July 29, 2011

Our dear friends from Boise, Nancy and Steve Hunt, flew into Sitka Thursday, July 21, at about 1 p.m. We were able to help them get their car and find their house, and then we ran to appointments. The next morning we flew to Ketchikan for Tommy Jones’ baptism and didn’t return until Sunday night. When we finished our appointments on Sunday night it was pretty late before we checked back in with Nancy and Steve, but found them happy and well acclimated. They’ve gone on splits with us which has been dynamically helpful.

In Ketchikan we were reunited with Tommy and Kara Jones. We hadn’t seen Tommy and Kara since leaving Dutch Harbor, where we had taught their family the gospel. In fact, we hadn’t even spoken with Tommy. He was at sea on a patrol vessel for over 30 days. That’s a long 30 days for missionaries to lose complete track of a golden investigator. When we finally talked with him we were relieved to find that he had been reading the scriptures as much as his 20-hour-day schedule permitted and he was more converted than when he had bid us farewell in Dutch Harbor. We reviewed principles with him and he shared his favorite scriptures. Then the Ketchikan elders interviewed him for baptism. He passed with flying colors.

Steve and Nancy Hunt

Elder Later and Tommy Jones checking for "real water" for baptism of Tommy

Prior to the baptism on July 23, 2011

Tommy and Kara Jones, in their home in Ketchikan.  

When we went on splits, Elder Later and Brother Hunt found Captain Simon.  Did they ever have luck!

Tommy had requested baptism in “real water,” like the Bering Sea of Dutch Harbor. When we thought it would be best for him to be baptized in Ketchikan, his home ward, he was appeased because Ketchikan has real water too. But when we tried to find an adequate place, it was a challenge. Friday night he decided that even bath water was all right, but only asked that he could be held down extra long to make sure he was completely clean from all his past “stuff.” He had been a soldier in a war zone. He was baptized July 23, 2011, and confirmed the next morning, July 24.  He was also ordained as a Priest in the Aaronic Priesthood. 

Tommy has seven sons ranging in age from early 20’s to 8 months. He wants to share the gospel with each one. Kara is already a member. Tommy is always on a fast track, and now Kara is by his side. Ketchikan Ward is lucky to have this little family. Bishop Davis is great and will help Tommy, Kara and their children get to the temple. We want to be there with them when they go.

We love you!

Richard and Linda, Mom and Dad, Papa and Nanny

July 7, 2011 First entry from Sitka

Coming into Sitka via Ferry.  We had to fly to Juneau to pick up our car and then ferry in to our new mission.

Here we are in Sitka, the most beautiful island in Alaska. We call our apartment “The Treehouse” because we’re surrounded by lush forest greenery on three sides – almost a feeling of being imbedded in the woods. The island is a northern rain forest and we’ve had rain-showers almost every day. The Pacific Ocean surrounds us to the west, but it’s been very quiet – hardly a ripple against the coastline. It feels a world apart from stormy, treeless, dark-watered Dutch Harbor, which we also loved. We miss our friends there and give thankful prayers that they’re a part of our lives.

Sitka Chapel

Our little car:  Chevy Malibou

"There is beauty all around..."

Sitka is a ward. The chapel is a large cedar-building which sits at the top of a hill. The interior is fully cedar-lined with large exposed beams throughout the interior. Bishop Hart is a big-hearted man and very supportive of our efforts, providing us with all the ammo we need to do missionary work. It’s always a challenge to start up a new area when they haven’t had missionaries for awhile and feels like the slow chug of a locomotive as it begins to roll. The getting-started effort requires huge energy, follow-through and lots of service, but we’re so enthused about the work here that we have the extra energy required. We have two investigators—three if you count the one that’s moving to Washington in two weeks. We volunteer at the Salvation Army on Wednesdays. They will only let us stock shelves in the back since they discovered we’re zealots for sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We’ve been helping our investigator, Stephanie Green, move (organizing her garage sale, making her signs and hanging them, and taking her dinner). Bishop Hart gave his consent to our idea of doing a YSA activity on Monday evening, for which we will be making and serving dinner.

During this slower start-up period we’re fortunate to have kept the Bush Branch, which is done by telephone. We will have a baptism in that branch as soon as we can logistically get three priesthood holders (one baptizer, two witnesses) into Galena to perform it. It was originally set for this weekend but it will slip until the middle of August. Adriana Hevezi (42), our baptism candidate in Galena, contacted the church last April and asked how she could join. Her self-referral trickled down to us. We’ve been teaching her via telephone at least once a week since April. She keeps her commitments, love the scriptures, and will be a faithful member—the only member of the church in her village—and will attend weekly meetings by telephone. We hope her good example will allow us to teach others in her village, like brother William Topsekok of Teller, Alaska. Today his cousin consented to missionary lessons. Our little Bush Branch has a sweet, quiet, strong, continuous spirit.

Tommy Jones, our star investigator, will be baptized in Ketchikan July 23. The new mission president (Jon Beesley) is flying us there to participate in his baptism and to meet his family. Tommy has a powerful spirit and is determined to share the gospel with his six sons. He’s such a great find that we told our mission president that we would have served three missions just to find him. Then it dawned on us – we’ve actually served three missions.

Speaking of our new mission president, look up Jon Beesley on the internet. Test pilot extraordinaire. He’s very quiet and personable for such a famous man. We love him.

Love,
Richard and Linda, Mom and Dad, Nanny and Papa