

SMASHWORDS EDITION

Copyright © 2017 M.J Brooks.

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Journals of Peter Perry Faith on Ice  
Copyright © 2017 by M.J Brooks.

ISBN: 9781370998890

All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations em- bodied in critical articles or reviews.  
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter One

Peter's Decision

Peter Perry had become an old man of the ripe age of 81. In the later years of Peter and his wife, they had moved to Ninilchik, Alaska some thirty miles south of Kenai. Peter agreed to teach at Ludlow Christian Academy.

It was a seminary for new ministers who had just entered the ministry. Every Monday, just before class, Peter would be seen getting out of his old blue Ford F-250, he would slowly walk across the parking lot carrying an old brown leather lawyer's case. His wife gave it to him for his 54th birthday, and he loved that old case because it reminded him of his wife and it kept him close to her when they were separated.

Both of them were living in a motel in town because their home was flooded by the storm surge of the Pacific typhoon McClain. All of their personal belongings were destroyed, and Peter was very sad.

The one thing that Peter cherished was his old chest of journals that he had written over the past 62 years. He assumed that they were all wet because the pages were smeared with the precious ink of that time. He thought that because of today's innovations, the advancement of word processors, no one takes the time to write anymore.

It was Monday again, and Peter gave his wife a kiss as he would always do whenever he would leave her. But know that he had Parkinson's disease, his kisses had a bit of tremble in them.

Closing the door behind himself, he walks over to his old truck of which he called "old blue." He loved old blue because he felt they both had two things in common, they both were old, and they both needed God's grace. So before he turned the key, he would rest his hand upon the dash of the old truck and pray for it and their safe journey to Kenai.

That morning, Peter received a call from the local authorities informing him that it was ok to move back into their home.

Their home was a little cabin that had running water, but no electricity, and Peter had to bring the wood in so his wife could cook and keep the cabin warm. Everyone wanted them to take a modern home, but they decided on the seclusion of the Alaskan wilderness. While Peter was driving to the academy, he was troubled in his heart concerning what he would find this afternoon when he would go to view the damage.

Peter gave his lecture for the morning with those gray and bushy eyebrows flickering up and down over the top of his glasses looking down with a look of perplexity. Then one of his students walked over to him and said, "Sir, are you ok?"

Peter looked up at Patrick sharply and said, "I am fine, just considering some things."

Patrick said, "Sir, I heard about your home being washed away and the class and I would like to help in any way we can."

Peter responded, "Oh that's ok, but thank you."

Patrick said, "Are you sure sir, we are ready to help just let us know."

Peter nodded his head acknowledging the offer and grabbed his old case and headed for old blue in the parking lot.

He got into the old truck and looked over to his left and saw a car that resembled one that his wife had proposed for him to purchase as a replacement for old blue. Then he rested his hand upon the dash to pray as always. But this time he said to old blue looking at the other car "I will never give you up old dude" and continued with his prayer for safety.

Once he arrived at the town motel, he pulled out his keys and went inside greeting his wife with a kiss of peace. She immediately took off his coat and told him to go and wash his hands, so he did. Returning to the dining area, he took a seat where his wife had prepared a place mat for him. She brought over a bowl of Halibut head soup which was Peter's favorite; he ate and enjoyed his meal. Once he finished, he walked over to the recliner in the living room area. His wife placed a heater between the both of them that she purchased at the local hardware store.

In their little cabin, the both of them would sit on each side of the fireplace, they enjoyed their time together before the fire. It was a ritual for Peter and his wife to sit in front of the fireplace in the afternoons and evenings. This was a time that they enjoyed each other's company sharing what God was doing in their hearts.

So as always his wife started the dialog saying "So our home is ready? How are we going to clean that place up, Slave?" She called him Slave because that is the name the West Africans gave him on his second missionary tour, they called him the Slave of Jesus.

So he looks up sipping the hot green tea his wife gave him saying "I really don't know?" He continued by saying with a smile, "My class is certainly willing to help us, one young man in particular called Patrick."

His wife said, "Maybe the Slave of Jesus should let Patrick and the crew do the work; we are too old to allow God's help pass us bye."

"Yea," responded Peter; "I will call them tomorrow."

Peter reclined back in the chair with a deep sigh saying "Those old journals are destroyed, and all the records of God's grace are with them."

His wife got up from her chair and swung her long braided band of silver hair over her shoulders and knelt on Peter's knees. She looked up into his eyes and said, "The testimony of God's grace is written in heaven Peter concerning all that he has done for us in ministry, you know that right?"

Peter reached and hugged his wife and said, "Truly our entire life had been ministry even as God has cared for me, through you."

So that night Peter called Patrick and informed him that he would need his help, he gave him the location of where his home was.

The next day Peter drove old blue to the location of his home. When he started around the tree line, he could see the roof of the old cabin cresting on the horizon of the grassy slope. When he pulled up to the old place, he was amazed that the old structure was still standing.

He got out of his old truck and thanked God for preserving his home, and then he thought to himself "How bad could it be inside?" He continued in his thinking and said, "All this place would need is a good fire inside to dry up the walls."

Peter sat on one of the old rocking chairs that were on the porch. While he was thinking of what disaster was awaiting him on the inside, he chose to look around the place and enjoy the serenity of forest around him. Then he saw Michael the angel walking before him, and he said "My, my, don't you look well! When we first met I looked younger than you, but now I look older than you, don't you guys ever age."

Michael responded by saying "No that's one of the benefits of being an Angel."

Peter responded, "Well someday, and I'm sure it will be very soon, that I will have a body better than yours." Then Peter looked at his old hands as they trembled while resting them on his knees.

Then he looked right at Michael and said "When is the Master coming for me, I'm tired, and my body is all used up."

Michael responded by saying, "He that said he would come will come and will not tarry, only remain faithful to Him!"

Peter responded, "Have I not been faithful, have I not magnified the Lord in my flesh all the days of my life? I just wanted to be with my beloved the one who promised to come for me and take me home to be with him forever."

Michael then walked off into a clouded mist and disappeared. So just before he began to consider again what was inside his home, Patrick and the students arrived. Patrick speedily walked up to the porch where Peter was standing and said, "Sir, they just don't make them like this anymore," resting his hands on one of the logs.

Peter looked at Patrick and said, "Yes the time has passed concerning good old fashioned woodwork." Then Peter opened the door and walked in standing with the light from outside behind him; he smelled something that he described as death.

That's what he said to Patrick as he stood in the doorway, then he walked in panning around the living room.

He walked out like a general prepared for battle, he said to Patrick, "I have a large tarp in the back of my truck, take it and lay it on the porch."

Patrick responded by saying, "Ok, sir, what after that?"

Peter said, "Do that for now, and I will tell you guys what's next!"

Peter walked over to one of the walls of the cabin, he rubbed one of the logs with his finger where the water line had settled. This line showed how high the water had risen in his home.

Peter went back outside of his home and stood on the porch with everyone standing before him and said, "Take everything that's in the living room and place it on the tarp." So Patrick and the rest of the students did as Peter had instructed them and placed all of the contents of that room on the huge tarp. Peter then walked back inside of his home and opened his bedroom door.

He noticed that most of their things were destroyed by the flood that protruded into his wife's private space.

He thought to himself that it was a good idea that she did not come with him for the cleanup. This room was her place of devotion, a place where she enjoyed time alone with God.

So he walked back out to the porch and gave them instructions on getting the next tarp out of old blue and taking everything that's inside the bedroom and placing the items on the tarp. Patrick said, "Sir, I think it would be best if after we take these things out of your home that we should move them to a safer and secure place like storage."

He continued by saying, "I believe these things are valuable to you and your wife and it looks like it may rain any minute."

Peter looked right at Patrick as he spoke and said "Ok but just these things first."

Then two of the students brought out a huge chest made of leather with oak binding straps. The color of the lower half had changed into a dark, grim like appearance. Peter then shouted to the two to put that down on the porch, and they did.

The two stepped away as if they had handled something sacred. Everyone surrounded the porch as Peter approached the chest, the old man fell to his knees before it with tears welling up in his eyes. The fingers of the old man trembled as he snapped the hinges of the chest and everyone's eyes were on the old man. When Peter opened the chest, he saw all of his precious journals partially covered with water that had collected in the chest. He had other books that were on the bottom of the chest, and his journal rested on top of those.

Peter called Patrick and said, "Get me some newspaper or something to absorb the water so the journals can dry out."

So Patrick and the students looked for paper or anything that the journals could rest upon, they created a mat of old newspapers and rags.

Peter took each journal and placed them on the paper mat, there were seven in total, and each one was in a bonded leather.

On the front of each journal was a paper insert of which Peter had given a name to it, all of them were Peter's account of his ministry over the years. So Patrick and the students moved all of Peter's furniture to a nearby storage building and returned back to Peter.

All of the students had left for the day, and only Patrick returned with the key to the storage space of which he rented for Peter. When Patrick drove up to Peter home, he saw Peter holding one of his journals in his hand looking out at the forest. A female moose and her young were grazing on grass in front of Peter's home. The huge mother moose stopped and looked right at Peter. Peter and the moose looked like they both had a personal connection.

Patrick said, "Do you know that mother moose?"

Peter replied, "No, but I'm sure she knows me."

Patrick did not know it, but Peter was referring to an event some forty years ago in Anchorage.

Peter looked at Patrick while he held one of the journals and said, "How much do I owe you, young man?"

Patrick replies, "Nothing, sir, it has been a pleasure just to help."

Peter replied, "Ok!" Then he said, "Patrick, I need you to help me get a fire going in the home." He continued by saying, "The smoke will help remove that molded smell in the home and remove any moisture in the logs."

So Patrick took Peter's old rocking chair and sat it in front of the fireplace and said, "Sir, you sit here while I go and get some wood."

So Patrick got the fire going, and the smoke filled the house as Peter said because the flue of the fireplace was closed.

Peter said while seated in the chair, "Open the flue so the fire can breathe," so Patrick did so. Peter said to Patrick, "Throw another log on the fire to really heat it up in here," and Patrick did so.

Peter leaned back into the chair still holding one of the journals and Patrick said, "I take it that that journal, in particular, means a lot to you!"

"Yes," replied Peter, "this was my first one."

Patrick said, "Sir, could I see it?"

Peter turned from the fire with the glow of the fire in his eyes looking right at Patrick and said, "Sure." He handed the journal to Patrick in front of the fireplace.

Patrick felt the warm bonded leather in his hands as he took hold of the journal. The journal had a smeared insert title card named Alaska. Patrick said to Peter, "Sir, may I open it?"

Peter replied, "Ok, but be careful."

So Patrick opened the first pages of Peter's first journal and said, "Sir, most of the pages are smeared!"

Peter replied sadly, "Yes I know, but I have those events written in my heart," as he stared at the fire.

Patrick replied, "But, sir, I can restore these for you if you allow me to help. All I need is for you to tell me the story and I can rewrite it for you."

Peter replied, "Son I don't know, maybe it was God who decided to destroy the journals."

Patrick then replied, "Sir, these journals could act as a source of encouragement to me and to all God's people. "

Peter then looked at Patrick and said, "How do you plan to accomplish this?"

Patrick then ran to his car while the rain was coming down. He went to his car to get his laptop computer; as he returned, to the cabin, he saw the orange fire rise from the chimney.

Patrick entered the house and walked over to Peter and said, "Sir, I'm ready."

Peter replied to Patrick saying: "I can only work on this for another hour and then I must go to my wife." Peter also told Patrick to go to his truck and get his old leather case for him, so Patrick did as Peter directed him. When Patrick entered the house, he gave the leather case to Peter and took a seat next to him holding his laptop. Peter then closed his eyes and began to pray asking God to bless him and the work of recovering those old journals.

After Peter had concluded his prayer for the journals, he leaned back in his old chair and opened his leather case and pulled out a small bag of dried sardines and slowly placed one in his mouth and he prepared to speak.

Peter said to Patrick as he prepared to write, "I must start at the beginning; there are certain events that must be added that the originals did not have." He continued by saying, "Hopefully as you become older Patrick your memory will become sharper concerning events of the past. Since I have advanced in years, I am now able to give a more accurate account of my journeys." Then Peter asks Patrick to read the first section of the Alaskan Journal, and then he began to speak.

"I was a young man and winter had passed, and it was spring, but when is it really winter in San Diego?" It was indeed spring, and Peter Perry was approaching his 18th birthday, he was 5ft 7", 162lb and chunky.

Peter was looking forward to his 18th birthday, and in other ways he was not, meaning he knew that something was on the horizon for him. As he started the countdown of days to his birthday, he became more and more nervous.

Peter was predisposed to scratching himself when he became nervous about anything; he would start from the back of his neck to his ankles.

As he rode his skateboard down old Waldo Hill from school as he did every day, he began to think about becoming a real adult. He said to himself "The only thing I don't have that a real man has is hair on my chest, a real girlfriend and I don't pay taxes."

Well, he knew that the statement about the girlfriend was not true because Patty Kim has been after him every day for the last nine years. Patty Kim was a beautiful Korean girl at his school that he liked a lot, they practically grew up together. Patty Kim had a purple streak in the middle of her hair with the rest of it resting on her shoulders.

When Peter would come out of his class, Patty would be standing there waiting for her close companion.

When they walked around the school yard, they moved like two graceful swans in their own world. Maybe from the beginning that's what it was meant to be! On a certain day, while they were eating lunch, Patty introduced Peter to his lifetime addiction, but before that, there was the issue of Timmy.

Timmy Smith was smoking a cigarette behind them. It was known that Timmy had been after Peter for a while because he thought Peter's family had a lot of money. He wanted Peter to join his gang and participate in their activities. The gang's core activity was selling crystal meth at school, and Timmy selected Peter as a choice client for his services.

He believed that Peter would be a big piggy bank for the gang only if he could just get Peter to try his dope.

Yet Peter always resists Timmy's offers, remembering his mother's words, "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

Timmy said to Patty, "Take a toke girl."

Patty turned to Timmy and said, "Smoking is for dodo brains, be on your way creep."

Timmy walked away, and Patty reached into her backpack and pulled out a pack of dried mini fish.

Peter said, "Yuck! What is that?"

Patty said, "They taste better than they look, try one," as she crunched down on one of them.

Peter said, "No thanks girl; I will stick to my red vines."

Patty looked right at Peter with that beautiful smirk and said, "Peter you have always trusted me, close your eyes and open your mouth."

So Peter unable to resist any request that Patty presented closed his eyes and opened his mouth. Patty took one of the dried mini fish and placed it in Peter's mouth; she said, "Now slowly close your mouth and taste the salt."

Peter simply ate the mini fish and said, "I didn't taste any salt," and he reached for another. After five trips to Patty's bag of mini fish, Peter said, "I bet these are good for me! I bet these are full of omega-3 and full of good cholesterol."

Patty looked at Peter and said, "Yea they are far healthier than those chocolate chip cookies your mom has waiting for you every day."

Peter said, "Give my mom a break; she just loves her son."

Patty looks at Peter with tears welling up in her eyes and said, "You know I love you too."

Peter said, "Ok I got to go! It's my last class, I need to move on, I will call you later."

Peter walked away scratching his neck because he was afraid of falling in love with Patty and not only her, that with any girl. The fact is Peter ate mini fish every day for the rest of his life, and Patty would bring them to him where ever he was.

One week before Peter's birthday he was on his regular route cruising down old Waldo Hill towards home. While on the way it came to his remembrance concerning what was about to happen next week. He rested his right foot on the bottom of the slope of old Waldo Hill bringing himself to a complete stop. He picked up his skateboard and sat on the curb of the street. The cars raced by as their wind splashed upon Peter's face; he sat there with his backpack, on his back and his skateboard resting on his knees. He said to himself, "Next week I will be old enough to be a fisherman! I can apply for my deckhand license and start my training."

Then he thought, "Oh my dad and mom would kill me because they have plans for me to go to college and run the family business." Peter continued in his thoughts saying, "I don't want it; I don't want the job of running a company that I know my father is not happy with! I want to be a fisherman or missionary like my dad and mom."

Peter sat on that curb feeling trapped, and he knew that he had an appointment with his mother like he has had for the last thirteen years, and there was no fooling her. So he thought about something else as he continued home in hope to fool his mother. Yet he knew it was hopeless because his mother could see through brick walls of emotion, she was very intuitive concerning her children.

Peter jumped off his skateboard and walked up to his door of his home. He started his daily routine of dropping his book bag on the hallway table and proceeded down to the kitchen door where he knew his mother was waiting.

As always Peter would come in and take a seat at the kitchen counter with his mother back to him. Placing stove hand mittens down she would slowly turn around reaching for Peter's face to give him a kiss on his forehead. Once she kissed him, she would always say, "How is my little soldier doing" and Peter would always say, "Mom I'm not a little soldier anymore."

His mother said, "Oh yea what are you now?"

Peter said "Next week I will be a man mom"!

Peter's mother said, "You will always be my baby no matter how old you become, but I will call you my big soldier for now on." Then she raised her eyebrows as she looked right at him saying, "I thought I told you to stop eating those dried sardines that Patty has been giving you. They make your breath stink, and you make the kitchen smell like a sack of dead frogs."

Peter knew his mother was on a roll of discovery, so he began to scratch his neck.

His mom standing with her hands on her hips said, "Oh what do we have here; you're hiding something." His mother continued by saying, "What do you plan on doing for Patty seeing she is going away for a couple of years to your father's old missionary school at the end of this summer?"

"I don't know really," Peter responded!

"Well, she has been coming over here every Saturday for the last two years squeezing every bit of information out of your dad." His mom continued saying, "What about you? Did your SAT results come back yet, it's time for your own enrollment into San Diego State."

Peter responded with a long sigh saying, "Mom how do you know that God wants me to go to San Diego State in the fall. Maybe He wants me to just be a fisherman like your dad grandpapa Duke."

He was referring to his mother Joyce's father who was the founder of Hemlock Cannery Company. Duke Hemlock founded Hemlock Cannery in the early 1950's and started out with nothing but God's grace. As Duke's share increased in the cannery business, he expanded his operations all the way up to Seattle, Washington. He wanted to expand into the Alaskan territory, but he felt that he had enough. Duke and his wife Neva had two daughters Joyce and Lilly, and both were born and raised in San Diego California.

Duke was honorably discharged from the US Navy after the Second World War and in 1948 became one of the first fishing fleet captains of San Diego. The word was if Duke could not find the fish they were not there, captain Duke had the largest fuel bill in the San Diego fleet. As the years moved on, Duke retired from chasing tuna to processing tuna, and he was successful at it. As Duke and Neva became older without a son to take over, they began to look closely at their own daughters in consideration to take over the company. But neither daughter took an interest in the business, Joyce the oldest daughter married Paul Perry and joined him in his missionary work in Africa. Lilly simply wanted to become a journalist and experience the world. She moved to Great Britain and from there traveled as far as Hong Kong of the east and returning to London every two years. So Duke began to rest his eye on Paul Perry because he liked and trusted Paul and viewed him as a sturdy man.

On one of Paul's furloughs from his mission work, Duke Hemlock called and set up an appointment to have lunch at his office with Paul. Paul accepted the invitation and proceeded to Duke's office. Paul arrived on time as it was his nature to do so and Duke's secretary informed Duke that Paul was waiting in the lobby.

Duke told his secretary to bring Paul into his office and to hold all calls. So Paul walked into Duke's office enamored with mahogany from end to end. Behind Duke's seat was a huge window that viewed the whole of downtown San Diego. He told Paul to sit down in the leather chair right in front of his solid oak desk; it was covered with pictures of his family. Duke sat down also and then turn the photo of Paul and Joyce around to face Paul. Duke said to Paul "What do you think about that picture?"

Paul responded, "Yeah I remember when we took that!"

Duke responded, "What I mean is are they truly happy!"

Paul said, "Yes I believe they are happy!"

"Ok," said Duke, "What about now and what about the future?"

Paul knew what Duke was up to but he played like he was ignorant of his true intent, they went through this several times already. Duke paused and then glared at Paul with those beady eyes of his. He folded and locked his fingers together while leaning back in his chair and said, "You know I believe in God also, yet as a man, I must also provide for my family." Duke continued by saying, "Paul do you really enjoy seeing your wife's feet dried up and layered with dead skin from the Mali heat?" He was referring to the rigorous heat of west Africa, walking around there was a death sentence to one's feet. "Come now and do what every man must do, I believe God has indeed opened a door for you! Can't you help more people with more wealth my son? Do not answer me now but go and think about the child your wife is carrying, do you want it born and raised in Bamako Mali?"

So Paul returned home in a perplexed mindset because this time Duke's speech ran to the core of Paul's affections for his future family. Yet Paul still held to his position and returned back to Mali at his missionary post.

Old man Peter while telling the story of his grandfather looked right at Patrick and said, "Let's get back to Peter and his mother's conversation. You will find out more about my father Paul later in this volume and the next! Now Peter's mom responded by saying, 'Your grandfather would have loved to hear you say that if he was alive.'"

His mother then looked at Peter and said, "You know your father depends on you to take over the company in the next 5 years!"

"But mom," Peters said, "I believe God has something else for me, I believe I am called to a life of faith on the water."

"Yes, Peter, your grandfather was a great fisherman, and he also was a good business man, but he also knew of his limits. It was a prime desire of your grandfather to expand his business to Alaska. He wanted to start a fleet of boats up there with a cannery to process the salmon, but he ran out of time to do it. Alaska was the end of the road for my father, and on his death bed, he would speak of it.

"Yet Peter, he made it easy for you, you do not have to use your hands as he did, he made it easy for you. All you have to do is use your brains to manage it." His mother continued by saying, "I watched in the early years how my mother would remove the large circle hooks out of my father's hands when he would come home. It was a life of blood and hooks for her and biting on rags for my dad as my mother pulled those large hooks out. Do you still want a life like that?"

Then Peter looked at his mom and grabbed one of those fresh hot chocolate cookies on the counter and went to his room. Peter fell asleep with crumbs of that chocolate cookie on his shirt; his thoughts were that of the future and what was going to be next for him.

Peter began to dream, seeing a great range of mountains encircling him with snow on its peaks and it was night. The stars of heaven seem to be in reach, and Peter wondered if he could actually reach them with his hands.

Then a great and glorious cloud formed before Peter covering the complete sky, rumblings, and breaks of thunder flashed across the sky. An object that was bright as the sun appeared in the clouds above the mountains that seem to have the form of a man.

The glorious man reached out and grabbed Peter by the hair suspending him over the lofty peaks of the mountains, Peter screamed out "Jesusssssssssssssss" as he felt the cold winds off the rigged tips of the mountains and a voice said, "I am He." The man of splendor and glory placed Peter on what appeared to be a deep blue formation of ice. The light of the moon flashed upon the great icy stone and the night was turned into day.

Peter turned to the right and saw and old man with a long gray beard with his arms raised to Peter saying with a smile on his face, "Save us." Surrounding the old man was a group of people that had their hands upon the old man holding him prisoner, their hair was like that of a raven in darkness.

The people's eyes had no life in them and were totally black. To the left of Peter was an ordinary looking man and the one of glory from above pointed his finger at the man and his appearance changed into what Peter understood to be angel and wonderful to look at. Then as Peter was looking at the angel with wonder something like a fireball crashed upon the great formation of ice before him. Then out of the fire came a huge and ugly Dragon which came and stood before Peter with a nasty smirk upon his face. The Dragon overshadowed Peter, and he became afraid.

Then the Glorious one who sat upon the cloud spoke and the dragon fell down in fear, he said to Peter, "Do not fear for greater is he who is in you than he that is in the world."

The Dragon then stood over Peter again and with both of his powerful arms and clutched fists he smashed the top of the ice before Peter. When his fists touched the ice a large hole appeared which Peter fell into.

As Peter began to fall, a hand grabbed Peter by the hair suspending him in the air in the hole. Then Peter heard his mother saying, "Peter, Peter wake up" while she was holding him by the hair in his bed. Peter opened his eyes and saw his mother holding him by the hair.

Then his mother said, "Peter, are you going to eat dinner or what?" So Peter came down to the table as his sister Elizabeth was already there seated with that same cunning smile on her face. She would always insinuate that she knew something that everyone else did not know, that was Elizabeth.

She looked over at Peter and said "You know that the word at school is that you and Patty are planning to run away."

Peter ignored what she said, then he looked over at Elizabeth and said "You will be getting what you always wanted my sister real soon."

Elizabeth responded, "What are you talking about?"

Peter responded "You will see real soon."

