A Historic Weekend in Michigan, Transfers, and a Special Visit

Dear Family and Friends,

A Historic Weekend in Michigan - Holland Michigan Stake Created

On January 16th, we witnessed the creation of a new stake in Michigan, the Holland Michigan Stake. It was mainly divided from the Grand Rapids Michigan Stake with a smaller part of the Kalamazoo Michigan Stake being added. In the past year, a new stake was also created in the Detroit area (Farmington Hills Michigan Stake), but before that, it was over 42 years ago that a new stake was created in Michigan. When the Lansing Michigan Stake was created in 1962, it covered all of the Lower Peninsula outside of Detroit. Midland Stake was formed in 1968 followed by the Grand Rapids Stake in 1975 and the Kalamazoo Stake in 1979. With the addition of the Holland Stake, there are now 13 stakes and 1 district in Michigan with the Traverse City District and the above mentioned five stakes in our mission. This new stake has also given many members in our Traverse City District great hope in their efforts to grow into a stake. The Lord is mindful of Michigan, and wonderful things are happening in the Michigan Lansing Mission. The new stake president is named Brian Bartels. He was born in the Grand Rapids Stake, lived all his life there except for his mission and those years in East Lansing while he attended Michigan State University. He always thought he would die in the Grand Rapids Stake, but the Lord had a better plan. A ward was divided, boundaries changed, units moved to different stakes in four different stakes in the mission. The members here, especially those who aren’t change-resistant, are extremely excited for new opportunities to grow and serve. Everyone is needed! Of course, there are members who are now supposed to be attending their new wards who haven't shown up to church yet. Those are the change-resistant ones. Ezra Taft Benson taught, "When you choose to follow Christ, you choose to be changed." July 1989 First Presidency Message, Ensign

My dad used to say about my mom, "Change is her favorite dessert." Mom loved to learn something new, meet a new friend, go to a new place, and have a new experience. I am grateful for her example. I didn't have any fear or hesitation about coming to Michigan, a new place for us, to meet all new people, and have all new experiences. This change has been one of the best things we've ever done. Every time we've said yes to the Lord, remarkable things have happened. "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7

One of the blessings of presiding over and leading a mission is the perspective you gain on how great change can be if we embrace it. Every six weeks, our mission goes through great changes. Our most experienced, often our most consecrated, missionaries leave, and we receive new missionaries who have a flame of faith and great excitement but not much experience in fulfilling their missionary purpose. Other missionaries leave friends, branches, wards, and companions they love to move to an area they know nothing about, have no friends, and sometimes don't know their new companions. They are filled with great love for God and for all people. Yet that is how Jesus Christ does His greatest work with the young, the teachable, the inexperienced, the faithful, and the meek of the earth. It is His work, and He is able to do it in all circumstances. We feel the great privilege in making ourselves available to be a part of it. 

I often get to have these great conversations with the missionaries in my efforts to help and support them on interview days. One time, we started talking about how we see the hand of the Lord in this work every day. Imagine if we had to rely on our own best ideas without revelation to do this work. Yikes! The Missionary Department might be run like the NBA Draft. Joseph Smith said, "Salvation cannot come without revelation; it is in vain for anyone to minister without it." Preach My Gospel, p. 95

Transfers!

One of our Assistants, Elder Cole Hunter, finished his mission, and the Missionary Department made us send him home, but we didn't want to and he didn't want to go although it looked like a very happy reunion with his family. I didn't cry until after we left the airport. Very brave! He was one of the last of our missionaries who began their missions in a different country (Elder Hunter began in the Brazil Santa Maria Mission), was sent home due to COVID, and came back out to serve with us. What an amazing journey! He and the group of missionaries he went home with were our 150th trip to the airport. Couldn't have been a more memorable group! They were all finishers. Elder David Anderson, who is the very last of our reassigned missionaries (began in Peru), has now come into the office as our new Assistant to serve with Elder Gavin Kibbey. We love all the missionaries so much. This last transfer was a big one to organize. Every transfer is a whole lot of work for the Assistants, the elder who is our Housing Coordinator, the elder who is the Vehicle Coordinator, and the Senior Couple who serve in the office. With the creation of a new stake, a new Holland Zone was created, and the Spanish Zone was discontinued with our Spanish-speaking missionaries being absorbed into all the existing zones along with the new Holland Zone. For those not familiar with a mission's organization, here you go. 👀 Each missionary is part of a companionship that is part of a district with at least one other companionship. Then there are three or more districts in each zone, and zones make up a mission. It's sort of like individuals make up families, which make up wards, which make up stakes, which make up the kingdom of God on earth but in a smaller version. 

