Transfer week - Jack's email from Alasa

Welp this was probably the fastest transfer of my mission tbh which is unreal. Sad that summer coming to an end so here comes -40 for about the next 8 months but thats okay ill survive somehow and someway. But this week was actually really good and a good end of a great transfer as my first transfer in fbx ends. We had a couple miracles so this might be a longer email. 

Highlights: 

- so my companion and I had about 15 minutes left of work and we did all of the stop bys we had intended to do, we decided to say a prayer to have God put someone in our path that needed to hear our message. Well we took a different route back to our apartment and had run into a guy named Brandon. Brandon was actually a member and ended up leaving the church fot some personal reasons but ultimately said he wants to come back. We set up a time to meet with him and it was a wonderful experience. 

- we had a media referral come in from this guy and we start calling him and hes like "i need jesus in my life, the one thing that's been helping me though is the book of mormon" like oh my elect just get baptized already. 

- im becoming companions with my last companion again elder horne! It will be super fun. 

-flew down for MLC and I got to take a car back from Anchorage to fairbanks. Which is like a 7 hour drive and only like 4 missionaries are ever able to take that drive and it was beautiful.

Low lights:

- comp lowkey drive me nuts this week and tried chastising me for not talking to this one person and took every ounce of patience not to crash out on him.

- ysa friends are lowkey being some bums 

Spiritual thought: I've been studying a lot recently about Joseph Smith which is kinda random ig but as a missionary in alaska I tend to get a lot of questions and "bashful" discussions with people. But ive been able to answer a lot of questions and ultimately has built my testimony soo much on the work he did for the book of mormon and restoration of the gospel to come forward. 

Send me an email!! 

Join the photos 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/XYpK2vg96PYBvME89

Skedros Golf Tournament at Eaglewood

Headed to Eaglewood Golf Course for the Greg and Anthony Skedros golf Tournament.  My friend Kim works for the Greek church so she signs is up for all the Greek Tournaments.  I stopped at Del Taco on my way.  Left my house at 6:00 am.  I wanted parking spot.  

Eaglewood was in great condition.  Grass was great.  Not sure how much water that takes but it was really good.  It was really hot too.

We had to hydrate up for sure.  

Score card.  We did great for us.  We had to take two drives from everyone in the group.  

We got to take off 6 strokes because we had 3 women in our group.  We scored 73 but posted a 68 with the three strokes.  Par was 71.  Last golf tornament we scored 6 over.  We are getting better!!

My biggest fear - Jack's Email from Alaska

This week was a pretty mid-goodish week for sure. We didnt have anything crazy happen but there are definitely some interesting things that happened this week now that i think of it. But there are 2 stories in particular so this might be a longer email. 

Our friend Emmanuel who is on date for baptism was able to come to church wirh us which was very good, but we had a speaker who is a very spiritual and big testimony guy. He is older so he gets off on a tangent aboht LGBTQ and all that nonsense, my companion and I are just over here in disbelief and I thought our friend was gonna get out and leave tbh. Butttt he stayed for elders quorum and enjoyed that for sure but it was a scary situation.

Then our boy Peter who only speaks chinese who's one of the coolest miracles I've seen on my mission. He told us hes moving so it was very sad. He needed help and wanted us to ship his stuff to Michigan for him and we are like no we can't do that. But anyways as we are leaving, since we can only communicate to each other using Google translate. He says "these are gifts for you wonderful gentlemen" he got me this ammo crate that looks like it straight up from fortnite, my comp got a $200 electric razor from the guy. It was so sad saying goodbye to him though. 

Anyways now here's the highlights: 

- I ate a full on pig this week 

- Emmanuel on date for August 8th

- im hopping on a plane to Anchorage today 

- MLC this week should be gas 

Lowlights

- our friends lowkey not progressing at all.

- we losing daylight now and im not ready for -40 and 20 hours of dark 

That's pretty much all I got for yall 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/XYpK2vg96PYBvME89

Roman's 5:3-4

3: and not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience

4: and patience, experience; and experience, hope:

Reach out if yall got time today! 

No wonder he has asked for some more socks!

These are from This is Our Joy - the Zoom meeting I got to watch that they have on Sunday Nights I think once a month for the mission. Parents were invited this week. Jack and his Comp submitted these

20 days of summer vacation left

 I saw this on Instagram.  27 days til school starts  I have twenty before I go to school.  

Nick spent time in Arizona with Abi and Brody because he went to his friend Curtis Cook's wedding  Brody took good care of him and fed him and drove him around.  And stopped at Buccees first thing.

Golfed at The Barn in Pleasant View in July 24.  Great Course.  Nice overcast.  It wasn't that hot until around noon.  

Brooke's new Otters

Ton comes to visit..Not even interested in me

Sunday Night Concerts at the Ed Kenley in Layton.  That is my friend Nancy introducing the performers.  

It was old Country night.  It was pretty good

Still my favorite about the summer. Brooke decided to finally tell Grandma at the summer fireworks

Shopping at Smith's for the Grandma.  I tagged along since it is summer time

Bear Lake 2026

Bear Lake trip is again on the docket.  Abi and Brody came up from Arizona.  They rode up with me and we had to stop at Aggie Ice Cream.  We needed to go to the bathroom too and hey, ice cream is always good.  That blue mint chocolate chip is the best.  It has an Aggie name, but I don't know what it is.

That night after moving in and everyone got there, we ventured to Garden City and got Pizza.  It was kindof a crazy experience.  They were so busy and so it took a long time.  We got take out and ate outside on the lawn.  It was pretty good just cold.

Played Brooke's game she brought for the lawn.  Hit the bottle off the stand.  Abi ended up on the ground.

I dropped a glass in my bathroom on my toe and now it is all bruised.  I'm surprised it isn't broken it hurt soo bad.  :)  

The Lake was a bit low.  We walked down and checked it out in the evening.  It was beautiful.

Next day, paddleboarding, swimming and sunning.  Here we all are.  I'm the one laying down. 

One of the days it was a bit overcast and rained for a bit.  Lilly came in clutch because she put beads in everyone's hair.  So cute.  We got to choose the color, and she threaded them on this thing and put them in your hair.

Look how cute mine are

Micaela got her beads 

Abi's look super cute 

Brooke's are cute too

She bought them on Amazon, brought them down to the beach then offered to do them for us all.  What a great idea.

Lake looks lower this day.  

Michelle brought some markers to draw on Rocks and conveniently we had LOTS of rocks due to the lake being so low.  All the rocks we have to walk over in the water previously years is now the beach so we had plenty to choose from to color.

Ty was the rock star.  He made an Alaska flag for Jack

Lowe's Rock for Nick.  Aren't they so cute

Here's some of the other rocks people colored

This was my favorite rock

We all arrived alive at home.  Later in the afternoon we decided to go eat dinner at the Ginger since Abi and Brody were in town and haven't been there for a while.  

Tempura Veggies on the menu.  Grandma would have loved them..

We ventured over to Brooke's new house to check it out and see the Ton.  It is such a cute house.

Abi and Brody and I stopped at the Maverick on the way home.

We took Abi and Brody to the Airport on Sunday after Abi and I went to Asian Zao.  Abi came to Primary with me and it was super fun to have her in class and singing time.  

I miss them every day.  So glad that they were able to join us this year.