Alaskans In Africa Return 2024

Hi Everybody,
Remember us, the “Alaskans in Africa” Embrees?  It’s hard to believe that it has been more than 13 years since we left missions work in South Africa and returned to Alaska.  Our last email as foreign missionaries went out 3/11/2011 called Reckless and Abandon to Serve.  

The last decade plus has been a huge journey of faith and hardship, joy and challenges.  James has served two churches as a pastor.  Ella finished homeschooling the kids and also worked as a tour guide and now as a flight attendant with Alaska Airlines.  Our kids have all launched out on their own lives and are pursuing degrees: Bronwyn (Musical Theater in Connecticut)- Max (Law studies in Alaska), and a career: Hannah as an actress in Indiana (already finished her degree).  We have also taken on a unique event business called Alaska Vintage Markets that allows us to be a help to many local Alaskan small businesses.  

What's next?  Well, Ella’s flight attendant job gives us the privilege of flight benefits.  We have used those benefits to see friends, and families and also to visit some really neat places, but we want to do more.  After asking God, James negotiated two months of unpaid leave from Clear Water Church to serve overseas.  After exploring a few possibilities James accepted an invitation to volunteer as a professor at Union Bible Institute in Hilton, South Africa from the end of January to end of March this year.  He will be helping to train future and current leaders for the Zulu churches of South Africa.

After attending an anti-human trafficking conference in Washington D.C. for Alaska Airlines, Ella will be joining James in South Africa for a few weeks in February during her own month of leave.  

Will you pray?  

1) Strong relationships with the students

2) Safety in God's arms

3) that we would SUPPORT the other nationals and missionaries well.    

Thanks so much, and soon we will again be “Alaskans in Africa”,
Ella & James Embree