Volume 10 Issue 54 December 2011

Elder Andrew Santiago
Utah Ogden Mission 12-27-2011
Elder Santiago is currently serving in the Syracuse area of Davis County as a Zone Leader. His companion is Elder Mansell from Allen. The Collin County connection is having an incredible experience working together as they will both complete their missions and return home in December. Their plates have been full, and it never ceases to amaze us how busy he is teaching, and the growth of the church he has seen during his time in Utah.
Elder Santiago attended his final temple trip with his Mission President and other missionaries that will be returning home in December. He and the other missionaries spent the day at the Salt Lake Temple and Temple Square. He called it one of the most amazing and spiritual days of his mission. His mission President was able to take all the missionaries in the group on a behind the scenes look at Temple Square and the surrounding Church facilities.
Elder Santiago is in the final days of his mission. He will arrive home in Plano on December 27, and report his mission in the Plano 4th Ward on January 1. His stay will be short lived as he will have to be back in Utah the first week of January to attend school at the U of U. He told us that he has mixed feelings. He is excited to be home, excited to be in school with his sister at The U, and anxious to get back into football as a Ute. However, leaving his mission behind will be tough. He has had a phenomenal experience in the Utah Ogden Mission, and while it will never be the same, he is excited that he will be in close proximity of people that he has grown very close to.

President & Sister Martin
California San Fernando Mission 7-2012
President & Sister Martin have been busy with health problems. Not our own, but missionary health problems. Two nights ago we spent the night in the ER with a missionary. He was admitted to the hospital.
We are glad to report he is now out and on the mend. Sister Martin no sooner got home from that incident, than she found herself back in a hospital waiting room for a surgery for a different missionary. This time it was planned. He injured his ankle months ago on a hike (don't show off for your district elders), and has now had a screw put in to stabilize it. He will go home to Canada after his two-week check up and recover for several months before coming back out to complete his mission. Other than a few health problems, our mission is doing very well. We are so grateful for this opportunity to serve our Savior.
Our baptisms will be slightly higher this year than last. Of course we always hope for even greater success at finding those scattered Israelites who are among the people in our areas. We report that Adam has completed all the requirements for his visa. Now it is in the hands of the powers that be to give him passage into Brazil. He is completing his semester at BYU-I and will soon be back with us in California to wait for his February 22 departure.

Elder Kenny Midgley
Ecuador Guayaquil North 9-2012
Elder Kenny Midgley A consistent theme of Elder Midgley’s mission is Member Missionary Work:
“This week was crazy. We followed up a reference a member gave us and met a great couple. They are enthusiastic and receptive to the Gospel. They read the chapters and pamphlets we leave them, accepted a baptismal date, showed up to the weekly branch fellowship night, and came to church for the first hour. They only need to get married, their family, who are members, told them they would have to before they could get baptized and it did not seem like that bothered them.”
A mission is a time of growth and learning, and you never know when or where an opportunity will spring up:
“Wednesday we had to go back to Guayaquil, this time to get some medical exams done. The results will come in tomorrow. When we got back to Ventanas we met the new missionary Elder Da Silva. He is from Brazil and is teaching me how to speak Portuguese and a little bit of Japanese and I´m helping him out with English. It´s pretty cool because in the house we switch between English, Spanish, and Portuguese. He says I speak better than the North Americans who are learning Portuguese in the MTC in Brazil.”
Heavenly Father will help missionary work if we use the Book of Mormon:
“This week we have been walking a lot more because Ecuador has been on holiday. We contacted a lady and as I shared about the Book of Mormon I felt the spirit more strongly than I ever have before with an investigator, her entire demeanor changed. At first she was all apprehensive and would not stop talking about how all religions are good and worship the same God, and when it finally clicked in her mind what the Book of Mormon is, she was asking how much it costs and where she should start reading it.”
Elder Kenny went tracting recently with a familiar family (see pic attached), is getting ready for Christmas (see pic attached), and misses Texas just a bit (see pic attached).

Elder Rob Calcote
Uganda, Kampala 5-2013
Elder Rob Calcote emailed home. “So in Addis Ababa, there are two branches, Megenanga, and Bekulobet. BOTH of them have an American branch President. I guess the Ethiopians are not as effective at running a branch. It's not a racism thing, but more that it's really important that the branches grow quickly at this time.
The branch President of Bekulobet and Megenanga got together and with their families they threw together a thanksgiving feast!! and invited all Ethiopia missionaries to join them! Man, the house we ate at was a MANSION! 5 story house! and Really nice quality (by American standards!)
They had all the food you would see at an American thanksgiving! My personal favorites was the stuffing, and ROOTBEER!!! It was very very nice, and nice that I only 1/2 missed thanksgiving. 1/2 of it is the food. 1/2 is family! but I will only have to miss one more: then we'll feast together in 2 years!
Besides that, not a lot happened this week, just your typical missionary work! One of my favorite investigators yet desires to be baptized this next Sunday, I PRAY that things will work out for him. People here are usually just lukewarm in their conversions at baptism and then the full conversion takes many months after that... Oh well! It'll be a nice milestone for him... Yosef is his name by the way.”

Elder Matthew Willardson
Guatemala Guatemala City South Mission 8-31-2013
Elder Matt left for his mission three months ago! He continues serving in Las Brisas, a suburb of Guatemala City. Matt’s companion, Elder Barrios, has nearly completed his mission and he returns to his home in another part of Guatemala in two weeks. Matt will likely remain in the same area, with a new companion. He loves the ward he is serving in and says the members are very helpful and friendly to the missionaries.
In his latest email, Elder Willardson was excited to share the news that they have three baptismal dates scheduled this week! He is especially thrilled to have a brother named Cesar and his family join the church. As Matt explained, “They have told us numerous times about this feeling of overwhelming peace and joy that they feel when we talk about, attend, or visit with members of the Church. I know that Heavenly Father has answered our prayers to prepare these people’s hearts to hear our message, and I am eternally grateful for that blessing.”
Among their many activities, Elder Willardson and Elder Barrios have been teaching English class on Saturdays. They also spend time looking for investigators by mingling with people in public areas. In the photo below, Elder Willardson and his companions share pamphlets about the Plan of Salvation with families visiting the cemetery in Las Brisas on the holiday known as “Dia de los Muertos.”
On a recent P-day, Matt and other elders from his zone went to visit some local ruins in a place called Mixco Viejo. The grounds were filled with little mini-temples, one of which is still intact and has been standing about 1500 years.
Our family loves hearing Matt share his testimony! In his words, “I love telling people about eternal families because it’s one of the greatest blessings I have in my life. I love sharing my testimony with others. Cherish the Book of Mormon, because without it we would be searching for answers we could never find. I love the scriptures and on my mission so far I have tried to learn what it means to "feast upon the words of Christ."