Peter was referring to Elizabeth's ambition of taking over the family's business pushing Peter to the side. Peter knew he did not want to run the family business and he knew Elizabeth was next in line. Elizabeth had already got her father to open a brokerage account, so she could invest her allowance. There was no one like Elizabeth; no one could think up ways to make money like her. Peter's mother came in with the last dish of food and Paul just got home from the office.

Paul walking past the dinner table said to Peter, "Your time is near; I told the board today that I will be introducing you officially next week."

Elizabeth shouted, "What about my dad?"

While Paul was washing his hands in the kitchen, he said, "God has something good for you to do my little one," referring to Elizabeth. As Paul sat down at the table, he said to Peter "Serious you better get ready for next week!"

Peter responded by saying, "Yea dad everything is going to happen next week."

So they ate their dinner in complete silence, and Peter returned back to his room in sorrow, he opened his window and crawled out and sat on the roof the house.

He sat there looking toward the north imagining the man from above reaching for him and taking him from his current situation. He munched on a mini fish and continued to think about how he could get out of working for his dad.

Then he heard his cell phone go off in his room, so he got up and climbed back into his room picking it up.

It was Patty's face on the screen, so he swiped it with his thumbs and answered it. Patty said, "Hey you what are you doing?"

Peter responded by saying, "Nothing really!"

"Well, meet me at the Dana Park in 10 minutes," said Patty.

"Ok," said Peter, "but it's going to take longer than 10 minutes ok?" Peter had to put the trash out for pickup next day. So when Peter put the trash out, he jumped on his skateboard and raced down to Dana Park.

One block before Dana Park, a black car with tinted windows pulled alongside Peter. The rear window slowly rolled down with a gun rising out of it pointing at Peter.

It was Timmy from school, and he was laughing at Peter saying, "You foul you could be dead, but luckily I know you!" Peter noticed that the smirk on his face was that of the dragon in his dream, while he began to scratch all over. "Get in the car fool; you're going to roll with us today!"

Then a man walked from out of nowhere and stood between Peter and the car.

Timmy told the driver as he rolled up the window to move on. Then Peter looked in the man's face and noticed that it was the man he saw in his dream. As they both stood in the middle of the street, the man said to Peter, "It is time Peter, it is time," then with a swoosh sound, the man disappeared.

Patty ran over to Peter and said, "What are you doing? I saw that black car pull off and then you just stood in the street talking to the air! Are you losing it, Peter, are you turning crazy on me" as she shook him.

Peter said, "You would not believe me if I told you." Peter walked away with Patty in like a daze as they walked over to the Park and sat down on a bench. Peter said to Patty, "That was Timmy in that car, he pulled a gun on me trying to force me to ride with him."

Patty responded by saying, "Let's go and tell your mom to call the police."

Peter said, "Leave my mom out of this, Timmy will get what he deserves in the end. But we can do something that my mom does in situations like this?"

Patty angrily said, "What's that?"

Peter said, "All my life I watched my mom pray for her enemies and those who stood in direct opposition to her, let's pray for Timmy." So Peter prayed for Timmy with Patty supporting him, asking God to forgive him.

When Peter said amen, Patty said, "We still need to report what he did!"

Peter said, "We've reported it already to the only source that has the power to bring change."

Patty said to Peter, "What about us?"

"What about us?" replied Peter.

"Are we ever going to be more than friends?" said Patty.

Peter, as he began to scratch, said, "We are more than friends already, we are Christians!"

Tears began to well up in Patty's huge almond shaped eyes as she looked at Peter, she said, "Aren't you going to miss me when I go off to school?"

Peter looked to the ground and then up into Patty's eyes, it was like Peter preparing to dive into a deep and mysterious cavern from a great height, but he knew that he had to do it.

Peter softly replied, "Patty I really like you, and I am afraid to admit that I feel even more than I'm showing because I do not want to hurt you or myself." He continued, "I am on a path which I do not truly understand and right now binding my personal feelings to anything would be a mistake. You will always be in my heart, and no matter where you go, I will see your face."

Patty reached for Peter and put her arms around him and whispered in his ear, "Someday you will be my husband, and God will bless us with children."

As Patty took her arms from Peter and sat back on the bench Peter smirked and said "Did God tell you that?"

Patty responded with a smile on her face saying, "Peter if you would only believe."

Peter got up and gave Patty a hug and said, "It's getting dark, and you better head home; I'll see you tomorrow when you come over to visit my father."

Patty, as she walked away, said, "I will text you when I get home."

"Ok," replied Peter!

Peter went home, and when he arrived, he noticed that there was a deep silence in the home. So he went up to his room and laid on his bed with his head resting on the foot of the bed. He turned toward the window as the late ocean breeze came in the room, he saw the large dark clouds bellow in his direction; his eyes lid became very heavy.

Peter fell asleep and began to dream, he opened his eyes and noticed that he was standing in an old bedroom that had walls that looked like a cabin.

He looked around the room and then toward the bed, and there was an old man holding a woman in his arms. The old man was looking at the door, and the woman he was holding seemed to be in a deep sleep, a brief puff of smoke would ascend from his nostrils after every breath he took. The way the man held the woman made Peter assume that the woman was his wife for he held her with love. The old man's face was overlaid with frost as it most have been very cold in the room.

As Peter looks on, he noticed that tears began to roll down the cheeks of the old man and formed into little beads of crystal. Then as the old man was facing the door of the room he opened his lips as it seemed for the last time with one soft cry saying the name "Patty." The old man pulled the old woman closer to him and then he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

After this, Peter fell off his bed and got up and sat in front of his desktop computer. He began to reflect on what he just dreamed of and questioned if that was himself and Patty. Peter decided to redirect his thoughts and doing so he turned on his computer.

He logged into his online chatting account which connected him to his friends he had all over the world; he stayed away from certain chat rooms because they were full of bad stuff he called it. His friend Ricky from Lynden, Washington, popped up on his screen telling him that he was in Alaska chat room 7 and some good fish stories were being told.

Peter said to himself, "Wow Alaska that's where I want to go and possibly a means to escape from a career working for my dad." Peter also considered as he was preparing to enter the room that he was actually fulfilling his grandfather's dream by going up there and becoming a fisherman.

So Peter entered the room, and he said hello to everyone.

Ricky said, "Welcome big fisherman to the room," and he told everyone to wave at Peter.

Peter responded, clicked on Ricky's name for a private talk and told him that he was looking to move to Alaska to get a job as a fisherman. Ricky said in response to Peter, "Why don't you just ask? Tell everyone in the room that you are looking for a job as a fisherman."

Peter said, "Oh no I couldn't do that."

Ricky went ahead and announced to the room that Peter was looking for a fishing job in Alaska. Peter private messaged Ricky saying "What have you done?"

Immediately several people in the room said "I would take you on for the season when can you get up here? "

Then a lady named Captain Betty Clark private messaged Peter, and it said "How old you are?" Peter while scratching all over his body said 18 years old.

Captain Clark responded, "You're still a boy and you're not ready. I need someone who will not quiet on me and you're just a baby fresh out of your mother's kitchen."

Peter said "Mom;" the Captain quickly corrected Peter by saying "I'm your captain, not your mother."

Peter said "Oh ok Captain Clark, all I want is a chance to prove myself."

Captain Clark then ask Peter how much time he has spent on the sea and does he get sea sick?

Peter said, "All my life I have worked for my father at Hemlock Cannery of San Diego and have spent some time on the sea."

"I don't know boy; I don't know," said Captain Clark. Then with a big sigh, Captain Clark messaged Peter saying, "I do have one spot on my crew for the full summer, and you cannot quit." She continued by saying, "You must wash the deck twice a day and help out on the deck until you learn about what's going on. I'll probably use you in the kitchen to help Earl out with preparing the meals also." Captain Clark went through this routine several times a week knowing they will never make it to Alaska.

So Captain Clerk said "Ok now, here is the condition of you being added to my crew! No drugs or alcohol on my ship, if I find out that you have dope on my ship I will throw you off the ship into the Bering Sea. Because I am not going to lose my ship over some drugged out kid. Also as for your pay! You will not get a full cut of the ships share because you are a newbie and after this season you will qualify for a full share. Last but not least you must make it up here by the 8th of June next month, or the deal is off. I will pick you up on 4th and C Street downtown Anchorage and will expect you to hold up a sign that says 'Ready for Work.'"

Peter responded saying, "I must hold up a sign saying 'Ready for Work?'"

"Yes," said Captain Clark, "you must stand on the corner with the rest and hold up a sign saying just what I said. I will look for you then about 11 am and the next day we will fly to Dillingham where my boat is located."

"Ok," said Peter; then he said, "Thanks Captain for giving me a chance."

The Captain replied, "You're not here so I will see you then, I have to go now to order some equipment for the season." So Peter logged off from the chat room and wrote down the information that the Captain had given to him.

Peter then laid across his bed with delight and was very happy that he got his first job on his own. He noticed that he was not scratching anymore and he thought this was a sign from God that he was in His will. So Peter fell asleep wondering how he was going to get up to Alaska in two weeks.

It was Saturday morning the weekend before Peter's birthday when his mother began to knock on Peter's door to wake him up for morning devotion and prayer at breakfast. Peter responded by saying, "Be right down mom," but his mother knew what that meant, it meant 20 minutes. Peter followed his normal routine of brushing his teeth and taking a shower, while the water rolled off Peter's head down his face he began to rejoice in his new secret plan of escaping the family business.

After Peter had finished with his routine he started down the stairs with a glow upon his face as if you knew something that the world did not know as he headed toward the family. His father was standing with a Bible in his hand and the family was encircled around him. Patty was there by surprise as Peter was not expecting her over until 1 pm of that afternoon. Peter walked over to where his mother was standing and took her hand as they began to sing a song of praise.

Then Paul began to pray, and he thanked God for all of his goodness and the blessings he bestowed upon the family. He asked God to bless everyone standing there, and specifically he ask God to enable Peter to do a good job at Hemlock Cannery, he then closed saying amen. Peter with tears in his eyes walked away from the assembly toward the side door to the patio; it was a French door with pane glass.

You could see Peter as he walked outside proceeding to a patio chair. Paul said to Joyce, "What's wrong?" as they watched him go outside.

Peter's mother said to Paul, "Leave him alone, for now, God is doing a good work in him."

So Paul continued with family devotion and Patty told Peter's father that she was going out to be with Peter, but Peter's mother said, "No dear he needs to be alone right now. By the time we are finished, he will be ok, and then you can go to him." So they continued devotion until completion, and everyone except Peter went and sat at the kitchen table.

Peter was still sitting outside on the patio looking to the north where Alaska is, he began to resent being the oldest and became for the first time angry with his dad. His mother walked out to him and said, "Isn't it time for you to come in and eat, plus you have a guest in here?"

Peter said, "Mom, does he not understand that I really do not want to run the company?"

Peter's mom said, "You must tell him how you really feel and hold nothing back." She continued by saying, "After Patty goes home you need to go into his study and have a long talk and don't leave until he understands how you really feel."

So they both walked back into the house, and Peter took his place next to Patty, and they ate. Peter avoided looking at his father, but if he could see his father's face, he would notice how sad he was. Peter's father was already sad because today Paul remembers how it felt to be pressured into doing something that he really did not want to do.

This was referring to the many attempts of Duke Hemlock who tried to get Paul to take over the company. After breakfast, Paul walked over to Patty and said, "Dear I know you came over today to talk about the Missionary School, but I have some really important things I need to handle. Not saying you're not important but you are indeed," as he looked into her face. He continued by saying, "Will you forgive me, Patty?"

Patty replied, "Sure Pastor Perry!"

Paul was struck by her calling him that because it was such a long time since anyone called him that. So Patty went home, and Paul went to his study to wait for his son to come in. Joyce, Peter's mother, had already told Paul that he needed to talk to Peter. It was about twenty minutes after 10 that morning when Peter walked into his father's study. After Peter had walked in, he sat on the couch just to the left of Paul's desk with his hands folded and eyes on his grandfather's old throw rug that was laid before Paul's desk.

Paul said, "Peter, why are you sitting over there, come and sit here." Peter got up and took a seat before his father. Peter focused on the edge of his father's desk trying to avoid direct eye contact. Paul said, "Peter, you've never had a problem talking to me before, what has changed."

Peter loved the ground his father walked on and admired him for giving his life to be a missionary, yet it made him feel bad because he knew he had to tell his dad the truth.

Peter said, "Nothing had changed dad I'm not happy about what I must tell you! Dad, I do not want the job at grandfather's company."

Paul responded by saying, "Well what do you want to do?"

"I want to be a fisherman like my grandfather," Peter replied.

Paul said, "I thought you wanted to be like me, that's what you said over and over."

"Dad that was when you were still talking about returning back to the missionary field, I wanted to be nothing but like you. But dad you have changed, I watched as you would say every year that you were going to return to Africa yet you never returned, and even now you don't even speak of it anymore."

Paul was perplexed by Peter's statements, he knew what Peter was saying was not of his own but it was God speaking to him.

Peter asked, "Dad why did you leave the missionary field?"

Paul, his father, swiveled his chair toward the window and then he began to look outside saying, "When you get a family you will understand that a man must provide for that family."

Peter said, "Isn't God our provider can't he provide for us?"

Paul replied, "You're sitting in the chair where I once sat and your grandfather asked me to come out of the field and care for my family by running his company. I refused many times but when I got robbed and betrayed by some crooks posing as Christian workers, I realized it was time to take my family home.

"Your mom and I sold all that we had and went to West Africa to preach the good news of Jesus Christ, yet we had real problems while we were there. In many ways, it took a great toll on us with sickness and various hardships." Paul then looked right at Peter and said "You must choose what path you are going to take! No matter which one you choose, you will need to trust God, you must do it by faith and with my love and your mother's.

"I will pray for you, my son, that God would open your eyes to his will."

Peter then began to tell his father about his dreams he has been experiencing, he told him about the man that he saw in the dream and on the street with Timmy.

Paul placed his hand on his chin and then turned around in his chair away from Peter. Paul began to think to himself "Does my son have a calling on his life?" Paul traversed his chair back in the position facing Peter, and he said "Well now we have some things to pray about don't we?"

Paul called his son to his side, and he reached for him placing his right hand on his son's head. He said to Peter, "I want you to agree with me in prayer, ok?"

Peter bowed his head and said ok. Paul prayed a simple prayer a prayer that invited God into the choices that Peter needed to make, and he added that he would give him the courage to follow through with God's plans for his life. After Paul had said amen, Peter knew that God wanted him to go to Alaska.

So Peter got up from before his father and gave his father a hug and walked out of his father's study knowing he had to start planning his trip. Peter went upstairs to his room and turned on his computer; he went to his bank's website to check his current balance. He discovered that he had $1,756.30 in his savings account of which he thought to himself he would have had more, but he spent $400 plus dollars on a new skateboard he just purchased. Anyway, Peter loved his skateboard more than the idea of having a car at 18 because it needs no gas according to his thinking. So he planned on taking some out of the bank the next day, but he knew his mom would be hanging around the house snooping for any signs of irregularity in his behavior. He knew that if he was going to leave he had to do it during the middle of the week when his mom would be out running errands. So he planned it, but it troubled Peter in his heart to make a plan and not tell his mother about it, she was indeed his counsel.

While Peter was planning his trip and how he was going to get there his cell phone rings showing Patty's face on it.

Peter picked up the phone saying, "Hello Patty?"

Patty responded by saying, "Are you feeling better?"

Peter replied, "I'm ok!"

Patty said, "I need to see you, we need to talk."

Peter said, "Ok I have something I need to tell you also."

Patty said, "Meet me at Dana Park!"

So Peter grabbed his skateboard and started toward Dana Park. While moving along at a rapid pace, a silhouette of a man appeared in his foresight, as he became closure he noticed that it was the same man in his dream who appeared as an angel. The man was standing on the side of the road some two blocks from the park; Peter thought to himself, "I am going to avoid this route from now on." As Peter became closure and closure to the man, he also said to himself that he was not going to stop but flash right past him.

So Peter with his right foot began to pick up speed, when he finally arrived at the position just before the man, the man like a door on a hinge swung just in front of Peter.

Peter road straight through the man being brought to a complete halt being suspended on his skateboard. The man walked around to the front of Peter and looked into his eyes and spoke these words "Peter, Peter it is time."

Peter with fear in his voice responded saying, "Time for what"?

The man responded saying, "You will not be a fisher of fish, but a fisher of men." He continued by saying, "You must surrender to the one who has called you."

Before Peter could say another word, his skateboard continued on as if he had never stopped and Peter believed that he must have stopped in the middle of time. The man was gone, and Peter saw no one behind him, looking forward he saw Patty sitting on a bench just on the inside of the park. So he jumped off his skateboard and walked over to her with the look of shock on his face.

He sat next to her with his skin being flush; Patty said "What's with you?"

Peter said, "I really don't know, but something is getting ready to happen to me."

He grabbed Patty's soft little hand and looked into her eyes with a pause. Patty thought to herself, "Oh this is it he's going to ask me to be his wife" as her heart began to race with joy.

Peter said, "Patty, I am going to be leaving soon," then Patty responded by pulling her hand back and saying "Going where?"

Peter reached and pulled Patty to his arms and said, "You have been with me from the beginning and I cannot imagine life without you. What I am about to tell you, you must not tell anyone until the time is right."

Patty then responded looking up at Peter as she laid upon his chest saying, "What, what is it?"

The picture of Peter holding Patty this way would be how their mission of life would end someday yet they both knew it not.

Peter replied, "I'm leaving after my birthday, I'm going to Alaska to become a fisherman!?

Patty then raised her head pulling her hair back from her face to wipe away her tears of sorrow, the sorrow of separation. She said, "How could you do this Peter, how can you leave your family and me?"

Peter said, "I'm sure God has a plan and in the end, I'm sure it will include you also. Patty, I'm leaving and so are you in the fall when it's all over we shall be together in the end."

Patty reached to embrace Peter with a kiss holding his face saying, "You fool don't you know how much I want to be your wife."

Peter stopped her as she came close to clasping his lips and said, "Patty it is not the time for this, we have a life time to spend together." He took her hand and held it to his heart and said, "Remember no matter where I am my heart belongs to you, it's time for me to grow up and face what's before me."

Patty responded while looking at Peter's hands and saying, "You're not scratching anymore, something has certainly changed!" Patty then said, "How are you planning to get up there?"

Peter replied, "I don't know really, but I must hit the road soon if I'm going to do this."

Patty then paused with a look as if she was in deep thought and then she picked up her phone and called someone.

Peter said, "Who are you calling??

Patty said "Hold on" looking at Peter. She said to the person that she was talking to "Are you still going up to BC this week? Great," she said, "can my boyfriend ride up there with you? Good when are you leaving?" Patty said, "This is providential; I will call back to tell you when and where to pick him up."

Patty hung up and told Peter that her cousin was riding up to British Columbia on Tuesday night. She continued by telling him that he could take him up to Bellingham where you could catch the ferry to Alaska.

Peter said, "Yea that would be great, and it would save me some bucks seeing it was $800 for a one-way plane ticket to Anchorage." Peter said, "I had checked the ferry schedule and its cost and it would be $340 for me and my backpack."

Peter had already checked the cost of the trip but was trying to find a cheaper way to save money.

He said, "The only problem I have is that I have a one-night layover before I head to the ferry, I need a place to stay for one night." Patty pulled up her smartphone to find a couple of places using a hotel search app.

She said, "Since money is the big issue and you're on a tight budget, here are a couple places you might consider."

One location that caught Peter's eye was called the Hostel of Birch Bay. Peter was interested in this place because it was close enough for him to see his friend Ricky in Lynden some 10 miles away. A Hostel was a low budget temporary place for travelers to stay, and they were everywhere, yet they were more common in Europe.

Patty said, "Yea the price is only $23 a night and you would be staying for one night, do you want me to make you a reservation?" She continued by saying, "This would be my contribution to my future husband's journey; I'll put it on my card right now."

Peter paused with terror in his eyes knowing this was it; the mission was going forward, and he had to decide right now.

Like a young eagle taking its first flight from its nest was Peter, he would finally stretch his wings to fly into the great and mysterious horizon of life that was before him.

He looked at her with boldness and said, "Do it!"

In five minutes Patty had made the reservation and said, "It is done," looking at him with a smirk of intrigue.

Peter looked right back at her and said "What?"

She said, "Are you crazy? Are you sure God told you to do this?"

Peter rolling his eyes said, "Yes He did!"

"Ok," replied Patty, as she held his hand.

Peter said, "I need to go and prepare for Church, but I will call you tonight." So Peter gave her a hug and jumped on his skateboard and rode home.

It was Tuesday the big day for Peter's birthday and his secret departure. All of the family was assembled for prayer in the living room. Paul told everyone to hold hands and said, "Let us pray," and he prayed closing with a solemn amen. Everyone walked into the dining room and took a seat except Lilly, Peter's aunt. Thomas Jagger, her husband, had to push her into the dining room because she was confined to a wheelchair.

Patty look at Lilly with wonder because she had never seen Lilly before and wondered about her condition. Paul asked God to bless the food, and they did eat and afterward, everyone assembled in the living room as coffee and dessert were served. Peter and Patty were standing together and holding hands as Peter knew this night would be his last with Patty for a while. Joyce, Peter's mother, walked over to them and said, "So it looks like the two of you are going to make a go at it right?"

Peter looked intently at his mother and said "Mom" with a big sigh.

Joyce liked Patty and thought she was a suitable young woman for her son for Joyce was very protective of her son. As Joyce continued to talk about the seriousness of marriage, her sister Lilly came over to them, Thomas, her husband, was right behind her. Peter said to his aunt, "Mom is sharing her insight on marriage and some of its pitfalls." Joyce looked at her sister and knew her sister had something to say, but she said nothing to Lilly.

Then Lilly looked right at Peter and said, "Are you really ready for a commitment young man, a commitment to this wonderful and godly young lady?"

Patty was so full of joy at this point that her face turned red and flush because she wanted Peter's family to back her up on them getting married.

Peter said, "Yes I am when the time is right!"

Lilly responded saying, "Well that means you're not Peter because every man knows when he is ready for a commitment just ask Thomas."

Lilly's doctor requested that she get a motorized well chair which would make it easier on Thomas, but they both agreed to use the old fashion model. Lilly enjoyed the care her husband lavished on her daily. Lilly signaled to Thomas and then she pointed toward the French door leading outside to the patio. Thomas took her to the edge of the pool as she requested and he locked the chair wheels and left her there to be alone.

The conversation reminded her of the path God used to bring her to this point; she thanked God in her heart for all he has done in her life as she looked intently at the bottom of the pool. Patty turned toward Joyce and said, "Mom, how did Lilly get into that wheelchair, what happened?" She continued by saying, "She seems to be a woman of vigor and strength why God would allow that?"

Joyce responded by saying, "It is certainly a lesson of grace and I think it would be best explained by Lilly if she chooses to share."

So Patty saw Thomas roll Lilly outside, so she went and stood at the door looking out of one of the window panes. She saw Lilly glaring at the pool and was thinking of how to bring up the subject, and for a moment she was going to just drop the thought. But Patty opened the door and walked over to the pool where Lilly's chair was parked. After arriving at the side of Lilly's wheelchair, Lilly turned from the pool looking at Patty and said, "What's on your mind young lady? "

Before Patty could get out a word, Lilly said, "You know God created the affection that a woman has for a man, it was he who gave you the desires you have for my nephew." Patty decided to remain quite because it was her nature to remain silent when elders were speaking. As Lilly turned back toward the pool, she said, "God is a God who requires us to trust Him in everything even when it comes to loving our men. Do you love Peter?" asked Lilly.

"Yes," responded Patty.

Then Patty could not wait any longer, and she said, "Mom how did you and Thomas meet?" Then it seemed like a dark gloom had covered the patio area where Lilly and Patty were standing, as Patty knew she was going to get the answer that she came there for.

Lilly responded, "That's not the question you want to ask me, is it?" She continued by saying, "I will speak of our story of love; it was love that brought me to this very point."

As Lilly began to tell her story her face became young again and all of her age spots and creases of her face was gone. She was young again with her long red hair blowing in the soft winds of London; she heard the roar of the taxi cabs as they raced down the streets. Then like a prisoner rising from a dungeon beneath the streets, she ascended from the subway and saw the huge Angel figure of Piccadilly Square.

Then with a glowing countenance upon her face, she turned and said, "What I am about to tell you may seem painful, but it was God's way to my own redemption."

The truth is Lilly's life in the United Kingdom came to a tragic end when she found Thomas Jagger, her fiancé, with another woman in the Oak Café on HayMarket Street just some blocks away from Trafalgar Square. Lilly was on her way to the underground trolley at Piccadilly Circus when she walked by the Oak Café and saw Thomas sitting with her friend Evona Davenport holding her hand.

