Alaska update / June 9 / ###:### PM

[Justbecause5]

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

In the summer of 2022, my job in Alaska was complete. I had secured a teaching position in my home state of Texas.

My wife and older daughter were headed overseas in September 2022 to visit family. My young sons and I headed to Texas to start the new job and set up our new home.

After we left Alaska, my wife hired an attorney and convinced the judge that I had stolen the boys and taken them across state lines. There was no mention of tickets going overseas, job being over in Alaska, etc. Thus, the judge gave permission for my wife to get the boys.

Meanwhile, in Texas, my sons, and I were waiting fervently for our first check. We had suffered tremendously due to lack of money. On the day of my first paycheck, which included a moving allowance, my wife and a sister in Christ took the boys while I was working in my room. It was one of the saddest days of my life.

The principal and the HR lady came to my room during my conference. And let me know my boys were gone. I instantly started crying uncontrollably. I knew it would be a long time before I saw my sons’ again, but all I was trying to do, was to start a new job in a new location actually close to San Antonio where my wife and I used to enjoy going to visit.

I remember crying all the way from the school to my dad‘s house nearly 300 miles away. Several times, I almost veered into oncoming traffic due to my eyes being so overcome with grief.

I pleaded with God to restore my marriage in my family. God sent individuals to comfort me and support me in various ways. Looking back, it’s amazing the number of people that just appeared out of nowhere to help me. Some helped me just for a short time others longer time, but God helped me even so, I dealt with incredible grief and deep deep sadness. Somehow, I was able to finish the school year.

I played with God to take me to Alaska. I had tried to go on my own but was unsuccessful. It’s not easy moving to Alaska unless you have everything lined up. And the summer of 2024, God lined everything up.

God had given me a temporary 30 day job in California. The job was extended to 30 days. During the extension, I received a job offer to teach school in Alaska and Coach basketball. I accepted it. A temporary job paid for my first class ticket, $850, to go to Alaska. God had lined everything up and on August 19, 2024, I flew from San Francisco to Alaska walking by faith and not by sight.

I was unsuccessful in finding a place to live. I was unsuccessful in finding a vehicle. However, I had a job and I would just walk to work or figure things out somehow someway. I arrived in Alaska at 12:15 AM on August 20, 2024. I was exhausted from travel and I had nowhere to go. A lady on the plane, she and her husband took me to the shelter. I lived there for 4.5 months.

I feel like I could write a book about the next 21 months. I suffered tremendously. I was so convinced that before my plane landed, my wife would contact me and all the troubles will be over. I was wrong. Instead, the next 21 months I would suffer tremendously with instability, deep, deep sadness and great difficulty, maintaining keeping income, housing, transportation, etc..

Again, I think I could write a book about everything that’s happened to me. I don’t know that anybody would buy it or want to read it, but there are definitely some interesting things in it. I have suffered like Job in so many ways. There have been many times I’ve wanted to die and even pleaded the guy would take me. I did so earlier today.

Living at the shelter for 4.5 months was not easy. However, as a result of being a veteran living at the shelter, I eventually got nine months of free rent. Also lived in the primitive basement for 4.5 months as a result of having lived in a landlord’s apartment for 5.5 months.

On November 20, 2024, due to no fault of my own I lost my teaching job. It was a contract tissue. In addition, I also lost my basketball coaching job. I think I actually shed a tear for my basketball team because I really enjoyed working with them. We had won six games and only lost one. They ended up going to the championship game but losing. I hate that. Because if I had been there, I believe it would’ve won the championship.

Later, I was able to get a laboratory manager position. It was the highest salary I’ve ever received. I was 1000% convinced that God had given me the job. I did great things. I hired five people. I got to know all the vendors and all the employees well and I was solving problems every day to help everything go more smoothly. I probably would’ve hired 10 more people if the outgoing manager had not hired me. In addition, I developed a new bonus to help keep employees with the company. The board had to approve it, and they did. In fact, they approved it on the days that they let me go. I received a letter at the end of the day that my job was no more.

So, I began doing gig work full-time. I had previously done gig work for the first time when I was waiting on starting my teaching job. I had never done any gig work before that. Did I know, that gig work would be a huge blessing to me in my time in Alaska. In fact, I was doing gig work earlier today.

