Special Edition: Celebrating 2023

COVENANT YOUTH OF ALASKA Volume 19 | Issue 5 December 2023

Special Edition: Celebrating 2023 - The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. -Isaiah 9:2 Thank you for your help and partnership in sharing the light of Christ with youth. This year, we had 301 kids and 125 volunteers at Bible Camp. They experienced the love of Christ. Many youth in Alaska are hungry to grow in Christ. In the past few years during fall, the village of Elim has struggled with teen suicide. A girl as young as 12 years old took her own life.

After these tragedies at the request of the local leaders, we sent CYAK care teams to bring encouragement, care, and hope to the kids and the community. This spring, Kenny Takak, the Church chair, in a desire to see youth experience hope and healing, asked the village leaders to provide funding for all the youth in Elim to go to Bible Camp. The leaders agreed and 65 kids out of the 80 eligible came to Bible Camp this summer. The local church leaders also invited CYAK to send follow-up teams after Bible Camp.

CYAK staff leader Mike Alverts led the trips and they were a big encouragement for the kids and the community. This fall something was different, there were no suicides! In contrast, during the CYAK team trip in September, there were 11 baptisms. One of the team members observed, “It was a full church and so good to see the community come together. The Spirit was certainly present and felt. John 8:12 says, “ Jesus spoke to them saying, “I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”

We have a year-end gift we are trying to match to reach more kids in 24! If you are able, would you please consider joining this match? Thank you for your involvement and in essence providing gas for the airplane. We cannot do this work without your help and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Thank You!

Byron Byron Bruckner Executive Director

TESTIMONY I grew up in a village in western Alaska and now live in a hub town of the same region.

Covenant Youth of Alaska played a critical part in building a solid spiritual foundation in my faith in Christ. I became a believer at a very young age because I wanted to be able to go to heaven to be with my dad, who had died of cancer when I was three. In fifth grade, I attended my first Bible Camp. Every summer thereafter, I attended when able. Bible Camp provided not only a fun time but also a safe place to receive Biblical truth and teaching about what it means to really follow Christ here on earth. It was at camp that it finally made sense that eternal life is knowing Christ and having a relationship with him.

Bible camp was also a place where a practical conversation influenced my life course.

During my latter years of high school, a volunteer counselor sat down with me and on a piece of paper towel outlined in pencil how to overcome financial barriers to attending college and medical school. This provided the right amount of confidence at just the right time for me to believe I could pursue a medical degree coming from a lower-income family. Through CYAK’s intentional discipleship and genuinely caring leaders, I began adulthood prioritizing my relationship with Christ which, in turn, helped me make healthy and important life decisions like where I went to college and who I married. Three decades later, I am still following Christ daily.

I have remained connected to CYAK by serving at Bible Camp as a counselor, speaker, and doctor. My first experience serving on a nonprofit board was with CYAK. I I enjoyed this type of leadership and have been able to serve on other nonprofit boards and my church board. Through my CYAK board experience, I saw how CYAK has evolved into a more mature organization that continues its mission to introduce hope and the love of Christ to Alaska Native youth in western Alaska and to disciple them in their college years through ministries like Aarigaa, young adult retreats, and leadership training.

--Nora , Nome

Middle School Retreat Our Middle School Retreat was filled with the sounds of almost 30 middle schoolers at our beautiful retreat center in Chickaloon! I am always drawn to the unfeigned joy of the middle schooler. They easily fill a space with their contagious excitement and unfiltered, goofy attitudes!

Yet, during this retreat there was a sincere presence of the Holy Spirit as students calmed their crazy and focused their hearts during our times of teaching and reflection. We connected our worth as God’s children to the care, love, and affection of our Potter towards his clay. As students learned about the intricate, timely, and precise nature of a potter’s work, they were able to see just how known, beloved, and special they are to their Creator. It was truly powerful! The hand of God was evident during our times of stillness, and our times of goofiness.

“ I am grateful for each student whom he has given us to love, steward, and disciple.”-- Katie

24

END OF THE YEAR GIFTS CAN HELP KIDS GO TO CAMP!

MATCHING GIFT! $48,000+

$24,000

24x

$20,000 $16,000 $12,000 $8,000

$4,000

Let’s do more in ‘24!

COVENANT YOUTH OF ALASKA MATCHING FUND GIFT

SERVING AT BIBLE CAMP My name is Ben Bevis, I’m the founder of a Christian non-profit called Encircled. I’ve been partnering with CYAK over the last 2 ½ years. I’ve been blessed to learn about CYAK and their powerful ministry to native Alaskan youth and young adults. Having been a volunteer staff at the Covenant Bible Camp the last 2 summers, I’ve seen the impact of this ministry to campers. I’ve experienced the presence of Jesus and the Holy Spirit in the chapel, cabin times, and conversations with the staff and campers. There is something very special about this place and this team of passionate leaders!

I love the collaborative approach that CYAK leadership takes to partner with my ministry Encircled, to equip youth and young adults so that they can better experience the Love of Jesus and live out who He uniquely created them to be in the world. I have incredible hope for this next generation because of CYAK’s mission and ministry.

“Thankful to be a volunteer, partner, and donor of this ministry.”-- BEN, encircled

Let’s Do More in 2024!!

Your year end gift makes such a difference!

Special Edition: Celebrating 2023 NOW A MARC PILOTMy name is Joel Oyoumick. I grew up in Unalakleet, Alaska but I am currently living in Soldotna, Alaska. I work for Missionary Aviation Repair Center as a full-time missionary, serving as pilot/scheduler/mechanic. CYAK was an active part of my life in high school and college.

CYAK helped facilitate Bible Camp every summer and helped keep Youth Ministry going through the winter with a youth group and a youth rally in the springtime. These were very positive and encouraging events that helped strengthen my walk with Jesus.

While in college, through CYAK, I had mentors and college leaders who were examples of how to live a life for Christ, not for myself. I had safe places and people to be with that enabled me to make good choices. Fall and winter retreats were also positive events to keep us looking forward to, and a positive thing to help students realize that fun can be had without alcohol or drugs. They have always created spaces where young people feel included and known. They encourage young people to achieve lifelong goals and stay a part of their lives into adulthood.

Alongside my wife and children, we are always happy to help with camp and retreats when asked because we know what a positive impact CYAK has on the Native Alaska communities.

--Joel, SOLDOTNA

$48,000+ could be a matching gift...Will you help?