Elder Kevin Stanfill
Idaho Pocatello MissionOct. 2013
Elder Kevin Stanfill said, “Idaho is cold. Yesterday morning, the car thermometer said it was six degrees outside! It is amazing.
This week has been good. We finally got to meet two young men who we have been trying to catch for two weeks. One is sixteen and a recent convert to the Church. We are trying to teach him the importance of the priesthood and his new responsibilities to his Ward. The other is seventeen (almost eighteen) and he is going to be baptized on December 17th. His folks are not thrilled about him meeting with missionaries and being baptized, but he knows it is true. Elder Kendell and I were able to help an elderly couple this week out on their farm. The Smiths. Brother Smith never really received an education after his mission, and he loved farming so much that he never really thought about retirement until it was too late. Now he is getting older and he relies on his children to help him with most of his work. But he is about as nice a person you will ever meet. He will talk your ear off about his mission and his life, as humble as it has been.
I have come to learn that there are some of the most humble people in the world here. They work hard for not a whole lot, but still love God and thank Him for what they do have. And they are so friendly to us missionaries, even those who are not interested in our message. I remember going out with the elders in Plano, it was a lot different.
I guess I've really come to realize that I do not deserve these amazing, faithful people I am able to teach, but they do deserve the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That is what really matters. This has really helped me understand that I am nothing without the Lord. I am merely an instrument in His hands, and it is so wonderful to be guided and directed by Him . love the work in which I am engaged, and I know it is the Lord's work. I love all of you and I look forward to hearing from you.”

Called To Serve
Elder Adam Martin
Brazil São Paulo Interlagos Mission
Feb. 22, 2012
Adam's mission call packet arrived October 7th just as we were finishing our monthly mission staff meeting. "Get out the steamer!" exclaimed Elder Johnson who gets the mail for us. (He knew Adam had instructed us to overnight it to him unopened to Rexburg, ID where he is attending school). It was a large envelope addressed to "Elder Adam Joseph Martin" so we were pretty sure of what it was. Even though we were late heading up to Bishop, California (about four hours away) for our next meeting, Jerry (a.k.a. President Martin) and I headed over to the UPS store where we promptly sent it on its way so that Adam's eyes could be the first to gaze upon it. (Shame on all of you who believed I could not do this without peeking at it first-you know who you are). Today surrounded by several friends with some family members on the phone, Adam opened it. He is called to the Brazil São Paulo Interlagos Mission. He leaves on February 22, 2012 to report to the MTC in Brazil where he will begin learning Portuguese (and how to teach the gospel in that language). We are so excited for him! He will really be paying attention in the Missionary Prep and Book of Mormon classes he is taking at BYU-I. Adam's brother-in-law Brett Boren and his cousin Jason Haslam both served as missionaries in Brazil as well.

Volume 10 Issue 54 October 2011

Elder Joseph Calcote
Georgia Atlanta Mission 11-2011
Elder Joe Calcote Last week's question, "Tell me about a gospel precept that you did not have a strong testimony about before you left, but now you do." And I answered, "fast offerings" but didn't tell why. So we get about $4.35 to spend each day on food. For most of my mission, I'd give about 5 dollars in offerings each month. Then we were out on a team up with a member and I asked him to share a lesson he'd learned about the gospel that I could apply to my life. He told me that he had found real blessings in following the Lord's commandments to give 10% of his income as tithing and a generous fast offering. But he'd found that the real blessings can be found in anything extra you give. There are so many blessings that are attached to tithing, but if you go the extra mile and pay 12%, or double your fast offerings, that's where you'll really see the miracles.

So I took his advice and doubled my fast offering from $5 to $10. That month we totally ran out of food about 3 weeks in. This was while I was serving in Lost Mountain with Elder Schneider, so we had plenty of meals with the members, but for some reason this last week looked oddly void of dinners on our calendar. I can't remember if we forgot to pass around the calendar or what happened.

We were out and about, discussing our miles situation. With the new addition to the ward and no added miles, we were in a tight spot there too. I remembered a sister in the ward who had offered her bike to us if we needed it, so we decided to stop by and see if the offer was still good. Not only did she let us borrow the bike, but without any suggestion from us, she unloaded her refrigerator and pantry to us because she was going out of town for a couple weeks. We had more than enough food to get us through the rest of the month, and plenty more than that extra $10 would have ever purchased.

Elder Joe Calcote flies back to Utah and his Dad’s on Nov 2, so this might be his last Preaching Fourth submission. We hope to see him in Plano over Thanksgiving!


Elder Andrew Santiago
Utah Ogden Mission 1-2012
Elder Santiago Elder Santiago excitedly wrote to us recently announcing that he was staying in Bountiful for another transfer. He has loved the opportunity to be in his current area and constantly talks of the great work that they are able to do there. He and his companion have been very busy and trying to keep up with he teaching opportunities that they have.

His mission was recently blessed with the opportunity to have Elder Bednar, Bishop Burton and three members of the First Quorum of the Seventy. He remarked that it was the single greatest learning experience he had ever been a part of. Elder Bednar taught them about the Spirit, he taught by asking questions and letting us be taught by the Spirit. He said it was so enlightening. He saif that Elder Bednar stood as they began the conference and said, "Never again will any of you be in a setting like this, so treasure this experience and take every advantage of the Spirit, because none of us on this stand are will teach you anything you'll remember. Only the Spirit can do that." It was one of the greatest weekends of my mission.

He says that the biggest challenge of the weekend was fitting in four separate baptisms so that they could meet the needs and baptismal dates of their investigators while freeing up the time necessary to attend the mission conference. He said it was a scheduling challenge that he wished he could have every week!

We received a call from the mission office this last week letting us know that Elder Santiago has an official release date. He will arrive in Dallas on December 27. We decided that this is one of the best Christmas gifts we could have ever asked for!





President & Sister Martin & Adam
California San Fernando Mission 7-2012
President & Sister Martin and Adam We are doing great out here in sunny (mostly) Southern California. We are already in the last quarter of the year. Our baptisms if we keep up the same pace will be slightly higher than they were last year. We will pray that we will do even better than projected. It is so wonderful to hear the stories of the recent converts. Sister Martin listened to one man who joined in a neighboring mission, tell of how he was searching for the truth. He prayed and was told by the Spirit to take his little four-year-old son to the near-by park the next day.
Meanwhile, the two missionaries assigned in his area were doing their evening planning for the next day. They felt impressed, and so planned to go to that same park to do contacting. When they arrived, the man knew they were there to teach him. Those who are part of scattered Israel are out there, ready and waiting. We just need to be in tune with the Spirit to find them. Elder Golden of the Seventy and his wife came to visit us for a mission tour last month. (They come from South Africa originally.) It was so wonderful to have them here with us. They provided the main training for our three zone conferences. We learned so much from their trainings. Normally, we have six Zone conferences for our ten Zones. Adam is doing great up at BYU-I We are waiting for his mission call to arrive. We will overnight it up to him so his eyes will be the first to look at it.
Life is exciting. We love our mission!


