Diane Celebrates A Birthday In Juneau

Diane finally caught up with me in age this week.  We are both now 66.  We celebrated with some flowers and a night out for dinner at a decent Chinese restaurant she enjoys.  The highlight of the day was having a few of our children call to express their love and appreciation to her for being their mother.  I think one of my greatest comforts has been to see our daughter grow from resentment at having a 'replacement' mother, to having reached a place of gratitude and love for that 'replacement mother.'  The test is what we do with the apples we have been given to harvest.  This daughter has finally made a beautiful batch of bottled apples that is being enjoyed in many 'apple pies' now and to come. (And to think I didn't feel we could afford another child.  How I thank her birth mother every day for being more wise than me.  I could not have afforded to be without her at this time in my life.)  Each child I have been blessed with, is a blessing to me in different ways. 

The tourist season is over.  The final cruise ships left the docks last Thursday.  Diane and I walked downtown where she looked over some items we wanted to purchase to help us remember this wonderful experience and place.  If you know Diane, you know she is a decorator supreme.  She makes our home a peaceful place.  We can look on our walls and find remembrances of our faith, our family and our life's experiences.  These items we purchased will help her to do some more of that.

Emily Ann Lohrey received her mission call last Monday.  She has been called to a mission in Siberia, Russia.  It was fun to watch her express her excitement at FHE as she would inform each friend who entered the room of her call.   She just jumped into their arms and would squeal with delight.  She has had four years of Russian in school.  That can't be a bad thing. 

Hannah Cordell has returned to our missionary prep classes.  She attended a couple of times after graduating from seminary and then decided she wasn't going to go on a mission.  Sunday there she was again.  She has started the on-line paper process and has put her availability date down as the new year.  When asked what happened, she replied that she didn't really know.  She just woke up and knew that she needed and wanted to go on a mission.  Her countenance is noticeably different in the missionary prep class.  She was there because she wanted to be there, so that she could be as prepared as she could possibly be.  She went through her scriptures with purpose.  We both noticed the change and the light that seemed to have become part of her.

The attendance at our FHE on Monday evenings has increased substantially since Wendy Calderwood has returned from her mission.  She does the planning and promoting.  They are well done and fun.  This evening there will be a short lesson and then she has arranged for a martial arts class to give them all a free martial arts lesson.  She has recently been called to be the Relief Society president.  I hope there is a suitable FHE leader available to replace her. 

We have two new members, converts, who have moved in from Sitka.  Corina Sandoval was baptized last month.  Her friend, a convert and her roommate is Hilda.  I still have to learn her last name.  They are both Latino and excited about the gospel.  They have been coming to Institute.

It always fun to see the sun.  In the early morning when it hits the Alaskan mountains it can be breath taking.

My preparations for this week's Institute lesson include coming to grips with Isaiah.  I am finding it fascinating.  I am understanding better that Isaiah wanted those who would read his writings to know and understand the branches of the tree of Israel.  He wanted those who had been removed from the tree to know their branch would be returned to the tree.  He wanted us to understand who Christ is and what he has given us.  He wanted us to understand that when we become children of the promise that we become a covenant people, and these covenants are sacred and essential.  Nephi understood Isaiah from the Brass Plates, and he became a kindred spirit with the mission and prophecies of Isaiah.  I hope I am able to help the YSA branch become as excited about it as we discuss it. 

It is a beautiful time of year.  The leaves are changing color and falling to the ground.  The foliage is preparing for the winter as well. 

Thursday Institute discussion centered around the writings of James, the half brother of Jesus.  Where as Paul teaches a lot about the trees of the gospel, James teaches much about the vines and protruding branches than can trip us up.  He teaches us what it takes to live a "Christ-Like" life.  Our attendance has been consistent.  I think I enjoy that part of our mission the most.  We take a single Institute lesson and spend the entire time on it.  We completely dissect the principles of the gospel and have time to chew on each morsel of truth.  I learn a great deal from those who attend. 

