I Love This Ward!

Hello everyone!

Well to get to the gist of it, the Samoan Ward is awesome! I had dinner twice a night 3 times this week! We passed around our dinner calender and it was filled before it got past the first 2 rows of chairs in the combined meeting. Our ward is pretty big. Like 400 active members. We didn't understand anything in sacrament. Like at all.. Hahah, it was so funny. As far as the language goes, I know how to pronounce all of the letters and vowels, and I am slowly getting better at pronouncing most words. The trickiest part is knowing where to put the emphasis. But it's slowly, slowly, coming along. It's good to sit through church and only understand one or two words. It's cool though because I could still feel the spirit when people would like be testifying and stuff. We have had a wonderful week though.

We've been playing basketball almost every day this week. And I am beginning to get a little bit better. It's awesome.  There are so many young men in situations not too much unlike my own before serving a mission, young men who are just struggling to get out!  And they are all way cool. We play ball with them all the time.

This ward is amazing with how many activities they have. We went to a Court of Honor after dinner on Wednesday and then they fed us and we played volleyball after. Then Friday there was a  ward dance, and the whole ward was there. It was awesome; we met lots of potential investigators.  They fed us and made us get up in front of everyone and dance with the bishop and his second councilor. IT WAS A BLAST. The members are so eager to help us and they are always trying to feed us. I seriously love this place.  We will see how it all goes. Just keep my language learning in your prayers.

I love this ward. Its like being back in Hawaii! Awesome.

I don't have a whole lot of time today because we have a mission choir practice at 1:00, so we got to bounce here soon. There is a general authority coming up but I don't know who yet. It's pretty exciting. I guess that's the benefits of being in Anchorage. Hahah. Oh and I get to go to the temple next week, I'm super excited for that because it will be the first time in like 8 months....   I love this ward though, seriously. It is awesome. Like the greatest thing ever.

I love you all, and I miss you. Continue to search (actively seeking) for people to share the gospel with.  Take care, I miss you all.

Love, Elder Winterrose.

Oh and my new companion's name is Elder O. and he's a good guy.  In order to make sure that packages don't get jacked, either write on the box HOLD IN OFFICE or make them signature-only pickup, I can swing down to the office to pick up a package if I need to.