Elder Kenny Midgley
Ecuador Guayaquil North 9-2012
Elder Kenny Midgley has learned where old actors go for retirement: Ecuador. He recently found Herbie the Love Bug just hanging out in the streets of Guayaquil. (see picture attached)

In Ecuador, it is a good thing to be a dog person, as there are dogs everywhere. He reports, “Most dogs seem to get along with me. But my comps freak out because I usually walk straight up to dogs when they are barking at me. I have only been bitten once, but that was in Balzar and that sucker snuck up on me.”

If you wonder what to send to Elder Kenny, he reports that, “Those teriyaki beef steak nuggets Mom sent out are delicious. I’ve been rationing them out eating one a day but they are slowly running out.”

In case you are curious about what Mission life is like, here is a day-by-day account of one week:

“Monday, we had dinner again with the evangelist missionaries. We basically kept getting to know one another and didn´t really talk about our specific beliefs, but near the end of the conversation we talked about the temple, and one of them seemed really interested, and we felt the spirit. Slowly but surely.

Tuesday, our entire Zone came over to our sector to do an invasion (tomorrow we are going to do another one in a different sector). It was pretty successful as we got seventy-one references and two baptismal dates. All of the missionaries were pretty stoked and want to do invasions in their sectors.

Wednesday, we taught an evangelical preacher about the Restoration. He was super nice and receptive and said that he wants us to keep visiting him, though he did let slip that he wants to learn more about how the church is organized and how it is run (probably to mimic it in his church).

Thursday, we taught one of the people that accepted a baptismal date during the invasion. He is a teenager and an inactive Seventh Day Adventist. It was pretty funny because he kept going off in different directions, and he told my comp that he is boring and needs to change if he wants anyone to listen seriously.

Friday, we got Maria and her kids ready for their baptism on Sunday”, the fruits of his labor (see picture attached)

Luckily, Elder Kenny is in an area where he will be able to watch all of the sessions of the General Conference with his companion (see picture attached); the stake center is only an hour away by bus.



Elder Rob Calcote
Uganda, Kampala 5-2013
Elder Rob Calcote We had a small training from Elder Cook, cool guy, super energetic (who is speaking this general conference, keep your eyes open). I didn't really get to talk to him, I guess he had more important things to do. He talked a lot about families, and how we ought to just teach people in families and also teach people a lot more before they're baptized, because there’s retention problems in our mission... cool training, I will apply it and see the blessings.

Thanks for the picture of the Payson Temple, I can't wait to go home and be able to visit temples often. You never really appreciate them until the closest one is 2000 miles away.

These last 3 weeks Elder Fakahua and I have been having fun in Hawassa, getting stood up at programs. Getting yelled at. Searching for families, and it looks to me like it's finally paying off! we had a COOL family guy who speaks good English and has 2 young children come to church! He loved the Sacrament program and wants to come back with his wife! the Lords really paying us off for our efforts, here’s another cool blessing i've seen.

So for weekly planning, Elder Fakahua and I "planned" (prayed and hoped really) for 50 in sacrament meeting, we've been having 20-30 every week. Elder Welch heard the goal and said it was unachievable. yesterday we had..... 51!!!! hahaha it was cool! really though, it was really really something special! We’re going to be moving into hawassa today and I cannot wait to be able to work harder and get better numbers!

I am not sure if we'll get any baptisms this transfer, but at least we'll leave the area a lot better than we found it!

Elder Matt Willardson
Guatemala City South Mission 8-2013
Elder Matt Exciting things are happening with Elder Willardson! He has now been in Guatemala for ten days and he is working hard to learn how to be a good missionary. He completed his three-week stay in the Provo MTC on September 19th. He loved his experience there. He was able to go often to the Provo Temple, which he calls “El pastel de salvacion,” (the cake of salvation) because it looks like a huge cake with a candle in the middle! While in the MTC, the missionaries heard from Elder M. Russell Ballard, who gave them great advice about obedience. Matt’s branch president also taught them that “Obedience brings blessings. Exact obedience brings miracles.”
On Monday, September 19th, Elder Willardson flew down with his companion to Guatemala City. He has been assigned to an area called Las Brisas, a neighborhood that is not far from Guatemala City. It has huge hills and Matt tells us that “hiking up hills is a lot harder in Spanish than it is in English!” His first companion, Elder Barrios, is a native Guatemalan. He speaks very little English and Matt is still struggling to learn Spanish, so they are working on their communication skills. They take buses to many of their appointments and Matt says it is easy to get to know future investigators when you’re about three inches from their face for a 15 minute bus ride!
Although his Spanish is still a work in progress, Elder Willardson reports that they are currently teaching several investigators and have two baptismal dates set. If all went according to plan, Matt was able to perform his first baptism last Sunday for “Luis!” According to Matt,” the Lord’s marvelous work is going well among His beloved people in Guatemala! They understand what makes one happy in this life, and teaching them is absolutely wonderful because they just ‘get it’.”
Elder W is off and running. We are sure it will be a wonderful adventure!



Soon to Depart to Serve
Elder Kevin Stanfill
Idaho Pocatello Mission Oct. 2013
Elder Kevin Stanfill departs on Tuesday October 11th and Skyler Thiot will pick him up at the airport and take him to the Salt Lake Temple for a session and then he will take him to the MTC early Wednesday morning. Kevin spoke in Sacrament meeting last Sunday and did an outstanding job. His Dad and Step Mom were able to come and it was a great meeting. We look forward to sharing your mission with you Kevin!


Elder Adam Martin
Waiting for Mission Call to Arrive

August 2011 Volume 10 Issue 52

Elder Adrian Etherton
Idaho Boise Mission 7-2011
Elder Etherton is HOME! He returned on July 20th to a very happy Etherton family. Interestingly enough, Plano 4th ward has a new missionary serving from Boise, Idaho. He was in one of the last areas that Elder Etherton served in. He and Elder Christensen were good friends in the mission field. Adrian spoke in sacrament meeting upon his return and did a fantastic job. What a lot of great experiences the Lord blessed him with. Welcome Home Adrian!



Elder Joseph Calcote
Georgia Atlanta Mission 11-2011
Elder Joe Calcote has been serving in East Alabama in an area included in their mission. He has been experiencing the power of keeping a journal and reviewing the lesson you learn over time. He has both fun and interesting experiences to recount.

