SO LIKE WHAT'S UP GUYS.

Kay so this week has been good but CRAZY.

Monday Sister Rivera and Sister Poudrier flew in from Petersburg, Sister Rivera and I went back to Beach Lake and Sister Poudrier went with Sister hatfield cuz her companion wasn't back from a p-day hike. I didn't go on the hike cuz I needed to be available as soon as the PSG sisters flew in. And we needed to take off for Red Robin Manager's lesson and to help Sister hatfield have a companion, Sister Poudrier stayed with her, and then that started Sister P on this whole like float-around-the-sisters thing cuz Sister Washington flew in the next day cuz she got sick up in Fairbanks and SHE was going home, and so Sister P floated between the Rabbit Creek sisters and staying with Sister Washington at the mission home for the next day or so. Finally she came to work with us in beach lake but on Friday she flew up to be companions with Sister Washington's companion, Sister Wuehler, who's been staying with the other set of sisters up in Fairbanks.

What's been fun with having Sister Rivera here is things like when El Colombiano called her and I got to talk to him again...and then this morning she had to call President Bringhurst and tell him that elders are coming to Petersburg, and I got to talk to Pres.Bringhurst for a little bit.

What's also been fun is that Sister Rivera brought like the whole town of Petersburg with her. The Baptist woman that was in the PSG hospital that Sister Hatfield and I used to sing to had hip replacement surgery up here in Anchorage and we went and saw her on Friday, and on Saturday I was on a brief exchange with the Rabbit Creek sisters and we went and saw her, and Sister Hatfield and I got to sing her one of her favorite songs, "Brighten the Corner Where You Are."

Also, the Petersburg Young Women's came up for a TEMPLE TRIP!!! Oh my heck.I love them. They used their girl's camp money to pay for a temple trip and the girls told their leaders they would fundraise for girl's camp instead. They even brought with them Sweet 15 who is now 16 and has a baptismal date set for DECEMBER 28th of THIS YEAR ---she wanted to come to the temple, even if it was just to sit in the waiting room.

Friday night President Lambertsen who's Pres Beesley's first counselor gave them a fireside on the temple in his home. So Sis Hat and her comp and me and Sis Rivera got there before the PSG Young Women's did and we were hanging in their living room and then outside we see them pull up and I said, "Can I go run out there and meet them?" I threw open the front door and saw a couple of the girls---there were 5 of them, and 2 leaders---standing in the street looking confused. "HEY!" I shouted, they saw me, and then all of a sudden all 5 girls spilled outta their rental mini van and started charging toward the driveway and I started running toward them trying not to slip on the chunky ice (everything is melting away) and it was like the bestest most exciting reunion ever, LOTS and LOTS of hugs and craziness and head-bonking. HAHAHA. They are the sweetest funnest girls ever.

The next morning they went and did baptisms, and it was a very spiritual, touching morning. It was hard for the leaders to leave Sweet 16 in the waiting room of the temple, tears were shed. But Sister Rivera and I sat with her and we peacefully and happily looked through the Temple edition of the Ensign, and then we went on a walk around the temple, and then we went into the chapel across the parking lot and watched several young women's groups playing a volleyball tournament, and Sweet 16 made comments like, "They are all so quiet, they are barely yelling. If it was us, we would be yelling and screaming and laughing with each other." I said, "You have more fun on your island." She replied, "Or these girls are just more civilized!" and laughed with her hand over her mouth like she always does.

We went back to the temple waiting room and started watching the Testaments which is exciting cuz it has (the most cheesy) love story ever in it, and made Sweet 16 ULTRA giggle with her hand over her mouth. Hahhaah. Then after the temple we had the mini exchange.  The Rabbit Creek sisters had gone into the temple to help the rest of the girls do baptisms, and then we all wanted lunch. The funny part was when Bree (a leader) came into the temple waiting room and saw me and Sister Rivera and was like, "This is blowing my mind. YOU are supposed to be with Sister Poudrier, and YOU are supposed to be with Sister Hatfield." It was just funny cuz since Sister Rivera and I had been companions before, we felt totally normal back with each other again.

