Robinson Alaska Mission

      We were excited to have a ward Trunk or Treat activity on Saturday. It was a bit cold and rainy but most of the ward members said it was good weather (45 degrees and drizzle) for Halloween. At least no snow.  We set up our spot and were visiting for about 15 minutes when 2 moose showed up in the field by the parking lot. They were slowly grazing when they started to come toward the cars in the parking lot. Brother Beagley, the Elder's quorum president and a police officer, got in his truck to urge the moose back into the field. We didn't expect to have to chase moose away from the party! One of the members told us that moose love to eat pumpkins. The military base in Anchorage has banned outdoor pumpkin use on base to keep the moose away from people. I guess moose like everything pumpkin flavored too.      The young missionaries told us that missionaries could dress up for the ward Trunk or Treat as long as we followed mission guidelines. We didn...

       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!),...

       The days are getting shorter very fast now. Sunrise is 8:51 a.m.and Sunset is 6:36 p.m. We lose about   5 1/2 min of daylight every day. It does mean that we see pretty sunrises and sunsets to and from work. I really enjoyed that last winter. We have our studded tires on now which really helps with cold and icy roads.         We welcomed a new senior couple to the mission last week. Elder and Sister Barrett arrived a little over a week ago. We arranged to rent a home in the ward where they will be serving and they are so excited to be here. They are from Texas (a 30-acre farm outside of Dallas). Elder Barrett had lived in Alaska from age 6-18 years old. He was here during the earthquake in 1964. His family had a hotel they owned at the time and during the earthquake they opened it up as a shelter to whoever needed housing. They made some lifelong friends. He said that because of helping so many people at the time they develop...