Motivated by the call to be obedient to God, Camden Patterson ’28, a sophomore kinesiology and honors humanities major, visited Alaska over Azusa Pacific University’s spring break. While in Alaska, Patterson learned the importance of faith and prayer. “We were forced to fully rely on whatever the Lord had for us, because when we tried to do it by our own strength, it simply was never enough,” said Patterson.
Given the weather conditions in the state, the team had prepared for roadblocks that could impede their journey to Alaska. At the last minute, while on the plane from California to Seattle, their second flight from Seattle to Fairbanks, Alaska, was cancelled. “With the weather conditions, almost all of our expectations for this trip were changed before we arrived,” said Patterson. “We had to have the faith to give God our bodies and words to use for His good, even though we didn’t know what was going to happen.” Although the team was fully prepared to minister where they were in Seattle, God pulled through. Their travel coordinator was able to secure them a different flight from Seattle to Alaska.
Conditions in Alaska stayed at a constant of -30°F, but that didn’t stop their team from helping people understand the core principles of Christianity. “The coastlands are occupied by Eskimo reservations, with the mainland being Athabaskans,” said Patterson. “We stayed in Athabaskan territory, and ministered in Tanacross and Mentasta, two of the villages.” Although the villagers had heard the Gospel previously, the APU team meant to reestablish their understanding by showing them how young people love Jesus. “Chiefs of these native reservations acknowledged Christianity as their primary religion,” said Patterson. “If you ask the people whether they are Christian, they will say yes, but they don’t necessarily know what being Christian means.”
The team also helped with the construction of a theme park called Mukluk Land, a prominent amusement park in Tok, Alaska, supporting a project designed to serve and uplift the local community. “In addition to construction work and painting a mural, we prayed over the park so that anyone who travelled through would be able to feel the Lord’s presence,” said Patterson. The park has a clear Christian focus, including the Romans Road to Salvation, to share the Gospel with guests.
Another one of the team’s goals was to reach out to and support the natives in the area. While Patterson and the team visited Tok, they noticed that a majority of the community consisted of younger children. “Most people leave the community by the time they are 19, so they are not used to seeing young adults,” said Patterson. He and the rest of the team were able to worship with the kids, play games, create arts and crafts, and cook for them. “One of our goals when visiting was to show them that there are still young adults who love Jesus since that’s something they’re not familiar with,” said Patterson. “The kids were really excited to meet us and wanted to get to know us.” As a young adult with a passion for sharing the Gospel, Patterson knew these kids looked up to him because they did not often see a young adult with fire for Jesus. This experience was new for both the service team and the community in Tok, so he wanted to make the most of it.
One of the key moments in Alaska that Patterson experienced was during their visit to Mentasta Village. They had visited an elementary school, where they were able to play with the kids. This experience opened their eyes to the challenging realities faced by the community. “The principal told us that a lot of the money sent to the reservation goes toward alcohol and drugs,” said Patterson. “Most of the kids’ parents and grandparents had addictions and exhibited abusive behavior as a result. Because of this, suicide is the number one leading cause of death in Alaska.” As the team drove through the villages, they noticed that many of the homes did not have heat or food. “The kids were raising themselves on the cafeteria food that they could get from school,” said Patterson. “It was painful to see, but also inspiring because of how joyful they were despite their circumstances.”
Patterson reflected on this trip to Alaska as a very meaningful experience. “There
are many people in need, not only in Alaska but in places we often overlook, and this
experience revealed the blind spots we can have, especially coming from more privileged
communities like California,” said Patterson.
Patterson’s time in Alaska ultimately became a powerful reminder of what it means to live out one’s faith with humility, trust, and obedience. Through unexpected challenges, meaningful connections, and eye-opening experiences, the trip deepened his reliance on God and expanded his understanding of service. As he returned home, Patterson carried with him a renewed perspective, recognizing both the needs of others and the call to respond with compassion, faith, and action.