Where to start....
OH I KNOW!
Elder Britton Winterrose
Alaska Anchorage Mission
PO Box 221649
Anchorage AK 99522-1649
This is the mission office's new address. They had a permanent one built inside one of the church buildings in Anchorage. So if you want to send me anything please make sure you are sending it to the new address as written.
To answer the question of what is in the box. Here's a list: 10 Lbs of vacuum-packed King Salmon provided by Elder Kyle W. and Elder J. in Ketchikan, some 5 lbs of Smoked Salmon from our freezer, around 20 lbs of Silver Salmon, and around 20 lbs of Halibut, provided by the B.'s.
Other things before I get to writing whatever comes to my head.... I lost my camera. I think I left it in the Library last time I loaded pictures onto my hard drive, but I'm not sure. I can't find it anywhere. Luckily it was right after I loaded all the photos. It was a nice camera while it lasted.
And my watch got stolen. I was doing service on the 4th at the City of Craig festivities. I was in charge of making cotton candy. Talk about blessed service. Anyways. I went to wash off my hands, so I took off my watch for a second, went and washed my hands, and when I went back it was gone. I'm kinda ticked because it was pretty nice. So that was a bummer. But I guess we just have to live and learn.
Really though it has been a crazy week.We did service with the ward where we cut a few cords of firewood from old clear cuts that the forest service opens up for firewood. Then we split it and loaded it. The Priesthood quorums will deliver it to families who need it to supplement their supply to help them make it through the winter. A lot of people heat their homes with wood stoves up here or at least supplement their heat with the wood stove.
Then Thursday we went to our mission conference held in Juneau for our zone on Thurs-Sat. We had to catch the ferry on Thursday to Ketchikan so we could make our 5 p.m. flight, but when we got to the ferry terminal I started looking for my Drivers License so I could board the ferry but it wasn't in my wallet. That's when I remembered that on Monday we had been over at the P.'s house and one of the boys had bo-jacked my wallet and scattered the contents around the house....... It's not like I could really be angry with any boy doing anything of this sort because I was a little bum-head myself and I guess it just comes back around.:) So his little prank ended up with us missing the ferry, driving back into Craig, going to their house, finding the drivers license in his little brother's bed sheets, and then us narrowly catching a 10 a.m. flight off the island into Ketchikan. We still beat the ferry! Flying was really nice. I wish we could fly every time. We were in a Cessna and the weather was kind of stormy but the flight was great. We saw whales and it was cool to see the island from the air. Hundreds and hundreds of miles of logging roads...
We arrived in Ketchikan and got the fish to the shipping place and I chowed down on some McDonalds! Then we went and embarked on my quest to find Andrew R! We headed down the Tongass Highway but the other Elders were a little skeptical because we had to head past all the other housing and we just kept driving. We weren't sure really where he was living or if the address you gave me was for his home or work. Nevertheless we continued. Finally we drove past this building and down to the end of the Highway. Finding that it wasn't the right address we just flipped around and went back to the building we previously passed. Elder W. and I went down to investigate. The place looked like a big tourist lodge... and it turned out that it was a big tourist lodge! Haha. It was way nice. When we walked down the first person to greet us was the boss and just happened to be a potential investigator that the Ketchikan Elders had been trying to get in contact with. She told us where to find Andrew, so we walked into the big dining room of the George Inlet Lodge. He was in there serving up some guests so I just walked up and stood next to him. He broke off his conversation momentarily as he looked up at me, looked back down, and then the face registered and he looked back up at me with his side smile/what the H look and said something along the lines of "Really? All the way up here? I thought you were in Anchorage still!" He told us to follow him and his cousin(?) told him to have us stay and eat. So we got our other two companions, Elder G. and Elder J. and enjoyed a dungeness crab feast, courtesy of Andrew! They had a competition to see who could eat the most crab and Elder W. and I tied two tourists, (let's face it, we won but we can't afford to tip : ) so we got to stand up with the other two people and do a crab dance in front of everyone. It was pretty funny and the crab was wonderful. They also had some awesome cheesecake after for dessert. After all the food wrapped up, and the tables were bussed and set, we got to talk with Andrew for a little bit. Now I cannot even begin to explain the beauty and complexity of the logistics that had to occur for Heavenly Father to bring Andrew and I to the same place with the perfect timing, but the perfection of it is far beyond serendipitous, it is miraculous. I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to bear testimony of the power of the Atonement to one of my good friends, to my brother that I have prayed for nearly every day of my mission. I hope that he takes the initiative to seek out the truth on his own and sincerely question and find out if the book of Mormon is true. I am most overwhelmed though just from getting to be part of it. How great is a God that helps us help not only ourselves, but one that allows us to be His hands, to work with His precision - even in the lives of those we hold most dear.