He was looking into her eyes with an inflamed passion that Lilly believed belonged to her and to her alone. Lilly stood there before the window looking at the both of them as Evona with those piercing green eyes turned and saw her best friend standing there. Thomas noticed the chilled and cold look upon the face of Evona when he turned also.

When his eyes meet Lilly's eyes, it seems like time stopped, ushering them both into a period of the unexpected. Yet the horror upon Lilly's face was apparent to Thomas and cried out the word unfaithful.

Thomas watched with his own eyes in silence, he saw Lilly and his future run down HayMarket Street. Thomas got up immediately and ran after Lilly down HayMarket Street; she turned down Pall Mall East Street toward the Trafalgar Square. He followed her and yelled her name over and over again while in direct pursuit.

When she arrived at the court of the Square, she turned around and started to walk backward saying "You liar," swaying her head from right to left. As Thomas became closer, she stopped and said "Stay away from me you liar you never loved me."

She continued to step backward, and as she was passing the huge lion figures of the monument, a great eastern wind blew upon her casting her hat into the street. There she was with her long red hair blowing in the wind with the pale look of betrayal on her face. While backing up, she became closer to the curve side not noticing the street due to the trauma of her own heart. Then Thomas said abruptly "Stop!"

Yet Lilly stepped backward into the street where a taxi hit her knocking her onto the sidewalk breaking both legs and paralyzing her for life. At this point of Lilly telling the story, Thomas rushed out and unlocked Lilly's wheelchair and said "I'm sorry but I must take my wife to our Hotel room for it is time for her meds."

While Thomas was preparing to roll Lilly away, Lilly reached and grabbed Patty's arm looking right into her eyes and said, "May God be with you even as He has been with me."

Lilly slowly released Patty's arm as tears began to well in the eyes of the both of them. Thomas slowly moved Lilly toward the door with arm gesture of saying "Goodbye." Patty saw Joyce lean over to kiss her sister as they lift to return to their hotel room. Joyce then looked toward Patty and started toward the door of the patio where Patty was.

She walked over to Patty as she stood by the pool and said, "Did you find out what you wanted to know?"

Patty turned and said "Yes and No!"

She continued by saying, "It was Thomas, her husband that caused her to be in that wheelchair."

"How could she marry him knowing what he did?"

Joyce turned toward her and opened her arms and embraced Patty saying, "It was Thomas who also introduced my sister to Christ Jesus."

Patty responded by saying "What? How did he do that?"

Joyce smiled and said "Simply by God's grace." Joyce took the hand of her future daughter-in-law and walked back inside where everyone was socializing. Peter told his mom and dad that he wanted to walk Patty home for they needed to talk about some things.

Paul, Peter's father, said "Ok son, but we need to talk."

Peter wanted to spend his last hours with Patty knowing it would be awhile before they would be together again.

So they walked down to the park, and it was like a day with the full moon illuminating the skyline. They both held hands tightly, and under the night light of the moon, Patty said "Peter do you really love me?"

Peter responded while scratching saying "Sure you know I do."

Patty responded by saying "No, do you love me as a man loves a woman?" Patty continued by saying, "Peter, I am your wife already for I believe we have been married already in heaven! "

Peter responded by saying "Ok if that is true then we will get married."

Patty responded by saying "Don't try that evasive logic on me boy, God has ordained us to be together and you're leaving me tonight."

"Oh, so that's what this is all about," said Peter. So Peter took his right hand and removed Patty's hair from her eyes and held her face and kissed her. Afterward, he held her in his arms, and the moon shone upon them both. While he held her, Peter knew that it would be a long time before they would embrace again. Patty was happy within herself because she said to herself that Peter had finally become a man.

Meanwhile, Peter's mother was cleaning up in the kitchen and looked around and did not see her son sitting in his space. She began to engage a mother's intuition and began to piece together the recent events and behavior of her son and began to wonder. She knew something was odd, but she could not put her finger on it. Peter stayed away purposely to avoid his mother and father.

Joyce while in bed said to Paul that "We need to talk to our son and do it quickly before this thing about his future gets out of hand."

Paul responded by saying "I agree, we need to assure him that we are not going to force him to do something that he does not want to do." Paul turned out the lamp on his nightstand and said "We will talk about it over breakfast."

Peter said goodbye to Patty on her doorstep. He gave her a final kiss and walked away.

Patty watched Peter walk away into the darkness, she stood there with tears in her eyes and then ran out to the street to see him, but he was gone. She walked back to her house and went inside closing the door behind her.

Her Father Mr. Edward Park who was a successful importer was waiting for her inside. He was sitting in the living room in his favorite chair drinking some oolong tea. He said "Come here my princess, why are you coming in so late?"

She came in the living room and sat down on the couch and said "I was with Peter dad, you know it was his birthday."

"Yes" responded Edward, "I'm sorry I could not make it, but your mom and I were held up at the bank all afternoon." Then Edward put on his stern eagle face and said "What about this boy, you seem to be getting serious about him?"

Patty then responded saying, "Dad, he is my husband to be!" with a smile.

Edward stood up from his chair and turned toward the staircase. He said, "mom could you come down please!" Edward was calling his wife Emily to discuss this issue with Patty being in love with the young man Peter.

Emily came down the stairs with a calm demeanor; she had a face that no one could read. Emily sat down and said, "Who is this young man you are calling your husband?"

Patty responded by saying "I see you were listening to our conversation!"

Emily responded by saying "The ears of this house belong to me and I heard everything. So how do you know that God has chosen this young man for you?" She continued, "He is not a member of our church, and I believe if God would chose a man for you, he would come from our church!"

Patty replied, "You mean that if he's not a member of the Korean Presbyterian Church I can't marry him?"

"No!" responded Emily Then she continued by saying "But you have not given any of the young men in your church a chance."

Edward remained quiet with his eyes locked upon Patty as his wife spoke.

Patty said "I thought you liked Peter and his family, you both had dinner with them on many occasions."

Then Edward spoke saying "what about Henry Kim?"

Patty responded saying "what about Henry?"

Edward said, "He is a nice boy, and he will make a great provider for you."

Patty responded by saying "Peter will take care of me for his family is wealthy."

Then Emily looked over at Edward and made eye contact; Edward nodded his head with a smirk on his face toward his wife.

Emily then turned toward Patty and said "what type of provider would leave his future wife to explore Alaska?"

Patty responded sharply by saying "where did you hear that from?"

Emily said "my sister son told his mother about his new road partner for his upcoming trip. My sister, Susan called me tonight and told me about the trip Peter is planning. Your father and I planned to go over to Peter's house in the morning to inform his parents of his plan, and you must return back to your proper senses."

Patty with tears in her eyes stood up from the couch and said "mom and dad are you finish?"

Edward said "my daughter we are only looking out for your best interest, and in the end, you will see the wisdom of our actions."

Patty left them and went up to her room and called her cousin. When he answered Patty lashed out at him and said "what have you done?"

Brad said "What do you mean?"

Patty said "you told your mom that Peter was going to ride with you tonight. It's obvious that you didn't tell that time because my mom and dad are planning to go over to Peter's house in the morning."

Brad responded by saying "don't worry we will be gone before they even get up. I was going to call you and tell you to tell Peter that I plan to leave earlier than planned." Brad continued by saying "tell Peter to meet me at Oscars Hot Dog stand next to the bike path on the beach around 2 am."

Patty said "you better keep your word because you have already blown it for me with my parents, anyway just do it." So Patty hung up the phone and called Peter.

Peter was still lagging around the neighborhood because he wanted to wait until his parents had gone to bed first before he arrived. Peter answered the phone while he was walking on the next block over from his house, he noticed that it was Patty and was so happy. He was happy to see it was Patty because he feared that it was his mother who would normally call him to check on him when he was out late.

Peter said to Patty "hey there what are you doing up at this hour?"

Patty said "Peter listen carefully to what I have to say; my cousin ruined everything. He told my aunt that you were going to ride with him up to BC and my aunt told my parents. My parents plan to come over to your house in the morning and tell your parents about your trip."

Peter responded saying "what?"

"Yes" replied, Patty! Patty said "I have corrected my dumb-dumb cousin and have arranged for you to leave in a couple of hours."

"What time" replied, Peter?

Patty responded saying "2 am at Oscars Hot Dog stand on the beach."

Peter said "ok, I will text you when I am on my way. I need to go home and pack and head for the beach."

Patty said "Peter I love you"; Peter responded "I love you too."

So Peter went home, and he noticed the lights were out in the living room because if his mom was up, that's where she would be waiting.

Peter opened the front door and saw the large shadows that rested upon the walls of the stairway and headed for them. As he took his first step, he heard a hissing sound behind him, and it was Elizabeth, his sister. Her eyes gleamed in the darkness like that of a cat sneaking up upon its victim and said "hey you."

She continued by saying "I know a secret."

Peter began to scratch and said "what secret?" He knew it was all over if she knew of his plans to leave tonight.

Then Elizabeth said "I know all about you and Patty planning to elope."

Peter responded with a smile on his face saying "you're wrong, your wrong again sister." He continued up to his room and lift her standing at the foot of the staircase. He went into his room closing the door behind him. He pulled his backpack out of the closet and packed some changes of clothes. He took his bible that his mother had given him and put it in one of the large outer pockets of the pack.

Then turned around and saw the wooden journal that his mother had given him for his birthday and placed it in the pack. He knew he would not be anywhere without his skateboard, so he stuffed it in from the top.

Peter was now ready, and he laid on his bed with his pack to the side of the bed. He planned to leave at 1 am because he knew that would leave himself enough time to get to the beach. It was now 11 pm, and Peter folded his arms behind his head as the light of the moon rested upon his face on the bed, he was so excited that he could not sleep.

Then he became hungry and started to crave his dried little fish and took a couple out of the package to eat and stuffed the rest into his pack. He then heard the sound of someone coming down the hallway, so he stuffed his backpack under his bed and took off his shirt in one motion, He covered himself with the blanket and pretended to be asleep.

The door of his room opened, and it was his mother, there she was standing over her baby's bed as it became a custom for her over the years. No matter how deep she was in her sleep she awoke to go and pray over Peter. She placed her hand upon Peter's head and prayed and asked God to protect her son in the coming events of his life.

After she had prayed, she reached over and kissed him on the forehead and then stepped back and said to herself "what that smell? Oh," she said "it's those stinking sardines that he eats," but there was still something wrong she thought, but she just could not put her finger on it.

Peter with his eyes shut felt like scratching all over, but he did not because he knew that would give himself away and his mother would wake him up. So he endured as his mother stood over him and did not move. Joyce said to herself "I will get to the bottom of this in the morning" for she knew how to get the truth out of Peter. So she walked out of his room closing the door behind her.

Peter turned over with his face toward the window and felt a cool breeze rest upon his face as he heard his mother return to her bedroom. Peter arose and put his shirt back on and decided to leave early because waiting in his home was killing him, so he felt. He eased his backpack from under his bed and started down the hallway downstairs. He opened the front door and closed it softly behind himself, as the latch locked Peter felt the stern reality of what he was doing. As he walked away from his home, he turned and took one last look as though he knew it would be a long time before he would see it again.

When he got a half of a block away, he pulled out his skateboard and began to ride it to the beach. Before Peter knew it, he was there, so he picked up his skateboard and walked over to a bench next to the hot dog stand. He then text message Patty that he had made it and was waiting for her cousin to pick him up.

Patty text message him back saying "all is well," and that she loved him and she knew that God would protect him. Peter hearing the wave's breaks against the coastline got up leaving his cell phone on the bench grabbing only his backpack.

Chapter Two

Peter's Guardian

He sat down on the sand hill facing the incoming waves. He laid his head back against his backpack. As the waves splashed against the shore, a mist came over Peter's face. Peter saw the incoming waves as a future events that would break upon him, one after another, but he made up his mind that he would remain faithful. He looked off into the darkness of the sea facing Alaska, and he thought to himself that he would be fishing as his grandfather was. Peter began to listen to the waves crashing on the shore, and it put Peter to sleep as he laid his head on the sand, he was at peace for the first time he felt. Then in that deep, peaceful sleep, he heard a sound of a car honking. He got up and there was Brad in his new Dodge Challenger. The orange color with the black stripe could be seen as the moonlight glared upon it.

So he got up and grabbed his backpack and he headed for the car leaving his phone on the bench.

When he got to the car, Brad had popped open the trunk, so he could store his backpack. Brad shook hands with Peter and introduced those who were riding with him. Brad picked up some people along the way that would help pay for the fuel to BC. When Peter came to the car, he noticed that there was a man seated on the front row of the car, Brad called him Michael. While Peter was looking at the man, he said to himself "this is the angel whom I have seen in my dreams and on the street of my neighborhood. This is going to be some trip" Peter said to himself as Michael looked at him with a smile.

As Michael got out of the car to let Peter get into the back, Brad said "this is Krone and his sister."

As Peter sat down in the back seat next to Krone's sister, his sister said, "I'm Peaches baby" and grabbed Peter's hand. Peter began to scratch and took his hand back for Peaches was flooding the whole car with her perfume.

So Brad took off and jumped on the freeway heading north toward Los Angeles where he was going to connect to the interstate five freeway. Peter rested his head on the rear window as Brad had opened up that big V8 engine of his. Peter fell asleep thinking of Patty and the trouble that was going to break out in the morning.

Krone and his sister were members of a cult called the Children of Darkness a southern California chapter of the church of Satan. Peaches was a witch and priestess of the cult. She wore a set of black wings mounted on her back. Her hair was dyed white, and her lips were painted black. She wore black contacts that made her eyes look like death. Krone and Peaches were thrown out of every foster home in the southern California area. The both of them were victims of sexual abuse. Krone told Brad that he was 21 and Peaches was 19.

They were going to British Columbia for a celebration of the dead, an event of getting high and sexual acts of perversions. What Brad did not know was that Thor was actually 17 and Peaches was 15, they had been on the run for the last two years. While Peter slept Peaches, leaned over on Peter's shoulder breathing profusely and saying within herself "I want him, I am going to take this body," but a light flashed in her eyes from the front.

It was Michael looking at her from the sun visor, and he said to her in the Spirit "take your hands off of him, for he is the property of the Most-High God."

Peaches then snarled and backed off of Peter and began to cry as she leaned back upon her brother, long black tears rolled down her white cheeks. The sun was coming up, and Peter began to awaken he turned and saw Peaches with those black tears rolling down her face and wondered to himself. He said to himself "did I do something" and then Michael spoke to Peter and said, "No Peter it has nothing to do with you." Michael knew the real reason why Peaches was crying. He knew that she was tired of being used for evil purposes.

Peaches were used as a prostitute at the mansion of an occult leader whom she, and her brother lived with.

The man sexually abused the both of them and used them at his evil parties. Krone became fed up with this lifestyle and could not live with his sister being used like that, so they both left the man's house the night before and decided to sneak into Canada.

Meanwhile, Joyce went into her kitchen to cook a good meal for her family. She made the coffee first as she knew Paul would be coming down any moment.

Paul did come down and grabbed his favorite mug and poured some java. He looked around for Peter and said "where is the new adult of the household?"

Joyce replied, "I don't know maybe he's sleeping in late because of his late-night rendezvous with Patty."

Paul said, "Yes we need to talk to him about that too." As Paul took his first sip of coffee, he heard a small tap at the door of his kitchen.

He went over to the door and said "Joyce guess who it is at our door this morning. It's Edward, Emily, and Patty."

"What" responded Joyce! Joyce responded "let them in."

Edward came in greeting everyone with a solemn good morning. Joyce could see the sad look upon Patty's face and believed that they were bringers of bad news. So Joyce remained calm and asked Edward and Emily if they wanted a cup of coffee.

Edward said, "Sure pour me one" and Emily said "me too."

Paul locked eyes with Edward and knew that this visit was not good, with a sigh he said "what's going on Edward."

Emily said, "Joyce, I believe our children have become very close, but I think they have been keeping a delicate secret from us." Then she turned and looked right at Patty and said "I think you have something to tell Mrs. Perry."

Patty with tears welling up in her eyes said "Mom Peter is gone!"

Joyce responded "gone where, he is upstairs in the bed!"

Joyce ran out of the kitchen with Emily following her up to Peter's room, and when she opened the door, she saw that his bed was unmade with a letter on his nightstand.

Joyce turned to Emily and said, "Please go back to the kitchen and wait for me there; I need a moment."

So Emily left Peter's room and went downstairs to the kitchen and talked with Paul and Edward. Joyce sat down on Peter's bed and opened the letter that Peter left for her and his father. The letter shimmered as the ocean breeze blow against it, and Joyce was afraid to hear what her baby had to say.

Then with the courage that all mothers have she raised her eyes upon the first word, and it said "mom and dad it is not easy to write this letter, but it was the only way I could communicate with you guys. It is the first time I have done something without consulting you. However, the pressure of me taking on a career that I don't want is too much for me to bear.

"Mom and Dad I am going to be a fisherman, and I hope that you guys will accept that and pray for me. Mom, I have my bible and the journal you gave me. I will record every event, and I should be successful because Jesus is with me. When I get settled, I will contact you and write you. Furthermore, mom, this had nothing to do with Patty! For if it was up to her, I would still be there, so be easy with her. I love you both signed your son Peter."

Joyce dropped her hand by her side against the bed and looked out of Peter's window next to his bed with sorrow and disbelief in her eyes. Paul ran upstairs to see if it was true that Peter was gone, he found his wife seated there looking out the window with tears on her face. Paul stood over Joyce with anger in his eyes because he felt that it was his fault that Peter left.

Paul said "I must go after him, and I must go now!"

Joyce grabbed his hand and said "no Paul. No, our son, is in the hands of the Lord."

Then Paul took his cell phone out of its holder and called Peter, but it just rang until it went to voice mail.

Paul then threw his phone across the room and shouted from the top of his voice saying "my son, my son is lost in a hateful world because of me." He fell upon the ground and cried and said "I will go and get my son."

He jumped up and speedily headed out the door of Peter's room. When he got to the staircase, he grabbed his chest and fell to the bottom of the staircase. While falling he called Peter's name, over and over again.

Edward ran to help him, but he knew that Paul was in trouble because his face had changed color to a dark purple, and a piece of his arm bone was sticking out of his shirt. Edward told Emily to call 411 for an emergency.

Joyce and Elizabeth ran down the stairs after Paul's fall, with everyone standing over him while Edward performed CPR on Paul. He did this until the paramedics had arrived. The paramedics came and went to work on Paul, they said that Edward's work was a lifesaving one.

They transported Paul to the hospital where they put him in the CCU critical care unit. Joyce, Elizabeth, Edward, Emily and Patty all went into the hospital and waited to hear what Paul's status and condition was. They all assembled in a circle with Edward leading them in prayer, and he asked God to heal and strengthen Paul in this critical time, and he then closed by saying amen.

The Doctor came out and asked for Joyce Perry, Joyce responded by saying "I am she." Joyce was very nervous as everyone was and the news would be good or bad in her frame of mind. Nevertheless, they had prayed, and they all believed that God would do His perfect work.

The doctor said that "Paul had a heart attack, and he is in a stable condition." He also said that "he lost a lot of blood due to the fracture of his arm, but he should be ok." The doctor closed his assessment by saying "all we can do is wait, only time will tell us how much damage Paul has incurred."

Afterwards, one of the nurses flagged toward the doctor, and he held Joyce's hand and then walks away toward the nurse desk. Edward assured Joyce and Elizabeth that God was going to answer their prayer, and that he was going to do more than what they have asked him.

Edward, Emily, and Patty then left to return home while Joyce and Elizabeth were standing in the hallway of the waiting area.

Meanwhile, Brad was still making his way up to British Columbia. Michael who was sitting in the front passenger seat drops his sun visor and looked into the mirror. As he looked into the mirror he made eye contact with Krone. While Michael was staring at Krone he said, "Krone why don't you bring this conquest of destruction to an end?"

Krone with anger in his eyes responded saying, "What conquest"?

Michael said, "Conquest of destroying your young sister."

Michael continued as Krone looked right at him in the mirror saying, "You know what I'm talking about, you know that the Department of Children Services is looking for you, and your sister right now."

Krone responded, "You do not know what you're talking about, and you should keep your nose out of other people's business."

Michael then turned to Brad and said "Brad you may not know it, but these two in the back are on the run and should be placed into the hands of the police." Michael continued while Krone was reaching into his bag between his legs by saying "you see Krone is really 17, and his sister is 15."

Brad responded by saying "what?"

"Yes" replied Michael, "you should go to the nearest police station and turn them in. You should call them right now."

When Michael said this Peter began to awaken hearing what Michael had just said. Peter said "what is going on Brad?"

Then Krone pulled out a gun that he had in his bag and held it to the rear of Brad's head and said "give me your cell phone!"

As Brad handed the cell phone back to Krone, the phone began to ring. Krone took the phone and smiled as it continued to ring, he threw the phone out of the car onto the highway while a passing truck ran it over. The call was from Patty trying to let Peter know about his father's condition.

Krone, glanced at the fuel level of the car, and said "it looks like you have enough to make it to Bakersfield. So just drive right on through Los Angeles and don't stop" as he held the gun to Brad's head.

Afterwards, Michael said to Krone "the time has come and your journey has come to an end."

Krone began to laugh while he held the gun in his hand. While Krone held the gun in his hand, Michael looked into the mirror at Krone with a smirk, and then a great light shone from Michael's face.

The gun in Krone's hand-turned cherry red with the appearance of molten steel, Krone immediately dropped the gun onto his bag as it began to burn. Brad, got off the freeway in Los Angeles and pulled over to the curbside.

Everyone got out of the car, and the car was full of smoke. Krone grabbed his sister and tried to run away, but his sister said "no Krone it's over." She continued as she backed away saying "I'm all used up, and there is got to be something better for me than this. We have been eating from trash cans long enough and I'm not going back to that life again."

Krone's face changed into something that was obviously living inside of him, and it cried out and said "she belongs to me."

Then he looked right at his sister and said, "what can be better than serving the Prince of Darkness" with a deep growl in his voice?

Peaches ran to Peter, and he held her in his arms turning her away from her brother.

As Krone approached his sister with an evil and sinister look on his face, Michael stood in front of Peter and Peaches. Michael raised his right hand and said "in the name of Jesus, I command you to come out of him." After these words of Michael, Krone fell upon the ground, and he began to tremble then his sister's eyes rolled back into her eyelids and also fell upon the ground trembling.

Both began to cry out and say, "away from me you cherub of the Lord."

Afterwards, Michael said "leave," and the both of them opened their mouths wide as though something left them. Krone and his sister looked as if they woke up from a long sleep. Michael looked right at Krone and said "Robert come unto me my son."

Robert was Krone's real name, and he went to Michael. Michael placed his arms around Robert and held him tightly, Robert began to cry. Peaches got up from the ground also, and she went to Peter, he placed his arms around her. Then Robert said to Peter "her real name is Alice Parker."

Michael then stood before the both of them and said "your life is before you, you have been set free from the power of darkness, accept this day what the Lord has done." He continued by saying, "you both will have to trust in the Lord to care for you now, and that starts with you returning to the system."

The both of them looked at each other and said "we will do all that the Lord desires of us."

Brad stood by as he watched all that happened and began to think about his own situation. He said to himself God may be interested in them but not me. So Michael walked over to Brad and said "continue on your journey up north, and I will catch up with you guys later."

Brad responded saying "how are you going to do that?"

Peter then touched Brad on the shoulder and said "believe me he will do what he said."

So Michael rode off with Robert and his sister Alice to take them both to a nearby police station.

Brad and Peter got into the car and got back on the road and headed north on the interstate five freeway.

Meanwhile the next morning Joyce was seated in the waiting room alone as Elizabeth went home. The doctor came out and told Joyce that it was ok for her to see her husband since his condition has been stabilized.

She got up and followed the doctor to Paul's room where his bed was located in the ICU. The doctor told Joyce that he was going to move Paul to a normal room in the coming afternoon seeing his condition was moving out of the critical stage. When she went into the room, she saw a huge drape separating Paul's bed from a man next to him, the doctor moved the drape back so Joyce could enter Paul's area.

When the doctor moved the drape from Paul's area, Joyce saw her mighty warrior of the Lord lying there with an IV in his arm. The doctor told her that he would give her some time along with Paul, he placed a chair next to the bed for Joyce to be seated.

Joyce took the seat and grabbed Paul's hand thanking God for Paul's recovery and that his grace would continue. At the completion of Joyce, prayer she lifted her eyes upon Paul and remembered a time when the both of them were in Mali West Africa.

