CHRISTMAS!

     MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM ALASKA

This greeting comes from far up north, a land of snow and ice.
Some find the life here’s much too harsh; we think it’s rather nice. 
We like to share the streets with moose; the trails with wolf and bear.
In lofty pines fat ravens screech, and eagles skim the air.

We love the glow of northern lights and sunsets on the snow;

The jagged mountains rise in sight most any place you go.
The spirit here is bright and young; there’s energy and hope.
There’s faith all problems can be solved with duct tape, nails, and rope.

We think Alaska’s really cool; in fact, it’s downright cold.

But all the hearts and hugs are warm, and spirits shine like gold.
And we’ll survive for nine more months in this, “The Last Frontier”;
Then we’ll come home and see you all:  Our friends and family dear!

We felt honored to be able to spend Christmas morning at the Institute with these elders of the North Anchorage Zone.  They are faithful, resilient young men of "God's Army" who are eager to share the Gospel.  It is a joy to associate with them.  We fed them a big breakfast, watched the First Presidency Christmas Devotional, and then sent them on their way to members' homes where they could Skype with their families. 

We had a memorable Christmas Eve celebrated with a delightful dinner and visit in the home of Nick and Charity Manwaring.  They live in Chugiak, about 40 minutes north of Anchorage.  Elder Hawkins, show here as Herod, helped enact the Nativity with (Grandpa) Jan, Nick, and the Manwaring kids.  Jan is Charlotte's Uncle; Nick, her cousin. We felt blessed to share the special evening with them. 
  

 These are three of our Institute "regulars" celebrating the completion of our project to send Christmas letters to the 70 missionaries now serving from the three stakes in the Anchorage Bowl.  We continue to be blessed by these faithful young members of the Church who love Jesus Christ and want so much to follow Him.

Saturday night we attended the Hmong Branch Christmas party.   What a precious group of faithful Saints!  They are rightfully proud of their rich heritage and work to meld it with the teachings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  In spite of the difficulties of making their way in the sometimes harsh foreign environment of Alaska, they continue to be gentle, generous, and gracious.

These girls enjoyed the party--especially the delicious traditional foods.  The two in costume were part of a group which danced for us.  We were charmed by the tinkling of the scores of coins which dangle from their costumes and their graceful hand movements.

 Here is most of our Pathway group on the last day of our first semester!  A couple were stranded at home by bad roads; almost half have to drive in from Wasilla/Palmer area, 45-60 minutes away.  (Sister Hawkins is standing at the back with the Ipad we use to Skype them into class.)  It is a joy to sense their feeling of accomplishment as they move ahead with their lives.

These kids have just jumped through a big hole in thick ice into Goose Lake on the UAA campus. They "risked their lives" as part of the "Polar Plunge" organized to raise money for the Alaska Special Olympics.  It is 9 degrees outside.  Three of them are our Pathway students. It was a beautiful setting for a very cold experience!

There is a strong military presence in Anchorage.  Here are some of our young single adults who serve in the Army or Air Force. (Both these services share the huge Elmendorf-Richardson Base north of Anchorage.)  They are all extra far from home and especially appreciate the spiritual support they feel at the Institute and in the Anchorage YSA Wards.

Every Friday we have "Soup and the Spirit" at the Institute.  Students and working young single adults come on their lunch hour for an inspirational presentation from an outstanding local Church speaker while they eat  homemade bread, soup, and brownies. Preparing the food for these gatherings is one of Sister Hawkins's favorite assignments.

One of our big projects this week was preparing Christmas letters for the 70 missionaries serving from the three stakes of the Anchorage Bowl.  We addressed the envelopes and then arranged for the Young Single Adults to fill the back page with messages of love and encouragement.  We sent off a batch today to missionaries all over the world, from India to Salt Lake City.  Surprisingly, of the 70 currently serving, 19 are in Brazil.

 One of our favorite Pathway/ Institute students is Mark, pictured here on the front row, second from the left.  He moved from American Samoa to Alaska as a teenager, finished high school, and served a mission to Chile. He currently lives in a house with extended family, sometimes amounting to 34 people! He sleeps on the sofa. Most of those in the photo with him are nieces and nephews he lives with. Mark has tremendous leadership skills and spiritual maturity.  We are excited that he is getting a taste of his possibilities through the Pathway program.