Neat experience! Someone threw their drink at me! As we were biking along, a truck drove passed with the windows rolled down. From the corner of my eye I saw something thrown out the window to cross my path in front of my face. I didn't realize until I heard it hit the curb behind me that it was someone's 48 oz, probably watered down, coke. I didn't get much on me, but it's a good thing I was wearing a polyester tie that day. Now, who can say that they've had a Big Gulp thrown at them for the Lord?

A member of the ward, Bro. Beesley, is a wonderful gospel teacher. He's the current institute teacher and has taught seminary for a lot of years. Months ago the elders in the area asked him if he would be willing to teach a Bible Study class mid-week at the college, to which they would be able to invite their investigators. He took up the challenge with much enthusiasm and has been teaching the class ever since.

Elder Andrew Santiago
Utah Ogden Mission 1-2012
Elder Santiago continues to love mission life in Utah! He reported recently that, "this week was amazing! Here in Utah they celebrate this thing called Pioneer Day...It's even bigger than the 4th of July! They have carnivals and parades, it's tons of fun! The best part was that our Zone (about 20 of us) got to be in the parade here in Bountiful! It was so cool! We walked around and handed out candy to little kids and waved at everyone! The funniest thing was that they stuck us right behind the Miss Utah float, and right in front of the University of Utah float, and right next to the Lutheran Church float (but the Lutheran float only lined up next to us before the parade actually started, they were really like 20 floats in front of us). haha It was all really funny. When we found out we were behind the Miss Utah Float I told everyone, "Well, I hope y'all Studied Virtue this morning!" As you can see, life is never boring for Elder Santiago!

Elder Santiago was also informed that Elder Bednar, two members of the 70, Bishop Burton (The Presiding Bishop of the Church) and all of their wives will be visiting our mission on the 20th of August. When Elder Christofferson came recently, it was at his mission president's request. This visit was scheduled by Elder Bednar. He says that having a General Authority visit is always amazing. The spirit they bring is intense and incredibly motivational.
It is hard to believe how fast time is racing by. Even Elder Santiago commented in a note to us that he was amazed that his 18th month mark had come and gone so quickly.

President & Sister Martin & Adam
California San Fernando 7-2012
President & Sister Martin and Adam are plugging along in our third year of being on a mission. We continue to have our testimonies strengthened as we serve our Heavenly Father and His Son. We also enjoy helping the missionaries catch the vision of this wonderful service.

Along the way, we are enjoying being in the wonderful Martin family and seeing it grow. This past Thursday, July 28th we welcomed a new daughter-in-law Sara Davis who was married and sealed to our son Jerry in the Los Angeles Temple. Sara grew up in Plano and even went to Seminary with Jerry. They got to know each other in the singles ward there in Dallas. We are also excited to hear of the news that a new grandson will be joining the family about Christmas time. The proud parents are Kara and Justin Martin who will be living in our home until we get back.

Adam has graduated from Hart High School. He then attended Trek with the youth of the Stake. On June 22nd he turned 19. He is getting ready to attend fall semester at BYU Idaho and will be submitting his papers for a mission just before he leaves. It is hard for President and Sister Martin to realize that they are going to be empty nesters. We have enjoyed having Adam as a part of the mission. The missionaries will miss his trademark chocolate chip cookies

Elder Kenny Midgley
Ecuador Guayaquil North 9-2012
Elder Kenny Midgley Change is a good thing, and Elder Kenny is loving his new area back in the big city after serving 7 months near the jungle. He is benefitting from having had only Latino companions, so his Spanish is rocking. And, he is seeing first-hand the benefits of Member-missionary work:

"Ok, so Rio Amazonas is amazing compared to the last sector. Paved streets, lots of stores, the youth are psyched to go out and teach with us, the chapel is air-conditioned. Most of the members compliment me on my Spanish, say that I don’t look like a gringo (one sister rails on me pretty hard for not being tall), and have said that I seem like I could be from Manabi, Chile, or Colombia." [See pic of youth member missionary with Elder Kenny]

"This week we had some baptisms, so that was an interesting experience. We’re going to have to work closely with the members so that the new converts stay active and come to church without us waking them up in the morning and taking them in a taxi. They did come to their baptism on their own so that is promising."

Elder Kenny says that some investigators are more stubborn than others...[See pic of one of the most stubborn investigator he has encountered]

p.s. If you want to see bats up-close-and-personal, serve a Mission in Ecuador: they are everywhere, including in your apartment. [See pic of bat]

Elder Kyle Midgley
Ecuador Quito 9-2012
Elder Kyle Midgley The Mission always holds interesting experiences, and Elder Kyle has learned about taking advantage of where one is to make the most of things:

“In the last 3 weeks we have had 3 baptisms. Not bad. We found three cousins, all nine years old. Gold mine. Their moms are all members and are just starting to go back to church, so this one pretty much fell right into our laps. Daniella, Cristina,and Melanie. They are all super cool.,.. It was cool teaching them and getting to know their families. We had some hardcore opposition with Cristina [from her extended family, but her Mom did the right thing.] After the baptisms, Daniela's mom invited us to eat lunch with them on Sunday. Ceviche de Camarrón. My favorite. So bomb.

"2 weeks ago I had the opportunity to go visit my Grandma in North Quito (San Carlos). [It was] amazing. She's awesome, and I can just feel how much she loves me. Oh, and she is a great cook. She fed us really well. We talked for a long time about pretty much everything. She showed me a bunch of photo albums of me as a kid with pictures I haven't ever seen before. She also whipped out some old photo albums of my Mom. Way cool. Being here in Ecuador has helped me to understand how my Mom grew up.

"One of the pictures attached is of me with a bear, well actually a huge Rottweiler that I chill with. Enjoy. This thing could easily eat me.”

[NOTE: Kyle has returned from his Mission to resume his studies at USC and be an example to his non-member friends in Los Angeles.]

Elder Rob Calcote
Uganda, Kampala 5-2013
Elder Rob Calcote is serving in Ethiopia right now and loving it. Some excerpts from his letters: Reproving someone is like boiling a carrot or an egg. When you boil carrots, they become soft. When you boil eggs, they become hard. It isn't our job to choose how people will react, but our job to provide the boiling water. And if led by the spirit, both shall be edified (DC 50 21-22)

Elder MacMillan and I are learning Sedamic, one of the local languages: we are making a song out of the words Kaero (hello) and Heetoetee (how are you) it's kind of basic, but fun too! and it makes people laugh. The children love missionaries and seek them out in the streets. It is very edifying to make an impression on the youth. There are so many investigators there have been a lot of baptisms. They had 13 baptisms in one day!