Anyway, Sister Rivera used to serve in Kenai and there was a group of YSA-aged people coming up that same day who wanted to take SIster Rivera out to lunch, so she and two other sisters who also served in Kenai all went out to lunch, and I went with the Rabbit Creek sisters to have lunch at Olive Garden with the PSG Young Women's.

BUT MY HECK I GOTTA BE OUTTA MY APARTMENT BY TOMORROW AND I HAVEN'T EVEN STARTED PACKING OR CLEANING YET!!!


But, we've taught the Filipino Woman and her Boyfriend, they are not ready to be put on date for baptism but they totes went to church yesterday. It was very sad to say goodbye to Miss Shy yesterday, she's doing AWESOME except sometimes she doesn't go to church cuz she was "staying at a friend's house" so we talked to her yesterday about planning ahead ways to be able to still hang out at friend's house on the weekends but also go to church. Elders are coming to this ward, zone leaders, and I know them both and they are great, and hopefully they will work great with her.

Oh, I am getting transferred. I am not going very far. I'm going to the Inlet View Ward, which is the awesome ward in Anchorage (I never thought I'd serve in Anchorage until I served in the Inlet View Ward for 4 days after Sister Archer went home) to be with Sister Burbank. I'll still be able to go to Miss Shy's baptism.

So, the Inlet View Ward is one of the busiest wards in the mission, they have a lot of success. Their ward council blew me away. I am going to be with Sister Burbank and we are gonna be the first sister training leaders, that new leadership position the church has established for all the sisters cuz there are more sisters these days. President Beesley told me I will be going on exchanges with all the sisters, and Sister Burbank is SO excited cuz we are probably gonna get to go to Juneau zone and that's cool cuz Sitka just opened up to sisters so we are probably gonna get to go to Sitka as well!!!! President Beesley also called 2 sisters up in Fairbanks to be sister training leaders, I am not sure which areas the four of us will cover, but it will be a really great experience to work closely with President and Sister Beesley and all the sisters in the mission, who I really, really love.

The Inlet View Ward is shared with elders, and it will be a fun experience to see what it's like to serve with them as well.

Oh, by the way, I love my investigator Red Robin Manager. She is so funny. She says that she's been adopting Book of Mormon lingo in her daily life, she routinely now uses words like "whilst" and "and it came to pass." She told her employees at work, "Cleaneth this floor and you shalt have my blessing. That means, you'll get to go on break." HAHAH. I am so happy to see her taking even that into her life, and not forgetting about the gospel and everything we talk about the second we walk out the door, she has always been a great investigator and it is awesome to see her progressing.

I LOVE YOU. I love the gospel. Thanks for watching the fireside, it was a lot of fun, I had no idea i would be so involved in it and I was very embarrassed, and it was funny when I knocked over the microphone and Sister Rivera almost knocked over the piano....


Sister Ashbrook

Invitations for 'Miracles' Fireside - Tues, 23 Apr

WATCH THIS! Open up the attachment, it has the webcast on it. 6:30 alaska time...so 7:30pm I think California time. IT'S TOMORROW....I'm singin and playin in it.

Hi, All Missionaries...please try to put a pile of invitations  in lobbies at Church buildings & hand deliver to as many other people as possible...see below for invitations...Those close to Mission Office can get them from there...

Missionaries from ANC, ANC N & CHU...please come to Brayton & invite lots of Others...

Missionaries outside of ANC, ANC N, & CHU...please try to set up webcast at local units and invite lots of Others...

See invitation for webcast into...

Mission Office...Hi...Wonder if you might print & cut some of these to keep on front table from now till 'Miracles'?

Big Thanks to All!

Sister Beesley
Alaska Anchorage Mission

Here is the link for you all: http://stream.lds.org/503649-120706

WELP

So this is gonna be SOME email.

My life has been flipped turned upside down and I'd like to take a minute just sittin right here and tell you all about how I became fresh prince of...what is it? Bel air? I don't even remember.

