...Well, this is weird. Last week I remember having the distinct impression of how it was probably time for mom and dad to get rid of the minivan and buy a small pickup with a full size cab! Like a Toyota Tacoma. :)  Haha.  I know it will all work out though with the car. It always does! Other things I was thinking about... I think it's wonderful that D. is on the B-team. It's going to give him the opportunity to shine! A lot of the time the people who make the A team or the Varsity team are people who do just that; shine on B-team.  They keep at it and show their skill, regardless of where they're placed.

Well, this week has been a fun one. It started out with M. saying that he wanted to be baptized on Sunday the 14th. He told us this Thursday. So we began to work to move heaven and earth to make it work out. There ended up being a lot of logistical issues so we postponed it to next Saturday. Part of the problem was that yesterday we had stake conference. It was awesome. Do you remember how before I left Elder Perkins, the Area Seventy, came and spoke in conference? I remember going up and speaking with him after the meeting because he said he was from Alaska, so I asked him what part he was from and he said Juneau. So I was at the adult session of conference on Saturday and listening to the new temple president and his wife tell their story of how they met and I was having a serious case of deja vu. Long story short, he is the new temple president. It was a pretty neat stake conference. They reorganized the stake, so it was pretty crazy.

Sunday was the actual conference.  We were supposed to meet M. and his friends, J. and H., there because they were going to be saving us a spot. Well we ended up running a little late, so we got there like 5 minutes before they started and we weren't able to find them. The stake center was packed. We wandered around the building trying to find a place to sit and were walking past a door when these people waved to us and gave us these two seats that they were saving for their family that didn't come. We sat down and just started watching. It was pretty neat.

L. Whitney Clayton was the Seventy present and, when he was speaking, he invited these two young men up to come up and speak. He said that he would like to invite M. to come up and another guy to come up and speak. I was like nahhh it's not him, couldn't be. Then he asked them to raise their hands and as soon as I saw M. put his hand up, I jumped up and punched the air (think, "YES!"). Then I looked around and realized that I was standing in the middle of conference... All the people standing around me were like, "Why is that missionary so excited about that boy going up there?" AND I just wanted to turn around and tell everyone how he wasn't even a member yet!!! SO M. walked up in front of all those people and then Elder Clayton asked him and the other boy to introduce themselves, and then he asked them each what they planned to do when they turned 19, and they both said serve a mission. Then he asked them each who told them to go, the first boy said his parents. But then Elder Clayton asked M. and he didn't say anything, he just stood there thinking for a second. Then he asked M. if it was his parents, then he shook his head saying no, so Elder Clayton asked if it was his bishop, and he shook his head again and said no, then he asked who told him to serve and M. said, "The Lord," and then had this huge smile on his face. It was like the most awesome thing ever! So afterwords we went up to speak to Elder Clayton to ask if he knew that M. wasn't even a member yet and he was like, What?!! and we told him that we had only been teaching M. for like one week.

Later on we were introducing H., M., and J. to Sister Dance because I had told her all about them the day before. Elder Clayton came up and said "M. you know you have to be baptized before you can serve a mission right?":)  It was so cool. The fireside last night was pretty neat too. Sorry I forgot to record the singing, but next time I get to sing I will try my hardest to record it.

Well, I love you guys and I miss you lots. I'll let you know how everything went in the next email home. I love you! Take care!

Elder Winterrose

More of Elder L!

Well HELLO!!!!!!!!!!

I'm staying in Fairbanks! Whoot! Six more weeks with Elder L.! He reminds me of SamSamBean. Like a lot. I'm way excited that we are both staying though because I would have been way bummed if I stayed and he left because we get along splendidly.

I realized this past week that I have really failed to take pictures. I haven't taken any since I got here. Oh well, I guess that means that I just have to resolve to take more this transfer!

We have zone conference coming up soon and it's going to be with a General Authority - Elder Paul P. Piper of the Seventy! Whoot! I get to spend time with a Seventy! I'm way excited! And that means that I get to see President and Sister Dance again! That is also very exciting! I guess that's just one of the many benefits of being a missionary.

Our investigator is still working towards his baptismal date but there is a bunch of weird logistical issues that we are still having to work through. It's gonna happen soon though. It's just a question of when... We also have a few other good investigators and one of them is really solid. Our ward council meeting Sunday was awesome though, because we got to discuss the missionary work and what was helping and what was hindering the progression of the work in our ward. First off, it's really easy to tell when a ward doesn't trust the missionaries, because the support and confidence just isn't there. But we have been working hard to just be good missionaries and it is paying off. The Lord is changing their hearts and views.

This area is kind of interesting because our ward is very transient. We cover most of the apartments in Fairbanks and there are people moving in and out all the time. The majority of the ward is less active. In fact roughly 80% of the 450+ members in the ward are less active. The ward is surviving because they have been blessed with some really strong leaders and strong faithful members who push it along. So we are going to really try our best to reactivate as many members as possible to make the ward stronger! Last year this ward had 11 baptisms in it. It was one of the highest baptizing areas! But out of those 11 baptisms, only one or two are still active. So we are really trying to focus on bringing the ward strong, active, members both through baptisms and reactivation.

