Elder and Sister Elkington

Weekly Report 1 Nov 2015

What a week!  When we went to pick up the children from the reservation to take them to the Heritage Park Branch Family Home Evening, there were three teenage girls and another boy who asked if they could come.  We told them we would return and get them if their mothers gave permission for them to go. (We could not haul all in one vehicle).  We took the regular six children to Anasazi Valley and left them under the care of the Branch President’s wife while we returned to the reservation to fetch the others.  After the Family Home Evening, we told the older girls and boy they were welcome to come to future Family Home Evenings, but they would need to have a parent bring them.  We knew we could not leave one group at Anasazi Valley while we took the others home.

A few weeks ago, there were some cousins who were there while the missionaries taught Ethan.  We gave them cookies along with the others.  They asked if we would come to their home.  We promised them we would do it.  On Friday we felt prompted to visit their home and met their parents.  We found the parents were Church members.  We asked the father the names and ages of his children.  He said the oldest is a boy age 10, and the next one is a girl age 9.  We asked if he would like them taught so they can be baptized.  He paused and then said, “Yes”. We now need to coordinate the teaching with Elders Duncan and Isakson.

When the Elders started teaching Ethan, there was another cousin, Victor, who was there for one or two lessons.  We met him and promised to take him to the Branch FHE if his mother approved.  Then we met his mother at the Branch Halloween party on Saturday.  We asked if Victor could go to the Branch FHE.  She said, “Yes” and then we asked if she would like Victor to be taught the Gospel so he could be baptized.  Once again, she said, “yes”.  So we need to coordinate his being taught the Gospel.

We also met the father of a less active woman we are teaching.  He said he is a baptized member. (He does not appear on Heritage Park Branch records.)   He said his daughter had told him about us and he thanked us for what we are doing for her.  He said he wants the blessings of the Gospel in the lives of his grandchildren.

While at the Branch Halloween party we were told of the son of a couple on the reservation that had just died.  We called on the parents and left them a loaf of banana bread.  We talked with them for a while and asked if we could be of assistance during this difficult time in their lives.  We told them we had been praying for them since we had heard of their son’s death.  We then asked if we could offer a prayer with them. They said we could and called their teenage son from another room to join us for the prayer.  We found these parents were baptized as children, but the branch has no record for them.  (We turned the information in to the branch president.) We felt good about the spirit in their home and will follow up with more visits.

We continue to feel God’s love for these Native American people.  We taught Ethan and his siblings and cousins that we are all spirit children of Our Father in Heaven and that is why we call each other brother or sister. Ethan’s brother asked if we were really all brothers and sisters.  We said, “Yes, we are.”  We explained the difference between physical or mortal brothers and sisters and spirit brothers and sisters. He then said “You mean all the kids at school are my brothers and sisters?”  We assured him they were his spirit brothers and sisters.  We got the feeling many at school have probably made him feel less than them.

Oh, what a privilege it is to see and feel God’s love for the descendants of Lehi!

We were spiritually fed and given new missionary insights as we attended the St George Area Zone Conference on Thursday! These young missionaries are an inspiration to behold!  What a privilege to serve with them.