Thursday after trainee/trainer training (it's training for greenies and their trainers, and then after that the whole mission has training, for an hour and a half each segment. Instead of doing LOTS of training every 3 months we do short training almost every  Thursday, in Anchorage, it's webcasted to the whole mission) UM SO after the FIRST part of training, where trainees and trainers separate and have their own individual training, President had me stay and talk to him alone. He asked me how Sister Archer was doing. He told me the best thing to do would probably be to send her home, that Alaska was not the place to fix her back problems, especially when her limbs are going numb and she's in chronic pain. He told me to ask her to talk to him after the next part of training---he'd ask her if she wanted to go home ASAP or wait til she was done being trained.

Oh man. So she did, and I waited outside, and then they called me in, and President told me that Sis Archer was going home that night on the plane. She got a blessing from him and we went and had lunch at the mission home and then went and got her medical forms from the MRI place and went home to get her packed up. That night we went to the mission home at about 10 pm and we got her to the airpot at about 11 and got Yogurtland and sat and talked with her. She was earlier in the day pretty upset, when talking to President Beesley, but soon she knew that this was what the Lord wanted for her, and she WOULD be able to come back on her mission as soon as she got better. And off she went on the plane and I went back with President and Sister Beesley and slept at the mission home that night in a room ALL BY MYSELF AHHHH FIRST TIME IN A YEAR AND ALMOST A HALF.... In the morning the Rabbit Creek Sisters AKA Sis Hatfield and Sis Hedelius came to the mission home cuz Sis HATfield is dealing with some medical things herSELF and she had to call her mom there... Pres wanted me to go with the Inlet View Sisters for a few days, Sister Burbank and Sister Platero, but since Rabbit Creek was there I ended up going off with them until about 3pm and then I went and worked with the Inlet View  Sisters in their area. I've stayed with them all weekend. It's been crazy.

On Friday, the day after Sister Archer went home and when I was with the Rabbit Creek sisters still, Miss World Traveler called and said she just wasn't ready to change, and didn't want to meet with us anymore. She sounded very sad, as if it was hard for her to say it. I tried to my best to bear my testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel but inside I was just all a mess. I hope I was able to inspire her to keep reading and praying. The Rabbit Creek sisters were doing weekly planning and I just laid on their carpet on my stomach and soon I was like crying and Sister Hatfield was all freaking out and trying to make me feel better. HAHAH. Sigh. I think that was one the most distressing days of my mission. Later that day, Miss Shy, our 13-yr-old investigator who's on date for baptism for May 11th texted me and cancelled our lesson for that day---the Inlet View Sisters WERE gonna drive me back up to Eagle River and teach her with me. That was hard, too, to know I wasn't going back up to Eagle River. But Inlet View is a busy ward and it was awesome working with them the rest of the day, it helped me forget everything and not worry about Sister Archer and get over the feeling I was having of being all alone and not knowing where I belong, I'm such a GIRL, HAHAHHA. Inlet View is an awesome ward, it is so busy that's one of the wards they put elders AND sisters in, big deal for Alaska, guys. Saturday Sister B and P had an appointment when I had dinner scheduled in Eagle River with the recent convert who I call the Stellar Mom and so the Rabbit Creek sisters came up with me and it was so nice teaching with Sister Hatfield, she's so awesome, she got along SO good with Stellar Mom's autistic son, and Sister Hedelius is so sweet and enjoyable to be around. We saw Mrs. Blind before dinner, as well, which was nice to see her.

On Sunday I didn't even go to my WARD...I went to Inlet View. Oh my heck, their ward council is on fire. It was one of the most spiritual ward council meetings I've ever been in. So united. Everyone is on the same page. The thing everyone most cares about is missionary work. It's not a separate after-thought thing to them, it is the FOCUS of their WARD. It was very inspiring to be able to participate in that.

Today Sister Rivera and Sister Poudrier are flying in from Petersburg. Transfers are in a week, and SIster Rivera goes home then. I just emailed you the link to the missionary "miracles" musical event we're doing tomorrow. Sister Rivera is coming in a week early so she can be a part of this "miracles" fireside tomorrow night. I am gonna meet up with these two sisters sometime today and THEY will come work with me in MY ward (beach lake) this week. Sister Rivera spent 6 months in Beach Lake so it will be fun for her to see all these people before she goes home.

