Potter's Marsh and Visiting Missionaries

-

 


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 being outdoors with modern comforts. 





We liked seeing Elder Hobbs's greenhouse garden He is starting to get lots of big vegetables. I look forward to gardening when we get home. I know we won't be able to grow vegetables as good as what we have seen here though. It is the hours of sunlight, the soil and rain that make a difference. I guess clouds and rain are the price you pay for delicious fruit and vegetables. On the way home we stopped at a roadside stand. We picked out what we wanted on the table and paid by leaving the money in a box. The tomatoes are so delicious. I should have tried the zucchini but they looked too big and I wasn't brave enough to try the peppers. It's early in the season but it is a short season. 





We also went to Palmer to set up an apartment for 4 sisters instead just 2 that are living there now. It is nice to visit with the missionaries and see how they manage living on their own. This little house is owned by members who live close by. The members have these friendly dogs that are good watchdogs for the sisters (Ruthie would love them!). I am so grateful for the kind members who look out for and care for the missionaries. 





We have transfers this week and will have 30 new missionaries. Elder Robinson has a U-Haul rented again for the luggage. The mission is getting pretty good at managing  these larger transfers. Elder Robinson had been looking for an apartment in Nome and thought he had found one that would work. The missionaries currently are living in the church house without a washer and dryer (members do their laundry). The apartment is 800 square feet and cost $1500, which seemed like a good deal until he found out it was $1500/week. He had to pass on that. So instead he bought a washer and dryer to be installed in the church house. Facility Management was okay with that. 

Spiritual Thought: We wanted to share two thoughts that have helped us in our daily lives. Elder Robinson's favorite thought that helps him is from Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley:

    "Those who move forward with a happy spirit will find that things will always work out.  Don't worry.         If you do your best, it will all work out. Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith."                Each week as work needs to be done or issues arise, Elder Robinson always says it will work out. And it does. Not always in the way we planned but it works out. Prayers are answered.

I like to remember this thought by Elder Deiter F. Uchtdorf:

    "There is something in each day that can bring gratitude and joy"                   

At the end of the day it feels better to end on a positive note by looking for the good in that day. And there is always something good. 

School starts this week and we thought these would be two good thoughts as you move forward with changes. Remember things will always work out and look for the good in each day.

We love each of you and are so grateful for the blessings you bring to our lives. Thank you so much for keeping in touch and letting us know how you are doing. We love to hear from you.

Elder and Sister Robinson

We love the clouds and sky. The marsh is beautiful too. You can't really see it in the picture but the bears walk in the tall grass and tramp it down making bear trails. There are 30 brown bears and 60 black bears in Anchorage recorded from a few years ago. I think there are more now. There are a lot of trails.




Comments

  1. PhyllisAugust 16, 2021 at 6:43 AM

    Thank you for sharing the two thoughts of encouragement. They are perfect for me. Phyllis

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Fun at the Fair and a Surprise Visitor

-
Image
       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
Read more

A Full and Happy Week (or Two)

-
Image
       There has been a lot going on the past 2 weeks and I got a little behind on writing for the blog. I have tried to keep in touch though through texts, calls and Christmas cards. We were busy last weekend with a Mission Christmas Party and farewell to Elder and Sister Smith who have served here almost two years. They were able to return home a few weeks early so they could be with family at Christmastime. It has been great working in the office with them and sharing this missionary experience. We share a common love for the missionaries, the gospel and our families. They welcomed us from our first day here. We lived next door to each other the first few months. We often had dinner together and played Mexican Train on the weekend. They became very good friends. We will miss them.       Our Mission Party was with all of the senior missionaries in Anchorage. The senior couples in Fairbanks, Juneau and Craig were too far away to attend. For the party we had a steak and crab dinner tha
Read more

I Love Fall

-
Image
       I love the four seasons. Each season is uniquely enjoyable. I love the surprises of fall. One day it seems like winter is here and we need to get used to cold, gray days. The next day there is a beautiful blue sky and vibrant, glowing yellow leaves. The colors, the crisp air and the sound of leaves blowing down the road make me glad that fall is holding on for a little longer.       We went to a Fall Harvest dinner in the Templeview ward last week. President Smith of the Mission Presidency sponsored the dinner for his ward and invited the senior missionaries. He has lived in Alaska for 50 years and has worked as a hunting and fishing guide for many years. He cooks for the camp and knows so many ways to prepare every kind of fish and game. The buffet tables were full with so much food but I didn't think to get a picture until the end when most of it was gone. We had Black Bear Stew, Roasted Wild Turkey, Wild Boar (roast and ham--delicious!), Bacon-wrapped Dall Sheep (my favor
Read more