Soon to Depart to Serve

Elder Matthew Willardson
Guatemala City South Mission 8-31-2013
The Future Elder Matt is making progress on his mission preparation checklist. His wisdom teeth came out three weeks ago and his remaining Typhoid and Hepatitis A vaccinations are on the “to-do” list for this week. Matt has an appointment later this month with the Texas Department of Public Safety to be fingerprinted and to undergo a criminal background check, which is a requirement for his visa application to travel to Guatemala. He has been practicing his missionary skills by going out to work with our new missionaries, Elder Sinclair and Elder Christensen. He is not only “breaking in” his teaching skills, but he is also breaking in his new black walking shoes so they will be ready to hit the ground running in Guatemala. Things are getting exciting as Matt’s departure date draws near. D-day will be August 31st, when he will enter the Provo MTC to begin the “best two years of his life!”

Recently Called To Serve
Kevin Stanfill
Idaho Pocatello Mission Oct. 2013
What an exciting day it was when Kevin received his mission call to the Idaho Pocatello Mission. He wishes he could go tomorrow but is practicing patience as he waits for October. He is currently enrolled in the Temple Preparation class and is enjoying that and looking forward to being ordained an elder later this month and going to the temple. Elder Nielson, that baptized him, is coming to go to the temple with him along with Skyler Thiot.

Volume 10 June 2011 Issue 51

Elder Adrian Etherton
Idaho Boise Mission 7-2011
Elder Etherton is busy in his new area of Eagle, Idaho. He remains the DL, which keeps him busy . He and his companion have already had a baptism and are busy teaching. He had a special visitor from home. Becky Crandall was in the area and took Adrian and his companion out to lunch. He said it was so nice to visit with her and hear all about home. He only has 7 weeks left in his mission and wants to keep focused on the work. Go Elder Etherton!

Elder Joseph Calcote
Georgia Atlanta Mission 11-2011
Elder Calcote has been transferred again, his twelfth transfer so far. He is excited about all the new people he gets an opportunity to serve.
One of the wards they attend is the Young Single Adults, many of which are returned missionaries. He heard a parable that he shared with us: A young traveler passes an old man on the path to a village. "I'm looking for a new place to live, do you know what this village is like?" He asks the old man. The old man responded with a question of his own, "What was it like in the last village you left?" Without hesitation, the young man answered, "Oh it was wonderful. The people were friendly, the streets were clean, it was a very nice town." The old man looked him in the eye and said, "You'll find this village to be very much the same." The young man went happily on his way.
The next traveler to pass the old man says to him, "I'm looking for a new place to stay, do you know what this next village is like?" Again the old man asked, "What was it like in the town that you just left?" This time the traveler says, "It was terrible! The weather was poor, the people were mean and only tried to take advantage of you. The town was terribly dirty and unkempt." The wise man looked at him with pity in his eyes, "You'll find the same thing here."
He says: I've heard this before, but I hadn't realized just how applicable it is to our lives.

Elder Andrew Santiago
Utah Ogden Mission 1-2012
Elder Santiago has moved since the last Preaching Fourth. He is now serving in Layton, Utah as a District Leader and Trainer. He was recently invited to participate in a new program being released by the church focused on training new missionaries. It's an intense 12 week (two transfer) program that has a specific activity/principle designated and taught to the new missionary each day of the 12 weeks. At the conclusion of the 12 weeks, the new missionary is prepared to either train a new missionary or to be a senior companion. He loves the new program and has enjoyed being part of a new program that will significantly impact how our missionaries are prepared for and approach missionary work.
Each of Elder Santiago's letters talk of the miracles he sees and experiences everyday. He tells us that as he and his companion focus on doing all that they can to share the gospel and ask for the Lord's assistance that miracles present themselves at every turn.
It seems that as you attempt to gain insight into how well your missionary is doing, you have only to look at the level of happiness exhibited by his description of his activities. It is apparent that Elder Santiago is happy and loves the work he is a part of.

President & Sister Martin & Adam
California San Fernando Mission 7-2012
President & Sister Martin and Adam The big news is that Adam graduated from Hart High School on May 26, 2011! He plans to attend a semester at BYU-I this fall, put in his mission papers and get out on a mission early next year. We are proud of him. On June 1, 2011 we send home the Elders who were with us in the MTC and were the first missionaries we welcomed into the mission. Among those are two from Plano, Texas, Elders Scott Longhurst and James Berry. We are sad to see them go, but wish them well. They are both good friends of our son Christopher. The group we are sending home is the largest group we received. We will send home 22 missionaries and only 10 will replace them. This makes for a lot of changes in the transfer (and a big headache for President Martin as he decides which areas to close and condense). One of the big lessons of a mission is to be flexible. Soon, our numbers will be built back up again. We are rapidly approaching our two year mark. We cannot believe how fast time flies. It is so wonderful to see those people who are part of scattered Israel, recognize and act on the truth as they enter the waters of baptism. One of our new investigators ran into an Elder (literally). He did not see the Elder and hit him as he was biking with his companion. Luckily, little damage was done to the missionary or his bike. The driver has been turned over to the Spanish speaking Elders in the area to be taught. (Sister Martin discourages this method of "finding.”) We look forward to hearing news from our fellow Plano Fourth missionaries. We want each of you to know that we have a firm testimony of the truth of what you are teaching and the blessings your service will bring to your lives and the lives of those you bring to the Lord's kingdom.

Elder Kenny Midgley
Ecuador Guayaquil North 9-2012
Elder Midgley is putting on the miles on his shoes...on trails that are rougher than at Philmont. His work shoes gave up the ghost after only 5 months (see trails and shoe carcass attached)...now he uses black hiking boots.
He is learning perseverance through the "day-in and day-out" of the mission...and that they don't call it missionary WORK for nothing:
"This week really did go by fast. We’ve been working to find new people to teach. Most everyone has not really been that interested. But on Thursday a member took us to his neighbor’s house and introduced us to a family that seems like they will actually read the BOM and pray about it; the thing is we only go there on Thursdays. Also we visited an inactive member and her family and one of her sisters started to get interested in prayer and if God really does help us with our problems.
I’ve started studying the Bible Dictionary in my free time which has actually helped my understanding of the scriptures."
Elder Kenny is also enjoying the simple things in life, like candy and beef jerky from the US:
"Oh right I got your package with the balloons, glasses, skittles, and beef jerky. Thank you. We made animals and swords for one of the families who gives us lunch and they had a blast."

