Beth Moore Conference Was Awesome
Friday morning I headed out of Valdez and met up with an old Northway friend. Rita Abel. She parked her car in Glenallen and jumped in with me. We talked the whole way into Anchorage where we met up with another dear friend from Northway days, Chris Standley. Together the three of us went to the Beth Moore Conference being held at the Achorage Baptist Temple. (ACS: Anchorage Christain School). Over 1500 women attended the two day event. It was awesome. Beth Moore is such an inspirational speaker. It was great connecting with Rita and Chris and spending time together diving into God’s word. Very powerful. Rita and I got out of Anchorage by late afternoon today and I arrived home in Valdez around 9:00. Bill was making a fresh batch of guacamole and stir fying some late night dinner. Perfect timing! Katie was the first to spot 2 killer whales on one of the Stan Stevens boats today. She’s turning into an eagle eye of sorts.
A close friend of ours died in a plane crash Wednesday evening. It’s still difficult to believe it really has happened. Don Spitler arrived with his family in Northway back in 1977. (The same year Bill and I began teaching in Northway). Over the years Bill and Don trapped, hunted, drove school buses and coached kids together, supported each other in school student/parent issues.  He was instrumental in bringing basketball to Northway School. Northway basketball was on fire while Don spear-headed the program. It was basketball games that packed the Northway School gym with elders down to babies and everyone in between. The Spitler/Cronk basketball legacy was known around the state for many years. Don was bright, funny, goal oriented and driven. He seemed to eat, sleep, and breath hunting, but he loved his family and doted on his grandchildren. We will miss his spirit, his sense of humor, and wonderful adventures. I know he died doing what he loved, flying the beautiful Alaskan interior, taking pictures of a summer sunset. But that doesn’t make it any easier. My prayers go out to his family and friends.