We can become the change that the world needs, if we yoke ourselves to him.
The visit with Andrew and the excitement of Channing entering the MTC has me filled with gratitude. I am grateful most of all for the Atonement and for loving parents, and all of those who have strived to help me be a better, kinder, more responsible, more Christ-like ... me. I just want to help others now. That is why I am here. That is why I am serving a mission. Because I know that if I spend my time in the service of God, helping others' brothers and sisters, that Heavenly Father will bless and help mine.
No empty Chairs in Heaven.
We were able to make it to the conference and we had a wonderful time. We got to speak very, very briefly with President Beesley, but they spent most of the time telling us about themselves... I mean helping us to get acquainted with them. They are both way awesome and Sister Beesley loves to fish. Someone mentioned fishing and her eyes lit up! They are way different than President and Sister Dance but I am sure that I will grow to love them. Read more about theme here: http://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/50122/Maiden-flight.html
Well I am pretty much out of time. I love you all and I hope you enjoy eating the fish as much as I enjoy catching it.
Just remember, always pray for your brothers and sisters, even if you think their lost.
Love Elder Britton Winterrose!
PS. I love ya all!!
Showing posts with label Craig. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Craig. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
Baptism in Craig!
Hello Mom, Dad, brothers, extended family and Friends,
This week has been good. We were able to visit more people because we were in town the whole week so that was good. The definite highlight of my week was M. C's baptism on Saturday. We were able to get the programs made and printed, we boiled enough water to heat up the font, and a large group of members were there to support M. C.
The baptism was beautiful though. Super strong spirit. We had 2 musical numbers, 2 talks, 2 hymns, the ordinance, and M. even built up the courage to bear her testimony. By far though my favorite part was witnessing the ordinance. I had the privilege of being one of the witnesses so I got to stand right at the top of the stairs. It was amazing as M. came out of the water she just had this look of amazement on her face. I wish I could have captured it with a photo, but she was just beaming, her smile ran from ear to ear. And then came the deep gasp of air. That moment is the sweetest part. I remember when Sister Dance was talking about this little boy who's baptism she was at, and how when he came out of the water he just said "Wow!" I think the spiritual power that the Holy Spirit of Promise can bestow upon those participating in and witnessing a baptism by proper priesthood authority is amazing. It was a truly fantastic experience. Later on Sister K., M.'s mom, got up and bore her testimony of how she saw what M. had just experienced and then she testified of how she remembers just wanting to shout or sing and just let the joy burst from her heart (paraphrased).
We were also able to visit nearly all the people that we had planned on visiting this week although we were only able to teach a few of them. No worries though. Such is life in the Alaska bush. We will just keep working hard to find more people.
So yesterday I had an epiphany. I was laying in bed thinking about a lesson that we had with a very nice older lady named N.. I felt like I needed to ask her if she had ever read the book of Mormon. And she said no, so I asked her why not. Long story short, she was irritated with me asking, but I told her very straight that it is my duty to invite all to come unto Christ. Now I was freaking nervous at this point, because the last thing I wanted to do is anger some really nice person and get us banned from their house, but I kept going. I kept asking questions. I testified. And the Spirit helped her to stay calm.
It's not easy to be bold. One of the missionaries in our mission, Elder B., defined bold as follows. B is for blatant. O is for Obvious. L is for Love. D is for Direct.
Last night I was thinking back on some encounters that I have had on my mission. Some on airplanes, others in discussions with people just in passing. Many of which ended when the person began to become irritated and simply refused to talk about religion. I feel that many people become irritated about religion because they simply do not have a solid testimony and fear that any discussion may cause confusion or conflict within their beliefs and testimony.
I also remembered the flight to here from Anchorage... I sat next to 4 different people. I tried to talk to every one of them about the Gospel. One of them said "I really don't want to talk about religion and if you continue to I will become very upset." Once I moved past a grown woman's threat to throw a temper tantrum if we discussed the taboo topic of religion, I just had one question that continued to eat away at me.... Why! Why would someone be so opposed to hearing the beliefs of another that they would shut down their mind and harden their hearts towards a message without even trying it for themselves first? Honestly, it really still breaks my heart to see people reject the Gospel without first turning it over to God and letting Him answer them. It is frustrating. Thank goodness for the Spirit World! As I continued onward with my visits I began to remember the quote from Jeffrey R. Holland found in Preach My Gospel, page 185.
