Train, plane, ship, bus, small boat, car, dogsled, covered wagon, by foot: It was a grand adventure!
And I’d do it again in a hot second!
Gary and I just got back from our second trip to Alaska, and we both are overwhelmed with the natural wonders and people. Let me tell you about one young man we met.
We were driving around Anchorage looking for a place to eat dinner. We had tried the recommended restaurant that was a Korean-Mexican fusion place the night before, and although parts of the meal were delicious, other dishes weren’t. So, we decided to try our luck on our own.
After looking at options, we decided on a place that was named “The Bear” in Russian. They actually had a table open. We sat and looked around at the wood trim, red curtains and heavy furniture and discovered the menu had an Italian flair.
Our waiter was a slim young man with an accent we got to talk to during our meal.
We ordered some appetizers and a course to share, which were prepared in the kitchen we could see into from our table. We heard “fire on!” “fire on!” Gary and I looked around quickly to see if something was burning in that busy kitchen where chefs with tall white hats were bustling around. Turns out that meant the customers are here and ready for a big meal so get cooking, or fire on, as our waiter explained. He was friendly and came back several times to chat.
As we finished our meal, we asked him where he was from.
“Serbia,” he told us.
He continued to tell us he was in university, but took a year off to “find himself” and “decide what he really wanted to do with life.”
“I find many people in Alaska like this,” he continued. “People start over, or looking for purpose, or direction.”
Here he leaned closer and said in a loud whisper, “lots of people here have been in jail, or in trouble, and have run away, maybe, to here after. A guy works in kitchen has blue tear tattoo on face...” He added solemnly, “from jail, I think.”
I felt led to ask him, “Would you like me to pray for you? In Jesus? That’s who I believe in.”
His dark eyes lit up. “Yes, yes. Me, too. I believe Jesus. Look here.”
He pulled out his wallet and began to go through it, pulling out a color picture often given by churches of Jesus.
We joined hands, and we prayed. We prayed for him to find direction and to have wisdom and insight into what he should do — for Jesus to lead him.
Psalm 32:8 says “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.”
Just ask!
