7 AUGUST 2016

EPISTLE FROM

ELDER AND SISTER ELKINGTON

We have been very busy this week.  In addition to our regular missionary activities, we have started going to physical therapists to improve our balance.  We both have had bad falls this past few months and the doctor has recommended physical therapy to improve our balance. We are willingly following his recommendation.  But, it takes two days a week for an hour each day for each of us. We are able to go at the same time for most appointments, but by the time we drive to and from our appointments, we have used several hours a week.

The Branch President asked us to deliver letters to members living outside the Santa Clara Stake boundaries who are not actively participating in Heritage Park Branch meetings or activities.  The letters inform these members that unless they are active in the Branch, their records will be moved to the residential ward where they live.  The object is to get the membership record into a ward where the members will have home teachers and they can attend church in a chapel near where they live (Many of these members live over 15-20 miles from where the Heritage Park Branch meets).  It is easy for a member to get lost to the Church when they are in a ward or branch that is not defined by geographical boundaries.

We have had some very good visits with some of these members when we deliver the letters – others do not even answer the door when we knock.

Much of the week has been spent in preparation for Krystin’s baptism  Krystin turned eight years of age on August 1, and was baptized on August 6, 2016.  She has been part of the group of children in Sister “M’s” family that have been taught for almost a year by the elders and us.  Ethan was baptized in November 2015 and Victor was baptized in May 2016.  Krysrin has participated in the lessons all of this time.  She will not count as a convert in Church statistics, but in a very real way her baptism is a result of missionary efforts. We provided refreshments (cake and ice cream from COSTCO) in a reception after the baptism.  The cake had a rainbow across the top with the inscription, “Welcome into the Kingdom of God, Krystin”.

Krystin remembers fondly the elders who have participated in teaching her.  She would have loved to have them all in attendance. She has been faithfully attending Church for several months.

If we saw no other results from our mission, Krystin’s baptism and confirmation would have made our mission worthwhile.