The fog is a daily occurrence.  I enjoy seeing it across the mountains and in this case in the Gastineau Channel.

The ravens and eagles have been away from our apartment since the salmon started to run in early summer.  The salmon runs are winding down and we again see an occasional raven and eagle.  The bears are full of salmon fat and they are finishing up their preparations for the coming winter's hibernation and birthing.  Diane and I saw our first really big male black bear in a clearing only a mile from our apartment.  He was meandering a very small stream looking for anything he could find of interest. 

Tara Pearce is a Junior in our Juneau Seminary class.  She also dives for the Thunder Mountain High School.  She invited us to see her dive.  Her father is her assistant coach standing beside her. 

Juneau, Alaska in September

The real Juneau has again reared its damp and cloudy head.  We are experiencing copious amounts of rain.  The car washes here are quite pathetic.  The best car wash is when I work the car over in the rain with a scrub brush.  The rain rinses the dirt from the car.  I placed the carry all back on the Subaru so I won't have to do it in the cold when our release date comes.   There is nothing I hate worse than having to work outside with my fingers when it is freezing.

Kayleen Sekona lives in Juneau and attends our Wednesday Institute classes. 

The past week has been repetitive as each school day we roll out of bed with the 5:00 a.m. alarm.  We arrive at the church in time to open the doors for early morning seminary at 6:15. a.m.  Diane does a lot of cooking and baking in preparation for Wednesday and Thursday institute classes.  I believe the kids look forward more to her meals than they do to the lessons.  I continue to index and dabble with ancestors names while Diane gets right into the genealogy.  She has turned in names consistently to the temple lately.

Josh Sekona is our Young Single Adults Branch President.  He is from Tonga and went to Samoa on his mission as a young man.  He is a spiritual giant.

The Coho (silvers) are in the water in very large numbers.  I have been out a couple of times with my fly pole but I guess I won't get to experience catching one on a fly.  They won't take it from me.  They are congregating by the ladders at the fish hatchery in huge numbers.  The seals are in front of the ladders waiting for easy meals.  One seal chased a silver right up to my feet yesterday.  He got a good chunk of the fish before he let it go and the fish kind of sunk right at my side.  That was exciting.

Emilyann Lohrey graduated from seminary just this past June.  She has been attending our missionary preparation class on Sunday afternoons.  Her papers are in and we expect to see a mission call in the next week.

Our Institute lesson on Wednesday night was centered on the Book of Mormon chapters 6-11.  We had a group of 15 attend.  Most of them were our local young people.  The summer workers are sifting their way out of town and back down to the lower 48.  I enjoyed the discussion of the principles that can be learned from those chapters in the Book of Mormon.  The vision of the Tree of Life is so important to understand.  It can contribute immensely to our understanding and to our ability to be content and happy while on this journey through life.

Eric Mullen has begun to attend the missionary preparation classes.  He spent the summer as a commercial fisherman.  He has recently been called to be a branch missionary and is one of the many success stories we have been able to experience.

Yesterday's Adult Institute centered on the last half of the book of Hebrews in the New Testament.  We compared the role of the Levitical high Priest in the Tabernacle on the Day of Atonement to the Savior, He who allowed Himself to be the final and one time sacrifice, performing for each of us the infinite atonement.  We discussed that the rituals of the sacrifice in the Old Testament were never designed to offer man exaltation.  It was simply a similitude of the sacrifice to come.  Those who come on Thursday mornings contribute greatly to the discussion and we are enjoying learning together.

Jaymie Lawrence was baptized in late summer up in Homer.  She moved here a week later and is very active and upbeat.  She has been called to be the Family History specialist in the branch. 

Bryce Anderson lives here and has been attending BYU Hawaii.  He is working to make money to finish his education.  He is an exceptional photographer.

As I study more, and as I age, I feel as if the gospel is a mural in front of me.  I am gradually stepping back from the picture and getting a broader glimpse of the whole work.  It is truly a masterpiece.

