Transfer to Anchorage YSA

Hello family!!

Well it turns out that I am getting transferred!!

I am going to the Anchorage YSA (Young Single Adult Ward), so I'm swapping YSA wards. I will be serving with Elder Poole. I met him when he came out; he was in the same MTC group as Elder Tyler Williams, Elder Grate, and Elder Johansen. I think that we will get along great and that we should have plenty to do since we have the college in our ward boundaries so that makes for a ton of YSA-aged singles that we can teach! I am excited. The Cook Inlet YSA (the area I'm leaving) will be combined with the Klatt Elders' area, so Klatt Elders will now cover both areas.

Elder Rowley is going to Barrow with Elder Frank, an Elder that was his friend back home, who happened to get the same call, and also happened to be his MTC companion. :) It should be a fun adventure for those two.

Elder Benage is going to open up Dillingham with Elder Denison, whom I love! So I know they will have a challenging time, but what better way to go out than with a blast!

I am excited, but I am going to miss our ward because I really liked a lot of the members and I was just getting everyone's name down! This last week was pretty neat though, Sister D, our Bishop's wife, gave me two suits that were from this oil executive, but were too big for her husband. They fit perfectly in the shoulders but the pants and suit needed to be fitted... haha. So we took them in to the tailor and they took good care of me.  So now I have two nice newish suits! Happy day!

I got Channing's dearelder but I didn't catch his trainer's name or anyone elses names. You should leave missionaries names in the blogs because that way they can find them and hear about themselves.

It's hard to remember anything else that really happened this week before transfers... Oh yeah wait, we did have a Zone Conference. It was really good. He spoke on many different things but one story I especially liked was one about how his son on his mission served with a missionary and turned his life around.  Then when Elder Walker went to Japan for stake conference like 10 years later as a Seventy, his son's former companion happened to be in the ward that they attended and he went up to Elder Walker and told him how Elder Walker's son turned his whole life around. Some of the greatest conversions that we can aspire for on our missions are those of ourselves and our close brethren.

I love Alaska still and I will keep working on my application for school. I don't need a HS Transcript because they already have that... I just need to know my HS GPA. Otherwise I cannot complete the application. Chances are that they won't even care about it, because they will see my college GPA's first. So please, please, please email me my GPA!! Haha.

If all else fails I can always go to University of Alaska at Anchorage!

Love,

Elder Winterrose

Tricycle On Two Wheels

Well things are interesting here in the Cook Inlet YSA ward. On Tuesday President Beesley pulled all three of us, Elder R., Elder B., and me, into his office. He told us that Elder R. would be being transferred to the North YSA ward to replace a missionary who was going home. So this week felt a little strange and off balance. Normally the first few weeks of the transfer are were the balance is established and the last 3, or so, are the race! So it's kinda hard learning how to ride a tricycle while balancing on 2 of the 3 wheels.... hahah. I miss the little man though! We were growing used to the threesome. So that was a pretty strange event. And it all happened so fast.

We have had a pretty nice week though. On Saturday we went on exchanges with the zone leaders and had service opportunities all day. Elder K.T.W. and I were together and we worked at this event at the Lousacc Library. We got to dress up in mascot suits and danced on the street corner. I was an Eagle and he was Seymour, the Anchorage moose. It was a blast but it was exhausting. Then we got to help pass out door prizes and ended up with some sweet flashlights and a pedometer. So that was our Saturday. Then Sunday morning Sis. Beesley called us up and explained that they were going to be busy picking up Elder Walker of the Seventy and his wife, and that she wouldn't have time to make dinner... so she asked us to! After church Elder B. and I went over to the mission home and started cooking the salmon and making the salad. And we were the first Elders to greet them! It was pretty neat.

We didn't stay for dinner, but we did have dinner at another members house and the member family has a trampoline to bounce up onto the back deck instead of stairs, so (of course) I took that way into the house like 4 times. All in all it was a strange, but pretty, fun week.

I have been worried about applying to BYU as my 1st choice and BYUH as my second because I am afraid that I won't get in to either. Do you know if I can re-apply during the same year and change the order if I don't get in? Maybe apply for a later semester? IDK. I just don't know that BYU would be the best fit for me, but both of my mission presidents have counseled me to go there because I will get a better education... and I can't throw that out the window. For now I think I will just apply to both and let the Lord decide. It worked last time right? Hahah.

I didn't get the pic of Chan with his trainer... but I can't wait to see! I hope everything is going well for him and I hope he likes his first area/comp. They will probably always put Winterrose boys with trainers too big to beat up. Hahaha. 6 months.... INSANE. I never thought I would be to this point. This week will be awesome; haircuts, a 5-zone Zone Conference with Elder Walker, and then on Saturday we have transfer calls! So this week should go by pretty quick.

Well I miss you all!! I hope you're having a wonderful time!

Love,

Elder Britton Winterrose

Well this week was a slow week. All of our teaching appointments either fell through or canceled like 5 minutes before... and that makes for a very long week. We have dropped most of our investigators. Dropping is the point at which we give them some time before we try to contact them again. Many times dropping them can be helpful as they sometimes feel overwhelmed or just haven't quite reached that point where the Lord is preparing them to both hear and ACT on the message. Everything about the gospel involves being and doing. Thoughts and Feelings, Desires and Actions. We present a little truth and sometimes it shakes them up and they need a little time to adjust, either actively or passively as the Lord sees fit. We have contacted all the former investigators we have record of and we are working hard to contact all the recent converts and less active members. But for now the work is slow.

Working with returning members has been one of the beautiful blessings of my mission and I feel grateful to have been able to witness their roads back. It's not easy to return to church after being gone for so long but with the support of a loving ward family, and our Heavenly Father, it is possible and rewarding. The blessing of the Atonement is peace... complete peace!

