ALASKA

Quick Facts at a Glance

• Location: North America, northwest of Canada
  
• Size: 663,000 square miles (larger than Texas, California, Utah, Kansas, and Florida combined)
  
• Population: 737,259 (lowest density in the U.S.)
  
• Largest City: Anchorage (300,950 residents)
  
• Coastline: 33,904 miles — the longest in the U.S. (Florida is second with 8,400)
  
• Climate: Summers average 60–80°F; winters range from temperate to arctic
  
• Terrain: Coastlines, tundra, forests, and the highest mountains in North America
  
• Elevation Range: Sea level to 20,320 feet (Denali/Mt. McKinley)
  
• Fun Fact: If placed over a U.S. map, Alaska would stretch from the East Coast to the West Coast!
  

A Storied Past

• 1741: Danish explorer Vitus Bering first sights Alaska.
  
• 1784: Russian whalers establish the first settlement on Kodiak Island.
  
• 1867: The U.S. buys Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million—mocked as “Seward’s Folly.”
  
• 1880: Joe Juneau’s discovery of gold sparks the gold rush era.
  
• 1943: Japan invades the Aleutian Islands during WWII, in the One Thousand Mile War.
  
• 1959: Alaska becomes the 49th state on January 3.
  

Did you know? In 1926, 13-year-old Bennie Benson designed Alaska’s state flag.

Land & Nature

• 17 of the 20 tallest U.S. peaks are found here.
  
• Denali (Mt. McKinley): At 20,320 feet, it’s the tallest mountain in North America.
  
• Tongass National Forest: The largest national forest in the U.S.
  
• Aurora Borealis: Fairbanks sees the Northern Lights an average of 243 nights a year.
  
• Extreme Weather: Hottest recorded temp — 100°F (1915); Coldest — -80°F (1971).
  

People & Culture

• Alaska Native refers to the state’s original people groups: Aleut, Eskimo, and Indian tribes.
  
• The word Alaska comes from the Eskimo word Alakshak, meaning great lands or peninsula.
  
• Symbols of Alaska:
  
  • State Flower: Forget-Me-Not
    
  • State Bird: Willow Ptarmigan
    
  • State Tree: Sitka Spruce
    
  • State Sport: Dog Mushing
    
  • State Mineral: Gold
    

Fun fact: The Alaskan Malamute, bred by the Malemiut Eskimos, is one of the strongest sled dogs in the world.

Economy & Industry

• Provides 25% of U.S. oil production.
  
• Prudhoe Bay: Largest oil field in North America.
  
• Trans-Alaska Pipeline: 800 miles long, moving up to 88,000 barrels of oil per hour.
• Fishing & Seafood: Largest private industry employer; most U.S. salmon, crab, halibut, and herring come from Alaska.

1. What are the maximum and minimum group sizes?

Our private trips can accommodate groups as small as 10 people and as large as 50+.

2. What are the mission trip prices?

Our trip details are available on our registration page.

3. Tell me more about the church partnerships in Alaska

Each group traveling to Alaska with Thirst Missions will be partnered with a local church. We believe the local church is God’s biblical design and want each team to be an encouragement to the church partner. Our church partners are small but healthy churches doing God’s work in difficult conditions.

4. Is Alaska safe?

Yes! Even though there is a lot of poverty and need in Alaska, and it’s a long ways away, it is one of our 50 states! Great health care and modern conveniences are only a short drive away most of the time. We have staff members guiding the trip and are experts when it comes to local knowledge and ministry leadership. Safety is our #1 priority on all trips, and it’s not just lip service, we practice what we preach.

5. What denominations do you work with?

Every year we work with a wide variety of denominations from teams in the US and Canada and our base of church partners in Alaska is varied as well. We strive to match the team with an appropriate church partner. All churches are vetted ahead of time and sign a statement of faith. Please see our Statement of Faith for more details.

6. What is the trip length?

Our trips are a minimum of six days/five nights, but you are able to add additional days to your trip for an added cost. Travel days are included in the total number of trip days.