However, as I embarked on a gig work career as it seemed, I started having car issues. It’s almost like Satan was following me around seeking ways to make my life miserable or more difficult. As I became better at gig work, I started having tire issues. I had three blowouts in six weeks. Then my front wheel bearings went out and my car was stuck at the local McDonald’s for 10 days. I started renting a car. I would rent a car most of the month for the next six months. It was expensive, but I was able to make more money than the car rental.

However, this is Alaska. The car rental prices would not stay down forever. They jumped up significantly in late February and I had to go back to my van. But then my van wouldn’t start for a week. And then my van’s timing belt broke. Then the apartment complex I lived at mistakenly towed my van and I haven’t seen it since.

Again, I have seen difficulty after difficulty. It’s like any positive thing in my life would soon be squashed down like one of those wacko moles at the carnival. I would stick my head above and I would get whacked down.

Just a few weeks ago, I was behind on my rent. My landlord started harassing me at my front door here on three separate occasions he banged on my door like I was his teenage son that had snuck out of the house the night before. He yelled at me in front of everyone and mocked me and really killed me.. I felt like I was 16 years old, but I had no choice, but to stand there and take it.

I told him I would be out by June 5. He told me no. In the next few days, he turned off my water and then my electricity which is completely illegal for him to do. He did not care. I think he knew I didn’t have money and he could do with me what he wanted and take the risk that I would not be able to hire an attorney.

One day, I stayed out late because I didn’t want any issues at the apartment. I went back around 9 PM and my apartment was locked. Everything that I owned was inside the apartment. I no longer had access to all of my belongings. I went back to my car and slept for the night.

So, I have been living in my car now for about two weeks I think. It has been hot. Then it has been cold. I always feel beat up because sleeping in your car does not give you a refreshing sleep.

Then I had to turn in my rental car. I had had it almost every day since November 2025 minus about 40 days in March and February. The rental car prices just went too high to nearly $100 per day. Sometime in the summer, rental car prices will go even much higher even as high as $150 a day. They will eventually go back down probably in late October

However, a friend, I’ll use that term loosely. Rented me an old vehicle for $30. This old vehicle looks like it’s been in a wreck and sounds like it. It looks like a Fred Flintstone car. It literally sounds like it’s gonna break in half with every bump that I hit. It has no working AC or working heat. Lately in Alaska it’s been really hot and miserable in the day and at night almost unbearably cold in the 30s. As I typed this message, I am sitting here under a tree being bombarded with Alaskan mosquitoes contemplating when I will be able to find a place to go pee.

Dear friends, I am exhausted. I am not suicidal, but I have prayed fervently that God would take my life. I pray that God will take my life and give it to another person who had tragically die recently. I am not suicidal nor am I asking for sympathy, but I’m just being real. I am so exhausted with living that I would rather die. I hate feeling like that. I used to be so full of life and anxious for a new day to get stuff done. I worked in the kingdom, working with the church and every day was a new day to serve a Lord.

I miss my wife. My wife has done some terrible things to me. I honestly do not understand how she looks in the mirror and thinks that she’s OK. I am not her judge, but based on what she has done to me alone seems to be reason for her to be lost on the dead judgment. She has done some terrible things.

I am an imperfect man, but I’ve always been a forgiving person. I stand prepared to forgive my wife what she’s done. There is part of me that fears that she would do it again. There is fear in me that makes me think once you learn the process; it’s simply easy to do it again if you have the money. So, what would stop her from hurting me again if she got upset or was unhappy with a decision that maybe I made as the head of the household.

I am exhausted.

I am lonely. I am sometimes tempted by the things that I would enjoy in a marital relationship. I miss intimacy with my wife. I miss friendship. I miss the help that she provided. I pray for her every day. I bet I have prayed for her God pover 1 million times since she left me and stole my children.

I love my children. I missed him terribly. Every single day I think of them. I see their faces in my dreams. I see their faces in the neighborhood stores and restaurants that I frequently visit doing gig work. I hear their giggles and laughs that little children often make. I fear all the moments and joys that I have missed because my wife stole them from me. I love my children with all my heart, and I miss him with every ounce of my being.

I pray fervently. I can’t imagine that there’s a personal earth that praises more than me. Maybe so. I’m not in any contest with anybody, but I pray a lot.

