Hello all,
Well, life is certainly taking its turns and twists. Just as we were comfortable, (one week) in our newly painted and up graded 1st floor apt) we were assigned to Haines, AK for the summer. Surprise!
We were asked to go over there and help the branch because of their lack of priesthood. There are only 2 active men in the branch. The branch president was fishing and they assume he slipped and filled his waders with water and he was not found again. He left a wife and 4 children. Soothe new Branch President is 79 years old and it is his third time serving. Wow!
We take the ferry over there and it takes 4 ½ hours on the slow ferry and 2 ½ hours on the fast. The fast ferry only runs a couple of times in the summer, sad! So we have found the assignment is for weekends only. We take the Ferry with our car and leave Friday afternoon and return on Monday afternoon. They have a little cottage (I say little!) that we were told to live in for the summer. It is made like many of the churches in AK out of cedar logs. It is about 600 sq. feet. The kitchen is better than our one in Juneau and the bathroom is about the same. The bedroom is the size of our hall at home and the living room not much bigger. So we are sleeping one in the bedroom and one in the living room on those famous airbeds we brought up with us. They are coming in handy.
We opened the door to this place and we both were shocked that we would be expected to live there. It was beyond filthy. It took me 3 hours to clean the bathroom. It was disgusting. I still have the kitchen to clean this weekend but now I feel like I can live in it. I remember my mother crying on her tapes that she sent home from her mission saying how she didn’t think she could do it one more time. It brought back memories.
Our good branch president’s wife apologized to us for not getting out there to clean it. She should never have had to. Better me that her. She was in the hospital and not in town when we arrived. Done now and I can return to clean the rest. Baldur did all the walls with a vacuum while I did the bathroom.
Baldur is thrilled with the assignment. Mostly because it keeps him busy. I am always busy. So we are sitting in our Juneau apt. I was talking to someone on the phone and told him or her that he would be the only Priesthood leader there this weekend. He would conduct, Bless and Pass the Sacrament and talk. His eyes got bigger and bigger as he realized that here we go! As it turned out, the clouds lifted and a member of the Stake Presidency came in for interviews. So now here is the funny part. The meeting has begun. About 15 people were there. It is time for the sacrament and Baldur takes his place at the table. He sits there singing away with the sacrament song. It ends and he realizes he was supposed to be breaking the bread. Shock! He moved very quickly. The members enjoyed it. He won’t make that mistake again. He has forgotten.
So Saturday we are having a “munch and mingle with the Schindlers” that we might get to know them better. They are a delight. I will describe them in some other letters so this won’t get too long. They are allover 70 except one sister. I am young in that branch. So you can guess the characters that attend that branch.
As the member of the Stake Pres. Was there he had the time to talk to Baldur to give him more assignments. I was not asked until later. Actually, Baldur picked him up at the airport (small engine airport) and they chatted on the way to meeting. After President Huntsman told me he has some more assignments for us. (Me) He wants us to speak at a session of youth conference. Not to big a deal. I him AWWWWWW! I hate girl’s camp. I swore off of it. Did I have to wear a skirt? (No) He said you can go up and back and you don’t have to do anything. (Sure) I only have one pair of Levis here! There are mosquitos as big as a bird here and No-see-um’s. So I am going to camp. I hope they will give me a job. Is this missionary work? I am only joking. Of course I will go because he asked. And I can love the girls and take bug spray. Now the better part is they want Baldur to go up as priesthood a couple of nights and stay overnight! Ha-Ha. Life is full of fun.
We had the privilege of my cousins Craig and Daryl stop in on a cruise this week and it was fun to see them. We went whale watching with them. We saw humpback whales in a group of 7(usual) bubble- fishing. It is a learned behavior done only in AK. The whales form a circle and blow bubbles out of their spout herding the fish in the circle and then whales come up through the circle and eat the fish. I asked how they learned this and they say some smart whale did it and taught the others and it is taught now all the time and they all do it. Interesting huh?
While in Haines we saw a mother grizzly bear and her three cubs eating dandelions on the side of the road. We stopped and watched them for a long time. We saw them again the next day. I will attach the picture.
Life has picked up. I have been teaching each morning a temple prep class and on Tuesday Baldur teaches mission prep. They are both coming to an end. The temple prep starts up again here with about 4 and in Haines with an older sister.
So we are here doing our thing. Juneau is beautiful, finally. The apt is better and overall life is good. We celebrated our 48thanniversary with French bread pizzas poorly made and it mattered not at all.
We love our God and are happy to be serving.