Elder Kyle Midgley
Ecuador Quito 9-2012
Elder Midgley is learning that you have to be physically fit to serve well on your mission:
"I am no longer in El Valle de Los Chillos. Bummer, actually. But I am now in Oriente Quiteño. This new sector is exactly the opposite of my last one. I spent the last 3 months of my life in a valley and now I am literally at the top of the mountains surrounding South Quito. Guys, the view from up here is intense. I can see all of southern Quito and most of central Quito, which is HUGE. The views from pretty much any part of my sector are breathtaking. It is a sea of houses and buildings. Needless to say, my legs are so sore. I am literally hiking this mountain all day long."
Luckily, he gets to let his hair down on P-days and went bowling with his District (see picture attached).
He is also learning about life in the wild:
"So when I was packing all my stuff up from my last apartment for the hour bus ride to my new sector I found something pretty surprising. Under my resistance cables for working out, there was a TARANTULA just chilling there in his next. Just so you know, I hate spiders. Not looking to lose a finger to anything smaller than me. I snagged a picture of him before scooping him up and flushing him down the toilet. Victory."
Elder Kyle met some people who thought he looked a lot like a missionary they knew 25 years ago in southern Ecuador (it was the smile that seemed similar). They brought a picture to show him and sure, enough, it was his mom, Jessica. (see attached)

Elder Rob Calcote
Uganda, Kampala 5-2013
Elder Calcote was thrilled to go out to the mission field earlier than his original letter. He and 10 missionaries travelled to the MTC in South Africa on May 18. They also got an opportunity to run into Elder Holland at the airport!
He is sending very short notes home, is very busy, going to the temple and learning the Preach My Gospel discussions. We are glad he made it half way around the world safely and look forward to hearing more about his mission!

Recently Called To Serve


Elder Matthew Willardson
Guatemala Guatemala City South Mission 8-31-2011
Elder Matt is excited that he received his mission call recently! He has been called to serve in the Guatemala, Guatemala City South Mission, and will report to the MTC in Provo, Utah on August 31st. He will serve in the Provo MTC for three weeks, and then he will go to the MTC in Guatemala City for six weeks. Following that, he will be assigned to his first area in the mission. It remains to be seen, how far his three years of high school Spanish will take him, as he prepares to serve! Matt appreciates hearing from several family members, as well as Plano Stake members who served their mission in Guatemala and have good advice for him. His mom is planning to put Matt through boot camp at home this summer, so he can learn some basic cooking and missionary survival skills. He is looking forward to Elder Etherton’s return in July, so he can get some first-hand advice about missionary work! Matt is already hard at work, keeping up with his scripture reading and studying “Preach My Gospel.” We are all very proud of his preparation and his willingness to accept the call to serve the people of Guatemala!
Elder Kevin Stanfill
Waiting for Mission Call to Arrive
Kevin Stanfill has just a few more ducks to get into a row and then his missionary papers will officially be in and he will be on the waiting for his call to serve list. Kevin just passed his one year mark of being a member and is so excited about getting to spread the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

June Preaching Fourth Articles Due May 29th Please

Hello Missionary Families,

Just a reminder for you that the June Preaching Fourth articles are due on Sunday May 29th. I'll look forward to hearing from you with an article of about 250 words and a couple of photos always make it more fun. Thank you. We are so excited about Elder Matt Willardson's call to serve. Laurie, we'd love to hear all about his call and where and when he goes with some pictures of that great young man.

Love,

Sister Thiot

April Edition of Preaching Fourth Issue 50

Elder Adrian Etherton
Idaho Boise Mission 7-2011
Elder Etherton is happy to see spring in Idaho. Spending the last four months as the District Leader in Paul has been rewarding. It has been with a humble heart that he performs all the tasks of that position. He has seen so many blessings that have come to his area through the countless hours of work that all the missionaries do on behalf of The Lord. He knows that relying on the Spirit to guide him has helped him lead. The savior promised," If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me". He has put the Lord and His work first in his life. He feels blessed to have three more months to serve. Go Elder Etherton! What an exciting announcement from President Monson about a Temple to be built in Meridian Idaho! Yahoo!

Elder Joseph Calcote
Georgia Atlanta Mission 11-2011
Elder Calcote A fun tracting story: First door, no luck. Second door, "We're cool, we're cool." Third door--No answer. By the way, it's pouring rain. We are walking up the super long driveway to the fourth house and I am silently praying, "Heavenly Father, unless you give me the impression to knock on the next house, we are leaving after this one." Remember, Barnes and I have already tracted here. I take a long look at the next house and listen. Nothing. So we arrive at the fourth door and knock. It opens and for some reason I use a door approach that I've never used before, "Hello, my name is Elder Calcote. I'm from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. May I come in?" To our utter amazement, the man opened the door the rest of the way and walked back to the living room, where he turned off the TV and waited for us to join him. He is one of the most sincere individuals I've ever met. It was a little strange to talk to him at first, because we practically let ourselves into his home. But soon we got him talking about him, and we learned a lot. He loves God, loves reading and especially loves his family. Prayer is a very important element in his life, and he wants to know if the Church was restored though Joseph Smith. He's golden, and he'll make a valuable addition to the Spanish Branch and the Kingdom of God. We saw him again yesterday morning, but after that we handed him over to the Spanish Elders that cover the area. Another fun story was an interaction with a Seventh Day Adventist, where she said Mormons are deceived and mislead, particularly about the creation. I went back to the basics and shared my testimony. During the time I was bearing testimony of the Book of Mormon, the Spirit's presence was really powerful. Two people I hadn't even known were there stuck their heads out of the open car windows of the SUV that was next to us to listen. It was such a neat experience to see the Spirit touch those people. I invited them to visit mormon.org if they were interested in learning more and then we left. That was probably the coolest experience I've ever had with contacting someone who wasn't interested.

Elder Andrew Santiago
Utah Ogden Mission 1-2012
Elder Santiago has moved since the last Preaching Fourth. After a wonderful experience in Logan on the campus at Utah State, Elder Santiago was called as a District Leader and transferred to Clearfield about six weeks ago. The area had seen mild progress before he and his new companion from South Africa arrived. Over the last six weeks, the work has really taken off and the entire district has recommitted to increase their efforts and as a result they are seeing increased activity and success.

Last week brought yet another change as Elder Santiago was called as a trainer for a new missionary arriving from British Columbia. He mentioned in his most recent letter that he is so "pumped" to train and can't wait to get to meet his new companion.

We've mentioned before that there are great perks that come with serving in a Utah mission. Once again Elder Santiago had an opportunity to attend all the sessions of General Conference and Priesthood meeting at the Conference Center in Salt Lake. As an added benefit (and with approval of his President) he was able to attend the sessions with his grandparents and a few members of his extended family.

He is happy, anxiously, and thoroughly engaged in the work and says that he is trying to take advantage of every minute of his mission.