Our purpose as missionaries is to bring souls unto Christ, by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the holy ghost, and enduring to the end. I know that the way that we can do that best, and ensure that any new souls that we find will stay, is to help our ward and make it stronger.

I'm grateful for the opportunity to be serving in Fairbanks! It's beautiful. My area is kinda a box though, because it is bordered on all 4 sides by other areas! So I don't get to see a whole lot of wild life. The northern lights were out last night! I missed them though! I'll be keeping my eye out for them from now on! Hahah!

Thank you all for the love and support that you give! I miss you and love you!

Love Elder Winterrose!

On the Move

Hi family and friends!

Dad thanks for the email! I really like your suggestions and I will be sure to be mindful of what you said as I go through the rest of this transfer. It's kind of weird that come tomorrow I will have been in Alaska for 6 months now... It doesn't feel like it's been that long. No worries about not getting to write me on Monday, because we are having our p-day today (on Tuesday this week). We had a zone training day yesterday (basically a zone conference) and it took up most of the day. It was awesome. My mission president. Pres. Dance. and his wife, Sis. Dance, are amazing! They are spiritual beacons! Sis. Dance just beams with the spirit every time I see her! Over all the conference was pretty awesome.

Let's see what happened this last week... Well, we ended up having to move out of the member's home that we were staying in and we are temporarily living with two other elders, Elder L*** - from Samoa, and Elder E. - From the Philippines. They are awesome, Elder L*** is way funny, and Elder E. is like the most humble guy I've met in my life. He is still working on our language but he's getting better every day. It's pretty wild putting 4 missionaries in the same apartment, I guess that's why the saying goes "2 is progress 4 is a party!" It's way fun but it will be nice to finally get to move into an apartment of our own, then I'll be sleeping in my own bed again!!

It kinda threw off a lot of our week though. packing, then moving, and then settling in. But it was still an awesome week! One of our investigators, C., has committed to be baptized and we are working with him and helping him get ready for it. The planned date is the 5th of September but it may change depending on when the person he wants to baptize him will be able to fly up. I'm so excited for him! He really is a great person and it's been amazing to watch the way he has changed... You can really see the power of the atonement working in his life. He is awesome!

I worked out hard this morning and I'm stinking sore...

OH and I got all of the Post Cards! Thank you! They were awesome! Haha! They really made my day!

I hope all is well at home! I love you guys!

Sincerely,

Elder Britton Winterrose

Be a Missionary!

Hunting (or is it fishing, or scavenging) for Muscles

Enjoying the Day's Catch

Hey Poot! Thanks for the letter bud!

You should save that money. I can promise you that any time you put money away for your mission that Heavenly Father will bless you. Yeah it will leave you with just 100 bucks but it will work out. If you do that then Heavenly Father will bless you for doing that. I bet you could earn that 75 bucks in a day no problem as long as you've been paying your tithing. And one more thing to think about, Apple usually launches products in the spring and then around October. Plus your birthday really isn't that far away... I would just hold off on buying one now because I bet that it would probably get jacked anyways. Well I love you Poot. Be wise. If you really are struggling to make the good choice then pray to Heavenly Father and ask him to let you know if you should keep it. Keep reading and always, ALWAYS! say your prayers! You are awesome!

I'm glad to hear that everything seems to be going pretty smoothly. Being around this many missionaries is a blast. Plus my companion is awesome. So to pretty much sum it all up... life is good. It's weird to think that by the end of this transfer I will have been out a few days short of six months....... that's 1/4 of the duration of my mission. At times we will be out doing missionary stuff, wearing missionary clothes, teaching the gospel like missionaries do and I just kinda go, "Whoa. I'm a missionary." My favorite part is how every single day is different, it always keeps me on my toes. And I love how the Lord rewards our diligence. The hardest days are when it seems like every single lesson, plan, and back-up keep falling through. Usually though if we just keep pressing forward then we end up finding someone to teach or help and it's like the most awesome lesson ever. Then Elder L and I end up walking back to the car after the lesson just talking about how wonderful it is to be a missionary.

What a blessing. I am so lucky to be able to dedicate everyday to becoming a better person and to helping others do the same. Not very many people get to do that. Let alone do that every single day for two years.

If you are thinking about going on a mission and you don't know if you really want to, I have two words of advice, DO IT. You're never gonna regret going on a mission but you will always regret not going on a mission. Plus missions are like the greatest adventure of your entire life, and you will accumulate tons of funny stories! Sure you have some crazy people yell at you and make fun of you at times, but what's better then helping people who really need the help?

Well Family and friends, I am afraid I may be short winded today, but there are a few critical things that I need to make very clear to all of you:

1. I love you.
2. He loves you.
3. He wants you to return to live with Him and your family forever together.
4. I miss you, but I wouldn't trade this time in my life for anything.

