Celestial Traveler in Alaskan Village

FROM: Diane Shaishnikoff

In the winter months of 2016 I was reading our local newspaper, the “Dutch Harbor Fisherman”. I saw an advertisement for a book called “Celestial Traveler”. Abraham “Iply” George’s picture was featured in the book and the Spirit of God placed him in my prayers the moment I saw it! I remember thinking as I read the clipping, “WOW!” Lord, use this man in a mighty way to reach the villages and communities in the vast regions of Alaska.” Addiction and abuse run rampant in our cities. I know because I carried a heavy burden for my own loved ones.

In June of 2017 the burden became deeper as the afflictions hit my family harder. I went back to my family after a couple months. The day after coming home I wrote a letter to Iply inviting him to come to our community of Unalaska/Dutch Harbor. My husband, (also Native Alaskan) and I started a home fellowship gathering at this time. Our friend and pastor, Bob Clark, asked me after our gathering if I had ever heard of a book called “Celestial Traveler”. My jaw dropped. “Yes!” Bob said many men in the community had read the book and it was being passed around. They wanted to write a letter inviting Iply to come to Unalaska. It was confirmation! I told Bob I had just written a letter two days prior inviting Iply to come.

It was May 15, 2017 and all flight arrangements fell into place. Family members flew in from as far away as Arizona and Washington. For many years prayer had gone up for Revival in Unalaska. Now God was about to answer beyond our expectations.

It was a week of electrifying greatness! Highlights: God’s thumb print was evident through a book that opened our eyes to see a plan bigger than we could imagine. Weeks before, my husband Bill was walking through the Russian Orthodox Church yard here in Unalaska. He discovered his Great- Great Grandfather’s grave site next to the church. This ancestor’s name was Innokenty Shaishnikoff. He had been a priest of the Russian Mission to Alaska in the 1800s and became one of the first Native Alaskan priests to be ordained. Iply knew all about this because his Great, great Grandfather traveled by dog sled through the Kuskokwim Delta Region starting churches through the Moravian and Russian Orthodox faith right along with Bill’s Great, great Grandfather. Iply knew of Innokenty through the generational stories that were told to him as child. And now, generations later, God’s divine plan was being fulfilled.

God also used this book to open my eyes to see angels. My husband was the spokesman at the revival. Although he is a gifted speaker with much enthusiasm, he prefers to know in advance what he is going to say. Iply kept telling him that the Spirit of God would give him the words to speak. Bill was quite nervous at first with prayer and introductions. On the fourth night of the revival Bill spontaneously prayed a most beautiful prayer. I was standing next to Iply and he turned to me and said, “Know that is what I’m talking about! Do you see the angel standing behind him?” I said no and Iply quickly prayed to the Lord to give me Spiritual eyes to see the angel, and there in a soft ever subtle glow behind my husband, I saw an angel!

I could write a whole book on the miracles God has done since I picked up that newspaper clipping and read Celestial Traveler, but one of the biggest highlights is about our friend and pastor, Bob. He continuously prays for the Aleut people of this region and has been instrumental in our family. Bob was diagnosed with brain cancer. He was staying in Anchorage for medical purposes and Bill and I flew in to spend Thanksgiving Day with him and his daughter in 2016. Prior to leaving that morning I received a phone call from Iply’s wife, Eileen. It was the first time we had talked or made contact. I told her we were in Anchorage and would like to get together with them. On Thanksgiving Day I thought about calling Iply and Eileen to let them know that Bob was having surgery in the next few days and ask them to pray. But being Thanksgiving I didn’t want to disturb them with a phone call. Before I knew it, I spoke up and said to Bob, we are supposed to call Iply, so we did. Eileen answered and immediately handed the phone to Iply and I handed mine to Bob. After the introduction Iply asked Bob if he was from the place of much wind, no trees, but the trees you do have are Sitka Spruce trees and the land of many berries? Well, you couldn’t describe Unalaska much better. Iply then prayed for Bob and had prophecies for him that overwhelmed us all with much joy. That was the third confirmation that Iply would be coming to Unalaska, our remote little island in the Aleutians. Bob underwent a year of chemotherapy after removal of an egg-size tumor from his brain. He is now recovering and there is no bad effects so far.

God has His hand on every detail of our lives. On February 25, 2018 my husband and I were going to church. Behind us we heard a man singing during praise and worship. I kept listening because he sang so beautifully. I wanted to turn around but waited until the service was over and couldn’t wait to greet him and tell him what a beautiful voice he had. I introduced myself and told him what enjoyment I got from his singing. My husband started talking with him and I with his wife Sharolyn. Before I knew it the man handed me his business card asked me if I had ever heard of the book “Celestial Traveler”?  “Yes, of course,” I replied. And my husband introduced him to me as Glenn Hermann, Author of “Celestial Traveler”!

This book helped me grow in my faith that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ is real. His ways are higher than ours. As stated in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give hope and a future.”

Diane