President & Sister Martin & Adam
California San Fernando Mission 7-2012
President & Sister Martin and Adam are busy. The work never stops for us to even catch a breath it seems. We are swiftly approaching our two year mark. How time seems to fly when you are having fun and working hard. We just finished a series of leadership training meetings with the zone and district leaders. We will be in the middle of our zone conferences when this article goes to press. We have 10 zones with about 194 missionaries. (We had 6 zones with about 135 missionaries when we started). So even though we combine zones for the conferences, it takes us two weeks to get through a set of zone conferences. We are also kept busy training and speaking at stake conferences. We do find time occasionally to get out and do something fun with Adam. Adam is working on the Hart (high school) TV station. He received an A+ in his video production class for all the extra credit he got filming, editing and even occasionally starring in the podcast segments. He will be graduating this spring and shipping off to BYU Idaho this fall. He plans to get in one semester before he goes out to serve a mission himself. He will be missed in our mission. Our testimonies grow stronger as we see the miracles the Lord works through missionaries who are dedicated to His service. We feel it such a privilege to serve here in the wonderful California San Fernando Mission.


Elder Kenny Midgley
Ecuador Guayaquil North 9-2012
Elder Midgley is getting a real kick out of the kids in Ecuador, who are "everywhere". Popcorn in Sacrament Meeting would be a big hit in Plano… “Sunday was pretty fun. We sat in the back of the chapel during sacrament meeting, and this little girl named Scarlet comes up to me and starts giving me popcorn. I shared the popcorn with the kids sitting on the row in front of me. And then Scarlet (picture attached) starts going to all of the kids in the chapel to give them popcorn. Then a little boy starts helping her hand out popcorn.” Elder Kenny is taking time to enjoy Life around him… “Some of life´s simple pleasures: grape Fanta, taking turns with kids pushing each other in a hammock, eating roasted corn covered with cheese, playing Carnaval with the member kids, sleeping, eating rotten papaya...oh wait not that one, feeling the spirit.” He is having the opportunity to not only save Souls, but also pigs, like the piggy he rescued from a hole (picture attached) …and to take time to think about Life as well... “My goal is to not be judgmental and to be patient and understanding with those around me. This week I had a conversation with my comp about whether or not we were condemning people when giving them the opportunity to accept the Gospel in this life. I think that unless that person fully understands the decision that they are making that they will receive mercy. From what I understand so far about the judgment, we will be judged based on the combination of our intentions/desires, our words, and our actions.”


Elder Kyle Midgley
Ecuador Quito 9-2012
Elder Midgley has adapted to Ecuador, including both the Language and the Scenery… “I am pretty much fluent in Spanish now. When did that happen?? I had an hour conversation with this 9 year old kid named Kenneth (never thought I would come across that name here, ironic), on the way back to our apartment from a lesson. This kid was the man! We just talked about pretty much everything. Sports (Fútbol), food, the cool sites around Ecuador. It was a pretty incredible time. I could have talked with this little kid for hours. It was a great experience getting to know Kenneth and to make a short little friendship with him. I will never see him again, but I don't think I will ever forget seeing how I made his day a little day better and the image of him waving at me from the window as the bus rolled away from my stop." P-Days are a great rest from hard missionary work. It just takes a little effort to find something interesting to do... "Today for P-Day, my District hit up this monster Cathedral called La Basilica in Quito. First off, I LOVE QUITO. Second, this Cathedral was pretty awesome. A total tourist spot. I met people from the States, Scotland, and England. Pretty weird talking to someone other than my comp in English, not gonna lie. I can't wait to come back and visit Ecuador after my Mission. We got to go throughout the entire Cathedral. Up in the bell towers and balconies. It was way cool. You could see all of Quito, it's huge. The next P-day, we went a couple of hours up into the mountains to see a 30meter waterfall. Definitely a cool place, the coolest I’ve seen yet in Ecuador. Did I mention that this Mission thing is pretty cool.”


Elder Rob Calcote
Uganda, Kampala 6-2013
Some of you might remember Robert Calcote, who was in Texas with his mom and step-dad, Lisa and Tony Mane, from July to December 2010. He attended Collin College for one semester and worked as a photo specialist at Walgreens on Legacy and Alma. He went back to his father's home in Elk Ridge, Utah to submit his papers to serve a mission. He was very blessed to transfer to his local Walgreens as a photo specialist again. Jobs are tight in Utah, especially in his community. When his older brother Joe (Elder Calcote in Atlanta, GA who completes his mission in November 2011) submitted his papers, it took almost three months to get his call. So Rob wanted to get a jump on his calling so he got his papers turned in around the end of January. His 19th birthday was Feb 26th, so he assumed he would need to be patient to get his calling. Imagine our surprise when he got his "Letter" in less than two weeks! He was at work all of us family were on pins and needles for him to get home to open his calling. His first comment was that it had to be state-side since the letter was thin. Since there is so much blended and extended family, he had to make announcements in stages with lots of texting, phone calls and a phone tree for Lisa and her siblings. When he first texted Lisa that he was going to Uganda, Kampala, she thought he was joking since that was so exciting. He was very moved by his calling and we were able to get all the details on later phone calls. He will be English speaking and is already working on learning Swahili because he wants to have the best communication with his potential investigators. The Uganda mission also serves several neighboring countries and is right on the equator, inland in East Africa. He is in the midst of lots of vaccinations, small pox, yellow fever, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, poliomyelitis, hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type b, and pneumococcal invasive disease. He will get to take malaria pills daily. Airline tickets are already acquired leaving Salt Lake on June 6th, traveling through Chicago and London to arrive in Johannesburg on June 8th. He will trained at the South Africa MTC. Currently there are less than 40 missionaries in their mission. He has been instructed to only bring one suit to travel in, all the rest of his wardrobe is shirts and dress pants. His mission call could be variable due to the politics and security of Africa. We are ecstatic for him and know this will be a unique experience that will shape the rest of his life. Joe and Rob will miss each other as Rob leaves in June and Joe returns in November. But our family feels this is an excellent choice to serve the Lord and get their missions complete. Thank you to Plano 4th ward for welcoming them, for being available and supportive while both boys were trying to decide whether to serve a mission, and for all of your ongoing love, support, and excitement! It will be fun to get updates from Africa!

Volume 10 February 2011 Plano 4th Ward Issue 49

Elder Christopher Martin
Santo Domingo West Dominican Republic HOME!!!
Elder Martin is home. He is adjusting well to civilian life. He spoke in Church yesterday to report his mission. He spoke on being a member missionary and gave some wonderful stories from his mission. It is clear his testimony has grown as has his public speaking ability.
Editors note: Welcome Home Chris from the whole Plano 4th Ward. We are all crossing our fingers that you might have a chance to come and visit prior to returning to school. We would LOVE to see you and Bishop promises you a speaking spot whenever you can come.

