January 20, 2011

We’re teaching often. On good days there are too many to teach and we barely get to appointments. Between times we try to serve and support the community in various ways.

Right now we are working with several people at different levels of progress. “J” is a survivor of a 20-year Nazi-style religious compound. She is understandably guarded so we teach in baby-steps, the first principle being that she is a daughter of a loving Heavenly Father.

Sometimes we see the light, happiness and relief in the eyes of those we teach and realize that they are better off than when we found them, and that’s our payday. Joseph Smith said to teach correct principles and let the people govern themselves. So we teach and teach and teach and invite and invite and invite and pray and pray and pray. We love this calling. It’s what we have worked our entire lives to do. Being here at this time is the right place for us even in severe weather.

We’ve found a pocket of people whose experiences and stories we are collecting. They are of Aleut descent and lived through WWII, or are the children of people who lived at that time, and have stories about the Japanese bombings of this island as well as the US-led evacuation of Unalaska. The evacuation wasn’t handled well and there are resentments toward our military forces. Harriet wants Japan to replace the hospital they bombed. We’re attaching her photo that we took yesterday as well as her photo with her sister at the time she was evacuated. They dressed up for the occasion, not realizing where they were going.

Harriet with her older sister, 1944, day of evacuation

Harriet today

This week we are beginning to teach the temple preparation lessons to a few of our branch members. There will not be a Sunday class because of varying schedules so we will be teaching individually.

Our little grandson, Hunter, will be baptized March 5. It’s a heartache to miss it but we know our family receives blessings from our service.

We love you.
Richard and Linda



Our back yard



Cloud formations are fabulous here.

Meringue in the sky.  Taken yesterday on the way to an appointment.

We took the following photo of the Northwestern for those of you who watch  "The Deadliest Catch" on the Discovery Channel.  The locals ignore the movie-star crab fishermen, although they are included in prayers.  The boat harbors are buzzing with crab boats, fishermen and helicopter cameras.



Richard serving lunch at the senior center.