Wayne Coggins
Cornerstone Family Ministries
P.O. Box 8253
Nikiski, AK 99635
907-252-2036
Newsletter September 3, 2011
Dear Friends:
Sure as shootin’, the tell-tale signs of fall are upon us. Here
in Alaska, as soon as the fireweed plants bloom their beautiful pink
blossoms all the way from the bottom of the plant to the top, fall is
just around the corner. Most of the plants in our neighborhood
are all the way to the top so I guess it must be time to take a look at
the studded tires to see if I can get one more winter out of
them! We have had a relatively cool summer here so our raspberry
patch is just coming on so whenever the rains let up, it is berry
picking time. Of course, if I have a choice between picking
berries or heading down to the Kenai River to try to catch some of the
big fall run of silvers….well, you can guess which usually wins out.
Counseling – CFM
Usually, during the summer months, my counseling load drops off as
folks are too busy doing summer activities but this summer that has not
happened. I think folks are under a lot of stress due to the
economic situation in the area (and in the country as a whole) and when
stress mounts, that which can come unraveled, generally does.
Also a pattern is that most folks who need counseling help often are
not in a position to pay much if anything. So, thank you so much
for your prayers for CFM finances and to those who are able to
contribute to that need. Several of the businesses in the
building where my office is located have either closed up shop or have
downsized to smaller offices but thankfully, I have been able to keep
the rent paid and have not been late a single time in the nearly seven
years I have been there.
Guests
It has been a busy but fun summer of having visitors to the Coggins
Hotel. (smile) Within the past month or so we have been
blessed to have Richard Kiser and his wife, Esther, with us.
Richard is a phenomenal Christian guitarist who spent several days with
us before and after he did a concert at North Kenai Chapel. He
didn’t have very good success fishing but on the way back to Anchorage,
an accident closed the Seward Highway and he was stranded right beside
Bird Creek. So, being an opportunistic kind of guy, he just
pulled into the parking lot, grabbed his fishing pole and went
fishin’. By the time traffic started moving he had caught and
released about 30 pink salmon and caught and kept one nice silver
salmon!
A few days before the Kiser’s arrived, we were so excited because our
daughter, Michele, her husband, Todd, and their three children, Lauren,
Kyle and Jake came for a week. What a treat to have them
here! They had high hopes of being able to catch some big king
salmon as the last week of July is traditionally the best week of the
season to get the big “hogs” (as they are affectionately called).
However, as sometimes happens the king run was very small and the Fish
and Game guys issued an emergency order not allowing the use of bait
for kings. So much for that! Fortunately, there was a guy
who was visiting Alaska from Wisconsin who had become somewhat of an
expert at catching those sneaky sockeye (red) salmon and he volunteered
to take them to his secret spot on the river. They came back with
a big cooler full of fish and huge grins. Dean, daughter Tracie’s
son, stayed with us that week, too, and he had a great time helping the
younger kids shoot, ride a four-wheeler and skip rocks in the
ocean. The challenging part was the two days it rained cats and
dogs. That is a lot of energy to keep indoors for two days.
But, everyone survived and now they are safely back in Ohio where the
boys are playing football (dad, Todd, is the coach) and Lauren is
excelling at soccer. It was so incredible to see them all and now
we miss them more than ever.
Then, my sister, Glenice, and her husband, Dave came for ten fun-filled
days in the land of the midnight sun! They spend most of the year
in Arizona so our WARM days seemed like frigid days to them. We
were able to get out on the river silver fishing several times and my
little (maybe a bit older but definitely littler) sister caught her
first fish EVER. Marveen was busy with her digital camera so I
have no doubt that there will be photo evidence in her annual Christmas
newsletter. We hated to see them go but with the invitation to
visit them in Arizona this winter being offered, I am sure we will see
them before long when we go down there to also visit with our son,
Dave, his wife, Liz and their two young daughters.
This past week we were able to take Nikiski’s longest serving pastor
out on the river fishing for silvers. At 77, Harold Lewis is one
of the most dedicated pastors I have ever known and has been here in
Nikiski for over 20 years. Fishing was as lousy as I have ever
seen it but it was a sunny, warm day so we just had a great time
fellowshipping and swapping stories of our years of ministry here in
Alaska.
Coming up we will be blessed with two sets of Marveen’s friends from
Colorado. They flew to Alaska and will be taking a cruise ship
back to the lower ’48. Hmm, winter’s coming so maybe we ought to
leave them here and we’ll take the cruise south!! Then, my
brother, Mark, will arrive the end of next week for four days of
fishing with his older brother! I always enjoy it when Mark comes
up. What a terrific guy he is.
Then, a few days after Mark leaves, Marveen will fly down to Colorado
for her regular month of helping her step mom, Roberta. She has
done that every three months since we came to Nikiski which gives her
brother, who lives there, a break.
44 Magnum Baptism
I just have to tell you about a unique experience we had last
week. One of the young men in our church approached me to see if
I was open to doing a water baptism for him this week. I had
Monday evening open so we met him, his family and a group of friends at
the parking area where the trail takes off to the mouth of Bishop Creek
where it empties into Cook Inlet. One of his little sisters also
decided to get baptized at the same time in that icy cold water.
Interestingly, we had driven by that area just a day or so before and
had seen a big ol’ black bear looking for salmon in the creek.
Since the salmon were running in “HIS CREEK,” I opted to go prepared
for any eventuality and strapped on my 44 magnum handgun…just in
case. I noticed that one of the other guys had a handgun in his
pocket so I felt we would be as safe as we could be all things
considered. I had to laugh as we were walking down through the
shoulder high ferns and devil’s club bushes… “only in Alaska do does a
pastor go to a baptism with a gun strapped to his hip!”
Well, the baptism went off without a hitch and as we were standing
around talking and admiring the sunset and rare view of Mt. McKinley
(Denali), suddenly a big fat silver salmon went charging up a shallow
riffle and flopped up on the side of the bank. As it flip-flopped
back into the river the young man who was just baptized, still in his
swimming trunks, jumped into the river like a bear would and came up
with a chrome bright salmon in his hands (paws) while the audience
saluted his fishing skill with applause and laughter. Since
salmon fishing (by humans) isn’t allowed in that little creek, he
dutifully and I think a bit reluctantly, returned it to the
water. Like I said earlier…”ONLY IN ALASKA”!
So, here comes winter…and here comes my 65th birthday……..ready or
not! Am having too much fun to feel old!
Wayne and Marveen