One of the mission’s most beloved spot series continues, with more Love Letters to Home. In the series, students from rural Alaska write and record audio love letters to the communities they call home.

Chunhui Billings described the welcoming support she loves in Utqiagvik.

“Most of all, I missed the community that Utqiagvik is: we support each other and nobody’s a stranger. We all help each other: new people and ones who have been there their whole lives,” Billings said.

Maia Elkins wrote about the people in her life who make Delta Junction home.

“I miss being able to go four wheeler riding with my friends and being able to hang out with them. I miss my dad’s cooking and the yummy food he makes. I miss my mom and the energy she gives off to have fun. I miss my sister Kiana for the bundle of joy she is and her laugh. I miss my brother Kai for the protection he gives me as his little sister and being able to go on adventures with him. I miss my grandma because of the love and support she gives me,” Elkins said.

The series, which is produced in collaboration with the University of Alaska’s Rural Alaska Honors Institute, is garnering excited feedback from faculty and community members. They say the strong and positive messages spark hope.

Photo at top: Writer Chunhui Billings stands under Utqiagvik’s whale bone arch. Photo courtesy of Chunhui Billings, used with permission.