I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE I AM

Dear Family and Friends,

Yesterday, I texted Gavin that we were on the road to Grand Rapids. Later in the day, I texted him that we were on the way home from Kalamazoo. He asked why we went to Kalamazoo too. Turns out we only went to Kalamazoo; we never went to Grand Rapids; and I am the one who drove us there. I have no idea where I am. 

I know our children will find that the most shocking thing about the story above is that their dad wanted me to drive, not that I didn't know where we were going. For some reason, my driving makes Elmer nervous. But if you ask our auto insurance company who is the best driver in the family, it will tell you that I am crushing it. There's no competition really. 

Fun fact: We have no idea what is happening in the world. It's very nice. We've lived in this house for almost a month and just found out there is a TV in our bedroom. We saw the one in the family room but haven't had time to turn it on. I did receive a news alert last week about two fishing records being broken in Michigan. Finally, news I can use! 

We are in the middle of our first transfer. A transfer in most missions in the world happens every six weeks. Usually new missionaries arrive - we are expecting 13, and missionaries who have finished their terms of service go home - no one is leaving; they all love it here so much that no one wants to leave! And then lots of other missionaries move areas and change companions. It was a sweet experience to witness the hand of the Lord direct those changes and assignments. We opened or reopened four areas in our mission. One branch president of a reopened area was so excited that he called the mission office to find out when his new missionaries were coming so he could be there to welcome them. 

The number of missionaries we are expecting at any time seems to change almost daily. For example, we thought we would have 14 new missionaries arrive tomorrow night, but then one of our reassigned missionaries found out on Friday she was going to Hungary after all. Our niece, Sister Tenna King, also went off to her originally assigned Adriatic North Mission (speaking Slovenian) recently. So it looks like Eastern Europe is opening up a little bit -- for those two missionaries anyway. In August, we are expecting 29 more missionaries including a senior missionary couple who will work remotely from home until the COVID-19 situation improves. Then in September, we are set to receive 37 more missionaries. We can't even think about October. Our Assistants and the office missionaries are working so hard to make sure everyone ends up with a bed and a place to live and transportation.  

We had a wonderful mission-wide zoom fireside on Sunday evening, and our special guests were Elmer's brother and sister-in-law, KC and Marilyn aka Elder and Sister Abney. They taught the missionaries so much about the early days of the Restoration, and our missionaries loved it. We also loved having two of their children (at least) and two of their missionary grandchildren on the video conference with us too. What a treat! We are so grateful every day for the technology that we can use to help build the kingdom of God, connect with people here in Michigan even in quarantine, and stay close to our missionaries. It reminds me of something President Russell M. Nelson said at this year's Mission Leadership Seminar:

We live in unique and exciting times, when the gospel continues to roll forth despite the “whole earth [being] in commotion.” (see Doctrine & Covenants 45)

One number I probably need to share is days that I have felt moved to tears while we have been here: Every single one. I am easily overwhelmed by how much I love these missionaries. For some, it seems like a miracle that they are here. Their road has not been easy. But someone introduced them to the gospel of Jesus Christ along the way. Some full-time or member missionaries came to teach them and their families. We have one elder who told me his goal on his mission is to find someone just like he once was -- lost and confused but looking for something better. Then he wants to see that person he teaches here in Michigan become a full-time missionary just like he did. Another missionary wrote that she felt like she went to her first mission assignment to learn her mission language, but then COVID happened and she was reassigned to the Michigan Lansing Mission. And now she sees that the Lord wanted her here so that she could learn how to be a genuine and effective teacher from the companion she has now. These missionaries are doing what not one in a million would do. They live with a companion (or in some cases companions) they didn't know before and didn't choose; they live in towns and places they never heard of, most have never even been to Michigan (just like me); and they love people and want to help them come unto Christ. 

Elmer and I love all the time we get to spend together and with our missionaries. We have now had breakfast and lunch together more times than we did in the last 20 years in California. Well, it feels true even if it's not. We have had opportunities to teach with our missionaries online. Those experiences have been sweet. On Saturday, I taught with two of our Spanish-speaking missionaries. It was supposed to be about 20-30 minutes, but this good brother from Cuba could really talk! I understood about 30% of it - I think my brain started giving out 35 minutes in. But at the end, the missionaries asked me if I would like to bear my testimony. So I bore a brief testimony in Spanish, and our friend nodded his head and smiled (I thought there was a chance he might fall off his chair laughing, so this response was nice). Then we hung up. Two seconds later, the missionaries video called me right back cheering and whooping it up to tell me how good I did. Really, the generosity of missionaries has no bounds.

If I haven't said it before. Elmer is an amazing Mission President and already much loved by our missionaries. For transfers, he called every single missionary to tell them about the transfer, even the ones that weren't changing because he wanted them to understand that even a non-change was directed by the Lord. He doesn't know if he will do that going forward, but with so many reassigned missionaries that he hasn't had the chance to interview or speak to for more than a few minutes and for all the many missionaries that we are just getting to know better, I think it was such a kind and loving thing to do - even when I told him to hang up the phone when one companionship wanted to know EVERY change that was happening in the mission. You have to love them.

We love you all!

President & Sister Heap

Michigan Lansing Mission

p.s. Anyone who has heard our family story of finding my ski at the crash site (of our parents' and sister's deaths in 1983) would be interested to know that some of my sister Celia's kids hiked up there early Sunday morning and Celia's son, Josh, found another ski - this one was our mom's. Celia and I both got to be a part of it as her kids FaceTimed us from the crash site. Josh was with us on the first time we hiked it with our Hobson cousin, Joe Bodell, to show us the way in 2015. Then he went up earlier in the year with Gavin, Andrew, Tyler, Celia and her other children, Travis, Jason, and Jason's wife, Serene. This hike was his third time up there. They wanted to take Lauren and her husband, Josh, and Matt, his wife Sydney. It's almost unbelievable! Josh FaceTimed me when they first got up there to show me some cool things they had found. Right before we hung up, I said, "Find my other ski." And then he called me back when he found my mom's ski. Sweet. All things are present with God - in the dimensions of the past and the present and the future. Nowhere is that more evident to me than in the bonds of love we feel in our families - generations past, present, and future.