Goodbye to Fairbanks

Hey Mom,

I don't have much time today so just pass on the info to Dad. I'm not in Fairbanks anymore. I got a call from President Dance Sunday morning assigning me to be one of his two assistants. I flew down to Anchorage yesterday and we've been working with the new missionaries, picking them up from the airport and getting the trainers ready. Official transfers will happen in about an hour--that's why I need to hurry. OK well I need to run. Seeya!

Love Mat

Elder Squires and Elder Fenton with YSA sisters.

Elder Squires and Elder Fenton with Nicole and Holly who were visiting from Whitehorse.


Fall in Fairbanks

Elder Piip and Elder Squires with members of the YSA branch.

MIB

Trip to Anchorage

Getting in a little golf during fair weather.

Elder Squires and Elder Piip took a little trip to North Pole.

Puddles

It's been busy and cold this week. It's been awesome. It's been snowing and melting off and on this week and that made street contacting a blast. Just as an example, the other day it warmed up to like 35 degrees, and so all the snow was melting and there was slush and water all over. Elder Fenton and I were walking down the sidewalk on a main street when a car drove by, right as we were walking past a huge, dirty, freezing cold puddle. We looked up just in time to see a tidal wave of dirty street water coming at us, and then we got blasted and drenched. It made me mad at first, but we were just laughing about it. It was pretty cold, and I had dirty water all over my face and head and clothes, but it was fun. Oh and to top it off, we had both just dry cleaned the pants we were wearing a few days before. Good times.

Well, On Sunday we have a baptism, and we're excited for it. We started teaching a kid name Colby a week and a half ago, and he's accepted the invitation to be baptized. He's looking forward to it, and he is so solid. It will be another busy week getting everything ready for that. He comes to all the activities and loves coming to church. YSA work is just so good, and I've loved the time I've been able to spend here. Fairbanks is a blast, but we'll see how much longer I'll be here with transfers next week. Hope everyone's doing great!

Love Elder Squires

The Snow is Here to Stay

It's finally winter here. It snowed the past couple days off and on, and last night a little bit, and it looks and feels like it will stay this time. I won't see the ground again for 5 or 6 months. I'm excited for winter though. The snow will be sweet; the dark...not so much.

Well, this last week was great, as every week is here in Alaska. Elder Fenton and I have been fasting and praying for help finding the elect, and this week we found four new investigators. Two of them have committed to be baptized here in October. It has been awesome. The Lord definitely is helping us in His work.

This week I was on exchanges with one of the elders in North Pole, and I stayed with him at their apartment. It snowed while I was there. It definitely feels like Christmas when there is snow everywhere, and everything is a candy cane. The light posts are candy canes, the fire hydrants are candy canes, some times there are just candy canes sticking out of the ground, not to mention the giant Santa Claus at the Santa Claus House. In North Pole it's always Christmas.

Well, today we're going to play volleyball as a zone for PDay. It should be fun. This week we will have interviews with President Dance, and then the next week is Stake conference and President Dance will come up to Fairbanks to do some missionary work with me and Elder Fenton. Well, that's about it for now. Everything is going great here. Fairbanks is awesome and the work is a blast. See ya!

Love Elder Squires

Great Meetings

This week started out freezing cold--8 degrees one morning--and now it's back up in the 40's. Alaska is random like that, but the snow will come soon for sure. We're just enjoying the last little bit of fall while we can. I had another busy week, which I always like. Wednesday Elder Fenton and I flew to Anchorage and arrived pretty late. We stayed with the assistants and then attended a leadership meeting on Thursday with zone leaders from the entire mission, and district leaders and trainers from Anchorage, Chugach, and Wasilla. I got to see Elder Piiparinen, and we got a picture together in front of the temple that one of our investigators wanted of us. On Friday we had our zone leader council meeting and that is always a blast. It's really cool to see missionaries that are so spread out over Alaska to come together for a day.

To top off the week General Conference was this weekend. Everything was so good, and I got a lot out of both days. I loved the emphasis on missionary work. Elder Russell M. Nelson's talk in Priesthood session about missionary work was great.

Well, we're working hard to find people that are ready to be taught. Things slowed down a little when school started up, which in a family ward usually means that things speed up, but in YSA there are less members and most are busy with school and work. We are still working hard, though, and I love Fairbanks and the people here. We are teaching a few people right now that are really cool, and have desires to be baptized. I love the learning and experiences that each new day brings, and I love the gospel. Have a great week!

Love Elder Squires