Take care, seek the truth, question with boldness. Pray often for yourself and for others.

Love,
Elder Britton Winterrose

Learning with the Spirit

Making sure the new rain gear is really water-proof

Well, talk about an awesome week. Elder L. is awesome. We are like two nerdy peas in a geek pod. I think part of the reason we get along so well is because he is a lot like Sam...  He is super obedient and really supportive of any righteous desire, and so am I. It's fun being with a companion who is willing to be brave and try new things with me! It's kinda nerve racking but it's still awesome!

Fairbanks is awesome! It's so stinking warm though. I thought the benefit of serving in Alaska was that it was gonna be nice and cool. I thought wrong. Well the missionary work is improving drastically as we are getting more and more settled in and being more and more obedient. There really is this crazy correlation with the amount of missionary work a missionary has and how obedient they are about all the little rules... which is good because it helps keep me motivated to do all those little things. I'm still far from perfect, but Heavenly Father knows I'm trying and He loves and blesses me for it.

Still Far From Perfect...

I am glad to hear that my brothers are still playing hard without me. One of the biggest trials of obedience on my mission is having to stifle my urge to go out and do all of the awesome, fun, crazy things that I would normally do. Sometimes I slip... :) but I keep trying to be good.

I love missionary work. I love the feeling that I get when the spirit guides my companion to where we need to go, then lets us know what questions to ask and what to say, and how the spirit is there workin-it the whole time we are working.

The other day we were out trying to contact an investigator and there were all of these 20-somethings chilling out on the front porch of this apartment complex and they were all drinking and talking. We walked up to the apartment where our investigator lives and this one dude was just being totally belligerent; swearing, cussing and being crude... like really messed-up crude. His language made the worst x-box live lobbies seem clean and wholesome by comparison. Anyways he kept trying to get a rouse out of us and his friends were just sitting back and watching him and they looked ashamed of him. I started a conversation with one of his friends and we were able to talk, unfazed by the moron to our left, about the gospel. The guy seemed genuinely interested. Anyways he asked for our phone number and said that he would contact us later... hasn't contacted us yet, but it was amazing that we were able to stand there and testify in spite of the adversary being present and trying to break us down. I didn't get mad, irritated, or flustered and neither did my companion. I've never had that strength before, and I know looking back at the situation our examples stood out to those other guys our age. Even after we left, my companion and I were completely unfazed by the entire situation. I felt like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego standing in the fire but remaining unconsumed by the furnace. It must have strengthened their testimony as it did mine, but the Bible also teaches us how it impacted the other people who saw that happen...

27 And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the ^afire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats ^bchanged, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.

  28 Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who hath sent his ^aangel, and delivered his servants that ^btrusted in him, and ^chave changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.

  29 Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, shall be ^acut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can ^bdeliver after this sort. 

I got the business cards, they look awesome! I love 'em! Also tell Poot thanks for the post card, I got it today! Sounds like he had a pretty exciting time doing the Zip Lines!!

If the concert is Tech-Nine then No... definitely not a place you would want to let Poot and M. go at their age. Yeah No... Ha ha maybe when they can drive themselves.

I'm kinda freaking out though because I just realized M. is gonna be driving come December......... whoa. Not to mention how big he and D. are getting! I always thought you were just teasing me when you said that they were gonna end up taller than me... Now I'm beginning to fear that you may be right!

Well I hope you are all having a delightful summer and I hope you have fun! Love, Elder Winterrose!

PS. I really hope you didn't turn my room into a sewing room...

Fairbanks 2nd Ward! My new home.

Well transfers are upon us and my companion and I are both being transferred. I hope it helps this area. I love Valdez, and the people here with all my heart. This area is doing great and we are seeing a lot of doors opening up. I just hope it continues to thrive and that the next missionaries will mesh well with the personalities of the investigators and the members. I trust the the Lord and I am confident that it will all work out.

I'm stinking excited that I get to go to Fairbanks! It's gonna be awesome. It's gonna be way different than serving in a small area where I know more than half of the people who live there. I imagine it will be kind of like serving in the Tri-Cities. I heard there's some good fishing up around there too! So who knows!!!

It's very bitter-sweet getting transferred, but I will get to see my trainer, Elder V., at transfers in Eagle River. I was really hoping that I would get to see him again because he is going home in 4 days!!!!  HOLY CRAP!! 4 Days left on his mission. I don't even want to think about going home till 2012... as Sister Dance told another missionary, "That's space-ages away...."

Well, I apologize for the short length and spiritually-dry letter. My mind is tumbling in a maelstrom of emotions........ Excitement, worry, happiness, and a little bit of fear. But I'm really not afraid, because I know that it's the Lord's will.
FIRST FREAKIN TRANSFER.

Well I have loads of laundry and packing to do. And very little time to do it. I'm gonna miss this town, but I can't wait to get to Fairbanks.

Till next time!

Love,

Elder Britton Winterrose