So how do you get to Brevig Mission? About 300 people live here, in this town off the road system where most people live by subsistence living (hunting and gathering most of their food).

Here's how we arrived:

Tuesday, July 10: Alaska Air flight Anchorage to Nome. Arrived in Nome 10:47 AM. Left for Teller via one old green van and one old extended cab Chevy trucks. Our drivers were Pastor Matt Littau (Our Saviors Lutheran in Nome) and Pastor Brian Crockett (Brevig Memorial Lutheran in Brevig Mission). Beautiful drive through open hills (too far north for trees), clear creeks where locals fished for salmon and even a few musk ox in the distance.

Arrived at Teller at around 5:30 PM. Next, a 15-20 mintue boat ride in a small aluminum Lund with an outboard motor. Pastor Brian took half of us (and half the luggage) but couldn't return to get the next half because he had a council meeting at 7. (Pastor Brian is also the mayor of Brevig)

So five of us went to Brevig and five stayed in Teller.

Now, let me say that while Brevig is on sewer and water, Teller is not. It's all about the honey buckets (go in bucket, dump when full). Unfortunately, the honeybuckets in Teller church were quite full. We walked around Teller, a place so quiet I half expected tumbleweeds to cross our path.

Instead, we found the local store where we bought water and the laundromat, with the only running water -- showers! toilets! sinks! -- in town. My sister Lorna's on this trip with me and on coming out of the rest room, exclaimed: "I've never been so grateful for running water in my whole life!"

We returned to the Teller church/parsonage to wait for Brian to return. We watched a DVD (so odd in a place with no running water)... (not sure why, but seems like why DVD if no toilet)...and ate the only food we had: brownies, carrots, peanut butter and mini chocolate bars. Dinner!

Brian returned around 10 PM and we took our boat ride across. We unloaded onshore and Brian brought his 4-wheeler (they call 'em Hondas here) to haul our luggage up to the church/parsonage where we're staying.

Whew! A long day. Time to turn in...but it's still sunny here at midnight!

Enough for Day 1, will write next about today (July 11)...