Happy Easter - The Good News

Dear Friends and Family,

Happy Easter! Every week, Elmer and I write an email to all our missionaries on Sunday night. I haven't written mine yet, but I wanted to share part of what Elmer wrote today:

Dear Elders and Sisters,

Happy Easter! We love each of you and our hearts are full that we can serve with you as we celebrate His Resurrection. He lives! His Resurrection brings meaning to everything. Without His Resurrection, there is no complete atonement, there is no eternal family, and there is no eternal increase. Truly, as it states in the Bible Dictionary, "The Resurrection of Jesus is the most glorious of all messages to mankind." It truly is the most glorious of all messages and without, life would have so much less meaning.

Perhaps like me, many of you have watched "The Good News" Easter 2022 Video multiple times this week. There is such a powerful spirit that can be felt as we watch and ponder His remarkable Resurrection and then run to bless and serve others and to be blessed by Him. What a sweet and sacred moment for each of us to be full-time missionaries at this time, seeking to share this most glorious of all messages that we will again. We will all be Resurrected because of our Savior. I testify that He truly does live. He is the Living Christ. As it states in The Living Christ:

"He rose from the grave to 'become the firstfruits of them that slept' (1 Corinthians 15:20). As Risen Lord, He visited among those He had loved in life. He also ministered among His 'other sheep' (John 10:16) in ancient America. In the modern world, He and His Father appeared to the boy Jospeh Smith, ushering in the long-promised 'dispensation of the fulness of times' (Ephesians 1:10) ... We bear testimony, as His duly ordained Apostles - that Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God. He is the great King Immanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son."

We testify of Christ. Our purpose as missionaries is to invite and help others to come unto Him. We are His missionaries. We will now and forever declare our witnesses of Him.

The Good News ~ #BecauseofHim - ComeUntoChrist.org

Jesus Christ, Portrait by Henrich Hofman

In other good news, after promising our missionaries in June 2020 that if they would pray and prepare with increased faith and greater obedience, an Apostle would come to the Michigan Lansing Mission, Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is coming on April 23rd. He will be accompanied by Elder Brent H. Nielson and Elder Kelly R. Johnson of the Seventy. Last Sunday, we were in a small branch in the Lansing Stake for a missionary meeting with the stake presidency and others on the stake council. It was also branch conference, so we stayed. Lansing Stake President David Rawson shared with the congregation that this visit from Elder Soares, Elder Brent H. Nielson, and Elder Kelly R. Johnson seemed to come out of the blue until he learned that the full-time missionaries have been praying for an Apostle of the Lord to visit for almost a year. "Be sure to thank the full-time missionaries of the Michigan Lansing Mission for this opportunity we have to be taught at the feet of one of the Lord's Apostles," he said.

We fairly sure our Church leaders know where Michigan is, although it’s not certain they all know where Lansing is. 😁  When they visit the North American Northeast Area, they tend to go to places like New York City, Philadelphia, or Washington, DC - yes, even Detroit. But as far as we knew when we promised the missionaries an Apostle would come, no member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles or First Presidency had a visit to our mission on the calendar. Then about a month ago, we got this good news. We are thrilled!

Elder Ulisses Soares

Elder Brent H. Nielson

Elder Kelly R. Johnson

The bad news is that while Elder Soares is coming here, our youngest son, Gavin, is graduating from BYU this week, and we will miss it. We feel prettyblue about it. Gavin has made some rather big sacrifices so that we can serve our mission, as have our other kids and grandkids. We love them all the more for it. Shout out to Gavin for being the 5th and final Heap kid to graduate from BYU. We are so proud of him!

Go Gavin! Rise and Shout!

Weather Update: Since I declared winter over, it has snowed repeatedly and even gave us some freezing rain in Gaylord (imagine your car in an ice cube). I think I've said winter is over about 10 times to no avail. The power of positive thinking, it turns out, cannot overcome everything. But this week, I really mean it. It is Easter, and winter just has to be over.

The Heap Jeep is not wet but covered in a thick sheet of ice.

You've got to have some muscle to get into a car covered by freezing rain!

Overheard (Heap family text group) - "I know it's March Madness when I have 38 unread text messages from our family alone." -Hillary

Another March Madness is in the books! Jordan (7) was the winner of this year's Heap Family Bracket Challenge (Kansas came through for him!) with his younger brother, Bennett (6) in second place, and Lindsey took third. She's wondering why we let these lucky little grandkids into the competition. 😊 But she is also pretty excited that Jordan picked In-N-Out Burger for his celebration. We look forward to his victory speech as soon as they bring In-N-Out Burger to Michigan. Here are a few photos of our grands. We miss seeing them grow up but love it when we get a Marco Polo, a few photos in a text, and sometimes Jane FaceTimes me.  

Jordan is a winner!

Families that watch March Madness together (and take it seriously) ...

... celebrate at In-N-Out together and experience joy!

The Last Supper reenactment at the Heap home. Come Follow Me is awesome!