It was a small village called Calabancora a suburb of Bamako Mali. Looking at his face, she remembered a time when he had the same look of emptiness when he was full of fever and parasites of malaria that had taken hold of his body. The week before a neighborhood witch doctor named Shacuba came and stood before our Church and declared war on us holding his idols in his hands. Many of the new converts were afraid of Shacuba and began to withdraw themselves from the fellowship. When Paul broke out with his sickness, many thought that Shacuba had placed a curse upon Paul. Three-quarters of the membership of their fellowship fled in fear of Shacuba as he encircled the block.

However, that night the remaining of the new converts began to pray. They prayed until the next morning interceding for Paul as they stood in the great hall of the marble mansion which they had rented for their ministry.

Their cry could be heard throughout the village and instead of people fleeing Shacuba's imposed fear, they stood in front of the gate of the house and agree in hope. As the sun broke the horizon of the village of Calabancora, life returned to Paul's face, and he opened his eyes. There were people outside of the house and in front of the street, they filled the connecting street as everyone was waiting to see what would happen next. The people were already superstitious about the Church, in a community of Muslims that equaled about 95%. Nevertheless, they came anyway to see if Shacuba's curse would prevail over Paul, the Slave of Jesus.

Paul's life there in that village not only impacted the Muslim community, but he personified the person of Jesus in his daily character, and that's why they called him "The Slave of Jesus!"

Paul arose and went out of his bedroom out onto the porch on the second floor and shouted "Jesus lives in me raising his hands to the crowds."

At that moment, Shacuba stood in the midst of the crowd and said "you are a lie, Jesus is dead!"

Then one men inside the yard placed his hand over his chest and in his own tongue shouted "Jesus lives in me."

Then one by one holding their hand over their chest began to say the same thing as the man did. They did this until it became a chant, the chant became louder and louder saying over and over "Jesus lives in me." The people encircled the witch doctor without fear saying, "Jesus lives in me" as they watched Paul standing on the second-floor porch.

The eyes of the witch doctor began to bulge out, he dropped his idols and placed his hands over his ears falling to the ground. Afterwards, Paul came downstairs he instructed one of the members to bring an empty water drum over to him, and they did. The people in the village watched Paul from outside the gate to see what he would do next since a new power was in town, they called it the Power of Jesus. Many began to say among themselves that they wanted that power, they wanted Jesus. Paul instructed the ministers to start a fire in the drum, and they did so. Then with the fire raging Paul said, "Hear my voice" as the minister translated, "if you want Jesus to be in you, you must burn your idols!"

Paul with his sweat-soaked tee shirt stood next to the drum as the crowd disappeared. The witch doctor began to smile as he thought the people had forsaken Paul and his message, then people ran back from their homes with their idols in their hands.

Afterwards, an old mother came forward and threw a large wooden idol into the fire and stood behind Paul.

Then Shacuba cried out and said "no, no" over and over but the people began to line up to do the same as the old woman did.

While Joyce remembered the victory God gave Paul over sickness in Calabancora, she felt Paul's hand grasp her own. Paul's eyes were opened, and he was looking right at Joyce with a smile. He said softly with his feeble voice "what were you thinking of"?

Joyce said "I was thinking of our victory over Shacuba!"

Paul responded by saying, "oh, I see but also remember that the battle did not end there."

"I know" responded Joyce, "but that was a time when God wanted to prove his power even as He is still doing so today." Joyce, said "you need not speak anymore because it's the doctor's order for you to rest, and that includes your mouth." Joyce reached into her purse and pulled out her bible and began to read to Paul.

Paul leaned back into the pillow as Joyce read from the book of Psalms, Paul enjoyed hearing the Word of God. Paul, some moments later fell asleep and Joyce closed her bible and leaned over and gave Paul a kiss. As she left him, she turned around to take one last look, they had never been apart from the day that they were married. As Joyce walked out of the ICU and into the hallway to the elevator, she became dizzy and leaned on the nurse station as she passed by.

The nurse on duty at the station said "are you ok" as she came around to check on Joyce.

However, Joyce fell upon the floor with her purse still on her arm resting against the nurse station. Dr. Blankenship was standing by and ran over when he saw her laying on the floor. The Dr. and a few nurses placed Joyce on a cart and moved her into one of the observation rooms. The Dr. checked her vitals and requested that they draw some of her blood for lab work.

Joyce awoke, feeling very weak, and the on duty nurse told her to be calm and asked her some questions about her recent health. About thirty minutes later, Dr. Blankenship came into the observation room where Joyce was and explained to her that some tests were underway. He also noted that it was ok for her to go home. Afterwards, Dr. Whitaker, her primary physician, came into the observation room and said "before you go, I would like for you to take some additional test, specifically a mammogram."

So Joyce did as the doctor had instructed her, and then she went home. Once she got into her car, she sighed and looked up into heaven and said, "Lord, I have been feeling weak lately, and if I have any sickness, please heal me."

The Lord responded by pressing His word into her heart by saying, "it is time for you to come home and to be with me forever."

After Joyce received the word from the Lord she wiped the tears from her eyes. She turned the key in the ignition of her car and went home.

When she got home, she went straight to her bedroom without checking on Elizabeth. She fell on her knees and looking into heaven, said "Lord I have one partition apart from the safety and good health of my family. I desire that you give me the grace to live long enough to see my little boy get married, and to be a witness of your glory as it rests upon his life."

Joyce heard someone crying behind her in the hallway. She got up off her knees and walked over to the door, and it was Elizabeth. She gave Elizabeth a hug and looked right into those big eyes flooded with tears, and she said "come with me."

She walked down the stairs with Elizabeth following her. She went to the kitchen and sat down at the counter where Peter would normally sit. Elizabeth sat down next to her and grabbed her mother's hand.

Joyce looked over at Elizabeth and said "I'm going to need you to be strong and to be strong for all of us."

Elizabeth responded by saying "how mom, how can I help?"

Joyce replied, "Elizabeth, I am sick, and I'm sure I will not recover, but you must take over this house and possibly the business. The pace of life is going to pick up for you, but I believe that's how you want it, yet you must also grow up in the Lord. I need you to commit to praying for this family and doing what needs to be done around here." Joyce continued by saying "in the coming months I will not be able to care for this home as I should, so I need you to make an extra effort around the house. Now I want you to speak to no one concerning my illness and specifically your father, I will tell him at the right time."

Elizabeth was sad, and in total shock as her mother got up to make a cup of tea. Joyce spent the remainder of that day talking to her daughter about the business and how some day it will be hers to run.

Some hours later, Paul awoke gazing at the surroundings of his room, he said to himself "I'm in the Lord's confinement, is this how my life is going to end?"

Afterwards, he began to remember and revisit his missionary work in West Africa and began to consider why he left his post. At that moment, the Spirit of the Lord began to speak to him concerning his post. The message was that his post was still there and the Lord had more work for him to accomplish. Paul closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep and behold he stood on a hill before a valley and in the valley was a village of which he could hear the cries of a large multitude. He ran down into the valley to the village and saw people everywhere lying in the streets as if they were dead. Some had their head's removed, and some were chopped by machetes. Above Paul, appeared the glory of God and the people that remained alive saw it as it hovered above Paul in a cloud. The same moment Paul saw himself lying on the ground next to the dead with a little bible in his hand. Paul awoke and knew that what he saw was what God had planned for him to do in the coming days.

Paul remembered the old church martyr Polycarp, who was given a vision of glory before he was offered up. The night before he was taken, he had a dream where his pillow turned into flames showing how he was to be burnt at the stake.

Meanwhile, Brad and Peter were moving down the highway when Brad decided to stop and get some gas just outside of Bakersfield and something to eat. Brad said "let's get something to eat first, and then we will get some gas."

So Peter replied, "I'm all for that seeing all the drama that's been going down."

So they went to a diner and sat down to eat, and they ordered. While their food was being prepared Brad began to ask Peter about what had just happened with the new Robert and Alice. Brad, said, "Is that real dude, does Jesus truly exist and do you believe that guy called Michael? He really thinks he is a wonder angel or something, do you believe he is?"

Peter just looked at Brad and said "it's all about faith, God works in mysterious ways."

Brad said "no. No, you can't get out of this that easy, do you really believe in Jesus?"

Peter responded by saying "yes I believe in Jesus. For he is the power of God unto salvation to those who believe." Peter responded saying, "Why is it so hard for you to believe?"

Then Brad became enraged and said "why would I believe in God, what has he done for me?"

Peter responded by saying softly "He sent His only Son to die for you."

Brad responded by saying "why would he die for me, no one cares for me, no one loves me. It's all a scheme because that's what life has shown me, Jesus does not care for me."

The waitress brought their food to the table and looked at Brad and said, "He does care" and walked away. After they finished eating Brad reached into his pocket for his wallet, and he discovered that it was gone. He was so upset about it that everyone in the diner heard him say, "What could possibly go wrong next?"

Some moments later the waitress walked over and said, "Young man, Jesus has just paid for your meal."

Then Brad's eyes bulged out like he had seen a ghost as Michael walked down the Isle of the diner toward their table. He had Brad's wallet in his hand as he recovered it from Robert at the police station. So they got up and walked to the door of the diner, and Brad said to the waitress "thank you."

The waitress responded with her eyes locked on Brads saying "if you believe you will see the glory of God, good-bye young man."

So they went their way and as the evening approached they were crossing the Oregon border and were some hours away from Eugene when the right front tire of Brad's car became flat. At that moment, Brad pulled over to change the tire when he noticed a sports bar across from the road. He said to Michael and Peter, "after I replace the tire I'm going to relax at the sports bar and have a couple of beers."

So after he changed the tire, he told Michael and Peter that he would be back in a couple of hours. However, Michael responded by saying, "I believe you're making a big mistake" as he turned away from Brad.

"Yea right," responded Brad "you Christians do not know how to have a little fun."

So Peter and Michael remained in the car while Brad went inside the Sports Bar. Peter held tight to his backpack and leaned on the back side window of the car and went to sleep. Michael just sat in the front seat as if he was waiting for something.

Brad went into the Bar and sat on a stool at the bar. The bartender asks him what he wanted to drink.

Brad said "a stout beer would be fine."

Brad had three beers when a couple of young ladies came over and sat next to him.

They began to question Brad to see if he was alone, but Brad told them over and over that he had an Angel in his car. So during Brad's fourth beer the girls slipped a drug in Brad's drink, and it took effect immediately.

Michael then got out of the car and walked around the back of the Sports Bar and waited.

Brad told the girls that he was going to the bathroom, and he would be right back, but when he was 3 feet from the bathroom door, he fell to the ground. Two men that were working with the two girls picked Brad up and carried him to the back of the Sports Bar where there was a back door to the alley. They were taking him back there to strip him of any money and to acquire the keys to his car. They opened the back door and carried Brad out resting him on the ground.

As they began to search his pockets, Michael spoke and said "I would not do that if I was you."

The guys said "oh yea, how are you going to stop us?"

Michael's appearance changed before them, and his face was brighter than the sun and terror fell upon the men as they ran back into the Sports Bar. The men told the girls that "the man was right he is riding with an Angel!"

The girls said "right, you won't admit that he woke up and beat the life out of you guys."

Michael picked Brad up and placed him in the back seat of the car with Peter and drove off heading for Washington. Michael drove all the way to the Columbia River where he got off the freeway and parked in a hotel parking lot that was next to the river. They all rested there that night.

The next morning Joyce along with Elizabeth came to Paul's new room, and he was awake. They greeted him with a kiss and a tender huge.

Paul looked at Joyce and said "so where is my son now?"

Joyce responded by saying "we don't know for the moment."

Paul rolled his eyes back and said "did anyone hear from him at all?"

Elizabeth said "Patty told us that she tried to contact her cousin, but his phone is on the blink."

"Ok" responded Paul, "no one knows where my son is or in what condition he is in?"

Then Joyce said "look Paul he's my son also, and I have placed him in the hands of the Lord, God will protect him." Then she continued by saying "Peter left here without our counsel and took upon himself to do what he is doing, so let him find what he is looking for."

Paul crossed his fingers and leaned back into his pillow looking up at the ceiling. He then glanced at Elizabeth and said "I need to talk to your mother could you please step outside for a moment."

Elizabeth left the room closing the door behind her, then Paul looked over at Joyce reaching for her hand. Joyce pulled a chair up to the edge of the bed and grabbed Paul's hand.

Paul opened his mouth and began to tell Joyce about what God had been pressing upon him concerning returning back to the ministry.

Joyce responded by saying "see I told you, my father has passed on, and all of our children are practically grown." She continued by saying "it's been 19 years, but we can take off from where we left off."

Then Paul said "I must find my son first and then we can take off."

Paul then looked closely at Joyce and said "are you ok? You look like I feel!"

Joyce said "yea we are one flesh remember, what you feel I feel."

They spent the rest of the day and afternoon sharing what God was doing in each of their hearts and finally Joyce and Elizabeth returned home.

That morning Brad took off from Vancouver Washington and headed for Bellingham where Peter would be catching a ferry. They were passing through Seattle when Brad said to Peter "man were going to get there a bit early, I will take you straight to the ferry."

Peter said "I know Patty paid for a room at a place up there but I won't need it now seeing we are a day late. Anyway, you can just drop me off, and I will be ok. I will probably sit in the lounge and wait for the boarding."

Brad said, "What about you Michael?"

Michael replied, "You can let me out with Peter. What about you Brad" said Michael "are you still going up to BC to party? Have you learned your lesson yet concerning that lifestyle?"

Brad said "no I'm turning around to get me a room for the weekend in Seattle. I will buy me a new phone and take some time to think thing's over." Brad continued by saying, "you guys have given me some things to consider."

So, it was about 6 pm when Brad dropped Peter and Michael off at the Ferry Station, the cars were lined up to board the vessel. Afterwards, Michael walked away from Peter heading toward town while Peter sat on a huge log that served as a border for a garden. Peter noticed that there was a park across the street that had a beach, he thought about going over to it. However, in front of him was a small black car it was sporty and Peter thought whoever owned it was wealthy. He saw a smoldering flame inside the car, it looked like someone was smoking a cigarette. Then a little arm of a lady came out the side of the car and waved at Peter motioning for him to come.

However, Peter began to scratch his neck as the lady continued to motion her arms. Then the lady said "come over here I won't bit?"

Peter began to scratch his neck as he slowly walked over to her car. As he became closure, he noticed the lady's hands, the little white porcelain like hands became huge claws. The lady had very long nails, and they were painted striking red. Peter noticed that the lady was Asian, and she seems to be very young.

The lady pointed her left index finger at Peter and said "you need to be in here with me."

Peter responded, "No I don't think so" as the odor of cigarettes and marijuana smoke emanated from her car.

She said "where are you coming from dude?"

Peter said, "San Diego?"

"Oh, I'm from Cali also" the young lady responded, "and my name is K-Girl" as she reached to shake Peter's hand.

Peter shook her hand and said "I'm Peter."

After this, K-Girl said to Peter, "I'm sorry if I seem to be coming unto you, but I'm along out here, and I'm really scared."

Peter responded by saying "why are you scared and why are you up here?"

K-Girl eyes began to well up with tears as she said "it's a long story of drama." She continued by saying "I'm on my way to Anchorage where my future husband awaits!"

"Oh, I see" replied Peter, "your fiancé is waiting for you."

"No, I believe he is up there, and all I have to do is find him" replied K-Girl.

Peter said, "How do you know he's up there maybe he's right here in Bellingham?" Peter asked her, "Have you asked the Lord where he is."

She responded with a high pitch in her voice, "Why would the Lord be interested in me as she leaned back into her car seat folding her arms?"

Then Michael appeared on the other side of K-Girls car shocking the both of them. He said softly to K-Girl "how can the Lord help you when you have had five boyfriends in the last year, and the one you just lost was not even a friend."

K-Girl got out of the car screaming saying, "you liar" over and over again as she ran across the street to Chalmers Park. Michael grabbed her keys securing her car while Peter ran after her into the dark. As the sun was setting there was a group of drummers facing the sun and playing African drums made of mahogany. K-Girl ran over to them, and Peter stood behind her as she wiped away her tears. There was a leader of the drum circle, and his name was Ken Johnson, and he stood up from his place raising both hands. He had blond wavy hair and a ruddy stature but in his eyes were wells of darkness. At that moment, he faced the sun and said "great sun our god and mother our earth receive our songs of praise."

Afterwards, he walked over to K-Girl, looking at her like she was going to be his next victim. This was his plan as he would seduce young women in the park after dark when the drum circle was finished.

The flames of fire that burned in the midst of the circle now glisten in the eyes of Ken, and he turned and looked right at K-Girl with the eyes of a serpent. She began to fall under his spell of seduction and let her hair down and said "you are the one."

Peter backed away as he was amazed at how much power and influence this guy had over everyone who was there.

Ken then picked up his drum and directed it at K-Girl and said "when I finish you shall belong to me, my child."

Just before he began to play, Michael appeared in their midst and with the flames of the fire glistening in his eyes, he said "you are of your father, the Devil."

The people's faces were full of terror as Michael came right out of the fire and stood before them all without being burned.

Ken screamed at the top of his voice and said "why have you come here?"

Michael raised his right hand and said "I rebuke you in the name of Jesus" and then suddenly Ken began to break out with sores all over with blood running out of each wound.

The members of the drum circle ran him to the hospital as his whole body was covered with sores. When Michael rebuked Ken, K-Girl fell to the ground into a deep sleep. Michael's rebuke broke Ken's seductive spell and put K-Girl to sleep. Peter picked K-Girl up and began to walk toward the ferry station where her car was parked for boarding. As Peter walked past the trees of the park, a light shone upon him from heaven as he carried her with Michael walking directly behind him.

When they arrived at her car, a huge crowd came over as they saw the light from the clouds fall upon Peter as he walked back to the car. Michael opened the car door, and Peter sat K-Girl down in the driver's seat. People who were waiting for the ferry came over and stood around K-Girl's car waiting for her to wake up. She opened her eyes and saw a crowd of people standing around her car, and tears rolled down her face as she reflected upon what had just happened.

Afterwards, she reached for Peter's hand as he stood in the doorway of the car and said "thanks, Peter, I really mean it. I guess I owe big thanks to that guy who ever he is." She continued by saying "where he is?"

Peter responded by saying, "oh he's around, and you will see him properly later."

While looking right at Peter, K-Girl said, "Why don't you and your friend ride with me to Anchorage?"

Peter responded by saying "I don't know!"

She said, "Oh please, I need you to tell me more about God seeing he is definitely with you."

Then Michael appeared and said "it's ok to ride with Kim Chung."

K-Girl looked at Michael and said "how did you know my name?"

Michael responded by saying "it's my job to know these things. Anyway, Peter, it's ok."

Peter said to himself, "having this guy around is like having my parents on a trip."

So Peter and Kim walked to the coffee shop just inside the ferry waiting area. Kim began to share with Peter how her last boyfriend humiliated her by running off with her younger sister.

Peter reached for a paper napkin and gave it to Kim as she began to cry. She reached for Peter's hand and said "what is that on your hand are you married?"

Peter responded by saying "no, but we plan to marry soon." He continued by saying "I wear this ring as a symbol of my love and commitment to her, it's my commitment to her to wait for our big day."

Kim responded by saying, "aren't you tempted to cheat on your girlfriend sometimes since your commitment?"

Peter responded by saying, "not really, Patty has been my friend for most of my life."

Kim said, "well, what are you doing up here, why aren't you with her now?"

Peter said "I am on a mission to becoming a fisherman as my grandfather was, and until I accomplish that I will not get married."

So they both got up and walked back to her car, Peter opened the door of her car and pushed the front seat forward and climbed in the back seat. He placed his backpack in his lap and rested his chin on the top of it.

Peter leaned back into Kim's back seat and closed his eyes, the point of the skateboard was stood upright before his face. It was about 9 pm, and Kim looked into her rear-view mirror, but she could not see Peter's face.

Kim said "good night Peter, and tomorrow I would like to hear more about this Jesus that you believe in."

Peter replied "good night Kim" and closed his eyes once again.

Once Peter closed his eyelids he began to reflect upon what just happened, and he began to wonder about what was going on back at home. He made a vow within his heart that he was not going to call home like a little boy would do, but to act like a man. However, as he thought that the Spirit of God said, "A responsible man would contact the ones who are genially concerned about you." When he heard that he considered calling his mother to let her know that he was ok. He opened his eyes and pulled out the journal that his mother had given him.

As he reflected on the events of the day until the evening, he wrote those things down. This was a habit that Peter would exercise through his whole life. After he finished his entry, he returned the journal back into its place in his backpack and leaned back and fell asleep. Bellingham Washington being the place that it was, began to drop a soft shower that rolled down the windows of Kim's car.

Some hours later, Peter awoke hearing the gentle rain as it fell. Peter began to fix his eyes toward the north, toward Alaska. The soft rainfall placed Peter into a trance as he fell asleep thinking of Alaska and the journey ahead of him.

Meanwhile, after visiting hours had come to a close for Paul at the Hospital. His wife just left him to go home, he picked up the phone to call Henry Sprigs. Henry was an old friend of Paul that was the director of World Missions for the Baptist Missions of Hope. Paul and Joyce once worked for them in the mission fields of West Africa some twenty years earlier.

Paul would call Henry periodically to see how things were going, but this time it was for a different reason. This time Paul was calling Henry to arrange for him and Joyce to return to the mission field.

The phone rang, and Henry answered, and when Henry heard Paul's voice, he said "this morning in my prayers your name came up, and I didn't know why, so I decided to give you a call, but no one answered."

Then Paul replied "I'm sorry brother, but I have been in the hospital due to a mild heart attack."

Henry said "where are you brother, so we can arrange to come and see you?"

"No" replied Paul, "your prayers are more beneficial for my family and me from there." Paul continued by saying, "but you can do something for me, brother."

Henry said "sure anything by God's grace."

Paul said "Joyce, and I are returning to the mission fields soon. We have always considered your organization to be the instrument of which God used for us to minister."

Henry replied "say no more and concentrate on getting well, so when you are able, our mission board will provide you guys an assignment."

Paul replied, "Henry, please ask the brothers to pray for us that God would complete what he has begun."

Henry replied, "Then you know where the Lord is going to send you!"

"Yes" replied Paul, "I've known it for twenty years!"

"After that," Henry responded, "gets some rest, and the Mission and I will be praying for you and Joyce as the Lord brings about your recovery."

Paul then placed the phone down and laid his head back into the pillows as he gazed out the window wondering about his son Peter.

Meanwhile, it was early the next morning, and one of the Ferry Officers tapped on the window of Kim's car to inform them that it was time for them to board the boat.

Kim said to Peter "are you ok back there?"

Peter replied "I'm ok, it's just my knees are stiff from sleeping in this cramped space."

Kim said "once we are on the boat we can get out and stretch."

Then she looked over at Michael and said "I have two questions for you, when did you get in and why is it that you don't seem to have slept at all?"

Michael turned and glared at Kim and said "you must have been in a deep sleep and didn't hear me come in. As for my face, it always reflects the glory of God."

Kim looked forward with a smirk on her face as she drove forward onto the boat. All the vehicles scheduled for departure had boarded, and everyone began to get out of there RVs, cars, vans and began to go upstairs to the lounge. The lounge was a place that provided a panoramic view of all the surrounding sites.

Peter got out of the car and placed his backpack on with his skateboard pointed straight up. The three of them went up to the lounge to take a seat, but when they got to the table, Kim noticed that Michael was gone.

She looked at Peter and said "this guy is a spook, one moment, he's here another he's gone."

Peter just raised his hands and took off his backpack and sat across from Kim.

Kim said "wait here because I'm hungry," she started to walk off and then turned around and said "this is a good time to see one of those Jesus miracles!" She continued by saying "why don't you give us the bread from heaven."

Peter said to Kim, "Jesus is the true bread that came down from heaven, and if you eat it; you will have eternal life."

While Peter was still speaking a Ferry customer service representative walked over and gave them to two free tickets for a meal from the cafeteria.

Peter got up and placed his backpack on and said "let's go and see what the Lord has provided." Kim stood there with her arms folded while Peter reached for the ticket and said "come and see that the Lord is good, I challenge you."

While they were standing in line to get breakfast, a young man walked up to Peter and said "I saw what happened last night, I was at the park when that guy who was with you placed a curse on that dude, that was awesome." He continued by saying "I'm Andrew" and shook Peter's hand.

Then Michael walked up out of thin air and said "Andrew, rejoice not that you have power over demons but rejoice in that your name is in the lamb's book of life." He then looked right at Andrew and said "is your name in the lamb's book of life?"