This is another Pathway/Institute student, Junior.  He is also a returned missionary.  Here he is acting as a "lead student" for one of our gatherings.  He is in charge of the class discussion and activities for the night. The BYUI learning model provides for the students to actively participate in their learning and teach each other.  Thus each students' presentation skills and confidence are enhanced. 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!  We had two Thanksgiving celebrations.  Here we are at the mission home with the other Anchorage senior missionary couples at a dinner hosted by President and Sister Beesley.  We always enjoy being with these energetic, faithful elders and sisters. They have assignments from taking care of the mission vehicles and apartments to finances and counseling. Along with the turkey, we got to sample each family's traditional favorite foods from "Dixie salad" to carrot pudding.  

Later in the day we ate again at the Institute where Brother and Sister Manumaleuma hosted a hybrid Polynesian/Traditional American feast for the area's young single adults who "needed a place to go."  We enjoyed games and relaxed visiting. As we drove home, we noticed the crowds already lining up for "Black Friday" deals at the local stores--even though it was only 4 degrees outside! 

On Thursday evenings, we team-teach the Pathway Book of Mormon class.  Here Mary is conducting a search and report activity.  The young man in the suit will be the "lead student" who will lead the discussion in the Pathway "life-skills" class which follows. 

This photo shows a recent Wednesday night New Testament class at the Institute.  Brother Bacon, center, is an effective, inspiring, and popular teacher.  We feel blessed to be able to work with him and these wonderful YSA students.

Elder Hawkins is a wonderful "sous-chef" at the Institute on Fridays when we have "Soup and the Spirit."  Here he is peeling a ton of potatoes for the potato and ham soup we served last Friday to about 30 people. Along with the soup (different each week), we serve homemade bread and brownies.  Along with the meal we are treated to wonderful spiritual messages delivered by a series of specially-chosen local Church members.

These are the two University of Alaska Anchorage athletes who attend Institute.  Teancum  is a guard on the basketball team.  He is from Auburn, WA, and played at Snow College.  In a recent tournament, he was the most valuable player.  Sariaye  is a gymnast.  She is from Las Vegas.  Her favorite event is the uneven parallel bars, but because of a shoulder injury, she is focusing on the balance beam.    Gymnastic competition starts in January.

Each week Elder Hawkins teaches the "Mission Preparation" class at the Institute.  These students either have a mission call or are currently applying to serve full-time missions for the Church.  Here they are practicing sharing Gospel principles with each other.  Since the Church announced a new lower age for missionary service, there has been a upsurge of interest, especially among the young women. 

 Every Friday night we hold "Waffle Night" at the Institute Building.  Kids come to eat waffles, play informal games, and just hang out.  This group got started on this 750-piece puzzle of St George and were so pleased to finish it!


The Regional YSA Halloween dance in Eagle River is an annual highlight.  The costumes were so creative; the YSAs filled the gym with rhythm, laughter, and good fun.  Refreshments included root beer, pudding and Oreo "Dirt," worms, brownie "eyeballs" and other delights.

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 One of our main CES missionary responsibilities is to conduct the BYU-I Pathway program for a cohort of 26 young adults at the Anchorage Institute.  In this photo part of our group is putting on a skit for class last week.  We meet each Thursday evening for 2 1/2 hours.  We missionaries teach a Book of Mormon class; then the students (directed by a "lead student") review together what they have been learning in their BYU-I online class.  These are dedicated students who are eager to try out college, and we hope to help them feel confident and successful in pursuing their education.

 

 Our tradition is to invite all the Anchorage YSA's to the Institute Building to watch the Saturday sessions of General Conference together.  They start arriving about 7:30 am to eat breakfast cereal before the first session starts at 8:00 am.  Between sessions we serve taco salad.  Here are some of our young men assembling some amazing creations from all the ingredients we have laid out.  There has been an enthusiastic response to the announcement of lowering the age for missionaries.  In the mission preparation class, we had two new 19 year-old young women who had already seen their bishop. 

