Christmas In Juneau

What a wonderful Christmas we enjoyed this past week.  We lazily got up and exchanged our gifts for each other.  Just like each Christmas when we are at home, Diane made German pancakes with maple syrup.  Yum.  We watched a Hallmark movie and put together a jig-saw puzzle.  And then we took the Brinkerhoffs with us to eat dinner at the home of the Sakonas.  We enjoyed meeting Sister Sakona's side of the family.  There was lots of Tongan being spoken and some basketball being watched.  The food that was prepared was absolutely unreal.  There was goose, ham, king crab, salmon, white sweet potatoes, salads, casseroles and vegetables.  The Sakona family has obviously done this a lot as they had lots of food warming dishes that you see when the caterer comes.  President Sakona sat right by the king crab legs and cracked one after another and gave the meat to the missionaries until they had each had enough.  He made it his personal mantra for the meal.  There is a tremendous amount of love in that family.  Margaret Sakona had just returned from a trip to Thailand and had lots of adventures to report.

Colt Franklin helping to prepare for the YSA Dinner.

After a great time we excused ourselves from their family activities and returned home to have our Skype visits with our own families.  We were able to connect with all of them.  My microphone didn't work but we used a telephone to visit with one another while we were watching their beautiful faces.  The grandchildren were excited and fun.  Our own kids each have their hands full.  We are so happy to hear of their successes and achievements.  We had no idea Aubrey was hurting so badly from 3 separate concussions.  Honestly Aubrey, three?  We have lots to talk with our Father In Heaven about when we say our prayers.  Tomorrow we expect to have our first great grandchild and are praying for Ashley and the soon to depart from her Heavenly Home, Avery. 

Sebastian Welling and Marie Holden bring in their White Elephant gifts.

We enjoy this "Season."  Even though our time is spent pretty much 24-7 in the work of the Savior, the focus of those around us, TV, advertising, music and business, point towards good will to men, and towards being more like Jesus Christ.  Couldn't that just stay with us and the world for a bigger portion of the year?  And even more, can't these values of loving our fellow man seep upwards toward our leaders so that peace would be more important than domination, power and money?  Dear Father In Heaven, bless mankind.  Bless us all to be more kind to our fellow man.

Amanda Mosher, Bryce Anderson and Macey Bettridge arrive for the dinner.

We can report that Elder Parker Bengtzen is burning 'em up in Long Beach as a zone leader.  He keeps working hard in spite of the problems he is having with gastroitis and Chrone's symptoms. 

We aren't holding seminary or institute during the two week Christmas break.  But that hasn't kept the branch from using us as teachers.  Diane taught Relief Society last Sunday and I have taught the Doctrine and Covenants Sunday School lessons the past two weeks. 

Sisters Luvinia Sakona, Karlyn Welling and Diane Waldron take a moment from their dinner preparation duties to pose for the camera.

We have both been concentrating on genealogy research big time.  I have actually found 19 names to take with us to the temple when we get home.  These are names on the Waldron side of the family.  Diane has prepared several hundred names on the Bengtzen side of the family.

Marie returned from BYU Idaho and excited us all that she was taking a semester off to make some money so she could return.  You better believe the branch is going to put this convert of two years now, to work.   Erik Mullen allows me to get a photo.  He is planning on leaving for a mission after this coming semester of school. 

We had a wonderful Young Single Adult activity on Friday.  The members of the branch presidency provided the meat dishes and the rest of us brought pot-luck salads, casseroles and desserts.  These items combined made for a wonderful dinner in the cultural hall.  It was decorated. . . a bit.  Diane took some Christmas things from our tree to put on each table for a center-piece.  After the meal we put everyone in a circle and played the IN-famous White Elephant present game.  There were about 50 attending including several non-members and a few guests brought in from out of town. 

There was lots of gift "stealing" and laughing at the silliness of the whole thing. 

The snow has been packed down into solid ice by the rain that followed it.  It is treacherous to walk here.  I noticed that Elder Brinkerhoff has been wearing the pull on metal spikes for his shoes.  That is certainly better than falling. 

Mallory Welling is the daughter of our first councilor in the branch presidency.  She fell in love with the remote control tarantella and used her skills to acquire it on the third and final "steal." 

There was an incredible sight behind the church and in the trees along the road from our church to our apartment today.  We counted 50 bald eagles in the trees.  I know there were many that I didn't see because I was driving.  For me it is a glorious sight.  One dead Sitka Spruce with bare branches had 16 in it.  I never tire of it.  And I'm sure I drive my companion nuts by pointing out the eagles and any wildlife we come across.

