Week One of Transfer 11

It's been busy and and stressful and awesome this week. There was so much that happened so it was great. We got to golf again on PDay with our investigator, and we all had fun. I didn't play too bad either so that helped. This week we had Zone Leader Council in Anchorage on Friday. Elder Piiparinen and I flew to Anchorage Thursday night and stayed with the assistants. ZLC was great, and we were trained on the new curriculum from the mission department. The First Presidency instituted it for all missions in the United States and Canada. I learned a lot, and I love chillaxin with the other zone leaders and with the mission president. And best of all we always have a great lunch in the mission home. We tell a conversion story in ZLC that happened in our zone, and I told the story of a man I interviewed for baptism named Rich. His wife was baptized a few months back, and the weekend she was baptized Elder D Todd Christofferson was in Fairbanks, so she took that as her witness that this was true. Her husband took the discussions and believed that it was all true, but was worried about receiving a witness for himself. I promised him that if he was patient and took the leap of faith he would receive an answer. He had a injured ankle (or knee) and it was hindernace at his job loading trucks, and he was worried about being able to keep his job and get his knee fixed. He was baptized a couple weeks ago in the Chena River, and when he walked out of the water, the pain left his knee, and never came back. It's an awesome story, and it witnessed to him that the church is true. Miracles happen!

Devin Parker was baptized on Saturday, and confirmed on Sunday. He asked me to confer upon him the priesthood, so yesterday I was able to confer upon him the Aaronic Priesthood and ordain him as a priest. He will do great things in the gospel. Cool story at his baptism too. He had a fever all week, and was going through periods of hot and cold. When he came to the baptism, you could see him sweating because of the fever, but he was well enough to make it through the baptism, and didn't show the fact that he wasn't feeling good. When we started filling the font, the water was warm, but when Elder P and Devin went into the water it was freezing cold. When Devin got out he said it was refreshing. He was hot with the fever and the water helped cool him down. So cool!

Great things are happening in Fairbanks, and serving in the Young Single Adult branch is so cool! This Saturday Justin will be baptized, and we are excited for him. We have been blessed with so much success. We are working hard and the Lord is providing us with people to teach. Missionary work is the bomb!

I hope all is well with you all. Have a great week!

Love Elder Squires