345 Missionaries, 100 Trips to the Airport, 100% Humidity, and 100 Billion Mosquitoes

Dear Family and Friends,

Thought I'd share a brief update on the numbers. We've made 100 trips to the airport. It feels like a milestone but is probably more a result of serving during a global pandemic. We've also had the privilege of serving with 345 missionaries in our first year. They didn't all show up at the same time, of course. We've sent 36 missionaries to original assignments, and had many others come to us on a temporary assignment only to become ours permanently as the pandemic dragged on. We've had about 135 missionaries with different original assignments come to bless our mission. We currently have about 50 who could go to original assignments if they get visas. We are grateful for each one whether the Michigan Lansing Mission was their original assignment or not. They are pretty content to do whatever the Lord asks and wait for His timing. As one elder who began his mission in Brazil told me this week, "Sister Heap, maybe the Lord intended for the Michigan Lansing Mission to be my original assignment all along."

Elmer and I didn't notice any humidity last summer and only got mosquito bites during one evening walk. We thought we were in for smooth sailing and that everyone had exaggerated the mosquito problem out here. Turns out last summer was fairly dry. This summer, we've had lots of rain. Everything is lush and green, and the mosquitoes are loving us, all our missionaries, and Michiganders near and far. The humidity can be tolerated even at 98-100%, but the mosquitoes are a bit much. I have spent too much time Googling "Best Mosquito Repellent" and "How to Control Outdoor Pests." Post your best ideas in the comments, please!

For the first time since we've been here, we were able to bring half our mission together in Grand Rapids and the other half together in Mount Pleasant for two Super Zone Conferences. Some missions call them multi-zone conferences, but after being apart for 16 months, we thought "super" was a more accurate reflection of how amazing it was to be together, give and receive instruction, and counsel together. There was even food (another first)! It was grab-and-go style and eaten outside, of course. What would get your vote going forward: Chick-fil-A or Panda Express?

Yesterday, we were invited to participate in the Lansing Stake's Youth Conference along with eight of our missionaries plus a counselor in the Mission Presidency, Nick Gentile. They asked President Heap and me to speak and had the missionaries and President Gentile to give workshops about 1) How to prepare for a mission, 2) What mission life is like (including how to teach), 3) How to use social media for good to share the gospel (the teens even got in on making some reels for @christlives.michigan ⭐️), 4) Showing the youth what an integral part of the weekly ward missionary coordination meeting they are by loving, sharing, and inviting others to come unto Christ, and 5) Preparing to attend the temple. In our mission, we have been asked to have a youth representative from each of the Aaronic priesthood quorums and young women's classes participate in the brief weekly ward/branch/group missionary coordination meetings. We are excited to see what happens with more youth involved. I think the teenagers liked being able to ask the missionaries questions. It was such a fun conference held completely outdoors at a member's property with a beautiful home, barn, trees, and fields as far as the eye could see (there are so many trees, you can't see terribly far 😆).

We were able to attend the Grandville Spanish Branch today for church. I understand most of what is being said. But when I speak to the members in Spanish, it's more entertainment than communication. We have five missionaries who serve in the Wyoming Ward that meets before the branch and then 11 elders and hermanas in the branch. It is not often we can go to church and get to see 16 of the missionaries, so that was sweet.

We are praying like we've never prayed before. You, our dear friends and family, are in our prayers as well. We feel connected to you even though we are apart.

We love you,

Elmer & Amy

The Office: Sister & President Heap, Elder Vandyken, Elder Burnside, Elder Neilson, Elder Garfield

Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Spanish North, and Spanish South Zones

The Coldwater District

The Battle Creek District

The Hart District

The Benton Harbor District

The Grand Rapids District

The Sisters sing!

Sister Malan and Sister Harris of Big Rapids

Elders Ballard, Petty, Huggard, Sargent, and Stiver

Elder Snow, Elder Orton, Sister Sunkees, and Sister Anthon

Elder Millward and Elder Averill of Traverse City Spanish

With Sister Crawford

With Elder Nicolia and Elder Atwood - Our mission's Digital Finding and Teaching Coordinators

With Sister Sunkees

With Sister Sauer

With Elder Staker

With Elder Nichols

With Elder Barnes

With Sister Hansen

With Elder Blackburn

With Elder Metcalf

With Elder Paul

The Wyoming District

The Kalamazoo District

The Grandville District

With Sister London

With Elder Hatch

The Ludington District

Whoa - NOT full-time missionaries! We had a fun visit from Elmer's sister and brother-in-law, Marilyn and John Wilson from Colorado and their daughter Karen Truscott, who lives in the Detroit area.