Marie Holden was so cute.  She asked if she could take my picture.  She noticed that I am always taking the pictures.  I told her yes if she would consent to be in it with me.

The church is providing some very wonderful  insight into church history and current social issues and other things on the lds.org site.  If you look under church news and then go to resources and follow up by going into the Newsroom, there is so much to help us understand our leaders, their pathway to decisions and even history on topics such as Priesthood (for every worthy male), same sex attraction, polygamy and hundreds more.  I am so happy the church has put these things up so the populace can get the answers from the source rather from those with agendas and ulterior motives. 

Luvinia Sakona is a wonderful asset to our branch.  She is very supportive of President Josh Sakona.  She opens her home to so many relatives and neighbors missionaries and friends.  The world needs many more just like her.

Serving a mission has given us many opportunities to help others understand the scriptures, strengthen their faith and build testimonies of their own.  At the same time, we have come to understand the scriptures better, our faith is stronger, and our testimonies are dear to us. 

We are looking forward to another year and the opportunities and challenges 2014 will bring, and along with that, looking ahead to coming blessings and family growth. 

What Child Is This?

The Sister missionaries asked me to accompany them in Sacrament meeting.  They sang Sally DeFord's 'What Child Is This?'  Sister Whitby and Sister Faupula sounded very good together and helped to make the meeting a very nice one.  Elder and Sister Brinkerhoff spoke.  They told the YSA branch about their mission and Elder Brinkerhoff spoke wonderfully about the Savior.

Mendenhall Glacier has been a wonderful attraction for us while we have been in Juneau.  It is so beautiful and so deadly if not given proper caution.

The Institute class was attended by three again this week.  It didn't stop us from having a wonderful discussion on Alma.  Diane's meals continue to be a looked forward to activity by those who attend. 

This is Nugget Falls in the lower middle portion of the picture.  In the summer it roars with runoff water.  It is so cold you wonder where there is water that is not frozen on that mountain.  But the ground is saturated with water and it just runs out in numerous springs and gather at the bottom of Nugget falls.

Today in the Thursday Institute class we started our new course, "The Pearl of Great Price."  All of us in our lifetimes question who we are, why we are here, and what happens to us after this life.  A most wonderful statement made by the God of this world to Moses brings a great amount assurance to me: "Thou art my son."  How wonderful.  We are the sons and daughters of our Father In Heaven. 

Mendenhall lake is completely frozen over.  The temperatures in the valley below the glacier is typically 8-10 degrees colder than where we live which is around the mountain in Lemon Creek.

The snow has dropped on us today.  The humidity is lower than usual for Juneau.  Consequently the snow has been light and fluffy.  It appears to have accumulated an additional foot on to of  that which had already fallen earlier in the week. 

The blues in the glacier were amplified by the sun on this day.  Glacier blue is such a stunning color.

I took a drive up to Mendenhall Glacier yesterday.  The sun was shining without a cloud in the sky.  The temperature was 4 degrees Fahrenheit.  I tried to capture what I was seeing with my limited photographic skills.  But it was beautiful and had it not been so cold, I would have spent more time soaking up the beauty of the place but the cold drove me back to the car.

The snow was falling today at least by an inch an hour and sometimes more.  The snow removers have their work cut out for them on days like this.

December Weather Lashes Out At Juneau

It has snowed and snowed here.  And then it has rained making all that snow into a sheet of ice.  And then it has snowed some more today.  We have had to watch the school district web site to see if they were holding school on the snow days.  We didn't want to cancel seminary if the schools were going to tough it out.  The beauty of the snow on the Sitka Spruce trees is wonderful for the eyes.  Elder Brinkerhoff has expressed his displeasure for the weather and wonders why anyone would live here.  We enjoy our association with them.  This is their third mission.  Each mission has been as digital records preservationist missionaries.  They have done this in Dublin, Ireland, Oregon, and this third mission started out in Iowa before they received a transfer to Juneau. 

