9-20-11

Hey Mom, First off, Shelby did get baptized and ended up getting confirmed then too because her husband was there. Everything worked out perfect, except it was a little stressful because her interview didn't happen until Thursday so we didn't get a set time for the baptism until then. Shelby's friend and our Relief Society President gave the talks, and her friends daughter played an arrangement of I Believe in Christ on the violin that she arranged that day, and then Shelby shared her experience after she was confirmed. There was quite a few members that came also. Last night we watched the Mountain of the Lord with the PM family and it went really well. Anne had tons of questions about eternal marriage that we tried to explain and I gave her the Ensign about temples. She wants to be sealed to her son and husband. She seemed sad I'm leaving. We also met with Shelby today. She's still way wiped out from Saturday and Sunday. 3 hours of church is going to be tough on her. She is still doing so good and trying to understand the mormon termonologies. She's going to feed me lunch on Saturday before I leave. There's a lot of people I need to say bye to. Even though coming home is easier than leaving, it'll be quite a change. Why were you surprized I want to come back up and work in the summer? I don't have anything set up, but I have a couple people I could call, and a lot of companies look at BYU for employees. I am so lucky and happy to be leaving at the beginning of winter. It might not even snow before I leave. That'd be nice. I better end, because we spent too much time at Shelby's and have a lot to do today. I'll be driving down to Anchorage on Monday, but I'll write you if I get a chance. I'm hoping since we're driving down so early I'll have time to see a couple people when I drive through Wasilla and Anchorage. See you so soon! Love, Elder Bryce Wainwright PS- We had Zone Conference yesterday with Elder William Walker of the Seventy, so that's why I'm emailing today.

9-12-11

Hey Mom, I'm getting way excited for Shelby's baptism too. It's what I was praying for. She made it to Stake conference yesterday too and she loved it. It was broadcast from Salt Lake with Elder Snow, Sis. Dalton, Elder Holland, and Elder Packer. It was all about the gift of the Holy Ghost and other stuff we'd been talking about with her. She's getting interviewed tomorrow and everything else should work out as long as her health is good enough. I'm also excited for this week because tonight we're meeting with the part-member family again, tomorrow we're meeting with a cool former investigator, and on Thursdays we meet with a guy that the zone leaders started teaching who is well into 1 Nephi already. He also got a gospel principles manual from the ZL's and our lesson was so good because it was just answering his questions the whole time. He's a single 35 year old and he was telling us he loves how we just tell him the way it is and it just makes sense. I love it when they actually get it and can understand how important it is. Kinda like the focus on Seek, Recieve, and Act. I do like the idea of going up to conference. That'd be awesome. Because I have to see the brothers soon anyway. I'm trying to think of what I could do before school starts. Next summer, I'd like to come back up here and work a tourist job maybe in Denali, but probably in Ketchikan. I could maybe even drive up with you and Dad and take you through my areas. Wouldn't that be cool? I am getting pretty excited to come home. I just realized next week is the last time I'll email you. I think that's why your last 2 letters were so short. Love you! Have a great week. Elder Bryce Wainwright

9-6-11 Hey Mom, Thanks for that article. Pretty crazy. We did have a fun Pday last week. Bro. Illguth took us to the city North Pole and to Santa's house and there was even reindeer. Santa was gone but they have a cool little shop. We helped him lift his engine, and he drove us around in his Bronco a little bit before we had to go back. Well, Shelby has been doing so great. Last week she asked us about a few more concerns and we helped her understand them like polygamy and baptisms for the dead. Then she said she only had one more thing that hasn't sat well with her and if she could get over it she'd start preparing herself to be baptized. I had already prepared some scriptures because she'd brought it up before, so we met with her the next day and it ended up just being a misunderstanding about the pre-existence how Satan was a fallen angel who rebelled. But when we resolved it she asked when she could get baptized. So she decided on the 17th. I'm so happy I got to see her accept the gospel and she is so happy and ready. I'm hoping her husband will support her and eventually join her. We also started teaching another cool guy who the Zone Leaders introduced to us. You're right, we are being led to people who are ready. I hope I can do all that I need to. I love you and hope you had a great weekend and labor day. That's why I'm emailing today. And thanks for Sara's note too. Elder Bryce Wainwright

8-22-11

8-22-11
Hey. Alright. So this was a pretty good week. Elder Arnold is cool. He's from south eastern Mississippi, and not even in a town near Crosby. He's in the Louisiana mission, so I don't think he's in Kendall's mission. He doesn't have a terrible accent, but it's definitely there. He has a younger brother, and did ROTC. He's served in Eagle River for 5 months. Things have started to pick up already. While I was waiting to pick up Elder Arnold we contacted a referral and he took a Book of Mormon and said he'd read from it. So, a couple cool things like that.
Know what else is cool? The Bethel family that I taught just got sealed in Anchorage on Saturday. Elder Simmons flew back up, so at least he got to go with them.
Those pictures of Crystal were neat, I guess. My zone leader saw them and thought she was dying. I like Annelise. I'm way excited to see her so soon and the others. It's coming up. Everyone brings it up because I have a new companion. I was looking at the BYU application stuff and Scholarships are due Oct. 1st which is about 2 days after I get home.
Give Bruce a hug for me. Are you driving him up then? This should be a good week. It's my hope I can do something good for the area while I'm still here. Love
Elder Bryce Wainwright