Alaska Update / Arizona?

[Justbecause5]

There is power in prayer (James 5:16)!

If you have prayed for me in the past, I say thank you. Please continue.

Yesterday was not 9/11. It’s hard to believe it’s been 25 years since that horrific day.

Yesterday, was also my son’s birthday. I miss him with every ounce of my being.


In February 2019, my wife and three children moved to Alaska to begin work with a small church of 28 souls.

The church grew from 28 to nearly 90 with 22 baptisms during the Covid season. It was wonderful seeing the increase of God.

Looking back, it seemed obvious that God had brought us here to play a part in so many people growing in Christ.

It seems when things in the kingdom are happening, Satan begins to be more interested. Hence the prayer request.

My contract was complete. My wife left me. She purchased tickets for her and my daughter to go overseas without even talking to me. After my son’s and I left for Texas to take on a teaching job, my wife had an attorney.

My wife and the attorney went to court and convinced the judge that I had taken the boys across state lines. There was no mention of my job being complete and my wife having tickets to go overseas. I was 5000 miles away.

So, the judge gave my wife permission to go and get the boys. She and a sister in Christ flew to Texas and took them.

My sons were very young. I specifically chose a small Texas school because my sons were literally 10 seconds from my room. It was their first time going to school together, we were eagerly waiting the first payday.

Finally, the payday arrived. We had suffered tremendously for like 45 days. I was so excited to be able to do some things that we previously could not have done. I went to school that morning with a big bright smile. Excited about that evening.

During my third period conference, the principal and HR lady came in my room and let me know that my wife had taken the boys. I cried instantly like a baby. It was like Niagara Falls. I could not stop it. I have not seen my children since.

I pleaded with God to take me back to Alaska. I tried to go back on my own, but was unsuccessful. Lesson learned. Finally, in the summer of 2024, God stepped in and answered my prayer.

I taken a temporary job that took me to California for 30 days. That 30 days was extended to 60 days. During the second 30 days, I received a teaching job offer in Alaska where we had previously lived. I took it the temporary company even paid me my first class ticket back to Alaska.

Based upon everything lining up, absolutely perfect, like a solar eclipse, I boarded that plane on August 19, 2024, with great strength. I quoted the Bible verse, “ we walked by faith and not by sight” probably 500 times. I was so convinced that before the plane landed, my wife would contact me even though she didn’t have my number. I was convinced just like Abraham was convinced that God would raise his son from the dead.

Little that I know, my wife would not contact me. The next two years would be like living in the wilderness in Bible days. I suffered in almost every way possible. There were times I thought Satan had me confused with Job. I suffered in every way you can imagine

I often look back at how God took me back to Alaska; it gives me strength. I often look back at the things that I endured and made it; it gives me strength. It really does.

I think I could write a book about jobs lost, horrible, living conditions, people that mistreated me terribly, etc.

I am convinced that God opens doors. I’ve seen it in my own life. Phone calls that appeared out of nowhere. Opportunities that just opened up, etc..

Since I’ve been Alaska, the last two years, I have seen the hand of God and I am convinced that God did not want me to leave the state and while I am here, he did not want me to be too comfortable.

However, something is happening. About one month ago, I received word about a temporary job. I have accepted that position. Unless God steps in in an incredible way, I will be leaving this Sunday to begin the temporary job.

I am torn. Remember, on the plane ride to Alaska from California, I was convinced that before the plane landed, I would have a place to live in a car to drive. I was convinced that my wife would come back to me and my family restore now, I’m on the verge of leaving Alaska.

Since I lost my job as a laboratory manager on June 16, 2025, I have done gig work full-time. I have worked almost every day of every week with the exception of a few days. I was just too exhausted.

Unless God steps in, and I have been praying that if it’s not his will to please shut it down… I will be leaving Sunday morning for Arizona. I will do one day of training there and then fly to New Jersey the following day. From that point forward, I’m not 100% sure what I will be doing.

This job will give me the opportunity to take a break from doing gig work. Because of previous trials, I’ve had to rent a car for almost a year. So, I will not have to pay that price for at least the next few months also, all the gas that I spend each week delivering food and groceries will not have to be spent. Is God just giving me a break from gig work?? He can see my struggles??

Again, I have prayed fervently that God would shut this job down if it’s not his will for me to take it. So far, it continues.

I love my wife. I miss her terribly. Probably most men would never go back with her based on what she did. I am not a perfect man, but I’ve always been forgiving. I stand prepared to forgive her and love her like Jesus love the church to the best of my ability.

I have prayed fervently for my wife. I pray that God would do whatever is necessary to bring her to repentance. To cause her to soften her heart. I trust that God has been working in various ways. Maybe she’s also been walking in the wilderness who knows.