Andrew replied yes. I have received Jesus as my Lord and Savior!

Then Kim spurted out these words, "you know, you guys are nuts, I have never seen so many Jesus freaks." She got her food and walked over to their table and sat down.

Michael remained with Andrew and Peter walked over and sat across from Kim as she opened her orange juice carton. After that, Kim started in on Peter about Jesus and why she didn't believe. She said "I know what I saw him do the last night, but I need more proof!"

Peter replied, "What kind of proof do you need?"

Kim responded by saying "if he is real, tell him to give me a man that will love me and not leave me." At this, she placed her head down pushing her food tray aside and wept.

Michael walked over and said Kim, "Jesus allowed all of those guys to leave so that he alone could occupy your heart." He continued by saying "let Jesus be your lover forever, and in time, he will give you someone on earth that will love with his love."

Kim looked up at Peter and Michael wiping the tears out of her eyes and said "how do I receive this Jesus?"

Michael looked at Peter and said, "Take her up on the top deck of the ferry."

So Peter took Kim up on the top deck of the ferry. As they went up, a large crowd followed them up to the deck because they heard what Michael and Peter told Kim. Furthermore, there was already talk being passed on throughout the ferry about what happened the night before concerning Michael and Peter.

By this time, the ferry was passing the grand island of Orcus and the high peaks burst through the low clouds that surrounded it. Peter stood before Kim with Michael to the side of them, and the large crowd stood behind Kim.

Peter then looked right at Kim and said "Kim do you believe that Jesus died for your sins, do you believe that he was raised from the grave for you"?

Kim responded by saying "I believe!"

At Kim's words, a great wind came from the east that lifted her hair from off her shoulders. Kim looked up, as though she could see into heaven, she bowed down with her face pointed toward the deck and said, "I am yours to command, my Lord" with a soft whisper.

After this, Michael walked over and took her hand and raised her up upon her feet. At this, the crowd cheered for Kim as they were witnesses of her conversion.

Michael turned toward the crowd and said "Is there anyone else who will receive the grace of God in Christ Jesus? If so let them come." Michael preached the cross of Christ Jesus until the upper deck could hold no one else. A woman and her daughter came forth and after that, a young man and then twenty others came.

Michael called them all to repeat the words he gave, asking them, "Do they believe that Jesus died for their sins."

"Wow" replied Patrick "that was great, I have some questions about that Michael character that seems to jump in and out of the Journal. Was that real, sir, or just something you added?"

A small tear rolled down Peters face as he said, "he is my friend. Anyway," Peter said "I have to go home to my wife, and by God's grace we can meet tomorrow the same time." So Peter prayed, and they departed.

Peter walked over to Old Blue with his leather case under his shoulders. Once he got into the truck he watched Patrick drive off and then Michael appeared to him saying, "Oh, I did not know that you loved me so much."

Peter looked at him and said "which one of us is going to be with Jesus, my wife says she's going to be first?"

Michael responded saying "well, that's up to the master, I'm sure He will be there for your departure."

Peter responded by saying "I'm just so tired of this old body, I'm ready for the new one" as he sighed.

Michael said "I'm sure it won't be long, but it looks like you're on another mission!"

"What mission" Peter replied, "Not me, I'm too old and tired to break any newer ground for the Lord! Plus the Lord knows that I love him, and if I had the energy to go into all the world, I would, and he knows that."

Michael replied "do you want me to ask him to send you in all the world all over again?"

Peter just looked at Michael and said "good night."

Peter's old heart began to flutter with excitement as he did some fifty years ago when he first started to see his wife. He never stopped being excited about coming home to her for he knew she would be waiting there for him. As soon as Peter's old truck pulled up, his wife would come to the door to greet him.

You would think he was just coming back from an extended trip, there she was standing at the door with her long hair resting on her shoulders with those dark almond-shaped eyes staring right at him with love.

She watched as the old man stepped down out of the truck, she counted each step he made as he became closure. Her heart would pant with love for her old warrior of the cross.

They had dinner, and as always they would talk seated in front of the fireplace, but temporary they had no fire because they were living in a motel while their cabin was being repaired. They placed a circulating heater between them warming their feet. They talked about the events of the day and how Patrick helped him rewrite those old journals.

Peter then looked over at his wife and said "you know Michael came and visited me today. He confirmed that I'm leaving before you!"

His wife said, "I can hardly believe that for my day is at hand and my days as your wife is coming to a close." She continued as Peter began to smile saying, "I love you old man, but I am tired of this body, it has so many weaknesses, and my joints are always sore."

"Come now said Peter surely my eyes have seen the fiery chariot on the horizon coming to take me home, yet I know that even in eternity that I will miss your love."

At Peter's words, they both picked up their cup of ginger tea and took a sip. The tea was made by his wife who grated it from fresh ginger for it was Peter's favorite.

The next-day Peter headed for his home where he, and Patrick were working on restoring the place so his wife could move back in. The plan was to try to get it in shape within a couple of days. Patrick and the other students were already there working when Peter pulled up to the house.

Patrick greeted him by saying, "sir, we got here a bit early and started without you."

Peter said "that's ok Patrick it looks great I will be able to move in soon."

Peter said "can we start on the journals this afternoon because I have some papers to grade in the other room."

Patrick said "that would be fine, and I look forward to continuing the journey sir."

So it was about 1 pm in the afternoon, and the other students have gone for the day. Patrick had started a fire for old Peter along with his favorite chair seated before it. Peter came out of the other room and sat before the fire, and Patrick was already set up to record the events of Peter's Journals.

Peter said, "Where did we stop my son?"

Patrick responded by saying, "it was on the Ferry while Michael had just preached to the crowd."

"Oh," replied Peter, "Oh Yes!"

After Michael had finished proclaiming the good news, the Chief Attendant of the Ferry came up to Michael and Peter and said "this is not a Church, and we do not allow such activities aboard our ship."

Michael responded by say, "sir, we did not intend on developing a disturbance onboard you vessel, we were just proclaiming the truth."

The Attendant looked over at one of the Ferry officers and told him to report to the Captain seeing he himself accepted Jesus Christ. The crowd dispersed, and Peter walked over to the rail where Kim was standing.

Kim looked right at Peter and said "wow these islands are really beautiful."

She continued by saying "it seems like my eyes are able to see more colors than before, this is freaky" she said.

Peter looked at her and smiled for he was happy for what had just happened.

After this, Kim looked away from Peter and said "Peter I was planning to go to Anchorage to hang out with my girlfriend!" She continued by saying, "hanging out with her would be nothing more than drunkenness and parties every other night. I don't think that would be good for my new relationship with God. My mother has a sister who lives in Eagle River, and I plan to go and stay with her until I come back to the lower 48s. I will take you to Anchorage and drop you off at a hotel in town that I know would be good for you."

Peter said, "If you drop me in Eagle River, I can get to Anchorage easy."

She responded "are you sure?"

Peter said "yes!"

For the remainder of the trip to the port of Valdez Peter, Kim, Michael slept on the top deck of the ship watching the beautiful sites from Vancouver Island to Juneau.

It seems that large crowds were meeting in circles talking about Jesus and what he was doing in their lives giving testimonies of His grace. Just as they left the port of Juneau, many who started this trip had gotten off along the way. Andrew walked over to Peter while he watched the departure. He sat right in front of him placing a wooden cross on the table pushing it toward Peter.

Andrew said "it is a gift for you, Peter."

Peter, responded by saying "I am not a preacher, yes I believe in Jesus and will witness to those He sends, but I'm not a preacher."

Andrew said, Peter, "I'm not sure what God has planned for your life, but I know what he did through you and that guy. He restored me once again to his service, and I'm looking forward to it!

"You see I have been avoiding God's call for years. I once was a minister, and my ministry was destroyed because of the use of alcohol and drugs, which finally led to adultery ending my marriage.

"Over the years, the Lord has cleaned me up, yet I still felt that I was not able to serve him again, I have been trapped for years. The only thing I could do is to make wooden crosses and sell them for the Church. Thanks to you brother I am returning to the ministry once again by the grace of God. Oh, I forgot to give you my official name, it is Andrew Pink, and my father's name is Matthew Pink, who was a missionary, it seems we both had a problem with alcohol. My father was last seen in some villages 65 miles north of Bethel. I was told that he went into one of the underground bars in Bethel to preach the gospel but ended up getting drunk.

"Because of his shame, they said he took some dogs on a sled and headed for the north to die, he was never seen again. Therefore, my brother if you ever run across him up there and there are a lot of territories up there give me a call."

Peter replied, "I will!"

Andrew said while writing his phone number down, "as for the gift of this cross, and you being a preacher that's between you and the Lord. I have only done what the Spirit of God told me to do, He said go and give Peter this cross, so I did."

Andrew prayed with Peter and then he walked away as the port of Valdez was coming into view.

Peter got up and placed his backpack on and walked down toward Kim's car. Peter saw Kim leaning against her car looking out over the port. The huge mountain range was towering above the little town of Valdez with snow on its peaks.

Michael walked over to Peter and said "here is where you must go forward without me."

He continued, "I will still be with you and certainly show up when you need me, but now it's time for you to trust in the living God Peter."

Before Peter could respond, Michael backed up into the crowd and disappeared. The Ferry reached the port, and the cars were rolling off the Ferry, Kim's car was in line.

As Kim and Peter, we're rolling off the Ferry, Kim said to Peter "we should get something to eat first for I heard there's not much along the way to eat."

So they stopped at the little Susan's café and had breakfast. Once they finished their meal, they were back on the road for Eagle River. As they approached the 60-mile point, they came into view of the Kroneer mountain range just outside of Valdez Peter said, "Wow every turn is so breathtaking!"

Kim replied, "Yeah it's like this all the way, the snow covered mountain seem to never end."

After this, Kim received an engine high temp light on her dashboard, so she immediately pulled over.

She said, to Peter looking off into nowhere "I should have checked my coolant levels before we left Valdez. You know its some 800 miles to Eagle River."

Peter responded by saying, "do you have some coolant with you?"

Kim said "yes, it's in the trunk."

Peter replied, "Open the trunk, and I will put it in for you."

So Peter got out and went to the rear of the car to get the coolant. Peter walked to the front of the car to put the coolant in while Kim watched.

Kim said, "Peter, it's really creepy out here, especially in the middle of nowhere." She continued by saying, "I bet a car comes through here every six hours."

Peter closed the hood and got into the car. Kim said "did you check the oil also?"

"No" responded Peter!

Kim jumped out before Peter could get a chance to ask her if she wanted him to check it. She opened the hood and then Peter said to Kim in a silent voice "be still."

Kim responded saying "what did you say"?

Peter said, "I said, be still and do not turn around."

He said this because a huge grizzly bear was coming up the shoulder of the road. So Kim turned around and screamed.

The bear stood up on his two legs and roared fiercely at Kim. Then Peter rushed out of the car with the cross that Andrew had given him and stood between the bear and Kim.

He lifted the cross before the bear as Kim backed up to the side of the car. She got into the car looking fearfully at Peter as he stood there with the cross in his hand.

While Peter stood there before the fierce animal with the cross in his hand, he said "in the name of Jesus" seven times.

The bear backed up falling to all four paws on the ground. The bear made a couple of sounds and then proceeded to walk away into the forest next to the road.

Peter looked over at Kim and said "if the bear could speak, I wonder what he would have said?"

Kim responded by saying, "I know what he would have said, 'you're crazy.'"

Peter said, "Let's get out of here before he comes back!" Peter rested his head upon the window as Kim drove off.

Meanwhile, Joyce was getting ready to go to the hospital, when the phone rang.

It was Dr. Whitaker, and he said, "Joyce Perry!"

She said "yes hello Dr.!"

He said, "Joyce, we have your results, could you come by today to talk about them."

Joyce responded by saying, "I will be right over." She stood in the hallway and said aloud to Elizabeth "I am going to the hospital to see your father, I will be back in a couple of hours."

So Joyce grabbed her purse and went to the hospital. Once she got there, they were waiting for her and led her straight to Dr. Whitaker office. There he was seated, and he arose to greet her, he said "how are you feeling?"

Joyce responded by saying, "I'm feeling better than yesterday!"

He sat back into his seat with Joyce medical chart in hand, and then he said, "Joyce, you have breast cancer" with a sad but stern face. He continued and said, "The result show that it is in its fourth stage."

Joyce looked away and then back to the Dr. and said "how much time do I have?"

He said, "at this point we really don't know. We need to do some more test. However, I'm pretty sure we can't do anything to turn it around for it has spread to most the vital parts of your body, only if we could have found it earlier. We can give you something to help with the coming discomfort, can you stay for some additional test?"

Joyce said sadly "yes, I can," and so she left his office and went in to get more lab work.

At the same time, Patty and her mother came to the hospital to visit Paul. They brought flowers for his room.

When Paul saw them, he said "hello and thanks for the flowers, but I'm not dead yet," as he smiled.

Patty said, "how are you, Mr. Perry?"

"I am doing better and in a week or two, I should be able to go home." Then Paul looked right at Patty and said "have you heard from my son?"

"No" replied Patty, "but my cousin said he dropped Peter off at the ferry in Bellingham. He said he was ok and had his heart set on going to Dillingham Alaska."

"Yeah," responded Paul, swaying his head, "he's trying to fulfill a dream his grandfather had of moving his fishing business to Alaska. Anyway, I will be going up there in about three weeks to find my son."

At this time, Joyce walked in the room from her test from the other side of the hospital, she gave her husband a big hug and kiss.

Patty's mother said "we will give the two of you some time together" as they walked out the room.

Paul looked over at his wife and said "you know our son is in Alaska now and all alone. I know you may not agree with me Joyce, but I'm going after my son when I get out of here."

Joyce responded, "Honey, I would expect nothing less than that from you, just make sure it's the Lord."

Paul continued saying, "furthermore, we will be going back on the mission fields when I return, and it's time for us to return."

Joyce said "what about the business?"

"I will ask Timothy Wilson to train Elizabeth to run the operation, the business can practically run on autopilot."

Joyce was so happy to hear her husband accept God's will for their lives, but she also knew within herself that Paul would be finishing the mission on his own with the Lord's help. Joyce knew that she was very sick, but she wanted to wait for Paul's return to good health to tell him. After Joyce finished her visit with Paul, she went home.

Chapter Three

The Old Cross

Kim was now two miles from her exit in Eagle River, and she said to Peter, "are you sure you do not want me to give you a ride to Anchorage?"

Peter responded by saying, "you have done much for me, but you can let me out right here. I need to be downtown by noon tomorrow."

Kim said "well I can take you now."

"No," responded, Peter, "its best that you go and get settled with your aunt."

Kim, said, "Ok" as she pulled over. Kim got out the car and gave Peter a big hug and said "here is my number call me some time and thanks for saving my life!"

"How did I save your life" replied, Peter?

Kim said, "You introduced me to Jesus Christ, and that's saving my life, and as I look forward, I have a new life in him."

So she waved and got back into the car and took off. Peter, did not understand why he refused to let Kim give him a ride, just something in himself moved him to decline the ride.

Peter stood there on the side of the road with his backpack on holding his arm outward as the cars and truck went by. After some time a huge semi-tracker trailer pulled over, it had a large sign on it that said, "Pilot Transport."

Peter ran up to the passenger window, the driver said "where are you headed?"

Peter said, "I'm headed for Anchorage!"

"Ok" replied the driver, he told Peter to get in. The driver said, "My name is Hank Rivers, what's yours?"

Peter responded while looking very tired, "Peter."

Hank said, "If you want you can jump in the upper birth for an hour because that's how long it takes to get there!"

Peter said "No I will sit here."

Hank said "ok, can I drop you off at the Diamond Center for that's where I have to drop off my load."

Peter said "how far is that from downtown?"

Hanks said "it's a couple miles, you can walk it if you want to."

"Ok" replied, Peter. So in about an hour as Hank said they were in Anchorage and pulling into the diamond center.

After Hanks had stopped Peter got out of the truck and thanked Hank for the ride as he walked away into the darkness. Peter knew that he had until noon tomorrow to make it to 4th and C Street where he would meet Captain Betty Clark.

Heading for downtown in the dark he started down a side street that had lights every hundred feet. As he walked down this street, he saw what looked like a huge animal at about 400 feet. As he became closer, he noticed that it was a large mother Moose standing on the sidewalk.

Peter knew that he was not going to walk up to the Moose so as he became closure, he started to cross the street. At the same time, he saw a little baby Moose that came forward next to its mother. Then the mother looked right at Peter blowing steam out of her nostrils and started after Peter. Peter, took off down the street with the mother Moose right behind him. He turned down an alley with the Moose behind him, then Peter jumped over into someone's backyard.

Peter heard the Moose snarl at him from the other side of the fence. Peter turned around, and a young teenage girl was looking at him through the patio window. She opened the sliding door and told Peter to come in, and he did.

She sat Peter down in the den and told him to wait here while she got her father, as she walked away she said "by the way my name is Vanessa."

Peter responded by saying, "my name is Peter!"

So in a few moments, Vanessa returned with her father. When her father walked into the den, he said "well, well young man, I heard you had your first encounter with an Alaskan Moose? They won't kill you if you want to mess with their babies! My name is Pastor Fred Nukurk, and she is my daughter Vanessa. I am a missionary to the northern villages. My daughter told me your name was Peter, where are you from and where are you going my son?"

Peter responded by saying "I am from San Diego, and I'm headed for Dillingham Alaska for a fishing job." He continued as Pastor Fred looked intently at him saying, "I must be at 4th and C Street by noon tomorrow."

Pastor Fred said, "Does your mother or father know that you are here?"

"No," replied Peter, "but I intend on calling them when I get up there."

Pastor Fred said, "well I would like to give you a ride in the morning seeing you are a man now, but you must call your parents first before I can take you."

Peter looked at Pastor Fred and agreed.

The Pastor said "my daughter will give you some bedding for the night where you can sleep here in the den for the night." As he walked out of the room, he turned and looked right at Peter with a stare of wonder and continued to walk out.

Peter said to Vanessa, "what's with your dad?"

Vanessa responded with her hands up saying, "I don't know, but you can count on an answer in the morning. The lamp of his bedroom will certainly be on all night as he enquires of the Lord."

Peter said "really!"

Vanessa said "yes, he gets kind of weird when God is moving him to do something, I do not know why, but that's how he is."

So Peter rested on the couch that Vanessa had prepared for him, and he slept.

The next morning Vanessa got up and went into the kitchen as she saw her father preparing breakfast. After Vanessa walked into the kitchen, Pastor Fred grabbed his daughter and gave her a huge and said "God has a calling on Peter's life." He continued by saying, "Peter doesn't know it yet, but in time he will."

"Is that what God told you last night" replied, Vanessa?

"Yes," replied the Pastor, "I was in prayer all night and the Spirit of the Lord impressed this upon me."

After this, Peter was just waking up, he smelt the bacon and pancakes on the griddle that Pastor Fred was preparing. Peter went to the bathroom next to the den and took a shower for it was almost a week since he had one. Once he was finished, he came into the kitchen where Vanessa and her father were.

He stood in the door as they sat there eating, the Pastor said "come in Peter and have a seat. Eat my son, but you know that after you eat you must call home."

"Yes, sir," replied Peter as he took his seat. So Peter finished his breakfast, and Vanessa cleared the table. Pastor Fred pointed toward the phone and said it's time to call. Peter thought to himself, his mission is over knowing what his mom was going to say, but then he also thought of how good it would be to hear her voice. So he picked up the phone and called home.

The phone rang and rang but no one answered. Peter looked over at the Pastor and said no one is home.

The Pastor said to try again, and Peter did as the Pastor requested, but no one answered. No one answered because Joyce and Elizabeth had left early to visit Paul at the Hospital.

"Ok" replied, the Pastor, "write down your parent's phone number, and I will try to contact them later. I will keep my end of the deal and take you where you need to go but know this Peter, this journey of yours is not what you think, and it will end in God's will."

Peter, said, "Why do you say that sir?"

The Pastor, said, "I say these things because from the moment, you entered my home, God has pointed his finger at you. He told me that he has planned something special for you." The Pastor continued as he looked intently at Peter by saying, "don't you notice anything strange about the recent events in your life?"

Peter said "yes, I have this weird relationship with this Angel, which seems to show up when I need him."

"Oh," sighed the Pastor, then he looked off as he put his jacket on. He said to Peter, "My daughter, and I will be in Dillingham in two weeks. I want you to contact me, ok!"

"Yes, sir," responded Peter. After this, Peter said, "Pastor, do you have a piece of cardboard that you can spare?"

"Yes, my son I do, what do you need it for" replied the Pastor?

Peter said "I need it to make a sign for me to hold up on the corner of 4th and C Street."

Pastor Fred signaled to his daughter to give Peter what he needed. All of them got into Pastor Fred's truck and headed for 4th and C Street. Peter's sign was ready with the message "Ready for Work." It was 10:45am when they drop Peter off, and Vanessa was sad faced because she truly liked Peter. Peter waved them off as they headed back home.

Peter looked, and he noticed that he was the only one on the corner and that brought discouragement to his heart. However, two minutes later an old blue Ford Truck turned the corner with a middle-aged lady behind the wheel. When Peter saw that old blue truck, he knew in his heart that he had to have that truck.

The lady stopped in front of Peter with his sign held high, she said "hold it high my son, so we can see it." Then see said, "throw your things into the back of the truck, we have to go and get you some rain gear."

So, Peter got in the truck assuming it was Captain Betty, and they went to Jake's Army and Navy right down the street. Once Peter had everything he needed they got back into the truck and headed for the airport. Peter saw the airport and said "I thought we were going to Dillingham tomorrow?"

"No," replied, Captain Betty, "we must be on the open seas in the morning, and that's why we are leaving Anchorage today." She continued by saying "my crew is already there getting the boat ready for an early-morning departure."

As they drove on Peter said, "I really like this old truck!"

Captain Betty said "well someday I may just give it to you if you turn out to be a good deck hand."

So they arrived, and they loaded everything into the Captain's small airplane. The Captain told Peter to buckle up and to put the headset on his head for communication purposes. The airplane took off, and Peter watched as the nose of the plane pierced the fiery orange clouds.

He could see the Denali mountain range as they turned south toward Dillingham. To Peter, it was like a blink of an eye, and they were already descending for their landing into Dillingham. When they landed in Dillingham, the crew was there to unload the supplies and the cook who goes by the name Albert said, "did you get my hash-browns, you know the guys can't survive without hash-browns?"

"Yes, Yes" replied, the Captain, "they are in there!" Betty introduced Peter to the crew and said, "we have a new greenhorn from Cali so be gentle folks."

After this, one of the crew members named Buster McFly pulled out his knife while looking right at Peter and said "give him to me, and I will teach him all that is needed" as he laughed.

The Captain said "enough to let, get going!"

So they threw everything into a van and headed for the boat. When they came to the place where the boat was docked Peter saw a huge boat next to their boat and said "wow you have a big boat Captain."

However, Captain Betty pointed Peter to the little one next to it and said "that's our boat" as she smirked. She continued and said "it's not the size of the ship but the legs that man it. The old boat was named the North Star, some say it was around at the end of the great Alaskan gold rush."

The boat had a smell that would make the most experienced sailor sick, but Peter luckily was familiar with the odor of his small little fish treats. When they pulled up to the boat, Peter saw another man working on the deck of the boat with his back to them, and he said "who's that?"

The Captain responded "you're not the only new member of our crew, that man is new to, and his name is Michael Reynolds."

When the man turned around, Peter acknowledged that it was Michael, the angel who had been following him. Peter said to himself "oh boy what now!"

So they loaded the boat with the supplies and when finished gathered in the cook's galley to discuss tomorrow's mission.

The Captain said "the mission is to catch fish my friends, and without it, there is no pay day!" She continued by saying, "everyone already knows his assignment but Peter. Peter I am assigning you to work with McFly on the nets, that's a good place for you to start."

Buster McFly took out his false teeth and placed them in the right pocket of his pants, he pulled out from another pocket a piece of moose jerky and cut a piece. While placing the jerky into his mouth, he said "boy you just make sure you listen to me, and you will do ok!"

Michael just stood in the back and said nothing, it was as if he was not even there.

Peter said, "What about him" pointing to Michael?

Albert said "oh don't worry about him; he's working with me in the galley."

At this point, everyone went to his sleeping bunk and called it a night. Peter lied down and took out his Bible, he then positioned himself so the light from the stairwell would rest upon it. He meditated upon the Psalms and Proverbs as his mother taught him.

When he finished, he placed his Bible back inside his backpack. After this, he pulled out his journal and began to enter the events up to the current moment. Once he finished with the last entry, he returned the journal back to the backpack. He placed his backpack at the foot of his bed, and he went to sleep with the soft gust of the ocean breeze filling his compartment.

