November 9, 2023

 From Gary's POV.  probable a little repeat stuff here.  😏

We have a pretty variable schedule, with each day being a new adventure.  Each day moves so fast, as do the weeks.  They are typically very  full, very fast moving and very fulfilling.  We had dinner with the mission President and his wife at their home on Monday with the other newer senior missionaries. We did that instead of the YSA FHE.  Then Tuesday morning at 6:30 am, Justin Reeder, our Institute Director called us to ask us to teach his 3 periods of seminary that day because he was sick.  We had about 45 minutes to get ready, prepare and drive to the seminary to teach the first class.  A little tight timing, but if we aren’t prepared to step in now, when will we ever be.  It was a good day with those kids.  Justin was well enough by that night to teach Insatiate class, so that was better for us. 

We also get to meet with the young missionaries in their district and zone meetings.  They call them councils and last for 1 ½ hours, with training, role plays and testimonies.  We are amazed that the ones doing these meetings are the same ones who have grown up, matured and strengthened themselves from how they were in the MTC. 

Our evenings are busy and occupied almost every night.  As we try to contact the Young adults here, we are meeting more and more people who are really wonderful people.  During the day we do a lot of prep time on lessons and activities related to finding the YSAs here.  Although we as missionaries’ cross lines of organizations, we are finding that there are a lot of fingers in the pot.  So, as we try to be efficient and not reinvent the wheel or re-do what has just been done, we find we need to interact with a lot of people.  Sometimes I feel that we just keep getting ready to get ready.  We have to keep adjusting our approach as we get more information.  That constant change or adjustment in game plan is difficult for me.  When it comes to trying to move a big movement along, I’m usually a ready, fire aim guy.  So basically that is what we are doing, Just getting out and doing things so we can adjust the aim as needed. 

Perfectionism also gets in my way, so I guess I’m just a mess and realizing why I am experiencing a little PTSD from 50 years ago in South America.  But, most of the stress I went through then was with changing areas and changing companions.  Can I just tell you how awesome Carolee is as a companion! With me working at home so much, we’ve been used to being with each other for many years.  As a result, neither of us is screaming for some alone time, although we do take it now and again when we run to the store or go for a walk separately.  But we’re in the same place for a year and she is an amazing missionary comp.  She is doing things I never thought I’d see her do.  We are tracting in the dark, she is driving in the snow and then going to the doors with confidence and it is pretty cool to be a part of.  She keeps me in line and keeps me as even keel as she can.  Our year and a half as EQ President and her being my visiting partner really helped prepare both of us for this experience.  She is amazing!

We’ve got a snow day here in Alaska. The schools are all closed, the city is practically shut down. We got 18-20 inches overnight and it’s still snowing hard with another 4 to 6 coming today. The next 10 day forecast is for another 2 feet of snow!  I mean how can it get better? It can and will.  

The attitude for plowing roads around here is pretty laid-back. The storm is on top of 7 inches. We got last week. Two days ago the plow came in front of our house for that storm. Don’t think it’ll make it around for this storm for a while, so we’re just packing it down and driving on it.

🥶It is so awesome. I am loving it!❄️❄️❄️☃️

Here’s one of the Urban wildlife friends we met the other night. We were in the car and 15 feet away.  He is HUGE.  He’s probably about 7 feet tall.  They are big animals. 

It was about a mile or so from our house in a subdivision

We were supposed to teach seminary for 3 periods today, bus school was cancelled, so that meant seminary was too.  Then Institute was cancelled as well.  So after a meeting with the YSA elders and sisters, we came home and went for a walk in the snow.  The street lights and reflection off the snow,

make it like daylight out there.,  

We are experiencing small miracles seems like every day...

We look forward to each day with what it will bring.  Friday night we are going to a ward Wild Game night where they will serve bear stew, goat chunks, mountain sheep, rock fish, and other stuff.  we want to try it all, so we will report back.