“For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land – a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gusing out into the valleys and hills…” – Deuteronomy 8:7-10

In 2010 Ryan made his first visit to Alaska on a Church of the Nazarene Work and Witness missions trip. This was a first good taste of the place.

The following year Ryan visited for a multi-week backpacking and sea kayaking expedition with friends. This was an in-depth venture to experiencing the essence of wild Alaska.

Later on Ryan returned to volunteer part of a summer with a Missionary Aviation group that serves the needs of the Christian church in rural areas. He ended up falling in love with the place, God worked things out, and was privileged to live up in “The Great Land” for a long while. Some places shape and define an individual. This was mine. The experiences, trials, adventures, and people transformed me into a different person. I became Alaskan.

Now wherever I live or wherever God sends me, I still consider Alaska to be the personal place, at least on this earth, I ultimately call home.