I love you all. I am doing okay now. It has been unexpectedly hard but I think that is the point of life, to throw unexpected difficult things your way. I know that as I focus on the work and think of the Savior as often as I can, I will still be at peace and be able to concentrate on helping others come unto Christ and not worry about what is HAPPENING with my LIFE. It's not about me!!! HAHHAHA.

LOVE,
Sister Ashbrook

my lil car accident

The damaged bumper and headlight

If you didn't read last week's post, you are probably wondering what the heck. Well here it is. http://sistermelissaashbrook.blogspot.com/2013/04/sunshine.html

-Anne

Sunshine

Hi.

Today is a lovely, sunny day. I think it's about 25 or 30 degrees but with the sun it feels warmer. The snow is melting, the big streets are dry. Sister Archer and I went n got lunch with four of the elders from my district today at some buffet place that we all got coupons for, when we did service for the Iditarod, so we got free lunch. My favorite is when I got soft serve ice cream and drenched it in sprinkles like I have done my whole life when I go to buffet places. Ha.

So we have had a lovely week. On tuesday we met with a less active man no one in our ward council knows anything about, but he's met with missionaries before, it's just been over a year. He bought us lunch at Bear Mountain Grill and I got a mushroom swiss burger and it was delicious and I haven't had like a real hamburger in so long.

Oh, and then on Wednesday I got into my VERY FIRST car accident. Yep, a car accident, but don't worry guys, it was very minor. IF I ever manage to get a computer at this library with an SD drive OR IF I ever decide to remember my USB cord I will email pictures home.

Okay there was that one time in Laguna Beach when we were all in Trey's huge van and he turned right and a car kinda slid alongside his van and got its bumper torn off, but since it is such a big van and the impact was so mild and we all barely felt it I don't really think of it as a CAR ACCIDENT...

ANYWAYS, so we were up in  Chugiak, the lil town north of Eagle River (our area covers half of Chugiak); we left dinner and we turned right and were driving up the hill, (it's a hilly, rural place, the roads are covered in packed snow) and up ahead of us a Jeep-ish lookin SUV came around the corner, lost control, and I watched it start sliding down the hill straight toward us, at a kind of diagonal, and it was like the scariest thing of my life, and I turned the car right and shut my eyes tight and hoped with my all heart and soul that they wouldn't hit us and then there was a big crash and, yep, they hit us. I opened my eyes, no visible damage, I looked at Sis Archer and she looked so distraught like she was about to cry and I put my hand on her arm and said, "Don't cry!" I don't know why I said that, I just think I wanted her not to lose control of herself or something. I saw the driver was a real young girl, she yelled somethin in dismay, the man who was the passenger got out and hurried toward our car to see if we were okay and I opened the door and I remember him reaching in and squeezing my shoulder, "Are you okay???" and all I was thinking was, "There is a man touching me!! Ahhh!!!" The things you get freaked out by when you are so not trying to focus on the opposite sex for a year and a half...

Anyway so all that happened was the driver headlight on our car got smashed, and there was a dent in the hood, and a few large cracks in the bumper. The man's bumper got cracked a bit too but that was barely anything. His daughter who was driving only had a learner's permit. The first thing we asked---he was very nice about it---was it would be great if we could not involve the police and if he could pay for it outta pocket cuz his insurance rate is already up high or something, I have no idea how any of this works. I was fascinating myself because I was trying to write down his info and my hand seemed to be shaking uncontrollably, even though my mind was very calm and I was being very cheerful (like always bahaha). I was like, in my head, "Oh look, cool, adrenaline!"

Fun times.

At the time our lil accident happened we were on our way to Anchorage to teach Miss World Traveler in her own home (which would be wonderful, we wouldn't have talkative members who try to take over the lesson there, yay!) and so we, after calling Elder Palmer who is in the mission office and he's in charge of all the cars, headed to Anchorage. And there was like, a snow storm halfway to Anchorage and we started driving in nearly whiteout conditions! I was like, seriously? As if I wasn't stressed enough? Now I can barely see the car ahead of me? WE LOVE ALASKA!!! (I really do, though, so just kidding.)

