Abigail Wyler
Isabella Revells, Elysiana Revells, John-James Revells, Molly Wyler, Abigail Wyler, Noah Wyler
Isabella Revells
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Sorry, dear friends...
Sorry, dear friends, I did not update my blog yesterday and do not plan to today. I am dealing - we are dealing - with some personal sorrow. We received sad news yesterday regarding a dear dear friend in Alaska. Missi Labean is fighting an aggressive cancer spreading 20% every 5 days. I spent most of yesterday crying and praying. My mind is so pre-occupied with my friend and her family right now. Her husband and daughters are with her at home. Rhonda is expecting a baby boy in April - their first grandchild. Jessi is studying to be a nurse. John is the most devoted husband. We are so grieving. Praying for a miracle. Anyway I will go back to my trip memories as soon as I can wrap my mind around this. I love Missi so dearly and I am going crazy knowing I can't be with her when she needs me. I just want to hold her hand and kiss her.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Our Journey Home ~ November 7, 2010
Our Journey Home
The sun starting setting mid-afternoon. We passed Burwash Landing and Destruction Bay. We still had three more hours to get to Whitehorse. The sunset was glinting off Kluane Lake. It was the largest lake in the Yukon. Hundreds of miles long. The Alaska Highway wrapped closely around its contours. We rounded a curve and then some gentle hills.
Then we felt a jerk and a pull and Big Bertha made a strange noise. Chris pulled over and we looked at each other. Our worst fear had come upon us. What in the world were we going to do? Car trouble in the middle of the Yukon in sub-zero temperatures – at night – on a lonely road. We had a front row seat watching the last remaining rays of sun and safety fall below the horizon beyond the lake. We prayed.
I kept the children occupied by feeding them an early supper. Instead of the hoped-for warm soup, we ate sandwiches and chips again. We stayed toasty warm in the truck while Daddy investigated the truck.
It was as we had feared – the transmission had gone out. Almost everything under that hood was new – or newer – except the transmission.
No cell phone coverage out there. Well, I suppose God doesn’t need a cell phone anyway. The Canadian version of a D.O.T. truck came by very soon. The guy talked with Chris and said he had a brother-in-law back in Destruction Bay, the little place we had passed about 15 min back. We hated to see him drive away, but we knew stranded vehicles are taken very seriously up in the Yukon.
Sure enough, the brother-in-law, Charles Eikland, came by and towed us back to the Talbot Arm Motel. Okay, let’s clarify. This was not a typical towing. He had a rope. We had a rope. He pulled Big Bertha with a rope! It took about 45 terrifying minutes of Chris having to keep the proper tension on the tow rope and steer in unknown territory when he couldn’t see around Charles’ truck! Up and down and around we went. I helped navigate by peering around and trying to give Chris the lay of the land.
So we all went to bed thankful and nervous about what tomorrow would bring.
Map from Tok, AK to Destruction Bay, YT, Canada
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Sunday, November 7, 2010
This day started perfectly. We woke up very early, got ready and packed. Dressed “the littles” and fastened them in their carseats with a breakfast bar and sippy cup of defrosted milk from the cooler. The older ones helped us re-pack and organize food supplies for the day. Right before packing the food supplies back into the trailer, I used our little espresso machine to make North Pole Coffee (St. Nickerdoodle, of course!) for Chris and I for the road. Sleeping bags rolled and stashed away, Havah’s bassinet loaded with misc. stuff and stowed away in the trunk, sippy cups re-filled and put in the cooler, and a hundred other details were checked off. And away we pulled.
We watched the sun rise over the mountains mid-morning. It was a beautiful day and such gorgeous mountains heralded either side of the Alaska Highway. Our destination was Whitehorse, Canada. We were not far from the border. We would cross Border City into Canada, thru the no-man land, then thru Beaver Creek. The border guard appreciated our organized paperwork and was amazed that we were moving with so little. We felt like it was a treasure trove since we came up to Alaska with almost nothing!The sun starting setting mid-afternoon. We passed Burwash Landing and Destruction Bay. We still had three more hours to get to Whitehorse. The sunset was glinting off Kluane Lake. It was the largest lake in the Yukon. Hundreds of miles long. The Alaska Highway wrapped closely around its contours. We rounded a curve and then some gentle hills.
