"eternigator"?

Hey everyone,

So this week was good, we picked up an investigator! Shes a referral from a member in the ward. We taught her the first lesson and she said she would read the book of morman and pray about it. And she actually let us in her house, shes the first person to let us in so far. And when we were tracting we ran into a guy up the street from out apt, hes not active in the church but he was baptized in. So he probably moved up here after he graduated and became not active. But he said we could come back, he would of let us in but he just put his baby to sleep. And my apt is blue, its dark blue and theres 2 buildings and a grass yard inbetween them with garden boxes people made in the yard. The work here is slow but its going. We do alot of service, this week we helped an eternigator (an investigator thatll be an investigator for eternity and probably wont end up being baptized) with their garage. We cleaned/organized it, then ripped up the pallets that were ontop of the gravel floor so they could park their car inside, then we put that in a big truck to go to the dump then we cut down some trees on the side of their garage so their moose hunting boat could fit and be out of the way. then we put the trees in the same truck to be taken to the dump. It was fun, theyre way funny. The husband Keith is a captain of a fishing charter. Everytime we help them they give us a bunch of fresh halibut or salmon from their big freezer. Our freezers stuffed full of fish from members. And once the mission president lets us we get to go on a charter with Keith and fish. Im excited for that, its gonna be way fun. We only get to go on a charter once a mission and only if were on the Kenai peninsula. But tractings fun here, you meet some really weird people though. And its the time of year that raspberries are growing so when we tract we find tons of wild raspberries and we pick a bunch. Theyre way good. But for my apt, were the only missionaries in Homer so we dont share our apt with other missionaries. The closest missionaries are a few hours away. I have enough blankets and my shoes are holding up great. We do get to listen to uplifting music in the car and we do. You can send me some if you want to. There are a couple stores that sell outdoor stuff, Ill probably be able to get some boots and if they sell warmer socks I can get those there too. My comp showed me an old type writer that still works that was left in the apt and its up for grabs. So I might end up bringing it back with me, its pretty sweet. I got the package with my powder stuff and the lifepak nano and garment bottoms, thanks. Thats cool Brolins trying out for the play, hope he does good, and he got his life, nice work. Whod Avery ask? is it that ellie girl? Thats crazy schools started, its gonna be way expensive for Braedon, books cost so much its ridiculous. And yea that lady said shes related somehow, something about the Fronk line, shes like dads cousin or something, its crazy. Thats awesome Landon got his call to South Carolina, when does he leave to the mtc? Tell him hi and congrats for me. And if you send a bottom for garments you should send a top too so I have an even amount, thanks. But yea everythings good here, Homers way cool, its to small/spread out though, theres only one stoplight. Its weird coming from having a church on almost every block to only having one in the whole town, and going from having houses so close to each other to having like 100 yards inbetween each house. Its weird. So yea Im doing good, I love you guys. Talk to you next week. Bye

Love Elder Roney

First Week in Homer!

Hey everyone,

so everythings good, Alaskas good. Its been rainy almost everyday but pretty here. In Anchorage at the mission home we all ate Mucktuck, its whale blubber, and its disgusting. But I like my mission president, president Beesley, he retired a year ago or something like that, hes the best test pilot in the USA, when theyre testing out a new fighter jet they call him. He was the first person to fly the f-33 and hes done a ton of top secret stuff too, its pretty cool. The Time Bandit from The Deadliest Catch docks here in Homer. Its pretty cool, I havent seen it yet because its still out fishing. Homers a tourist attraction and Its where cruise ships come bring tourists. We went out to the spit, and we met some LDS families out there. And we talked to a russian guy out there too. When we were talking to the russian some people were taking pictures of us, it was kinda funny, the russians dont dress that good but are rich. The spits where the time bandit docks, and the tourist shops are, and its where you go to get on a fishing boat. The spits pretty much a skinny piece of land that stretches out into the ocean. It has the same feel as James Town {Georgetown} in Cayman, because of all the tourist shops and tourists walking around. Homers good. Its got some really weird people. We do lots of service here, on wednesday we mowed lawns and cloroxed the roof of a house, on the houses here, moss grows and so to kill the moss or stop it from growing you put clorox bleach on your roof. And on Friday we helped some investigators butcher chickens. It was pretty gross, my companion, elder Butler killed them and I plucked them. I was gonna kill too until I watched him do it first. What you do is tie their feet so they're upside down, and you cut their throat to kill them and let them bleed out and die, then you take them and pluck them. I didnt want to kill them because they would scream and flap their wings, and the blade was pretty dull so it took a little bit to kill them, I didnt want to do that. So I helped pluck them and then later we packaged the meat. And it was super rainy and cold that day too. So thats been the service part so far. We do alot of tracting, its so worthless, no one lets you in, its like theyre all hiding from people and dont want to see anyone. And some people will hide, and youll see them in the window but they still wont answer the door, or youll see them look in the peep hole but wont answer the door, Im pretty sure theyre all afraid of us. The houses here are super spread out too, each house is like 100 yards from each other so you walk like almost a mile to tract part of each road. Its crazy, but the members are good here, and the wards good. We eat at a members house almost every night for dinner. The members definitely feed you good here, and the fresh salmon and halibut is delicious, its a ton better than the salmon and halibut at home. Homers such a small town, its weird, theres only one stop light here and theres only 2 fast food places, mcdonalds and subway. And theres one LDS church in all of Homer. Theres a russian religion here, you dont have to be russian to be in it, you just have to speak russian. Its kinda cool, theres russian villages of just the people in their religion. Everyone in their church has to dress a certain way, the guys cant ever shave their beards, and the guys have to wear this weird flower embroidered shirt, and the girls have to wear these weird hats and dresses. Everyone in their church gets a brand new super nice big truck too. Because when you join their religion everything you make goes to the church but they split it up equally among everyone, and thats whey they all have nice trucks. So whenever theres a nice new truck its a russian almost everytime. My companions elder Butler, hes from Idaho. Hes cool. The work heres way slow, but a non member family that just moved to homer showed up at church yesterday, so theres a good chance theyll be baptized. Thatd be sweet! My Pdays are on Monday. And Ill send some pictures next week, I forgot my card reader at the apartment in the camera case, sorry! But I like it here, its pretty cool, Im doing good.