ANYWAYS....

But Wednesday was a good day, we also taught Red Robin Manager and her lil sister has come to live with them and she asked to drop in on the lessons and so we picked up a new investigator. So that was cool. I will call her Red Robin's Lil Sister.

And then on Thursday we had training in Anchorage, and then Sister Archer had two MRI's for her back (cuz she had a minor back injury before the mish and since she's fallen on the ice so many times and aggravated it and they've been bothering her, and her legs have been going numb, the doctor ordered two MRI's for her). After the MRI's, I had a rehearsal with another musical elder to plan for a departing missionary "Miracle" fireside that's gonna take place on April 23rd. After that, we had a lesson in Anchorage at the behavioral treatment center with the 15-year-old daughter of the Stellar Mom (Stellar Mom is a recent convert, her son is autistic and her daughter is in the behavioral place, not for anything crazy, she just needs a lil help). That night we had a lesson with a referral and we taught her the 1st half of the restoration and picked up her and her boyfriend as new investigators; they are both in their 50s I would guess, and she is Filipino. A member from another ward referred her cuz he works with her, and we had the lesson at the members' house, and it was really nice. We have another lesson at the Filipino woman's house this Wednesday, and the member couple from the other ward are gonna be there as well. She didn't come to church this past Sunday though, AKA yesterday, so that is sad. But we shall see how the lesson goes.

We had another lesson that night with Red Robin Manager and we had a member from the ward come with us and you know that wonderful feeling of seeing a fellowshipper meet your investigators for the first time and they click? Yeah, it was great. Fellowshippers can be such a blessing. Or, in World Traveler's case, they can drive you insane. HAHAHAH. We had a great lesson with Red Robin Manager, and her Lil Sister told us that when she was reading the chapter we left with her, she was like totally picking it apart and "talking a hundred miles a minute" and we asked her if she felt the Spirit and then talked about how the clarity of mind that she felt was a manifestation of the spirit. It was really awesome. And then her husband, the Computer Guy, came home, and joined the lesson for a second after cracking a bunch of jokes with us and our fellowshipper about how he was already perfect (he was kidding, he's hilarious) and then with just the SMALLEST amount of pressure he gave the closing prayer and it was a wonderful prayer, and after it was over Red Robin Manager smiled at him so warmly and said, "I love you!" WHICH IS AWESOME, cuz sometimes they bicker, and DO YOU SEE how the gospel can bless people and help them have stronger relationships??? So hopefully we shall be able to put Red Robin Manager on date soon, and hopefully she will be able to figure out how to trust her other manager at work so she can actually come to church on Sunday...

On Friday we met with Miss Shy, the 13-year-old, and had a great lesson with her and her grandma, and our ward's young women's president was there. We taught her a quick lesson, started the plan of salvation with her, and then we talked about when she wants to get baptized, and set a date for May 11th! Man, I have not had the experience of seeing an investigator actually be able to set a date for their baptism in so long. I look back and wonder if I could have tried harder, and I just hope that Miss Shy's baptism happens without any conflict. Her baptism right now is set for the middle of my last transfer; I dunno if I'll be here or not. We will have to see what the Lord has in store for me. Miss Shy came to our ward with Grandma yesterday, so Sister Archer and I went to Sunday School with her (and intimidated the teacher, pssh) and then we went to Young Women's and it brought back lovely memories of going to Young Women's in Petersburg with Sweet 15 who is now 16 years old by the way and she and I write still, and her lil sister who is 13 (and is the Fashionista one) writes me as well, and so does this 10-year-old girl who is also a non-member girl and is friends with a girl in the branch---SHE writes me too and she's not even an investigator, and I just LOOOOVE my lovely friends in Petersburg. ANYWAYS. So, things are going so good, I love all the investigators here. I hope to work as hard as I can and make up for anything I wasn't able to do in the earlier parts of my mission. I love being a missionary and doing the Lord's work and seeing people's lives change and happiness, peace, and blessings come from their loving Father in Heaven.

