Mission Update

Dear Family,

It is about time that we sent you an update on the California, Oakland/San Francisco mission. First interesting point, at least to me, is that there is another descendent from William Heaton my Great, Great, Grandfather, who was the very first missionary for the church and our Heavenly father, serving with us here in Oakland. Sister Jensen and her husband from B.C.. Canada Her mother is Geneveve Heaton Gubler who is still alive in Laverkin. Her mother lived in our ward when we were in the Laverkin first ward. Her Great Grandfather was Christopher Beilby Heaton Williams first born son who was born while he was on his mission in England. Sadly they are going home on the 15th of June.

After meeting with the Jensens they recommended that we stop by AAA and get some maps so we obediently did. While on the way I about ran into a car on the freeway so Sister Heaton suggested that we make sure our accidental life insurance policy with AAA was still in force because if we wreck and I die she wants some money out of it (I guess spiritual blessings aren't enough!). While getting the maps they sent us back to a life insurance agent accidently (we only wanted accidental life insurance not whole life or term life which was this mans department). Mike Movaghar after seeing our name tags got so excited that he asked we someone sent us to him. Turns our that he graduated from S.U.U. in Cedar City. He had a great experience there and in S.L.C. He raved about how Mormons and Muslims are very close and how wonderful we are and how decidant society has become and please take the gospel to the black people because they need it the worst. I asked if he had a B.of M written in Farsi his Native tongue? He is from Iran and I thought it might help in his understanding of the gospel. He said no so I told him that I would bring him a copy, which I did yesterday. He is not ready to join the church, but he said that if we need any help to just ask him. I asked for some referrals, he offered none at the time but will. We are going to stay in contact with Mike whose real first name is Ishmael which means "God Heareth". We know that God has heard him and that we were sent to offer him another chance to hear the gospel message and invitation to be baptized into the true and living church.

We are living in the Temple apartments. small but in our budget ($20 per night). I found out that the Temple President Richard Hunter is Howard W. Hunter's son. His wife is a joy and he is a wonderful man. Nice to have good neighbors!

Sister Heaton is working hard learning her calling and I am moving furniture and inspecting apartments. We have been assigned to the Oakland 9th Ward, an inner city ward with a Bishop tha was assigned from outside of the ward by the Stake. About all are ethnic other than caucasion. It's a beautiful boquet of Heavenly Fathe's children. One of the members is a former member of the Genesis Ward. This was a ward set up in S.L.C. before Declaration 2 in the D &C for black members. Wonderfull people with wonderfull spirits. truly God's humble elect.
President and Sister Beck our mission president and wife are making the most of their last couple of weeks. they are a most wonderful couple and have Quite inspiring! The highliter for me was when one of the elders totaled a car and when Pres. got there the officer was about to throw the book at the Elder would have charged him with wreckless drive etc. When it was our turn to speak, I told them tha while we were in training at the church office building and elsewhere that when we asked about the Becks everyone had nothing but great things to say about them and the mission and then when we arrived and got that great welcome by the whole mission it made us want to say in our loudest voice, "HOORAY FOR ISRAEL". Everyone laughed.

Well that is all for now. We will try to keep you all informed. We are having the best experience that missionaries this old can have. the gospel is true and please don't miss any opportunities to share that wonderful message.

Elder and Sister Heaton (Mom and Dad)