Friends of Alaska
(or at least friends of two people in Alaska)   ---

We are busy this week with the Arctic Winter Games.  This has been one of the main things we have volunteered for while here.  The other would be school where Elva volunteers two mornings per week.  For the AWG we are to wear our official uniform, which is actually only a top.

For inside activities we are to wear the tee shirt and for outside the jacket.  The jacket is unique.  The mitten you see is built into the jacket - twist the end of the sleeve around just right and it produces this mitten.  It cannot be seen in this picture but there is also a face warmer built into the hood.  The jacket is worth $150 or more according to the company web site.  We get them free if we volunteer enough hours.

So far we have been busy volunteering and have not had the opportunity to watch any of the games.  Thus there are no more  pictures.  But we have the opportunity to visit with many people.  My volunteer jobs are mostly being janitor.  That goes okay if the person I am to work with wants help.  Yesterday evening the person did not want much help.  That made me feel sort of useless but it did give me the opportunity to visit with other volunteers.  There is a special daily newspaper that accompanies the games.  We were featured one day.  I think you can see that article at this site   http://www.newsminer.com/arctic_winter_games/elva-and-larry-evers-embracing-awg-spirit/article_7e08452a-ada9-11e3-9547-0017a43b2370.html#.UycysxZztMw.email

One man I visited with was from Canyon City, Colorado, and knows where Cheraw (where I grew up) is and where Wiley (where I taught for three years and where I met Elva and where she taught for one year) is.

Another man I worked with for a few hours is a native of Laos.  He was about 9 years old when his family escaped the coming Communists.  He saw many people killed and tortured.  he traveled with a group of 30 to 40 people.  As they traveled on foot through the jungle there were several times when the group ahead of them and the group behind them were all killed, but they got through safely.  Several of his extended family were killed by the Communists.  I asked, since he had suffered so much from the Communists, how he felt about China and other Communist countries now.  He said he has forgiven the Communists.  He has become a Christian and has forgiven them.  Before coming to America his family believed in Shamanism(Shamanism follow witch doctors.)

Monday Elva was helping to sell AWG merchandise.  Some young ladies were discussing whether to get a $19.00 T-shirt.  They must have been watching their pennies as they were wondering about tax in Fairbanks. Well the city of Fairbanks has no tax.  The ladies were very surprised at that.  Elva asked where they were from and they were from New Mexico.  They were here to see AWG on their spring break.  Maybe they thought seeing the sites at AWG and around Fairbanks was better than going south for their break.

A big deal about the AWG is all the pins that are produced to go with the games.  One man, perhaps in his thirties, has collected hundreds of AWG pins over the years.  His father collected pins before this man started.

Pins can be bought, traded, or given free.  They usually depict particular sports, the various nations participating, or activities surrounding the games.  We were each given a pin for volunteering.  Some people have hundreds of pins.  An individual pin costs $6.00.  There are some that come as a set and may cost more.  Elva saw one person buy 12 or so pens at once.  Some are only sold on certain days, so those who are really into the pins would buy some on most days of the competition.  Officially the games start March 15 and end the 22nd.

Visiting participants, coaches and chaperons are housed in various schools around town.  Some schools are boys' dorms and others girls' dorms.  They all eat in the same high school.  Chartered buses are continually going around to the events and dorms.  The city buses are free this week.  There are about 2000 participants, 2700 volunteers, many fans, many dignitaries from the various places, and many spectators.  There are officially 20 different sports.  Some are in school gyms, school tracks, college facilities, and ski slopes.  The games are expected to add $13 million to the Fairbanks economy.

Some people have asked how we knew to come to Alaska this year.  After all, the weather here has not been as severe as many places in the lower 48.  Most events we have been involved with are not usually here.  The last time AWG was here was 1988.  AFN (Alaska Federation of Natives) usually does not have its meeting here.  The Yukon Quest Sled Dog Race starts here only half the years.  All I can say is that this must be the year that God wanted us here.  We did not know ahead of time about any of these things.

Thanks for your interest.  We hope to have more pictures of the games next week.  God's blessing to all of you.

Larry and Elva