Last week my wife and I, along with a few other family members traveled to Kodiak Island. Kodiak is the largest island in Alaska and is separated from the mainland by the Shelikof Strait. The island is known as Alaska's "Emerald Isle". It is incredibly beautiful.
I have always loved Alaskan history and there is no better place to start than with the life of a little Russian monk named Herman. In 1793, not many years after the "discovery" of Alaska, Catherine The Great, empress of all Russia, sent a contingency of ten Orthodox monks to Kodiak Island. One of them was Herman.
Herman had a deep love for the people of Kodiak and poured himself out in service to them. The impact of his simple, ascetic life has resonated for over two centuries and has spread across America and indeed, the world.
This was one of the most memorable trips I have ever taken. And I was unprepared for the impact it had on me. From the moment the landing craft glided into Monk's Lagoon, and I stepped onto the beach, I was transported back in time, into the presence of a little monk who has forever changed my life.
I give him my thanks.
Негізгі бет Pilgrimage to Kodiak, Alaska (Spruce Island)
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