"Fairbanks definitely isn't for wussies" -Pres. Robinson

Saddest news of my life: the ZLs took my red truck away.

I'm just going to start this weekly out on a bummer note to get it out of the way. But yes, Spice has been taken from me by the Zone Leaders. Cried myself to sleep last night and don't really want to talk about it. Their truck got sent to the shop and they don't want to drive the Jeep (it's the only extra missionary car we have up in FBX) because they have a "truck area" (homes, all areas in Fairbanks are "truck areas" sorry kiddo). So they played the ZL card and got the other elders involved and long story short: they got the keys. It's sad, I know.

Go like Alaska Frost Photography on Facebook because they're bomb diggity. 

Okay so all the happy things about Fairbanks this week...I met this HOMEGIRL investigator (who I LOVE and ADORE) and she is photographer and her boyfriend is a less active member of the Church who is also a photographer. She invited us over for dinner one night this week and showed me all her photo toys...I died. She has a gun safe literally FULL of lenses, cameras, and all these other fun things. And then she was like, "we're going to go chase the auroras tonight (side note from Dunlop: for those of you who don't speak Alaskan, this is where you drive out in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night with your big fat parka and camera+tripod and park your little self in the snow and shoot the auroras for hours #goals) and I know you sisters have that missionary curfew thing so you can't come with us, but you can borrow this lens and shoot here in Fairbanks. We're going out past Eilson so you probably wouldn't make it home in time,". OKAY I ADORE HER. Sis. Fa'anunu and I ran back to our apartment, bundled, and then headed up to shoot. Missionary curfew was kinda a bummer because the lights really get cool at like 3am, but we did what we could :)

We saw a baby moose & I got shoved in the snow. 

We went to Dylan & Christina's to teach one of their new member lessons on Wednesday night and we were standing in the living room waiting for Dylan to come back from his friend's house and he BURSTS through the front door and is like, "SISTERS THERE IS A BABY MOOSE OUTSIDE!" Sis. Fa'anunu hasn't EVER seen a moose before (what the heck, right?!) and so we pulled our snow boots on and ran down the driveway *meanwhile Fa'anunu is losing her mind she's so excited. So we took a selfie with this cute little baby moose #noshame. Then Dylan was being a nine year old boy during our lesson (weird, right?) about the Ten a Commandments and so I promised him that if he could memorize all of the Commandments in order by the time our lesson was over, he could shove me in the snow. BUT if he couldn't remember them all, I got to shove him in the snow. Game on. Honestly, I don't really mind being thrown in the snow anymore (#thecoldneverbotheredmeanyway) because I've been cold since we landed in AK so it's more of just a numbness now. Side note: it was twenty four [above zero] the other day and I don't think I've seen the temperature that warm since October in Anchorage #tendermercies. So, as you might guess, Dylan memorized all Ten Commandments and got to shove me in the snow. Sister Fa'anunu didn't realize she hadn't filmed it the first time, so Dylan got to shove me in the snow twice. Then he just walked away me left me there to freeze and die. It's okay, he knows all the Commandments now and I guess that's what matters #missionarysacrifices. I'll probably throw him in the snow before I get transferred out of Fairbanks though tbh...

THE North Pole was the biggest letdown in the history of ever, but Zone Conf. was good. 

President and Sister Robinson came up to Fairbanks for zone conference on Friday and President is getting a little trunky on us (they go home in June) and he decided to have everyone drive down to North Pole for ZC, because why not?! To those of you who want to keep thinking that North Pole, AK is a magical place, skip this next part because NEWSFLASH it's not. Anyways, we decided to stop by THE North Pole on our way over to the church and we almost drove right past it because IT'S SERIOUSLY JUST A LITTLE POST PAINTED LIKE A CANDY CANE ON THE SIDE OF SOME RANDOM ROAD SHOVED IN THE SNOW. IT WAS SO LAME AND I WAS SO BUMMED AND ALL MY LITTLE ELF DREAMS WERE CRUSHED BY IT'S LAMENESS! Whatevs, we got out and took a picture anyway #doitforthegram. Also, I licked the North Pole and my tongue didn't get stuck #bucketlist #blessup. 

Zone Conference made up for the bummerness of the North Pole though. President Robinson opened it up by saying, "Fairbanks definitely isn't for wussies,". Maybe one of my all-time favorite Pres. Robinson lines. Probably tied to him pulling up in a rental minivan for interviews and telling Sister Fa'anunu and I that we need to be "missionaries that match the message" #mormonminis #backwindowfamilydecals. I think they were just out of red Dodge Chargers at the car rental this weekend...sorry President. haha! Zone Conference was all about families and temples. YASSS! When Elder Ardern was up in Fairbanks with us last transfer, he told us that as missionaries in Fairbanks, AK right now we are to "prepare this land for a temple". A TEMPLE IN FAIRBANKS WOULD BE SO AMAZING! OK YESSIR ELDER ARDERN I WILL GO AND DO! Alaska has the same number of temples as Wyoming (aka one) and it's far, far away in Anchorage. It's hard for members to get there though because plane tickets are expensive and the drive from Fairbanks to Anchorage is sketch. I know there will be a temple here some day. It's just going to blend in with all the white snow that's here nine months out of the year, but that's okay. Something that President Robinson has taught me a lot about is that our goal isn't only to help people enter the waters of baptism, it's to help them make it to the temple where their families can be sealed there for time and all eternity. What an awesome blessing and what a testimony of how much our Heavenly Father loves His children! He doesn't intend for our families to be together just for our lives on Earth, He allows for us to be families forever! 

So yep, that was pretty much what went down in Fairbanks this week. Because of General Conference this weekend, we will have transfer calls on Wednesday night. If I stay in Fairbanks, Fa'anunu will be the first companion I've ever had for two transfers! So that might be dope...we'll see what happens. Also, to all you JH homies on Spring Break on an island, don't send me photos. I like pretending that living in 24 degrees surrounded by piles of snow is warm. Thanks love ya bye.

Peace & blessings.

XO Sis. Dunlop