The "Golden" Widow:

This week has been absolutely amazing. I feel like I have finally settled in. Elder Dunn and I have been visiting what feels to be a million people. Elder Dunn and I found an investigator and have seen unbelievable miracles. The weather cleared up a little bit so I was able to see and take photos of Petersburg.

Since I've been here for two weeks I've come to love Petersburg. It's complete opposite from my last area. In Fishhook everyone lived far enough from each other to the point where we couldn't tract. Petersburg is just the opposite. You literally can walk everywhere in 30 mins. The longest traveling we do in the car is only five mins. Since it's so easy to tract, pretty much all the missionaries in the past have tracted it all out multiple times. Everyone here knows who the missionaries are. They make it really obvious if they don't want to be talked to. At the same time most people here are super friendly and accepting which is nice, but there hasn't been a lot of teaching in the past. The Branch is SUPER small here. I was blown out of the water when I first saw it. It is incredible seeing how literally a few families can come together and make church services function.

One of the biggest struggles living here is the cost of everything. It is outstanding. I literally only bought cereal and milk my first week here. And even then the milk cost seven dollars. It's really hard trying to eat decent food without going broke. My secret is buying all the expired food in the back of the store on sale. It literally is the only way to go. Otherwise you're eating ramen 24/7.

Like I said before all of Petersburg has been tracted out millions of times so the work here is really really slow. It was killing me the first week I was here. Elder Dunn and I have been going through our records visiting everyone. We have talked to all sorts of people here. We really try to find absolutely anyone that will hear of our message. Everybody is super friendly and wants to be friends but when you bring up the gospel they turn away completely. Fortunetly The Lord for some odd reason blessed us with a lesson with a widow on Tuesday. It was one of the most amazing things I have ever experienced. We were able to teach her the Plan of Salvation, explain that families can be together forever, as well as introduce her to the Book of Mormon. It was incredible! Since that experience we have had two other lessons and she has accepted to be baptized. She came to church yesterday. She has a sincere desire to learn the gospel and live its teachings. I cannot describe to you how thrilled I am to have this opportunity to help her come unto Christ. At the same time I am so so very grateful she came to the church while I am serving here. Elder Dunn has served here for 4 and 1/2 months now. That was the first lesson with an investigator he has had his entire time in Petersburg. That shows how slow the work is here. It just amazes me to think that Petersburg has been tracted out so many times yet no one has ever taught her the gospel. I asked her if she had ever met with missionaries before and she explained that she had never said one word to them nor have they said one word to her.

The skies cleared up a little. I was able to actually take pictures for you all. It rains here a lot. It's really hard to see the beauty since it's all covered with clouds. But I was able to take a picture of Devils Thumb mountain the one day we had sunshine. It is so cool. We also walked on the docks. Everyone here is major time fishermen. Some of the boats here are million dollar boats. Fishing is everything here. I also tried to take a photo next to the deer in Petersburg. They are everywhere and are tiny. It's so cool. They look like babies but they're actually full grown.

Elder Ogden

                         Devil's Thumb

This is a memorial for all the fishermen that die or are lost at Sea