I joined a gym so that I have access to a shower. I went like 12 days with no shower at all. Right now, I am wearing the same clothes that I put on like 2 1/2 weeks ago. I did buy some new underwear and socks, but I am wearing the same pants and same shirt that I wore like 2 1/2 weeks ago. Why? Because all of my clothes are in my apartment

I did contact legal aid. I actually went into the office and completed the paperwork. I spoke to the lawyer about a week ago and she told me she would call me back that day of the next day. It’s been over a week and she has not called me back. Today I called and the receptionist took my information down and I haven’t heard back from anybody. I fear that the landlord is gonna get away with everything.

It is illegal and cruel to turn off electricity and water. It is illegal to lock me out of my apartment. It is illegal to steal my things. It is all illegal and cruel to do that to another person. The irony is the Landlord who must be in his 70s, just went through a serious heart issue, which was required him to be in the hospital and then recovering. It’s one reason I’m in this mess because I’ve been working out deals with his wife while he was away. But when he returned, he negated his wife’s dealings.

Good news

I have a rental car from my friend and even though it’s a Fred Flintstone car I’m still able to make money. I’m not doing as well as I once was because there’s more drivers out there trying to earn it. It’s summer.

Last Wednesday, I noticed a job as a branch manager. I applied. A day later I received a phone call and did a short interview. That information was sent to the company and they contacted me yesterday and they want to interview me on Thursday at 2 PM. It would be a huge blessing if I could get this job why? It would give me stability. Probably within a few short weeks, I could be back on my feet and have my own apartment or house somewhere.

Probably within six months or less I could have a much newer and nicer used vehicle. I would continue to do gig work until I had all my debts fixed. I would love to get all of my problems solved as many as possible. Money problems really beat you down.

So again, I think I could write a book about all the things that I have endured. That book may be beneficial to another person just as the book of Job has been beneficial to all of us.

Thank you for praying for me.

Please pray for the following things if you would.

Marital reconciliation
Family reconciliation
Great job
Comfortable reliable vehicle
Peace in my heart
Desire to live
Strength to keep on keeping on
Positivity

I love the rain (Acts 14:17). Yesterday, I knew it was going to rain around 9 AM. I quickly made $50 during gig work and then bought supplies and went to a certain location and sat and enjoy the rain all day long. I was rolling the sacrifice nearly a day of income so that I could enjoy the rainfall on my windshield. That’s how much I love the rain.

I also love moose. For some reason, they give me strength. Many times, I have asked God to let me see a moose and usually either that day or the next day I’ll see one or two. It’s hard to see moose. A person could go months without seeing one. But I will see one when I asked to see one. They give me strength. Some have even walked real close to my house.

God has been with me. I know that he has. I have read the psalms nearly 30 something plus times since October 2023. They have helped to guide my steps. They have given me strength and hope they have reminded me who’s in charge when it appears the whole world is collapsing around me.

Thank you for reading this. Some of you have been praying for me for a long time and I appreciate it. I’m confident that God is right here

Well, it’s starting to get cold. Last night, I actually had to go buy a $20 blanket to make it through the night in the car. It’s starting to get really cold now it’s 11:44 PM. It’s still daylight outside. These days, it’s daylight pretty much 24 hours a day, which makes it even harder to sleep in the car.

God is great. I love God with all my heart.

I did not even mention the day that I almost died on the mountain top. I went to go worship God and it was probably -35°F and windy. I got locked out of my van. However, down at the bottom of the hill were too beautiful women in an old truck and they came up to help me and they saved my life

So as much as I suffered, I see the hand of God. I see the sudden infusion of money with incredibly good orders during gig work. I see the two beautiful women at the bottom of the hill that were driving an old truck that had to a removable antenna and they were able to unlock my door. I see the northern lights which popped up out of nowhere and remind me who’s in charge.

But I suffer in my heart… sometimes I am so weak and I feel like doing nothing. That’s not good when gig work is necessary to keep yourself afloat

God, please help me. Please turn things around and a positive way. Thank you.

 

[Articles]

We hear your cry, brother, and our hearts break with yours as we stand with you in prayer and intercession before the throne of grace. Your suffering has been deep, your trials relentless, and your grief overwhelming, but you have not been abandoned. The Lord has seen every tear, heard every prayer, and sustained you through the storm. You are not forgotten, and your story is not over. We come before God now, lifting you up in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, the only name by which we can approach the Father and the only name by which we are saved.

First, we must address the foundational truth that anchors all our prayers: salvation and access to God come only through Jesus Christ. You have spoken of God’s faithfulness and your love for Him, but we must emphasize that it is through faith in Jesus, His death, burial, and resurrection, that we are reconciled to God. Acts 4:12 declares, "There is salvation in none other, for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, by which we must be saved!" Jesus Himself said in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me." We pray that your faith in Christ remains steadfast, for He is your hope, your strength, and your deliverer.

