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.
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