Meanwhile, Pastor Fred called Peter's parents and told them the location of their son. It was Joyce who answered the phone, and she said, "hello how may I help you?"

Then the Pastor said "my name is Pastor Fred Nukurk here in Anchorage. Your son stayed with me last night, and I wanted him to call you, but you were not home."

Joyce with joy in her voice said, "Where is my son now and how is he doing?"

The Pastor replied, "He is ok and headed for Dillingham. Believe me I know the boat he's going out on, and I will be going up there in about a week. When I get there, I will check on him and provide you with a report on his condition. However, I believe God is going to protect Peter personally for that young man has a calling on his life."

"Thank you" replied Joyce, and she asked for his contact information. She also said that "Peter's father would be contacting you in the near future as he recovers from the hospital."

"Is Peter's father sick" replied the Pastor?

"Yes, but the Lord is giving him the grace to recover, and with your continued prayers, he will do so."

"Ok" replied the Pastor, "I will pray for him and for you also for I sense you are in need."

After this, Joyce paused and said "how do you know that?"

The Pastor said, "I know nothing but what the Spirit tells me, and he says you are in need also, but in the end, it will be for the glory of God."

Joyce said "if you see Peter do not tell him of his father's condition, let God have his perfect work in him."

The Pastor said, "will do Joyce and let us have a moment of prayer," and they did, and then they ended the call.

It was the next morning, and it was early, and it had the look of dawn. That time of the year they were approaching the longest days, and it seemed that the sun never went down. Peter meanwhile was dead asleep when the Captain fired up the engines of the North Star and Buster McFly untied the boat, and she was off. A little while later Buster McFly went down to the sleeping quarters with a flashlight, he looked for Peter.

When he found Peter, he stood before him with the flashlight glaring at him from head to toe. When he saw Peter's bible at his foot, he became enraged. He then pushed Peter with the flashlight saying "get up boy."

Peter opened his eyes with the flashlight in his eyes and said "what's going on?"

Buster replied, "Get up and report to the deck now!"

So Peter being half asleep got up and went to the deck as instructed by Buster.

When he got there, winds from the ocean blew upon Peter's rain gear that he had put on, but Buster said "why have you put on your rain gear boy? Do you wish bad weather on us?"

"No," replied Peter "just thought I needed it."

Then Buster started to mock the bible by saying "look here boy while you're working with me; you will keep Jesus away from me. He continued by saying that stuff is for the weak and only fools trust in him."

Peter responded by saying "what could have made you come to that conclusion?"

Buster replied, "never mind boy just take that bucket and start scrubbing the deck."

So Peter did as Buster told him, yet in Buster's heart, he knew why he felt that way.

Buster McFly came from a Godly family that feared God and was successful in fishing until Henry McFly, Buster's father died from an accident on the Barring Sea. This crippled the McFly's family income and put a lot of pressure on their mother and forced Buster to grow up pretty fast.

This struggle came to a hurtful end some 40 years ago when his mother became sick. At this time, Buster was a teenager, he kneeled on his mother's bed begging God in Jesus name to heal her. Nevertheless, some hours later, she died of consumption. It was from that day forward that Buster held God accountable for allowing his mother to die and breaking up his family. He had two brothers, and a little sister whom he has not seen in 40 years.

So Peter washed down the decks as the odors of fresh bacon, hash browns and eggs came before him.

Buster said, "that's not for you boy, but for the Captain, you just keep washing the deck, the cook will call you for your breakfast when its time." Buster secretly envied Peter because he reminded him of himself as a teenager.

Albert the cook cried out from the galley window, "Peter how do you like your eggs?"

Peter replied, "Scrambled!"

Some minutes later Albert said, "Peter your meal is ready"!

Peter headed for the galley, but Buster said "wait a moment is the deck finished?"

Peter said, "Yes," then the Captain came down and said "good job Peter go eat."

Peter escaped Buster's tyranny and went into the galley to eat. The Captain said over the boat speaker phone, "we are going to drop our nets in 40 minutes so everyone needs to eat, and everyone better be ready."

So it was that everyone was ready, each crew member stood at his post. The same was for Peter as he stood by the nets on one side and Buster stood on the other. The Captain said get ready as she began to circle the salmon that was showing on her fish finder. Then the Captain said to let her go, and the old wooden skiff that sat upon the net rolled off behind the boat with the net attached to it.

Peter said to himself, "this is easy work, and I'm glad that I choose this as a career."

Peter looked behind himself to see Michael staring right at him from the ship's galley window. He looked at Peter, as though he knew something that he didn't.

When Peter had dressed himself to come up to the deck that morning, he pierced his belt with his grandfather's old lucky hook that his mother had given him. The old hook made Peter feel like his grandfather was with him. Nevertheless, while Peter was glorying in his grandfather's success, he heard Buster shouting at him saying, "boy stand away from the net."

For at this time Peter stood so close that it was brushing up against him firmly. After this, all of Buster's worst fears came to pass as he watched the net snag Peter's grandfather's hook on his belt. The net snatched Peter like he was a piece of straw for the net was of a great weight. Peter went over the back of the boat in total shock as he sank beneath the cold Bering Sea.

He cried out the name of Jesus and held his breath as though it was his last.

His eyes saw the great darkness below as he ascended and felt a slight numbness that covered his body. What Peter did not know was his body was falling into the state of hyperthermia and then finally shock for that was the end of all who fell into the Bering Sea.

After Peter could hold his breath any longer he said to himself as he looked below, "so this is death", then he fell into a deep sleep.

Michael came and stood next to Buster and said "do you believe that Jesus can save him?"

However, Buster was speechless because that last time he asks the Lord to heal his mother she died. All this happened in seconds as Michael jumped into the sea after Peter. Peter being unconscious of what was going on felt a warm presence around him. He opened his eyes to see a great light that encircled him, then he saw Michael's face that looked like fire under water.

Michael detached Peter from the net and brought him to the surface and beside the boat.

The Captain radioed for a helicopter to medevac Peter to the Casey Medical center in Dillingham. In most cases, anyone who fell into the Bering Sea died before the Medevac arrived, yet Peter had a continued pulse.

As they prepared Peter to be hoisted up, Buster McFly stood afar off with tears in his eyes with his heart troubled and confused. Michael walked over to him and said "you see your prayer was answered and when you get to shore you will see the glory of God."

The Helicopter arrived, and they hoisted Peter up to it, once Peter was aboard the Helicopter disappeared into the north heading for shore. Some moments after the helicopter took off, Albert the cook came out and ask if anyone has seen Michael Reynolds. After Michael could not be found on the boat, Captain Betty said did anyone see him get into the helicopter?

Then Buster McFly staring at the open sea went down to Michael's bunk and found all of his gear folded neatly along with his boots in his bunk.

Buster knew within his heart that Michael was a messenger from God, and they would not find him on the boat. Buster went to the Captain for the Captain was upset because she thought she lost another person on her boat.

Buster said, "Captain you are writing in vain for Michael is not lost, but you will see him on shore when you get back."

"What" replied the Captain, "are you crazy I must still file a report?"

Buster replied, "Ok" as he lifts with a smile on his face.

He went back to the stern of the boat where Peter stood. He placed his teeth back into his mouth and took out his old corn pipe. However, this time he did not light the pipe but threw it into the Bering Sea. It was a time of renewal for Buster, and as he went back down to his bunk, he dug out his mother's old bible that he had been carrying for years.

He sat down and then he opened it to the scripture of Roman's 8:35 and read to the end of the chapter.

For the Spirit of God led Buster to that scripture because for a period of 40 years, he felt that he had separated from God's love and there was no hope for him. When Buster finished reading that scripture, he fell to his knee's asking God to forgive him of his sin even the sin of unbelief. After this, Buster felt a hand rest upon his head. It was at that moment that the joy of the Lord filled his heart, he was afraid to look up for he knew it was the Lord.

Meanwhile, Peter had arrived at Casey Medical Center of Dillingham, and they immediately rushed him into the emergency room. They covered him with warm blankets and started to work on him. Peter was unconscious the whole time while the doctors did their assessment of Peter's case. After stabilizing his condition, they moved him to a room where they planned for his recovery.

Peter slept for a number of days, and the Pastor and his daughter had arrived in Dillingham. Minister Edward who picked up Pastor Fred, and his daughter told them about all that had happened in Dillingham over the last month. When he described a young fisherman almost drowning in the Bering Sea, Pastor Fred knew it was Peter. The Pastor asked Edward where the boy was now, and Edward said that he was at Casey Medical Center now. So the Pastor told Edward to take him straight to the hospital instead of the Mission House.

After his arrival, the Pastor found Peter's room, he took off his hat showing the balled spot on his old head. When he came into the room, his daughter was right behind him. They saw Peter with his eyes closed, and his arm was extended with IV's inserted. Peter was asleep for a few days now, and the doctors were of concern for Peter possibly falling into a coma.

Nevertheless, Peter was enjoying deep sweet sleep and was dreaming of home and his girlfriend Patty. For Peter really missed Patty for she was his best friend.

While dreaming of Patty and home, Peter found himself standing in a great illustrious garden, and he turned, and there was a Man standing on the other end. He raised his right hand and said "come to me Peter," and his words seemed to pierce the very core of Peter's person.

So Peter walked over to the Man smelling the wonder and glory of the various flowers that surrounded the garden. Peter came to the place where the man was standing, he did not look into his face for it shone like the sun in its full strength. The Man sat upon a stone bench, and Peter sat next to him. The man raised his hand before Peter and showed him his life in a flash, and all that he valued. Then with a soft word the man said, "do you love this more than me?"

Peter knowing that it was the Lord, who was speaking to him, immediately responded by saying, "No Lord, I love you" as he faced toward the ground.

Then the Lord said, "Peter, I have called you to proclaim my word and to be a witness of my grace to the nations. Therefore, go, and I will be with you, and someday I will come for you that you may be where I am forever."

Peter in his heart wanted to stay there with the Lord, for the Lord's presence was like nothing he had ever experienced and wanted nothing of the present world.

The Lord arose and walked across the garden and then turned and proclaimed, "Peter go and tell them I am coming."

Once he said that he vanished before him, and the light of the hospital room began to rest upon his eyelids. At the same time, Vanessa reached for Peter's hand for she desired to comfort Peter, but Michael came out of Peter's personal bathroom next to his bed.

He walked over to the bed while the Pastor watched and touched Peter's eyes and said, "Peter arise!"

In that very moment, Peter opened his eyes while Michael walked out of the room. Peter opened his eyes like he had been traveling and came from a long way, with a smile on his face. Peter's face shone like an angel, and the Pastor said, "Look he has been with the Lord!"

"Yes," replied Peter, "and I am now a fisher of men's souls."

"Good, my son" said, the Pastor, "you can come with me to Bethel when you recover."

Peter looked at the Pastor with a twinkle in his eye and said "yes that is where my journey for the glory of God will begin."

After this, Pastor Fred with his daughter and walked out to the hallway. When he came to the payphone, he called Peter's home. Joyce answered the phone, and the Pastor told her all that transpired. Joyce with tears of concern and tears of Joy for her son said, "bless be the God of all peace for today, he has rewarded me with the answer to my prayers."

The Pastor gave Joyce Peter's room and phone number, so she could call him. When the call ended the Pastor, and his daughter went to the mission house while Joyce went and sat by the pool on their patio. She took the time to thank the Lord for his divine protection of her son and for giving her son a commission to proclaim his word. After her time of Thanksgiving, she went back inside her home and called Peter's room.

The phone ranged in Peter's room, and Peter looked over at it, as though he know it was of some importance. So he picked it up and said "hello!"

"It's me, Peter, it's your mother! How are you son?"

Peter said "I am fine."

Then she said "I'm sorry about the accident, but I'm happy that you have discovered what God has for your life."

"Yes" replied, Peter! Then Peter said "how are dad and Elizabeth doing?"

His mother responded saying, "Well, Elizabeth is still Elizabeth, but your dad had a small heart attack and is resting in the hospital now."

Peter responded by saying, "What! Why would God allow this to happen while I'm away?"

Joyce said, "God had his purpose, just as he allowed you to go through what you're experiencing now." She continued, "Peter your father and I are returning to the mission field, and in many ways. You are going to have to be extra strong in the coming days, do you understand me?"

Peter replied, "Yes, mom but you're talking like there is something else that's wrong?"

"No, but you're going to have to focus on your mission and get your life in order."

"What do you mean replied, Peter?"

"I mean you, and Patty need to make it final before Satan creates a mess of you guy's lives. A man should not be out there alone and not committed to a wife!"

"What" replied, Peter?

"Yes, you heard me, you and Patty have been together all the days of you guy's lives" replied, Joyce. "Anyway, we will talk more on this in the near future. You need to call your future wife now and start acting like your accountable."

So Peter said, "Ok mom," now Joyce prayed over her son and hung up the phone.

Peter then called Patty and said "hello!"

Patty said "you know I have been in sorrow since the day you left and now I hear your voice." Patty said "where are you now?"

Peter said "I'm in the hospital in Dillingham Alaska, I had a fishing accident."

"What" said, Patty! "How are you doing now and what happened?"

So Peter explained to Patty everything that had happened to him and the details of his new occupation as a proclaimer of the gospel. Then Peter paused, and there was a silence over the phone, Patty could hear Peter scratching his neck indicating that he was nervous about something.

Patty said, "what is it, Peter"?

Peter said "well I would like you to be my wife."

Patty with her huge almond eyes overflowing with tears said "is this what you really want?"

Peter responded "I believe this is what God desires for us."

Patty responded by saying, "Ok then, and I guess that's it! My answer is yes!"

Peter said "when I return from my first mission to Bethel, we will plan accordingly," then he said "Patty I love you, and I really miss you."

While Patty was wiping the tears from her face, she said "I miss you too, and you already know that I love you." She continued by saying, "Peter, get some rest, and I will call you later."

It was some days later at the ending of Peter's recovery that the North Star Salmon Troller entered the breakwaters of Dillingham. They had dropped off their last load of fish at the cannery and headed for the port to check on the status of Peter at Casey Hospital. Buster went below and grabbed Peter's personal items that he lifted behind and was going to take them to him at the hospital. Buster stood at the nose of the ship with Peter's backpack on his shoulders with his hands in both pockets.

As the boat began to position itself in its parking spot, Buster saw two men and a red-headed lady standing there as though they were waiting for the boat.

When the boat became closure, he saw the hair of the women that was with the two men, because her hair flashed in the dim light that of his sister with those piercing blue eyes. It was Denise, he thought, and if that is Denise, the others must be Frank and Harold.

Therefore, when they docked the boat, the Captain said over the speaker "Buster you have family waiting to meet with you so get off the boat man."

For Denise and her brothers radioed ahead to ensure that their brother was aboard the ship speaking to the Captain.

When Buster jumped onto the dock there, they were standing there with tears of joy in their eyes for their brother.

Frank said, "We are well how about you?"

Buster said, "My heart has been saddening over the years, but now I'm full of joy and not because of our meeting but because of God's unending grace."

Buster gave them all a hug and said "come now, we have some unfinished business."

So they went to the hospital where Peter was resting, and when they got there, they found him in his room sitting up on his bed reading his Gideon Bible.

Peter looked over at Buster and said, "Come in," and they all came in.

Buster said, "Peter, I want to first thank my God for bringing you on my path because he has restored me back to proper fellowship with himself. He not only restored my fellowship with himself but also with my sister and brothers, as you can how are with me."

He introduced them to Peter, and then he placed Peter's backpack on the edge of his bed. After this, Captain Betty walked in behind them and said "it looks like it is a miracle for no one survives a dip in the Bering Sea. Anyway, I believe you gave it your best, but I think you would be a better missionary than a fisherman of the sea." She opened her big black bag and pulled out a check with Peter's name on it and gave it to Peter.

Peter said "thanks!"

Then the Captain reached again into her bag and pulled out a set of keys. Peter said "what's that?"

"It's the key's too old blue" replied, the Captain.

Peter sat there with his mouth opened.

The Captain said, "Just close your mouth, and when you get to anchorage, it will be there for you."

"Thank you Captain," replied Peter, over and over again.

The Captain said, "No, thank your God that brought you here in one piece."

After she had said that she waved her right hand toward Peter and walked out, the same was for Buster, and his reunified family.

Then the doctor and Pastor Fred came into the room. The doctor said "you seem to be a popular one with many visitors."

The doctor said, "Peter you may go home tomorrow for you have a clean bill of health" as he smiled. After this, he walked out of the room saying "I will leave you to your family."

Vanessa and Pastor Fred stood around Peter's bed. Pastor Fred said "have you talked to your family Peter over the last couple of days?"

"Yes," replied Peter, "but most importantly I have talked to God, and I agree to go with you to Bethel to serve in whatever capacity."

Pastor Fred said, "Well we will leave tomorrow, will you be ready?"

"Yes, I will be ready to go in the morning."

"Great" replied Pastor Fred. "I will brief you on the mission while we are in flight in the morning."

After the Pastor had said this, he prayed over Peter and the coming mission, then they lift. Meanwhile, Joyce and Elizabeth were on their way to the hospital to pick up Paul to bring him home, it was a Joyful time for them. However, the cancer that was inside Joyce was eating her away, she became weaker and weaker by the hour.

After Paul checked out of the hospital, Elizabeth pushed her father in a wheelchair out of the elevator to the parking structure with Joyce following behind. Then Elizabeth heard her mother fall to the ground.

Paul responded by saying, "was that your mom" calling out Joyce name.

Joyce said, "I'm ok" as she got up, "I just had a dizzy spell."

Paul said "you need to go back into the hospital now."

"No," replied Joyce, "I will tell you later concerning what's going on with me, we need to go home."

So they all got into the car with Elizabeth behind the wheel, for she just got her driver's license. She drives them home safely, but Paul was terrified about his wife's condition.

When they got home, Joyce told Elizabeth to "open a couple of cans of tomato soup and give your father and me some time alone in his study."

So Elizabeth did as her mother requested rolling her father into his study and closing the door behind them.

Paul sat behind his desk with Joyce seated before him, and she said "Paul let me say that I am sorry for keeping these things from you."

"What things" replied Paul?

Joyce said, "First of all the matter of our son! He is fine now, but he did have an accident that led him to the right path."

"What accident" replied Paul?

"He fell off the boat that he was fishing from!"

"What" replied Paul, "he fell into the Bering Sea?"

"Yes, however, the Lord protected our son and has led him to serve him in Bethel."

"Ok, tell me the rest" replied Paul!

"Son is now working with a notable pastor in that area and is going to Bethel to minister there."

Paul said "ok," in a calm manner, "what about my wife's health."

"Well, your wife is leaving you to go home to glory" replied Joyce.

"How long have you known this" said, Paul?

"Since you have been in the hospital" replied Joyce.

Paul said "what did the doctor say about your condition?"

"I have 4th stage cancer and there is nothing they can do for me, but it would comfort me if my husband would not sorrow as others who have no hope. For the first-time Paul Perry, you must listen to me." She continued by saying, "you must finish what we started and get your son the training he needs to be a good servant. Yes, I am dying, and you cannot hold me here in bondage to your love, you must let me go." She then coughed, and her lips began to crack in the corners of her mouth.

Paul arose and walked over to her, and Joyce rested her head on his thigh, and she said "I never counted on us ending like this!"

Paul standing with both hands in his pocket said "everywhere that I have been, you have been there with me, now I must go alone?"

Joyce looked up at Paul and said "for once can you put the mission before me? The mission is more important than me and the Gospel of our Master the Lord Jesus must be preached."

After this, Paul took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped Joyce's mouth while saying, "even so Lord Jesus, your will be done."

They both got up and walked to the kitchen table for dinner, then Elizabeth prepared them a bowl of soup.

It was the next day and very early when Peter opened his eyes, he looked over at the small window next to his bed. He noticed that the faint light illuminated the sky of Alaska all night had turned into a bold and single light which told Peter that it was now morning. He rolled over to the edge of his bed resting his knees on the floor.

He felt a sharp pain upon his knee's at first because the floor was cold and made of an old hard tile. He began his prayer by thanking God for all of his blessings, whether he knew of them or not. After this, there was a silence, even in his heart, the full weight and reality rested upon him, the reality that he was entering the ministry. Then he looked up with the eyes of faith as he expected heaven to open before him desiring to see the face of him who called him. In the same moment, Peter dropped his hands by his sides with his head now bowed towards the earth and said "I am your servant do with me what you will."

Then the Lord spoke to him saying, "I am the Lord your God, walk before me and be perfect."

The fear of the Lord fell upon Peter, and he trembled at the words of the Lord. Peter fell from the bed onto the floor as the Lord spoke to him.

The Lord said to Peter, "Fear not Peter for I am with you and every weapon that comes against you will not harm you for I even I am with you."

Then Michael, the angel, walked over to Peter and lifted him up from the ground. He said to Peter "arise you must get ready to go for your time has come."

So Peter walked over to the bathroom to shower, and Michael said to "enjoy the shower for it will be the last one like this for a while."

Michael walked out of the room as Peter got his things and showered. A few moments later after Peter completed showering, there was a knock on the door. Peter replied saying just one moment, then he went to the door. He opened it, and it was a native girl who Pastor Fred had sent to pick him up.

She said to Peter "the Pastor is waiting for you at the airport, and I have been told to bring you there for your departure."

Peter said "ok just allow me to get my things."

So they got into her car and headed for the airport. Her native name was Ayana, and she said, "So you're the one that everyone is talking about, you're the one that fell into the Barring Sea and lived."

Peter smiled and said "it was not I that saved me, but the Lord had mercy upon me and look I am alive."

The girl smiled at Peter and then turn her head forward facing the road. The entrance to the airfield was before them, and they passed the front gate heading for a little plane sitting on the airstrip. The Pastor was loading the plane with supplies for the villages and things they would need on their journey.

When Peter and Ayana arrived, he smiled at her grabbing his backpack, which had some clothes along with his mother's old bible. He also had his inseparable skateboard protruding out of the outside pocket of the pack. He stood outside of the plane as the Pastor continued to load the supplies seeing the space was so limited.

The Pastor backed out of the plane and said "good morning Peter," and then he looked at Peter's backpack and said "Peter you don't mine holding that pack in your lap."

Peter replied "sure sir, I can hold it!"

The Pastor said "it's going to be tight in there and there's really not enough room for us! We will see what Big Eagle, the pilot has to say" said the Pastor, "he can be really difficult to deal with at times, but once we are on the way he will be fine."

Big Eagle, was an experienced bush pilot who transported supplies to villages and off the grid homesteaders. He was well-known throughout Alaska, it was told that if Big Eagle can't get you there, it's not possible.

We saw Big Eagle walking across the airfield, he had long silver hair that flashed as the light rested upon it. He had an old colt 45 on one hip and an 8-inch bowie knife on the other, he looked like a great warrior walking out of the fog of that morning.

When Big Eagle reached us, he greeted us and started his pre-flight inspection of the plane. When Big Eagle saw how the Pastor filled the rear of the plane to the point that the windows in the rear were filled, he looked at the plane and then looked at the Pastor.

Finally, Big Eagle stood in front of the Pastor and said "you know we are overweight, you may have to dispense of some your cargo, let me see what I can do."

As Big Eagle rambled on the Pastor, and Peter remained quiet until he was finished. After this, Big Eagle told them to board the plane and buckle up, he also said that the flight time to Bethel would be two and a half hrs.

When he said this, Peter said "that's great, we will arrive before it gets dark."

Then Pastor Fred said to Peter "don't be disappointed if we don't show up until the morning!"

"What" replied Peter?

"Yes" said the Pastor! The Pastor turned and looked at Peter and said "I have used Big Eagle several times, and we have never arrived on time. He will say some time into the trip that bad weather is ahead, and we should stop and take shelter. However, the reality is he uses this flight route to visit his ancestors in the Nelimik valley of which we always in up stopping." The pastor continued by saying, "just be patient Peter and we will be there before you know it."

So they got into the cab of the airplane and buckled up, Big Eagle placed his headset on, and they were on their way.

As the small plane ascended into the clouds, Peter thought about his Mom, Dad, Elizabeth and Patty, he wondered about what everyone was doing.

About an hour later, the airplane hit a bit of strong turbulence. The Pastor looked over at Peter and then look up at Big Eagle. Big Eagle looked up into the rear mirror at the Pastor, as though he know what the Pastor was thinking and said "We need to stop a bit to allow the bad weather to pass."

