Gavin and Marnie Got Married!

Dear Family and Friends,

Our happiest news is that on April 24th, Gavin and Marnie were married in the San Diego Temple with all of our other children and their spouses able to attend along with Marnie's parents and grandparents, brother, sister, brother-in-law, and me. We all missed Elmer terribly, and it was just plain weird to not have him with us. After all, he's the one who sweet talked me into having one more baby when I thought four was plenty. Gavin is clearly the best idea that Elmer ever had. Gavin and Marnie's wedding day was heavenly. The Burnetts made everything beautiful, and I think everyone could feel the great love that Gavin and Marnie have for each other. They honeymooned in Cancún and are now living in Provo, where they both will continue attending BYU. They both have jobs (I think Gavin has two), which is happy news for any young, married couple.

On my way back from California, I made a quick stop in Arizona to pick up my best friend, Kristen Sweeney. We were able to have lunch with a few of our high school friends, most of whom could also not attend her husband Doug's funeral in December. We enjoyed time together and shared memories that only lifelong friends can appreciate. Doug was special to all of us, and I guess there's no adequate way to express that except to make time to remember together. Kristen spent a week with us here in Michigan, which meant so much to both Elmer and me. I dragged her from Kalamazoo to Shipshewana to Holland to Mackinac Island. It was both beautiful and fairly cold for Arizona kids like us.

I don't know if anyone reads these letters, but if you noticed that my posts are getting further and further apart, that will give you some idea of the high-speed train we ride as mission leaders. We wouldn't trade it for anything! However, in order to fit a virtual Mission Tour, zone conferences, and interviews into this transfer, our next preparation day will be at the end of June. That's a day off for Elmer and me; the missionaries have a preparation day every Monday.

These missionaries are amazing. Every time I get a little nervous that we are asking too much, they go above and beyond. During our last Sprint Week, we set a goal to extend 7,500 invitations to act inviting people to come to church, learn more about the restored gospel, meet with missionaries to talk about the two great commandments, and/or read the Book of Mormon. To give you some perspective on this goal, the first Sprint week we ever had back in October 2020, we hoped to extend 2,500 invitations. In the end, over 11,000 invitations to act were extended to Michiganders. Recently, President Heap needed to ask something big of one of the missionaries. Elmer didn't want to ask this good missionary for the favor, but for the good of the mission, he needed to ask. When he called this elder, the first thing the missionary said was, "President Heap, what can I do for you?" This question is typical of every missionary we know. "How can I help you?" "What can I do for you?" This time it actually brought me to tears because I knew that the Lord knew that this missionary was already prepared to say yes to what his mission president was going to ask even before the need arose.

We've recently seen four missionaries return home after 18-24 months of wonderful service. One started his mission here in the Michigan Lansing Mission. The other three began their service in Brazil, Ghana, and Argentina. We've also sent three missionaries to their original assignments in Mexico, and one each to Zimbabwe, Guyana, Curaçao, Aruba, and England. We will send another missionary to Guyana this weekend. One mission president called us to make sure the missionary we were sending understood that the conditions he was headed into were even more restrictive than here in Michigan due to COVID. That was a fun phone call because we have a connection with that mission president because he was Hillary and Newel's stake president in Alabama. Another mission leader has contacted us to make sure the missionary we were wasn't going to yearn for Michigan. Many missionaries are finding that after they have served in the United States, they are in for a rude awakening once they get to some foreign assignments. The language learning is tough, the food isn't familiar, the new mission may not be up to speed with technology yet, etc. I love to hear Elmer's conversation with that missionary going out so that he or she is better prepared to be humbled. One missionary said, "I'm so ready, President. Tell my new mission president that he can give me a companion who doesn't want to stay, and I'll turn him around." We love the fire!

One thing that makes me smile is that a missionary going to a foreign county often has to declare his or her return date and sometimes the Mission Department actually has to buy that return ticket up front as proof that the missionary is not going to stay in that country permanently. Personally, I believe that a US Passport should be all the proof needed that they are not going to stay forever. 😊 Missionaries serving now have such a great opportunity to learn to be spiritually, emotionally, and physically resilient like they never have been before. One of our missionaries recently spent a couple of days in Utah to complete all the health requirements for a visa to Taiwan only to have Taiwan close its borders again a couple of days later. Fortunately, the missionaries know that God has children everywhere who need the gospel of Jesus Christ. We just keep going on with the work regardless of the circumstances.

We did feel pretty excited when Michigan's governor recently announced that those who are fully vaccinated no longer need to wear masks or physically distance indoors or outdoors. In July, the plan is to lift the mask mandate completely.

Just for fun -- How Michiganders can tell you they are from Michigan without telling you they are from Michigan:

This all they need for a map: 👍✋👈
To cure any illness, they'll give you Vernors, a Michigan original
Believe the Lions will win the Super Bowl this year
Know and use the word "ope" as in, "Ope, let me sneak by ya there."
Can pronounce Ypsilanti, Onekama, Charlotte, Mackinac, Dowagiac, Onondaga, Ontonagon, Bete Grise, Kitch-iti-kipi, and Gratiot
Up north
Snack of choice: Better Made chips and Faygo pop (do not say "soda")
Have taken a bridge going south into Canada
The Michigan Left
Have been to Tulip Time
Know what a pasty is
Won't let you crush an aluminum can ("That's 10 cents!")
Have hunted for and polished a Petoskey stone

Maybe I'll share more next time! We hope you are all doing well.

With love,

Elmer & Amy

Trying to send Elder Benavides back to his original assignment in Mexico without his passport 😅

Grand Rapids Zone Conference

Driving somewhere for something

Kalamazoo Zone Conference

Tyler bonding with his nephew, Josh Mecham

I got to meet Maeve (pictured here) and Lucy when I went to San Diego

Stacy, Wendy, Alicia, Mindy, and Tracy (not pictured) did so much to make a special night for the Heap and Burnett families before the wedding!

A little family time before Gavin and Marnie's wedding with Andrew, Tyler, Hillary, and Newel

While we were involved in wedding festivities, Elmer and Mady went to Fidler's in Lansing.

My sweet sisters, Celia and Bridget (plus Mike and Elmer's sister and brother-in-law, Janis & David Rowberry) watched a whole bunch of grandkids at the temple for us. Lifesavers!