By: Lawson Bowman, Shield Editor
Heidi McIntosh, a first-grade teacher at NRCA, visited the Western Flats of Alaska over the summer. She traveled with a team from her church to serve children ages 8 to 12 in the remote villages there, accessible only by bush flight and boat. A lot of children there did not know about Jesus, so she and her team spent time with them, teaching the gospel.
During the summer of 2023, McIntosh went on a mission trip to Thailand, which she said was awesome but busy. This summer, she said, “I planned on staying home and not taking a trip so far away and just spending time with my kiddos. But the Lord kept pressing in, and I was asked to go on this trip four separate times. And finally, on the fourth time, I gave a hesitant but obedient yes.”
The Kids Camp where McIntosh served on mission was different from what most people experience at a typical summer camp in the Raleigh area. The camp took place on the banks of the Yukon River, and there was no running water, so everyone used outhouses and slept in cabins. Even in the summer months, the weather was cold, especially in the mornings. There were lots of mosquitoes, too.
A typical day with the kids would include worship, teaching, fun games, crafts, archery, sports, and swimming in the Yukon River. During free time, the leaders talked with the campers and got to know them. The day’s activities ended with a teaching time in the evening when their lead pastor shared a beautiful message. She said, “We would do a morning worship and devotion with the kiddos. We were very intentional about getting them [worship and Bible teaching] as much as we could, since they don’t get it at home.”
Many of the kids attending camp came from tough situations at home and did not interact much with the leaders during the week. “But on the very last night,” McIntosh said, “I was able to share my testimony with them about some things that I went through as a kiddo, and then they started opening up about things they were going through.” The evening ended with McIntosh being able to pray with each one of her campers, a powerful and special experience.
McIntosh felt a connection with her students and learned that there was a great need for teachers in the area. Although she did not feel called to be there full-time, she plans to return next summer to help with Kids Camp again.
“I did meet another first-grade teacher who gets to teach the natives there, and we are going to be pen pals with her class this year,” McIntosh said. She is excited about this opportunity because she feels that it is particularly important for her students to know how other students live in other places.
McIntosh encouraged others to consider going on mission trips. She said, “My biggest takeaway from this trip is just saying yes. If God is calling you to go somewhere and you have hesitations, just pray about it, and He will definitely tell you a clear yes or a clear no. And if He's pressing in and telling you to go and you're still feeling nervous, just be obedient, because He blesses it.”
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