Interim officer no stranger to Alaska's Salvation Army

For Capt. Bill Bearchell, the work from the Tustin Ranch Salvation Army construction team couldn't have come at a better time.

Bearchell is a retired Salvation Army officer from Southern California. Or at least he thought he was retired, until he received a phone call from Alaska.

"They were asking if we could help them," Bearchell said. "Envoy Randy Neimeyer resigned, and there were no officers here in Palmer. They were looking for someone to step in for a while. It was a tough situation without any officers here."

The Bearchells have been in Kenai and Anchorage before, so they were familiar with the state and with the job responsibilities. They agreed to step in and help as long as they were needed -- they felt it was their calling to assist the organization.

"We are healthy, and as long as our health holds, we'll answer the call of the Lord," Bearchell said.

The construction crew from Tustin Ranch Salvation Army arrived midway through Bearchell's interim period, and he said they have been a huge help.

"Everything is in transition right now, so this is good," Bearchell said.

The Bearchells will be relieved of their interim duty on Sept. 11, when a permanent captain arrives. That will be Capt. Rhonda Saunders, who is moving from Juneau to Palmer to step into the role.

"Then we're off, back down to Southern California," Bearchell said. "The people here have been so helpful and nice to work with. We'll miss that."