Anchorage

Hey everyone!

   This week was good. We went to Anchorage everyday monday through friday, it was weird. Monday we came into anchorage for emails and pday stuff, tuesday we got some chips in our car window fixed, wednesday we got our flu shots, thursday we had a training, and friday we did family history stuff/looked into college to figure out the answers to your questions last week about college. Lots of driving to and from Anchorage.   The next transfer is on the 12th, I find out if I stay or go friday of next week.  And no, theres not very many moose wandering around chugiak or eagle river this year, I don't think there was enough snow to push them down out of the mountains this year. District meeting was good, I had the senior couple missionaries give a training.  They picked the topic- about cleaning our apartments and hygene haha. They're the apartment cleaning checkers for the bowl area so they've seen some pretty nasty missionary apartments - haha.  They said that our districts apartments are some of the cleanest that they've seen though. They ended up taking the whole time for training so everything else that I planned on doing last week we're doing this week instead.  So next week, a sister missionary is doing an activity on patience, I'm gonna train on becoming a more christlike missionary/person, and elder sant is also going to do a short training on our purpose as missionaries. Delegation's the best thing ever, haha, so it should be good. 

  

   We had a decent week, we started doing more lessons with active members to try and get referrals and its been working.   Last week we got 12 referrals, which is the most I've ever gotten in this area so it was awesome. We weren't able to meet with investigators, because we had alot of cancelations. We did meet with a new person though, he's friends with a less active lady. We were intending to meet with her boy friend but he's out of town working so she had her friend staying with her because she gets nervous being alone with a baby. And we were able to teach him about the first vision and who joseph smith is.  He said he would be fine learning a little bit about our beliefs, so we set up a lesson with him. Then we met with less active members and did lessons with active members. But we were able to set some lessons up for next week so that was good.

   I hit my 18 month mark yesterday and burned a pair of pants that were all beat up and worn out with elder merrill at a members home in meadow creek. Pants stink suuuper bad when you burn them, it wasn't good. It sounds like you guys had fun up at park city and doing all sorts of shinanigans during the week, thats good! :) Welp, I hope you all have a great and glorious week this week and do even more fun shininigans too haha. Love you guys!

 Love Elder Ashton Roney

Stayed Pretty Busy

Hey everyone!

  This week was alright, we taught alot of lessons this week and stayed pretty busy. Yesterday we bought fabric to make ties out of.  A member in the meadow creek ward's teaching us all how to make ties. It'll be cool.   And now, President Beesley comes to basketball on pday, but he doesn't play.   He watches and makes sure no one's getting too competitive or intense, because it has in the past.   Especially with an elder in the mission, but he's a cool kid and has mellowed out a bunch at basketball.  We met with L------ and her husband. It was super interesting, L----- was on board and willing to learn but her husband definitely wasn't haha. We tried teaching the plan of salvation and it just wasn't working.  Anytime we brought up any point, he tried arguing it. So basically I didnt say much that lesson because bashing's the most stupid thing ever and doesn't help anyone with anything.   It was interesting, I hope our next lesson with them doesn't go that way.  Whenever it's just L------ things go pretty smooth.  We also met with Bill and taught him about the plan of salvation and it went really well. We had a lesson with Terry scheduled but she had to reschedule to this week. We didn't read with sister Hansen this week because she's super busy and doesn't have time to do anything for another week or so. But once she gets done with the crazyness at work we can start reading with her again. And we're gonna give Rebecca a week or so and then call her again. She still won't answer her phone. We had interviews with President Beesley this last week, they were really good. Towards the end he asked me where I want to go next and I said I don't know, anywhere he wants me.  And then he asked me if I want to go where they eat whale, and I said "yea, sure, that would be pretty sweet".  So I might go up north to the bush next transfer, but we'll see haha.

