Weekly Report 15 November 2015

Elder and Sister Elkington

This is the first week since we started our mission that the Heritage Park Branch did not hold a family home evening.  They have stopped them for the season and will restart them about mid-February.  They provided a great opportunity for us to bring investigators and less active members in a non-threatening environment.  But it will free up a lot of time that was spent cooking/baking dishes to take to family home evenings.

Sister Elkington was ill the first part of the week – probably a bug she picked up last week in a teaching meeting on the reservation.  Some of the children were not feeling well.  Sister Elkington got a cold/flu that led to a sinus infection which was treated with antibiotic.  By the end of the week we were able to call on a few less active members.  Then on Saturday we held a pizza and home-made ice cream party at our home for 8 of the children from the reservation with two of their mothers.  We had promised the party to them a few weeks ago.  We used the party to talk to them about how to achieve success in their lives.  We told them they are very intelligent and stressed the importance of doing their school work and keeping God’s commandments.

Elder Elkington showed them a picture of the ramshackle ranch house he lived in as a child.  It had no running water, no electricity, no gas or central heating. He pointed out that they live in a nicer home than he lived in as a child.  He discussed the importance of attending Church meetings and paying their tithing.  He told them how his life was changed by paying his tithing and serving a Church mission, which led to his going to college and getting a good job.  He told them they can do the same thing.  

We want so much to help these children get and enjoy the blessings that come from embracing and living the Gospel.  Keeping the commandments is very important.  But we also want them to lift themselves from the environment they live in.  They deserve a chance to develop and use their minds to enable them to have challenging careers that will bring them financial freedom.

Sister Elkington is back to about 90% and we are looking forward to the new week.  We love our mission and the people we have been called to serve!