Then we felt a jerk and a pull and Big Bertha made a strange noise. Chris pulled over and we looked at each other. Our worst fear had come upon us. What in the world were we going to do? Car trouble in the middle of the Yukon in sub-zero temperatures – at night – on a lonely road. We had a front row seat watching the last remaining rays of sun and safety fall below the horizon beyond the lake. We prayed.
I kept the children occupied by feeding them an early supper. Instead of the hoped-for warm soup, we ate sandwiches and chips again. We stayed toasty warm in the truck while Daddy investigated the truck.
It was as we had feared – the transmission had gone out. Almost everything under that hood was new – or newer – except the transmission.
No cell phone coverage out there. Well, I suppose God doesn’t need a cell phone anyway. The Canadian version of a D.O.T. truck came by very soon. The guy talked with Chris and said he had a brother-in-law back in Destruction Bay, the little place we had passed about 15 min back. We hated to see him drive away, but we knew stranded vehicles are taken very seriously up in the Yukon.
Sure enough, the brother-in-law, Charles Eikland, came by and towed us back to the Talbot Arm Motel. Okay, let’s clarify. This was not a typical towing. He had a rope. We had a rope. He pulled Big Bertha with a rope! It took about 45 terrifying minutes of Chris having to keep the proper tension on the tow rope and steer in unknown territory when he couldn’t see around Charles’ truck! Up and down and around we went. I helped navigate by peering around and trying to give Chris the lay of the land.
Finally we made it and checked-in the motel. Charles ate supper at the motel restaurant so Chris could get all of us settled in our room – then they went back for the trailer. We were all settled and safe and back together before we knew it. It was weird and peaceful. We were so thankful. We all prayed our thanksgiving. God had protected and shielded us. We were near a mechanic. We had not entered the intense Canadian Rockies’ passes. We broke down in a safe place on the road. My emotions were all over the place. But my faith in God was my anchor. I had placed my entire trust in Him. I would not waver now.
Charles helped us coordinate the truck repair in Whitehorse because he did not have the equipment locally. So early the next morning the tow truck from Whitehorse would arrive and they would follow it in and make arrangements. Charles researched several garages and they decided which one would be the best. It was a three hour trip (one-way) to Whitehorse. So Chris wouldn’t be back until late.So we all went to bed thankful and nervous about what tomorrow would bring.
Map from Tok, AK to Destruction Bay, YT, Canada
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Sunday, November 6, 2011
Our Journey Home ~ November 6, 2010
Our Journey Home
Saturday, November 6, 2010
We stopped at The Donut Shoppe for apple fritters. That was some consolation.
The journey to Delta and Tok was breathtaking. I had only been as far as Delta Junction before. Beyond that was the great unknown.
We were ready for crossing the border on the next day. A little nervous because we had heard about how the road between the border crossings was not well maintained. Well, actually, it was notable for being terrible! But we had all our documents organized and ready to present to the border guard.
The children were sad to say goodbye to their friends. They were blessed with several very close friends. They were excited about the journey as well. We dreamed of the reunion with family in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. We dreamed about going to the beach. We gave the children plenty of time to talk about how they were feeling and their favorite Alaska memories and their dreams for the future. We had plenty of time to talk!
We noted one thing that was so helpful for our family in all the major transition over the past few years. We traveled as a family unit. They always had each other, as friends and confidents. Our school traveled with us. We always stayed together.
We talked about faith, stepping out into the unknown. How we couldn’t see what God had planned for us, but we knew we could trust Him completely. As a family, we had seen God provide for us over and over and we held unwavering trust in Him.
My Blog Entry "On the Road..." from 2010
View Larger Map
Saturday, November 6, 2010
We were finally ready. We had no idea of the journey we would face. But we had prepared as best as we could. It was a relief to finally be ready, but so bittersweet as well.
The Rucci’s, Pastor Paul, and Jeremy Davis sent us off with prayer, blessings and hugs all around. I love the pictures. So special. As soon as we actually pulled out and I waved bye to Mary Beth one last time, my tears started gushing again. We stopped at The Donut Shoppe for apple fritters. That was some consolation.
