An epic dream

by Peter Twitchell

I had an amazing dream that I was at my fishcamp across from Bethel and the whole Kuskokwim River went completely dry – the entire Kuskokwim a river emptied itself dry just like in the movie the Ten Commandments when God made a path for the Israelites to cross the Red Sea. The River was bone dry!! It was so real and we walked across to the City of Bethel on solid ground! Wow!

In my lifetime I never expected to have a dream like the one I had last night, 12 February 2023. In my dream I was across the river from Bethel 3 miles upstream on the southside at our fishcamp property. The next thing I saw was amazing but I wasn’t afraid. The earth didn’t shake but the Kuskokwim River rose so high I had to look up to see the river beginning to roll down stream from our fishcamp and away from the city of Bethel, I imagine to the Kuskokwim Bay.

I took a good look at what was the bottom of the river and the river banks and it was all dry as a bone.

In my dream I proceeded down the riverbank and started to walk on what was the river bottom toward the city of Bethel. In my dream I was amazed.

When I awoke before I reached the city of Bethel I remembered seeing a similar incident happen in an epic motion picture in 1959 when I was nine years old. I saw the movie the “Ten Commandments” with my Dad at the Northern Commercial Company Theatre which was in the top floor of the N.C Store.

I was nine years old when I saw in the motion picture creator God Almighty spread the waters so the Israelites could escape from Pharaoh’s army.

The Northern Commercial Company store theater and post office complex were all in the same green building, it stood right where the Joe Lomack building is presently next to the seawall.

Yes, Bethel Sewall which was constructed by Albert Schmidt and his crew made up of Bethel men and youth who were in high school. They constructed the seawall with logs from upstream of Bethel.

I had this Epic Dream between the hours of 3 AM and 6 AM this morning February 12, 2023. An epic dream because it’s a benchmark in my life – 2/3 of it in my beloved Kuskokwim River and the Matanuska Susitna Valley.

I owe everything that I am to Creator God Almighty our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ from Nazareth and my beloved people from Southwest Alaska and Kuskokwim River region, my family, and outsiders who resided and came to Bethel help to make me who I am today, and I am forever grateful thank you.