We have experienced the mid-winter drop off in attendance at Institute .  We are not sure of the reasons but miss them when they choose not to come.  This week only 3 came.  Diane had a wonderful meal for them afterward.  We studied the people of Limhi in the Book of Mosiah.  We also studied the people of Alma in the land of Helam.  The lessons we talked about were the burdens we have placed on our backs during our sojourn on earth.  We all have them.  Sometimes they are placed on our backs by others.  Some the Lord gives us to make us stronger.  And some we place upon ourselves because of disobedience.  Hopefully our burdens will cause us to be humble and call upon God at all times.  When we finally realize we are carrying burdens needlessly, and that we have caused these burdens to be placed upon ourselves, we re-evaluate our relationship with God and strive to obey his commandments better, or again.  Even though there were only three in attendance, they each contributed greatly to the discussion. 

We finally wrapped up Revelations in our Thursday morning Institute class for the adults who attend here in the stake.  It was rewarding to see them understand better the imagery written by John in his Middle Eastern way.  Of course we couldn't answer every question and identify every image, but we all received an understanding of the coming trials that await us as the Lord works out His sovereign will among the nations.  We know there is to be a purging of "Babylon" from the world.  The tares will be separated from the wheat.  There will be much destruction before the end.  It was important to understand that after 13 or so chapters of destruction and purging, there would be a reward of righteousness for those who can be gathered among "the Sheaves of wheat."  We talked about the importance of living up to the covenants we have made with God.  We will now jump into the Pearl of Great Price.

Pres. and Sister Beesley came to Juneau last week to hold some training for the missionaries from Juneau and Whitehorse and to have interviews.  They invited us to sit in on as much of the training as we wanted.  We did attend some of the afternoon meetings until they started the interviews.  They also took us to dinner at the "Broiler," along with the sister missionaries, the zone leaders, Poppy and the Brinkerhoffs.  Poppy volunteered to fix lunch for the missionaries.  Sister Beesley had a hard time staying awake.  Watching them I recognize they have a grueling and physically taxing assignment. 

The sister missionaries, Sister Whitbey and Sister Failupa sang Sally DeFord's arrangement of "What Child Is This?"  They asked me to accompany them on the piano.  I was busy trying to hit all the right notes, but I think they did a very good job.  Sister Whitby had mentioned she was disappointed she couldn't find the Tabernacle Choir CD with Jane Seymore.  I have a box of them I brought up to give to those who invite us to dinner.  The sisters were pretty stoked when I gave one to them. 

I was able to teach Friday's seminary lesson to the sophomore class.  They were wonderful and patient with me as I tried to straighten out the chronology of the events in Mosiah for them.  It takes some real character and stamina to be a seminary graduate here. 

I'm getting better at genealogy I believe.  Diane tells me she has researched 200 ancestors names from her lines and those of her first husband, Larry.  Their work is ready to do in the temple.   I have found 10 ancestors that qualify to have their temple work done.  I ran off coded paper for Tiffany and mailed it to her to take with her to the temple for one of them.  I have gotten better at making sources and using ready made sources so others can see where I found the records.  The amazing thing is the sources, each one of them, have been a result of the church putting so much resource into the digital recording of records world-wide. 

Closing Out November

Bob and Sawa Francis have been so wonderful to us as we have served our mission in the Juneau Young Single Adult Branch.  Bob is a counselor in the branch presidency.  Sawa is so supportive and attends with him like a trooper. 

They invited us and Elder and Sister Brinkerhoff to spend Thanksgiving with them.  They have no family with them here in Juneau.  He works for the forest service and she works for Walmart a couple of days each week.  Sawa had marinated a turkey in a brine solution and cooked it in the oven.  It was wonderful.  The amount of food and variety was huge for the six of us.  We had bean and mushroom, beets, mashed potatoes and gravy, turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, rolls, the celery, olives, carrots and artichoke heart vegetable plate, candied yams and apple and pumpkin pie.  After cleaning up we visited and played chicken foot with some dominoes. 

Last evening was our Break the Fast which we hold each first Sunday of the month.  Pres. Sakona was in Mesa, AZ. and the YSA members came through still.  There was so much good food.  We fixed up some plates for the 3rd ward Bishopric who were working on Tithing Settlement.  We invited Poppy, a recent convert from Thailand, and her friend who works with her at Costco.  They were grateful.  Sister Whitby asked for a blessing which we gave her last evening.  She has been dealing with the flu a couple of days.  Sister Failupa, from S. California has returned to Juneau after being away for about 4 transfers.  Sister Whitby's companion, Sister Hallmark has been transferred to Fairbanks.  BRRRR. 

Elder Dan Brinkerhoff was a rancher in Fairfield.  He claimed to have butchering skills and wanted to carve the turkey. 

The week has been in preparation for teaching Mosiah, Zeniff through Limhi, and the final chapters of Revelations for the Thursday adult Institute. 