We wanted to end 2021 strong and begin 2022 stronger by setting goals that would require increased faith but mostly by each one of us in the great Michigan Lansing Mission increasing our faith in Jesus Christ. We cannot begin to describe the incredible and miraculous things that we've seen and felt these last few months. 

A Visit from Hillary & Lindsey!

Our favorite thing that happened in January was that Hillary and Lindsey came to visit for a week. It is a long way to come, even on a plane, when they both traveled with toddlers. But it was so great to have them both with Josh and Jane in the mission home. We played games, watched some of our old favorite movies from their childhood, got pedicures at our favorite nail salon in Williamston, ate Detroit-style pizza from Klavon's in Mason, went to Frankenmuth to visit Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland, had an all-you-can-eat chicken dinner (that's a local tradition you cannot miss), stayed up too late (don't tell the missionaries), and talked, talked, talked! Their sacrifice to get out here with their babies certainly made us feel loved. Even though the high each day was about 15 crisp degrees, we think they had a good time too. Our children and grandchildren are the sweetest blessings in our lives along with the 436 missionaries we've served with in the 19 months of our mission.

This week, we've experienced so much snow! We got over 14" inches in about 36 hours. We had to reschedule two zone conferences, shift interviews around as well as move some meetings to Zoom. Our snow plow service actually showed up to clear our driveway and sidewalks, although Elmer likes doing it for the workout. 🏋🏼 

We love you all,

Elmer & Amy

Elder Kibbey, Elder Ibarra (our third to the last reassigned missionary who began in Guatemala), and Elder Hunter

Sending Elder Jonah Clark to his original assignment in Guyana and finding out that someone canceled Elder Chilcote's flight to Brazil by mistake.

With Elder Jackson Chilcote before he finally did get off to Brazil

A great day to be with the Sisters and Elders of Saginaw

Mission Leadership Council

I could write a whole post about Bro's Doughs. The owner, Brody, makes these fresh when you order. Don't miss out if you make it to Grand Rapids!

With Elder Hansen and Elder Mitchell of Wyoming at stake conference in Grand Rapids. They are a part of the new Holland Zone.

Last night in the mission before Sister Shay Davis went to her original assignment in the Belgium/Netherlands Mission. It was bittersweet to say goodbye. Lots of happy tears and some sad!

Sister Hansen, Zuster Davis, and Sister Mamata after some pretty good Mexican food

Here's a first: We left Zuster Davis on her own at the Lansing Airport, all of us praying that her negative COVID test would show up in time, while we sped off to Grand Rapids for interviews. We made a back up plan for the Assistants to come to the rescue if needed, but her test came through just in the nick of time! 😅

The most amazing daughters at a pretty amazing Christmas store in Frankenmuth

You can take the girls out of California, but you can't the California out of the girls. Flip flops in the snow!🤩

Josh likes Michigan!

Jane does too plus this chicken!

Jane and her Papa

Jane laughed the first time she felt how cold it was outside. She thought it was a joke, but temps in the teens didn't keep her inside.

If you know Hillary, you know why this happy mother/son photo brings us joy!

Columbia is the favorite brand of Michiganders, and Josh came prepared!

These two cousins had a blast playing together and going up and down the stairs non-stop.

In the mission home, the toddlers read Joseph Fielding Smith's Doctrines of Salvation.

Saying farewell to Hermana Ashley Muñóz, Sister Mariah Roskelley, Elder Fernando Mejia, Elder Cole Hunter, Elder Alexander Solomon, Elder Mark Palmer, Elder Cougar Taylor, and Elder Kaleb Simmons was tough - great missionaries all!

Elder Hunter, Elder Mejia, Elder Anderson, and Elder Kibbey

So thankful for each missionary who comes to serve and gives their hearts!

Detroit-style pizza. If you know, you know.

Shenanigans in the snow

Our new missionaries who arrived January 26th - Back row: Elder Meyers, Elder Fonnesbeck, Elder Woodland, Elder Smith, and Elder Matangi. Front row: Sister Legg, Sister Lott, Sister Cressall, Elder Wilchek, and Elder Cordova

With the Senior Couples who serve in the Lansing Zone - Elder and Sister Marchant arrived just in time for the end of zone conference.

There are always a few good selfies found on my phone after zone conferences. A fine mission tradition with Sister White and Sister Marker here.

Lansing Zone Conference

The Sisters of the Lansing Zone

During Lansing Zone Conference, President Heap surprised us by announcing that he just got word that Zuster Vassar would be going to her original assignment in the Belgium/Netherlands Mission on March 1st. Again, more tears. She is a fantastic missionary, and we will miss her so much!