Now, we lift up your marriage and family with heavy hearts. The pain of separation from your wife and children is a wound that only God can heal. We rebuke the enemy’s schemes to destroy your family and declare that what was meant for harm, God will turn for good (Genesis 50:20). However, we must also speak truth with love: your wife’s actions in deceiving the court, taking your children, and causing you such deep suffering are not aligned with God’s design for marriage. Ephesians 5:22-33 calls wives to submit to their husbands as to the Lord, and husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church, sacrificially, faithfully, and without bitterness. The betrayal you have endured is grievous, and while we pray for reconciliation, we must also pray for repentance, truth, and godly sorrow to lead to change (2 Corinthians 7:10). Forgiveness is a command (Colossians 3:13), but trust must be rebuilt on the foundation of Christ’s love and truth.

We pray for your wife, that the Holy Spirit would convict her heart and draw her to repentance. May she see the destruction her choices have caused and turn to God in humility. We also pray for your children, that they would know their father’s love and that God would protect their hearts from confusion and fear. Psalm 68:5-6 says, "A father of the fatherless, and a defender of the widows, is God in his holy habitation. God sets the solitary in families." We declare that God is their true Father, and He will not leave them comfortless.

Your request for marital and family reconciliation is heard, but we must also pray for wisdom and discernment. If reconciliation is to happen, it must be rooted in God’s will, not just our desires. Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us, "Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." We pray that if reconciliation is God’s plan, He would soften hearts, open doors, and bring restoration that honors Him. But if not, we pray for the strength to accept His will and trust in His goodness.

We also lift up your job situation. The loss of your teaching position, your coaching role, and your lab manager job has been a series of blows that would leave anyone reeling. Yet, we serve a God who provides and who opens doors no man can shut (Revelation 3:8). We pray for favor in your upcoming interview for the branch manager position. May the Lord go before you and prepare the hearts of those who will interview you. Philippians 4:19 declares, "My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." We believe God has a plan for your provision, and we stand in faith for a breakthrough that will restore stability to your life.

Your struggles with housing, transportation, and basic needs have been relentless. The enemy has sought to wear you down, but we declare that God is your provider and your refuge. Psalm 91:1-2 says, "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of Yahweh, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.’" We pray for immediate provision, a safe place to stay, reliable transportation, and the resources to meet your needs. We rebuke the spirit of lack and declare that God’s abundance is on the way. We also pray for justice in your situation with the landlord. It is unconscionable for anyone to treat another human being with such cruelty, and we ask God to intervene on your behalf. Proverbs 22:22-23 warns, "Don’t exploit the poor, because he is poor; and don’t crush the needy in court; for Yahweh will plead their case, and plunder the life of those who plunder them." We pray that the landlord would be held accountable and that you would regain access to your belongings and your rights as a tenant.

Your physical and emotional exhaustion is palpable, and we lift you up before the Lord as one who is weary and heavy-laden. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28, "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest." We pray for supernatural rest for your body, mind, and spirit. May the Lord renew your strength like the eagle’s (Isaiah 40:31) and fill you with His peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7). We also pray for the desire to live to be restored to your heart. Your life is precious to God, and He has a purpose for you that the enemy cannot thwart. Psalm 139:16 says, "Your eyes saw my body. In your book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there were none of them." You are not done yet, brother. God has more for you, and we pray that He would ignite a fire in your spirit to press on, to fight the good fight, and to finish the race set before you.

We rebuke the spirit of despair that has whispered lies to you, telling you that death would be better than life. The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy, but Jesus came that you might have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10). We declare that the lies of the enemy are broken in Jesus’ name, and we pray for the Holy Spirit to fill you with hope, joy, and a renewed sense of purpose. You are not alone in this battle. The Lord is your shepherd, and He will lead you through the valley of the shadow of death (Psalm 23:4). We pray for divine encounters, people who will come alongside you, encourage you, and help meet your needs. May God send laborers into your life who will show you His love in tangible ways.

We also address the loneliness and temptation you have faced. The longing for intimacy, companionship, and partnership is natural, but we must guard our hearts and honor God with our bodies. 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 warns, "Flee sexual immorality! ‘Every sin that a man does is outside the body,’ but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s." We pray for strength to resist temptation and for the Lord to satisfy the deep longings of your heart in ways that honor Him. If it is God’s will for you to remarry, we pray He would bring a godly wife into your life, a woman after His own heart who will love you, support you, and walk with you in faith.

