It's already July!

Hello Family and Friends~

Once again, time has slipped away and gone by so quickly! So much has happened in the past few weeks. On June 28th we celebrated our one month anniversary! We can’t believe we have already been married a month (and now almost 2!). Thankfully, we were both blessed with a day off from work  so we got to spend the day together. Relaxing, reading, watching movies, and just enjoying the time off. It was the first day since being up here, we both had off, so it was extra special! 

We also got to celebrate the 4th of here, which was quite a different experience for us. We are both used to big celebrations, family get-togethers, and lots of fireworks. It was a lot different celebrating the 4th up in Alaska. Because it is always light out, fireworks are not very big up here. I don't think I heard a single firework on the 4th. Crazy! Every culture celebrates differently. We went out to dinner with a friend from work and had our own fourth of July celebration, remembering and honoring all the past and current soldiers and their families who have sacrificed so much for our country and many freedoms we have. Especially thinking of our Life Church family in Dupont on this special day.

At Bucketts, celebrating the 4th!

Update on the Lodge: Fishing has been incredibly slow this summer. Both the Kenai and the Kasilof Rivers have been closed on and off all summer. When open, it is only to catch and release. Where have the fish gone??! No body really knows. There are a lot of different theories. Some people believe it is because of poor regulation, others believe differently and think it is related to the salt water and Japan. When it comes down to is, greed comes into play. Right now there are not enough fish for all those who want fish, which has become a problem for both he Sports Fishing and Commercial Fishing. It has been interesting learning more about both industries reasons behind the lack of fish from both perspectives (our neighbors at the lodge are commercial fishermen).  After a slow month of fishing in June and beginning of July, the past couple days have picked up and we believe the second run of Kings are in! Praise God. We are very happy and so are all our guests! We will see how the rest of the month of July is... 

Jacob with a few different guests at the lodge!

Aside from the fishing, we have a new addition to the team. Her name is Cassie and she is from Minnesota. She is also helping in the lodge, which has been incredibly helpful and fun to have her around. Prayers for rest and peace for the lodge mama have truly been answered and continue to be a constant mission for me. As you see, our new friend is quite the hunter, and is always on the lookout for squirrels and rabbits. :( 

As promised, here are a couple pictures of our new home. Also known as the "honeymoon sweet." We have come to really love our new home. It has become a comfy little home to us. After work we have come to love relaxing and reading together, along with occasionally having movie nights. Both which are fun! We also have been enjoying cooking different meals and have realized the crock pot is our new best friend!

The Hirsts! (sign made my my aunt and uncle)

The Honeymoon Sweet!

We  made taco soup! Thanks to the Fords for the great recipe! :)

We continue to pray for direction for the future and plans after the summer, and would appreciate your prayers as well! While praying for the future, we also continue to pray that the Lord uses us and his will be made known to us daily. It has become very clear that our purpose for being in Alaska is beyond fishing, and we are continuing to pray for clarity.

Our new mailing address for the summer is:

Jacob and Jordan Hirst

PO Box 2374

Kenai, AK 99166

We got our first official piece of mail! From Ashleigh Duckett! How exciting :) We would love to hear from our family and friends!

Love you and miss you all very much~

Jacob and Jordan :)