“More important than speaking is listening. These people are not lifeless objects disguised as a baptismal statistic. They are children of God, our brothers and sisters, and they need what we have. Be genuine. Reach out sincerely. Ask these friends what matters most to them. What do they cherish, and what do they hold dear? And then listen. If the setting is right, you might ask what their fears are, what they yearn for, or what they feel is missing in their lives. I promise you that something in what they say will highlight a truth of the gospel about which you can bear testimony and about which you can then offer more... If we listen with love, we won’t need to wonder what to say. It will be given to us—by the Spirit and by our friends”
So I just began to listen. And then I would testify with Boldness on whatever subjects they would bring up in our conversation. I love the part about asking them what their fears are, what do they yearn for, or what do they feel is missing in their lives.
So back to my epiphany. So as I lay in bed last night I was thinking, "Well did I say too much? Did I go too far?" And as I was thinking about it I recalled what happened to Nephi. Some of the times when he spoke with boldness... the people started raging on him! Sometimes the people's hearts were right and they accepted the message and were willing to change. Other times they just shut down. I just have to operate out of love and if they choose to reject the loving council of the Lord as delivered through a servant by the Spirit of Prophesy and Discernment, well that will allow the Lord's judgments to rest upon them. And most of the time it's just that they aren't the Lord's elect. The elect hear the voice of the Lord and harden not their hearts.
I think with C's talk he should talk about judging unrighteous who will or won't receive the Gospel. Also, forgiveness is a big part of judging. D&C 64.
Remember that righteous judgment is necessary, and along with agency, is a critical part of the Plan. Use lots of scriptures. Remember that love and trust are two separate and different things. One is conditional one is not.
Well I think that is pretty much all I can think of right now. My mind is on all the fish I'm going to catch today so we will see what happens.
I love you all! Miss ya!
Elder Britton Winterrose
This week has been good. We were able to visit more people because we were in town the whole week so that was good. The definite highlight of my week was M. C's baptism on Saturday. We were able to get the programs made and printed, we boiled enough water to heat up the font, and a large group of members were there to support M. C.
The baptism was beautiful though. Super strong spirit. We had 2 musical numbers, 2 talks, 2 hymns, the ordinance, and M. even built up the courage to bear her testimony. By far though my favorite part was witnessing the ordinance. I had the privilege of being one of the witnesses so I got to stand right at the top of the stairs. It was amazing as M. came out of the water she just had this look of amazement on her face. I wish I could have captured it with a photo, but she was just beaming, her smile ran from ear to ear. And then came the deep gasp of air. That moment is the sweetest part. I remember when Sister Dance was talking about this little boy who's baptism she was at, and how when he came out of the water he just said "Wow!" I think the spiritual power that the Holy Spirit of Promise can bestow upon those participating in and witnessing a baptism by proper priesthood authority is amazing. It was a truly fantastic experience. Later on Sister K., M.'s mom, got up and bore her testimony of how she saw what M. had just experienced and then she testified of how she remembers just wanting to shout or sing and just let the joy burst from her heart (paraphrased).
We were also able to visit nearly all the people that we had planned on visiting this week although we were only able to teach a few of them. No worries though. Such is life in the Alaska bush. We will just keep working hard to find more people.
So yesterday I had an epiphany. I was laying in bed thinking about a lesson that we had with a very nice older lady named N.. I felt like I needed to ask her if she had ever read the book of Mormon. And she said no, so I asked her why not. Long story short, she was irritated with me asking, but I told her very straight that it is my duty to invite all to come unto Christ. Now I was freaking nervous at this point, because the last thing I wanted to do is anger some really nice person and get us banned from their house, but I kept going. I kept asking questions. I testified. And the Spirit helped her to stay calm.
It's not easy to be bold. One of the missionaries in our mission, Elder B., defined bold as follows. B is for blatant. O is for Obvious. L is for Love. D is for Direct.
Last night I was thinking back on some encounters that I have had on my mission. Some on airplanes, others in discussions with people just in passing. Many of which ended when the person began to become irritated and simply refused to talk about religion. I feel that many people become irritated about religion because they simply do not have a solid testimony and fear that any discussion may cause confusion or conflict within their beliefs and testimony.
