Here's a few excerpts from the latest email from Michelle.
Daddy,
It really was a neat Sunday. We surpassed our goal as a ward and as a mission. We have 8 units in the Anchorage Alaska Chugach Stake (7 wards and 1 branch) and our average non member attendance for the Stake is about 10 - we had about 120 in the Stake last week! :D
Hey...I'll be staying with you for a month before I run away to AL for awhile. Don't worry - I'll return to WA...it's too hot in AL for me. :D Plus, I can't live to far away from you...then I'd have to pay cash for tech support. If I live at home/close to home I'll just be able to make you some apple crisp or banana bread or something in exchange for technical help. :P Speaking of baking things, I've really developed a talent?... knack?... love for? baking and I've decided I need to spend at least one day with Grandma Baker after my mission devoted to learning how to make yummy things. :D
I have a SD card that's ready to send home and a tape that I'm working on. I'm kind of waiting for my package from Mum (that I should "really" get this week) before I send it home because I want to put some of the pictures from it on my digital-picture-frame-that-I'm-not-supposed-to-know-that-I'm-getting.
I love you Daddy! Have a wonderful week!
One of the women in Michelle's ward in Eagle River wrote the following poem after the passing of Gordon B. Hinckley, president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Prophetic Passing
I imagine he's running to Marjorie now,
Yes, running, not waving his cane.
I see him embracing his father and mother While they keep repeating his name.
I see him now meeting his forebears,
Brother Brigham and Joseph are there.
Sweet reunion of prophets, united by service That only such noble men share.
I see him embraced by the Savior
While Father says, "Good and well done.
So faithful in stalwart endurance, I welcome My noble, most excellent son."
I then hear the ripples of laughter
As he says the reception's just fine,
But he hopes that he'll get an assignment or two Since there's no need to waste any time.
I can hear his clear voice in the stillness At the close of this sweet Sabbath day, Have faith and move forward there's work to be done.
President Hinckley would want it that way.
Anna M. Molgard
January 27, 2008
Here's the latest from Michelle. There's some exciting news she shares with us!
Daddy,* Non members. See last week's post.
Yesterday was AMAZING! We had 22 people at our ward* and somewhere around 1050 throughout the whole mission -so cool! Our baptism happened on Saturday and then she was confirmed in our special sacrament meeting. The meeting was so spiritual...oh man...it was pretty much the best Sunday I've ever had...WOW!
I think it might be fun to nanny...but I don't know when I'd start...we'll see....maybe during the summer and fall and then start school in the winter...who knows...I've got time to figure things out.
Thanks so much for your prayers. I had pretty come to the conclusion that I was going home on April 14th and then we had our interviews and I talked to President about it. He said that it's a decision that he and I need to make together and that it depends on how many sisters we have coming out and when we have them coming so he said he'd go back to the office and let me know what he finds out. So, on Thursday I got a call from Sister Wright in the mission office saying that I was going home in May. I hesitated and said okay. About an hour and a half later I got a call from President saying that he realized it would make more sense for me to go home April 14th and would I be okay with that? I said yes, that actually sounded better. Well, just now I got a call from Sister Wright asking for info on where I'm flying home to (she's buying my ticket today). She commented on it being earlier than she had told me and said that she had talked to President after she told me I was going home in May and told him that I had hesitated for awhile before saying yes to her on the phone - like I wanted to cry or fall over or something. lol. So, anyways...I'm coming home the night of April 14th/morning of the 15th. You'll get more information from the mission office in a month or so.
Missions pretty much rock! I was talking to Sister Sloan last night about my decision to go home in April and it hit me how much I've grown up over the last year and a half - how I relied more on the Lord than myself for making that decision...it was pretty neat.
We were able to watch the World Wide Leadership Training Broadcast on Sunday - it was really good.
Daddy I love you! Have a wonderful week and I'll type at you later!
Love,
'chelle
I finally got a good long email from Michelle. It sounds like she's doing really well. Here's an excerpt:
Hi Dad!
Sister Preusz is feeling a little better. She's had a blessing. :D
Ya'know...I've thought of doing nanny work after my mission too...or house sitting or something...I'd have to get a drivers license but, that's at the top of the list of things to do when I get home...especially now that there's a little boxy '80s car I can drive. :D
Indoor dance festival...faith precedes the miracle. Do you remember at my dance festival: It was pouring the night of dress rehearsal and then, the next morning, there was a circle of blue sky over French Field - it was so neat to see so many prayers answered in such a large way! :D
It was fun to see Sister Pedersen - she's doing good! She is ready to go home though.
