I will restore unto you ...

Fina Kiefer of Palmer, Alaska, was missing for almost two days on the Pioneer Peak Trail northeast of Anchorage when she emerged from the woods about a mile from the trailhead. An experienced hiker, Kiefer later reported that a surprise encounter with bears chased her off the trail and left her disoriented as she tried to find her way back to the trailhead.

Kiefer's husband reported her missing late on a Monday night when she did not return home from the 13.6-mile hike, and Alaska state troopers joined Alaska's National Guard and volunteers to scour the area. Kiefer, 55, later said she could hear the helicopters overhead, but rescuers couldn't see her through the canopy of evergreens. After more than 35 hours, the search team called off their efforts as weather conditions deteriorated.

As volunteers drove down the mountain, a volunteer spotted Kiefer at around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday evening. She was cold and had minor injuries from a fall while she descended, but otherwise was in good health after a startling encounter with bears.

From Kiefer's perspective, the Monday hike took a surprising turn when she saw what she thought were two moose grazing on the trail ahead. From 50 yards away, she was startled to realize that the two were bears: "The bear closer to me turned his head, and as he turned his head, our eyes locked. ... And then he began to turn around full charge towards me. And at that moment I thought, 'God, is this the way I'm going to die?' He reminded me of a verse that He gave me in 2018, which was, 'I will restore unto you what the locusts have stolen.'"

As the bear charged her, running from 50 yards away to 25, Kiefer squared her shoulders, discharged her bear spray, and shouted, "Heyyyyy!" as loudly as she could. The bear slowed, shook his head, then charged again. Kiefer reports that she squared herself a second time, sprayed toward the bears, and this time shouted, "Gooooo!" with all the strength she could muster. After the second spray, the bear seemed confused and turned to run down the mountain with the other bear. Kiefer hiked further up the mountain to get distance between herself and the bears.

"What an experience," Kiefer said. Even as the bear was charging, she remembers marveling at the majesty of the bear's enormous head and strength. As Kiefer tried to regain her bearings after the bears lumbered away, she texted her husband to report the encounter and ask for help. She was unable to call him because of poor reception, and soon after texting him, her phone died.

Thankfully Kiefer's bold response and wilderness savvy ensured her survival, and her confidence as the bears charged was clearly fueled by a belief in God's faithfulness. Consider the Joel passage she referenced, particularly in light of all we have endured in the past year and a half:

I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—

the great locust and the young locust,

the other locusts and the locust swarm—

my great army that I sent among you.

You will have plenty to eat, until you are full,

and you will praise the name of the Lord your God,

who has worked wonders for you;

never again will my people be shamed.

Then you will know that I am in Israel,

that I am the Lord your God,

and that there is no other;

never again will my people be shamed.

(Joel 2:25-27)

As we anticipate a new season this fall -- with reports of the Delta variant, excessive heat, and wildfires dominating the news -- do you have the tenacity to lock eyes with the bear that threatens to charge, and will you have the fortitude to stand your ground despite the dangers that deter you from your path? How are you living a life that reflects your confidence in God's promises to His people? (To hear Kiefer's story, click here: Lost Hiker Survives Bear Encounter.)

Peace on your week,

Jennie