Day 16 – Chicken, Alaska: Where God Taught Us to Slow Down

Sometimes God leads us to places that seem small and insignificant on a map, only to reveal some of His greatest lessons there. Today was one of those days.

This morning we packed up our belongings and moved out of the cozy little cabin that had been our home for the past few days. Although we were staying one more night in Chicken, our cabin was already reserved, so it was time to pitch the tent again. As I rolled out our sleeping bags and set up camp, I couldn’t help but thank God for the blessing of those warm nights in the cabin. After so many days on the road, it had been a wonderful place to rest, recharge, and simply enjoy getting to know the people of this remarkable little town.

Once camp was set up, we walked back to our favorite café in Chicken for breakfast. I ordered a delicious egg sandwich while Melvin enjoyed a stack of giant fluffy blueberry pancakes.

As we ate, we struck up another conversation with the couple sitting beside us. Damian and his wife, Charlie, recognized Melvin’s CMA (Christian Motorcyclists Association) vest. Damian rides with Sons of Thunder, a Christian Motorcycle Club, and we had briefly met them the evening before while watching the strongman competition in town.

What started as a simple greeting quickly became a wonderful conversation about motorcycle ministry, evangelism, and sharing Christ with others. It’s amazing how quickly time disappears when you’re talking with people who share the same passion for serving the Lord.

And in case anyone is wondering…no, Melvin didn’t win the strongman competition!

After breakfast, Melvin returned to the campsite while I stayed behind at the Chicken Gold Camp lodge to charge our electronics and continue editing YouTube videos from our 66-day adventure. About an hour later the staff needed to mop the floors, so I packed everything up and headed back toward camp.

As I walked back, I noticed a blue side-by-side pulling in.

It was Damian and Charlie.

They had come looking for us because they wanted to pray a biker’s blessing over our journey.

We gladly accepted.

As members of CMA, praying blessings over fellow riders is something we often have the privilege of doing for others. This time, however, we were the ones being blessed. Standing together in a quiet campground in the middle of Alaska, we shared God’s Word, prayed over one another, and thanked Him for His protection and guidance.

It was one of those unexpected divine appointments that reminds us God is always connecting His people, no matter how remote the location.

After finishing camp setup and organizing our riding gear, it was already afternoon. We geared up and rode into town, first stopping at the only gas pump in Chicken to top off our motorcycles before tomorrow’s early departure.

While fueling up, we met another gentleman we had talked with earlier during our stay. He was preparing to leave with his truck and camper. Because of serious health issues, he spoke using a tracheostomy button. Before leaving, he quietly asked if we would pray for him.

Of course we would.

We shared one of our favorite healing Scriptures:

“Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.” — 1 Peter 2:24 (NKJV)

After we prayed together, he smiled and simply said,

“The prayer feels good already.”

Moments like that remind us that sometimes the greatest gift we can offer someone isn’t money, advice, or answers.

Sometimes it’s simply taking a few minutes to point them toward Jesus.

After paying for our gas—inside the local tavern, because that’s where you pay for fuel in Chicken—we rode up the dusty road to the post office where the community was gathering for the Fourth of July picnic.

Pickup trucks and side-by-sides lined the road. It quickly became obvious that in Chicken, side-by-sides are the preferred mode of transportation.

The whole town seemed to be there.

Families, miners, children, visitors, longtime residents—everyone gathered together like one big family.

The picnic was sponsored by Oxford Metals and Refineries, who generously provided enormous steaks and baked potatoes for everyone. They also offered hot dogs and chicken, but after seeing those incredible inch-thick steaks, our decision was made pretty quickly!

While waiting in line, we met a gentleman named Bill who had driven up from Tok just for the celebration.

Earlier in our trip, a man named Marvin had given us money with one request—to use it to bless someone else.

We still had the last twenty-five dollars remaining.

Without hesitation, we used it to buy Bill’s dinner.

He looked genuinely surprised.

“You don’t even know me,” he said.

I simply smiled and replied,

“We just wanted to bless you today.”

His smile said more than words ever could.

After lunch we found a shady picnic table where we met two local gold miners, Peter and James. Peter, originally from Germany, spends every summer mining gold in Alaska before flying home each winter after the ground freezes.

Listening to their stories was fascinating. We learned about mining claims, equipment, seasons, and all the hard work that goes into finding even the smallest flakes of gold.

Then the gold panning competitions began.

The children went first, carefully swirling their pans while parents helped them count the tiny flecks of gold—or as the miners call them, “colors.”

Then came the adults.

Experienced miners raced against the clock, searching for the most colors in the shortest amount of time.

The winning miner found six colors in just 58 seconds.

It was incredible to watch.

Later we moved under the pavilion where another miner named Art noticed our CMA patches and came over to introduce himself. Having seen CMA in his home state of Washington, he immediately felt like family.

Art shared how God had called him into evangelism long before becoming a gold miner. Nearly twenty years ago, his brother purchased a mining claim in Chicken, and Art has returned every summer since. Alongside his friend Nick, they still mine the old-fashioned way—with shovels, buckets, and a sluice box instead of heavy equipment.

As we talked with one miner after another over these past four days, a common theme kept emerging.

Gold mining is incredibly hard work.

The days are long.

The labor is exhausting.

Yet every one of them told us they wouldn’t trade it for anything.

But something else stood out even more.

Every person we met talked about the people.

They all knew one another.

They looked after one another.

They celebrated together.

They prayed together.

They shared meals together.

Many told us that the friendships and sense of community were the real reason they returned to Chicken year after year.

It made me think of the early church described in Acts—people living life together, caring for one another, sharing what they had, and pointing each other toward God.

Chicken may be a tiny town tucked away in the Alaskan wilderness, but it has one of the biggest hearts we’ve encountered on this entire journey.

God brought us here thinking we needed a few days of physical rest.

Instead, He gave us something much deeper.

He reminded us that ministry isn’t always found behind a pulpit or during a planned event. Sometimes ministry happens over breakfast in a café, beside a gas pump, under a picnic pavilion, or around a campground.

Sometimes slowing down allows us to see the people God has placed right in front of us.

This unexpected stop in Chicken has become one of the greatest highlights of our journey—not because of the scenery, the gold mines, or even the Fourth of July celebration, but because of the incredible people God allowed us to meet.

Their kindness, generosity, faith, and genuine love for one another have left a lasting impression on our hearts.

Tomorrow morning we point our motorcycles north toward North Pole, Alaska.

As excited as we are for the miles ahead, saying goodbye to Chicken is bittersweet.

We’ll leave with full gas tanks, packed motorcycles, and grateful hearts, carrying with us a beautiful reminder that no place is too small for God to do something extraordinary.

Sometimes the richest treasure isn’t found in the gold beneath the ground.

It’s found in the people God places along the journey.