Yooho!

Hey everyone!!                  

First things first, Happy July!! :) So excited for Independence Day this week! For those of you who asked, yes Alaska is still pretty foreign BUT we do celebrate the 4th of July. ;) Sounds like it's pretty fun here in Sitka. Hoping it will be a great opportunity to talk to lots of people and get out in the community! And I will not be watching any fireworks because they have to have them at midnight so it's dark enough to see them.. haha so think of me when you're watching them this week. ;) 

It's been another great week! The Juneau sisters came in to go on exchanges so that was great! We got a lot done and were able to teach lots of people thanks to them! It felt overwhelming to have so many missionaries around even though it was only four.. haha .. don't know what I'm going to do when eventually I go back to Anchorage!! I'm enjoying being on an island a lot to say the least. ;) But Sister Frazier will be flying in to Anchorage next week because she's a Sister Training Leader so I'll be hanging out with the Juneau sisters in a trio next week again (This is like the third time going to Juneau since I got here... haha) So I'll have to get use to having all the Juneau missionaries around.. all six of them! :P

Got to see P twice this week! We'll be seeing him again tonight. We were suppose to see him yesterday but he forgot and went fishing. (I wish I had a dollar for every time I've heard that one- haha :) ) So we'll be seeing him tonight and he promised that he would cook up some of the fish he caught to make up for it too so that's great. ;) We are also having fish tomorrow with one of my favorite families in the ward!-The Fs! Also J and L invited us over for fish later this week! So that's at least three times this week! We also have two fish in the freezer that M gave us that we need to cook up. :) I'll probably be going through fish withdraws when I get off the island..

Also got to see Jk which was a blessing! Seeing Jk and L is a highlight! Jk is progressing great-got to teach the restoration this time! Teaching the first vision is probably my absolute favorite thing to teach, there is such a power as the spirit testifies that it's true!!!

T is going out of town with Jq for the next few weeks so we'll miss him :( But hopefully he'll be back before the end of the transfer because you never know what's going to happen! 

So things are going good! I love being a missionary. Had several experiences this week that made me so grateful for the life I have and the knowledge of the truth.

Being out here has really made me realize how grateful I am for a family that can be together forever. There just aren't as many strong tightly knit families as I'm use to out here and it has so much increased my testimony in the power of our family being together. I know I'm personally so grateful to have each one of you in my life! I just love each of you so much-the difference in each of our personalities and yet our similarities that make us a family is so amazing, the best part is that I get to spend forever with you people! I am so lucky. :) (That includes you A and C!!) 

Fireweed-isn't it gorgeous?!

 Sometimes it's just too much work to name a creek!

I love you all so so much. Thanks for the support and love you continue to show. I am so blessed to have each of you in my life! Have a great week and have a great Fourth!

Love,

Sister Hedelius

Sitka sunset!



This is a salmon berry-they grow all over! They remind me a lot of raspberries but not quite that sweet, still good though! One sister missionary says she liked to go "Salmon Berry Tracting" which means she picks what street to tract based of where the salmon berries grow.. hahaha

Love it here!  It rains just about everyday. 
It is so green!



This man is standing up while canoeing!

Typical Sitkan bumper sticker-fun fact for the week, there is a higher concentration of brown bears on the island that I live on (Baranoff island) than anywhere else in the world! Cool huh? I think there was about 2 bears per every square mile. Still haven't seen a wild one though, they're usually smart enough to stay out of town.