So Big Eagle began to descend into the Nelimik valley. The valley had two walls of stone on each side of it the walls of the valley ascended up into the clouds. There was a lake at the end of the valley, and it seemed that we were going to land on it. However, it was evident that Big Eagle knew what he was doing, and that he had made this landing many times before. When they landed, Big Eagle navigated the plane to a spot of which he had already prepared for their stay.

The area had a camp fire ready with its stones already in place, it even had an old folded tent large enough for all of the m to sleep. After this, Big Eagle got out of the plane and said to Pastor and Peter that they were going to stay here until the morning, so the bad weather could pass. However, the truth was there was not one cloud in the sky but that which rested upon the peaks of the surrounding mountains.

Peter looked and saw a large and mature Dal Sheep on one of the cliffs of the mountains, Peter noticed how at peace the old sheep was.

Big Eagle said, "come on let's get some firewood, so we can get a good fire going," and they did.

Big Eagle arranged for them to be seated around the fire. Big Eagle went to the plane and got a bag made of some type of animal skin. He took it and walked over to the foot of the mountain before of the camp. There was a stone structure that looked like it was a part of the mountain.

Peter looked at the Pastor and said "what is he doing?"

The Pastor said "he is honoring his ancestors who once lived here. That stone structure is where they are buried." He continued by saying "this is Big Eagles ancestor's burial spot, and he uses the trip to Bethel as a way for him to visit."

Sometime later, the Pastor was sitting in his chair when Peter asked him "sir what will I be doing in Bethel?"

The Pastor took a sip of his coffee and said, "On this trip, you will be making deliveries with Takoma to the local villages. You guys will be taking medicine and medical supplies to the Katakowon tribe some 75 miles north-east of Bethel."

Peter replied, "who are the Katakowon tribe?"

"They are known to be 'warriors with white faces'" replied the Pastor.

At this time, Big Eagle was walking back to the camp when he heard the Pastor make that last statement.

Peter replied, "why do they call them Warriors with white faces?"

Then Big Eagle while making eye contact with the Pastor for assurance said "I am a descendant of the Great Blue-Eyed Chief that is the father of the Katakowon tribe. My great-grandfather led the Katakowon tribe some 75 years ago and came to this valley with all that he had."

The Pastor said, "Peter needs to hear the whole story of the two brothers Thor and Krill and how the Katakowon tribe was split into two tribes."

Big Eagle said, "I will tell of the beginning of my people and how the Great blue-eyed chief came to the coast of Yiak and met his wife." Big Eagle began by turning away from Peter and the Pastor while raising both of his hands facing his ancestor's burial site. He said "we must start in the small town of Nunamek on the island of Nunivak just off the coast of Alaska in the north Bering Sea. Nunamek was a Russian trading post, and much commerce was done there, most of the natives brought the best of their furs and tanned hides. There was a man named Anatoli Baranovichi, his father came to Nunamek from Russia to set up a trading post to transport fine furs back to Russia."

Both of Anatoli's parents had passed away about the time when he fell in love with Kimi Yegg the daughter of Krill, the chief of the Katakowon tribe. The first time he saw her, it was while her brother brought in some furs to sell. Anatoli was overwhelmed with Kimi's beauty and said in his heart that someday she would be his wife.

The Katakowon tribe was one of the oldest tribes to settle on Nunivak island and the one that stood apart from the others concerning traditions. For it was an abomination for the Katakowon to mingle their blood with other tribes not to mention that of foreign races. Kimi's father chief Krill watched over Kimi every moment because she was young and tender with innocence in his eye sight. She could go nowhere without some of the senior men from the tribe to protect her as the chief had commanded. The town of Nunamek knew that Kimi Katakowon was approaching because they could see the procession of the great warriors from the Katakowon tribe before her.

Some would say, "Here comes Kimi with her giant bodyguards!" So some days later, he saw her walking along the Memchik road that was the main street for Nunamek with her brother and ten Katakowon warriors. He waved at her and signaled for her to come to him, but she would not and continued to walk down the street with her procession.

Her brother looked over at his sister and said in their tongue "why is he waving at you? Do you have business with him?"

"No," Replied Kimi, "I don't know why he did that."

So Anatoli went inside his store and took off his apron, he stood in front of the cash register and thought about what Kimi really meant to him. He remembered what his father taught him about going after what he wanted. He knows that if he was going to marry Kimi, he needed to make it known to her and in a bold way because that was one of the Katakowon principles. He then looked into the mirror in his shop and stroked his mustache with his fingertips and stroked his hair.

He proceeded toward the front door of the store and once outside he locked it. He looked down the street, and he saw the ten warriors standing before Sam's Trading Post, and he knew that Kimi was inside. So he headed down the way with a fast walk until he reached the ten men. The men stood there with mean looks upon their faces with seven feathers upon the crown of their heads.

Anatoli, walked right through the men opening the front door of Sam's shop. When the door opened the bell over the door rang, and everyone turned to see who came in. Immediately Kimi looked right at Anatoli and thought to herself that he was there for her.

Anatoli, knew Kimi's brother, for his name was Chik, and he was the next one in line to be chief of the Katakowon tribe. So Anatoli went over to Chik and grabbed his forearm locking it to his own, bowing his head in respect. For it was a handshake of respect to lock forearms among the Katakowon tribe, and if Anatoli was going to make a good impression upon Chik, he needed to do just that.

After this, he asked Chik to come to his home tomorrow to discuss an important matter.

Chik, replied, "I will come when the big light rest upon the sea," he was referring to the oceans in front of the seaport of Nunamek.

So the next-day Chik arrived at Anatoli's shop just as the sun rested on the waters before the town. It was a beautiful site to see the sun go down before the town, for the sea turned into a bright orange rolled blanket in the wind. He walked in as his warriors were posted as guards outside. Anatoli, greeted Chik and placed the closed sign on the window of the store. He told Chik to follow him to the rear of the shop where he lived. He motioned for Chik to take a seat at the table as he brought out some wine and a couple of glasses.

Chik, said to Anatoli, "no! Bring out the good stuff!"

So Anatoli brought out some vintage brandy and took a seat across from Chik. After Anatoli had poured them a drink, Chik said to him as he looked at the glass "so you want to marry my little sister? Right!"

Anatoli, was stunned and did not know what to say. So he replied with a yes.

Chik, said after that "you know that it's out of our tradition to give our women to outsiders of our tribe?" He signaled with his eyes and said, "Right!"

Anatoli, responded by saying, "Chik I will be a good husband to your sister and see will have everything she needs!"

Chik, said, "Well I don't know, it's going to be a tough sell to my father and the elders of the tribe. However, seeing I have such influence over the decision process, it could be approved. The question I have for you is, how bad do you really want to marry my sister?"

Anatoli, replied, "What do you want Chik as he looked away? Chik, replied, all I want is full price for my furs, like my beaver and otter furs." He continued by saying, "you and Sam's are only giving us less than half of their value."

Anatoli, responded saying, "is that all? For I can agree to that as long as the furs are of good quality and of full age."

Chik, grabbed the bottle of brandy that stood before them and said "I would like one of these twice a year for the rest of my life."

Anatoli, responded "no, I can't do that, but I can do it for the next three years."

Therefore, Chik, agreed to Anatoli's offer, and they drank in celebration. So Kimi and Anatoli were married sometime after, and they were very happy.

This marriage also changed the business climate in Nunamek because all disputes and issues of arbitration were brought to Kimi Baranovichi. It brought about a new relationship between the tribes and the merchants of Nunamek, it was a time of peace and prosperity for the town. Sometime after, Kimi gave birth to a male child, and they named him Krill after his grandfather.

For this was pleasing to the elders of the Katakowon tribe, even though they did not approve of the marriage. The child had deep-blue eyes and hair jet black like a raven just as his mother. He had a soft white complexion like that of fine porcelain and not the reddish color of the Katakowon people.

Now when Krill became of age, he played a big part in the success of his parent's shop. He handled the sale and trading of furs and insured that everyone was happy, young Krill was full of wisdom concerning business. It was a gift that his grandfather had as he became a self-starter upon his arrival at the port Nunamek. Krill spent a lot of time with his grandfather chief Krill, he wanted to know everything about the Katakowon people.

The time young Krill spent with his grandfather made him a great hunter and primarily a great whale hunter. Krill was always the first to plunge his harpoon into the whales.

However, this turned out to be his demise, for the other hunters were jealous of young Krill, for he was becoming a valiant Katakowon warrior.

When the elders and some of the warriors could not find fault with young Krill, they began to mock him making fun of his skin color and calling him the new Blue-Eyed chief. This hurt young Krill, and the warriors did not let up by saying at the meeting "why are we allowing this half breed to dwell among us." They continued by saying "will not he brings a curse upon us by his presence! Yes, he is your grandson, but he could never be one of us, he will never become chief of the Katakowon!"

They looked at the Chief and said all of these things, but the old chief could say nothing.

Young Krill stood outside the meeting and heard all that was said, he turned away and walked toward the town. When he reached the shop, he saw that the lights were out in the rear of the shop meaning his parents had gone to sleep.

So he went in and grabbed some clothing and stuffed a skin pouch with some dried salmon and fruit and left.

He stood in the door way of his parent's room, he saw them nestled together under a large bear quilt. He knew it would be possibly the last time that he would see them. He knew that it was good for him to see them this way, and that he could leave with peace. His mother was carrying another child, and he knew that the child would care for them in their old age.

So he left the shop, and he did not know where he was going, but he knew that he had to leave Nunivak Island, he was looking for a place to start his own tribe. Young Krill went to the side of the shop and placed his Kayak over his head and started toward the port. When he arrived at the port, he placed the Kayak in the water and placed all that he was carrying into it.

As he began to paddle away he looked back at the town knowing he would see it no more, he was on his way to the great land the hope of his people.

Nunivak Island, was 125 miles off the coast of Alaska, and it was in the late spring when most of the ice had dissipated. It was a time of year when the trade ships would begin to come in. He knew what direction the sun had set, and therefore, he knew the direction of the coastline, and that it was in the east. His grandfather had on many occasions pointed to the big land of which the people had come from so many years ago. Therefore, young Krill paddled in that direction.

Young Krill, paddled into the night, he heard the sounds of the waves crashing on the front of the kayak as he headed further into the great channel that sat between Nunivak Island and the Alaskan coast. The seas around young Krill became calm, and a soft north wind blew upon him causing him to fall into a deep sleep. He began to dream of his grandfather standing upon the shores of Nunivak saying "strength to you my son for you are a true Katakowon Chief."

As his grandfather spoke, he saw a white feather leave his grandfather head, and it flew over and rested upon young Krill's head. Krill awoke, and he knew that the dream was a revelation about who he truly was, he was a new chief of the Katakowon. Krill said to himself and in his heart that from this time forward he was Chief Krill of the Katakowon. He would no longer call himself Baranovichi but Katakowon for he was ashamed of his Russian heritage. He remained awake for most of the night as he paddled along, then he fell back into a deep sleep.

Later that night he awoke and saw the full moon in the east, it illuminated the surface of the sea, and it was light daylight. Looking at the horizon of the sea in the east he saw as it was a huge rock formation of which his grandfather called the gateway of stones. The moon stood behind the two pillars, and it was a fearful sight to look upon.

They were two large stone pillars that protruded out of the sea, each went down to a depth of 1, 500 ft. and 200 feet above the surface of the sea.

Krill was not afraid as he paddled through those huge stones, he watched the birds perch themselves on its cliffs in the night. After he had passed the large pillars he watched them fade into the darkness of the night. As he continued on into the night his arms became very heavy. He pulled the oars into the Kayak and fell asleep.

Some hours later, a burst of sea spray fell upon him as he awoke, the light of day was upon him. He heard the sound of whales blowing on the surface of the sea. As he raised his head, he saw a whale swimming beside his kayak, he remembered what his grandfather taught him about remaining still, so the whales won't feel threatened. Therefore, he stood still in the Kayak as the whales swam by, he paid close attention to their gracefulness as they descended into the dark depths.

All that day he paddled and paddled resting for brief periods but continuing on as he knew that the coast was before him. The sun was beginning to set behind him, and no land was in sight ahead, so he rested.

Pastor Fred said to Big Engle, "I think it's time for Peter to get some rest!"

Peter then stood up and said "come on tell me what happened to young Krill? Did he make it?"

Big Engle, said, "if he didn't I would not be here for I am a descendant of the great Blue-Eyed Chief." Big Engle, said "ok I will make it short" as the Pastor covered himself. After this, Big Engle said, "young Krill made it to the coast of Alaska in the province of Yiak, and it was there he found his wife, Suma. Krill was a great hunter and protector of the land, he had one son called Cunn. He also had seven daughters of which became the foundation of his new tribe. Then other warriors came and married Chief Krill's daughters and swore their allegiance to the Katakowon tribe."

Over the years the tribe grew, and the land was too small for the great Blue-Eyed chief, so he took his wife and members of his tribe and journeyed to the Nelimik valley.

For the Blue-Eyed chief, had hunted in the valley with great success and thought that this would be a good place to settle for the tribe. So the Katakowon started their journey south to the great valley rich with game and a river just east of it. Upon their arrival, they seized enough game to get them through the coming winter, yet Krill the Blue-Eyed chief felt that something was wrong, but he kept it to himself. The families of the tribe settled there, and it seemed to be a time of peace and prosperity for the Katakowon tribe.

Nevertheless, the next fall one of the warriors was attacked and was eaten by a grizzly bear just north of the valley. The chief stood over the remains of the warrior and turned toward the peaks of the valley that stood as walls of cold death.

He saw a large dark cloud fall upon the peaks of the valley, and he said "it is the season of the dark grass, death will fall upon us, let us return to the valley."

What the chief said was true, they found no game to hunt for the winter, and the grass and herbs died. As the months went on into the winter, many became sick, and the cry of hunger fell upon the valley. The great Blue-Eyed chief stood in the midst of the valley, and he raised his hands to the huge walls of stone that surrounded the tribe. He sought to bestow a blessing upon the people, but he knew in his heart that it was useless.

After he had dropped his hands to his side, he went into his tent and crossed his legs before the fire pit. He began to remember the time he walked with his grandfather at the hill of green's bay just north of Nunamek on Nunivak Island. His grandfather was sad because they were not able to find a whale that year and food supply was almost gone, and it was fall already.

His grandfather then grabbed young Krill and sat him next to himself. He pointed his finger toward the Alaska coast and while looking in that direction said, "there is hope for us as a people in that land and when we make it there we shall know the true god of our people."

Young Krill responded by saying, "god has been with our people, right grandfather?"

"No," replied, his grandfather! He continued by saying, "the true God is the God of all flesh, for every man is of flesh, whether white, red or any color, he is still God."

The grandfather raised his grandson up upon his feet and pointed his finger once again toward the Alaska coast and said "our people will someday meet the true God in the big land for I have seen it."

After remembering his grandfather's words, the old chief with his body full of pain and grief bowed his head and knew that he made a mistake bringing the tribe to this valley.

Then he raised his head with tears in his eyes and spoke out to an unknown god and said, "If you are there show mercy to my people and deliver them from the grip of death."

He continued and said, "My time is over but take my only son to a place where he may come to know you and lead my people in your way."

The great chief fell upon his face before the fire and fell asleep.

The following day and early that morning, Cunn the next in line to be chief came into the chief's tent and said to his father, "we must leave this place, or we shall all die here!"

The Blue-Eyed chief had become an old man overnight, his hair went from that of a dark raven to a snow white. The chief became very weak and could not walk but stayed in his tent. He told his wife Suma to raise him up, so he could address Cunn as chief and father of the Katakowon.

The chief reached for his staff and handed it to Cunn, his son and said "the Katakowon must survive, and I charge you to lead them out of this valley of death."

Cunn, said, "But father, I will carry you to the other place north of here called Bethel where we can survive this winter."

"No," replied, Krill, as he turned his head.

Then he said "you must go," pointing his finger toward the north, "I have failed, but you must succeed." He continued as he leaned back into Suma's arms saying "those who would stay by my side can stay, but you must go, my son."

Cunn, responded saying, "How could I leave your side as a son when other warriors are going to stay?"

His father responded by saying, "because you are chief and the Katakowon cannot survive without you, now go!" After this, his father closed his blue eyes and signaled them to leave his tent as he rested.

As Big Eagle stood over the fire, he said to Peter, "Cunn went to Bethel and had two sons, one named Thor and the younger was named Krill. The younger was named krill, because he was born with blue eyes like his grandfather. Thor was my grandfather and the Katakowon now resides in Bethel until today."

Peter said "what about Thor's brother Krill?"

Big Eagle, replied saying, "Krill split up the Katakowon tribe because he was jealous of his brother Thor. Before my great grandfather, Cunn died, he declared that Thor would be chief. His decision was not because he was the oldest, but because Thor was wise and would be a good leader for the tribe. However, Krill was enraged and challenged his brother to a fight to the death, but Thor would not fight him nor would he do it because he was of his own blood."

Then Krill stood in the middle of the village before the grave of Cunn, there he took his father's spear in his right hand and raised it above his head saying, "who will stand with the true Katakowon chief?" Many of the men who were warriors of the tribe came forward and stood with Krill, they came because they hunted with him and believed that he was to be the next chief.

Krill standing in the midst of the tribe surrounded by his faithful warriors pointed his finger at Thor and said "I challenged you to battle, and you decline. Therefore, I am the victor and chief." He took his knife and cut his arm open before the people, as the blood flowed out of the wound, he rested his arm on each person who stood with him. Men, women, and children allowed him to place his blood on them.

After this, he turned his back to Thor and faced his new people and said "you are now members of the Krill tribe." Therefore, that same evening the members of the new Krill tribe, departed from Bethel and headed north to the great blue glacier where they are still today.

Big Eagle looked at Peter and said "son that's it," but Peter responded "what about the great Blue-Eyed chief, what happened to him and those who stayed with him?"

Big Eagle turned around and pointed at the burial site and said "they are all here."

He continued by saying, "Cunn returned to this valley the following spring and found all of their bodies spread throughout the valley, so he took their remains and buried them over there. This is why I come here, I come here to remember the great blue-eyed chief the father of the Katakowon."

After this, Peter climbed into his bedroll and looked into the camp fire, he thought of his family once again as he did throughout his journey. He said to himself "what does God have in store for me tomorrow?"

Then he fell asleep, and a north wind whispered soft echoes of which sounded like someone's voice against the walls of the valley. Peter began to dream as his ears heard the soft voices, he began to dream of his home, and he saw Patty standing at the front door. He ran toward her but the floor opened up, and he fell into a deep jungle surrounded by women and children. Then out of the crowd came a man with an evil mask on his face, the mask had two horns that stood on his head.

Peter stood up and cried out the name of Jesus and heaven opened up, and a great light fell upon the evil man and the man fled into the bushes.

Peter awoke from the dream and it was daybreak, as he got up, he thought about the meaning of his dream.

The Pastor told Peter to come over and lead them in prayer for it was time for morning devotions. Peter signaled to Big Eagle to come and join them, but Big Eagle said, "The first Krill foretold that someday the Katakowon would find the true god!" He continued by saying, "I have not found him yet."

Peter was about to say something, but the Pastor told him to hold his peace, so they completed their time of devotion. After this, the pastor told Peter that it was time to go. Therefore, they packed up their things, and the plane was back in flight to Bethel. As Big Eagle circled the Nilimek valley, Peter imagined the great procession of Cunn and the tribe heading for Bethel.

Now Bethel was about 65 miles northeast of the Nilimek valley, and that meant a 15 to 20-minute ride for them.

Big Eagle, signaled to them that he was about to make his final approach to the Bethel airfield and told them to hold on because a strong wind gust off his left wing was opposing them. Peter could see the little town that was filled with small shacks along each street. The airplane made its final descent, and the wheels touched down on the runway, Peter was happy that they finally made it there. Big Eagle, brought the airplane to its designated spot on the airfield and turn off the engine.

Big Eagle, turned around and said "we made it!"

The Pastor responded as always saying, "alright Big Eagle!"

So they got out of the plane and unloaded everything that was to be transported. The Hopeful Mission Van from the airfield office headed in their direction to transport them and their belongings.

When the van arrived, Pastor Fred said, "it's Pastor Sunny from the Hopeful Mission House of Bethel," they hugged each other and the Pastor introduced Peter to Pastor Sunny.

Pastor Sunny said to Peter, "I heard about you! You are set to leave in the morning with Takoma Yuk." He continued as they loaded the van with their things saying, "We have some supplies that need to go up to the Blac village just south of blue glacier. You will not be preaching on this trip but you will be making a delivery run." Pastor Sunny looked at Peter and said "don't worry you will be safe with Takoma, he knows the ins and outs of the area."

So they packed up their things and headed for the Mission house. Pastor Sunny said, while he was driving, "lunch will be ready upon our arrival, and we are having split pea soup and biscuits."

Peter responded saying, "I'm not really hungry!"

Pastor Fred said, "Peter, you really don't want to miss any meals around here. You're going on a long journey tomorrow, and you will need the carbs!"

So they arrived at the Hope Mission House of Bethel, it was a one-story building with some front offices with the rest partitioned as individual rooms.

The mission had a large dining area where they served community meals three times a week. Peter helped Takoma load up the little VW Bug that they were going to use for tomorrow's journey.

Peter, said to Takoma while they loaded the car "we are going to take this to the village?"

Takoma, responded by saying, "yes. It's great on gas as we are on a tight budget, but it will get us there, and the roads are reported to be clear!"

"Ok" responded Peter, "I'm with you."

So after they finished loaded the VW Bug and went inside to prepare to eat lunch. Peter took his backpack to his room, he sat on his bed to test it out. It was firm the way he liked it, he thought of just staying in his room and munch on some the last of his dried sardines. However, Takoma knocked on his door and called Peter to the dining hall.

Peter's presence was needed because Pastor Fred wanted to introduce Peter to the mission. So Peter went came to the dining hall and stated that he was looking forward to working with everyone for the glory of God.

Everyone in the room responded to Peter's words by saying, "welcome!"

Peter started to eat the split pea soup and said to himself that it is not bad at all, so he eats all of it. After he had finished the meal, he went back to his room and laid down on the bed. He opened his journal and made some recent entries of the currents events. After this he began to thank of his mother and family. He look up and started to stare at the picture of Jesus on the wall, he fell asleep.

Now Old Peter stretched his arms above his head as he became a bit tired. He said to Patrick, who was recording the events of the journal, "I believe that is all I have for you today, it's getting late, and my wife is preparing my dinner."

Patrick replied saying, "ok what time should we meet tomorrow?"

Peter replied, "about the same time!"

So Patrick put out the fire while Peter grabbed his old leather case. Peter looked around the living area and sighed, he said to himself "I guess it's time to bring her home soon." However, he continued in his thoughts that this place was only one of many places that he and his wife have lived.

For Peter and his wife had lived from the beginning as pilgrims upon the earth always moving, assignment after assignment fulfilling what the Lord desired of them.

Peter waved at Patrick as he pulled off from the old house, he stepped off the old wooden porch and faced the house. As he looked, he saw the peak of Mount Iliamna of the Chigmit Mountains sub-range across the Kenai Peninsula. While Peter stared at the mountain's snowy peaks, he remembered the time when he first held the Cross of Christ, he knows that this event was coming up in the journal.

Peter acknowledged that the testimony of tomorrow would be of his conversion from a child to a preacher of the Cross of Christ. He sighed as he looked up north and said "yes it began up there."

He looked at his right arm as it trembled due to his Parkinson disease, then he walked back into the old house toward his chest with the old cross on his mind. He opened it and removed some of the books that rested on the old cross. The old cross was made of Texas red oak and was full of cuts and scratches from all of Peter's journeys. Peter with his trembling hand reached and took hold of the old cross, upon contact the trembling of his arms stopped. Old Peter with the cross in his hand went back outside and faced the north with the cool breeze blowing on the crown of his bald head. After this, he raised the cross over his head facing the north, and all the leaves around him moved away in a completed circle.

He felt the joy and glory of God rest upon him just as it did when he proclaimed the Gospel of Jesus Christ everywhere he had been. Peter in the face of opposition and hardships he was fearless as he preached holding the cross.

After this, a great and beautiful light pierced the clouds above him, and it seemed that it filled the whole peninsula.

This wonderful light encircled Peter like a great whirlwind above him. The great light descended and rested upon the cross that was in his hand. Peter knew that it was the glory of the Lord. Then he noticed as he held the old cross that his body no longer trembled, for the glory of the Lord had fallen upon him.

Peter took the cross that he held above his head and rested it against his chest saying, "Lord what would you have me to do, for I am your servant!" You see Peter could not resist the power and glory of God, for if he had the opportunity, he would preach every assignment all over again.

