Action in Earnest

Hello to friends and family,

What a difference a short couple of months makes. We now have 9 1/2 hours of daylight, up from 5 1/2 in mid-December. Temperatures two weeks ago got down to -20F. This week they rose as high as 40F. More of the warmth is forecast this next week and then it drops back into the teens and single digits again. We will continue to ride the wave. People here get out on the trails riding studded fat tire bikes and love it. I looked into getting studded tires for our bikes but didn't like the price. So, looking for dry pavement in the future. Right now it is glazed over with ice and with the warmup, very slick.

We have had a week to remember, one to enter into the history books. It just happened and we don't expect to see another one like it in our lifetimes. Along with many, many others, we spent the week emptying out the Stake Center of materials and furnishings under the direction of the Church Facilities Manager, Tim Morgan. He is also a counselor in the Anchorage North Stake Presidency. He was so patient and a pleasure to work with. He had a special place in his heart for our future Temple Visitor's Center coming at the end of the month. He selectively provided furniture, artwork, a floor mat, a vacuum, lamps, and many other articles for our use before other entities (other than other church units) received their part. With his help, we hauled all of it over to our two-car garage early in the week. There is still just enough room for us to park our car. In a reciprocal effort, we volunteered to help with what he needed to do. He asked us to remove all of the interior door knobs & locks. That didn't sound like much until we realized there were at least 70 interior doors in the building. We spent parts of three days in that effort -- about 6-8 hours with two of us working on it. The hardware included lever door latches and crash bars. He will probably replace old or lower-quality ones in other church buildings somewhere else in Alaska.

On Friday, a Wasilla Branch President over a correctional institution showed up to see if the Brayton building had any soft-covered books he could take to the book-hungry souls there. We were overjoyed to see the piles of Bibles, Book of Mormons, Come Follow Him manuals, and other literature find a good home. So many members use their phones now and many of the surplus manuals were brand new. The library shelves had already been removed ready to be picked up, so the materials were just sitting in neat piles on the library floor. We loaded them in boxes, clean garbage cans, and he took armloads out to his car.

The bulk of the Stake Center materials were offered to other religious denominations and non-profits. Approximately 25 signed up. We were involved in the planning and execution along with others, but most of the behind-the-scenes organization was done by Sheldon & Christine Fisher, the Alaska Communications Directors. We were assigned to be greeters and direct groups to either the guides or the pool of volunteers. It was amazing to see all these groups come together along with many volunteer members from at least three stakes to gather and load. Alaska's Institute for the Performing Arts in the Kenai, whose facility had sustained fire damage, was the recipient of the stage curtains and lighting along with cabinets, doors, and choir seats. They cater to a girls' dance group. 

Farrell visited with the Mayor of Nenana (who is a member) along with others who were taking down the basketball standards and scoreboard for a community center they are building to keep kids busy during the long dark winter. They are up near Fairbanks. The organ headed to another ward building. Other groups included the Black Caucus, Alaska Jewish Campus, United Methodist, and many others. The Islamic Community Center of Alaska was the recipient of the whole front podium assembly. When they were initially contacted, a brief explanation of the church started the conversation and the recipient replied, "Oh, I know all those things, my wife and I both have PhDs from BYU." The group was diverse and I was impressed by their respect for what was happening.

One of the highlights was Sister Tammy Hogge from the local Rabbit Creek Ward who broke into song with the New Hope Baptist church folks singing Amazing Grace. Near the end, a brother stood by the piano and started playing. She has a beautiful voice, has sung in the choir for years, and has been invited to sing on many occasions. She says she has probably sung for every funeral held in the building.

The church communications group flew up a cameraman and reporter to document the event. Somewhere in the blurred background of the link inserted below, you will see two Temple Construction Senior Missionaries having the time of their lives. If you spot us, you will be extraordinary sleuths. It was a day filled with lots of warm fuzzies. See this link for the full official church newsroom report.

https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/in-alaska--new-life-for-materials-from-an-old-meetinghouse

The Area Authority Seventy, Elder Parks, was also in attendance and was one of the official spokesmen. We spent quite a bit of time visiting with him and thoroughly enjoyed it. He gave us several ideas and contacts for our mission efforts. His father and mother are serving as Sr. Missionaries here in Alaska. The story is that a couple of days after he was called as an Area Seventy, he called his own parents out of the blue to serve a mission. Both of these Elder Parks have served as Stake Presidents in a neighboring town. Elder Parks, the Seventy, is planning to give us some time in the next Coordinating Council (all the stake presidents, temple president, and mission president) to coordinate involvement during the new temple construction. I previously contacted his Executive Secretary to arrange that. We want all the members to feel the spirit of this effort.

As far as the construction goes, under the direction of the general contractor for the temple, snow removal from the site has been in progress most of the week. The trucks show up in the middle of the night with a big front-end loader and begin to haul. Not sure of the quantity but the estimate was somewhere around 5000 cubic yards. Westland Construction will take over the site this coming Monday.

We love you all and wish you the best. #ThinkCelestial

Elder & Sister Badger