June 21, 2021: BEAR

 jk, I still haven't seen a bear... YET!

I offered my free photography sessions again and a lady texted me asking to come the next day to her house to take family photos! We walked in and the mom excitedly says, "MISSIONARIES!!". Turns out that the family used to be taught by some elders a year ago and they missed seeing us around. We have no record of the family ever being taught. I'd say this was a miracle! The family was also flying out to OKC, Little Rock, and Branson, for their daughter's national pageant. She is Miss Elementary Alaska and is now running for nationals. Her face is all over billboards in times square!! Super cool. I told them to go watch the Duttons & Hughes show and to tell them I said hello:)

We went to "Artic Roadrunner" for lunch with Emmy. A 10 year old boy walked by saying, "My friend thinks your cute". I also overheard the kid call geese, chickens... so I'm not sure if I trust his judgement;) 

On Sunday, we went to the Mccallisters home for a fathers day dinner. The grandmother introduces us to 3 single returned missionary Elders and had us sit at a separate table with them. IT WAS SO AWKWARD. She basically set us up on a blind date and every 10 minutes she would say from the other table, "awe, look everyone! They are all talking". Everyone would stop talking and stare at us. I've never felt more uncomfortable in my life!! Haha!!

We served at the Hope kitchen, which is a woman's homeless shelter. We serve dinner for them every Friday. The kitchen is used as a free culinary school for other homeless individuals who are looking to turn their life around. It's been very cool to get to know the volunteers. Last week, I connected with a very quiet woman named Catherine who was from Oklahoma and loved photography! This week, she wasn't there and another volunteer told me she hasn't shown up in a while. This made me sad! I looked forward to talking with her again. While we were driving on our way home, I saw a woman on the side of the road with pink shoes, a pink hoodie around her face, and a mask. To the natural eye, no one could really see who this individual was. You could barely see her face besides her eyes! To my spiritual eye, I knew that it was Catherine. I stopped the car, and we got out and talked with her. It was heart breaking to me when we talked to her because she was so spiritually broken that she couldn't answer our questions in one word answers. I'm thankful for being able to love her with joy filled words and for God blessing me with the ability to recognize her.  How lucky we are to know who we are and the faith & hope that we can hold onto during hard times. 

In Alma 31 [The Book of Mormon], Alma has a heavy heart for his people because of their choices and prideful hearts. He turns to the Lord and ASKS God to give him strength. Sometimes I find myself praying to God stating that I need his strength to help me throughout the day. But Alma ASKS, "wilt thou" 9 times in his prayer. I found this as a wakeup call to ASK God in my prayers to help me and not to demand help. God answered his prayer because he prayed in faith knowing that the Lord would provide. 

Choose Joy,

Sister Elly Rex

Pics:

-Pday sand dunes and smores 

-Rita's spiritual walk

-Emmy @artic roadrunner 

-picking apple blossoms for Jim

-Alice, Emmy, &us beading

-Angela& Christain fathers day walk

-Little miss Alaska shoot!

-Building the Calhouns house 

-Tongan dinners...