Kenai Fjords and Resurrection Bay

Dear Family and Friends,

We continue to watch the progress of the new Anchorage Alaska Temple build. We have been in Anchorage for nearly 7 months. We met in the Brayton Stake Center for our meetings and events. Then we watched as the communities in Alaska took what they could use before the meetinghouse was demolished. Demolition continued until the ground was completely bare. As soon as they outlined the new temple and started digging the hole 12 days ago we could feel a difference in the Spirit on the site. The words highlighted below keeps running thru my mind. It is a privilege to be involved in this sacred work.

The standard of truth has been erected. No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished and the great Jehovah shall say the work is done. - Joseph Smith, 1842

We have been working hard and putting in long hours at the Visitors' Center. We take lots of pictures, sort & label them, and write a weekly report to SLC. We visit with workers and our friends at Westland. Last week we strung hoses across the parking lot from the temple to fill up the 500 gal. water tank and power wash the Visitors' Center trailer in between sessions. We have heat and water, but are still waiting on sewer.

We took a nice break this weekend to drive down to Seward with another senior missionary couple, The Cox's. It was cold, windy, and overcast. We went to the Alaska Sealife Center on the shores of Resurrection Bay Friday afternoon. The water in the touch pools was freezing cold. After about 5 minutes our hands felt like they did as a little kid when coming in from playing in the snow. We decided if we fell overboard we wouldn't survive the cold, especially with all our heavy clothes. We saw so many interesting species at the Center. We especially loved seeing the cute puffins. 

We had reservations at a place in Seward to stay. The local high school was having their junior prom at a building right behind us. It was so cold, yet dozens of girls were wearing gowns with bare shoulders and standing outside. 

The next morning we went on a Kenai Fjords wildlife 4 hour cruise in Resurrection Bay with two other missionary couples, the Kuerth's and Cox's. Three other senior couples went with another cruise line.

It was a tender mercy that we had clear blue skies, the temperature was a little warmer, and the water was calm and beautiful. The boat holds 150, but there were only 75 passengers on our cruise. The brochure says, "Feed your soul." It did just that. The glacier fed waters are breathtaking shades of blue. 

Past the large rock protecting the bay from harsh weather, it is a straight shot south 10,000 miles to Antarctica. If you get lucky you might run into the Hawaiian Islands first.

Kitty took so many pictures that her battery died before the end. We all felt profoundly grateful to be able to see so many sea creatures and experience the beauties of the earth. We saw humpback whales and orcas. We saw the four mammals from the area - sea otters, stellar sea lions, harbor seals, and Dall's porpoises. We even had Dall's porpoises swim with the boat for the last part of the cruise. Because the water was crystal clear, we could see them speeding along underwater before they breached the surface. We also saw mountain goats, an eagle, and some other birds. It was fun to share the experience with dear friends. 

Six sets of missionaries went to church at the local meetinghouse in Seward. One couple drove home the night before. So five senior couples and two young elders were there. We doubled the membership this morning in both Sacrament meeting, Relief Society, and Priesthood meeting. The sisters sat in a circle and we had a great lesson. 

Four of us traveling together went to a local place to have lunch and a Christian group of about 6-7 young adults were playing the piano and singing Christian songs I didn't recognize. It's always uplifting anytime anyone stives to grow closer to our Savior. The proprietor said it was the first time this young adult group had been there and he loved having them there. We were seated off the main room. Before they left he closed up and had a prayer with them. Since they were singing we didn't have a chance to introduce ourselves earlier. A waiter came by and said his friend was investigating the church and took him to all the meetings. Farrell invited him to attend church again and meet with the local missionaries. 

The ride home was also beautiful. We stopped at most of the lookouts to take
pictures. 

There is a peculiar sound of grating ice as we walked along the shore here. The wind blows the ice and as it's breaking up it rubs against the other pieces. The colors of the water and ice are so gorgeous. 

The weather continues to amaze us. We came back home here to about half the snow left in the front yard and almost all the snow melted in the backyard. Winters here are a wonderland, dark and long, but spring just seems to explode. We are looking forward to milder weather.