We have spent many hours the past 10 days on genealogy and indexing.  Diane mentioned that she has submitted over 200 names for temple work.  I got one.  Yay me! 

The weather is cold now.  A week ago we received over a foot of snow.  Our highs and lows are both in the teens right now.  

We enjoy the work and the people we are with.

That is Sister Waldron on the left.  Bob Francis is in the center and Sister Ruth Brinkerhoff is on the right.

This is the view to the south west from Francis' living room. 

And this is the view to the south east from their dining area.

Thanksgiving In Juneau

We haven't had a missionary prep class for the past two weeks.  Eric has had the lessons and Emmilyann is now in the MTC.  We had to cancel last week's Thursday Institute because of the amount of snow that was on the road.  We got 10-12 inches depending on where you were, Lemon Creek or in the Valley.  It is gone now.  The constant rain of the past 5 days has melted it.

Our Sunday School Gospel Doctrine teacher is struggling right now and didn't show up on Sunday.  I did my best filling in on lesson #41, Missionary Work.  I hurried home during Priesthood meeting and ran the lesson off from the LDS.org site and used the headings to direct the lesson.  Elizabeth Munoz told me she liked my lessons better when I didn't have time to prepare them.  I'm not sure what to take from that.

Wednesday Institute we spent admiring the leadership of King Benjamin and his example of service and righteousness. 

Now and then I have to make an 'executive' decision in the seminary.  I made one yesterday.  I asked a young man not to sit next to a certain young woman anymore.  He was reluctant but told me he would try.  I did a rewind and said trying wasn't enough.  The correct answer is either yes or no.  He said that if he refused to sit away from her then he probably wouldn't be allowed to come to seminary.  I responded that would be his choice, that seminary is a privilege and not a right.  He then said he would sit away from her.  He came in to the area where I was studying quite upset and said he just couldn't do it.  He wanted to know what power I had to make an edict like that.  I explained that as the Priesthood holder with the responsibility of supervising the seminary, I had that authority and responsibility to see that classes were orderly and enjoyable for all, including the teacher.  After a Priesthood holder talk to another Priesthood holder, where it was explained what stress he was causing his volunteer teacher, and the disruption it caused to the class when these two were talking and laughing during a lesson, he seemed to understand a bit better.  He said, "Now that I understand the problem, can I sit next to her?"  lol  I explained that when it was not as important whom he sat by, as the privilege of just being there to better himself, we would discuss the issue again.  But for the time being he was to sit away from her.  For a bit I felt like I was back teaching school instead of serving a mission. 

The Bald Eagles have returned to Juneau.  I saw these three Thanksgiving morning at the top of the same tree.

I have been doing a lot of Family History research this week.  My genealogy seems to become a bigger job with each name I find.  Duh!  I try to keep up with my Indexing too.  I have been doing nothing but arbitration the last month.  I am working on the obituary pilot batches.  They are so interesting. 

Diane (Sister Waldron) is busy finishing up the rolls for today's dinner.  She baked two beautiful pies yesterday.  We have been invited to Thanksgiving dinner with Robert and Sawa Francis.  Elder and Sister Brinkerhoff will be going with us as well. 

There has been plenty of time to look back at my life and realize how hands on the Lord has been.  I am so thankful for my blessings.  My family is beautiful and precious to me.  My faith is more precious than any amount of rubies for sure.  I have never had to go hungry.  The only times I have slept without a roof over my head have been by choice, except for that one time I got lost with my missionary district in Inscription Canyon in Arizona.  There's a story.  I have never had to defend my freedoms with a gun.  Freedom is a great thing.  I know who I am.  I am a son of God, and a brother of my Savior, Jesus Christ who has made it possible for me to be an heir of my Father In Heaven.  I have a decent understanding from the scriptures of where I will go when this life is over. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Slow In Coming, But Serious Snow Now

We said our 'Good-Byes' to Emmilyanne Lohrey last week.  She checked into the MTC on Wednesday. 

And winter arrived with a power play this week.  First of all the temperatures dropped into the low teens along with the wind.  And then this morning we woke up to this.  It is expected another 10 inches will fall during the day.  The oil lines in the church house boilers had frozen.  Condensation in the lines pretty much shuts down the heat.  We held seminary and Institute yesterday with the rooms in the high 40s and low 50s.  The heat was back on this morning.  The lines were drawn from the oil tanks, thawed out and replaced. 

