February 2012

Elder Kafoa, Dawson, Caden, Grandfather, Elder Kvavle

 The baptism that was scheduled for this week was moved to yesterday so Dawson and Caden were baptized yesterday by their Grandfather who is in the Stake Presidency.  It was a good service and we had a couple more of our investigators were there so that was really good for them.

 I have been think about finishing strong also.  Because I get to see some missionaries finish out really strong and I see others that don't and they just can't wait to go home.  And I know which I would like to be. So I will do my best to finish strong in the work of the Lord.  Elder Kafoa has been out 8 months.  His English is good.  He is from Tonga, he is 23 years old he has 2 younger sisters.  He is a convert when he was 12.  Yep I am still the district leader.  But this last week they had a district leaders meeting, which is new, and it helps clarify what I should be doing as a district leader.  I am so happy that Uncle Matt is trying to get himself to the Temple.  That is such a huge event in his life.  I am proud of him.

I can tell that my testimony has grow so much and that my view of the world and of other things has changed, for the better.  I pray that I will have the same view and attitude when I am home as I do right now.  This Gospel does bless whatever it comes in contact with.  Thank you both for rearing me in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Our interviews with president Beesley went well thins past week.  We teach the new member lessons with the ward missionaries.  We live with a member but I think we are going to get an apartment soon.  My companion speaks English better than my last companion.  He understands a lot and really wants to learn more English.

Jannuary 2012

 I have had a good week.  We taught 2 boys Dawson and Caden last week and they want to be baptized!  We are teaching them again today and we asked them to think about a date so we will see what happens today with that.  But the area is kind of slow, but we picked up a new investigator last week and we are teaching them again on Wednesday.  I am also going on exchanges this week which will be fun.  We had a really spiritual district meeting today.  Probably the best one I have trained so far on.  It is always so fun to be able to not fear that the Lord will provide me the words I need to say in the very moment I need them and that it can touch the hearts of the people I am teaching, even if they are other missionaries.  Because we are all children of our Heavenly Father and we all need help and guidance.  It was really cold here this last week.  The coldest I saw on our trucks thermostat was -28!  But that was only one day now its closer to zero.  We have gotten over a foot in the last week or so.  Which is odd for Wasilla.  So the perfect place to go snow mobiling is up here in Alaska.


So this week we got a call from some Elders from my district and they were stuck in the snow in their Subaru and it took us 2 hours to get them out and there was some damage to both of our vehicles.  When we were towing them out they were backing up at the same time and our truck was moving slower then the car was so they rear ended us.  There wasn't a lot of damage done to us but there was more done to them. So yeah I have been out 11 months now.  Its crazy how fast it goes.  We had a lesson with our new investigator Raey this week.  We taught her the second lesson and it was way powerful, the spirit was so strong in there their were even a few tears.  And that is when we invited her to come to church.  So we will set up another time with her so we can teach her again.  So today when we left it was -9 degrees which is pretty cold.


Missionary's need all the members we can get to go teaching with us.  Missionaries get stuck every now and then and more so when there is a new snow.  The church is self insured so the church pays for it.  But if the damage is a lot then you don't drive for the rest of your mission.  I have been going on exchanges with missionaries again this week and we had a good time.  The area is picking up slowly.  We had a lesson with one of our investigators we just met named Matt.  He knows a lot and is now just trying to get an answer if it is true.  I was wondering if for my year mark you could get me a year mark present.  But it is for missionary work though.  A GPS.  Addresses here are not like addresses back home.  A lot of houses don't have house numbers or a street sign.  And it being winter and snow is on everything haha.  So if not that's ok but it would make the work a little easier.

We had the best week last week.  We put
those two boys on date to be baptized for the 16th of February as long as
their dad is back in town by then. Right now the sun is starting to rise about
9 or 9:30 and is setting about 5ish.  But it is a lot harder when it is
dark.  It is harder to get up in the morning.  Right now I think we are
gaining about 15 seconds of sunlight a day.  But it will progressively get
more soon enough.  

We found a former investigator and we have had a lot of
good experiences with him.  His name stuck out and we felt like we should
see him.  We have been able to get him fire wood enough for the winter now
and hes says he sees a light about me when we speak with him which is
really cool.  He has some interesting beliefs but he wants to learn and have
the peace that we talked about.  Elder Tonga's English is improving.  Being
a district leader is fun.  For our last district meeting of this transfer we
are going down to the temple which will be awesome.  We are going down
Wednesday.  The ward is doing good.  They are doing pretty good with
missionary work and they want to be a part of it but we just have to get it
going more.  The cold is not getting me too much.  I can dress pretty warm
now. 