Love to you all,
Nancy
Well, life is certainly taking its turns and twists. Just as we were comfortable, (one week) in our newly painted and up graded 1st floor apt) we were assigned to Haines, AK for the summer. Surprise!
We were asked to go over there and help the branch because of their lack of priesthood. There are only 2 active men in the branch. The branch president was fishing and they assume he slipped and filled his waders with water and he was not found again. He left a wife and 4 children. Soothe new Branch President is 79 years old and it is his third time serving. Wow!
We take the ferry over there and it takes 4 ½ hours on the slow ferry and 2 ½ hours on the fast. The fast ferry only runs a couple of times in the summer, sad! So we have found the assignment is for weekends only. We take the Ferry with our car and leave Friday afternoon and return on Monday afternoon. They have a little cottage (I say little!) that we were told to live in for the summer. It is made like many of the churches in AK out of cedar logs. It is about 600 sq. feet. The kitchen is better than our one in Juneau and the bathroom is about the same. The bedroom is the size of our hall at home and the living room not much bigger. So we are sleeping one in the bedroom and one in the living room on those famous airbeds we brought up with us. They are coming in handy.
We opened the door to this place and we both were shocked that we would be expected to live there. It was beyond filthy. It took me 3 hours to clean the bathroom. It was disgusting. I still have the kitchen to clean this weekend but now I feel like I can live in it. I remember my mother crying on her tapes that she sent home from her mission saying how she didn’t think she could do it one more time. It brought back memories.
Our good branch president’s wife apologized to us for not getting out there to clean it. She should never have had to. Better me that her. She was in the hospital and not in town when we arrived. Done now and I can return to clean the rest. Baldur did all the walls with a vacuum while I did the bathroom.
Baldur is thrilled with the assignment. Mostly because it keeps him busy. I am always busy. So we are sitting in our Juneau apt. I was talking to someone on the phone and told him or her that he would be the only Priesthood leader there this weekend. He would conduct, Bless and Pass the Sacrament and talk. His eyes got bigger and bigger as he realized that here we go! As it turned out, the clouds lifted and a member of the Stake Presidency came in for interviews. So now here is the funny part. The meeting has begun. About 15 people were there. It is time for the sacrament and Baldur takes his place at the table. He sits there singing away with the sacrament song. It ends and he realizes he was supposed to be breaking the bread. Shock! He moved very quickly. The members enjoyed it. He won’t make that mistake again. He has forgotten.
So Saturday we are having a “munch and mingle with the Schindlers” that we might get to know them better. They are a delight. I will describe them in some other letters so this won’t get too long. They are allover 70 except one sister. I am young in that branch. So you can guess the characters that attend that branch.
As the member of the Stake Pres. Was there he had the time to talk to Baldur to give him more assignments. I was not asked until later. Actually, Baldur picked him up at the airport (small engine airport) and they chatted on the way to meeting. After President Huntsman told me he has some more assignments for us. (Me) He wants us to speak at a session of youth conference. Not to big a deal. I him AWWWWWW! I hate girl’s camp. I swore off of it. Did I have to wear a skirt? (No) He said you can go up and back and you don’t have to do anything. (Sure) I only have one pair of Levis here! There are mosquitos as big as a bird here and No-see-um’s. So I am going to camp. I hope they will give me a job. Is this missionary work? I am only joking. Of course I will go because he asked. And I can love the girls and take bug spray. Now the better part is they want Baldur to go up as priesthood a couple of nights and stay overnight! Ha-Ha. Life is full of fun.
We had the privilege of my cousins Craig and Daryl stop in on a cruise this week and it was fun to see them. We went whale watching with them. We saw humpback whales in a group of 7(usual) bubble- fishing. It is a learned behavior done only in AK. The whales form a circle and blow bubbles out of their spout herding the fish in the circle and then whales come up through the circle and eat the fish. I asked how they learned this and they say some smart whale did it and taught the others and it is taught now all the time and they all do it. Interesting huh?
While in Haines we saw a mother grizzly bear and her three cubs eating dandelions on the side of the road. We stopped and watched them for a long time. We saw them again the next day. I will attach the picture.
Life has picked up. I have been teaching each morning a temple prep class and on Tuesday Baldur teaches mission prep. They are both coming to an end. The temple prep starts up again here with about 4 and in Haines with an older sister.
So we are here doing our thing. Juneau is beautiful, finally. The apt is better and overall life is good. We celebrated our 48thanniversary with French bread pizzas poorly made and it mattered not at all.
We love our God and are happy to be serving.
Love to you all,
Nancy