  Sorry I don't have much time so I'll just answer your questions real quick. So I have been to the Anchorage temple since I've been back in Chugiak.  I've been twice since i've been back up here. I dont ever speak in sacrament, I never have on my mission yet. The most i've done in sacrament was bear my testimony, haha.  So you're right to assume that I rarely do that kind of stuff. We just mainly attend the meetings and try to participate when we can. Here's my Sunday schedule: I have my first meeting starting at 7, then ward council/pec at about 7:15, then church starts at 9 and ends at noon.  Then we go and do our normal missionary thing like I would any other day. Every now and then we teach in primary or something, I've taught in primary twice during the sharing time.  It's funny how the kids answer questions.  As for my dental work, I called to set something up but they said that they don't really have any openings this transfer.  So I might try to go to this other dentist that's in the meadow creek ward and get it done by him.   So yea, i'll give you an update on that another time :) The days are getting longer for sure, the sun came up at about 9:30 or 10ish the other day, that was awesome.  And the sun sets somewhere around 5.   I don't really know because I haven't paid as much attention to the sun setting lately. But all I know is that this winter (even with the happy light) I' m way more tired than I was last winter    If I sit in a comfortable couch or seat, I have to be careful that I don't fall asleep sometimes, or else I will haha.   It'll be nice when the summers here and the suns out like all day and I don't get super tired all the time. And I would of used the card reader this week but I forgot it at the apartment, so I'll try to do better next week.

  Well I only have a minute left, so I better go. But I'm super glad that you all are doing super good this week and enjoying yourselves, except for the cold :) Sorry this emails not longer but I love you guys and hope you have an amazing week and stay super happy! Love you guys!

   Love Elder Ashton Roney

Stake Conference

Hey everyone!

 This week was ok, we weren't able to see very many investigators. Yesterday church was cancelled, and president Beesley texted everyone telling us that we couldnt leave the apartment until about noonish. We had freezing rain again and because the roads were sketchy they decided to cancel church. On Saturday we were driving on a smaller highway and this lady in a jeep in front of us slid out of control and went into a ditch and we asked her if she needed any help but she told us that she had someone on their way.  A few minutes later we saw the fire department headed her way. I think I saw 6 new cars in ditches because of the fun weather.   We didn't have district meeting this week because we had a zone meeting instead. But tomorrow I'm training on setting goals and stretching ourselves to reach our goals.  Then Sister, C in the district is doing an activity  (I made her the activity coordinator in our district so there's a short activity every district meeting) and usually I ask one or two of the other missionaries in the district to do a short 10 or 15 minute training as well. And a zone meeting's just where the zone leaders talk about our goals and numbers and everything and give some training. I went on exchanges with Elder Merrill (the one I was in the MTC with, not my last companion) in Meadow Creek. It was really good and fun to serve with someone I came out with for a day.

   That's awesome that you guys are all doing so good, and I'm kinda jealous that you're getting snow there.  But then again, you guys are having temperatures close to 0 and its been in the 30s and 40s the past few weeks, so that's been awesome.  I haven't even worn a jacket everyday it's been so nice haha.  Thats awesome that Tannon finally got his visa and gets to finally go to spain haha, how long was he in SLC for?

  Anyways, Im running out of time, sorry its not more of an exciting email haha. But I love you guys and Im glad that youre all doing so good! oh and tell Paul hi back for me!

  Love Elder Ashton Roney

New year, new beginnings :)

Hey everyone!

  This week was alright, we were able to see sister Hansen, Kate went back to Australia, we haven't been able to get hold of Rebecca, we found a new investigator from tracting, and we were able to see Linda again.  The new investigator we found is a guy named Chad.   He's awesome.   He said that he's catholic but willing to listen and open and said that we can come back anytime. He's ex military.   He used to be in the CIA and still has the clearance level above top secret. He has a friend named Dustin staying with him who's from nevada and he knows what the temple is and says it's the prettiest building he's ever seen and wants to go in but can't since he's not a member.   We taught them about the Book of Mormon and gave them one and they said they would read it.   And Dustin said that he lost his Book of Mormon and wanted another one, so we gave him one too. 

We weren't able to see Rebecca because we haven't been able to get in contact with her, and Joes up moose hunting, so we haven't been able to see him this week either. 

 We met with Linda again, we just answered questions that she had and briefly taught her the plan of salvation. 

