Ashley has Opening Night tonight!! Three cheers!!

Ashley has Opening Night tonight in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Coat!!!  She says it's the most dance intensive show she's been in!  Don't break a leg Ashley, but do your best!  She has a piano recital tomorrow for her students at the Layton Library.  Her family is so busy!

     Annette has a blog!  Her family drove cross country and back from Arkansas.  Amazing, that is a long way.  They saw 4 National Parks:  Mesa Verde, The Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon and Yellowstone.  They went to Albuquerque, New Mexico--a special family place, and had a fluke meeting with Andrea and her family at the Temple!

     Andrea and her family are settled in Sacramento.  They've done a terrific job and are down to the final last details of hanging pictures, etc.  The kids ride the bus to school and have enjoyed their first week. 

     Amy and her family went on a weekend retreat to see the sights at CEU, Price, Goblin Valley, etc.  Little Grace will get to see where her Mom went to school and her Dad played football, and all the places the Schmidts had great experiences at.

     Darren and his family finished Education Week at BYU.  Teaching the youth, and adult classes in family, parenting and marriage was exceptional!  There was a line for his autograph!  They sure had a variety of camps this summer for the kids and the whole family!

     Brent finished Matthew and is on to writing for the new edition of Jesus the Christ!  Wow, I loved that book.  Dad gave it to me when we were first married and we read it together.  Then I read it with the ladies in my ward just before we left home.  Their house is being framed and they have picked out all the color schemes, and all that fun stuff!

     Dad and I are having a great time.  We had zone temple trips this week and next.  Two zones on Wednesday, the San Geronimo and Las Caobas, and today we had Independencia and Las Palmas.  We pulled the clothes for them and handed them out then stayed for the session today.  We have been teaching the Youth Sunday School class for August.  It is on marriage and family.  What a great family we have!  And what great families you each have!  We love you so much!!

I have a testimony of the importance of families and of working hard to be part of Heavenly Father's Family.  (Tengo un testimonio de la importancia de familias.  Son eternas!  Ustedes son mi familia.  Agradicia por cada uno! En el nombre de Jesuscristo, Amen.)

Con amor,

Mom & Dad

Artículo y video del Campamento de Diáconos en Bonao

Hi kids, take a minute and view especially the U tube short video.  Today the seniors took the day and rode by guagua (small bus) from the CCM (MTC) to camp Bonao.  (We worked Saturday so we could be out of the office today.)  Camp Bonao is the church's camp in this country.  It is set up like Heber Valley Camp in Utah.  They held EFY there  a month or so ago, and they just held Deacon's camp there.  They are trying to build up a stronger priesthood base in this country.  They began with the young people, the deacons!.  See what you think.  It's pretty awesome!  You are each of you supporting this wonderful world wide church!!!  We are so proud of you and all that you are and do!  The Church is in good hands with you!!

Love,

Mom & Dad

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Rob Dunford <rrdunford@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, August 19, 2013 9:32 AM
Subject: Artículo y video del Campamento de Diáconos en Bonao

Several of you have asked to see the video of the recent Deacons' Camp event, ECOS, at Bonao.  Over 600 young men and their leaders participated in a first-ever, 3-day experience planned and carried out totally with the wisdom, hard work, and inspiration of our Dominican brethren:

 

·         Article (in Spanish) on the event, with the video, in our Church Newsroom of the Dominican Republic, prensamormona.do

·         The video by itself on YouTube: http://youtu.be/Ps_w37GQR1o

 

A big Thank You to Sister Jill Johnson for her skillful editing. Feel free to share these links.

 

Love and best wishes to each of you,

 

The Dunfords

 

P.S. There is more English information on our blog, jilldunford.blogspot.com

Erickson Newsletter Article July 2013

Hi all! 

     We've had a great month.  We welcomed a new senior couple the Clawsons from Kaysville, Utah and 12 new missionaries who we oriented in two separate days since some who had been waiting for visas were finally able to come.  This picture was taken in our apartment at a dinner welcoming the Clawsons and saying farewell to Elders Reeder and Pitti in the office.  We go to the office everyday. We took blueberry and strawberry muffins for Memorial Day, took the office to a buffet for my birthday, served up the cake the mission presidents' wife had her maid make me from my birthday, and we brought Mom's apple crisp and cherry cobbler for the 4th of July. 

     Jim is working hard at teaching the Aaronic Priesthood lessons each Sunday.  These strengthened youth will be the future leaders in this area.  Today I played a do,re,mi scale as one of the four sister missionaries assigned to our branch, Sister Moronta from the DR begins to lead our branch choir and wants the singers to try for their parts:)   Yesterday the AP's and office elders invited us to go to the Aquarium with them for our P day. We had a great time. 

     What a blessing to be on a mission and have a great family at home that are "baking us up" as Dad once said.   

Quick Update on Everyone

Hope each of you is fine, pray for each other.  Annette's been to the hospital with her pregnancy. Caleb is doing double duty.  His folks finished up with Walmart and have gone home. Ashley and Kelland are each in a performance, he the Complete Works of William Shakespeare comedy, and she in Joseph and the T.color coat.  We were sorry to hear that Jake's grandpa passed away recently.  Hope we told you all that Jake spoke at his grandpa's funeral and did a wonderful job.  He and his grandpa were very close.  And Amy played the music and Grace sat nicely and didn't have to be taken out:). Andrea & Ross move this next week, he sold their car, washer and dryer in just a day!  The trouble with her jaw was discovered.  Amy & Jake are hosting a family dinner tomorrow.  Grace finally likes baby food and is almost crawling on knees!  Darren & Jolynn finished EFY at Jordan Institute with 422 kids and 39 counselors!  Patrick sang in the talent show and was in a skit.  Maylin and Cameron watched the kids not in school.  Brent & Judith are busy getting their house built, finishing translating Matthew and documenting notes and commentary, gardening, and are preparing to move to Idaho.  We love you all so much!!

