Elder Ulisses Soares in the Michigan Lansing Mission

 Dear Family and Friends,

What a marvelous weekend with had with a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Elder Ulisses Soares on April 23-24! 

We've been in Michigan for about 22 months, but Saturday, April 23 was the first time we ever saw our entire mission in one place as we gathered to receive instruction from Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve, Elder Brent H. Nielson of the Presidency of the Seventy, and Elder Kelly R. Johnson of the Seventy. We were able to invite a photographer, Brother Hall from the Lansing Stake, to take our picture. That feat took some planning and a very tall ladder to fit us all in. Brother Hall remembered his own mission as he saw all of the missionaries of the Michigan Lansing Mission gather in one place. He got emotional about the missionaries' opportunity to hear from an Apostle and said he wished he could be a missionary again, but he knows his wife and kids would have something to say about it.

Elder Anderson, Elder Bonham, Elder Gomez, Elder Lundgreen, and Elder Coombs pose for the practice shot of the mission photo with Elder Soares. Please note: Elder Anderson-toes in!😂

That Saturday morning, we got up early to get to the Lansing Stake Center for a 30-minute rehearsal with a small choir of missionaries who came from all over the mission to practice for the first time ever a beautiful violin, piano, and choir arrangement of the hymn "Sweet Hour of Prayer." I wish I had recorded how heavenly it sounded. Sister Carlee Stephenson played the piano and Elder Garrett Jenson played the violin. Our purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ, so we don't really have time for practicing and performing. However, when the opportunity arises, the Lord surely compensates us for our efforts. Some of you may know that my great-uncle was a long-time conductor of the Tabernacle Choir. Somehow, I did not inherit any conducting skills, but I was honored to lead this little choir to sing for Elder Soares. They were amazing! We will never forget it.

About three years ago, Fernando Mejia met Elder Soares in Chicago. He had only been a member of the Church for six months and didn't know who Elder Soares was. But he felt he was an important person. Elder Soares told Fernando to go on a mission. On Saturday, he was able to meet Elder Soares again and report that he did serve a mission (with us in the Michigan Lansing Mission) and express his gratitude for that counsel. He learned that Elder Soares was an Apostle of the Lord, a special witness of Jesus Christ, when he was here on a mission. 

We greeted all our missionaries and posed everyone for the photo. We sang Called to Serve,  and Hermana Samantha Santos offered the prayer, which was tender because her father, who is deceased, is from Brazil as is Elder Soares. She feels a special kinship with this Apostle. As the prayer was being offered, we heard the door open, and we knew that the Lansing Stake President David Rawson had arrived with Elders Soares, Nielson, and Johnson. Elder Soares greeted us, we posed for the photo, and then Elder Soares, Elder Nielson, Elder Johnson, President Heap, and I stood in a line to shake the hands of each missionary as they left the cultural hall and went into the chapel. Hand sanitizer for all after that great moment!

There is no way to capture everything that was said and felt during our two days with Elder Soares, Elder Nielson, and Elder Johnson, but here are a few things we never want to forget:

• Elder Soares told us that the most impressive missionaries are the ones who reflect the Savior in their faces. That light is what we are striving to share!
• Elder Soares’ tenderness to a woman who pretty much ambushed him leaving a meeting on Sunday. We were standing nearby and didn't hear what they said to each other, but his kindness to her was evident. Later he told me that she had lost hope in the future. He was able to speak to her about our loving Heavenly Father and the gift of His Beloved Son Jesus Christ. Whatever else Elder Soares said to her, it was clear that she walked away with her hope restored. In that moment, I saw a living Apostle of Jesus Christ do what He would do if He were here.
• Elmer and I had several meals with Elder Soares, Elder Nielson, and Elder Johnson. One lunch, it was just the five of us. It was a special opportunity. We wanted to listen to them, and Elder Soares wanted to get to know us better. He expressed his appreciation for us as mission leaders often. We felt very loved and appreciated. 
• One of the meals we had with the stake presidents in our mission and their wives, and the Detroit Temple President and Matron President Kaplin and Lesley Jones. Elmer asked Elder Soares if he would be willing to share with us what he's observed in watching President Russell M. Nelson lead that could bless us in our leadership responsibilities. Elder Soares immediately began wiping his eyes and said he couldn't talk about the Prophet without great emotion. The two qualities that he shared that are most remarkable to him are that President Nelson leads with love and that he listens carefully. He then shared stories with us about President Nelson that showed those two things for about 25 minutes. It was incredible.
• Elder Nielson encouraging us to be "a faithful echo" as we lead in all that we've been taught by the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve.
• One important reason for us to not label or judge others, Elder Nielson said, can be found in 2 Nephi 9:41, "[T]he keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel, and he employeth no servant there." 
• Elder Johnson taught us how every rising generation needs to be taught the word of God. It is an imperative duty to help them increase their faith. 1) Help them understand identity - The most important identity that we truly need to know and understand is that we are sons and daughters of God.  2) Give them opportunities to be still and have personal, spiritual experiences. 3) Help them understand the joy of repentance.