  Nothing too exciting happened this week.  The new year was good, we ended up staying in the apartment after district meeting until dinner time. The reason is, because on monday Elder Sant was playing basketball and sprained his ankle (while wearing an ankle brace) and he thought it wouldn't be bad the next day (new years) but it was.  So Sister Beesley and a doctor in the ward told him to lay off it for the day until he got a boot of splint or something to support it.  So now he has to wear a boot for the rest of the transfer.   I'm finally getting my hair cut.   I was supposed to do it last week but the lady in the other ward wasn't available  so we're doing it today instead. I had leadership training on Thursday, that was pretty good.  And the weather's been nice.  It's been in the 30s and 40s this last week or two.  It feels like I don't even have to wear a jacket all the time anymore, it's kinda nice. But I think it's gonna drop down below 0 again here in this next week or two though. Tonight I'm going on exchanges. I'm gonna be in Meadow Creek with one of the missionaries I came out with, it'll be fun.

  Anyway, sorry this email isn't more exciting but this week wasn't too exciting, well, I gotta go. Love you guys!

 Love Elder Roney

Alright

Hey everyone!

  This weeks been alright, we were finally able to get ahold of Rebecca on the phone again. The night that we called her she said that she was leaving to Hawaii that night until the 3rd, but we were able to set up a lesson with her for the 4th and she wants to be baptized on the 12th! (: so that was a pretty exciting phone call haha, not only were we able to actually get ahold of her and have a conversation after a month of failed attempts, but we were able to set up a lesson and baptismal date, it made that extremely slow and bleh kind of night not completely stink. We met with Kate again, and reviewed the restoration, she could remember the bulk of the lesson, it was awesome. We read some more with sister Hansen, now were in Jacob 3, and thats going good. Taught Joe and his family the plan of salvation, they had a family friend that passed away this last week so we felt that the plan of salvation was perfect to teach them that night. They seem like they really accepted what we taught and they had some really good questions too, it was a good lesson. We finished teaching Ted the plan of salvation as well, it was good, it was a quicker lesson though but still good.

  We had the ward adult christmas party this week, it was alot of fun. At the end there was a white elephant gift exchange, I ended up getting some nasty old candles inside of a small cooler haha. I had a sweet big maglight but it got stolen, so I picked a gift that was still unopened on the table and ended up with the gross candles. But its ok because at the end of district meeting this week were having a white elephant gift exchange and Im just gonna rewrap the candles and use them for that haha. For Pday I pretty much just hung out with Alyssa and the sister missionaries she was with. It was fun, she wanted to go shopping for Christmas presents for her family so we were just walking around the gift shops in anchorage, so now I know what are in those stores (: But it was fun getting to spend some time with her on her last day. We found out that the member we ate with last night teaches martial arts.   So, on monday we're probably gonna go over there and he's gonna teach us some stuff for like 2 hours haha, it'll be fun.  (: I got the box with all my presents from you guys and I got another box from Britt and I got the box from aunt Mary and a book from Richard and Luann Watson! haha it was a good week for mail. Thank you guys so much for sending that stuff! On Christmas morning we're opening our presents with the meadow creek elders. And you guys should have gotten my sd card, it's been almost a month now since I sent it.  Maybe it got lost in the mail or something. I forgot my card reader, but maybe I'll try sending pictures through email again next week to see if it will finally let me yet. 

  Christmas should be pretty fun, like I said, in the morning we're opening our presents with the meadow creek elders, at about 9 were eating breakfast with the Giffords, 10:30 we have district meeting, at 1 alaska time I'm skyping you guys from the Manwaring home, then later that night after dinner we're going caroling again, so it should be a good Christmas day. I haven't been able to hand out all of the candy canes yet, I still have some left. And surprisingly there hasnt been very much snow this year.  It's snowed like twice so far, it's been too cold to snow. (below 0 & negative) So when it does snow we definitely stay busy shoveling and doing stuff like that, at least for the morning.   So the Manwaring family is awesome, I'm so happy they're letting us skype at their house. I'm gonna be using their ipad and elder Sant is gonna be using their mac computer. They have 3 kids, one boy and 2 girls, and they're all primary age. But they're super smart, and they know their scriptures and are pretty talented kids. They're raising some pretty impressive kids for sure. Brother Manwaring was the guy in the ward that I told you guys about who had the tree fall on him when everyone was cleaning up and cutting down trees after the windstorm. But he's recovering super good, he just can't lift heavy stuff for like 6 more months or something. Sister Manwaring makes quilts professionally, she has a giant quilt maker thing and said that if we get her the supplies she'll do one for free since i'm a missionary (:, and she also has a kiln and makes glass bowls and plates and stuff. They're a pretty awesome family. 

