Tell Your Story Alaska

Being in the world of commercial fishing in Alaska produces exciting stories worth telling. Ellis recounts stories that involve a volcano, fishing nets ripping and snagging, catching a whale, sharks, and porpoises, deer hunting in bear country, and catching a record sized halibut with fresh salmon still in the belly. Ellis gives us a glimpse into the world of commercial fishing with his incredible...

Ellis is a 3rd generation commercial fisherman in the Alaska waters, dog behavioral specialist, and inventor of several unique guitar effects pedal. Ellis' unique resume comes from a unique story. Growing up on the fishing boat with his father, it wasn't the risk, adventure, and excitement that defines who he is today. It's grace and forgiveness. Ellis recounts how God intervened in hi...

I dive into the weeds of take-off and landing techniques and describe how I consistently land my Maule M5 in 300 feet or less. I also discuss how landing a plane finally "clicked" for me so I could do it well consistently. Keep in mind I am not a flight instructor and I recommend you consult with a licensed flight instructor before taking any advice from me. Contact the show at tysalaska...

Sitting in a solitary prison cell, at rock bottom, the Holy Spirit says "Are you done?" From that moment on, Ota's life changed directions. Listen to Ota recount how he hit rock bottom in that prison cell: a broken home growing up, to drugs and sex, juvenile detention, in and out of prison, joining a white supremacist prison gang, and facing a 490 year sentence for serious crimes. Ot...

In this final episode of the series, Adam provides us with the history of the Salvation Army and the Lutheran Church in Alaska. Adam beautifully wraps up his thoughts about the role of the church in Alaska's history. Was it a force for good or was it destructive? Contact the show at tysalaska@gmail.com TYSA Logo was by Evan Van Kirk Music Credit: Dragonquest by Alexander Nakarada | https://www...

We continue our series with the history of the Moravians and the Evangelical Covenant Church in Alaska. Contact the show at tysalaska@gmail.com TYSA Logo was by Evan Van Kirk Music Credit: Dragonquest by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0d

We continue our series with the history of the Baptists and Friends (also known as the Quakers) in Alaska. Contact the show at tysalaska@gmail.com TYSA Logo was by Evan Van Kirk Music Credit: Dragonquest by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0...

Adam and I continue this series with the history of the Anglicans and Presbyterians in Alaska. I have heard over and over that the church's goal was to colonize and remove the native culture that was here. The true history is not that simple. Adam brings clarity to these often cited versions of history. Contact the show at tysalaska@gmail.com TYSA Logo was by Evan Van Kirk Music Credit: Dragon...

Is the church responsible for the loss of language and culture of Alaska native people? Did the church come to colonize Alaska? This is the narrative I have often heard about the history of the church in Alaska. Pastor Adam London is an expert on this topic and explains the true story which is so much more interesting and rich than I had thought. This will be a five-part series starting with the R...

Chris Kopp is a pastor at the largest church in Alaska: Changepoint. He has spent most of his life in Alaska including over 12 years pastoring a church in the village of Galena, AK. He has become a voice Alaskans turn to for insight on how to do missions well in the Last Frontier State. Chris and I discuss the differences between churches on the road system and churches off the road system and the...

If you are interested in aviation and are not sure where to start, you should start with Av-Stem's Introduction to Aviation course. Grant and Barney Funk are a father-son team who developed this course that's perfect for young aviators. Av-Stem does not sponsor this podcast, I just see value in this course as I fly so many young people across Alaska who want to become pilots, and now I can...

Hayley is an accomplished pilot and a vital part of One Wilderness Ministries in McGrath, AK. She suffered the loss of her husband to ALS at only 35 years old only two months prior to this recording. She tells her story of growing up off grid in Idaho, being a part of the develpment of the Kodiak aircraft which is being used in missions around the world, and her training at Moody Aviation in Spoka...

One Wilderness Ministries is located in the remote interior village of McGrath, Alaska. It is a ministry of McGrath Community Church. I had a chance to sit down with Brad Sturm who shares his heart for the interior of Alaska. Click here to check out the One Wildernesss website to learn more: http://onewilderness.org TYSA logo was by Evan VanKirk Music Credit: Dragonquest by Alexander Nakarada | ht...

