Sunday Morning

Sunday was a very busy day! Ashlei and I got up early to make breakfast for anyone who wanted it at the Westmark. I noticed most of the people at the Westmark are morman and go to church on Sunday mornings, however they were always late because they woke up too early to make breakfast and get to church on time. When I was talking to one of the guys he thought it was a great idea when I brought up the subject of making breakfast for everyone. They pay $6 a person and I take care of everything. Ashlei was very gracious to help me make all the pancakes with blueberries, eggs, and bacon! Because the kitchen is very small, we set up tables and chairs in the alcove in the hallway. When everyone came out to breakfast they were so surprised! They LOVED it!

About 12 people altogether showed up for breakfast! They thought it was great to smell the food cooking and get up to have it ready for them! Ashlei and I had two griddles going at the same time and flipped the breaker. The funny thing was half the kitchen was connected to one side of the hall and the other side was connected to the hall I live down. One of the guys came out and asked if they we had lost power, because he had apparintly lost power about the time we flipped the breaker. So we had to finish cooking everything on half the kitchen!

After Ashlei and I finished cleaning up, we had to get everything gathered into the van to get to church for 11 am! We made it just in time! Ray suprised us by taking us to the gun range for a shooting lesson! I got to shoot a pistol, riffle and revolver! I liked the riffle best, because it was the easiest to aim and made the least amount of kick back.

A Greatful Heart

I am so greatful to God for allowing me to be taken out of my home into a land of great beauty for a time of reflection. The world is full of of troubles and hard times. How amazing it is to be promised hard times just as God promises to be with us every step of the way. Even though I am working 60 hours a week, the pace of the town has alowed me to slow down an reflect just how much God has protected me from and how much he has done for me. These next two months I want to focus on prayer more. I find that God removes people from perticular situations to have them pray. Seeing as I am 3000 miles away and there are many things to pray for back at Metro Life Church, there must be lots of praying I need to do. God has led me to this scripture to share with you. Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strenght, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be removed into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at is swells.

Father's Day

Because today is father's day, I am going to post about my dad and all the other men who have been very influential in my life! This might turn out to be the longest post of all.
My dad is one of the first people I run to with a problem. When it came to tough question in chemistry in 10th grade to questions about modesty in my dress. Many years ago I struggled with asking God why I was in the family God put me in. Thankfully, through many different people's guidance, I am grateful to say my family is the perfect family for me! My dad has been the perfect instrument in God's plan to help me change and grow closer to Him. There have been many different times we have gone on "wisdom walks" and discussed things into the far hours of the night. Last year I got to honor my dad in front of the whole church! It was great fun surprising him! Seeing as this is my first Father's Day away from home, things are very different this year! However, I still want everyone to know how much I respect my dad and how wonderful it is to be submitted to him and his guidance. There are many times my parents have helped me with difficult situation in the last couple of months, especially leading up to my departure to Alaska! There have been time where my parents have come in MY room to talk and had stayed in there until 1 or 2 in the morning talking!
I love home my dad invites people over to our house when he wants to disciple someone. This allows me to practice hospitality and grow in taking care of a home. I love cooking for him and my brothers because they are so grateful even when the meal does not come out the way we planed. I love being home with the whole family spending hours talking and laughing at each other's lame jokes.
There are also other men who have been very influential in my life. Right now Ray Legget who is the pastor and chief of police in Alaska. He has given me a better picture of what it is to turn over our earthly possession to God. One of the first stories he told me was of a time they were back in Texas at another church. There car got them to church, but would not start to take them home. Thankfully they could walk home, so he started to leave the church. His friend asked him if he was going to fix it. He responded, No God has a problem with His car, I let him know about it already, so I am going home to take a nap. And so he went home to take a nap. I so desire to have this kind of attitude, and not allow small distractions of the world to take priority over the true reason for living.