  Anyways, I'm glad you all had such a good week, and are doing so good! Can't wait to see you in a few days on skype! And I'm doing good, I havent opened my presents so far even though they've been calling my name and tempting me to open them every single day (: Love you guys!

   Love Elder Roney

popcorn popping

Hey everyone!

 I only have like 30 minutes to do this email so sorry if its all screwed up.  This computer took 40 minutes to get to my email because its flipping ancient, so I don't have much time to do this. Anyways, so this week was ok, we met with Kate last night and were meeting with her again tonight, We finished teaching her everything that we teach investigators but she wants us to still come over.  So we're gonna be reviewing stuff now and reading chapters with her.  But she's doing way good.  She leaves january 7th, (She's from Australia) so not much time left here in the u.s.   Met with sister Hansen again this week, she's doing good. She wasn't reading along with us this time until the very end because she was making projects for peoples christmas presents. But she still enjoys it I think. We met with this lady that other missionaries handed off to us this week. So now we have another investigator :) She seems pretty solid and pretty interested, and we're going back on thursday, so we're excited for that. We also met with a lady we tracted into a few months ago, we were mainly answering questions the whole time, but we won't be able to go back until after the holidays.

   We went and saw santa this week haha, there's a less active guy in our ward (the one who shot a bear in his kitchen) who plays santa on base at their big christmas tree lighting thing and he invited us to come to it. So we went and got pictures with santa, and with reindeers too.  They had 4 from the reindeer farm up in palmer.   So we got to pet and hang out with some reindeers for a little bit, it was pretty cool. Then I had the dentist this week, yay, I'm sending you a letter today and it has the bill in it. Oh and it warmed up to 15 degrees this week! It was great, still kinda cold but not in the negatives, we had a cold snap for almost a week and it was about -15 so its nice to have it in the positive teens. So things are good, this weeks been pretty good too, and thanks for the package!   It's all set up in our apartment.   And tell uncle Brook and his family "Thanks" for sending their package too! It was awesome to get 2 packages this week. And I'll answer your questions next week, love you guys!

 Love Elder Roney

Yup

Hey everyone!

 This week was good, nothing too exciting happened this week. Its been in the single digits, teens and negatives this week, , all I know is that its super cold haha. We had zone conference on Wednesday, and that was pretty good. I interviewed a girl for baptism this week, she was super ready and definitely had a testimony. District meeting was on Tuesday, it was good and fun. And tomorrow I get to do it again. We also ate dinner with the Giffords, his first name is Lyman by the way, not his last (: It was good, they live at the cub scout camp so we were in their mess hall for dinner, and got to make the ginger bread houses. It was alot of fun, there were like 3 or 4 other families there as well, it was awesome. And Im not sure what time we'll skype you yet, Ill probably let you know next week though. 

  We were able to meet with Terry, Kate and sister Hansen. We met with Terry on monday and taught her about the gospel of jesus christ and it went really well, her kids were in the other room for the most part so there werent really very many distractions haha. We taught Kate last night and taught her about following the prophet, and we asked her if she wants to be taught by missionaries when shes back in Australia. She said that she didnt even realize it was an option haha and that she'll ask her parents if thats ok. Then we gave her some more reading assignments (: We also met with sister Hansen again, and read 4 more chapters with her. It was good, and we were able to get a lesson set up with Rebecca and Bill for this week. Were gonna get Rebecca on date this week, it'll be great!

  Sorry, I dont have much time so this is about all Im gonna type today, sorry its so short... Anyways, Im glad you guys are all doing so good! Its always good to hear. This weeks been good and hopefully this next week will be even better, and hopefully you guys have a great week and enjoy the hot weather down there! Love you all!

 Love Elder Roney