We took this picture a few minutes ago. At 10:50 the sun
is still setting. 

We wish you all a wonderful week and pray for your health and peace to your soul. #ThinkCelestial

Love always, Elder & Sister Badger

Holes in the Ground

Hello All!

The big news this week, as noted by the title of this blog, is civil work has begun on the site. That means they are digging the hole for the temple foundation. The contractor has fancy CAT equipment -- track hoe (twice the size of the ones used for the demo work), a dozer, a large articulated haul truck, a compactor, another small track hoe plus a few other pieces. They look just like a kids Tonka toy set and the operators seem to use them easily like toys. They really move …. We now have a large pile of dirt temporarily blocking our view from the Visitors' Center toward the rest of the site -- oh well.

Go to this website to see pictures of what is going on. Select the photo gallery in the left column, then the construction tab.

https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/anchorage-alaska-temple/news/

Farrell installed a second set of stairs for our Visitors' Center on Saturday. We are supposed to have a handicap ramp but haven't seen it yet, so in typical Elder Badger fashion, took alternative action to allow people to enter the correct door. We have been surprised at the number of folks who wander by and want to know what is going on. Sometimes we will run into them while we are out taking pictures so we invite them to come in. We are not officially open yet, but have had 25-30 visitors so far and probably many more we have missed. The biggest surprise was to look out and see the Mission Leaders (Pres. & Sis. Larsen) come walking up trailed by 9 new missionaries. We were in the middle of putting a storage cabinet together with parts and packing materials scattered around. We had a wonderful chat with them. For the first time it was standing room only. The light in their eyes was undeniable. This is going to be fun.

We have been faced with many technical challenges -- think computers. Even with a lot of background and skill in that area something else is always coming up that takes focused mental effort. I have been able to work most of those out. The latest challenge is video editing. That is a new one. I had to merge multiple mp4 files, reduce the number of frames, clip out some content etc. I am making week long time lapse sequences of the construction. After much searching I found the right program to do the task. We are also ready to go using various media for aids in answering questions and teaching. I found that most of the church website videos stream via YouTube. Not wanting to access YouTube (ads, misc. content. etc.) directly for a 2-3 minute video I had to find a better way. I now use a downloader program that can handle a full playlist without ads downloaded to my local SSD. Next up is the promised drone instruction by one of the general contractor's employees. I'm trying to get in the proper frame of mind to avoid crashing it on the first round.

Of course we always need to touch on the weather. While the lawn is getting mowed in Mapleton, we still have 3' of snow on the level in the front yard and a good 6' by the street here in Anchorage. The locals are promising that yes it will disappear and that it happens fast. Historically, the trees bud out May 15. We now have 14 hrs. 36 min. of daylight! Temperatures are hovering in the upper 40's and night time temperatures are now in the mid 30's. That last one is what we have been waiting for -- 24hrs above freezing. We have enjoyed finally walking on dry roads and Farrell has started to ride his bike again -- feels so good to get out and about. Kitty will join him soon when the sidewalks/bike paths are clear.

We wish you all well. We love you.

What a wonderful time to live!!! #Think Celestial

Elder & Sister Badger

Hard Hats & High-Vis Vests

 Dear Family & Friends,

In our hard hats, high-vis vests, & jeans in front of site.

As missionaries we are not allowed to post pictures of the project, but anyone else can take them from outside the fence. We can refer you to a website where others can post pictures:) 

https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/anchorage-alaska-temple/news/

Sister Currier, one of the single senior missionaries, took pictures of us doing our job on Wednesday. She made a video of all the senior missionaries and their different responsibilities. Friday night all the senior missionaries gathered for our Spring Social at the Institute Building with President and Sister Larsen. First we watched the video, then ate dinner. We had homemade soups, rolls and jam, with salads and desserts. As usual it's always wonderful to visit with the other senior missionaries. We have so much in common, and enough differences to make the conversations very interesting.

Streets are finally dry enough to walk safely outside. 

After our adventures last weekend we had several quiet days. With a few sunny days and blue skies we are enjoying spring in Alaska (40°F). Yesterday we saw lots of children out on bikes and as always see many people walking dogs. 