Since that weekend, we saw four wonderful missionaries depart on April 25th. They stayed five extra days so they wouldn't miss the chance to hear from Elder Soares. It was great to have them in the mission home, and we ate a little too well. We flew to Washington, DC for a mission leadership seminar with the other 18 missions in the North American Northeast Area. It was the first time Elmer got on a plane in almost two years. We were able to attend the open house for the Washington DC Temple on the first day it was open to the public, which was such a marvelous experience. Learn more We spent two days Up North interviewing the missionaries in the Traverse City Zone. Then we went to Big Rapids where we helped Elder Soares interview and record (on Zoom) some of our missionaries and new Church members to help him in a training he will give in June to new mission leaders. It was a special experience for Elder Luke Nichols and Elder Brandon Field to interact with Elder Soares as well as Mark and Kate Wilson, who were recently baptized. We were able to hold our Mission Technology Council in person here in Lansing followed by our Mission Leadership Council all in one day. Both groups gathered for lunch in between the meetings, which was a great sight, except for the part where I forgot the paper goods like a rookie. As usual, our office missionaries, Elders Campbell, Millward, and Baird came to the rescue. 

We spent Mother's Day in Manistee where a new branch in the Traverse City District was created. Later this month, the Cheboygan group will also become a branch. It has already been approved. We think that the Grayling group will become a branch in the fall. If you are unfamiliar with congregations in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, most members serve and attend church in a ward, which is part of a stake. If the congregation is small, it is organized as a branch. If you have a really small number of people participating (sometimes humorously defined as "three people on a sofa"), it is called a group. On Sunday, about 60 people were at church in Manistee. It was a special day. We came back to Lansing to have the interviews with the Lansing Zone on Tuesday and Wednesday. Wednesday afternoon, we drove to Grand Rapids to pick up Elder Randall Bennett of the Seventy and his wife, Sister Shelley Bennett. They were coming to Michigan so that Elder Bennett could preside as the Visiting General Authority at the Traverse City District Conference over the weekend. They were kind enough to come a few days early to be with us for Zone Conferences on Thursday and Friday in Grand Rapids and Mt. Pleasant. Half of our missionaries gathered in each place. After four straight days with us, I am sure they were Heaped out and ready to go onto their next assignment. It will be our last mission tour with them as they have been transferred beginning in August to the North American Central Area. They will be greatly missed and have become dear friends. Another time, I can write about Elmer's driving - only a couple of red lights were run (one from a complete stop), no one was impressed when he had his hands off the steering wheel ("driving with my legs" 😬), and some pretty impressive parallel parking, going into the parking spot anyway. We are all alive, that is the important part. Elder Bennett's recommendation was that I continue praying always. These episodes may be why in part that Elder Bennett told the Traverse City District that there are two or three men who are equally as impressive mission leaders as President Heap, but there are no mission leaders as great as Sister Heap. 😊

We love you all,

Elmer and Amy

The Transfer!

If you have ever ridden around Michigan in the t-van, you know.

New missionaries, Elder Anderson, Elder Rackham, and Sister Wilson arrive just in time to have Elder Soares come to the mission.

Elder/Chef Ethan Campbell's dream of cooking dinner for newly arrived missionaries in the mission home came true. Fernando Mejia (one of our returned missionaries) drove over from Chicago to be his sous-chef.  

In the mission home

The Assistants like to tease me by saying, "Sister Heap, we're going to McDonald's. Want to come?" 😬 Countless are the times I have spoken to the missionaries about nutrition and sleep. But here is Elder Anderson's last wish in the mission coming true. It was the quintessential McDonald's experience: Everything was a bit dirty and sticky, the food tasted pretty good (especially those fries), the company was fantastic, and later we felt a little sick. 

