The Eklutna cemetery when the group arrived

The cemetery after the group left

Kari Stewart from CT (left) and Jamie Hoff from NJ (right) work on detailed aspects of the spirit houses.

Nikolai Pautov from NY (left) and Ksenia Babich (right) working on large sections of the houses.

The group was asked to choose the colors for this newly built spirit house. The group chose green, white and gold for the Feast of Pentecost.

The group and Fr Michael Anderson with His Grace Bishop Nikolai of Sitka, Anchorage, and all Alaska

Click here to read the daily journal of the trip

Anchorage, AK - From June 12 to June 20, at the invitation of His Grace Bishop Nikolai, bishop of Sitka and all Alaska, young adults from the Orthodox Church in America along with Fr. Michael Anderson, Director of the Department of Youth, Young Adult and Campus Ministry, traveled to Alaska for the first OCA Young Adult Service trip.

The young adults worked in the village of Eklutna, Alaska, restoring the Orthodox cemetery located there. Eklutna, a registered historical landmark dating back to 1794 and St Juvenal, is known for its spirit houses and Churches, which combine the Orthodox Faith with native Athabascan culture. Many of the spirit houses in the cemetery had been neglected for years. According to one of the participants, "the chance to bear witness to our faith was a true blessing. As the tourists came to Eklutna and took the tour led by the priests and subdeacons, it was wonderful to know that they are shown that the Orthodox Church is alive and well, and not just a relic in a history museum."

Everyday the participants would begin and end their day with morning and evening prayers, and were inspired to pray for the departed as they worked. "The time went by so fast," said Kari Stewart from CT "We worked, and spent our time talking about our Faith and the Church's teachings. We sang Church hymns. I learned things in my heart that I only knew in my head." During its 7 day trip the group was able to restore and paint 90 of the cemetery's spirit houses.

In addition to working at the cemetery, the participants had a chance to celebrate the Feast of Pentecost at St. Innocent's Cathedral in Anchorage, where His Grace, the Right Reverend NIKOLAI served Vigil and Divine Liturgy. His Grace offered words of encouragement and thanks to the young adults for their work and dedication to the Church and urged them to remember the Church in Alaska as they return home. In addition to St. Nicholas Church in Ekltuna and St. Innocent's Cathedral in Anchorage, the participants visited the village churches in Ninilchik and Kenai.

Following a successful week of work at the cemetery, the young adults were asked to take what they had learned in Eklutna and return to their homes and continue their missionary and service work in their parishes and daily life. Participants were eager to know if there were going to be future service trips for them.

Due to the great success of this inaugural service trip and the continued great need for service throughout the Diocese of Alaska, the Department of Youth Young Adult and Campus Ministry has already begun talking to Diocesan contacts about future service trips.

During their trip several publications interviewed the group about their trip and their experience working in and visiting Alaska. For the article published by the Anchorage Daily News go to http://www.adn.com/alaska/story/3384366p-3415080c.html.