Tulips poking thru at the current Anchorage Temple.

We continue to outfit our Visitors' Center. It's been six weeks since we started submitting our weekly reports

 to the church. After removal of the existing meetinghouse, the ground is now level and there is a construction fence all around the site. The equipment for the civil excavation work is now on site. That includes two trackhoes, one compactor, one dozer and one large off-road type haul truck.

We had a fun ward activity Saturday night called Come Eat Pig. There were many friends and neighbors of ward members there. The TempleView Ward has done this for 18 years. The pork was delicious. Farrell cut two fresh pineapples in half lengthwise and filled them with cut pineapple. They were beautiful.

Tonight we were invited to Alvin Smith's home for his 40th birthday - Pres. Smith's nephew. Alvin had been preparing and smoking meat since Wed. It was fun to visit with his family and other ward members. We have missed Farrell's smoker and family & friend gatherings. We brought a fresh fruit salad and again the food was delicious and the company was great.

Well we are off to try and see the Aurora Borealis. The skies are clear and the KP will be 5.0 at 10p.m. We are meeting up with several other senior missionary couples. The days are over 14 hours long now and some have never seen the Northern Lights, so this is their last chance. Praying it will be good viewing. 

The Kp index is a common way to measure the strength of geomagnetic activity. It ranges from 0 to 9, with higher values indicating more significant geomagnetic disturbances. A Kp index of 5 or higher is often associated with good Northern Lights viewing opportunities at mid-latitudes. - Google

We feel so blessed to be serving a mission. We are so grateful for our Savior Jesus Christ and his gospel. We are grateful to have a living prophet on the earth today. We pray you will all find the joy the gospel brings. Have a wonderful week. #Think Celestial

Love always, Elder & Sister Badger

General Conference Weekend at North Pole

 Dear Family & Friends,

We spent the first part of our week continuing to outfit the new visitors' center trailer. Internet was installed on Saturday. We are still waiting for water, sewer, and the handicap ramp before opening. We moved all our computer stuff over as soon as we had electricity for computers and heat. It's nice to have our dining room table serve just for eating. Demolition is finished and there isn't a lot going on yet. The existing Anchorage Alaska Temple was closed again for the second week of maintenance. So with General Conference weekend it was a good chance to get away and try to see the Aurora Borealis with two other senior missionary couples.

There was another big 4" snowstorm on Monday. We saw our first moose in a month nibbling on foliage between the temple and the wall behind our house. It was a little one. 

Thursday Sister Norton and I went shopping again to outfit the visitors' center. Some of that time was spent ordering items from Amazon. I felt blessed to be able to find what we needed. She has been wonderful to accommodate us. Her husband is the site superintendent. The Norton's live close by and we enjoy their friendship.

Friday we headed to Fairbanks and North Pole, Alaska for General Conference weekend. We went with two other senior couples and stayed in a cabin. We were able to see Denali. The mountain ranges here are just breathtaking. 

We always love sunsets. Kitty would probably love sunrises just as much if she were an early riser:) This is a pic from Murphy Dome near Fairbanks.

View from cabin to Fairbanks

We tried to see the Northern Lights. They are not always visible to the naked eye. Apparently after we went to bed the first night they were amazing from 1:30-3a.m. It's hard to stay up from 11-3 in the evening after a long day. The clouds don't always cooperate, which is why we usually can't see them in Anchorage.

General Conference starts here at 8 a.m. We were able to enjoy four live sessions. They are always uplifting and just what the world needs to hear during that time. I love listening to them over and over during the next six months. I always feel the Spirit as I listen to our inspired leaders.

Saturday after the second session, we headed to off to see the sights. Farrell had to get a pic near Badger Road. 

First stop was North Pole, Alaska. It is a cute place with every store decorated festively. The main attraction is Santa Claus House, a great store complete with real Santa and Mrs. Claus. I assumed this was mistletoe and took a cute pic of the Cox's. It's just holly berry:)

Next was Museum of the North located at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. It has excellent displays. We also saw an interesting movie about the science behind the Aurora Borealis. 

