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Tuesday, September 28, 2010

It's Freezing Outside, But it's Not Even Cold

This week was jam-packed and there's lots to write, but not very much time, so I'll cram it into a few words. First of all, Elder Fenton and I walked outside today in our suits and didn't even realize how cold it was. It was only 20 F this morning and we were driving in the truck without any heat on or anything. We just laughed about it and thought it was weird how 20 degrees isn't even cold anymore.

Well, Zone Conference with Elder Pieper was amazing. We had the tables in a U shape, and he just walked around to all of us while he trained us. I learned so much, and I wrote as fast as I could trying to write down everything he was saying. The thing that got me the most though was his eyes. Whenever he looked at you his eyes were light and penetrated you to the core. He's definitely been called of God to be a Seventy. That night we had a fireside with members and investigators, and it was really exciting because Holly and Nicole Thompson drove up from Whitehorse on a little trip and came to the fireside. It was so cool to see them again after so long. We also had dinner with them the night before. It was also cool because both me and Elder Fenton know them and served around them.

We also had a baptism this weekend. Jung Tak was baptized, and I had the great opportunity to perform that baptism. The next day, Elder Fenton confirmed her a member of the church and bestowed the gift of the Holy Ghost. It has been great serving here, and I'm excited so see what the future brings. This week we fly to Anchorage for a Leadership Training Meeting and Zone Leader Council for a couple of days. It will be another fun trip. Well, I'll update you on all of that next week. Hope all is well.

Love Elder Squires

Monday, September 20, 2010

Carrying on the Work

It's been an eventful week and we've been very busy. I love being busy. On Monday last week we just had a normal day and taught a few lessons, and then our P-Day was on Tuesday. I hung out with a couple other missionaries while I waited for Elder Fenton to get here. All the missionaries new to the zone got in around 11 PM. We picked them up and headed to our areas. Elder Fenton and I have been doing great this last week. He's from North Carolina and was in Helaman Halls at BYU the same time I was, but we never knew each other there. We talk about Whitehorse a lot since be both served there.

We've been carrying on the work here and helping our investigators prepare for baptism. Jung will be baptized on Saturday so we're really looking forward to that. She's asked me to do that so that will be a great experience. We don't always see the immediate results of our efforts, but lately in this area we have been able to see the fruits of our labors. It's awesome to be able to see people take upon themselves the covenant of baptism and start this awesome journey. We've been having great success here, and I'm still having a blast serving in YSA. Lately we've been coordinating tire changes on all the vehicles in the zone since it's coming up on winter. We're all getting our studded tires put on. It's definitely that time of year. Not much longer before everything is covered in snow for the next 7 months. But for now it's clear and sunny outside.

This week Elder Paul B. Pieper of the Seventy is coming to our Zone Conference. It will be an awesome thing to have a Seventy around again. It's always good to get that boost. Well, Fairbanks is awesome and I'm having a great time here. I can't complain at all. We got kicked out of an apartment complex this week for knocking doors, and we used to tract there a lot, but that's ok. If they kick us out of one place, we'll just move on to the next one. I love this work and I enjoy it everyday. It's all been going so fast and I can imagine it will just get faster and faster. I hope you all are doing great.

Love Elder Squires

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Staying in Fairbanks

Well the transfer is over and today a new one started. Elder Piiparinen is on the road right now driving to Anchorage, and then to his new area in Wasilla. He will actually be serving as a zone leader in my old area and ward, the Knik Fairview Ward. He is pretty excited to be going there, but he is going to miss Fairbanks a lot. My new companion is coming tonight. His name is Elder Fenton. Haha I hope you're reading this Holly. Elder Fenton traded places with me when I went to Whitehorse. He served there right before me. He's coming up to Fairbanks tonight and I'll be training him as a Zone Leader. I'm pretty excited. I only met him briefly in Tok on the way to Whitehorse, but I know that the Thompsons liked him a lot, and so we'll have a lot to talk about. I'm looking forward to this transfer, and I'll still get to see Elder P at ZLC about every month.

Well, the work is going so good here! We are teaching some great people, and I've been learning a ton everyday. We are teaching this girl named Jung, and she is preparing to be baptized soon. We're also teaching this kid named Kitti, and he is going to get baptized soon as well. Everything in the branch is going great. We've been taking prospective missionaries out with us to teach, and one of them left today on his mission and another goes in a month. That's the cool thing about YSA. You can help these guys go on missions and prepare for them. I'm also looking forward to this next week. We will have Elder Paul B. Pieper of the Seventy up here for a Zone Conference. It will be great to have him here and be able to learn from him. Well, everything is great here, and I hope you are all doing well!

Love Elder Squires

Monday, September 6, 2010

It's Fall!

It's been a great week. Things are really starting to cool off. Most of the early mornings this past week have been in the 30's. All the leaves are starting to fall, and winter isn't too far away! I can't believe I've already spent two summers on my mission.

This week was full of meetings! On Monday we had our Specialized Training, and then on Wednesday and Thursday we had leadership meetings (all day). On Friday Elder P and I had Zone Leader Council over the phone this time. It was a really busy week, but it was great. All the training we had was awesome. It definitely helped me have a better outlook on teaching, and strengthened my testimony. Elder P and I have been teaching much more powerfully and with the Spirit since we had our training. President Dance is a great mission president, and I've learned a ton from him. Being a Zone Leader has been great because I get to talk with him and be around him a lot more than before.

A lot of people are leaving from the YSA branch to go back to school. It's going to be sad when they are all gone. Things will change a little bit during the winter months, but the work is still the same. In a couple of weeks there is a General Authority coming to Alaska to re-organize a stake, and do a mission tour. He is Paul B. Pieper of the First Quorum of the Seventy. He gets to Fairbanks on September 23, and we will have a zone meeting with him. I'm looking forward to it.

Well, things are always going really well, and I enjoy every minute of my mission. I've learned a ton in the past 15 months, and a lot of that has been in just the past few months. I hope you are all doing great!----Holly(Sis. Thompson)--I was about to send you guys a letter when I received yours, so I'm writing more today and I'll send that off. Thanks so much!

Love Elder Squires