We had a good week this week.  I am not being transferred.  Elder Tonga is though, he is going to Barrow.  Way far north.  I am getting  a new companion who is also from Tonga.  His name is Elder Kafoa.  He is coming down from Fairbanks.  Thank you Dad for finding a good GPS form me so I can navigate better here in Alaska.  Yesterday we had a lesson with and investigator who we found about a month ago and she knows that the Book of Mormon is true!  So we put her on date to be baptized for February 19th!  She knows what the Holy Ghost feels like and she knows now what the Holy Ghost testifys of and why its important We are way excited for her and her choice.  

 

 

We had a good week this week.  I am not being transferred.  Elder Tonga is though, he is going to Barrow.  Way far north.  I am getting  a new companion who is also from Tonga.  His name is Elder Kafoa.  He is coming down from Fairbanks.  Thank you Dad for finding a good GPS form me so I can navigate better here in Alaska.  Yesterday we had a lesson with and investigator who we found about a month ago and she knows that the Book of Mormon is true!  So we put her on date to be baptized for February 19th!  She knows what the Holy Ghost feels like and she knows now what the Holy Ghost testifies of and why its important We are way excited for her and her choice.

 

 

December 2011

Elder Kvavle, Demarcus, Darius, Elder Dellenbach

The baptism was great, Demarcus was the convert baptism and Darius was the child of record baptism.  I baptized Demarcus and Elder Dellenbach baptized Darius.  They are a part member family.  Their dad isn't a member.  After the baptism we were all changing and their older brother Melek came in and hugged both of his brothers and told them how proud he was of them and that he cried when they were baptized and it reminded him of his baptism (he was also a convert baptism. He is 10 now)  So that was way awesome!

 We had a ward Christmas Party on Saturday and when had so many people  show up.  People that hadn't been to church in years.  We have been having some crazy weather here lately.  Its been warmer so lots of the snow has been melting so the roads are really bad so our mission president had us stay in our apartments a few days till the worst of it was over.  Our teaching has been going well.  Since we have reduced our teaching pool now since we have had some baptisms we are going to be doing some more finding aka tracking.

 We get to attend the Temple about once every three months if we are in Anchorage.  So next month we will probably be able to attend again.  Our Temple here is in the parking lot of our Stake center so there isn't a whole lot of Temple grounds to decorate so I don't know if they decorate them or not.  But they haven't yet.  So I forgot to tell you that for the Thanksgiving day we went over to a members house and decorated gingerbread houses.  I will include a picture.  So I have been thinking that when I get back from my mission we could go to Nauvoo some time.  Yeah so I have been out almost 10 months now.

 

Last night is snowed like 8 inches so we had a fun surprise this morning.  And the roads were not so good.  Last night we went to a part member families house the house of the 2 boys we just baptized and taught them the lesson after baptism and then we talked the the father who isn't a member and we were looking for his concern.  I was able to channel the spirit and we really got Brother Olloway to open up an I think we can help him work through his concern.  One of our investigators named Bidget, she has been on date before, came to church on Sunday!  This was a big step for her because we have been trying to get her to come for about a month and a half!  And she love church.  Epically Relief Society.  That is what made the experience for her.  So we are very hopeful for Bridget to be baptized soon.  Well transfers are coming up this next week so we will see what happens.  I have been thinking about school a lot for after my mission and trying to figure out what a I will do.  Missionaries can apply while they are out in the field so Elder Dellenbach who has applied to many colleges has told me I should apply in the summer of 2012 so I can make the dead line. 

So I am getting transferred to Wasilla.  The Settlers Bay ward.  Elder Dellenbach is also getting transferred to a samoan ward.  I am going to go be the district leader there and I am also white washing the area (2 new missionaries in the area) with Elder Tonga.  President Beesley told me I need to help him with his English and we need to go whip the area into shape.  It has been slow lately.  So it will be fun :)    

We just found out a few days ago that we can Skype home now too from a members house.  So we will see what happens.  We will just plan on the call and if a member lets us come over in Settlers Bay then I will let you know in the call. But it will be tough since we won't know anyone there.  And I leave tomorrow.  We found out Saturday morning.  So on Saturday night we had dinner with a member family and they had family over who wasn't a member.  Pretty much they want to learn more about the gospel and wants to be baptized once they gain a testimony of it.  Yeah and we are leaving haha so great for the Elders who are replacing us.  An Elder will be trained in Sand Lake now.  But it is great because the area is being blessed and we were as well because of obedience (D&C 130:20-21) and it is so great to be able to feel the Spirit testify of the truth of the things we have to tell them.

I have been a trainer now for almost 12 weeks now.   There is a new program so the new missionary stays with his trainer for 12 weeks now.  Training is hard but fun.  I am enjoying this time as just a regular missionary because President Beesley told me I will be a district leader and more later on in my mission.  So I am enjoying it while it lasts.  A few of them members who like us a lot have invited us over for Christmas day and Eve, so we will be taken care of.