The journey to Delta and Tok was breathtaking. I had only been as far as Delta Junction before. Beyond that was the great unknown.
We were ready for crossing the border on the next day. A little nervous because we had heard about how the road between the border crossings was not well maintained. Well, actually, it was notable for being terrible! But we had all our documents organized and ready to present to the border guard.
The children were sad to say goodbye to their friends. They were blessed with several very close friends. They were excited about the journey as well. We dreamed of the reunion with family in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. We dreamed about going to the beach. We gave the children plenty of time to talk about how they were feeling and their favorite Alaska memories and their dreams for the future. We had plenty of time to talk!
We noted one thing that was so helpful for our family in all the major transition over the past few years. We traveled as a family unit. They always had each other, as friends and confidents. Our school traveled with us. We always stayed together.
We talked about faith, stepping out into the unknown. How we couldn’t see what God had planned for us, but we knew we could trust Him completely. As a family, we had seen God provide for us over and over and we held unwavering trust in Him.
My Blog Entry "On the Road..." from 2010
View Larger Map
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Our Journey Home ~ November 2-5, 2010
Our Journey Home
We had planned to stay with the Rucci’s for two days, leaving early Wednesday morning. However at the end of Tuesday, we realized more needed to happen before we pulled out. I felt so wanted and loved at the Rucci’s. They genuinely were sooo excited to have us stay one more night and then one more and then one more! We would sit out in the hallway after the children were in bed and drink coffee and hot chocolate and talk. It was so special. I remember Mary Beth making nachos with moose meat –so fabulous!
I was able to do laundry and have everything clean and organized in the suitcases. If I had it to do over I would have packed differently. I packed a huge girls suitcase, a huge boys suitcase, my suitcase and Chris packed his. Plus a suitcase for books and games. I wish I had packed enough for everybody for a few days in one suitcase and then packed another like it. It would have saved Chris’s back from loading and unloading all those bags every single day.
We had a farewell breakfast with Evan and Sachi Roberts and Rob and Arlene Koenig at the Cookie Jar. Three couples and 19 children – too fun! The Koenigs bought new tires for Big Bertha and took our 10 extra boxes that would not fit. They shipped them for us. We ate at Gallo’s one last time.
It was so hard to know what to keep accessible for the trip and how to pack exactly. I decided to ration the food and supplies into boxes that we would store in the back of the Uhaul. I used the church kitchen to sort all the food we had bought. We would pull one box out for every 1- 2 days. We would defrost it in the truck and in the lodges at night. It would provide breakfast goodies, snacks, sandwiches supplies for lunches, and we would pull out soups for supper. We kept a hot plate and camp stove utensils accessible for when we had no microwave.
Chris also had to prepare for emergencies. He had to purchase emergency road supplies and be prepared for our family to survive the arctic temps if we had trouble on the way. He stocked up on flares, emergency kits, fluids, de-icer, car parts, had the oil changed, etc. He strapped extra tires on the top of the U-haul trailer. He bought 2 cargo carriers for the truck. It took the full week at the Ruccis for him to acquire everything to feel “prepared”.
I was so full of emotion, I could not say any more good-byes. If we had another month, we would have met with more friends and spent more time with them. As it was, we were fighting against time and the weather.
God absolutely had shut every single door to us staying. He provided only enough work to pay our way back. We only had one way to go. God gave Chris favor. The company that owed his last paycheck agreed to give it to him earlier than usual so we could deposit it and have it in the account for the trip.
Our nerves were tingling. This week had been very productive and we were wrapped up – literally. It was time to go. November 6 was a Saturday and we would officially pull out.
Tuesday – Friday, November 2-5, 2010
Mary Beth and Rob opened their apartment to us for a few days. The children thought it was the most awesomest sleepover. It was a time of wrapping up our plans, buying tires, a new Milepost and socks and a thousand details for the trip. We were so tired after the huge push to move out of our home that this gave us time to get our game face on.We had planned to stay with the Rucci’s for two days, leaving early Wednesday morning. However at the end of Tuesday, we realized more needed to happen before we pulled out. I felt so wanted and loved at the Rucci’s. They genuinely were sooo excited to have us stay one more night and then one more and then one more! We would sit out in the hallway after the children were in bed and drink coffee and hot chocolate and talk. It was so special. I remember Mary Beth making nachos with moose meat –so fabulous!
