Curtis & Nikki Berry
We have lived for many years and in many different places in Alaska. Often, we have been on the receiving end of others’ love and generosity as we raised our family. I could recite countless experiences of our growing family being helped by others, but I will share just one.
This was in the mid-90’s and a couple we knew were gracious enough to let our growing family live in their dry cabin in the woods. We had no bills, but also no steady income. When we needed money, Curtis would leave for a week or so and find work. This story is taken out of my journal.
Our family at the cabin. One of the boys is wearing the bunny boots.
“Curt went to Fairbanks and earned about $400 so we had a little money to work with. We decided to get [two of the boys] some ‘bunny boots’ and that was going to be the big expense that year. It didn’t feel too ‘Christmasy’, but we were excited. Curt’s brother and his family were flying in from Galena [village in Alaska] to spend Christmas with us. It was two days before Christmas and they were going to drive to Wasilla [2 hours away] to do some shopping and I decided to go with them because I really wanted to get Curtis a present. We had a fun time shopping and after looking through all that Wasilla had to offer, I decided to get him a Robert Service poetry book.
By the time we snow machined back to the cabin, it was dark and evidently I had missed the excitement! When I walked in, the kitchen counters were literally covered with cakes, cookies and a whole bunch of food! It was so exciting to look at it all! Then Curtis said ‘Oh, but that is not all!’ He took me into the other room and there was a HUGE stack of presents! I have never seen so much! Evidently during the day, about four snow machines with sleds arrived, all full of goodies. [Our good friend’s teenaged daughter had arranged it all!] We had a fun and yummy Christmas and had presents for the next year of birthdays too!”
These types of outpouring of love, naturally generated in us the desire to bless others’ lives.