With the office elders and senior missionaries who help inspect missionaries' apartments. We have so much support in our mission. We couldn't do it without these great people!

With one of our great mission nurses, Sister Tuell

Saying goodbye to Sister Sheldyn Hawea, Elder David Anderson, Elder Hayden Sexton, and Elder Jake Evans. We will miss these great missionaries until we are together again!

The Assistants: Elder Tueller, Elder Kibbey, and Elder Anderson

Alexandria, Virginia

If you are anywhere near Washington DC, go see the temple. Doors are open wide.

Some Zoom time with Elder Ulisses Soares, Elder Brandon Field, and Elder Luke Nichols

In Big Rapids - Elder Nichols, Elder Field, President Heap, Elder Cryer, me, Kate and Mark Wilson, Elder Rasmussen, Elder Reese

Not my flowers (they are Sister Cryer's), but Happy Mother's Day anyway! Never fear, Elder Tueller and Elder Kibbey got me flowers.

One more at Elder and Sister Cryer's apartment in Big Rapids - this was a great day!

Our day in Big Rapids helping Elder Soares was also our 38th Wedding Anniversary, which ended with us sharing this $4.23 meal at Costco. The Kind bar on top of the ice cream sundae was brilliant. We will have other anniversary celebrations in coming years that will be a little fancier, but none will be more memorable.

With Sister Mamata and Sister Porter  (who also gave me a Mother's Day flower) 

Blurry photo - sharp MLC!

More from May 6th Mission Leadership Council (still kicking myself that I forgot the photo for Mission Technology Council)

But we do have this photo of possibly the shortest missionary (Sister Anthon) and indisputably the tallest missionary (Elder Squire) who both serve on the Mission Technology Council.

An outing with our senior missionaries in Holland

Found the tulips in Holland

If you love tulips, you need to put Tulip Time in Holland, Michigan on your list.

Windmill Island Gardens - Holland

Big Sable Point Light - Ludington

Ludington - Sunset on Lake Michigan

When you come to visit your mission leaders, your mission president might make you a really great milkshake. Yay! -With Addi Neuenswander and Heidi Hatch

It's spring. The frogs are back. I thought this one was a rock at first.

With Elder Randall K. Bennett and Sister Shelley Bennett

A shout out for service! These missionaries of the Lansing Zone muscled up, smiled, and helped to move, by hand, 20 tons (40,000 pounds) of food from pallets to 13 food pantry trucks in less that an hour and a half. It was nothing short of miraculous! 

Our former missionary, Breelle Daniels (in front, yes she got a shake) needed to drive from Utah to New Jersey and decided that Michigan was on the way. She came with her roommate, Becca Farris, who it turns out is Mark and Jan Castellano's cousin (her grandparents are Joyce and Wes)! Their friend Nate they met 24 hours ago, but he needed a ride to summer sales so he is getting an earful about how great missions are! 🤩 We feel such joy to see these wonderful former missionaries so happy and still doing great things. Bree and Becca recently helped a friend who had joined the Church receive her patriarchal blessing and go to the temple.

And a few gems from the home front (both family and returned missionaries who are so good to keep us in the loop). Love them all!

Jane and Ammon

A ride in a fire truck for Bennett and Brady's last t-ball game

The Bennions are ready to go to San Diego! 😎

If Andrew is there, the little kids are happy at church. (📷: Julie Kantner)

Jane likes to sleep with a basketball. You know this makes many people in our family proud.

Gavin graduated from BYU. Maeve was impressed.

And all our kids showed up to surprise him, which made us especially happy since we couldn't be there. Go Cougars!

The surprise!

The Heap Family of Pacific Beach Ward at a baptism (📷: Marianne Gary). 😍

Aunt Lindsey is in the kitchen with Liv and Eloise

Tyler is coaching Eloise in soccer. Looks like Olivia is the assistant to the coach.

Eloise

Gathering in Utah for Elder David Anderson's talk in church about the mission - Toa Anderson, Matthias Dunn, David Anderson, Dallin Kemp, Zach Burnside, Trevor Murray, and Ashley Muñóz-Manzano.