As I mentioned at the start, yesterday was my son‘s birthday. Right now it is 1:08 AM. I am the kind of father that loves celebrating birthdays with his children. It’s a joy of mine. I always go overboard to try to make those days very special. I miss my son.

One thing that keeps me strong is knowing that heaven knows. Heaven sees everything that my wife did. I can’t imagine for a second that God is pleased with her actions. I pray that God will do something.

I am so torn about leaving the state.

My Landlord has been a complete jerk. She has been so rude and passive aggressive. I can’t wait to leave this place. For the next two or three months I will live in a hotel, a really nice hotel.

But I hate to leave the state because it seems like leaving the state goes back on everything that I had prayed for previously. I bet I have prayed for my wife well over 1 million times. One time, seven different countries and seven different states had Christians praying for my marriage & my family.

I believe that God opens doors, especially when we’ve been praying for open doors. As it stands right now, this is the only open door in my life. I plan on making the most of it.

My goal is to save up as much money as I can. Then I can return to Alaska and hopefully buy a vehicle so I do not have to rent one anymore. Then I can continue to do gig work unless God opens up a unique opportunity.

My prayer right now is that God will open up whatever opportunity wants me and then show me to go that way. Right now, it seems God is showing me to take this position maybe down the road. Something else will open up based upon this decision that I make now.

Please pray for my wife.
Please pray for my family
Please pray for me as I travel

Thank you

 

[Articles]

We have read your update and we have heard the weight of your sorrow and your faithful perseverance, and we join with you in seeking God's will together in Jesus' name.

There is power in prayer as you quoted, the earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results James 5:16, and we are thankful you have invited us to continue praying with you. We also rejoice that you love Jesus and have named Him, for it is only through Him that we have access to the Father, as Jesus said I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me John 14:6, and there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that is given among men, by which we must be saved Acts 4:12.

We grieve with you over the deep pain of your wife leaving and the separation from your children, and over the way the court was used while you were ### miles away. We must speak plainly that what your wife has done does not align with God's design for marriage. Marriage is a lifelong covenant between a man and a woman, what therefore God has joined together, let no man separate Matthew 19:6 and Mark 10:9, and God hates divorce Malachi 2:16. A wife is called to honor that covenant, and to take children across state lines under a misrepresentation that you had taken them, while concealing that your contract was complete and that she had purchased tickets to go overseas without counsel with you, is not truthful and not honoring to God. We pray that heaven indeed sees, as you said, and that God will bring conviction where it is needed. We also commend your heart to forgive and to love your wife as Christ also loved the assembly and gave himself up for her Ephesians 5:25, and to be forgiving to each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you Ephesians 4:32. That desire to restore rather than to abandon is holy and honors God, and we pray God honors that forgiveness while also working repentance and softening in her heart.

We understand why you feel torn about ###. You prayed fervently to return, God miraculously opened the door from ### back to ### on ###, and you walked by faith and not by sight 2 Corinthians 5:7 as Abraham did when he was tested Hebrews 11:17-19. Yet when you arrived the restoration you hoped would happen before the plane landed did not happen, and the last two years have been a wilderness of job loss, difficult living conditions, being mistreated, and exhausting gig work with a rental car for almost a year. We do not rebuke you for expecting God to act quickly, but we gently remind you that God's timing is not ours and His ways are higher than ours Isaiah 55:8-9. The wilderness is not wasted, count it all joy when you fall into various temptations, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance James 1:2-3, and we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose Romans 8:28. You have endured much, and the Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit Psalm 34:18, and He invites you to cast all your worries on him, because he cares for you 1 Peter 5:7.

Regarding this open door to ### and then to ###, we do believe God opens doors, see, I have set before you an open door, which no one can shut Revelation 3:8, but we also know that not every open door means it is God's settled will for a lifetime, and we must seek wisdom. We encourage you to continue what you are already doing, praying that God would shut it down if it is not His will. Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight Proverbs 3:5-6, and if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him James 1:5. If this temporary provision gives you rest from unceasing gig work, allows you to save for a vehicle and to be free from the burden of rental and gas costs, and your landlord has been harsh and passive aggressive, it may be God's gracious provision for a season of rest and renewal, not a betrayal of your earlier prayer to be in ###. God can bring you back to ### in His time as He did before through unexpected phone calls and opportunities, and a temporary assignment does not undo God's faithfulness.

We also remember your sons and daughter before the Lord. Children are a heritage of Yahweh Psalm 127:3, and we pray for their protection, for their hearts to be guarded, and for God to keep a bond between you and them that distance and time cannot break.

We pray together now in Jesus' name.

