.' Here's a recent email:


"Some of my players said they had to miss volleyball practice to go help their whaling captains as the slush came in. And then I got the story . . . When the ocean first starts to freeze each year it's like slush ( ice and water mixed). When that happens, it's traditional for the eskimos to take out the tail of the whale from last April and have a feast on it.
They keep the Tail in underground coolers in the tundra. The problem is that even though it is cold like a refrigerator, it is not frozen.
Are you getting the picture?
It stays in there for 6 months and it is massive and they get it out now and it is completely fermented. They put it all out on the floor in the town hall.

[Yes, these are pics of it and notice the size of the people in the pics compared to the tail!]

I went to see it yesterday and it was one of the most horrible sights and smells I have ever witnessed. I could smell it way before I got into the building. There is no way to explain this sight or smell. . . It is like raw meat that has been left in your freezer when your freezer goes out and you find out 2 weeks later. And today is the feast. I don't know, but I think I will try one super small bite . . . 3 years ago someone died as you are not supposed to have sugar and someone had drank a coke and ate this fermented meat and something exploded in him and he died pretty quick."

Gary is definitely on mission for Jesus!

Challenging Athletes

In a couple of hours I'm heading out to Camp Zephyr to speak to a group of young athletes on an FCA retreat.

As a general rule I don't schedule other ministry opportunities on Saturday afternoon/night to make sure that I protect Sunday morning, but I'm really looking forward to this.

I love being around athletes and speaking their language and challenging them. Tonight I'm going to challenge them to truly be different - to not just be a social group of 'Christian' athletes, but to dare to follow Jesus. It's gonna be fun.