Tyler and Lizzy (two brown-eyed brunettes) have a blonde, blue-eyed baby named Maeve. She likes sand and berry yogurt.

Liv is crushing the dress up game.

Jane turned 2!

Ski day with the family including Aunt Marnie and Uncle Gavin!

Eloise and Liv hit the slopes. My dad would be so happy!

Bennett lost a tooth!

I love it when friends like dear Mindy send me photos to know that Brady and Bennett are with her at church. Maybe not loving it 💯 yet, but they are in good hands in the Pacific Beach Ward back home.

And back to the mission!

We literally cried when this group of amazing missionaries returned home on March 9th. Back row: Elder Jacob A. Johnson (we've had two Elder Jacob Johnsons), Elder Ryan Petty. Middle row: Sister Eden Crawford, Sister Malina Srianan, Sister Shayci Echols, Sister MaKenzie Hansen, Hermana Mckenna Schmidt, Hermana Amber Johnson, Hermana Janie Averett. Front row: Elder Jackson Leavitt, Elder Kevin Paul, Elder Cody Bangerter.

President Heap finding happiness in waxing eloquent about how he makes his delicious shakes!

Yum!

We were supposed to pick up three new missionaries, but only Elder Garrett Jenson (middle) made it on time.

Being issued the wrong boarding passes caused Elder Avery and Elder Curtis to miss their connection from Mexico City in Dallas. But on the upside, they got to meet our very own Elder Leavitt and Hermana Averett who were on their way home to Portland. Check the map - Texas is not on the way from Michigan to Oregon 😅. But some great meetings are meant to be!

It's after midnight, but Elder Jacob Curtis and Elder Karsen Avery finally arrived to join Elder Jenson seen here with our Assistants on the ends - Elder David Anderson and Elder Gavin Kibbey.

Elder Curtis is off to Houghton Lake with his trainer Elder Bailey

Elder Davis is training Elder Avery in Midland Spanish (covering all Spanish work the entire Midland Stake, which is huge) and Midland 2nd Ward.

Elder Miner began training Elder Jenson in Battle Creek, but this upcoming transfer they are opening Kalamazoo Spanish and still covering the Spanish speakers in Battle Creek. 💪

Our former missionaries who are now serving in their original Trinidad Port of Spain Mission assignment: Elder Bleak, Elder Corry, Elder Ferrerya, and Elder Clark. You're welcome Guyana, Curaço, Aruba, Bonair, etc.

At the Kalkaska Branch Conference, Sister Shelley Bennett and I had the most wonderful time talking to Reece and her mom, Stacey Rosin, about Reece's future plans to serve a mission. She is a remarkable young woman, and we look forward to hearing about all the good things ahead for her! 

At one time, these four amazing returned missionaries lived together and served in Sturgis (Spanish and English). They recently reunited to welcome Sister Wilson home from her original assignment in Armenia: Anna Christensen, Beth-el Wilson, Lexi Gill, and Jenna Lee

Our former missionaries now serving in the Dominican Republic - Elder Dallas Moyes, Elder Treven Anderson, and Elder Hayden Wilcox. Michigan Lansing Missionaries know when they get the chance, they should take a picture and check in with the Heaps! 💛

Sister Alyssa Stewart, Sister Shelley Bennett, and Sister Sheldyn Hawea - Mission Tour March 2022

Elder Ben Stoner, Elder Randall K. Bennett of the Seventy (and our Area President), Elder Jarom Hunter, and Elder Gavin Wilcheck - Mission Tour March 2022

Saying goodbye to Elder Andrew Houskeeper as he finished his mission

Another goodbye - this time to Elder Brant Brown. These missionaries are the greatest!

President Heap after preaching by the way with Elder Gomez and Elder Elliott in Traverse City. Where is his jacket? He's Michigan tough now. Actually, he was freezing because he forgot his jacket.

Making a little food run at Holland Zone Interviews with Sister Ross and Sister Mamata for the best chicken in Western Michigan at de Boer's Bakkerij South.

A visit from our former missionary, Alison Stahle, and her wonderful parents

The "Utah Zone" turned out to welcome home the newest returned missionaries who either served all or part of their missions in the great Michigan Lansing Mission.

Our former missionaries Matthias Dunn, Toa Anderson, and Fernando Mejia, met up in Chicago to go to the temple with some people they love from the Grandville Spanish Branch aka La Rama.

Meeting up for a weekend with former companions, fellow missionaries, and forever friends - Alyse Frogley, Mckenna Schmidt, and MaKenzie Hansen. If not for the pandemic, these great missionaries would have never come to Michigan and never known about Che"girl"gan (aka Cheboygan), Wyoming, and the wonderful people in Michigan.

Elmer's brothers and sisters got together in Mesa for a reunion. We couldn't be there and neither could Elmer's oldest sister, Kathy, so they let us join in the fun virtually.

AKA - That time we bored the family to tears with how much we love our mission!

We love you all!

Amy & Elmer