Alaska 2012

Alaska 2012 - Page Text Content

S: Alaska 2012

BC: ALASKA 2012

FC: 2012 Alaskan Adventure

1: We were told you "must try" reindeer sausage. But since we visited in the off-season it was harder to find. We eventually found reindeer sausage at Wal-Mart. It was a horrible decision.

4: Mom bought us tickets to see Disney's production of Beauty & the Beast at the Alaskan Performing Arts Center. It was such an amazing show and a great night!

6: We visited a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving Alaska's wildlife. The AWCC takes in injured and orphaned animals year-round and provides spacious enclosures and quality animal care. | THE ALASKAN WILDLIFE CONSERVATION CENTER

10: We set off to try and see the Northern Lights! The elements were intense and it was an crazy night. We plugged information into our phones, jumped in the car and then headed north. It was crazy, we never ended up seeing them but it was fun. | A picture from the Internet.

11: ALL BUNDLED UP | Alaskan McDonalds have sleighs inside. We thought that was weird.

13: The lone Alaskan Occupy protester...how cute.

14: Cozy Winter Wishes

15: Winter Memories

16: In 1976, my dad, frustrated with his life, work and church, left my mom with six children in San Jose. He fled to Alaska and worked odd jobs for 5 months. The Lord used this time to work powerfully in his life. At Anchorage Baptist Church (above)he heard a Father's Day message and decided to return to his family. I took this picture while in the car with mom and Noah. It was a surreal moment as I realized what a turning point 1976 was in my family's world. | Alaska in the 70s

17: Memories from Mom... | The year was 1976, In May, he resigned from all church duties two weeks before the end of the school year, packed the Camino and left, San Jose.and me. He and I discussed my coming to Alaska about July. I packed the 6 children ( including our foster daughter) and took them to Uncle Ron’s. This meant Alicia had 13 children to care for. I got all school clothes packed and sent them to Grandma Bandara’s because I made arrangements for someone to drive the blue GMC bomber, and the children back to San Jose in time for school in September. Dad and I stayed in Alaska until late September and lived in a tiny small phone booth sized trailer parked on the lot of the boys ranch he spent nights as supervisor. He had two other jobs; a fish processing plant and at Wien Air. Those were sweet days for us as we restored our marriage. One night we looked at a map and realized we were closer to Russia than our own children. Daddy tried to find a permanent job in Alaska with either Wien Air or Anchorage Baptist Temple. We drove the Alcan Highway (still only crushed rock in the 70s) to Haines, put the El Camino on a ferry and got off at Prince Rupert, BC and drove back to San Jose. It was on that ferry ride that we listened to a debate between Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter. Before we left Alaska we discussed returning to San Jose, he gave me “the look” and told me “We will go back and attend Liberty Baptist, enroll the children in the school, but I will never be involved with a Christian school again." (Hindsight shows God has a great sense of humor! For the next three years, Dad ran from any ministry.and I shut up. Georgene Bandara - March 10, 2012