I also remembered the flight to here from Anchorage... I sat next to 4 different people. I tried to talk to every one of them about the Gospel. One of them said "I really don't want to talk about religion and if you continue to I will become very upset." Once I moved past a grown woman's threat to throw a temper tantrum if we discussed the taboo topic of religion, I just had one question that continued to eat away at me.... Why! Why would someone be so opposed to hearing the beliefs of another that they would shut down their mind and harden their hearts towards a message without even trying it for themselves first? Honestly, it really still breaks my heart to see people reject the Gospel without first turning it over to God and letting Him answer them. It is frustrating. Thank goodness for the Spirit World! As I continued onward with my visits I began to remember the quote from Jeffrey R. Holland found in Preach My Gospel, page 185.
“More important than speaking is listening. These people are not lifeless objects disguised as a baptismal statistic. They are children of God, our brothers and sisters, and they need what we have. Be genuine. Reach out sincerely. Ask these friends what matters most to them. What do they cherish, and what do they hold dear? And then listen. If the setting is right, you might ask what their fears are, what they yearn for, or what they feel is missing in their lives. I promise you that something in what they say will highlight a truth of the gospel about which you can bear testimony and about which you can then offer more... If we listen with love, we won’t need to wonder what to say. It will be given to us—by the Spirit and by our friends”
So I just began to listen. And then I would testify with Boldness on whatever subjects they would bring up in our conversation. I love the part about asking them what their fears are, what do they yearn for, or what do they feel is missing in their lives.
So back to my epiphany. So as I lay in bed last night I was thinking, "Well did I say too much? Did I go too far?" And as I was thinking about it I recalled what happened to Nephi. Some of the times when he spoke with boldness... the people started raging on him! Sometimes the people's hearts were right and they accepted the message and were willing to change. Other times they just shut down. I just have to operate out of love and if they choose to reject the loving council of the Lord as delivered through a servant by the Spirit of Prophesy and Discernment, well that will allow the Lord's judgments to rest upon them. And most of the time it's just that they aren't the Lord's elect. The elect hear the voice of the Lord and harden not their hearts.
I think with C's talk he should talk about judging unrighteous who will or won't receive the Gospel. Also, forgiveness is a big part of judging. D&C 64.
Remember that righteous judgment is necessary, and along with agency, is a critical part of the Plan. Use lots of scriptures. Remember that love and trust are two separate and different things. One is conditional one is not.
Well I think that is pretty much all I can think of right now. My mind is on all the fish I'm going to catch today so we will see what happens.
I love you all! Miss ya!
Elder Britton Winterrose
Monday, June 13, 2011
Hi Family and Friends.
Well this week was a good one. We were able to do lots of service, I learned the tricks of the trade of splitting wood by hand and we split a ton of wood for this one family, the S.'s. We spent some time helping the B. family on the home they are building and I helped their two older boys build a massive bike jump. It was pretty sweet. We honked our horn at a baby deer and the deer fell on the ground so we hopped out and got pictures of us holding the deer. It was a little buck. Now that it is deathly afraid of humans and cars it will probably grow to be a trophy sized buck! We searched for bears, and found none. We feasted on Crab at the H.'s home and had fish tacos 3 times... but they never seem to get old. Last week it was hot dogs, this week fish tacos. Sometimes it sounds like all we do is mess around but we just luck out and get to do tons of fun service.
We were able to teach M. this week twice and she is doing well. She is scheduled to be baptized on June 25 in the OCEAN!! Too neat!! We have been visiting less actives. Saturday morning Elder G. had the thought twice to go over and weed-whack one of their yards, so we followed that prompting and right after we finished up she got home. She was so happy that we did it. Then she even showed up to church the next day! Wonderful!
We had dinner with the I.'s on Saturday and Sister I. was the one who took the Photos for us! They rode back on the ferry today along with us and bought us breakfast! How nice is that! They are a wonderful family.
I found out that I can register to do subsistence fishing because I am a rural Alaskan resident. That means I can catch tons of fish, like hundreds.... and crabs too!
We are in Ketchikan right now. We will be leaving to Juneau tonight so I'm gonna scream if I see you in the airport. We are headed towards zone conference and specialized training. All the missionaries from the zone will be there so there won't be any in Skagway. I am super excited to see President and Sister Dance.
I'm gonna try to catch Andrew today and catch a King Salmon today. BOOOYAHHHH!!!
Oh and one last thing - Did you hear about them changing who my new mission pres is going to be? They had to flip ours and the future St. Petersburg Russia Mission pres . Here's a clip from President Dance's email to us missionaries.
