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.