I was able to do laundry and have everything clean and organized in the suitcases. If I had it to do over I would have packed differently. I packed a huge girls suitcase, a huge boys suitcase, my suitcase and Chris packed his. Plus a suitcase for books and games. I wish I had packed enough for everybody for a few days in one suitcase and then packed another like it. It would have saved Chris’s back from loading and unloading all those bags every single day.
We had a farewell breakfast with Evan and Sachi Roberts and Rob and Arlene Koenig at the Cookie Jar. Three couples and 19 children – too fun! The Koenigs bought new tires for Big Bertha and took our 10 extra boxes that would not fit. They shipped them for us. We ate at Gallo’s one last time.
It was so hard to know what to keep accessible for the trip and how to pack exactly. I decided to ration the food and supplies into boxes that we would store in the back of the Uhaul. I used the church kitchen to sort all the food we had bought. We would pull one box out for every 1- 2 days. We would defrost it in the truck and in the lodges at night. It would provide breakfast goodies, snacks, sandwiches supplies for lunches, and we would pull out soups for supper. We kept a hot plate and camp stove utensils accessible for when we had no microwave.
Chris also had to prepare for emergencies. He had to purchase emergency road supplies and be prepared for our family to survive the arctic temps if we had trouble on the way. He stocked up on flares, emergency kits, fluids, de-icer, car parts, had the oil changed, etc. He strapped extra tires on the top of the U-haul trailer. He bought 2 cargo carriers for the truck. It took the full week at the Ruccis for him to acquire everything to feel “prepared”.
I was so full of emotion, I could not say any more good-byes. If we had another month, we would have met with more friends and spent more time with them. As it was, we were fighting against time and the weather.
God absolutely had shut every single door to us staying. He provided only enough work to pay our way back. We only had one way to go. God gave Chris favor. The company that owed his last paycheck agreed to give it to him earlier than usual so we could deposit it and have it in the account for the trip.
Our nerves were tingling. This week had been very productive and we were wrapped up – literally. It was time to go. November 6 was a Saturday and we would officially pull out.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Our Journey Home ~ November 1, 2010
Our Journey Home
We could only pack 10 minutes at a time because of the freezing temps. We paid extra to get the trailer early. We would gear up, open the garage and the trailer and work so quickly to put in as much as possible. The boys helped Chris and I. After about 10 minutes, we would close up the garage and open the door to the house and try to heat it back up as quickly as possible. The concern was that the pipes would freeze and burst – a serious problem for Alaskan homes. We did not have enough fuel to run the garage heat so we heated it with the wood stove in the house. We had a lovely supply of wood and had plans to stock up for the winter. When we decided for sure to move, we kept the wood stove stocked day and night. Very cozy.
The Koenigs had brought by supper the previous week and helped us. They returned with a trailer to help us haul off trash and donation items. They ended up purchasing our van but wanted us to use it until the following week – right before we left.
The vacuum cleaner broke on this day and we couldn’t finish cleaning the home for the next family.
While Chris and David were out taking off the trash for the last time, I filmed the other children walking around the property telling me about their special places. I wanted them to have closure. They had been thru so much with us as a family. I didn’t document much else that day with the camera.
Finally, we finished. We had to leave many boxes behind in the garage – they wouldn’t fit, even after our careful measuring. We put some boxes in the van to ship via USPS. I drove the van; Chris drove the truck and trailer. I wouldn’t drive the truck again for over a month. I was terrified at the thought of it!
We drove to the Ruccis for a late supper. I remember sobbing all the way to Mary Beth’s apartment. I loved our little home. Havah was born there. I would miss our little dirt road full of potholes. I would miss the wilderness and birches and snow and moose coming thru our yard. I would miss the cute little town of North Pole. And the bigger little town of Fairbanks. The frozen Chena River and the BBQs. The cold taking my breath away. And most of all, I would miss the deep friendship forged there in the last frontier. Such amazing people. So beloved to our family.