~"Dear Elder and Sisters of the great Alaska Anchorage Mission,
Well this week was a good one. We were able to do lots of service, I learned the tricks of the trade of splitting wood by hand and we split a ton of wood for this one family, the S.'s. We spent some time helping the B. family on the home they are building and I helped their two older boys build a massive bike jump. It was pretty sweet. We honked our horn at a baby deer and the deer fell on the ground so we hopped out and got pictures of us holding the deer. It was a little buck. Now that it is deathly afraid of humans and cars it will probably grow to be a trophy sized buck! We searched for bears, and found none. We feasted on Crab at the H.'s home and had fish tacos 3 times... but they never seem to get old. Last week it was hot dogs, this week fish tacos. Sometimes it sounds like all we do is mess around but we just luck out and get to do tons of fun service.
We were able to teach M. this week twice and she is doing well. She is scheduled to be baptized on June 25 in the OCEAN!! Too neat!! We have been visiting less actives. Saturday morning Elder G. had the thought twice to go over and weed-whack one of their yards, so we followed that prompting and right after we finished up she got home. She was so happy that we did it. Then she even showed up to church the next day! Wonderful!
We had dinner with the I.'s on Saturday and Sister I. was the one who took the Photos for us! They rode back on the ferry today along with us and bought us breakfast! How nice is that! They are a wonderful family.
I found out that I can register to do subsistence fishing because I am a rural Alaskan resident. That means I can catch tons of fish, like hundreds.... and crabs too!
We are in Ketchikan right now. We will be leaving to Juneau tonight so I'm gonna scream if I see you in the airport. We are headed towards zone conference and specialized training. All the missionaries from the zone will be there so there won't be any in Skagway. I am super excited to see President and Sister Dance.
I'm gonna try to catch Andrew today and catch a King Salmon today. BOOOYAHHHH!!!
Oh and one last thing - Did you hear about them changing who my new mission pres is going to be? They had to flip ours and the future St. Petersburg Russia Mission pres . Here's a clip from President Dance's email to us missionaries.
~"Dear Elder and Sisters of the great Alaska Anchorage Mission,
Due to unforeseen circumstances, an adjustment has been made to the assignment of Pres. and Sister Clark. They have been assigned to the Russia, St. Petersburg Mission as of Thursday night, June 9. I received a letter from the Missionary Dept on Friday June 10 advising me that the new president of the great Alaska Anchorage Mission will now be President Jon S. and Sister Evona Beesley. (They were featured in the Church News of March 12).
Sister Dance and I spoke to them on Sunday, June 12. They are very impressive and are very excited to come.
You will meet them at the "Meet the President Meetings" scheduled for June 29,30, July 1,2
(Brother Beesley recently retired from a high security position as the Chief Test Pilot for Lockheed Martin. He knows more about the new military jet aircraft than any other person on the planet. Basically the Clarks are going where the Beesley's were first assigned)" ~
Well we don't have a whole lot of time but I just want to emphasize how much I love you all!
I love ya and miss ya!
Whoever said it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission apparently hasn't broke the rules as many times as I have. That or they are just scuz-bags.
Love Elder Britton Winterrose
Monday, May 30, 2011
(Thursday May 26th)
Well I have this little opportunity to email today because I wasn't able to on Tuesday.
I ended up flying out of Anchorage on Tuesday morning at 8, which meant that the assistants wanted me there one hour before I was to board. I had to be at the airport at 6:20, so I had to wake up at like 5 am after staying up till 3 packing on Monday night. (I didn't want to waste time on Monday packing during the day when I could be visiting with members.)
I had some really sweet experiences visiting members on Monday. I was able to visit the A. family. Y. A. was baptized after I left the Northern Lights Ward. I was trying to visit her and the family but she was at work. I got to visit with her husband, S., about how they were doing. They are doing wonderfully!
I think the most rewarding and humbling experience is when you leave an area and the people that you started teaching continue to progress and are baptized. I have been fortunate enough to have had that happen with 4 different people so far and I hope to see the other 5 from the Dimond ward, and 3 in the Lake Otis, ward get baptized.
I was overwhelmed with the spirit while I was talking with S. to see how much he, Y., and their family have changed for the better. It is an answer to many, many prayers. I think that is so hugely critical - just because you are gone from their lives temporarily doesn't mean that you don't care about them any less, or that you don't desire for them to progress and follow the example of Jesus Christ by being baptized. We should never stop praying for those we love. Ever I will miss the Samoan ward tons but I like my new companion, Elder Paul G. from Los Angeles California. He grew up on the outskirts of the city, in the rural-county part. I didn't even know LA had a rural area. Hahah.
