Easter Update

To the parents of our dear Sisters and Elders in the ELM,

 

This evening I ask myself, “What would I want to know if my child was serving a mission in the UK, where officials report that the coronavirus appears to be leveling off but is still a significant concern?” 

 

I will first start with the small and simple things we are doing to enhance your missionary’s physical and mental well-being.

 

We are strictly enforcing the policy of the European Area Presidency and the Prime Minister—STAY HOME. Missionaries are allowed to go out once a day to get some fresh air and exercise. They may shop occasionally for essentials. The stores are enforcing spacing, and often there are lines to get into them. We have permission for missionaries to use some of the chapels (not all) three hours during the day. They must be in walking distance of the chapel as there is a no-use policy for public transportation.

 

President Checketts and I are doing our interviews with each missionary by Facebook Messenger Video. It has been a wonderful experience, and I am happy to report that your missionaries for the most part are doing very well. I personally have had them share scriptures with me that are their “go to” scriptures during the lockdown. I want to assure you that their choices bear witness of their testimonies and desire to do the right things. 

 

We have held a virtual Zone Conference that all missionaries watched. Most of it was is real time, with the exception of some pre-recorded music and training by missionaries. We actually sent it to all of you and hope you were able to watch it.

 

This past week we had a Zoom Mission Leadership Council. Our hearts were met with joy as we felt the strength of the leaders and their wisdom. I will refer to my training a bit later in this letter.

 

Every day the missionaries receive an email from the European Area Presidency with messages of encouragement, ideas for online proselyting, and music.  

 

Each night at 9:30 (21:30), we have a mission-wide Zoom call. I know we have already mentioned this. We begin with a music video created by a companionship. They adapt a Disney song to their coronavirus experience, changing the words or creating a setting. I have to tell you they are delightful!

We then turn the time to Elder (Doctor) Sumko to report on the virus and what we can do to stay safe. President or I then usually give a missionary thought.

Sometimes we will do a guided meditation. (We also sent out a meditation that I recorded. Many report that they use it every day). We end with the Hartvigsens reading from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. It warms our hearts to see our elders and sisters cuddle up with their blankets. On Fridays we have a quiz on gospel topics. Missionaries speedily text in their answers one question at a time, eagerly waiting to hear who won and what prize they’ll receive. President Checketts takes the prizes very seriously and has come up with some fun and motivating ones.

 

At the end of our Zoom call on this past Thursday, we opened our fast together, and after the prayer, the tech elders showed a video compilation of the missionaries doing the Hosanna Shout. We had asked each companionship to record themselves doing this with President Nelson on conference Sunday. It was so moving to watch these faithful missionaries as we listened to music and President Nelson in the background. We have provided the video to the missionaries, and they can share it with you, but please do not post it on social media. 

 

Yesterday, Good Friday, we had a special Zoom call at 5:00 (17:00) to close our fast together. President Checketts offered a beautiful prayer as we joined with the rest of the world to unite our faith that this pandemic will end, that our healthcare workers will be protected, and that the economy will recover. How blessed we are to be led by a living Prophet!

 

Tonight our Zoom call included thoughts on the Atonement of Jesus Christ as we prepared our hearts and minds for Easter Sunday.

 

Tomorrow is transfer Sunday. The missionaries will be called to let them know if they will stay in their areas or be leaving. It is an unusual transfer. We will not be getting any new missionaries at this point, and we are sending about nine home. That means we will have to close some areas. We are happy to let you know that in the next couple of weeks, we should be getting some missionaries from the UK who have been sent home from their missions. After their mandatory quarantine, they will be assigned to our mission, and we will welcome them with open arms. 

 

Just a couple of other thoughts before I bring this to a close. Each missionary has a copy of Adjusting to Missionary Life, a book full of ideas on how to stay emotionally healthy on a mission. It is very up to date on the most effective interventions, and I highly encourage our missionaries to use it. We have also allowed missionaries to call home an additional time during the week. 

 

The most important thing President Checketts and I are doing at this time for your missionaries is to remind them that they are children of a loving Father in Heaven, who sent His son to atone for their sins. We invite them daily to come unto Christ.

 

Preach my Gospel states: “As your understanding of the Savior’s sacrifice, also known as the Atonement of Jesus Christ, grows—your desire to share the gospel will increase. You will feel as Lehi did the great importance to make these things known to the inhabitants of the earth (2 Nephi 2:8).” Helping missionaries understand the Atonement of Jesus Christ seems most important to increasing both their own desire to come unto Christ and their desire to bring others to Christ. 

 

During Mission Leadership Council, I tried to help our sisters and elders understand the promised blessing of the Atonement: being able to return to God’s presence. Helping others understand this blessing and the blessings of peace and joy will help them change. Because it is hard to change, Preach My Gospel counsels: “People need a reason to change their thoughts and actions. Promised blessings provide powerful motivation to obey God.”

 

The only way to increase our desire to do missionary work is to increase our understanding of the Atonement. I have invited the missionaries to join me in improving our understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, an endeavor that deserves our best efforts, our most intense thoughts and increased understanding. 

 

This evening I went out for a little walk to get some fresh air. Very close to the Hyde Park Chapel is a large Catholic cathedral and next to it a small church, Holy Brompton Trinity of the Church of England. In the adjoining garden, there is an amazing contemporary bronze statue of the prodigal son being embraced by his father. The son hangs suspended in the air because his father is literally bearing the weight of the son, who is in his arms. It is an embrace of care and safety. 

 

Elder Tad R. Callister teaches that an embrace is a physical symbol of the Atonement: “This reconciliation between God and man is figuratively and literally symbolized by an embrace.” We are promised throughout the scriptures that His arms are outstretched to us. Lehi, for example, taught that he was “encircled about eternally in the arms of his love.” I love Neal Maxwell’s perspective that the Savior acts as the gatekeeper of the celestial kingdom not to exclude people but to personally welcome them back home. He is waiting for us with open arms. 

 

This beautiful image is relatable to our missionaries. What child does not feel safe in the arms of his or her kind and loving father? Parents, although you cannot physically hug your missionary at this time, President Checketts and I are here to remind them that the Savior is there for them, and because of His perfect love, He waits for them with open arms. We are also here to remind them of your love for them and that they have been promised the blessing that their families will be watched over while they are here serving their missions.

 

Please know of our love for all of you, for your children, for a living prophet, for the restored gospel, and for the Savior, whose matchless love brings peace and hope to all. 

 

Please feel free to reach out to us at any time. 

 

I hope you have a lovely Easter Day as we remember the blessings of the Resurrection for us and our families.

 

With warm regards,

 

Deb Checketts