Sunny Monday!

Happy February 24 everyone!

It’s been a happy week! As I look outside the sun is shining bright on beautiful blue snow covered mountains! There’s always a new excitement at the beginning of a transfer and this transfer has proved to be no different! It was fun to see all my old friends here in Inlet View, bishop said the reason I’m back is because he “prayed” me back… whatever the reason I’m happy to be back and working!

To answer some of your questions (I’m going to try and get better at this):

Sister Bullen is from Nampa, Idaho (I hope I spelled that right)… she came out the transfer before me and just came from serving in the Turnagain ward last transfer! Did I mention we get to teach "P"!?! I’m so excited! Elders are now in the Turnagian ward and she requested Sisters teach her so I get to teach her again and she’s one of my favorite people ever. We’ll be seeing her Wednesday!

I DID see the northern lights in Fairbanks and so that now has a check mark on my bucket list! J We were able to get permission to stay out late to watch them, but as soon as we got up the hill they weren’t out anymore.. L so I didn’t even get good pictures! BUT I can say I’ve seen them. J

I will not be involved with the Iditarod this year unfortunately... L there is only a certainly number of volunteers that they really need, and since Sister Bullen and I both got to volunteer they’re giving other missionaries an opportunity which makes sense. J They do have some fun happenings this week here in Anchorage downtown which is our area!!! They have a lot of natives in from all the villages selling their art and clothing etc. Lots of people to talk to!

Dad asked about Michael Kent and yes the elders did mention they visited him! Elders are in Homer and the Homer ward is what covers Anchor Point where he lives. I talked to President Beesley and he gave me permission to see him if he’s ever in Anchorage. The elders gave him the number to contact me, hopefully he will, I’d really like to see him! If not, I’ll be going down to Soldotna for exchanges this transfer and I believe that’s not too far from Anchor Point… but honestly I have no idea.. haha either way hopefully we’ll be able to meet up, I think that would be really cool.

The missionary work is good… we’re teaching a lot but many of the people are in really difficult situations (financially, mentally, physically etc) that are keeping them from progressing. I think we’re coming to the conclusion that we need to focus a lot on finding this week. I keep feeling there might be someone out there that I was brought back to my area for specifically and that I have unfinished work to do. We’ll be working hard to find and continue teaching those that sincerely want to learn!

I love you all so much, I know if you really pray and seek for missionary opportunities that the Lord will put prepared people in your paths that only you can bless. Keep being good and doing good! Thanks always for the prayers; I know they make a difference!

Love,

Sister Hedelius

I'm going home!

Denny's in Fairbanks!

Hi,

I'm in ANCHORAGE right now! Yep! transfers are this week and I got transferred BACK to Inlet View!!!! Go ahead, ask me if I'm
excited...I'M SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:) I'll be serving with Sister Bullen who is great! She was my
companion the week I got back to the mission and we had a blast so it's going to be an amazing transfer!!

THIS IS DREAM LIVING!! The church is true and life is so good!!!

I'm emailing at a table with three of my best friends! Sister Dill is
transferring to North Pole!!! (that's my girl!) and Sister Morrison is
heading down to Juneau!! How cool is that! And Sister Claspell goes home tonight.. :( I'll be going to the airport with her to see her off tonight right around .....  .  Then I have four hours of meetings tomorrow.. wish me luck staying awake.. oh and.. we may or may not have only got four hours of sleep last night since we had to wake up early to catch the plane.. haha YOMO (you only mission once)

I love you all! Thank you for the many prayers, they make a big
difference! I feel so blessed, I couldn't ask for a better family!

Love,
Sister Hedelius

Our new contact for the week. :) Mr. Moose.

I have nose hairs......

That one time it warmed up! :)

Family,

It was -27 today. It's really cold and everything here is white. It's also darker longer again. Will take some getting use to. I'm certainly grateful for my big coat from Cabelas! It's been saving my life.

We had some meetings down in Anchorage this week that were really amazing! We got to go to the temple too which was probably the highlight of the whole week. 

A cool scripture I read this morning is in Alma 29:9, I love where it says "this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy" There is truly nothing greater than the joy that the gospel brings! I can only hope to be the best instrument in God's hand that I can be to bring these souls back to Him!

We had a neat experience when we were stopping by a family yesterday that the previous sisters hadn't met. It was pretty cold so the initial reason the family let us in was so we wouldn't freeze, and then as we got talking she mentioned how it was kind of interesting that of all days we stopped by yesterday because she had gone to church for the first time in years to a different ward yesterday. I have no doubt that God wanted us to stop by their home because they were being prepared to receive us, also she's living with a man who isn't a member and he was super friendly and invited us back! So that is the B family.. I'll let you know how things go!

Update on B, she will be baptized on the 22nd! Her stitches from her appendix surgery are still healing so they wanted her to have a couple weeks for them to heal. She's doing great though when I stopped by to say good bye. She's starting to gain some strength back.

I love you all, keep doing great things!

Love,

Sister Hedelius

Triumphant trio, last photo shot!

Scraping the inside of the windows.

Thrown to the BANKS!

They made me a cake for my half birthday with trick candles!

Hi family!

First things first-I'm getting transferred. Straight up! And in case you're wondering there IS in fact two weeks left of the transfer and if you're wondering if there were tears, that would also be a yes... I'll be serving up in the Fairbanks 5th ward and will fly up on Thursday. RIGHT?! Wow... Reason being, Sister Claspell is flying down this week and rather than fly her back up for two weeks before she goes home they'll just have me fly up to be with her current companion-Sister Lynd. So I'll be there for the next two weeks and stay in Fairbanks next transfer. I should see lots of coldness, northern lights, and maybe even Santa's house. :) 

Update on the Inlet View Ward: things are hot and hopping! Sadly however, B's baptism will have to be pushed back a week! :( She wasn't able to make it to church but she's still getting baptized! I called her yesterday and she told me she "missed my face" haha we'll be stopping by in the next couple days so I can say good-bye!

SISTER L CAME TO SACRAMENT MEETING! Yep! I'm convinced the Seahawks won yesterday because she came! Haha She was 

sporting her Largent jersey complete with a beanie to sacrament meeting, but she was there.. I was so happy. :) There were a lot of people missing from church because of the super bowl yesterday, but if Sister L could come to Sacrament Meeting Super Bowl Sunday-anyone can!

I love you all so much! Pray for snow for Alaska-they might have to cancel the Iditarod if it continues to be this warm!

Love ya!

Sister Hedelius