He is a good guy - way different than Elder D. - and still awesome! He came out at the same time as Elder Tyler W. I am excited to be here in Craig. People say that the fishing here is phenomenal. I am grateful that President was willing to trust in the council of the Lord in sending me here. We have only met a few families so far, but I can tell I am going to love it here. The branch is strong, it reminds me so much of Valdez... Especially the rain. I am sure that my rain gear that I purchased last summer is gonna be worth its weight. I'm glad I put in the effort to haul that stuff around! Haha. They have excellent King, Silver, Red, Pink, and Dog Salmon runs here, as well as a very strong Steelhead run. I am pretty pumped to do some fishing! I will be sure to take lots of pictures!
Unfortunately I think I have outgrown my Xtra-Tuffs. I don't know what kind of prices you can find for them on the internet but I will go try some on and figure out what size I am now.
I've got that DVD. I will be sending it home on Monday along with the rest of the receipts for my medical treatments.
If you send up any packages please include food! Canned food is a great filler for flat rate boxes!! Hahah!
I love you all! I miss you! Love Elder Winterrose.
(Monday May 30th)
Well a few things of business before I get started on the real letter. I will need size 17 neck shirts just an FYI, and the Xtra-Tuff's are boots. The ones I have are insulated and steel toed. They would probably fit dad perfectly. I found a place down here that sells them for 80 bucks or so.. Yep. I will send these ones home if I get a new pair.
We have to feed ourselves every other day or so and breakfast and Lunch. So yeah it is pretty crazy.
My luggage survived. I was able to repair the handle on the small carry-on so that was good.
I love baked beans. Hehehe. Really though, anything that will hold up would be wonderful.
Other Questions... Do you guys want me to figure out the prices for shipping meat down this summer? I will be catching salmon and possibly getting some deer. Everyone says the deer meat is really good and I've tried it and it is! I could figure out the pricing and let you know then you could just deposit the money in my account and then I could get it all shipped to you. Let me know soon.
Well! This week has been fun. We have driven a lot and I've been able to meet most of the members in the branch. I am hoping to do some good fishing today, though it sounds like I missed the Steelhead by a week or so. :(
No worries though, there is more fish in the ocean. Our area is pretty amazing. We cover the whole Prince of Wales Island. There is a lot of fishing and a lot of logging. We get to cut down trees and do lots of service. We spent our day on Friday and Saturday helping out with the marathon, setting up and all sorts of crazy stuff. CRAP... WE just realized that today is memorial day!! That means everyone is going to be out fishing.
Combat fishing...
This place is beautiful and loaded with deer. The other night we were driving home and counted 43 deer. It was an hour and a half drive but still.. That is nuts!
Well I will be sure to keep you posted as more crazy adventures happen here in Alaska's bush.
I think that is all! Yeah, the fish are calling me!
I will do my best to document my adventures up here! I love ya!! Byebye!!
Elder Winterrose!
Well I have this little opportunity to email today because I wasn't able to on Tuesday.
I ended up flying out of Anchorage on Tuesday morning at 8, which meant that the assistants wanted me there one hour before I was to board. I had to be at the airport at 6:20, so I had to wake up at like 5 am after staying up till 3 packing on Monday night. (I didn't want to waste time on Monday packing during the day when I could be visiting with members.)
I had some really sweet experiences visiting members on Monday. I was able to visit the A. family. Y. A. was baptized after I left the Northern Lights Ward. I was trying to visit her and the family but she was at work. I got to visit with her husband, S., about how they were doing. They are doing wonderfully!
I think the most rewarding and humbling experience is when you leave an area and the people that you started teaching continue to progress and are baptized. I have been fortunate enough to have had that happen with 4 different people so far and I hope to see the other 5 from the Dimond ward, and 3 in the Lake Otis, ward get baptized.
I was overwhelmed with the spirit while I was talking with S. to see how much he, Y., and their family have changed for the better. It is an answer to many, many prayers. I think that is so hugely critical - just because you are gone from their lives temporarily doesn't mean that you don't care about them any less, or that you don't desire for them to progress and follow the example of Jesus Christ by being baptized. We should never stop praying for those we love. Ever I will miss the Samoan ward tons but I like my new companion, Elder Paul G. from Los Angeles California. He grew up on the outskirts of the city, in the rural-county part. I didn't even know LA had a rural area. Hahah.
He is a good guy - way different than Elder D. - and still awesome! He came out at the same time as Elder Tyler W. I am excited to be here in Craig. People say that the fishing here is phenomenal. I am grateful that President was willing to trust in the council of the Lord in sending me here. We have only met a few families so far, but I can tell I am going to love it here. The branch is strong, it reminds me so much of Valdez... Especially the rain. I am sure that my rain gear that I purchased last summer is gonna be worth its weight. I'm glad I put in the effort to haul that stuff around! Haha. They have excellent King, Silver, Red, Pink, and Dog Salmon runs here, as well as a very strong Steelhead run. I am pretty pumped to do some fishing! I will be sure to take lots of pictures!