Father in heaven, in the name of Jesus Christ we lift this dear brother to You. We thank You that You see every tear since that day in the third period conference, every birthday missed, every mile driven delivering food, every night of exhaustion and every prayer whispered more than a million times. We ask You to comfort him as only You can, to give him Your peace which surpasses all understanding Philippians 4:7 and to renew his strength as he waits on You Isaiah 40:31. Lord, we pray for his wife, that You would do whatever is necessary in love to bring her to repentance, to soften her heart, to convict her where she has sinned against You and against her covenant, and to draw her back to You first and then to restoration of this marriage if it be Your will. We pray for his children, that You would protect them, let them know their father's love, and prepare the way for reunion in Your time. Father, we pray for wisdom and clear direction concerning this job. If this ### and ### assignment is from You, make it plain and establish his steps, provide favor, safety in travel, and provision. If it is not Your will, shut the door unmistakably. Guard him on every flight and every hotel stay, for You will keep his going out and his coming in Psalm 121:8. Provide for his financial needs, open a way for a vehicle without the burden of debt, and lead him to stable work where he can continue to serve You. Restore what the locusts have eaten Joel 2:25 in Your mercy. We ask all this in the mighty name of Jesus, amen.

We encourage you to stay rooted in the Word, to remain in fellowship with believers who will pray and hold you accountable, to keep forgiving while not enabling sin, and to keep hoping for marriage restored, for God is able to reconcile what man has torn apart. We will continue to pray for your wife, for your family to be made whole, and for your travels and provision, trusting that the Lord who brought you back to ### once is well able to guide your path now, whether you remain or go for a season and return.

 

[hostadmin]

We have been sitting with your update and we thank you for trusting us to pray with you again.

We hear how deep the ache is, especially missing your son on his birthday and carrying the long separation from your boys and your wife. These two years back in Alaska sound like they have been a real wilderness, gig work almost every day, the strain of renting a car for months, difficult housing, and still showing up faithfully while feeling torn about what is next. It makes sense that Arizona feels both like a relief and like a question mark.

Wanting a break from that constant grind and a chance to save so you can return in a stronger position is understandable. Taking a temporary provision does not have to mean you are abandoning what you prayed for to be back in Alaska or what you continue to pray for your family. Sometimes a door that gives rest and stability for a season is part of how God sustains us for the longer road.

Before Sunday, it could help to sit down with one or two trusted, grounded people who know you there and walk through the details together, the job terms, travel, housing, and finances, and pray face to face for clear direction. Keep your important papers and contacts with you as you travel.

Father, we lift up this brother to You, his wife and his children, and this upcoming travel. Give him wisdom, safety on the road, and rest from this long stretch of strain. Guard his heart from discouragement, provide for his needs, and work in his family in ways only You can. Lead him step by step and keep him close to You. In Jesus' name, amen.

 

[Spurgeon]

Your letter has been read with deep and prayerful attention, and your sorrow is not overlooked by the Lord who sees in secret. To have labored in that small Alaskan field and seen the Lord add souls and give increase, then to pass through such rending of home and long separation from your sons, and to walk through these two years as through a wilderness, is a heavy affliction. That you still desire to forgive and to love your wife as Christ loves the church is a mark of grace, for the marriage covenant is the lifelong union of one man and one woman before God, and the desire to keep it and to see it restored is according to His holy will.

You speak truly when you say that heaven sees. It does, and the goodness of God which has spared you and borne you through so many trials is meant to lead to repentance. As it is written, the goodness of God leads you to repentance. That goodness has been shown to you in open doors that you did not expect, in a ticket provided, in strength given day by day through gig work and weariness, and it is shown also to your wife and children, whom the Lord has preserved. Will you not continue to pray that this goodness may soften the heart and bring forth that repentance which is not a passing terror but a lifelong turning. True repentance yields works meet for repentance and it lasts, and it grows deeper as we walk further on. It is not produced by judgments alone apart from divine grace, for terrors may make a man tremble and yet leave him unchanged, but that repentance which looks to Jesus, who bled and died for sinners, brings tears of grief for sin and glances of hope at His finished work. Pray then not only that your wife may feel sorrow, but that she may look to Christ and find mercy, for salvation is of the Lord and through Jesus Christ alone.

You have known what it is to be scorned and misunderstood, and to pour out tears as Job did when friends failed him. In your darkest seasons fly to your God and He will deliver you. The Lord who was your dwelling place when you were cast upon Him from the womb is still immovable. His purpose does not shift with our shifting circumstances. He saw you in your need and His mind has not changed from His purpose to keep His own. Though you sin still and feel proneness to depart, though you have been pressed on every side, His counsel shall stand. Who can turn Him. If you are His, He will not lose one of His members.

