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The Roughton Family - missionaries to Alaska
Taking the SON to the "Land of the Midnight Sun"

Roughton Family Transition to Alaska Needs

"Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:" 2 Thessalonians 3:1

Dear friends, as you can see from the above verse, our biggest need is prayer!  As I have shared with you before, your prayers will be what take us to Alaska and keep us there.  Many of you have asked how you can pray for us and what our needs are.  Pray for my family and me, both for physical and spiritual well being and that we will ‘find favour with God and man’.  Pray also for the souls in Alaska that their hearts will be ready for planting and watering so a great harvest can come forth.  As we are looking at going to the field this coming spring (they call it ‘breakup’ in Alaska) we wanted to share with you some of the physical things that will be needed to get us there, as well as what we can use to help us and the ministry.

  1. Support level to continue to rise (around $4,500/month minimum according to other       missionaries there).
  2. Churches to be able to keep sending support with all the economic issues our country is facing.   God is still in control!
  3. Faithful prayer warriors.
  4. Pray we can make and be an impact for God quickly.
  5. Timely sale of our travel trailer.
  6. Funds for fuel as we drive to Anchorage (About 4,000 miles).  Flights from Kansas City to Anchorage are around $600/person, and then we would have to ship everything in a container, will be able to schedule meetings along the way.
  7. Funds for shipping items from Anchorage to McGrath.  (About $1.35 per pound)  Since we are driving, we can take many things with us from home that will save in getting it from Missouri to Alaska.  We can box items up to ship later as we have the funds.
  8. Passports for five people. ($100/person)
  9. Plane tickets from Anchorage to McGrath. ($200/person)
  10. A home for us in McGrath.  (Most come furnished somewhat because of the cost of shipping)
  11. Availability of a snowmobile and four-wheeler (4 wheel drive).
  12. New shocks for our truck.  Our Excursion has 200,000+ miles and the Al-Can is hard on suspensions!
  13. Chainsaw.
  14. Parkas, gloves/mittens, boots, etc. that are Arctic rated.
  15. Pray for us, Cheryl and the children especially, and our families as we leave them and our friends behind (Final Thanksgiving and Christmas at home).
  16. Pray for our transition from here, where everything is just minutes away, to McGrath, where it is a plane or boat ride away.  Going from a town of 9,500 to 300 and all that it entails. (No Wal-Mart or McDonalds)

We appreciate your prayer over these matters.  To try and put a dollar amount to the needs to get us up there with what we have on this list would be around $10,000.00.  God is able to provide and we are excited about seeing Him do it.  If you have any other questions, please call at (417) 543-3303 or e-mail me. God bless you all and take care.

Roughton Family

Hello,

My name is Bart Roughton and my family and I are Independent Baptist Missionaries on deputation to the field of Alaska, specifically to the villages of Alaska. Alaska is a state of many contrasts. You have volcanic activity and tundra, hot springs and ice flows, glaciers and rain forests, all in one state. It is also the largest state in the union, and a land of 'big things'. Mt Denali is the largest peak in North America at 20, 320ft, the Yukon River is one of the longest navigable rivers, and the Malapina Glacier is larger than the state of Rhode Island. About the only thing that Alaska isn't large in is population. There are about 627,000 people in the state which works out to about 1 person/sq. mile!

Our goal is to establish Bible believing Baptist churches in villages that either have no churches or where there are ones that are perverting the Gospel. By and large, to get into a village you must have an invitation by the tribal leaders. Yes, it is the United States, but things work differently up there. If I could sum up what the need is in the vast majority of villages, it is hope. When you combine the cold, the darkness, the harshness of village life, alcohol, drugs, immorality, and a blinding to the True Light by our adversary (II Corinthians 4:4), you can quickly see a need. They need THE HOPE, Jesus Christ, and that is the message we will be taking to the villages. Nothing else can change them or their situation, but Him.

Our long term goal is to be on the field in spring of 2010. Thank you for praying for us as we 'Take the Son to the Land of the Midnight Sun'.

Our sending church is Grace Baptist Church in Harrisonville, MO; Pastor Charles Kaighen.