This is Shawndel Wilcock.  She has graduated from college and is finishing up her summer job before returning home.  Randon Calderwood has received his mission call to Las Vegas, Nevada.  He will be leaving in a few weeks.  Wendy, his sister, just returned from her mission at the beginning of the summer and is our Relief Society President.

This Is Alaska

Two of our sons, Gregg and Erik, spent a week with us.  They noticed some differences between the way things are done here and in the lower 48.  We were able to experience some of those differences this week.

This is Doc Warner's main building in Excursion Outlet.  We would eat our breakfast and dinners here and prepare our own lunches.  Diane spent some time here putting together puzzles while we would fish.  A full day of fishing was a bit much for her.

Our Stake conference was held Saturday and Sunday.  Our stake pilots got our stake President and his wife here from Ketchikan.  (Yes we have stake pilots, two of them.  They get the stake leaders where they need to be in this vast Juneau Stake which extends from Whitehorse in the Yukon, to Ketchikan in the far southeast of Alaska and many points in between.)   Many of the members of the outlying branches and wards came into Juneau at some expense to meet together.  Some flew and some came by ferry.  There was a wonderful pot luck feast between the leadership meetings and the Saturday adult session.  Each of the buildings from throughout the stake called in to participate by polycom so they could hear the instruction.  I believe a video feed was sent out from the stake house to the branches as well. 

In this steel Quonset Mark Warner stores his boats for the winter.  When he gets the first row serviced and placed for winter he makes a second row in front of it.  In this building is their freezer for the fish and the vacuum packer and the workshop area.

We closed our eyes and imagined sister Tew in Craig as she addressed us.  A highlight for us was hearing Emilyanne Lohrey.  She had been asked to bare her testimony.  She has been in our missionary prep class for several months.  She is a humble and strong young woman.  Her mother is as well.  Her father is not a member but attends many of the meetings.  They have adopted two special needs children from Russia.  They are both girls under the age of six and can be quite a handful for all in the family.  Emilyanne bore a wonderful and strong testimony.  She was later interviewed by President Youngburg and at the conclusion of that interview he sent her missionary papers in to Salt Lake City. 

Mark Warner runs the lodge.  He is posing with a friend of his from Albuquerque, Jane.  She trades a month of labor at the lodge each summer for the chance to be in Alaska and do some fishing in between shifts.  She caught a 184 lb. halibut on Thursday and brought it in by herself; at least up to the boat where Doc and her husband pulled it into the boat.  We watched them fillet it on the dock.  It was impressive.

Sunday's session of conference was a video feed from Salt Lake City.  We were able to listen Elder Nash of the Seventy, Sister McKonkie of the Young Women's Presidency and Elders Hale and Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve.  I enjoyed listening to their testimonies and encouragement to remain true to the gospel. 

Every trip has to have a funny story.  This was ours.  Gregg hooked into a "Big One."  He was sure it was a very big halibut.  He felt the pole was going to break.  He grunted for ten minutes and worked has at getting the line in.  It just didn't progress much.  I finally noticed that we were getting closer to a boat next to us with each of his efforts.  He had hooked the anchor of another boat.  It was embarrassing to ask the other fishermen to pull anchor so he could get the hook out of the chain, but they were good sports about it. 

In the afternoon I set up the technology for and showed the CES fireside.  Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Twelve spoke from the campus of BYU Hawaii.  We showed it again at 6:00 p.m. as several of the branch had not heard the announcement that it would be shown at 4:00 p.m.  We usually show it at 6:00 p.m. but our stake president announced it to be at 4:00 p.m. because that is when it was in Utah.  To be prepared we just did it twice. 

Mark Warner Jr. helps at the lodge.  He graduated from seminary a year early and is now in Salt Lake City attending the BYU classes offered that way.  He enrolls in the Provo campus next semester.




We are enjoying getting up at 5:00 a.m. to be able to open the church for early morning seminary.  The classes have grown in number, especially the Junior and Senior class. 

