Getting Used to Winter

-

 





     I never get pictures to look as pretty as what we see. Alpenglow is a pink glow that shines on mountains at sunrise or sunset and can appear in a lot of places, not just Alaska. I hadn't noticed it as much though until living in Alaska. It covers the whole sky and usually happens with the right combination of clouds, blue sky and snow. There was a big cloud that looked like cotton candy and was so pretty (sorry I missed that picture). It is not quite as spectacular as the Northern Lights but it still inspires me at how beautiful nature is. Even though winter is cold and icy, there are things to see that make me so grateful for the experiences we have had here.
     We are glad we have not experienced a car accident though. There was a snow storm last week and we drove by several accident scenes on our way to work. Elder Robinson likes the ingenuity of using zip ties to make car repairs. He noticed this car next to us at a stoplight. You had to look carefully to see the repair. 



     With more snow the moose have come out to eat woody bushes and trees at the mission office. It sounds like loud chomping on popcorn or chips. Elder and Sister Sessions are new to the mission office and arrived on Jan 3. They were so excited to see moose their first week here. 



     There are 2 sets of missionaries in our ward and it is sometimes hard for them to get dinner appointments, especially with the increase in Covid cases. We enjoy having them come for dinner, getting to know them a little better and having them teach a lesson. They have such different personalities and it is interesting to see how they work together and find ways to share their testimony. Covid restrictions and winter in Alaska make it harder to talk with people. I admire their faithfulness and desire to do their best. 
When they left they said "Thanks for dinner. We love you Grandma and Grandpa". That made us feel good. We haven't lost our grandparent touch. (Elders Birch, Taumoe'anga, Dearden and Rogers).  The missionaries help clean apartments when we vacate them. Elder Robinson had them cleaning scuff marks. They are hard workers. never complain and are happy to help.




     It was Elder Robinson's birthday last week so we found some donuts to bring to the office to celebrate. It reminded me of kids bringing a treat to school on their birthday. Easier than birthday cake and no leftovers. For a birthday dinner we got takeout from Texas Roadhouse and planned to watch the College Football Championship. Just as he had his first few bites, some missionaries called and were locked out of their apartment. He took a few more bites and then went to help them out. Birthday memories!




          We haven't seen any bears but there have been some sightings reported on the news. The dumpster at the church parking lot has a bear bar to hold the lid down so bears can't go through the garbage for food. If they don't have food available, they will hibernate. No donuts in our garbage anyway. This brown bear is on display at the MatSu offices in Palmer. It was shot in Port Mackenzie, by where Elder Hobbs lives. It was one of the largest brown bears in Alaska at almost 10 feet tall. Elder Robinson was amazed at the size of the paws and claws.


     
     Spiritual Thought:  This has been a really hard week with the Covid surge. There are no home tests or PCR tests (for travel) available here and it is 2-4 hours to get a drive-through test. The impact of Covid is worse now than at any time since we have been on our mission. It has been quite discouraging. I liked this quote by Elder M. Russell Ballard: "Just keep smiling. The pandemic will wear itself out, but don't let it wear you out. Just keep getting up in the morning and keep raising your families (or serving your mission). Things will be OK." I sometimes wonder if I am the only one feeling worn out by Covid. It is good to remember that all you can do is your best and trust that things will work out. We have 3 missionaries hoping to go to South America this week and 10 more in February. I was able to arrange screening tests, and if they are negative, they can fly to Salt Lake for a PCR test and go from there (that was a hard solution to work out). As hard as it gets, it does seem to work out in the end. Whether they go this week or not, it will be OK.  We are fortunate that no one is seriously ill. Quarantine is only 5 days instead of 10. Everyone is used to wearing masks now. We are getting good at working together! I am grateful we have stayed healthy throughout our mission. There are blessings in all of this.
     Birthdays this week are Cooper and Krista. I'm sorry I forgot to acknowledge LeAnn and Grandma Robinson's birthdays last week. We love you all and hope you know how grateful we are for family!
Have a really good week
Love,
Elder and Sister Robinson
     

Comments

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