 Every Friday night we sponsor a "Waffle Night" at the Institute Building. We love visiting with the kids as we bake waffles in the kitchen. The Young Single Adults come to eat, play games, visit, and just hang out.  Here are some who came last night enjoying a game of "reverse Pictionary." Next Friday we'll have a dance along with the waffles.


               

Today a young returned missionary in our YSA ward baptized his best friend from high school.  He chose to have the ordinance performed in a small lake in a city park across the street from the stake center. (You can see from the trees in the background that fall is well underway here.)  We are so impressed with both young men who want so much to serve the Lord and make the most of their lives.  Our YSA ward has a strong missionary spirit; it includes kids just barely graduated from high school, University of Alaska Anchorage students, young working professionals who have completed college degrees, military personnel, and young people who are just trying to decide what they want in life.

 On Tuesday we were blessed to participate in the mission's North Anchorage Zone Conference held in Willow, 75 miles north of Anchorage.  Some of the training was conducted in the Willow chapel, a beautiful wooden building, one of several LDS chapels in Alaska with this unusual design.  The interior is all cedar-lined, so even its aroma is special! The chapel sits on a small, perfectly kept grassy plot in the midst of a dense forest. 

Its effect is that of a cherished spiritual oasis in a dark, confusing world.    Here are the zone's 24 wonderful elders, along with President and Sister Beesley and some office support. After their training, they changed into work clothes and performed service for the local Methodist church and cemetery. Then the elders loved taking a little "trek" in the rain with President and Sister Beesley on the adjoining Church camp property.

Elder Hawkins and I were in charge of the lunch and dinner, so we stayed back in the kitchen.  For dinner we served beef stew, cornbread, and peach cobbler with ice cream.  Our day concluded with a sweet testimony meeting in front of the lodge fireplace. We were so impressed with these remarkable young men who have chosen to put themselves out into an often hostile world to declare the Restored Gospel.  They know what they have to offer is of inestimable worth, and they are learning patience as they study and work so hard to spread the blessings of Christ's Atonement.

Here we got a full view of Mt McKinley rising above the colorful fall tundra. There is only one road to access the interior of Denali National Park, and visitors cannot drive their own cars in but must travel on Park buses.  The tourist season is short, only from mid-May to mid-September.  The animals here have adapted to the harsh climate in amazing ways.  When the frogs here hibernate,  they are essentially frozen solid, but somehow they revive in the spring.  The Arctic hare has a heart rate of 110 beats per minute in the summer, but during the winter, it falls to 3 beats a minute!

We took a long weekend between Institute semesters to visit Denali National Park 4 hours north of Anchorage.  The Park's 6,000,000 acres-- almost all wilderness--includes North America's tallest peak, Mount McKinley.  We felt really lucky to see the mountain, "The Great One" (here in the background).  Only about 25% of park visitors get to see any part of it because it is so often shrouded with flog and clouds. 

Fall was at the height of its glory already at this latitude.  The bright yellow aspen and birch looked stunning against the dark green spruce.  The higher elevations in the Park were all tree-less tundra, which put on a brilliant show of its own:  Reds, oranges, and yellows.  We got to see some bears, all busy eating berries in preparation for their 6-month hibernation. 

Saturday we hiked in Eagle River, about a half hour north of Anchorage.  The Nature Center here is on the historic Iditarod Trail which runs from Seward to Nome.  Part of the park was closed to hiking because the salmon run was attracting too many bears.

Besides hiking, we have been busy feeding missionaries and preparing for the Institute Book of Mormon class we will be teaching this fall. Sunday we will be trying to contact all the YSA we can about our fall semester schedule.  

Last Thursday we had our final institute class in Wasilla.  What a joy it has been this summer to teach "Principles of Leadership" to this group of OUTSTANDING YSA kids.  They are faithful, devoted youth who are eagerly seeking to grow in the Gospel, serve the Lord, and bless others. They know and love the scriptures; during our lessons they shared wonderful insights and taught us. As our first real Institute class, they will always be special to us.  You can barely see Elder Hawkins at the very back of the group. 

Just off the Seward Highway, Kenai Peninsula, Alaska