Mom & Dad

Elder Kirk's Email

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: James Schmidt <schmidt.james@myldsmail.net>
Date: Wed, Jul 31, 2013 at 11:17 PM
Subject: Re: Thank you for the photo
To: Benjamin Kirk <benjamin.kirk@myldsmail.net>

Wow, those are great scriptures and insights.  Thank you so much Elder Kirk.  And thank your parents for the nice visit.  It was great they came in the office and we got to meet them, and then to see you all at the program was fun too!

       Thanks for all you did Elder Kirk to help us!  You are a terrific missionary.  We watched you handle lots and lots of problems easily and calmly and with strength!  And in the meetings you conducted very professionally!  I'll never forget the first day in the office when you called the Stake Presidents to let them know their missionaries were coming home!  Wow, you were great on the phone.  It was like you made calls like that every day, and yet it was your first time with only a day or two experience of being in charge!

     Good luck in everything.  Are you going to work now, head to Utah State in the next few weeks?  Good luck, you will handle it admirably!

The Schmidts

On Sun, Jul 28, 2013 at 2:51 PM, Benjamin Kirk <benjamin.kirk@myldsmail.net> wrote:

Yeah no problem. It was fun being in the office and being spoiled so much by having you. You both are so charitable. 

One of my favorite scriptures is Words of Mormon 1:7.  A lot of times we don't know why the Lord tells us to do things. Even Mormon didn't exactly know from the beginning why he had to write and compile the records. But when we trust in the Lord, we don't always need to know everything. HE does and will lead us.  

Some other ones are Ether 12:27 and Moroni 10:32. I'm grateful that perfection is a process and that we have the enabling power of the Atonement to help us be better than we could be by ourselves.

Hope all is well in the DR! 

-Elder Kirk

On Wed, Jul 24, 2013 at 7:48 PM, James Schmidt <schmidt.james@myldsmail.net> wrote:

I was wishing I'd had my camera that day!  We're grateful for the picture and also for the time we got to share with you in the office, Elder Kirk.  You are an amazing person and we wish you the best in everything you do.  Say, I'd like to mark my scriptures with one or two of your favorites if you'd like to share.

Thanks and have fun on your new adventure!

Luv,

Los Schmidts

Explaining the mission...

Sister McEwan, so good to hear from you!  How wonderful that your son is coming.  It is a great mission.  We have a great mission president, President Rodriguez. We have 236 missionaries in our mission. They are absolutely amazing.  They see a lot of success.
     We just attended a cultural program tonight, the USA Cloggers from SLC.  A great event for members and soon to be members!  The senior couple that we were sitting with, the Area Legal and his wife who is doing media for the area just gave me a new web site that will continue to grow.  It is Caribe.lds.org.  She said on the left in that site is Obra Misional to click on.  I haven't tried it yet.  In fact, I didn't know I had a blog until my daughter emailed that you'd left a comment and she had the link to my blog where she had added letters or comments that we'd sent to family or friends as our mission progressed.  What a shock, and what joy!  
     Anyway, I will check our mission data tomorrow to see your son, see if we have sent you a welcome letter from our mission, and get one off to you if we haven't. 
     Good luck in your preparations.  We look forward to meeting your son.  He will be a remarkable missionary!  He has a great family sustaining him!
Thanks for the correspondence,
 Sister & Elder Schmidt, office specialists in la Mision Oeste.

Chantal --A tormentous or big storm

Hi Ellen!   Thanks for thinking of us.  Tons of rain.  It looked like continuous raindrops, just a sheet of water it was coming so fast.  There was flooding everywhere,  We're on the 3rd floor for our apartment, and mission office 2nd floor,  so we didn't have a problem, but the water was coming in the ground level.  The elders moved desks, refrigerators and mattresses that were in the water's way.  We had big deliveries a few days before and they couldn't get them all out before the storm hit.  

     The first day the elders dropped us home at night and took the truck to the area where they are assigned for Church,  discussions, etc. and then picked us up the next morning, so they didn't have to walk or do taxis, since there was tons of water everywhere.  They dropped the cleaning lady Ramona to the other side of town so she wouldn't have to ride on the back of a motorcycle/walk to find one etc.  The water was swooshing around trees and sidewalks, half way to the top of the tires, and we have a big Hilux truck..  The next day it rained continuously and then stopped by evening.   Today the front lawn of the mission office looks pretty dry, you'd never have guessed there was a foot or foot and a half there just yesterday.  When it rains you look out to the ocean and the runoff from the city makes the water all brown.  Further out it is blue.  It drained pretty good off the streets, not sure around houses.  That's probably why they have a mosquito problem here. 

     It was amazing how fast and furious it came down, all the lightening and thunder that was all around us.  They say since the temple was built here that the storms seem to go around.  So hopefully they will continue.  Thanks El!

Love,

Susan

(Note: The response above was written in regard to email from Ellen: You've said nary a word of hurricane Chantal--did it miss you completely? No wind or rain? Can't imagine what it's like to live through something like that. Hope things are going well. -EA)