Feb 9, 2016
Coming to you from Fairbanks, AK! #humpday

Presenting... Sister Christian, my new companion! She hails from the exotic land of Salem, Utah and has been out for nigh unto four months (I'm greenie breaking, so she just left her 

trainer). We have quite the adventures together in Gina, our truck and walking around and
teaching the Gospel in downtown Fairbanks. It's sad to say, but I literally cannot handle the city anymore. As in, Sister Christian asks where we want to go shopping, and it doesn't 

really process in my mind that we have options. #smalltowngirl4dayz

Covering the YSA branch is fun! I was a bit apprehensive, and I honestly am wayyyy worse at small talking it up with people my own age, but when it comes to teaching, it's much more natural than teaching older people. Also Sister Christian and I both look young, so it's back to the questions of if I'm even old enough to drive... Gotta love the no makeup life.

Covering the same ward as another set of missionaries is different. It requires a lot more 

coordination, and people tend to favor the sisters, or as our ward mission leader says "the 

sistren." We love teaching people, but the elders are just as effective teachers... But
changing culture is hard and takes a long time, so we'll work on that.

We have quite a few people to teach, but one of the coolest ones is our friend Maya. She 

just started coming to church with a friend a month or two ago, and then she started taking 

the lessons and it has completely changed her life! I love how she describes it - "Before I
was bad sometimes, but I didn't really care that I was bad. I mean, it didn't really matter if I 

was bad or good, but I was grumpy all the time. Now I want to be good and do good all the 

time. I love morning prayers, because sometimes I wake up and forget I'm a Mormon now, 

but then I remember to pray and I'm like yeah! I don't have to be a moody teenager! I can do good things!" She bore her testimony on Sunday and it made our stoic bishop cry. She's 

kind of awesome. Unfortunately, her parents are really nice but not really okay with her 

getting baptized, so she'll probably have to wait until she turns 18 in August. But in the 

meantime, she is loving learning about the Gospel and studying and praying and she's just 

so cool!

We were going to go downtown and talk to people during the start of the Yukon Quest (dog mushing all day!) but we ended up being about an hour late and then everyone had already left, since this is Alaska and you stay outside for the least amount of time possible. We did 

talk to one lady who was really excited that I complimented her hat that told us "you ladies 

have such great energy! It's just coming off of you, and thanks for talking to me and sharing your good energy!" So that was exciting. Then I found five dollars.

Going to two wards that start at 11 and 1 is a good time driving back and forth.

Oh, and my moose count is in my apartment, but my last week in Palmer I saw like 10. 

Apparently they're not very plentiful here, but we see their tracks in the snow all the time!

One talk this week we read with Jeramaia was "Shipshape and Bristol Fashion..." I loved 

how it talked about one perpetual lie we tell ourselves is that we have to choose between 

happiness now and happiness in the afterlife. Sure, we can be happy eventually... But if
you try and live the Gospel you won't be happy now, right? WRONG. The Gospel is about 

happiness and eternal life, and you start living that eternal life right now. You don't have to 

wait until you reach some status or get to church every single week, but as soon as you 

start trying to follow Christ's teachings you will be able to feel the peace and love that comes from every change you make, from every step of repentance. You do NOT have to wait to 

be happy - it comes as soon as you accept Christ and follow His teachings.

Love you all! Remember who you are, don't do drugs, don't eat the yellow snow. Abstinence and monogamy for days. The commandments are to make people happy. Eat your 

vegetables. Read the Book of Mormon, it's my favorite book.

Sister Rollins