Personal

Please share this with those that have helped.

Good Bishop, relatives and friends,

I wanted to send a personal note to the leaders and the Saints that have contributed to our mission. I wanted them to know that through their contributions we remain here and that without their help that our contribution would not happen in this area of the missionary effort. So far people seem to be pleased with our effort and we hope and pray that the Lord is pleased and accepts our offering.

We pray for your every blessing. I know from personal experience the blessings that come from assisting missionaries in the field. Most of your burdens get lighter and usually personal matters get better. More importantly you know that what you are doing is the Lord's will. This is such an uncertain time when it comes to money matters that it makes me even more appreciative of those efforts. Tell these great Saints that the Oakland/San Francisco area is now the largest mission in the church. Tell them that the brethren must feel the Lord's guidance as we do his will. That there must be more souls to harvest, lives to be touched and more opportunities to gather the elect here than any other part of the world or why would that be?

We feel the Lord's hand in all that we do here. It is a struggle at times especially for Sister Heaton to sometimes even get up in the morning. Sometimes the nights are long as we receive calls from ailing missionaries or President Wade. The Lord knows our limits and as missionaries he tests our metal I think to see what our resolve is. As we sacrifice all that we have, even every ounce of strength, he continues to show us that with the divinity of our Heavenly Father within us that we can do things far beyond our natural capacity for such things. All we have to do is show the faith and resolve to follow Him.

We have been very frugal with those sacred offerings that we have received. Many of the senior missionaries out here are pretty well off financially and even they feel the burden. This is one of the very most expensive places to live but one of the most rewarding for missionary work. I would like to share with you this scripture taken from the dedication of the Kirtland Temple. Our bodies are temples of the Lord and with our spirits, the Lord can dwell therein. We can be that light shining on the hill as the Oakland temple is. But it takes many to bring that light to shine. You are the ones that help us try to be that shining light.
D & C 109:77-80

77 O Lord God Almighty, hear us in these our petitions, and answer us from heaven, thy holy habitation, where thou sittest enthroned, with glory, honor, power, majesty, might, dominion, truth, justice, judgment, mercy, and an infinity of fulness, from everlasting to everlasting.

78 O hear, O hear, O hear us, O Lord! And answer these petitions, and accept the dedication of this house (or our mission) unto thee, the work of our hands, which we have built (or served) unto thy name;

79 And also this church, to put upon it thy name. And help us by the power of thy Spirit, that we may mingle our voices with those bright, shining seraphs around thy throne, with acclamations of praise, singing Hosanna to God and the Lamb!

80 And let these, thine anointed ones (those that have contributed to our mission), be clothed with salvation, and thy saints shout aloud for joy. Amen, and Amen.


With eternal gratitude for your sacrifice,


Elder and Sister Heaton