Merv's father was a WWII vet who had anger issues which provided him with a challenging childhood. He became a helicopter pilot in Vietnam and was shot at, shot down, and lost close friends. After the war, he started his own helicopter business flying over Mount Saint Helens as it was preparing to erupt, and he flew some big whigs around. He went though a divorce with a hard custody battle ove...

You may have had Mormon missionaries knock on your door. A few weeks ago I got the knock and I engaged them for about an hour. This prompted me to look further into Mormonism than I had before as I promised these young, bright Mormon missionaries. Mormons make up 5% of Alaskans so I thought it was worth looking into it's doctrines and reasons they believe it's true. Was Joseph Smith a legi...

Where there's a few hundred feet of flat ground, we can land a plane and camp. It's a real treat to find hidden gems of camping spots in Alaska. I talk about my first airplane overnight camping experience and some of the devotional thoughts I had during this little adventure. Logo Credit: Evan Van Kirk Music Credit: Dragonquest by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com Mu...

I finally spilled the beans! If you are wise enough to learn from the mistakes from others you will want to learn from mine. I tell you my 5 worst flying decisions that I regret, but I learned from them and have become a better pilot for it. You can watch the short video I made about landing on a remote airstrip on the Yukon River in a Cherokee 6 by checking out my Facebook page or clicking here:...

Deep in the wilds of Alaska lies Kokrine Hills Bible Camp sitting along the mighty Yukon River. Joey has been the director for 9 years and I had the chance to record his story while flying him from the camp to Nenana, AK. It was an emotional goodbye followed by a one hour flight back to civilization as Joey tells his story. Listen how he grew up in California, was almost kidnapped by the infamous...

An ice dam caused the Yukon to to rise 35' and flooded Kokrine Hills Bible Camp. A week ago, I flew Darryl and his wife to camp to lead a team of 40 people from the Lower 48 to get the camp ready for the summer. Today, I picked them up and flew them home. During our flight through Rainy Pass we talk about what it took to transform a camp devastated by a flood to a camp ready for kids from acro...

Ever wonder what Alaskan GA pilots worry about regarding safety? I recently attended a safety conference at Soldotna airport at the MARC hangar. They brought in speakers from AOPA, Moody Aviation, Alaska Airman's Association, Dynamic Defense Solutions, and MARC staff. I was taking notes the entire time, and here I share with you everything I learned at this valuable safety conference. Contact...

My flight down to the Kenai yesterday had a couple of close calls. A few fighter jets flew right in front of my nose and on my final approach to land I was face to face with an aircraft taking off. I discuss what happened and what can be learned. Contact me at tysalaska@gmail.com Logo designed by Evan Van Kirk. Music Credit: Dragonquest by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com M...

We are exploring this historical question by seeing what science can tell us about the history of Native Americans. This will give us insight on who Native Americans are today. So we are not holding back! We focus on carbon dating and genetics to answer the question of when Native Americans migrated to the Americas. The answer may not be what you expect! Buckle up because this episode gets nerdy!...

7 years in Mexico living among the Tarahumara people was a significant time in our lives before we moved to Alaska. Missional work has a dark side and we share about it all. There was trauma, death, and relational strife. Billy felt inadequate and Erika felt a constant need to "justify our existence." We did some extreme outdoor adventures, learned two languages, lived in remote villages...

Jeff and I talk about the summer of 2022 when wildfires raged across the state of Alaska, and we had to fly through it. A wildfire broke out just 3 miles east of the remotely located Kokrine Hills Bible Camp. There were 100 souls at camp, and one 6 passenger airplane. Smoke Jumpers arrived to help. Find out how we got everyone out safely, and what we learned along the way. Check out Jeff's min...

WARNING: We discuss themes in this episode that are not suitable for children. I recommend waiting until your little ones are out of earshot before pushing play. Aaron was wounded by the church, his father, and himself. He became the man he detested growing up which we termed "generational sins." How do you break generational sins? Marriage, fatherhood, combat in Iraq, respect, success,...