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