Missionary wise:
We're having a baptism on Saturday!The Petersens in our ward have their two nieces living with them for a while. Brittany is 16 and Lily is 6. They've lived there since before Thanksgiving and have been coming to church with them too. About 2 or 3 weeks ago Sister Preusz and I went over and asked Brittany how she liked church. She said it was the "most logical" out of all the other churches she'd been to. We asked her if she'd like to take the missionary lessons and she said yes. Her dad said that if it's something she wants to do she should do it. So, we taught her all of the lessons and asked her if she wanted to be baptized on the 2nd. She prayed about it for a few days and told us not the 2nd but, the 9th. Yesterday she had her Baptismal Interview and she is ready to go for the 9th - we are so excited! :D
This Sunday (the 10th) is a BIG day in Alaska Anchorage Mission history. Mission-wide we have set a goal to have 1,000 members of another faith at our sacrament meetings (that averages out to about 20/ward, 10 or so/large branch and 5 or so/smaller branch). The meetings are to be specifically focused on the Saviour so that people will know who we worship. All of us missionaries are SUPER excited about it and the members are getting excited too - they're inviting all sorts of people! I'ts going to be such a neat day!
- anyways -
I really like Eagle River. I've really been blessed to have good companions and good areas. Even the ones that I didn't necessarily get along with still brought learning experiences and growth and taught me more about the type of person I want to be.
Rio Blanco! Yummo! That's way funny (and cool) that they ask about me. :D I feel special! Maybe we'll have to eat there my first night back..lol
That's so neat that Brother Miles is the Stake President now - it's been fun to watch him progress since he was our home teacher.
Did I tell you that there are some members in my ward here who know President and Sister Shoemaker? When Bruce and Susie Clarke joined the Church the Shoemakers were their main fellowshippers! Small world!
We were able to watch President Hinckley's funeral services on Saturday as well (I would have protested if we weren't allowed...I would have been one very unhappy camper..). It was a wonderful service - everyone's remarks were great...I cried alot. I thought it was really neat how many people thanked his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren for sharing him with us. Also, all the comments about how he is with his beloved wife now. I also thought it was funny/cute/special that he had a box of dirt from England that was put in his grave. Shall we get you a box of dirt from the Isle of White? - it would give me a good excuse to go to England. :) Well, time is running out Daddy. I love you!
Love,
'chelle
My dearest Popcicle,:D
I missed being able to email last week. We could've on Tuesday during lunch but, Sister Preusz was WAY sick...so we didn't. Sister Goldberg printed our emails up for us though...so I got to read my emails.
That is so neat that Michelle Conlon is home. What are her plans now, do you know? She is such an awesome person - I really enjoyed the short time I was able to have her as on of my Visiting Teachers.
Dance Festival time again, huh? I guess it's been six years...time to do it again. That's so neat. When in May is it?
Guess what! Sister Pedersen, my MTC companion, is in my Zone! I got to see her today [we carpooled to IHOP and the temple]! It's so good to see her again [it's been a year] she's doing good! It was also way good to start off the day with a session at the temple - yay!
I love you Daddy! Have a fabulous week!
Love,
'chelle
Daddy,
you should listen to the I want a Hippopatamus for Christmas song...it's funny...search for an mp3 of it online and listen...
Tours of the Stake Center? Are they by the missionaries? We're doing Chapel Tours up here...that way people know where the building is and what goes on inside. They're really helpful when you can get people to come out for one. Ours sound like they're pretty much the same type of set up as yours. Awesome!
Oh...you'll have to let me know if you get an Elder Pettijohn in your ward...or any of the surrounding wards. He's from Wasilla and I know him...he's in the MTC right now so he won't be up to WA for almost a month. He's an awesome kid though and I was way excited when he got his call to the Washington Seattle Mission!
Love you!
'chelle
We mourn the passing of Gordon B. Hinckley. Prophet and President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. His was a life of service and love. Click here for more.
I didn't hear anything from Michelle on Monday. I did hear from one of her friends who got a letter from her that she didn't move last week. So, apparently she's still in Eagle River with her same companion. I'll let you know more when I know more...
I didn't hear from Michelle today. Probably because it's a holiday. It was a transfer day also, so I don't even know if she's moved. I'll let you know as soon as I find out.
So, it was -16 in part of our area yesterday...brr! Today though it's been between -6 and +2....and the clouds have moved back in. That's good news! :D Well, I've got a few more emails to send off - I love you!
Love,
'chelle