There are so many people in Orlando I could write about. First, Mr. Jessee has been a very influential person in my life. I am very fortunate to have been in his home group for the last 10 years. The Bible says a friend close by is better then a brother far away. Well in many ways I feel much closer to the Jessee family then I do my real family. Mr. Jessee has always made himself available whenever I need anything. They have always opened their home to me if I need a place to stay or just to have me over for dinner. I had so much fun working for him during those 5 summers. I have always said that the perfect husband for me is a combination of my dad and Andy Jessee rolled into Logan Bartholomew's body! That would be a perfect husband!

The other man in our home group is Leonard Lippy! Many who read this will wonder why. However, Mr. Lippy has a very special place in my heart! If someone ever just heard him, they would think he was a chauvinistic pig, but I know different! However, if anyone saw how he looked and treated his Barbara, his ray of sunshine, they would know the complete difference. She respected him in the hard times and he doted on her. There is so much I have learned through watching their relationship. I wish I could be as much of an encouragement to him as he has been to me.

The last but not least is Mr. Graham. There are so many things Mr. Graham has taught me about serving his family. There are so many times he has opened his house up to other people. I love how I am asked why I have not been over enough even when I had been there about three or four times in that particular week! There have been times he and Mrs. Graham have sat and talked to me for hours about everything and nothing. He has encouraged me in tough times and challenged me in other times. There has never been a moment where I felt judged or condescended for my actions or beliefs that were different then his or his families.

I am so grateful God has given me so many different men in my life. There are so many examples of what a Godly man looks like. I am very glad each one of them is in my life!
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

Dinner

So I have been in Alaska for one month and one day!!!!!! W00t!!! (Says Alexis). Tonight is hambergur night at the Leggetts and Cheri made her Potato Salad, which is the best ever and Alexis could not get her head out of the bowl. With Ray making hamburers!

Tonight we had cooked hamburgers! Last week they were still mooing as they came to the table! Ray assumed everyone likes a mooing hamburger! However, he is the only one!

When Harley gets scared he hids in the bathroom! Which is as small as a lavitory in an airplane!

We also had chocolate Irish Cream Cheesecake! Which was amazing.

Ashlei made the cake to make up for the mid-term I had to take today. She was so sweet to make this for me. The mid-term was a long, essey question test. The professor might not get it for two weeks because the post office is so backed up!

I forgot to post about Mojo! He is 6 foot monkey they keep in the back yard!!! Just kidding! This is the costume used during birthday parties and other Skagway events!!

June

So it is now the second of June and, according to my dad, I have 12 weeks left before I come home. Yesterday, was the most stressful day at work I have had yet! I had to ride the train to give people their tickets (for land excursions) and get their money for them. There was five groups in five different train cars and I only made it through three in an hour and a half!!!!!!!!!! Half way through the third car I ran out of paper for the credit card machine! Thankfully I had extra paper, however, the roll was too big to fit into the machine. So I had to roll the paper onto the empty roll. Then I had two rolls so I put on in the machine. What would happen then, the receipt would not print on the paper. So I had to hand write each receipt, which I am almost certain is illegal! One lady insisted I had charged her to much. Which I had NOT. She just did not want to pay the price we charge. So I got my boss on the radio and told her how far behind I was and she would not stop asking questions, which was not helpful. By the time all the people got off the train and on the ship, I was exhausted.
The day started off really well! I got to ride in one of the coaches on the way up to Fraser. The driver's name is David! He is from Utah and this is his second year as a Skagway driver. His style of touring is different then all the others I have ever seen! He wears a Lei and plays the ukulele as people come to get on his coach. As we were talking the subject of the snow melting came up. When I got here the mountains were covered in snow, now they are almost bare near town and up the pass the snow is slowly melting and the lake is defrosting. One of the other drivers had stopped to let me touch snow on the other trip up. David asked if I had ever made a snow ball, to which I reply, "No." He then preseaded to find a good place to pull over and have a snowball fight. He told me one of the joys of snowball fights is to hit someone with a snowball. He made me throw a snow ball at him!! I had a really hard time hitting him. It seemed so weird to have him stand there while I aimed at him. He also informend me that I also had to experiance what it was like to get hit with a snow ball! The snow has melted so much it feels like snowcone ice! We then had to go on to meet the train. So Ladies and gentlemen I had my first snowball fight. Let me tell you that snow is COLD!