The bald eagles have returned.  I missed them these past two months.  They went up to Haynes for the last remnants of the salmon runs.  The food source quit there and they have returned here.

The Book of Revelations has proved to be an interesting and fascinating discussion the past two weeks.  And we only progressed through 12 chapters during that time.  The fascinating part is finally, through lots of prayer and study, I am understanding it.  It is a challenge to guide those who attend correctly.  I have had to study hard to get as many answers as I can.  There are still questions, but it is clearer to me now. 

The Words of Mormon and Mosiah were our focus last night as we huddled in the Relief Society room for Institute.  The Primary room, where we usually meet was less than 40 degrees in temperature.  As we studied the teachings of King Benjamin I couldn't help but wish we had leaders like him at the heads of our world's nations today. 

We are enjoying the Brinkerhoffs.  They are the Family Search records preservation missionaries.  Last week we went out to dinner with them, ending up in a pizza joint that wasn't bad.  We also went up to Mendenhall Glacier with them and picked up a DVD on the creation and melting of the glaciers.  And gas is less than $4.00 a gallon for the first time since arriving in Alaska.  We have been paying $4.27 and this week it is $3.99.

This Is Elder Marshall Sargent.  He has arrived in Gilbert, Arizona to serve two years as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints.  We enjoyed working with him since we have been here in Juneau.  We know the people of Gilbert are going to love him.  I hope he loves the dry heat.

And below is a picture of the ice caves that develop in the Mendenhall Glacier.  I have been invited to go see them several times but have not taken the opportunity.  Those things always collapse at some time.  I don't want to see that.

Or Us Boris Alice

One of the YSA, Justin Brinkerhoff, alerted me through Facebook that the northern lights, Aurora Borealis, would be visible last night.  It is so rare to see them here in Juneau as the sky is usually overcast.  I habitually get up in the morning around 2:00 a.m., and last night was no exception.  Diane didn't want to go so I got dressed and ventured out alone.  It was cold, 25 degrees.  I drove up to Mendenhall Glacier and sure enough, once out of the street lights there they were.  They filled two thirds of the sky.  This night they were mostly white.  I occasionally saw a hint of pale green or blue and once even a flash of orange.  I tried taking pictures but I don't really understand what to do.  I opened the shutter to 1/50 but there must be something else.

Wendy Calderwood and Ian Tracey are the called Mom and Dad for planning YSA family home evening activities.  They do a great job.

I drove back home and stopped on a road just by the church where there were no street lights and got out of the car to look up.  The heavenly vistas were even more spectacular here in Lemon Creek.  These mostly white lights looked like fingers of clouds in the clear cold air, but they flashed, spun and danced like lightning.  I had to make sure Diane saw them.  I came back and woke her up and made her drive out past the church so we could see them together.  She only grumped a little bit.  I think she liked them.

Monty and Teena Williams invited us to dinner twice during the past 14 days.  Elder and Sister Brinkerhoff also were invited both times.  We picked them up and took them with us so they wouldn't have to try and find it.  The second time we had a home evening lesson and then played Whodunit.  I'd never heard of the game but we had a wonderful time.

A J Collins is from Ely, Nevada.  He is Choctaw Indian.  He owns a condominium with three bedrooms and rents them out.   He has been fortunate in that most have LDS standards and so he shares the same values.  He is also the finance records keeper for one of the local mines.  He is actually 32 but still participates in YSA family home evening and Institute.  He is attending the 3rd ward now since his 32nd birthday.  We really love him and appreciate his faithfulness in being active.

The Brinkerhoffs, Dan and Ruth, who are from Fairview, Utah, have finally moved into their apartment.  They lived two weeks in the Best Western without a kitchen.  Their apartment is above us and across the hallway.  It is exactly the same floor-plan inverted.  The elders and Ogo Tupou helped move their furnishing with Ogo's pick-up.  I helped them put together their new furniture pieces and bed.  It appears they are happier there than they would be moving into ours in three months.  If that remains the case, the sister missionaries will move out of their, what I consider to be inadequate apartment, and into ours.  They are very excited for that time.  Sister Whitby is from Texas, Black, and a real talented go getter.  Sister Hallmark is from Utah, White, and also a real go getter.  They are wonderful to have around.  To tell it like it is, the Elders have been more on their toes since the sisters arrived.  It has been great.

Dara Johnson joined us from Utah in the middle of the summer.  She returned this week to continue her schooling.  Bryce Anderson lives here with his parents, is a returned missionary and has been to a year of school at BYU Hawaii. 

