Michigan Tough
Dear Family and Friends,
On a bittersweet note, Elder Marcus and Sister Afton Reid of Aurora, Colorado will be completing their service in the Michigan Lansing Mission next month. They were serving in the Grandville Spanish Branch when COVID struck, and the Brennans moved them into the Mission Office in Lansing where they took over as Mission Financial Secretary and Mission Secretary. When we arrived at the end of June until now, they have done so much to help run the mission, help us know what we were supposed to know, and blessed the lives of all the missionaries, especially those missionaries who work with them in the office. It wasn't the mission they expected to serve when they began, but they are great examples to us of being flexible and willing to do whatever is needed most. They are beloved in the MLM.
The Reids have already trained their replacements, Elder Nigel and Sister Denise Rogers from the UK. We are all in love with their British accents and missionary enthusiasm. If we start speaking with British accents, you'll know we are just trying to sound as polite and smart as the Rogers.
In other news, we hear we are in a mild winter, which is kind of disappointing because we felt a little proud of how well we are weathering winter. Someone up north told our missionaries that we've had the smallest snowfall in ten years. We refuse to verify. Perhaps there are days below zero ahead, but in the meantime, we will continue with the delusion that we are embracing the cold and becoming Michigan tough.
Two other things we are a bit embarrassed about:
- Realizing we sometimes still fail to check the weather app and head out like there’s no trouble ahead.
- Needing to look up what the symbols on the weather app mean - especially the ones that represent frigid temps and heavy snow/sleet.
We are reading the Doctrine and Covenants as a mission to prepare for General Conference in April. We love how most of those early members of the Church asked some variation of the same timeless question: What does the Lord need me to do? What would be of the most worth to me? What is my part?
Recently, we were on the phone with one of our missionaries who joined the Church before coming on a mission to Michigan. With each of her companions, she has been able to join in teaching her parents virtually for the past year. Tonight, she invited her mom to be baptized, and her mom said yes, that is what she wants to do. Lots of tears and joy in mission life!
Elmer and I are trying to get to all the wards, branches, and groups in our mission. One fun fact: Some of our missionaries had never heard of a branch before their missions let alone a group. Due to the size of our mission boundaries, it sometimes feels daunting to go everywhere we want to go. We've been to 12 congregations and have about 43 to go. About a week ago, we went to church in St. Joseph, where we have both sisters (St. Joe's) and elders (Benton Harbor) serving. The town of St. Joseph looks like the set of a Hallmark movie. It is on Lake Michigan about two hours from Lansing and one and half hours from Chicago. In the summer, it is a popular beach town except without the traffic, crowds, and saltwater. Whirlpool is headquartered in St. Joseph. It seems to have been hit hard by the pandemic. The ward has lost several families who worked for Whirlpool and got furloughed. Go figure, I would think that washing machines would be a pandemic resistant industry, but I guess not. We really loved meeting the members there and got to spend time with Elder and Sister DeVries for the first time in person. Elder Rick DeVries is our Area Seventy, and he and his wife, Dyana, are amazing. When they were raising their six children, they served as the mission presidents of the San Francisco/Oakland Mission. We've chatted with them on Zoom, even before we came to the mission, but it was so wonderful to meet them and visit in person - with masks and physically distanced. They have been such a great support to us. And let's just talk for a minute about the lunch they made for us for the drive home (this alone will make you want to be their friends): chicken salad with grapes on croissants, chips, a chocolate-and-butterscotch-chip coconut bar cookie, and black licorice with Perrier lemon sparkling waters. I told Elmer I want to go to St. Joe's every Sunday. Or Kalamazoo. When we spoke in Stake Conference there, Elizabeth Christensen (the stake president's wife) made us these incredible lunches for the journey home with hummus and fresh veggies, Skinny Pop, sandwiches, cherry applesauce, and so many good things, I can't wait for the next stake conference in Kalamazoo 😊. She also sent us home with fresh flowers! Maybe we are a bit too focused on food, but it's our way of letting you know how generous and kind everyone has been to us.
We are expecting another senior couple in the mission next month. If you saw their resumes, you would think they've been alive for a hundred years because they have done so much! They will be a tremendous blessing to our mission. I think my favorite thing they said when we spoke on the phone is that they love to serve in branches. There is something very dear about a small congregation of saints that is eager to have others come and see, come and help, and come and stay as they grow together in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Here are some fun facts about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the US and Michigan. You will see that there are five Districts (which is a group of members not yet big enough - for lack of better description - to become a stake). One of those five Districts in our mission - The Traverse City District. (There is one in New York and two in Texas - if anyone knows where the fifth district is in the US, let us know.) It's no exaggeration to say that every missionary wants to serve up north in the Traverse City Zone. Not only is it spectacularly beautiful (and also spectacularly cold in the winter), but the people are kind, friendly, humble, and down-to-earth. There is a district presidency, and Elmer presides over the district as the Mission President.
In family news, Andrew and Stacy went to Utah recently and were able to have some family around as Lucy was given a baby blessing. She is such a happy baby. Every time we get a Marco Polo from them or are able to Zoom or FaceTime, she is all smiles. Whenever our daughters or daughters-in-law send me a Marco Polo, I have to watch it twice. The first time around, I am focused on whichever grandkids are in it, how big they are getting, and how sweet they are. Then I listen a second time to find out what they had to say. I am thankful for technology and want to figure out more ways so we can feel close to our family and them to us, other than finding everyone jobs in Michigan. Send your good ideas my way! Hillary, Newel, and Josh are still enjoying the sunny winter in Colorado. (When the sun comes out in Michigan these days, we get a glimpse as to why some people worshipped the sun in ancient civilizations.) Tyler and Lizzy and the girls are in Salt Lake City and are preparing for daughter #3 to arrive in March (we hope it's not April for Lizzy's sake). Lindsey, Ammon, and Jane recently moved from Phoenix to Mesa and are living temporarily with Elmer's sister, Barb, while they house hunt. Arizona friends, keep an eye out for them! You definitely want them in your neighborhood, unless you are as competitive at games as Lindsey is. Gavin is working hard and back at BYU, happier than ever because Marnie is back there too. She and her sister, Darby, live together. Darby graduated from high school early and is moving onward and upward in Cougarland (excellent COVID strategem). Gavin is also preparing to take the LSAT this spring/summer.
We miss you all and love you always!
Elmer & Amy
I love your posts Amy....a real testimony boost of the importance of the work....thank you and Elmer for your example and your influence on us at home...we miss you...but are so grateful you are with these incredible missionaries! Love hearing about your family too....a wonderful bunch indeed.
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