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Themes: "Evangelism, Sinner is Diseased, Value of the Gospel D.D. This is the true story of the most important dog sled race ever run. Five mushers were on a mission to save lives. (A musher is a person who drives the dog sled team.) They were in a race against death. Would they make it?
Richard Stanley is 6 years old and his mom has brought him to the doctor's office. He has been sick for two days with a high fever and sore throat. As the doctor examines Richard's throat, he sees some white spots which tell him right away what is wrong. He has diphtheria. This is a disease which attacks people's throats and lungs. It is very contagious and can be deadly. Other people in town have come down with diphtheria too. The only cure is a serum injection and the doctor's supply is almost gone.
To get more medicine would not normally be a problem but Richard lives in Nome, Alaska. It is the middle of winter in the year 1925. The nearest town is Nenana, 670 miles away. Everyday more folks are getting sick. Five people have died already. It could wipe out the whole town if they don't get some medicine soon!
In Anchorage, another doctor sent a message that he has 300,000 units of medicine. They can get the serum by train to Nenana, but the problem was what to do after that. No trains, ships, or planes can get into Nome. The only way is dog sled. It would take longer but they had no choice.
The small package of medicine was carefully wrapped. It weighed only about 20 pounds, but it meant life and health to the people of Nome. A relay of 5 dog sled teams was chosen to deliver it. The first team would take the package to a certain place and give it to the next musher. That team would go for all it was worth to the next dog sled, and so on until they reached Nome. There were many dangers along the way. The trail would sometimes be blocked by snowdrifts. There was always the danger of starving wolves that would attack. Worst of all, it was 30 degrees below zero and a terrible blizzard had started. Despite it all, the mushers knew they were on a mission to save lives.
Were human lives worth it? What do you think? What do you think God thinks about not only human lives but the eternity facing every one of us?
Hour after hour, mile after mile, they trudged on. One team was blown right off the trail by a gust of wind and almost lost the medicine.
It was 5 o'clock in the morning when Gunner Kaasen's weary dog sled team, lead by a big black Alaskan husky named Balto, mushed into Nome with the medicine. They had made the journey in an incredible five and a half days, and saved many lives.
The greatest of all missions is the preaching of the gospel throughout the world. It is God's wonderful message of salvation from sin and eternal life through the Lord Jesus Christ. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16:31
The people of Nome were so thankful to get the serum which saved their lives. How have you resonded to the message of the gospel which can save your soul for eternity?
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Glen Moore
