Day on the Farm

 

    

      We visited Brother and Sister Hobbs in Port McKenzie on Saturday. It was a chilly, rainy day but a lot of fun. Brother Hobbs had a farm with about 500 bison that he sold. He needed to move most of their things from their home into a large storage trailer. They will live in a small cabin while he builds a large addition onto the cabin. He is building with logs that he harvested from his property and trimmed and split. It really will be a handmade cabin. He worked as a contractor and is very smart, plus he has a lot of equipment.

     He is about 5'8" and 140 lbs., but has more strength and energy than anyone I have seen. Some of the missionaries came out to help move the larger things. Here is a picture of them getting ready to move a baby grand piano. I thought how many missionaries does it take to move a piano? More than to change a light bulb. (It took six to move it).

      After moving he showed us around his property. He has a pretty view of the lake with a dock. When they posed at the end of the dock it was pretty wobbly and low in the water. Minnesota is nicknamed land of 10,000 lakes. Guess how many lakes there are in Alaska. Three million, but only 3,000 have names. When you look on google maps it looks like "lake freckles" everywhere. There are 4 airstrips in Port McKenzie because it is only 12 miles across the inlet from Anchorage to Port McKenzie. A short plane ride. But it is 80 miles and about a 1.5 hr. drive by road. It is a beautiful drive. I didn't get pictures because it was raining and the pictures from the car were not very good. I thought I would get some on the way back but it was raining even harder then. 

     The highlight of the trip was riding the tractor out to the pasture to see the bison. Brother Hobbs  hooked up a trailer with a log for the elders to sit on for the ride. Elder Robinson and I stood on the sides of the tractor. It was cold and the wind was blowing in my face. I felt like a hood ornament. Some of the newer missionaries came in basketball shorts and a T-shirt. They wouldn't wear coats though and they didn't complain. But they were happy when we got back and Sister Hobbs had made a hot lunch for us. When the sun shines Alaska is beautiful but when it is cold and stormy it's not as much fun. But it is still fun! 

     It was exciting to see the bison and baby calves. They were full of energy, running, snorting and kicking up their heels. They surrounded us as they ran by. It was like "Dances with Wolves" only better because these buffalo were real! HaHa. We will have to go back again on a warmer day. The missionaries loved every minute. 

     It was nice for transfer week to be able to meet in person with the new missionaries who just arrived. It has been over a year since they have had orientation in person. We have 6 new sisters and 4 new elders. President Smith, First Counselor in the Mission Presidency, is an avid hunter and fisherman. He brought some bottled bear meat and a black bear skull to show the missionaries. A few sisters tried the meat but all of the elders ate it and loved it. I tasted it and it was delicious! President Smith cooked it in a pressure cooker and had it seasoned well. It tasted like very tender pot roast. He said a black bear shot in the spring is very delicious but after a summer of eating salmon the meat takes on a more bitter taste. Kate said someone told her that bears that eat blueberries taste the best. But I don't know how you know that's what they are eating. It used to be you could only get 3 black bear a year but now there is no limit. Bears have become overpopulated, particularly in rural areas. With climate change and warmer water there are more salmon now, which increased the bear population. With more bears they have been eating more moose calves and thinning the moose population. It seems to be a delicate balance in nature and the food chain.

     One thing I was so excited about this week was seeing Ryann graduate from Timpview H.S. in Provo. I love graduations and was sad to think of missing them while we served our mission. It was televised on YouTube so I was able to see the whole thing. I did cry a little in my office during the processional. So happy for Ryann. Max will graduate on June 11. I am grateful that with the pandemic we have found ways to connect for special occasions.

     Other than bear meat the other unusual food this week was pizza at Kate's.  She made one of her favorite pizzas from her trip to Homer. It is pepperoni, jalapeno and honey! She says it is delicious. I stayed with traditional ham and onions.  You can see blossoms coming on her bush in front. Another week or two and flowers will be blooming.

     We are just about halfway through our mission. I am so grateful for this experience and the things we have seen and done. There are a lot of churches here and it made me wonder what draws people to church. Last Sunday a church was at a gas station pumping gas and giving a $1 discount/gal to anyone who came for gas. It made people quite happy and it was a kind thing to do. But it reminded me of the account in John 6 when Jesus fed 5,000 people and they followed Him for what he could give them. Then He gave the Bread of Life sermon to teach about His spiritual purpose. It was to the contrast between temporal and spiritual "bread"/blessings. Afterwards many disciples left because they were not looking for a spiritual life. It is good to serve others and be kind, but the real purpose (the real service) is to teach about the spiritual blessings of following Jesus Christ. I appreciated a woman who spoke in Relief Society about the difference the gospel, and the Book of Mormon in particular, has made in her life. She joined the church 2 years ago. She said it changed her life and she could never go back to the way she lived before. She talked about how much better she feels when she reads the Book of Mormon and repeated again that she could never go back to her old way of life. It is like the scripture in John 6: 67-68 when Jesus asks the apostles "Will ye also go away?" and Peter replies "to whom shall we go? (you) have the words of eternal life". Our purpose is to bring people to Christ because that is what will make a difference beyond a simple act of service. I do love the feeling of helping and serving others. It brings a deeper appreciation for people and a softer heart for both the giver and receiver. But the greatest service is the spiritual change that comes from sharing a testimony of Jesus and of the restored gospel. I love hearing testimonies and the spiritual boost it brings that is much longer lasting. I am so grateful for a mission and the changes in my life in being able to grow spiritually. That is what really makes me happy! Maybe this week you too can look at some of the spiritual things that really make you happy and nourish the spiritual side of you.  

Happy birthday this week to Gray and Tate Hillstead and Ethan Hall. You are great!

 Love,

Elder and Sister Robinson

I know this blog is long, but one last thing. We had a 6.1 earthquake as we were getting ready for bed Sunday night. It felt like it was about 40 sec of shaking and rolling, the lamp shades wobbling and dishes rattling. Anchorage gets about 1300 earthquakes a year but most are less than 3.0. We have had 3 that were 5.0-5.5 in the past 3 months and then this one. It was 100 miles north of Anchorage. When it is further away there is more rolling action. The closer the earthquake it is more like a sharp jolt. Jed said when he got here he hoped he would feel an earthquake. He did! Sorry no pictures, too much excitement.