It felt so much like failure, leaving Alaska. I knew in my mind, this was our walk, but my heart was aching.
After we had only been in Alaska for a few months, God told us we would be there 2 years or less. We were heartbroken. Here we had walked away from everything, relocated our family across the continent! We were just getting started!! We were slowly acclimating to the newness of everything and trying to figure out how to minister to the precious youth. We loved them from the beginning, and we were just making plans about what we felt God wanted us to teach them. 2 years or less!? No, we said, IF this is God, then we certainly were not going to make it happen. We would go on and do what we had planned to do. Circumstances prevented us from doing what we had planned, but we loved our church family until we had to move on.
We had stayed in North Pole to give God opportunity to continue to use us in that area even after our time at Jubilee was finished. After Havah’s birth, we all had a sense of closure and readiness for the next. We had planned to spend the winter in our little house planning a trip home in the spring. We had thought of many options, RVing home, flying home and shipping our stuff, driving and pulling a Uhaul, etc. Chris and I have a standing coffee date early each morning. We would sit on our couches in front of the fire and discuss our ideas.
However in late September, our hearts were turning toward home, especially with the new baby. In October, it became apparent that financially, we were not going to be able to stay. We tried EVERYTHING to stay in Alaska. We spent weeks outlining our options and researching the details one by one. Option One got crossed out. Then Option Two literally got crossed out. Option Three was Operation 48 Bound. We only had weeks to act on it and implement it. We kept double checking that Option One and Two stayed impossible. They did.
Interestingly enough, the children on their own started saying things about going back to the South. Two of them approached us separately in tears about wanting to go. They were happy but so lonely for home. As we started listing some things for sale on craigslist, Brennan privately prayed that we would get three nibbles that first evening if we were supposed to move back. By 9 o’clock that evening, not only did we have three nibbles, we had three bites! We had sold 3 things and they had come by to pick them up. Then he told us what he prayed. It was on!
In retrospect, we realized that if we had stayed until spring like we had planned, we would have stayed past 2 years. As God closed every door for us to stay until spring, we ended up being in Alaska less than 2 years. We were so thankful that God had spoken that to us. Even though we didn’t receive it at the time, it was a comfort to know that He Knew… all along.
November 1, 2010
One year ago... This was a difficult day. Saying goodbye to the little house in North Pole. And literally moving out.
I remember sitting in the floor of the barren living room and crying. I felt like there was NO way we could finish packing and cleaning the house that day. There was too much to do. We had been working so hard for weeks and we were weary. The children were restless and packing was tedious. I had to stop constantly and nurse Havah and feed everybody else it seemed. The past weeks had been so stressful trying to get a trailer for the trip, making preparations and actually packing. Everything had to fit in specific amount of space we had taped off on the garage floor. We sold things. We gave away things. We hauled off things. So much had to be done. We had to take turns running errands.We could only pack 10 minutes at a time because of the freezing temps. We paid extra to get the trailer early. We would gear up, open the garage and the trailer and work so quickly to put in as much as possible. The boys helped Chris and I. After about 10 minutes, we would close up the garage and open the door to the house and try to heat it back up as quickly as possible. The concern was that the pipes would freeze and burst – a serious problem for Alaskan homes. We did not have enough fuel to run the garage heat so we heated it with the wood stove in the house. We had a lovely supply of wood and had plans to stock up for the winter. When we decided for sure to move, we kept the wood stove stocked day and night. Very cozy.
The Koenigs had brought by supper the previous week and helped us. They returned with a trailer to help us haul off trash and donation items. They ended up purchasing our van but wanted us to use it until the following week – right before we left.
The vacuum cleaner broke on this day and we couldn’t finish cleaning the home for the next family.
While Chris and David were out taking off the trash for the last time, I filmed the other children walking around the property telling me about their special places. I wanted them to have closure. They had been thru so much with us as a family. I didn’t document much else that day with the camera.
