Transcription: 23 July 2012

Steese District, Fairbanks Zone
Elder Brooks, Elder Clegg
Elder Vandenberg, Elder Conlin,
Elder Merrill,
Elder Record

This week we got to help out with the pigs again. That was fun (haha). These pigs smell really, really bad. If you put your hand in the pig poop, it smells like pig poop for... a long, long time – like three days. For whatever reason, Elder Conlin's hands end up smelling worse than mine. I think it's because I wear gloves. But, that's beside the point, it's really stinky.

Somewhere in Fairbanks, AK

We were also able to help this one family move some stuff in their shed, because they are going to physically move their shed and their house to a different location on their properly and then they are going to build a new cabin. So we went and helped them out with that. They were clear out in Haystack, that's like way out there.

On the way back, one of the members was really nice and bought us pie at the Hilltop and a little breakfast, and that place is really good. He told me he thought it was like one of the last stops the Ice Road Truckers make on their journey North, I guess. It will be fun, because I want to watch all those Alaska shows when I get off my mission, because I'll like, “oh hey, I was there.”

We had transfers this week, and they changed things up a little bit. It was fun. We were still able to see the transfer meeting over video now because they do things on webcast, which is pretty cool. It's not like just doing it over the phone – which is kind of boring sometimes. We got to see it and listen to some of the songs they sang. There is this one missionary who is really, really good. We listened to him sing a little bit because he is going home. A lot of missionaries bore their testimonies. The Spirit was there pretty strong.

We have had a couple of experiences where the Spirit has guided us. There is this guy who has been a little less active and fallen into the trap of drinking and smoking and so it was the first time he'd prayed in a long time yesterday. Then we go and show up that same day, and he said, “I guess God's trying to tell me something.” (haha) He was pretty cool. He has a son he wants us to teach before he gets baptized – he's about seven. We are teaching him and also helping this guy out.

We have a couple people we are teaching who are just really excited about it (haha). They are just solid. I don't know, Elder Conlin will probably say this too. It's just really fun to teach people because you see not only how true the gospel really is and how it blesses people's lives, but when you see other people have that change, their faces light up; that's really neat. You can tell if someone is really listening to you or just taking the time to sit there and listen to you. If they are really listening to you, and they really want this in their life, it pumps us up and we love teaching them.

We also got to sing a song in church. It was called, “Faith in Every Footstep.” It was fun. Apparently nobody put in any ear plugs, so that's a bonus. Apparently we don't have that terrible of voices. Elder Conlin's voice is very good, so he carries most of the weight.

Steese District, Fairbanks Zone
B: Elder Vandenberg, Elder Brooks, Elder Conlin, Elder Record
F: Elder Clegg, Elder Merrill

Fairbanks is awesome. We have been working really hard and helping a lot of people. We have seen a few of them really make a lot of changes in their life and really understand their purpose and Heavenly Father's plan for us.

Mom, I was reading the book you gave me on those faith experiences in the family. I was reading your testimony and Dad's. That was really neat, and I really felt the Spirit. I really like how – I don' t know, reading some of these testimonies is really fun, because it reminds me of how much the gospel really does bless us and what it does for our lives and how much strength it gives us when we have needs. I read Grandma's too, and her conversion story and thought that was really neat. We were teaching about the Holy Ghost the other day and realized you know that it was not us; the Holy Ghost comes with us because we have the gift of the Holy Ghost and we are trying to have it with us. When we are being obedient and take that Spirit with us into a lesson, they notice the difference. They don't want us to leave, they want us to keep staying; but they don't really want us to stay, they want the Spirit to be there. So if we can help them make that connection, and let them know that they can have the Spirit with them always when they are baptized and receive that gift. There are a lot of promising things about to happen, and I'm excited to keep teaching and just keep being a missionary.

I know the Church is true. I know the Book of Mormon is true. I am thankful for the temple, and I love everything about it. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Love, Elder Record