I LOVE YOU ALL

Sister Ashbrook and the Alaskan Snowy Sunshine

P.S. Sister Archer got her MRI results, nothing is wrong with her, but the doctor is still concerned with her slow reflexes in her feet, and is sending her to a neurologist soon. Please keep her in your prayers.

Alaska's like PSYCH! again

Oh man, it's a snowy day. A crisp 12 degrees as we were driving down here, but I think it's up to 15 degrees now. VERY snowy, but not as bad as two Mondays ago. (AKA, we didn't nearly die 23 times on highway driving here.) So, who knows WHEN spring is gonna come. Hey, it's Alaska. Alaska does what Alaska wants. That's one of the things I find amusingly lovely about this state. Ha.

Hey so we had a pretty good week. Did I tell you the lovely McColgans sent me an Easter package? They are  the sweetest. I love them very much! And Taran and Alex!

On Monday we had an April Fools dinner at a member's house with meatloaf cupcakes and spaghetti brownies...and jello for drinks. It was awesome. I was totes fooled by the jello drinks.

On Tuesday we had district meeting and then I had language training in  Anchorage with other language learners, I go with the Spanish speakers, and there is another sister in the mission (Sister Platero, she's Navajo, I showed her my Navajo necklace that I think was once Lily's and she admired the bead work) and she wants to learn Spanish, so she meets me there and then our companions go on exchanges and work in Anchorage. After that, ZLC, it was a two-day one, and all the zone leaders from all over were pulled in. The 7 zones are Fairbanks, Juneau, Wasilla, Chugach (that's my zone), Anchorage North, Anchorage, and Soldotna. We had dinner at the mission home (I don't remember what it was, I don't remember much usually) and then had meetings until night time, discussing things like clarification of mission rules and...I'm not really sure what else, terribly important stuff (all zone leaders go and so do training sisters). Then Sister Archer (who'd been on exchanges with Sister Hatfield's trainee) met back up with me and we drove to Sister Platero and Sister Burbanks' apartment cuz they're in North Anchorage and we slept there and then ZLC reconvened at the Brayton chapel in South Anchorage the next morning at 8:30. We we were there until 4 pm. At one point we had a debate and missionaries were pretending to be lawyers...oh and the night before we played jeopardy...always amusing.

I got WAY restless and about 3:45 pm I was stretching and went "Are we done yet?" in my head but it ACTUALLY came out under my breath and it ACTUALLY was kinda audible and everyone laughed at me and some groaned at me (I hope they still like me haha) and President Beesley just laughed. I think. I hope. I was horrified and totally embarrassed. Then he asked me to play the piano for the closing song and I said, "I suppose," and he replied, "You know, snootiness is not in your nature." Holy cow was I even more embarrassed but then he said, "That's a compliment." Oh my heck I just always make a fool of myself. I asked him afterward if it's bad I'm sassy and he said, "No, sassiness is fine, being snooty is being sassy with an air, with arrogance." Okay, as long as I can manage not having an air or being arrogant, I think I'll be okay.

We had a good lesson on Wednesday with Red Robin Manager, after we got back from ZLC in Anchorage. She doesn't know if she believes there's much after we die, it might be more like, once you die, poof you're gone. I asked her how she would come to know that's true.  She thought for a long time, "I guess besides praying and asking, there's no other way to know." We invited her to pray and ask about it, and then had a lovely time teaching her about how the Holy Ghost answers prayers. It was a very good lesson.

Thursday we had zone meeting. That happens every once in a while, routine thing.

Friday we had our interviews with president. I just love my mission president. My interview was full of laughter and him making shnarky comments and I just love him. Then while Sister Archer had hers I had "talking time" with Sister Beesley, who always has something planned to do with people during "talking time" and she and I never get it done cuz we always get distracted talking. This time we were supposed to pick a lil fishy, she had paper cut-out ones, I picked the rainbow fish of course, and we were supposed to write down our wishes cuz she had a jar that said, "If wishes were fishes I'd have a sea of fishes inside of me" or something and anyway she wanted us to think about how we can turn our wishes into realities. After Sister Archer got done with her interview, we quickly figured out some wishes of mine (which involved me groaning about how I don't like to have wishes and how I don't want to think about going home and find that as I am trying not to think about home, I end up thinking about home, and I have no desire to apply for school, but I'm gonna, at one point---and somehow from all of that Sister Beesley got some of my wishes down on the back of my rainbow fish and tossed it in the jar. HAHAH).

