I couldn’t have had a more perfect flight to Alaska.  The sky was bright blue all day, and l had the nicest people sitting next to me on both legs of my flight.  And, I SAW DENALI!  For the first time in five visits to Alaska, Mt. McKinley was not hiding behind the clouds.  She was beautiful.

During the long flight from Minneapolis to Anchorage, I had plenty of time to chat with the fellow sitting next to me.  I think it is so interesting that, if you talk long enough to a complete stranger, you will eventually make a connection.  As our conversation unfolded I found out that Duane Hanson, my fellow traveler, is the pastor of the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Wasilla.  That was our first connection-I was headed for Wasilla.  Duane had wonderful stories of his early years as a pastor on the Seward Penninsula of Alaska in Shishmaref and Nome.  In Nome he lived next door to legend musher Herbie Nayopuk and would run his second team of dogs.  There’s the second connection-dog sledding.  At the end of the flight Duane invited me to attend the soup and sandwich dinner and Ash Wednesday service at his church.  I said I would like that and and I meant it.

As we were getting off the plane, I connected with my friend Terrie Hanke, the 2006 Teacher on the Trail.  I introduced her to Duane and told her about the invitation.  We started to walk away when Terrie said, “Wait a minute, I know this guy.”  We returned to Duane and indeed they did know each other.  Duane and Terrie had golfed on the same course in Dallas, Wisconsin and Terrie had actually given Duane’s wife golf lessons.  There it is!-the third connection.  It is a small world.

Terrie and I both attended the dinner and service; the dinner and fellowship were terrific.  So now I’m looking forward to more connections as I begin the Alaska piece of my Target^TM Teacher on the Trail journey.  I am reminded that it is not only wonderful to have others along with you on your journeys, but to see who will cross your path, and how they will contribute to your life and you to theirs.   It is, I believe, part of why we are called to do these sorts of things.