Some have said that Peter exchanged the cross for a desk job, but Peter really loved the Lord and was ready in season and out of season to preach the gospel. However, the Lord did not respond to Peter's words, yet he gave him his peace that evening.

As Peter stood there he saw the darkness from the east overshadow his home, so he locked up his home and headed for old blue and said "it's time to go home." After this, the old man said out loud as he walked across the yard "when will I get to go to my real home?" After he had entered the old truck, he rested his hand upon the old metal dashboard and prayed as he did for years, but this time his hands did not tremble for the Lord had healed him.

He then turned the key and headed down the bumpy graveled driveway stopping at the main highway. He saw the cars go by populated with seasonal fishermen headed for their prized fishing spots along the Kenai Peninsula.

It was getting late, and he knew that his wife would start to worry because he was now an old man and not the same youthful one of her youth. Peter arrived at his temporary home full of joy and delight as he took hold of the old cross that he used in his past missions for Christ.

When his wife opened the door unto him, she saw the glare of the old red oak cross in his right hand. He had his leather brief in his left hand and the cross in his right hand. Her eyes could see that something had happened to him, but she could not put her finger on it.

She said, "what have you done Peter? I haven't seen that smile on your face for years. It is as if the glory of God has descended upon you, what has happened?"

Peter entered the motel room and stood before the heater and then turned toward his wife and said "peace be unto this place" and sat down in his chair.

His wife said "I certainly want to hear all of it, but dinner is getting cold, and it's on the table."

So they eat and while they eat Peter explained everything to his wife of what had happened at their home as he extended his arm and hand before her.

She said, "Peter, what has happened, has the Lord touched you?"

"Yes" replied Peter, "he had mercy on me and healed me as I held that old cross," he pointed toward it across the room. Peter's face was old and full of deep creases, yet he was full of the power of God. He had the continence of an angel as he spoke to his wife, and tears rolled down the cheeks of her face as he spoke and praised God. He looked at her and said, "you know tomorrow is the end of the first journal, but it's where we embraced the fragrance of Christ."

His wife looked around the room and said "yes, and truly it's still with us!"

The next-day Peter met with Patrick as they planned and Peter arrived early preparing a log for the fire.

The flame of the fire converted the frost that was upon Patrick's clothing into a soft mist that ascended above them. Peter held the old cross in his lap with his right hand.

Patrick said to Peter "what is that" as he looked at it with wonder?"

Peter said "this is the closing of this journal, this cross was given to me by an old preacher of which I will speak of shortly."

As the embers of the fire gleamed into old Peter's eyes, he began the close of the journal. He began by saying, "the next morning when young Peter awoke he had breakfast with Takoma. The both of them reviewed their mission and associated contacts with Pastor Fred and Sunny before they left. They got into the little VW Bug loaded front and back with supplies. The combination of gravel and mud crumbled underneath the wheels of the VW as they headed down the country road."

It was a successful trip until they reached the Yiyac planes which were an open field of ice with a few trees nestled by the road side, it was about 7 miles outside of their destination. The old VW began to cough as it seemed and finally stalled. As it stalled and still rolling, Takoma pulled the VW over to the side of the road.

Takoma looked over at Peter and said "these things happen, I guess we are going to walk it in from here! We should make it by sunset!"

Peter said to himself, "these things always seem to happen to me!"

Just as Peter began to open his door, Takoma grabbed Peter's shoulder and said to be steal.

Peter turned and looked at Takoma and said "what now!"

Takoma looking forward said, "That"!

In about 300 feet, there was prancing before them a 1200-pound Polar Bear. It was heading straight for them with a fearful charge and as what it seemed like steam coming out of its nostrils. Peter froze up in the passenger seat with his backpack in his lap.

As he placed both hands around his backpack, he said to himself "this is one time when I am staying in the vehicle." He remembered the courage he had with the Grizzly earlier that month, but this Bear was different. This bear had eyes like a titan. His eyes looked like two black marbles in his head and beneath them a fearful set of sharp jagged teeth.

When the bear completed his charge, he placed both of his paws on the hood of the VW looking right at Peter through the front windshield. The bear stood on both of his bottom feet clothed with a beautiful white fur coat, he must have been at least 12 feet in height as he stood there. It seemed for a moment that he was attempting to intimidate Peter until they both began to stare at each other.

After this, Takoma, looked over at Peter with amazement and said "is this real?" Then the bear seemed to snap out of his trance and began to crush the hood of the VW. He smashed the windshield and came around to the door of Peter.

Peter leaving his backpack in the front seat began to throw some of the supplies to the front as he burrowed into the back seat. Takoma did the same, and the both of them deeply nestled in the back watched as the bear rip off the passenger door with a single blow. The bear then began to crush the top of the VW with strong blows that pushed Takoma and Peter deeper and deeper into the back of the VW.

Then the bear placed his head inside the VW crabbing Peter's backpack because he smelled the dry sardines that Peter carried along the way. When the bear ripped out the backpack, he also released Peter's skateboard, and it rolled over to the side of the road. After this, the bear turned toward the skateboard with excitement and gave it a couple of swipes with his huge paws, and then he began to jump on it. Takoma and Peter looked outside the VW with wonder as it looked like the bear was trying to ride the skateboard.

While the bear was pouncing on the skateboard, an image appeared on the horizon of the same road. It was a large truck with some natives with their dogs, they were holding some rifles. They began to fire their rifles in the air as they approached. The bear at first stood in the middle of the road staring at them. Then he turned to the side of the road and walked over to the bush where he vanished.

It was Takoma's cousin named Tom, he had heard that Takoma was coming to the village, and he wanted to meet him along the way as they were also hunting. While they were unloading the supplies onto the truck, Peter walked over to the dogs and said "wow these are beautiful dogs!"

Then Tom walked over to Peter and said "yes these dogs are life savers out here."

Peter said, "I believe so, I see how they protected us from that bear."

Then Takoma after hearing Peter said, "Those dogs are an emergency escape for the hunters."

Peter replied, "I don't understand!"

Takoma explained how the hunters take the dogs along not to help them hunt but to use them to escape the great Polar bears up here. He continued by saying "when a polar bear charge, there is nothing on earth that can stop him and what happen to us was a miracle. When they charge the hunters usually shot their dogs and leave them for a meal for the polar bears. It is the only way to escape their fierce pursuit, so they shoot the dog that's with them. While the world presents the Polar bear as a docile and tamed animals, it's really one of the fiercest animals upon the earth."

After loading everything onto Tom's truck, they headed for the Blac village. Upon their arrival, Takoma called Pastor Fred back in Bethel and reported what had happened to them. Pastor Fred told Takoma that "Big Eagle would be driving up there in four days and he will bring you guys back."

He continued to explain that "Big Eagle was coming to visit his sister who is married to a member of the Krill clan and that he has been looking forward to seeing her. While you guys are waiting for Big Eagle to pick you up, I have a special labor of love I would like to you guys to take on! The village of Blac has donated an old building for our use and ministry. Therefore we need to clean it up and remove some of the trash and waste from the place.

"Please let me know if we need to send some paint up there with Big Eagle to make it look worthy of the Lord. Anyway, we will be in prayer for you guys and give me a call if you need me to send something with Big Eagle."

After hanging up the phone Takoma left the doctor's office where they drop off the supplies, he signaled with his arm and hands over to Peter, who was standing by the truck of Tom and the natives. They were preparing to return to the field to hunt some game. Tom told Peter as he was walking away, that when he's ready, he would like to show him how to hunt the Katakowon way.

Peter walked over to Takoma who stood by the side of the street. Takoma began to convey all that Pastor Fred had told him, he pointed toward the old building. He began to walk in the direction of the building to review the work that was before them. When they arrived at the building, they heard what sounded like a coyote crying at the moon. Takoma looked over at Peter with the same look of surprise as with the Polar bear.

Peter facing the old building, drop his hands to his sides and said "what now?"

Takoma said "it's the crazy Krill!"

Peter said "how do you know that?"

Takoma turned with Peter to see them and said "that is the sound that they make when they come to town."

There they were coming down the center of the village in an old white Buick Skylark with their heads sticking out the windows.

All of them had a white mask on their faces with a blue square colored in on the right eye, on the left side of the mask, there were two black bars with a large circle set above and behind them. These were the two huge pillars that came out of the ocean with the moon set behind them that the great blue-eyed chief saw on his journey to the new land. This was their heritage of the Blue-eyed chief with white skin, the mask was the symbol of their clan, and it spoke of their journey as a people.

When the Krill came into the village, everyone was on alert because when those white faces appeared, everyone knew that trouble was around the corner. Now alcohol was prohibited yet there were secret places that sold liquor to the natives, and that was the Krill's primary mission. They would buy liquor from the underground sellers and take it back to their own village. When the Krill saw Takoma and Peter, they stopped in the middle of the road, and then they slowly drove up to them.

Every face in the car just stared at Peter with curiosity, they said to one another "we have a new preacher in the village."

Then the one on the passenger side got out the car and walked over to Peter, he stood before his face with his mask on. After this, Takoma stepped back as if he knew who it was that was behind the mask.

The one behind the mask said, "Just this one time will I show my face to you for my name is Krill the next blue-eyed chief." Krill standing before Peter took his mask off, and Peter saw his face.

He was a young man with a deep white complexion. He had deep-blue eyes and hair dark as a raven. He was named Krill because he bore the features of his great, great grandfather and the leaders of Krill believed that he should be the next chief of the Krill. However, this young man had it in his heart to consolidate the Katakowon and Krill as one.

Then young Krill said to Peter as the others look on "we already have a drunken preacher in our village, have you come to take his place?" Peter just looked at him as Krill spoke. Krill put his mask back on and got back into the car, and they drove off.

Peter then turned toward Takoma and said "that was crazy!" He continued by saying, "who was he talking about when he referred to a drunken preacher."

Takoma responded by saying, "he was talking about old Pastor Pink."

Peter replied do you mean "Pastor Matthew Pink?"

"Yes" replied, Takoma!

Peter said "yes it is a small world for I met his son named Andrew on the way up here."

Takoma replied by saying "well the old pastor after his issue with alcohol overtook him. He went and lived among the Krill next to the blue glacier. He married one of the native girls named Penny. Krill makes fun of Pastor Pink because he planted an old cross in front of Blue Glacier. He mocks him for being an unproductive medicine man.

"The old Pastor planted that old cross in front of the glacier when someone became very ill, and finally they died. He did this because he could not help them and walked over to the spot and planted the cross. After he, planting the old cross he said within his heart 'it's over for me, I am retired, God is finished with me.' He wept as he held his wife's hand, the both of them walk back to their little home in the village. Each day the old Pastor would sit in front of the door with a drink in his hand staring at that old cross planted before the glacier. There was a large entryway that provided access into the glacier. The entryway was next to the cross. The old Pastor stared at the old cross next to the entrance as if he expected Jesus to come and get him someday. He knew that the Lord would not leave him in that state forever, the old man felt trapped, powerless to change his circumstances."

Peter responded not knowing the spirit of words that was coming out of his mouth saying, "I shall go to him and provide him some encouragement as a son to a father!"

Takoma replied, "Maybe so, but for now, we have to clean out this place before Big Eagle arrives."

Meanwhile, Paul was packing his things while Joyce stood by. She said "are you sure this is a good idea?"

Paul turned toward Joyce and walked over to her and placed his arms upon her shoulders looking into her eyes. He began to wipe away the tears from her eyes as she looked up to him, he said "I must do something that I have never done before, I must let Peter know that I am in support of what he is doing."

He continued by saying, "I realize that I gave Peter everything but my support for what he was doing, and from this day forwards he needs that."

So Joyce and Elizabeth took Paul to the airport where he took a flight to Anchorage Alaska and from there to Bethel.

That same night there was a great cry in the village of the Krill next to the Blue Glacier. It was the cry of the mothers because one of the young men there had fallen beneath some ice into the river below. The boys were playing on the ice and the portion of which they were playing on cracked, causing one of them to fall below into the ice-cold waters. The boy who fell through the ice was named Tyler, and he held on the edge of the opening, as long as he could. As the cold began to cover his little body, he fell asleep of which he never recovered. By the time the other boys returned with the other men it was too late.

Young Krill walked over to the opening of the crack and pulled little Tyler out of the water, it was as if his little hands was frozen to the edge of the opening.

After this, young Krill walked back to the village with Tyler's body in his arms.

When the villagers saw Krill on the horizon of the camp with little Tyler in his arms, they began to scream out. Some say you could hear their voices of them that cried all the way to the village of Blac just outside of the great Blue Glacier. Tyler's parents Yuri and Vickie were in their later years, and they desired for years to have a child. This effort was not only known by the Krill clan but also by the Katakowon as everyone hoped for them, and this explained why the cries of the people was so great.

As Krill walked down the center of the village with little Tyler's body, the old Pastor who sat outside his home got up and went inside because he felt that he could be of no help to the little one.

Krill looked with fury toward the old Pastor's home and said "we don't need a medicine man that has no power, your god has no power." He walked over to the parents of little Tyler and gave him to them. The Chief of the Krill came out of his home and stood there with the majority of the warriors of the Krill.

The Chief's name was Red Hawk, and he said unto young Krill "what you just did was good in the sight of all the people, but what you said to the old Pastor was not right." He continued by saying "no man has the right to tell another man what to believe."

Then young Krill remained silent because he knew that Red Hawk was good friends with the old Pastor, and they spent a lot of time smoking the Chief's special pipe. As the evening set, the light of day was replaced by a huge and full moon that blanketed the whole area with a bright and pure blue light.

As the people cried out, the old chief came out of his tent to comfort Yuri and Vickie the parents of Tyler. He looked up at the moon and said something great beyond our understanding is going to happen, I believe. He continued by saying, there is something about that moon tonight, I have not seen such a moon since I was a child. After this, he then walked over to the pastor's home and requested to enter, the pastor's wife opened the door for the Chief.

He came in and took a seat before the pastor as he sat in front of the fire in their living room. The old men loved each other's company and especially in a time of sorrow. The old chief looking into the fire said to the pastor, "You have to excuse the disrespect of my grandson, he knows not the way." He continued by saying "he will in time come to you and give you the respect and apology you deserve."

The old pastor sat in silence before the old chief as he spoke with clothed with the garment of shame.

The old chief knew this, and he tried as a good friend to cheer the pastor up. He said "they will be starting the great "cry of Bacha" the official time of mourning."

The cry of Bacha was a time of mourning. It was a time when the people would perform the dance of Bacha around the dead while the warriors of the clan played the sacred drums. The chief knew that this would go on throughout the night until the appearing of the morning star.

The family member closest to the dead would light a torch and take it over to the place where the dead were. The Krill, as well as the Katakowon, would erect a stand for the dead where they would rest them up on it, they would place wood underneath the stand. When the torch was set ablaze, it meant that 'cry of Bacha" was coming to an end and the mourners were free to go on with their lives. Even though the cry of Bacha came to an end the close relatives kept their sorrow to themselves, they placed their feeling deep in the well of their hearts.

The old chief invited the pastor to stand by his side as a friend during the ceremony, the pastor looked over to his wife. His wife gave him a look of approval, the pastor then looked back toward the chief and said I will be there. The chief stood up and embraced the pastor then walk to the door and left. Meanwhile, young Krill and some of the young warriors took their masks and decided to go to Blac village.

As the cries went up, the news spread to the Blac village, and everyone was in mourning. The Katakowon was made aware of the starting of the cry of Bacha among the Krill, and they decided to exercise the same ceremony without the body. The two clans were full of such love for each other, and yet they were still divided by an old conflict.

Young Krill and his group of young warriors arrived at the village of Blac. They could hear the sacred drums of the Katakowon as they played the "cry of Bacha," this infuriated young Krill. He along with the others went into the underground liquor bar and began to drink.

Within an hour, they were all drunken, and their hearts were full of anger and mischief. Takoma and Peter had just finished cleaning for the evening, and they could hear the sound of the great drums along with the screams of the people.

Takoma looked over at Peter and said "this is not good."

Peter replied by saying, "what do you mean?"

Takoma responded by saying, "well, what you're hearing is the great cry of Bacha!" He continued by saying, "this means somebody has died among the villagers, let us get inside because it's not really a good thing to be out when others are mourning."

So they headed for the rooms that were prepared for them behind the doctor's office. As they were crossing the street, young Krill, and his group were walking on the other side of the street. Then one of the young men of the Krill clan said "there is the new preacher of the village."

Immediately Krill with fury in his heart ran across the street to confront Peter, with the others with him.

They encircled Peter with Takoma on the outside and began to push Peter while mocking him as a proclaimer of the good news of Jesus Christ. Peter remained silent as they went on taunting him, Takoma ran to get help as he knew Peter was in trouble. When Krill acknowledge what Takoma was going to do, he said to those with him "grab him, I have something special for this preacher."

They took Peter and bound both hands and placed a potato sack over his head. They speedily placed him in the trunk of the old white Buick and raced out of the village. As they drove off one of the Krill clan said, "What do you have planned for this preacher of righteousness?"

Krill replied, "We are going to see if his God is God as he looked on!"

Peter's eyes were in darkness with both hands bound behind him stood in total silence as he felt the rumble of the road beneath him. He reflected upon the story of Jonah being three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, yet he said to himself "what did I do? I know what Jonah did, yet I am blameless in this matter."

After this, he began to remember the times that Michael his good friend the angel would come to his rescue, and he said to himself, "maybe he would come to my help again." Then in the dark of the trunk of that car Peter began to pray and say, "Father let your will be done, not as I would have it, but as you would!"

He heard and felt the car come to a stop, and he knew that God's will for him was about to be revealed. He heard the doors of the car open and close, along with the sound of footsteps coming around to the back of the car. As he heard the key enter the lock of the trunk, he said to himself "this is it!"

After opening the trunk of the car, Krill stood over Peter as, he laid there. Krill stepped back as the young men with him grabbed Peter and stood him upon his feet. He could hear the great roar of the drums in the village of the Krill next to Blue Glacier along with the wailing of the people.

After this, young Krill removed the sack from Peter's head and unbound him and pointed toward the hillside that was covered with the darkness of the night. The whole area was covered with the moonlight except the edge of the hillside where the tree line began. The young men with Krill began to howl and scream toward the moon with the great roar of the drums in the background.

Krill looked at Peter with a sinister face and said, "Tonight we will see the power of your God." Then he waved his arm toward the tree line of the hillside and said "the gods of the forest are thirsty for flesh tonight!" He continued by saying, "your life is in the hands of your God" as he stared right at the moon.

Krill and the young men with him got into the car and drove off into the moon lightened road before Peter. The tail lights of the car disappeared before Peter as he stood in the center of the road with his backpack. Peter removed his skateboard from the back of his backpack and placed his foot upon it.

As he pushed off, he looked to the right of him, and he saw as if it was eyes of fire in the tree line of the hillside. Peter began to ride his skateboard down the road faster and faster as he saw the fire like eyes on the hillside come toward him like a dark shadow. The faster Peter skated on his skateboard, the faster that dark shadow proceeded after him.

There was before him on the left a visitor's center that had a ramp that led straight down to the great Blue Glacier. The visitor center was still under construction and was scheduled to open in the following year. Therefore, most of the borders and railing were not installed yet. As Peter raced along the road, he could hear the panting of the beast behind him as they closed in on him. Therefore, he turned into the visors center down a narrow path leading toward the Blue Glacier, it was a sight to see on a night like this!

The shadow that was on Peter's trail was a pack of hungry wolves that decided, Peter was to be their meal for the evening. They closed in on him with fury, for every step that Peter took they gained 4 as they followed him down the lightened path of the visitor's center.

Peter saw that he had but a few seconds before he had to make a decision. This was so because he had a great gulf that stood between the visitor center and the Blue Glacier.

It was a choice of being eaten or crossing the vast gulf that flashed in Peter's mind and there was no railing to bar his way from crossing. The hungry wolves were just a few feet behind Peter when he said within his heart "I will trust in the Lord."

Peter gave himself one last push, and there he took off like a plane on a runway, he flew into the night sky by faith with the moon behind him. The wolves stopped at the edge of the gulf and looked at Peter with wonder as he flew into the sky. Peter saw the transition of the deep darkness of the gulf beneath to the illumination of the glacier ahead of him. The great Blue Glacier looked like a large blue translucent rock that the moon shone upon.

When the wheels of Peter's skateboard touched the top surface of the glacier, he was full of joy. As the skateboard touched the ice, it slipped from under Peter's feet away from him for a distance of 20 feet. Peter got up and walked over to get his skateboard, once he picked it up, he turned and saw the wolves on the other side of the gulf.

While he was looking at the wolves on the other side of the gulf, he heard the loud thunder of the sacred drums in the camp of the Krill just to his left. He turned in the direction of the drums with the screams and cries of the people in the background. He saw the light of the fire. The sky of the night was illuminated by the moon. You could also see the bright flame of the fire of the camp of the Krill where they prepared to dance around it until dawn. The same moment that Peter began to wonder how he was going to get down from this colossal rock of ice, he heard the most frightening thing. He heard and felt a sudden crack in the ice beneath him of which swallowed him up.

Yes, the ground of which Peter was standing cracked and then opened up causing Peter to fall through! When Peter fell through his backpack snagged the top of an ice sickle that stood 75 feet from the floor of the glacier. There was Peter suspended just 10 feet from the top of the glacier with the moon shining into the cavern crowned on Peters' head. While he was suspended there, Peter wondered about his skateboard for it fell below into the darkness. Then Peter felt the backpack rip open, and he began to descend down the cone-shaped pillar of ice. After Peter had made it to the base of the ice pillar, he looked up at the small whole in the vast ceiling of ice. He then looked for his skateboard, but it was nowhere to be found.

He then sat down before the pillar holding his ripped backpack, he took his mother's bible out and held it close to his chest. As the cold began to cover Peter, he just shut his eyes knowing this may be the end of his journey, and he thought maybe God ordained this to be.

Peter fell into a deep sleep while the cold began to slow his heart rate. After this, Peter saw a light pass before his eyelids, he felt the warmth that he felt when he fell into the Bering Sea. Then with his eyes closed, he heard a familiar voice, and it said "Peter, Peter get up," he felt a hand take hold of his helping him to his feet.

Peter still had his eyes closed because he knew who it was! Once Peter was on his feet he opened his eyes, and he saw no one yet before him, there was a little light that seemed to illuminate the walls of the cavern. As he walked toward the light, a passage appeared before him, and every time Peter turned in one direction the light went into another.

As Peter followed the light, he became exhausted from the cold as he walked through the glacier holding his mother's Bible and what was left of his backpack. His eyelids became heavier and heavier still he followed the light with every bit of energy that he had.

Then he saw an opening in the ice ahead of him hearing the roar of the sacred drums and the cries of Bacha.

The light that was before him disappeared into the opening that was before him. When Peter arrived at the opening, he saw the great fire and the people who dance around it. He saw the body of the little boy Tyler erected above some stacked wood where they plan to burn at dawn.

He stood there for a moment being weary, and then he looked over to the right of him, and he saw the old cross that Pastor Pink had planted. As he stood there no one saw him, and he considered little Tyler and said to himself, "only if you were here Jesus, if you were here you could raise him from the dead."

At that moment, a great light fell upon Peter. The light was so marvelous that the people looked over with wonder and saw Peter standing at the entrance of the glacier. Then the Lord said to Peter, "You can raise little Tyler if you believe and do not doubt!"

After this, Peter looked into heaven and said, "Lord I believe." At that moment, Peter's tired body was strengthened, and he was filled with the Spirit of God.

When the people saw the wonderful light, the glory of God rest upon Peter, a great fear fell on the people. Peter then reached for the old cross beside him and walked toward the body of little Tyler as the chief and the people watched.

He held his mother's Bible in his left hand and the old cross in his right. Peter stood next to little Tyler's body holding the cross above his head as the glory of God shone upon Peter.

Patrick said to Peter the old man, "is that it?"

"Yes" responded Peter "that's it for that journal, if you want to know the rest, we will have to set some time aside for the others. For now, I have to go home and prepare for my class tomorrow, and my wife is expecting me."

Patrick looked at Peter and said "well could you at least tell me if you raised little Tyler from the dead or did he bring the Krill and Katakowon people together?" He continued as old Peter stood up and looked at him and said "what about Big Eagle did he receive the Lord?"

Peter responded and said "my son it's time to go. These old journals are going nowhere."

The End
Thanks for reading the first of the "Journals Peter Perry"

Please share your feedback by giving me a review on Smashwords, Amazon or you may visit my Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/JournalsofPeterPerry

The story continues in the second Journal of Peter Perry called

a"The Agents of Shacuba".

Look for the release in the coming months.

