Bear with me

Hello family,

This is the email you've all been waiting for. For the past 70 weeks you've held your breath as I've been a missionary in Alaska and it's finally happened. I got the bear picture. Yep. Sister Grayson and I were just driving out to visit some people last evening and there he was just off the side of the road in his glory. We pulled over and got some pictures which I'll be sending soon! The bears are out!

Speaking of Alaskan wildlife, we're going fishing today! There is a family in the ward that's taking us tonight and they're doing dinner with us, so we'll have a fish fry on the beach! I'm so excited! I'll finally have the full Alaska experience after today! Seeing a bear, and now fishing. What an exciting two days!

So Mark asked about air conditioning, we don't have air conditioning and honestly, I don't know of any place that has air conditioning in Alaska. Probably the churches in Fairbanks or Anchorage, but I know they never run it here in Valdez. Our apartment is upstairs which is nice with the light, but it can get really hot. We usually just open the windows when we get in at night during planning, and it cools it off enough that we're fine, we also have a fan so those are all helpful! I just hope August heat in Utah won't kill me..haha

We had a very..unexpected week in a lot of ways. haha We were planning on going straight back on our jolly way to Valdez on Wednesday when we get a call from Sister Beesley asking us to stay in the bowl (Wasilla-Anchorage) until Friday after Zone Meeting so we could be there in person instead of just webcasting in. To my relief, I had felt impressed to throw in a couple extra clothes so I was covered with clean clothes for the full week. We spent Wednesday working with the YSA elders in looking for people, and then Thursday we drove into Anchorage and got to see S & L of Turnagain, and we had dinner with the "A"'sfrom Rabbit Creek ward! That was the first time I had gone back to Rabbit Creek at all since I left so it was really fun to see them and ask them how things are going in the ward! It was very nostalgic!

It was good to get back to Valdez finally by Saturday, we spent Friday night at the chapel in Glennallen again. I was really missing the people and it was so good to see W & T and her boys at church yesterday! W will be moving into town this week which will be so good! It will a much better atmosphere for her! T and that family are still looking for a place to live so hopefully they'll find something sooner than later.

Valdez is still here, and it sounds like we'll be driving in to Wasilla to "Meet the Robinsons" on Thursday evening and then back on Friday afternoon. So that's another 10 hours of driving this week. So.. we'll essentially be spending our 4th of July in a car.. haha, it will be fun to meet the new mission president though. :)

It's been so fun to show Valdez to Sister Grayson. It has reminded me of the first time I saw Valdez and just the excitement, wonder, and beauty I saw here. It's a lot like we when teach people the gospel, they get so excited and it reminds me of how exciting it is that we have this knowledge! Valdez is beautiful, and the gospel is too!

Love you lots!

Sister Hedelius