Finally, we finished. We had to leave many boxes behind in the garage – they wouldn’t fit, even after our careful measuring. We put some boxes in the van to ship via USPS. I drove the van; Chris drove the truck and trailer. I wouldn’t drive the truck again for over a month. I was terrified at the thought of it!
We drove to the Ruccis for a late supper. I remember sobbing all the way to Mary Beth’s apartment. I loved our little home. Havah was born there. I would miss our little dirt road full of potholes. I would miss the wilderness and birches and snow and moose coming thru our yard. I would miss the cute little town of North Pole. And the bigger little town of Fairbanks. The frozen Chena River and the BBQs. The cold taking my breath away. And most of all, I would miss the deep friendship forged there in the last frontier. Such amazing people. So beloved to our family.
It felt so much like failure, leaving Alaska. I knew in my mind, this was our walk, but my heart was aching.
After we had only been in Alaska for a few months, God told us we would be there 2 years or less. We were heartbroken. Here we had walked away from everything, relocated our family across the continent! We were just getting started!! We were slowly acclimating to the newness of everything and trying to figure out how to minister to the precious youth. We loved them from the beginning, and we were just making plans about what we felt God wanted us to teach them. 2 years or less!? No, we said, IF this is God, then we certainly were not going to make it happen. We would go on and do what we had planned to do. Circumstances prevented us from doing what we had planned, but we loved our church family until we had to move on.
We had stayed in North Pole to give God opportunity to continue to use us in that area even after our time at Jubilee was finished. After Havah’s birth, we all had a sense of closure and readiness for the next. We had planned to spend the winter in our little house planning a trip home in the spring. We had thought of many options, RVing home, flying home and shipping our stuff, driving and pulling a Uhaul, etc. Chris and I have a standing coffee date early each morning. We would sit on our couches in front of the fire and discuss our ideas.
However in late September, our hearts were turning toward home, especially with the new baby. In October, it became apparent that financially, we were not going to be able to stay. We tried EVERYTHING to stay in Alaska. We spent weeks outlining our options and researching the details one by one. Option One got crossed out. Then Option Two literally got crossed out. Option Three was Operation 48 Bound. We only had weeks to act on it and implement it. We kept double checking that Option One and Two stayed impossible. They did.
Interestingly enough, the children on their own started saying things about going back to the South. Two of them approached us separately in tears about wanting to go. They were happy but so lonely for home. As we started listing some things for sale on craigslist, Brennan privately prayed that we would get three nibbles that first evening if we were supposed to move back. By 9 o’clock that evening, not only did we have three nibbles, we had three bites! We had sold 3 things and they had come by to pick them up. Then he told us what he prayed. It was on!
In retrospect, we realized that if we had stayed until spring like we had planned, we would have stayed past 2 years. As God closed every door for us to stay until spring, we ended up being in Alaska less than 2 years. We were so thankful that God had spoken that to us. Even though we didn’t receive it at the time, it was a comfort to know that He Knew… all along.
It was madness to leave at the beginning of winter. The roads were already white. The temps fast approaching subzero. We were not just driving, but pulling a trailer and traveling with 7 children through the wilderness of Alaska and Canada. How much crazier could God’s plan be? Well… we were about to find out.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Getting Ready
We just received beds, dressers and mattresses for ALL the children. We ordered them and they are here! Now we just have to decide on linens and curtains! Too many decisions. I think I will bring out the sewing machines and have a go at it...
I am speaking at Greenville First Assembly at their Christmas women's event. So I am working on preparing music, speaking notes, photo/video, etc. The woman's ministries director wants me to share my testimony including our journey to Alaska and back.
John-James' face is looking much better. The children are running around yelling in the back yard, thoroughly enjoying this lovely fall weather.
I am speaking at Greenville First Assembly at their Christmas women's event. So I am working on preparing music, speaking notes, photo/video, etc. The woman's ministries director wants me to share my testimony including our journey to Alaska and back.
John-James' face is looking much better. The children are running around yelling in the back yard, thoroughly enjoying this lovely fall weather.
Monday, October 17, 2011
John-James got into a fight with some poison...
pain. It just hurts to look at him. Poor fellow!
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