Love Elder Roney

MTC photos!

I had to steal these from Ashton's facebook (oops) but here are some photos from the MTC days

Temple day!

Elder Muhlestein and Elder Roney!

Elder Hulme, Elder Hill, and Elder Roney!

Safe in Alaska!

Hey, so I'm in Anchorage at the mission home. I'm staying here over night and tomorrow I'm going to my assigned area, and that's Homer Alaska. It's like on the south of Alaska, they said it's like the halibut capitol and a big tourist area, it's supposed to be super awesome. So tomorrow sometime I'll head out to Homer. But everything's good here. Sorry the call was so short today, but yeah, we just ate lunch about an hour ago and in an hour and a halfish we go tracting. I'm kinda nervous but it's fine. It feels sort of like the first day in the MTC again. Anyways, I'm doing good, got here safe. Love you guys!
Love Elder Ashton Roney

Leaving the MTC!

Elder Roney is leaving the MTC to head up to Alaska on August 15!! Here is his new address, so get started on those letters!

Elder Ashton Bradford Roney

Alaska Anchorage Mission

12350 Industry Way Suite 218

Anchorage, AK 99515

United States

From Elder Roney

**first letter!!*

Hey everyone!

So the MTC's good, it was kind of hard to adjust for the first few days but im pretty much adjusted for the most part. Still a little tired in the morning but its not bad. Im doing pretty good, i like it here alot. My roomates are all cool, Elder Tebbs played basketball for Snow College, hes way funny. His companion, Elder Hartlys 22, and my companion Elder Beauregards a know everything kind of kid, he said he was a mathlete and got a 5 on the ap calculus b&c test in high school or whatever that class is called. He said he googles random facts for fun, its kind of funny. Its so busy here, its always non stop back to back things we have to do.

Its kind of annoying because you have maybe 2 hours a day to study/free time. I usually have 6 hours of class a day. Gym for about an hour and a half maybe an hour, not sure, but thats my favorite part of the day, I usually run a mile then lift weights, like yesterday I ran a mile then did 60 reps of 230 on the bench press machine and 70 reps of 360 on the leg press. If I dont lift I play volley ball, thats pretty fun. Its super funny to watch people in the gym because theres sooooo many kids that are super uncoordinated and its halarious to watch. One of the elders in my district thinks he tore his acl playing basketball, he got an mri yesterday and another elder broke his collar bone.

But its alot better than people make it sound in here. I actually kind of like it in here, its not that bad, and I see someone I know in the hallway at least once a day. I got pictures with Brayden Hill and James Hulme at the fireside before they left, and I got pictures with everyone that went to OHS. Theres like 15 of us or something like that. Its pretty cool. But Im doing good, I saw the Harrisons at lunch on saturday, that was cool. My branch president knows uncle Burke, Branch President Hemmert. His wife says they were his neighbor or something like that. Also I see Alyssa alot, shes doing good I think, in my district theres 6 elders going to Alaska, then in other districts theres 3 more elders and Alyssa so theres 11 including me. In my district 6 of us are going to alaska and 4 are going to Kentucky.

But times running out, I only have a few more minutes on the email. Theres a few things I need, I need my scrubber thing for when I shower, I need some sandals, about 2 more of my gen x shirts for gym and pday and I think I left a pair or two of G's at the house I need those, maybe another pair of athletic socks and if i need anything else ill let you know. Also send more addresses and send pictures! I love you all! Love Elder Roney