I made bread twice this week to take to people who have treated us so well.  I'm taking two loaves to John Lohrey today.  They had us over to dinner Tuesday.  Also invited was the Leigh family, Donna and her husband and son who is a senior and attends seminary.  Donna is a niece of my Aunt Esther Everett.  Emilyann Lohrey is leaving Wednesday for the mission home with her mother.  John will be staying with the three adopted little girls and also staying is Michael. who is also in our seminary.  John is not a member.  You wouldn't know it as he comes to church more than most members.  He is a member of the Chapel by the Lake congregation.  I haven't a clue why he isn't baptized but Emilyann says it has something to do with a due loyalty to his parents who had been members of that church.  Michael won't get baptized either as he wants to be loyal to his Father.  Emily Anne will be going to a mission in the middle of Siberia.  I'm hoping the bread will be a help to John during the time he is without his wife, Diane.  They are both excited to be going to the temple for the first time and seeing Temple Square and doing their final shopping for Emilyann.  (I hadn't realized how attached I am to these YSA young people.  I mentioned in Institute Thursday night my best wishes for her now that she would be leaving us for 18 months.  I found myself a bit choked up. She will leave a big hole in our missionary prep class.)  We survived when Nia Ma'ake left on a mission, I know we will have the void filled by someone.

Eric Mullen is from California where his family lives.  He is a student at UASE.  He made the decision to return to activity about 10 months ago.  He is a faithful attendee at missionary prep and plans to leave at the end of this school year at the age of 23.  Dylan Shizynski was baptized around Christmas time.  He has been to boot camp for his first six months of the army reserve.  He maintained a good strong testimony throughout it all.  Emilyann Lohrey leaves for her mission Wednesday.  She turned 19 recently.  She is a tiny thing and has a great knowledge of the gospel and a wonderful strong testimony. 

 I didn't take these pictures.  Bryce Anderson did.  These actually happened last night.  He was in downtown Juneau.

I have been teaching the book of Revelations in our Thursday morning Institute discussions.  The attendance has only been around six lately for a number of reasons and conflicts.  But I, like all teachers, learn more from preparing and teaching than those who attend do.  I'm finding that it is understandable and wonderful.  So much has come to pass just as John the Revelator prophesied.  Some is definitely happening right now.  And because these things have and are happening, I have no doubt the prophecies concerning the sifting of the tares from the wheat and the prophecies of Isaiah will also come to pass.  And Nephi tells his prophecies in yet another literary style.  But all three, and Ezekiel as well, tell of the same events that have and will occur yet on the earth.

 The YSA Institute classes, which have been centered on the final chapters of Isaiah, as they occur in the Book of Mormon and the book of Jacob, have continued to have a total attendance better than last year.  Jacob fortifies the teaches of his brother, Nephi.  He asks his people, inside the temple, to obey the commandments and to shun pride.  While covering the many warnings Jacob gave to his family that he loved, and while touching on the events of those who had hurt the tender hearts of their wives and children because of lasciviousness, I found myself spending a considerable amount of time paralleling those times with our times.  I hadn't intended to go where I did, but found myself spending a considerable amount of time warning them of the dangers of pornography and how it is wounding the hearts of girl friends, boy friends, wives and children.  Sometimes I feel impressed to emphasize segments of the writings in a stronger and more impressionable manner than I have planned.  I hope none of them needed the heavy reinforcement.  Visiting with our Branch President however, leads me to know this pernicious activity creeps among us, hiding in the cracks and floor boards and closets of our lives, apartments and homes, like incestuous cockroaches. 

We had a wonderful surprise yesterday.  We received an unexpected missionary care package from the Ty and Melinda Vranes family who are in our home ward.  It lifted our day.  We are going to love handing out the CTR rings and goodies to the primary kids in our wards.

We are enjoying our mission.  We are getting a lot done.  We are strengthening our testimonies of the gospel plan.  Our family is more dear to us than ever.  I recall, when being privileged enough to hear his prayers,  a phrase Dad used.  "And bless our children and our grandchildren, that not a single one may be lost to the adversary."  I find myself using the same heaven sent plea.

Our Final Anchorage In-Service

Diane and I flew to Anchorage, Alaska on Thursday a week ago.  Our purpose was to attend a Friday in-service for our Church Education calling.  It was our final time to attend one of these wonderful learning opportunities.  Greg Bishop, the CES supervisor from Seattle over the Northwest, and Erik Bacon, the coordinator over Anchorage had prepared the meeting.  Also with us was Scott Beames, our coordinator, Michael Davidson and Joe Dinwoody, who are full time seminary teachers in Matanuska and Palmer. 