After G C on Sunday Farrell had a sibling call and the rest of us went to see the Trans-Alaskan Pipeline. The technology is amazing. It goes all the way from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez. Interestingly, the pipeline is one of the reasons ANSCA was signed into law and Sealaska was formed. Kitty along with her three sisters and most of our children are members and get small dividends every year. We really had a good time but Kitty was sorry to miss Farrell's sibling call. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-Alaska_Pipeline_System

One of the real joys of being a senior missionary is spending time in the company of wonderful people. The other senior missionaries are our age, have similar backgrounds, and have a strong testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ. It's always delightful to be in their presence. The Kuerth's will be heading home in May. They serve with Military Relations. He is such a gentleman and she is just the sweetest. We also love the Cox's. They will be with us until Sept. We were all in the MTC over the same time. It's sad to see them go, but we hope to see them again. We enjoyed eating out with two other senior couples and a young set of sister missionaries in Fairbanks and Wasilla. It really is a treat to see each other and share our adventures.

Another General Conference to strengthen and uplift us. We love our dear prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, who will turn 100 before the next conference in October. So much to learn, pray about, and incorporate into our lives. We invite you to listen to these inspiring talks. We love you all and wish you all the best.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2024/04?lang=eng

Sincerely, Elder & Sister Badger

Xristos ḵux̱ woodigoot

Dear Family & Friends,

Sunset Easter Sunday

We hope you had a wonderful Easter Week. We really enjoyed listening to all the podcasts, videos, talks, and programs celebrating the life and resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ. It's been uplifting to think of all the people that saw him after his resurrection. It gives me such hope and joy knowing we will be with our loved ones again in the eternities. In the Tlingit language of Kitty's ancestors, we proclaim with all of Christianity, Xristos ḵux̱ woodigoot - Christ is risen.

President and Sister Smith invited us over for an incredible salmon dinner last Sunday with and one of their daughters and her husband and infant son. She married one of Patriarch Light's six sons. When Pres. Smith filets the salmon there is always a lot of meat leftover near the backbone. He learned to use a big spoon to get all that extra meat. They either eat it fresh or freeze it to make salmon patties later. I could eat those twice a week. They served it with a delicious dill sauce, broiled asparagus and potatoes, and a chilled corn dish. I need to get those recipes. We brought the dessert, brownies that Farrell made. We love hearing all their stories and look forward to their association while we are here.

We have been cleaning and filling holes in walls and obtaining things for the Visitors' Center. Last Friday we were so excited to get electricity, so we don't have to use the propane buddy heater to take the chill off. Kitty was able to frame three more documents for display late Saturday - The Proclamation to the Family, Jesus the Christ, and an overlay of the new Anchorage Temple on the current site. We will be able to hang them today. 

We have begun to experience Anchorage daylight so sometimes it is hard to tell what time of day it is -- hence our late night at the Visitors' Center. Sunrise is at 7:21 AM (6:37 AM first light) with Sunset at 8:46 PM (9:31 PM last light). That is 13:24 hours of daylight -- more than anywhere else in the US. It increases about 6 minutes a day.

Easter lily

We were able to have eight other senior missionaries over to our home for Easter dinner. It's a great motivation to deep clean. Along with delicious food it is always a joy to visit as they share their experiences. Meeting wonderful people has been the highlight of our mission. Our minds can't help but travel to all the wonderful nostalgic memories of Easter's past with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and siblings. Then the next generation with our own children and all the traditions filled with Easter egg hunts, uplifting programs, dressing up, and dinners. We feel truly blessed to know that those associations will continue again one day. 

Kitty's paternal grandmother always had an Easter lily and the smell brings her back to her youth. She grew up Catholic and palm Sunday was also special. Even though it's hard to comprehend the sacrifice our Savior made for us, it's always been a time filled with deep gratitude. Knowing we can be made pure again not only in body, but in spirit because of the Atonement is truly incredible. No wonder the whole wide world rejoices.

Have a wonderful week. We love you and appreciate all who reach out to keep us a part of your lives. Thank you for letting us count you as family and friends.

Love always, Elder & Sister Badger