Robinson Alaska Mission

       We were so excited to go the the Alaska State Fair yesterday. It is held in Palmer, about 50 minutes north of Anchorage, from August 20- Sept 6. It has been raining most of the week so we were especially happy to have a sunny day on Saturday, our P-day (day off), to enjoy being outside. We left early so we could get there when it opened, along with multiple thousands of Alaskans who had the same idea.  It was about a five-mile traffic jam to get there and took twice as long but it was worth it! I was a little worried for how we would find our car afterwards but we found landmarks and didn't get lost. There were a lot of carnival rides with long lines so we were glad we were there just to eat food, see the animal and garden exhibits and watch others on the rides. People are very friendly and it was nice to see families having a good time.  Interesting sights included a ride that was like a chair with two people bungee jumping but it would flip around and spin. Yikes! Who does

  We went back to Elder and Sister Hobbs' farm again this week to help move their things into their new cabin. The missionaries love going out to the farm even though it is a bit of a drive. Several of the missionaries are from rural areas/farms and enjoy helping Elder and Sister Hobbs. It is  peaceful and was such a pretty day. We got to pick vegetables and raspberries from their garden and the greenhouses. The highlight is getting to see the bison. It was a new group of missionaries that went this time and they had a lot of fun. They work hard too but it is fun when you work together in such a beautiful setting. It was a busy week with transfers but everything went smoothly. It has worked really well to rent the big U-Haul for luggage. The missionaries have an overnight bag and then meet for orientation the next day and get the luggage after the meeting. It is exciting to see them meet their companions and receive their first area assignment. There are 4 sisters (1 new missionary

  This has been a pretty ordinary week. Summer is winding down so we enjoyed a bit of sunshine yesterday and a walk along the boardwalk at Potter's Marsh. It is about 10 minutes south of our apartment. It had been raining most of the day so when the sun came out we wanted to get outside. It was nice hearing the birds even if I didn't get pictures of them (Imagine pretty chirping sounds). We did see a lot of Cow Parsnip. Now that we know what it looks like, we are seeing it everywhere. We are careful not to touch plants.  We went to Point MacKenzie to visit with Elder and Sister Hobbs about housing for the next transfer. It was surprising to see how much progress they have made building their cabin over the past month. Elder Hobbs has built the cabin by himself (with some help from his son). I liked his solution for having a large support beam/log in the kitchen. His son made the antler chandelier for him. The wood smells so good. It is everything you love about camping and bein