We received lots of guidance and instruction.  I also got lots of ideas for the in-service that I will be presenting the first Wednesday morning in November to our stake seminary teachers.

 
We arranged to spend a bit of time in Anchorage and arrived Thursday afternoon.  We had to cut our Thursday institute short by 30 minutes to catch the plane.  After picking up our vehicle from the mission office we checked into our hotel.  Then after a bite to eat we excitedly drove to the temple.  We arrived just a bit too late to take in a session but we did join a group doing sealings. 

Friday was the in-service.  The recently assigned missionary couple to the Institute building in Anchorage fixed a great lunch.  After dismissing the meeting, Diane and I went to the hotel for a 30 minute nap and then off to Village Inn for dinner.  Afterwards we attended a session in the temple. 

The following morning, Saturday, we again went to the temple for a session.  We were surprised to see the Verhagen family in the session.  They are from Fairbanks.  Mary Verhagen has accepted a call to serve in the Ohio mission and was getting ready to leave early next month.  Mary and her brothers, Josh and Elijah, attended our spring semester of institute and it was so good to see them again.  She is going to be a dynamite sister missionary.  Bro. and Sister Verhagen have been called to serve as temple workers in the Anchorage temple for one weekend each month.  They stay with friends Thursday through Sunday before the drive back to Fairbanks.  Even though we have access to a temple here in Alaska, I am so grateful to be living with ten minutes of a temple in Riverton, and can go often.

Our Institute was attended very well two and three weeks ago.  We had 16 YSA to teach.  This week we were down to 6.  I hope it isn't because of the Isaiah chapters.  I try to make them as exciting as I can.  Actually, to me they are incredible.  The fact that the Lord would show Isaiah the events of the Jews and Gentiles, and the coming of Immanuel to Isaiah, is wonderful.  That Isaiah was able to prophecy the mission of Joseph Smith 2600 years before his birth, is a testimony builder for me.  His understanding the Book of Mormon would be a spokesman from the dust of Nephi's people to us is a special message.  I especially marvel that Isaiah prophecies in the latter days any who warred with; or bothered Israel, would face God's wrath.  He specifically states that these nations will turn on themselves.  I look at Egypt, Lybia, Syria, Iraq and others in the middle east and realize these things are happening. . . now, just as Isaiah prophesied. 

Mont and Tina Williams invited us for New Mexico enchiladas Thursday evening.  We picked up Elder and Sister Brinkerhoff and took them with us.  Along with their daughter Kim, we had a wonderful evening.  Tina and Kim attend Thursday institute. 

We drove to the county records office Thursday afternoon to watch the Brinkerhoffs as they recorded the records in the archive for family search.  It looked pretty repetitive to me.  But they seem happy as can be. 

I miss being able to go out after a salmon once a week as I did while they were running.  The eagles seem to be someplace other than Juneau.  The rain and cloud cover has been extreme to us; but, as we are told, this is typical for Juneau.  We are experiencing temperatures in the high forties for the high, and the low forties for the low.  There has been snow in the upper mountain areas. 

President Josh Sakona and his wife Lovinia invited us to dinner earlier this week.  He checked his crab pots that day and had some king crab.  We had all the king crab we could eat.  Plus they had salmon cooked in coconut oil and on top of that they had steak.  There was asparagus and slices of zucchini squash and a salad.  I'm sure we ate more than we should have.  We enjoyed the meal and the visit with the family.  Jamie, Margaret and Kayleen are their children.  They are all in their twenties and single.  They attend the YSA branch.  We really love these people and enjoy being with them.

The gospel is beautiful, and true.  How grateful I am that my parents taught me the gospel. 

2 Nephi 25:26 

And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.

Isaiah

Members of the Young Single Adult branch continue to come and go, even outside of the tourist season.  We have met a wonderful young woman by the name of Corina Sandoval.  Life has been hard for Corina in Mexico.  She came to Sitka to visit friends with whom she had graduated from high school with.  She had some life altering thinking to do.  While living her life to the fullest one day, she was helping clean a boat for an upcoming fishing trip.  Not having complete control of her faculties she tumbled into the engine room and hurt herself with a concussion and some stitches.  She had an epiphany of sorts and decided she would like to clean her life up. 

