12/23/13 Weekly Update!

Hey everyone! Things are going well here. We still don't have any investigators or any less actives to teach, but we have been teaching the active members! We share a video from the hastening the work site on LDS.org, jsut seach Hastening the Work and you will see the site. The videos under "Members and Missionaries" are what we show. Then we talk about how we are there to help them share the gospel, not guilt them into it. Our approach is "How can we help you in your efforts to share the gospel?" instead of "Have you got anyone we can teach?" I hated that question so much from the Wyoming Elders! This approach is SO much better. We talk about who they have in their life that may be prepared to hear the message from them. We also talk about Elder Anderson's talk, "Its a Miracle," where he talks about how important members are in missionary work. We also share the promise that as we pray to know who is prepared to hear the gospel from us, that names and faces will be brought to our minds by the HOly Ghost, and those people are ready for us! Then we offer to help them by practising talking to them, or helping them with ideas, or getting them materials, like copies fo the Book of Mormon, pass along cards, or DVDs. It worked really well in O'Malley. Its been lukewarm here, but I don't think this ward has had a set of elders that actually tried to motivate the members in a long time. We can do it though! In sadder news, my camera is breaking :(. The lens covrer doesn't close all the way, and when it opens, it doesn't open all the way! I have to manually push it up. I think if I can get to a Best Buy then I can have them look up my purchase and maybe fix it. Too bad the nearest one is 500 miles away in Anchorage haha. Elder Poulsen and I are starting to get along better. We have comp inventory like, every other day, but it seems to help. The first picture I sent is from PDay. We usually write letters together and then play sports, typical Missionary fare. The other two pictures are somethign that is unique to Alaska. People living in Cabins! Not liek cabins back home, these things are SMALL. Like the size of my bedroom back home is the size of the house. No running water either. But they put siding on their outhouses, thats the third picture. Well I love you all and hope you are all well!!! Love ELder Pawson