Elder Adrian Etherton
Idaho Boise Mission 7-2011
Elder Etherton is enjoying the last six months of his mission. He found out that the Mission President is allowing him to return home in July, so that he can prepare to attend college that starts in August.
He is working hard to make sure he does all the Lord would have him do in the time left. Two weeks before Christmas he was moved to the town of Paul, Idaho. He was asked to be the district leader over a large area that covers many of the small cities around Paul. He loves helping the other missionaries and has made some great friends. He feels he is always trying to recognize the promptings of the Holy Ghost. He was in his new area not too long when he came across a man that had been attending church with his member wife for quite a long time. He felt that he needed to ask this man why he has not be baptized and the man replied that he was not sure when the time was going to be right for him. Elder Etherton feeling the spirit, told him now was the time and they set a date. Being aware that "the still small voice" has served him well these past 18 months, he wants to make sure the next six months are the best of his mission and help bring the gospel to many, many more people.

Elder Joseph Calcote
Georgia Atlanta Mission 10-2011
Elder Calcote wrote Let me tell you a story. In the year 2009 there were 50 baptisms in the Washington Tacoma Mission, in the year 2010 there was quite an increase due to something they started doing with their missionary work. Would anyone like to guess how many baptisms there were in 2010?" They started guessing, "150, 300?" That's about what I started guessing when I first heard the story. I guess I was a bit more
generous, I guessed 400 or 550. That is quite an increase. However, they baptized a lot more than that. "They baptized 1,700 people in the year 2010." We said to Bishop. They were pretty astonished. Who wouldn't be? That's South American standards, not liberal Washington. We went on to tell them that the retention rate has been 98%. "How?! Tell us how!" They all said.
"Church tours." That's the answer. There is a lot to it, but plainly put, people sift themselves as they decide whether or not they want to see what the inside of a Mormon Church is like. They get to see what all the rooms are like, hear about the classes, learn of the Restoration of the Gospel in the chapel, have a member present in every lesson, and come back next week to learn about the Plan of Salvation. The statistics have shown that people who come to one of these tours within 2 days of being invited have a 92% chance of joining the church, on the third day it goes down to 50%. So we shared all that with our ward, and the Newnan and Summergove Elders all shared it with their wards. All our bishops are on board for it, and our first tour is on Tuesday. This is going to be great. By the way, our mission baptized 400 last year, so if it grows here like it did on the west coast, we will baptize 13,600 this year. But, it's not about the numbers, it's about the souls :)

Elder Andrew Santiago
Utah Ogden Mission 1-2012
Elder Santiago is doing well and remains in his assignment on the campus at Utah State University. He reports that things are CRAZY!!! The missionaries recently convinced the Institute to do a Missionary Week and he reports that it was nothing short of nuts for four days. They picked up several new investigators and interacted with a huge part of the campus. Over the course of two days they served over 4,000 cups of hot chocolate and met over 5,000 students. It is hard to believe that Elder Santiago has passed the half-way point of his mission. He loves the Logan area and the opportunity he has had to work among the students because it is different proselyting on campus than being in a regular family ward. As a missionary, Elder Santiago has many opportunities to speak in church, often multiple times each Sunday. He recently shared how he starts his talks as he introduces himself and where he is from. He usually starts by telling everyone that he was not disappointed by being sent to Utah for his mission, because his brother was called to the Pocatello mission and he feels like he got the better end of the stick.

President & Sister Martin & Adam
California San Fernando Mission 7-2012
President & Sister Martin Last week we said good bye to eleven exemplary missionaries. That is always so difficult because they are leaders of the mission. We always wonder how we can do without them. Incredibly, the same number of existing missionaries (many trained by those who left) step up to fill their shoes. The MTC sent us 13 new missionaries to fill the spots left vacant by those we said good bye to. We are blessed so much to have them join us in the wonderful California San Fernando Mission.
In other news, Camie, Spencer, Benjamin, Joshua, and baby Dallin Carroll came on Saturday to be here for the Blessing of Dallin. He was blessed in the Newhall First Ward so that President and Sister Martin could be in attendance. His grandparents Dennis and Debbie Carroll also came as did his Uncle Bryan and Aunts Anne Marie and Celicia. Two families of friends also came up from Orange California where Camie and Spencer live. Justin and Kara Martin surprised us and came down from Provo to attend both the baby blessing and Christopher's talk.
We are also the proud grandparents of brand new baby Lilly. Jenae and Brett and her two big sisters welcomed her on December 30th. We are hoping they can come see us over Spring Break.
We know the gospel is true and the work we are engaged in is our Savior's work. We feel so blessed to be a part of it.
Elder Kenny Midgley
Ecuador Guayaquil North 9-2012
Elder Kenny Midgley is now in his second area, Balzar, which is located way out in the boonies near the jungle. It is a rural area with a lot of agriculture and is a special place where horses are raised. He loves the delicious exotic fruits and is enjoying the challenge of helping the little church branch get stronger. Kenny loves being around all the kids and has lots of little toys to help entertain them.
All of his companions so far have been Latinos, so his Spanish is getting a real workout. For physical workouts, he has rigged up a barbell with milk-jugs filled with rocks and water...that actually works well.
Like many missionaries, Kenny is finding lots of treasures in the scriptures: "I like Moroni 7. During our Executive Committee, I was asked to give the spiritual thought and shared a couple of passages from that chapter. Later the branch president asked me why a blessing of health might not work, and I directed him to Moroni 7 where it talks about the role of faith in miracles and the ministering of angels. We talked some more about that and they asked me to give the closing prayer. My companion said he felt the spirit burning strong during the meeting and especially during the prayer. I did too."

Elder Kyle Midgley
Ecuador Quito 9-2012
Elder Kyle Midgley is still on the coast near the beach. His current companion, Elder Ward from Utah, is a great cook, so they cooked a delicious roast beast for their Christmas dinner.
Kyle loves the missionary work among both investigators and less active members. He recently baptized a lady who owns a small convenience store. She has always loved talking with the missionaries, and finally took the opportunity to really study and pray about what they taught her.
The missionaries in Ecuador do a lot of service projects, which is why Kyle was asked to take work clothes and a good pair of gloves to the mission field. Here is one example:
"Elder Ward and I had a great opportunity to provide service this week to an inactive family: La Familia Chavez. They have been inactive for almost 3 years, and were so eager for us to help them on the path back to attending church. Some of the children are now of baptismal age, so our goal is to reactivate the family, so the father can baptize them. They live in a bamboo house way up in the ridges of our sector. They live so humbly, yet are still such strong people. Their house is on a hill and every time it rains, the water runs down the hill and in through the slits of their bamboo walls. We spent our Friday afternoon digging a 2-3 foot deep trench along the side of their house. It took a long time, because the shovels they gave us weren't the most functional things in the world. We eventually got it all done, with the help of regular limeade breaks. I am so grateful for the time we had to serve la familia Chavez. Service is a solid way to show our love for the families we teach, and I hope I have many more opportunities like this throughout my mission."