MISSIONARY EPISTLE 10/23/16

ELDER AND SISTER ELKNGTON

We have been blessed this week to have a daughter, Karol, with us.  Then a son Steve and his wife Melonie came for the weekend.  In addition, a grandson, Chase, came on Friday evening with three of his friends.  It was great to see all these people and visit with them.  But they had to entertain themselves a lot – we had missionary work to do!

Monday we prepared food to take to the Heritage Park Branch FHE at Anasazi Valley.  We had eight children to FHE.  Sister Elkington took the car and picked up six children from the Reservation and took them to FHE.  Monday afternoon we received a text from Kiza asking if she and her sister, Mia, could come to FHE.  They also said they needed a ride.  So Elder Elkington took his daughter, Karol,and went to Ivins  in the truck and picked up Kiza and Mia for FHE. Kiza and Mia were taught by the elders and the Elkingtons about a year ago.  They then moved to a new home and we could not find them.  We are thrilled to have them contact us.

We took a bag full of stuffed animals to the FHE and had a quiz where the children could answer a gospel question and choose a toy if they answered correctly.  FHE was a great success.

We also received a text from a recent convert who has returned to the Navajo Reservation in Arizona.  He said he needed to borrow a little money for food and gas until his next payday.  We had to get educated on how to send a Moneygram.  We received the following text from him: : “Good morning to my best friends, I’m letting you know how happy I am knowing Our Heavenly Father is with me every step of my life.  Good news –I have one more therapy.  Doctor says, “Got it in the nick of time.” Anyway I’m doing better knowing that, and also if it wasn’t for the both of you I would have given up.  I love you both” and thank you from the bottom of my heart.  I’ll let you know more after my visit with the doctor today.”

We have received other texts telling us he is reading the Book of Mormon and praying.  He said he believes God is real and answers his prayers.

We visited some members during the week and left a note with one family that has been very difficult to teach/fellowship because they are seldom home together.  The note was left with a loaf of banana bread.  The note said,

“We love and appreciate your family.  We pray for you regularly. You have told us you would like to be sealed in the temple as an eternal family (including your deceased children and Nick).  This blessing can happen, but it will take effort and commitment on your part.  We want to help.  But your schedules make it difficult for us to get together so we can help/teach you.  We have stopped by on several occasions, but no one was home.

If you call us when you want us to come over, we will do so. (Our cell phone number is 801-425-3155 (If we call you, the caller ID will show as Deseret Medical)).  We will do all we can to help you achieve the blessings available through the temple.

The first step in being together as an eternal family will be baptism.  Nelson can have his baptism performed by proxy in the temple.  Your deceased daughter does not need to be baptized because The Lord has revealed that children under the age of eight are pure and need no baptism.  Don, you have been baptized, but the Church has no record of it. This can be resolved by producing a copy of a baptism certificate which will provide information about your baptism, or you can obtain letters from two people who witnessed the baptism, or you can be baptized again.  Nick would need to be taught by the missionaries and then baptized.

If you prefer being taught by the young missionaries, we will assist by introducing you to them.  Our deepest desire is for your family to obtain the blessings of the Gospel available through the steps described above.  Please let us know how we can help.

Elder and Sister Elkington”

We also left a video on the blessings of the temple.  We will check back to see if they can arrange their schedules so we can meet with them.

We met with the children on the Reservation for a lesson on Friday.  The children had expressed a desire to read from the Book of Mormon. So the lesson and reading pertained to Helaman’s stripling warriors. They appeared very interested.

President Saling brought us a book written for Native American LDS youth.  It appears to tell them what we have been trying to teach them about their heritage and the gospel.  We are excited to read the book.  We believe it can help them set and achieve goals that will change their lives for the better.

We find great joy in serving Our Father in Heaven and in conveying His love to the Native American people.

Elder Larry and Sister Bev Elkington