7. Do I need to take any medical precautions?

Though it’s 3,000+ miles away from the continental United States, Alaska is part of the US and no special precautions need to be taken in the form of immunizations or prescriptions. The greater concern is to dress appropriately considering the wide variability of summers in south central Alaska, which can range from 45 degrees up to 85 degrees and see frequent short rainy spells.

8. What travel documents do I need?

If you’re traveling from the United States to Alaska you only need a driver’s license. For adults traveling with minors who are not their children (i.e. youth leaders and youth groups), it’s a good idea to have the youth bring whatever ID they can along with a letter of consent to travel that is signed by both parents. If you’re traveling from Canada (or elsewhere in the world), bring a passport.

9. Is airfare included in the trip cost?

10. Can I make contact with my loved ones while on my trip?

While Alaska is in the United States and many cell plans will have at least some coverage, we strongly discourage trip participants from calling, texting, going online, or on social media on their phones during the trip. Most people use their phone as their main camera, and that’s fine – just put it in airplane mode.

The ministry and relationships built when putting our personal devices down is eye-opening. Our philosophy is no news is good news. We encourage each group leader to post trip updates and send pictures back home on behalf of each group. In addition we post pictures every day from every trip on our Facebook page at facebook.com/thirstmissions. In the case of emergencies we have open and direct lines of immediate communication on every trip.

11. I have special dietary needs. Can these be met?

There is a section on the Individual Registration form each person fills out prior to the trip in which these needs can be listed. We read these over thoroughly and pass them along to our cooks. The food on our trips is plentiful and amazing!

We do our very best to accommodate all diets and diet restrictions, but please realize we are in a different culture without all the options we have back home. Feel free to bring supplemental food options with you if this will ease the anxiety of not knowing if there will be food which fit your tastes or diet.

12. Is the $499 registration fee deducted from my final payment?

No, it’s used right away to offset a small portion of planning and preparing for your group’s trip. Please read through our generous payment policy and cancellation agreement.

13. How do I select the ministries we desire?

Each group leader will have a missions consultant from Thirst Missions assigned who will go through ministry opportunities in detail. All group leaders have scheduled conference calls to discuss the trip and are welcome to contact their trip consultants about any other questions that arise.

14. What about on-ground transportation?

On-the-ground transportation is included in the price of the mission trip. Our Staff will pick you up from the airport after your arrival, transport you throughout the duration of your mission trip, and bring you back to the airport for departure from Anchorage.

15. Are any ministry materials provided?

Ministry materials are up to the teams to provide. Examples would be curriculum for VBS, sports equipment for sports outreach, and so on. Alaskan churches will have some resources that the group can use on a case-by-case basis. Most ministries require little in the way of materials. You can ask your missions consultant about suggestions for materials and ministry plans.

16. Are construction funds included in the cost of the trip?

Construction Project Funds are not included in your mission trip cost.  Your mission consultant will give you some needed project options with costs if you are interested in doing larger projects with your team.  If it is a larger project you are welcome to donate extra funds to go towards needed supplies and materials that can be purchased prior to your arrival and onsite when you arrive.

17. Are there any additional costs?

Besides your trip cost, the only things you’ll need money for are souvenirs, church offerings, extra snacks, and money for meals at the airport.

18. How do we pay for recreation?

Payment and reservations for upgraded recreation are made by your team before your time in Alaska. Please work with your Thirst Missions Consultant or Trip leader to confirm your specific reservation.

19. Can you tell us about the food provided?

The food provided will, for the most part, be food Americans and Canadians are quite familiar with. We’ll have healthy breakfasts provided in the guest house, lunch most days will be a bagged lunch on the go, and dinners will be hearty meals served at the guest house, at the church, or at a local restaurant.

20. Can I stay in contact with people once I return home?

Yes! You can use Facebook and Instagram or email, call, or text just like you do with your friends back home. Staying in touch with new friends in Alaska is such a blessing and benefit to going and serving.

21. What are some outreach ministry ideas?

Movie nights, worship celebrations, community meals, or sports tournaments are good outreaches. If you have good outreach ideas we are certainly happy to help you make them a reality! Check out our blog for more outreach ideas.