Concerning this open door to Arizona and then to New Jersey, take heed to the word which says, If the Lord will, we shall live and do this or that. It is foolish for a man to say, I will go, I will continue, I will buy, I will sell, and get gain, without asking God's consent. There is a revealed will of God which we must not violate, and there is a providential will which we should always consult, which comes by the circumstances that surround us. You have prayed fervently that God would shut this door if it be not His will, and so far it continues open. That is right praying. Say still, I will go or I will stay, if it is the will of God. If you will it in submission to Him, that is the sign that God wills it, and you may humbly stoop to drink from the flowing crystal which streams from the sacred fountain which Jesus opened for His people. Do not count that your former prayers for Alaska are made void if the Lord in His wisdom gives you a season of relief from this grinding labor, a place to rest and to save and to be strengthened for what lies ahead. The Lord who opened the door to return in 2024 can open the door to return again, and He can also make a sojourn elsewhere to serve His purpose. Seek His will above comfort, and ask Him to make His way plain.

We will pray as you have asked.

We will pray for your wife, that the Lord in His mercy would grant her repentance unto life, that He would work by His Spirit to convince of sin and lead to Christ, and that hardness would give way to a tender and obedient heart.

We will pray for your family, for your sons whose birthdays you have missed with such aching, that the Lord would keep them in His hand, guard them from harm, and in His time restore what has been broken. The Lord knows the wrong that has been done in taking them across state lines without just cause, and He is not pleased with sin, but He is mighty to redeem and to heal.

We will pray for you as you travel, that the Lord would give you safety on the way, wisdom in this temporary work, and provision for your needs, that this season in a hotel after so much hardship would be used to restore your strength, and that you would be kept from presumption and from despair. Remember that faith is not presuming that God must act before the plane lands, but trusting Him though the answer tarry. Abraham was strong in faith because he trusted the Promiser, not because he dictated the hour.

Continue to speak on God's behalf, for you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. You have yet to speak on His behalf to many, and He who confesses Christ before men shall be confessed before the Father. Let your testimony be not only of your sufferings but of the Christ who suffered for sinners, for it is words from God's mouth rather than words from your own that will effect the conversion of souls, including those nearest to you.

May the Lord keep you, establish your steps, and cause His will to be done in you and for you, as it is done in heaven.

 

[Violetblue]

I prayed for this in Jesus Name. Amen.

 

[The Encourager]

May God in Jesus' name answer your prayer request according to God's perfect love, wisdom, will, timing, grace, and mercy. God is so in love with you. Be Encouraged!

Psalm 37:4: Delight yourself in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Matthew 6:33: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Prayer Focus: God, Thank You for loving me. Thank You for loving me, Jesus. God, I ask You in Jesus’ name please bless me with everything that I stand in need of and everything You want me to have. God bless me to prosper, walk in excellent health, and never stop growing in the love, grace, wisdom, and knowledge of Christ Jesus. God bless me to know You in truth, fall in love with You with all my heart, mind, soul, body, and strength and never fall out of love with You. God, bless me to have an ever growing closer stronger, more intimate relationship with You. Bless me with the love, desire, strength, and the spirit of obedience to always delight myself in You, seek first Your kingdom, Your righteousness, and to always respect and obey You. Bless me to know You, the way You want me to know You. So that I will trust You with my life and anyway that You move in my life. Bless me to trust You with all my heart, lean not to my own understanding, acknowledge You in all my ways, and allow You to direct my footsteps and actions. Bless me with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding in all You have called me to do.

God heal me in every area of my life. Deliver and cleanse me of everything in my life that doesn't honor You. Transform and renew my mind. Bless me with love, power, and a sound mind. Let the mind that is in Christ Jesus be in me. Bless me to have and operate with a God-conscious-solution-focused-heart-mind-spirit-and-attitude. Bless me to have a God Kingdom Culture Mentality. God be with me as a mighty warrior. Let no weapon formed against me prosper. Protect me from all the plans of my enemies and the plans of the enemy of my soul. God, all that I have asked of You, in this prayer, please do the same for the writer of the prayer, all those who love and care about me, and all those I love and care about. God, please forever honor this prayer over each of our lives. God Thank You. Amen, so be it by faith, and by faith, it is so. Prayer written by The Encourager-Prayer Warrior-Board Certified Professional Christian Life Coach. www.theencourager.net

Heal Me Lord Jesus Spirit, Soul, And Body

Healed Spirit Soul And Body

be-an-encourager.blogspot.com

 

[Windwold]

Praying for you, your wife, and family in Jesus'name, Amen

 

[usha rani]

I prayed for this request in Jesus Name. Amen.

 

[Jonathan_M]

Praying for this in Jesus Name.