I really enjoyed the broadcast and it made me happy to know that my family was watching the same thing that I was!

As far as homesickness goes, I've never really suffered with it much... I mean it can be tough, but only when the work is slow. It's hard to adjust to the mail slowing down to a trickle too, hahaha. But I am sure that he will be able to manage. The greatest cure to homesickness is work. WORK WORK WORK WORK WORK!!! If a missionary works, he will get the spirit and forget himself. PMG!!!!!! BABY!!

I still love it here in Alaska. I wanted to take a minute and discuss possible after-mission plans.

Right now I have 3 possible options for work... first is coming back up here and working on a seiner boat out of Valdez for the summer. That would go June-Aug, late Aug, and I would make anywhere from $$$$ on a terrible year to $$$$ on a great year. I am going to call and talk to the captain about it tonight to see if he would be OK with me leaving a little early for school. The downside about this job is that I would be working all the time and IDK about making it back to church on Sundays because it just depends on how well the fishing is going. I'm gonna talk to him about it all today.

Option 2 is working as a commercial trucker in North Dakota hauling water to oil dereks with Elder K.T.W.  His brother has a business there.  You make around $$$$ every 2 weeks but I would come home, get my CDL, and get to work and work till September. We are working on getting more details. I'll keep you posted.

Option 3 is to work as an EFY counselor at BYU or BYUH. I think it would be fun but who really knows.

As far as school goes here is what I've got so far.... Both mission presidents have counseled me to go to BYU Provo... So I am going to apply to both BYUH and BYU Provo, with Provo as my 1st priority. I am going to aim to start in fall semester to give myself enough time to readjust and earn enough money to pay off school. I will keep pondering on the possibility of doing a Spring term somewhere, but as for BYU's Winter term.... I'm not leaving early. :) I only get to serve one mission and unless the Lord compels me to leave, I won't. I hope you understand.

I will start working on those applications soon and will keep you posted about their progress!  I love you guys and miss you all. I can't believe I've been out 18 months... it's surreal. Well I love you! Miss you!

Love,

Elder Britton Winterrose

Wow... I hate having to make decisions. I guess missions are easy in the way that all the big decisions are made for you... When you move, where you move, who you live with, how much you will spend on food, etc..

BYU or BYUH. Only the Lord knows.

This week was a good week but it was crazy. We have been working our little tails off and we have definitely been blessed with a little bit of work to do!  We had a wonderful weekly planning session this week and it is looking like we're in for a busy week. These kind of weeks are really the key to the work either exploding or dieing back down.  As, it all begins to take off so quick, you really have to make sure that you maintain good stewardship over those you've been blessed with by focusing on them, and making sure you are meeting their needs.  Otherwise, the good Lord taketh away. It's imperative we don't let anyone fall through the cracks.

Our threesome is always fun. ALWAYS!! Hahah we have lots of fun together so I really can't complain.

I've been able to get some face time with President Beesley and that has been really nice. It has helped me a lot. It is always so wonderful to meet with him! It just feels good to get to know him.

You asked who the girl was in the background of the King Salmon photos, Her name is P, she was one of our investigators that we taught in Craig. She was on date for either the third or 4th of September when I left. When we were teaching her we invited her to be baptized on that date but she wasn't sure if she could do it because she wasn't sure that she would have her answer yet. I promised her that I had seen it happen before, when I was in Fairbanks teaching C.F., and told her his story. I promised her that she would have her answer by her baptismal date if she would be diligent in studying, reading, praying, and church attendance! Then on Sunday night I got a call from a mysterious 208 area code number and when I answered it was Sister B. on the line! The B's told me that on Fri-Sun P. said she got her answer and now her baptismal date, the final one, is set for the 24 of September. LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE!!! I love the Lord!

I love being able to promise things that I have no way to make happen and then to see them plainly manifest in the lives of others. The spirit of prophesy and revelation are given by the Father to His servants that they may perform miracles that will build the faith of those who are humble enough to receive Christ. I remember the article I read in the Ensign early in my mission titled Expect Miracles. It was a miracle just that the old Ensign had never been thrown out and Divine that I happened to read it. At the time it was the word of the Lord that I needed in my life, it was a commandment to me personally to not only hope for miracles, but to EXPECT them in the service of the Lord. To work on the basis that if I commanded the Red Sea to part, it would part. It was what inspired my mind and built my faith in that first promise of faith.

It is hard, but we should all expect miracles. Humbly and meekly, we must press forward knowing that when we are between the rock and the hard place, that we should not turn back, but press forward steadfastly with Faith in Christ knowing full-well that He, our Savior, is at the helm of our Fate, and that He will not lead us to be dashed to pieces.

I came on my mission expecting miracles. I knew that if I would serve the Lord with all my might, mind, and strength, and labor in his vineyard to bring to pass the immortality of others' siblings and friends, that my Savior would bless my brother C., and my friend A.  And that He would help my younger brothers, M. and D. to prepare to serve a mission. My brother C. had his testimony solidified as he was able to sing in the presence of an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, a man through whom our beloved Savior has directed and shaped his earthly ministry. It was no coincidence that my little brother was in the MTC at a time when Elder Jeffery R. Holland came to speak.  It is part of God's wisdom and foresight. It is part of the Atonement. It is that wisdom and foresight that makes these miracles occur as He is able to prepare us and prepare our path long in advance.

I was able to personally testify to my friend A., as I was called to serve in an area less than 50 miles away from him and through no small circumstance I was able to catch him on a busy, busy day.

God is great.

The worth of every soul is great in the sight of God.

I know He loves me and you.

Love,

Elder Britton Winterrose