Unfortunately I think I have outgrown my Xtra-Tuffs. I don't know what kind of prices you can find for them on the internet but I will go try some on and figure out what size I am now.
I've got that DVD. I will be sending it home on Monday along with the rest of the receipts for my medical treatments.
If you send up any packages please include food! Canned food is a great filler for flat rate boxes!! Hahah!
I love you all! I miss you! Love Elder Winterrose.
(Monday May 30th)
Well a few things of business before I get started on the real letter. I will need size 17 neck shirts just an FYI, and the Xtra-Tuff's are boots. The ones I have are insulated and steel toed. They would probably fit dad perfectly. I found a place down here that sells them for 80 bucks or so.. Yep. I will send these ones home if I get a new pair.
We have to feed ourselves every other day or so and breakfast and Lunch. So yeah it is pretty crazy.
My luggage survived. I was able to repair the handle on the small carry-on so that was good.
I love baked beans. Hehehe. Really though, anything that will hold up would be wonderful.
Other Questions... Do you guys want me to figure out the prices for shipping meat down this summer? I will be catching salmon and possibly getting some deer. Everyone says the deer meat is really good and I've tried it and it is! I could figure out the pricing and let you know then you could just deposit the money in my account and then I could get it all shipped to you. Let me know soon.
Well! This week has been fun. We have driven a lot and I've been able to meet most of the members in the branch. I am hoping to do some good fishing today, though it sounds like I missed the Steelhead by a week or so. :(
No worries though, there is more fish in the ocean. Our area is pretty amazing. We cover the whole Prince of Wales Island. There is a lot of fishing and a lot of logging. We get to cut down trees and do lots of service. We spent our day on Friday and Saturday helping out with the marathon, setting up and all sorts of crazy stuff. CRAP... WE just realized that today is memorial day!! That means everyone is going to be out fishing.
Combat fishing...
This place is beautiful and loaded with deer. The other night we were driving home and counted 43 deer. It was an hour and a half drive but still.. That is nuts!
Well I will be sure to keep you posted as more crazy adventures happen here in Alaska's bush.
I think that is all! Yeah, the fish are calling me!
I will do my best to document my adventures up here! I love ya!! Byebye!!
Elder Winterrose!
Monday, May 23, 2011
Transfers - On My Way To Craig
I am so overwhelmed right now.
First off I am so proud of Bryson! STUD!! Hahaha. I love ya bro!
Second. I am getting transferred to Craig. There is tons of fish there, so that is good. I would honestly probably cry if I went somewhere that there's no fish. I will be flying out at 6:30 AM tomorrow. I'm SO EXCITED/DEVASTATED about leaving. I really truly love this ward and I will forever hold the members close to my heart. I'm bummed that I won't get to see any of the departing missionaries... Elder M., Elder L., Elder U., Elder S. and a bunch of others. No worries though. I fly into Ketchikan then take the ferry to Craig. I hope I see Andrew. That would be awesome.
Third. I am sending you the DVD of the dance, for your Mothers Day gift.
Forth. I do need somethings.... I need 2 new long sleeve and One Short sleeve shirts, preferably Stafford brand ones like the ones I have now. That would be wonderful. I will see how my suitcase works out and I will let you know about the duffel bags.
Sister Dance told me I can store a bunch of extra stuff in the mission home so I don't have to worry about packing stuff I don't need down to Craig.
President and Sister Dance leave on June 28 and then President and Sister Clark arrive on the same day. No crossover.
I don't have much time to respond so I'm gonna be straight.
C. I love you! But your a foo for skipping Fathers and Sons. Get your temple recommend and go through the temple. It will strengthen your testimony of missionary work, and it will help you feel the spirit. Plus you don't know how often you will get to go through the temple on your mission. I've been out over a year but only been able to go twice.
Mom, the truth is that I find my motivation the same way I have watched you gain it my whole life. You see what needs to be done and then you do it. I pray and ask Heavenly Father for the energy to maintain my enthusiasm and zeal. I struggle, but I press forward with faith. I know that if I work then I will feel the Spirit, if I feel the Spirit then I will want to work harder, and if I work even harder then I will become stronger and I will feel the Joy and the Peace that the Spirit can offer me.
