Senior Missionaries Together for Thanksgiving

     We were happy to get together as senior couples this year for Thanksgiving. Last year with Covid restrictions we could only celebrate with one other couple, Pres. and Sis King. This year there were six couples that got together at the home of  a member family, the Taylors, where Elder and Sister Tracy live. He is the attorney general for Alaska. They have a lot of family in Utah.  Last week they went to the BYU-Georgia Southern football game and stayed in Utah for Thanksgiving. They invited us to use their home for our get together. We had such a good time. 

     There was a beautiful Christmas tree (with a "Y" ornament), a piano where Sister Garner played Christmas songs, and a large area to eat, visit and share our potluck Thanksgiving dinner. Elder Robinson liked this lynx pelt.

     It was a cold, snowy day but warm and comforting inside. It has been so cold for the past 2 weeks and was the coldest Thanksgiving in 10 years, with more snow too. The balcony of the Taylor home looks out over the Cook Inlet. They have beautiful sunsets in clear weather but this picture looks like alien lights in the sky. It is the kitchen lights reflecting on the window.

     We enjoyed putting miniature jigsaw puzzles together that Sister Rueckert brought. It is fun because each person has their own puzzle to work on instead of clustered around a single puzzle (but they come in the same box with the same theme). Something about working with your hands makes it easier to talk. We also used the Family Tree app to find out how we are related to each other. Elder Robinson was related to everybody.  We also found out that Sister Anderson, from Ephraim, is related to a cousin of Leslie Nelson, a sister in our home ward. I liked hearing the family history stories. 

     Saturday we put up our little Christmas tree. It was fun for Elder Robinson and I to work together decorating and listening to Christmas music while turkey was cooking. It smelled so good. We made the turkey for Sunday dinner with the missionaries. I don't mind the cold and snow from indoors. It was quite nice.

     We had six missionaries come to dinner on Sunday. We made both ham and turkey because they can eat a lot. They love whatever we make but they especially liked the creamed corn, baked beans and rolls. We sent most of the leftovers home with them but saved enough for us for dinner the next day. Shortly after they left two other missionaries came by who were feeling sick and needed some medicine. We gave them the rest of the leftovers for when they felt better. They sent us the nicest text later. They were feeling better and were so grateful for the food since they hadn't felt like making anything for dinner with being sick. I was so glad we had made extra food. It never goes to waste.

     Another new senior couple arrived on Monday afternoon. They are Elder and Sister Sessions from Everett, Washington. They will be replacing Elder and Sister Smith who return home on Dec. 15. We are excited to get to work with them in the mission office. They have come for 2 weeks to get training before the Smiths go home. The Sessions will spend Christmas at home and then return to serve full-time Jan. 3. They had planned to serve a mission in Japan with a friend who is the mission president there. With Covid restrictions they were not able to go to Japan and were surprised to end up in Alaska. They are looking forward to discovering what Alaska is like. Mostly though they are glad to serve a mission wherever they are needed. They both retired just a week ago from working as a city building inspector and as a city court clerk. We went to dinner at the Peanut Farm Restaurant and Elder Sessions won a hat in a drawing for those watching Monday Night Football in the Sports Bar. (They gave everyone a free ticket when we came in). Off to a lucky start! 

     Elder Robinson is so excited the mission got a new Ford Transit van to replace the old gray van. He took it for a short drive and loved it. He gave it the name Van-na White (it's a white van). It will get a lot of use. He has had three calls already from young missionaries wanting to use it for transporting groups to meetings and helping with service projects. The roads are so icy but it has all-wheel drive and a lot of safety features the old van didn't have. You just have to be very cautious.

     Spiritual thought: I don't know if you remember last year when I wrote about Sister Smith's granddaughter and the health problems she has. She has a genetic disorder that causes her to have very soft bones and thin skin. She had surgery for scoliosis a few years ago. The hardware was beginning to push through the skin and eroding the bones. It was causing a lot of pain. She went to a doctor in New York to have the hardware replaced. Unfortunately the surgery resulted in a spinal cord injury. They hoped she would recover and be able to walk again. They now know that she will be permanently paralyzed. She is 12 years old and a very quiet and shy girl. It was scary for her to start Junior High and not know how she would fit in. Sister Smith said that last month Ava bore her testimony in a Back-to-School Fireside and said that she knew she would be okay if this is what her life is going to be. She knows she is loved by God and that He will help her through whatever she needs to do. She has made a lot of friends at school and there is always someone sitting with her at lunch and in classes. She is no longer as shy and is coming out of her shell. As hard as it is to see her granddaughter face these challenges, it is also a chance to see the goodness in people who are kind and eager to help. Sister Smith said she is growing in unexpected ways and draws people to her with her bright spirit. It has not been the outcome they have been praying for but they are grateful for the strong faith Ava has and how others have responded to her.  I like this quote by Pres. Nelson:

     "Our prayers are never ignored. Our faith is never unappreciated. I know that an all-wise Heavenly Father's perspective is much broader than is ours. While we know of our mortal problems and pain, He knows of our immortal progress and potential. If we pray to know His will and submit ourselves to it with patience and courage, heavenly healing can take place in His own way and time".

     I try to be patient and have courage to keep trying when faced with challenges. Reading scriptures and praying regularly help me to remember God is there to help me and strengthen my resolve. I appreciate the example of Sister Smith’s granddaughter too. 

We love you and think of you every day. Have a happy, busy, productive week!

Love,

Elder and Sister Robinson

Random pictures. Hauling away a pile of snow. They ran out of turkey at Walmart but there were still some pig's heads at $1.27/lb. There is a metal Sasquatch figure that someone moves around to different spots off the freeway. We hadn't seen it for a few months until we saw it today by a Christmas light display in the field. It was almost like seeing an old friend. It was interesting to see it made the news.