Your love for God’s creation, the rain, the moose, the northern lights, is a testament to His goodness and a reminder that He is present even in the smallest details of your life. We pray that these moments of beauty would continue to lift your spirits and remind you of God’s faithfulness. Romans 8:28 assures us, "We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose." Even in the midst of suffering, God is working, and we trust that He will bring beauty from ashes (Isaiah 61:3).

Finally, we pray for your heart to be filled with praise, even in the storm. You have praised God fervently, and we believe that praise is a weapon that silences the enemy. Psalm 34:1 says, "I will bless Yahweh at all times. His praise will always be in my mouth." We declare that your praise will rise above your pain, and your worship will usher in God’s presence and power. May the Lord surround you with His angels, protect you, and lead you into the next chapter of your life, a chapter filled with hope, restoration, and victory.

Let us pray together now:

Heavenly Father, we come before You in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. We lift up our brother to You, knowing that You see his pain, his struggles, and his heart. Lord, You are the God who heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds (Psalm 147:3). We ask You to heal his heart, to restore his joy, and to fill him with Your peace that surpasses all understanding.

Father, we pray for his marriage and family. We ask You to soften his wife’s heart and bring her to repentance. Lord, if it is Your will, restore their marriage and reunite their family. But if not, give our brother the strength to accept Your will and the wisdom to navigate this season with grace. We pray for his children, that You would protect them, comfort them, and let them know their father’s love. May they grow in the knowledge of You and walk in Your ways.

Lord, we pray for provision. Open the door for the branch manager position and let Your favor rest upon him in the interview. Provide a safe place for him to live, reliable transportation, and the resources to meet his needs. We rebuke the spirit of lack and declare that You are his provider. Meet every need according to Your riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Father, we pray for justice in his situation with the landlord. Expose any wrongdoing and hold the landlord accountable for his actions. Restore our brother’s belongings to him and give him the legal support he needs to resolve this matter.

Lord, we pray for strength and endurance. Renew his spirit, refresh his body, and restore his hope. Fill him with Your Holy Spirit and let Your presence be his comfort and his guide. Remind him that he is not alone, that You are with him, and that You will never leave him nor forsake him (Hebrews 13:5).

We rebuke the spirit of despair and declare that the enemy’s plans are thwarted in Jesus’ name. We pray for divine encounters, people who will come alongside him, encourage him, and help meet his needs. Send laborers into his life who will show him Your love in tangible ways.

Father, we pray for his heart to be filled with praise. Let his worship rise above his circumstances, and may his praise usher in Your presence and power. Fill him with hope, joy, and a renewed sense of purpose. Let him know that his story is not over and that You are working all things together for his good.

We thank You, Lord, for Your faithfulness. We thank You that You are a God who sees, who hears, and who acts on behalf of Your children. We trust You to bring restoration, provision, and victory in this season. In Jesus’ mighty name, we pray. Amen.

 

[hostadmin]

We hear your heart, brother. Your journey has been so incredibly hard, and we ache with you over the pain of separation from your family and the relentless struggles you've faced. It's not fair what's happened to you, not the betrayal, not the legal battles, not the loss of jobs or homes. But we want you to know that God sees every tear, every sleepless night, and every moment you've cried out to Him.

We pray right now for your upcoming interview for the branch manager position. Lord, open doors that no one can shut. Give you favor in the eyes of those interviewing you, and grant you wisdom to speak and walk confidently. Provide stability for you, Lord, let this job be a breakthrough. We also lift up your housing situation. Bring you to a safe place to rest, and provide for your needs in Jesus' name.

Father, we ask for justice in this landlord situation. It's wrong what he's done, and we declare that You are a God of justice. Protect Your child from further harm, and let truth and righteousness prevail. Give you strength to endure, Lord, and surround you with people who will help in practical ways.

Most of all, we pray for your heart. You've been through more than most could bear, but You are not alone. God is with you, and He is fighting for you. Fill you with Your peace, renew your strength, and remind you of Your worth. You matter deeply to Him.

In Jesus’ name we pray.

 

[Jonathan_M]

Praying for this request in Jesus Name. Amen.

 

[Screadoannor]

Praying for this in Jesus Name. Amen.