The Sisters in Sitka made contact with her shortly thereafter and quickly she understood the principles of the gospel, and she accepted the challenge to be baptized.  Within a couple of weeks she left Sitka and came to Juneau to be with an older friend who had also been in Sitka.  Her name is Hilda and she also hails from Mexico.  Hilda is now a care keeper for an 80 year old man in a very nice home.  Hilda is also a member of the church but has been inactive most of her life.  Unexpectedly they showed up at institute.  At the conclusion of the evening they were excited about the church, the lesson and the prospects of living the gospel.  Corina has attended two times since.  This past week Diane and I gave her a ride home as no other YSA lived near her.  We had a nice chat and learned that she was married and planned to return to Mexico.  Her intent is to try and work out a marriage that was not working well when she made the decision to go to Alaska.  I asked her if she would like a priesthood blessing before returning home.  She said she would like that.

She did come to church yesterday with a plan to delay her return to Mexico until Friday.   I introduced her to President Sakona and he invited me to assist him with the priesthood blessing.  We had a wonderful visit with Corina where she expressed fear at returning to a husband who is now loving another and living very differently from the teachings of the gospel.  President Sakona gave her a beautiful blessing and we taught her about the priesthood and the strength and support it can be in our lives.  She will leave this week having only been with us about 5 weeks.  But she allowed us an opportunity to serve her and teach her. 

Scott Beames setting up the 'Go To Meeting' technology.  While he was doing that I am getting the my computer into "Go To Meeting' and getting the Polycom up so the outlying branches can join us and see us.

Scott Beames, the Alaska coordinator for the CES, visited last week.  He conducted an in-service for our stake seminary teachers in preparation for the coming Book of Mormon chapters which include Isaiah.  He brought his wife Tricia.  Their children are old enough to get themselves off to school.  They live in Palmer.  We met with them, the Schlechters and Bob and Sowa Francis at our favorite Thai food place.  I'd call it a restaurant, but that might be stretching it some.  It's just a dig.

This is how our early morning In-Service looks.   Our early morning seminary teachers have made arrangements for substitute teachers while they are in training.

Elder Call of the Seventy and President John Beesley, our mission president met with us in our chapel yesterday.  The meeting was for each ward and branch council in our stake.  The theme was to help these councils be effective in hastening the work.  It took a tremendous amount of technology to connect each of our 13 units to sound and most of them to video.  Some responded to questions by texting in answers and others used the polycom and some were able to respond directly with the vidyo system used by the church. 

President Josh Sakona and his wife Lovinia

I am finding myself immersed in the chapters of the Book of Mormon that quote Isaiah.  He wrote with the intent of making the meaning of his writings understandable to a covenant people.  He knew the world would grow weary of his poetry and not seek the meaning.  But he also knew that in our day we would read it and understand it.  With the assistance of a wonderful book called 'Understanding Isaiah' and the BYU tv gospel discussion broadcasts that I watch, I believe I am understanding it more than ever before.  I am not totally comfortable teaching it, but feel better about it than I would have a year ago.  These writings help establish the credibility of the Savior and also the church, sometimes described as that on Mount Zion and the New Jerusalem.  They give great insight into the future of the house of Israel on Mount Zion and the House of Israel in Jerusalem. 

After our YSA Family Home Evening everyone went to a Tae Kwan Do studio for some self defense training.

I am trying to do as Nephi as suggested when he introduced the first of the Isaiah chapters in First Nephi.  He told us that in reading Isaiah we should liken his writings as unto ourselves. 

We met a senior couple at the ferry dock this morning at 4:00 a.m.  They are Elder and Sister Brinkerhoff from Fairview, Utah.  They will be doing records preservation while they are here.  They are without an apartment for a couple of weeks and will be staying in a motel until the apartment above us becomes available the first of November. 

Aubrey Welling, President Welling's daughter, and Dara, one of our YSA as they prepare to learn the art of self-defense.

Conference was so meaningful and uplifting.  I think the most poignant message was that we should not be doubting our religion, but doubting our doubts.  Elder Uchtdorf acknowledged the church is and has been led by men.  They are God's chosen Prophets, but they are still men.  And sometimes men make mistakes.  I'm grateful that I've been able to understand that and hold on to the faith that offers so many blessings.  In spite of the inadequacies of man, the church has been organized in its fulness once again.  We are led by a chosen Prophet, chosen by God himself.  And he spoke to us Gods will once again from the pulpit just two Sunday's ago.