Funny story, we were almost out of miles for our car so we decided to walk on Saturday. WE WALKED 12+ Miles. IT was INSANE. We walked like 2 1/2 hours between each appointment. My legs felt like noodles at the end of the day. It was a wonderful adventure though. One point we were walking and Elder D. said that there was no way we would make it to our next appointment on time. I told him to not worry, that the Lord would provide! And guess what! As we approached the intersection, we heard a honk and we were able to snag a ride from some Elders who were driving to do service, and they took us a full 2 miles. Saved our butts! Literally.
I will miss Elder D., he is a wonderful missionary. He works hard and inspires me to do my best.
I am excited.
FISH
To answer your question - what I study depends on what my investigators need to know. I almost never study the same thing in personal and companion study unless it is something really important.
OH and the last but most important part of staying motivated, go to bed on-time, same time, every time. Exercise, medicate, and then Study. And pray over all of these things that the Lord may consecrate your efforts in each to provide you with energy and motivation.
My motivation is the worth of souls. The worth of every soul is great in the eyes of God. You need to have your goal in your mind.
I don't think C. will need 10 short sleeve shirts but I could be wrong. He'd probably be fine with just 8. I miss you guys.
Last thing, If you are feeling bummed or unmotivated, pray, search the scriptures, and find a way to serve. It doesn't matter how big or small the service! It will build you up!
Love Elder Britton Winterrose!
First off I am so proud of Bryson! STUD!! Hahaha. I love ya bro!
Second. I am getting transferred to Craig. There is tons of fish there, so that is good. I would honestly probably cry if I went somewhere that there's no fish. I will be flying out at 6:30 AM tomorrow. I'm SO EXCITED/DEVASTATED about leaving. I really truly love this ward and I will forever hold the members close to my heart. I'm bummed that I won't get to see any of the departing missionaries... Elder M., Elder L., Elder U., Elder S. and a bunch of others. No worries though. I fly into Ketchikan then take the ferry to Craig. I hope I see Andrew. That would be awesome.
Third. I am sending you the DVD of the dance, for your Mothers Day gift.
Forth. I do need somethings.... I need 2 new long sleeve and One Short sleeve shirts, preferably Stafford brand ones like the ones I have now. That would be wonderful. I will see how my suitcase works out and I will let you know about the duffel bags.
Sister Dance told me I can store a bunch of extra stuff in the mission home so I don't have to worry about packing stuff I don't need down to Craig.
President and Sister Dance leave on June 28 and then President and Sister Clark arrive on the same day. No crossover.
I don't have much time to respond so I'm gonna be straight.
C. I love you! But your a foo for skipping Fathers and Sons. Get your temple recommend and go through the temple. It will strengthen your testimony of missionary work, and it will help you feel the spirit. Plus you don't know how often you will get to go through the temple on your mission. I've been out over a year but only been able to go twice.
Mom, the truth is that I find my motivation the same way I have watched you gain it my whole life. You see what needs to be done and then you do it. I pray and ask Heavenly Father for the energy to maintain my enthusiasm and zeal. I struggle, but I press forward with faith. I know that if I work then I will feel the Spirit, if I feel the Spirit then I will want to work harder, and if I work even harder then I will become stronger and I will feel the Joy and the Peace that the Spirit can offer me.
Funny story, we were almost out of miles for our car so we decided to walk on Saturday. WE WALKED 12+ Miles. IT was INSANE. We walked like 2 1/2 hours between each appointment. My legs felt like noodles at the end of the day. It was a wonderful adventure though. One point we were walking and Elder D. said that there was no way we would make it to our next appointment on time. I told him to not worry, that the Lord would provide! And guess what! As we approached the intersection, we heard a honk and we were able to snag a ride from some Elders who were driving to do service, and they took us a full 2 miles. Saved our butts! Literally.
I will miss Elder D., he is a wonderful missionary. He works hard and inspires me to do my best.
I am excited.
FISH
To answer your question - what I study depends on what my investigators need to know. I almost never study the same thing in personal and companion study unless it is something really important.
OH and the last but most important part of staying motivated, go to bed on-time, same time, every time. Exercise, medicate, and then Study. And pray over all of these things that the Lord may consecrate your efforts in each to provide you with energy and motivation.
My motivation is the worth of souls. The worth of every soul is great in the eyes of God. You need to have your goal in your mind.
I don't think C. will need 10 short sleeve shirts but I could be wrong. He'd probably be fine with just 8. I miss you guys.
Last thing, If you are feeling bummed or unmotivated, pray, search the scriptures, and find a way to serve. It doesn't matter how big or small the service! It will build you up!
Love Elder Britton Winterrose!
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