Then we had, that same day, we had a lesson with our 13-year-old investigator, the painfully shy one, the daughter of a less active who baptized at 8 and then never really went after that; he's okay with her taking the lessons, he says it's her choice). It was a lovely lesson, Miss Shy is great, we invited her to be baptized, she said ,"Maybe in a year." (I groaned dramatically and made everyone laugh.) Later we dropped off an invite to New Beginnings this Tuesday (a young women's activity thing) and Miss Shy opened the door and said, "I've been thinking about my baptism. Maybe in two months." That was much more exciting. The only prolem is, she told us her mom is not as cool with her taking the lessons, but she doesn't live with her mom, and I'm not sure if she needs both parents' permission prior to baptism.
2 months would put her baptism right before I go home...cross your fingers...

The World Traveler is awesome, she lives in Anchorage but President wants us to be involved in her lessons up until she gets baptized, WITH her real missionaries present as well. She didn't have a lesson with us this past Saturday though cuz of all the snow (it's dangerous man!)

ANYWAYS LIFE IS GOOD.
I love my mission. I am very grateful for my Savior. I loved General Conference, thought it was very good and uplifting, I dearly appreciated the humor in several of the talks (I listen way better if I laugh). I know we are all children of God who loves us, and as we think about the Atonement, we find we can love our brothers and sisters with that same love He has for us.

KAY LOVE YA BYE
Sister Ashbrook

SUP

So, sometimes I have no idea what to write. Sometimes I just think, I wonder how much has changed at home. People are pregnant and having babies and Aunt Ruth has a new dog and I don't even know what kind of dog it is and APPARENTLY Jake Jake the Pillow Snake is over 6 feet tall. Sometimes I wonder how much you guys will think I have changed, if I have changed at all. Sometimes I think, I CANNOT go home to California in June, I WILL DIE OF OVER-SWEATING cuz it will be SO INCREDIBLY HOT. It has been warming up, maybe break-up season is finally upon us, and it was like, 45 degrees yesterday and it was SO HOT. Rolled the windows down in the car. Didn't wear snow boots, wore my flats and danced around all the puddles so I wouldn't soak my feet. Oh man, the puddles. If this computer had an SD drive I'd email the picture of the fun puddle I took yesterday, it was huge.

So we found out where in Anchorage the World Traveler (our new investigator) lives, she lives in the Russian Jack Ward.

So since I'm a training sister I go to ZLC which happens once a month. ZLC is Zone Leader Council, and um, all the zone leaders go. This month it's an overnight ZLC and Sister Archer and I will be sleeping with the Inlet View Ward sisters at their apartment (which is in North Anchorage). Sister Archer will be on exchanges with Sister Hatfield's companion while I am in ZLC with Sister Hatfield and the other training sisters. And a bunch of zone leaders. SO, while Sister Archer is out doing missionary work in Anchorage, she will stop by the home of the Word Traveler and teach her there! And she'll actually be able to TEACH her a full lesson cuz insanely talkative members won't be there!! (I just say that cuz her CURRENT fellowshippers tend to talk more than we do, don't yield to us when we're talking, interrupt us, and  try and teach the whole lesson, it's great.)

Hey I don't have time to write much else but know I that I love you guys lots and lots. I had a lovely Easter yesterday, I'll send you pictures soon. A hilarious family fed us a HUGE amazing Easter creative dinner and there were two other hilarious young couples, The bishop and his fam gave us two huge carrot cake cupcakes and The Stellar Mom (recent convert, whose kids came to CHURCH on Sunday yay) gave us cupcakes, and we need to get rid of all our treats.

I loved my easter package, I think I'm gonna put all the yellow grass paper it came with in Sister Archer's purse.

I LOVE YOU AND I KNOW MY REDEEMER LIVES

Sister Ashbrook