This is Doc Warner and his wife Linda.  They are leaving soon on their 3rd mission.  This one will be a second mission to the South Pacific.  Linda will be nursing in Tahiti and Doc will be doing what he can once he gets there.

I began teaching the Institute Book of Mormon class.   I am very excited to teach the lessons we learn from the Book of Mormon.  We went over the title page and introduction and the testimonies of the three witnesses and the testimonies of the 8 witnesses and included the testimony of Mary Whitmer.  The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ.  It validates again the Savior as the Son of God and our Redeemer.  It was given to us by the gift of revelation by the Holy Ghost through Joseph Smith.  He was the called Prophet to do this and had been foreordained to do so in the first estate.  I know these things to be true.  Our Father In Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ still speak to us through their servants, the prophets.  And Thomas S. Monson is a prophet today, receiving instruction to guide us through these perilous days.  Sometimes I think of 'these perilous days' as the days of my lifetime from birth to whenever death will come.

This was our final halibut of the day.  We could keep two apiece each day.  The big ones must be rare.  All of ours were under 30 lbs. 

We met with our newly called Family History consultant for the branch to help her get started.  She has been a member of the church for just over a month.  She is so excited about genealogy.  Jaymie has a huge hurdle to begin with.  She doesn't know who her father is and her mother is not sure. 

Gregg and Erik Visit

We did our usual amount of teaching of Institute and Missionary Preparation classes.  We have also had an orientation for the coming seminary year.  We met with the parents and students to register them for their classes.  We met with the teachers one evening in the church as they were doing their bulletin boards and organizing their file cabinets and supplies. 

We seem to be blessed now and then with a visit from someone we have known in the past, or a past student.  This week we were blessed to spend a week with our sons, Gregg and Erik.  It was so good to see them on the curb at the airport as we drove in to get them.

 We had lunch with them and then spent the day showing them the sights of Juneau.  They were amazed at the beauty and fascinated with the fish hatchery.  There really weren't that many fish going up the ladder and yet they were fascinated by it.  The silvers had not really made an appearance yet.  They are now in.  The numbers are getting impressive.

I stayed with them until dinner time.  Diane fixed a nice dinner for them.  But I was recovering from some sort of stomach bug and had to stay in bed and try to get over that.  Diane drove them up to Mendenhall where they immediately saw two or three bear in the river.  These bear seemed to have no concern for the number of humans around them on the boardwalk.  They were interested in feeding on the sockeye salmon that were in the stream.  It could not have been better choreographed.  The boys wanted to see bear and the glacier area provided.

 We spent Saturday seeing as much of the Juneau area as we could.  In the evening we wanted to attend a wedding reception for Carolyn Chenowyth and Josh Smith.  Carolyn is a BYU student and Josh has been taking the missionary lessons since January.  We arrived at 5:00 and thought we would be just right.  We didn't realize we had to walk almost two miles into the Boy Scout camp.  By the time we got there the reception was over.  We did get to watch them take some pictures.  On the way back out we crossed paths with two black bear.  Erik was fascinated with the number of bald eagles we saw.  I can understand that myself.

We learned that after a lesson on the principle of eternal marriage in the temple, Josh texted the missionaries on Friday evening and asked if he could get baptized on Saturday.  I feel bad we didn't know about it until after it was over. 

We all attended our church block on Sunday and then we boarded an Allen Marine ferry in the afternoon for our two hour shuttle over to Excursion Inlet.  We spent Monday through Friday fishing together. 

I tried to make it an opportunity to express my testimony to them on the scriptures and Joseph Smith.  I enjoyed hearing them express their testimonies to me of their belief of the same things.

 
Today we were back at it in church.  I picked up three travelers from a cruise ship and took them to the church house so they could attend the afternoon block.  Camille Porter is the mother of one of my private voice students.  She made the arrangements.  Coincidentally, another of the three was Jaree.  She is the daughter of Bobbie and Fred Zitting, our wonderful friends from our home ward, the Field Crescent ward.