Mail Call!

I did hear from Michelle this week. She explains why we didn't hear from her last week.

Daddy,

Sorry you didn't hear from my last week. P-day was on Wednesday since we went to the temple and then the server wouldn't let us on myldsmail...grr. I would've written you a letter but, I figured that by the time it got to you I would be emailing you anyways. :) Okay, I only have a few minutes since they've cut our email time to half an hour so I'm combining two replies into one. :D Larry Stookey is teaching Mission Prep? Awesome! I'm sure he'll do a great job! :D Sister Avalos and I are doing well. We're finding new people to teach and we're pretty excited about this area! The ward is really good and there are some good people here that need the Gospel. :D

Pretty much the Gospel is amazing! Yesterday for my personal study I read the Resurrection chapters in The Gospels and then in our companionship study we've been reading the March Ensign so that's really good too.

Sister Avalos and I are boycotting winter by not wearing our down coats unless we absolutely have to. :D

I got to see Suzanne yesterday, which I'm sure you already know since you're the one who told her I was in Sand Lake ward. She came to our ward yesterday before they headed back to Bethel. It was really good to see her. She said that we'll have to let her know when my homecoming report is and she'll come down for it.

Well Daddy, I love you! I have to get going. Have a fabulous day and I'll talk to you later!

Love,
'chelle

He Is Risen!

Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.

And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.

And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.

And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:

And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?

He is not here, but is risen...

(Luke 24:1-6)

No News...

I haven't heard from Michelle this week. I hope no news is good news! I'll let you know if I hear anything.

Itinerary

She's coming home!! I got Michelle's flight info today. She arrives at SeaTac early, early, on April 15th! I'm pretty excited! Anyone who wants to come to the Airport is welcome. Let me know and I'll give you the details.

Mail Call!

Here's the latest. Sorry it took so long to post. It sounds like she's doing well.

I'm pretty excited to be with Sister Avalos - she's a neat sister. We're going to have lots of fun together here in Sand Lake. The ward seems really nice [we met them yesterday but, we hardly remember anyone's names] and they're excited to have sisters. We've already had several people come up and tell us they'd love to come out with us to teach lessons! :D Now we just need to find good people to teach. There are a whole slew of potential investigators that need to be recontacted and a lot of formers for us to check up on. All that, along with the hour of tracting they want us to do each day, should really help the area take off.

Our District is pretty cool. Our District Leader is from Canada and he just spent the last couple of months out on Kodiak Island. Two of the other Elders in our District are ones that I've served around before out in Wasilla, one of them is my former District Leader out there.

It brings me joy to teach the Gospel and watch others accept it because I know how much joy it's brought to my life and it's exciting to watch others get that joy in their lives. When we were working with Marci out in Wasilla she commented on how when we came over she felt peaceful and happy for awhile after we left - they could feel that spirit and that joy in their home - that's so exciting to see people recognize that! :D When people reject it I get sad for a minute but, they have their agency so I can't really fret too much about it. Someone out there, somewhere, does want what we have and we have to get to work and find that person.

Sometimes it's actually kind of comical when we get rejected; i.e. Yesterday we were doing some tracting and this lady answered the door and said it wasn't a good time. As she was closing the door and we were walking away we could here the man inside yelling at us to go away. Then, once we were down the stairs and headed to the next apartment he came outside and was yelling at us not to come back. I think he must have been medicated or something because he sounded a little slurred. It was comical though because here's this overweight man who is atleast half naked, potentially drunk or medicated and he's yelling/slurring at us not to come back to his house again [we didn't really look enough to see if he was completely naked or not... it's one of those things we figured we were better off not knowing]. It was pretty amusing though and gave us a good laugh later. :) I guess it is a little different now when they reject our message than it was at the beginning of my mission. I think at the beginning of my mission I took it more personally but, now I know they're not rejecting me, they're rejecting the Savior and that makes me sad. It's easier to get over now though - I just have to remember that we all have our agency and that I gave them the opportunity to accept the Gospel...now it's in their hands.

Love,
'chelle

New Address

Michelle's new address is listed in the post below and also under the "Current Address" link on the right. The "Were is Michelle Now?" link has also been updated.

She's Moving!

Today was transfer day and Michelle was transferred back to Anchorage. Her next transfer, in six weeks, will be home! Here's the latest.

I'm getting transferred today. It's really weird because I thought that I would stay here for the rest of my mission. Guess not. Anyways, I'm going to the Anchorage Zone and serving in the Sand Lake ward. My new address is 7101 Weimer Rd #40 Anchorage, AK 99502 My new companion is Sister Avalos. She got to Alaska in June and we met at a meeting in July - totally hit it off and planned that we would serve together and that she would [send me home]. Needless to say, I was thrilled when I get my transfer call on Friday morning. Sister Preusz is also getting transfered and they're putting Elders in our ward. She is going down to Soldotna on the Kenai Peninsula to be with Sister Campbell, the Temple Square Sister from Scotland. :D

yay for American Idol! I heard there are two LDS kids on Idol this season - so cool! Do you remember John Peter Lewis? He was my favourite. :D I'm excited to go be able to watch Idol again. :D Everybody talks about it all the time!...argh!

yay for baptisms! This last week we set a 9 year old boy on date for the 15th of March...and now we'll both be gone. It'll be nice though for the Elders who are coming in to have a baptism in 2 weeks. They better love us! :D

Well, I have to go. We have transfers in an hour and we have a few more things to do quickly. Love ya!

Love,
'chelle

P.S. I have not seen the Northern Lights..and now that I'm headed back into the city I probably won't see them ever...guess I'll just have to come back sometime. :D

Mail Call!

Hi everyone. I received an email from Michelle on Monday. It was mostly personal stuff, but she did say she's doing well and they're teaching some great people. Mission transfers are this Monday and she really has no idea if she'll be moving or not. That also means she'll be home in six weeks! I don't know about you, but I'm excited!

Mail Call!

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!

A Poem

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