All Missionaries of the Russia Moscow Mission Confirmed to be Safe

Sister Kris Larsen, mother to Elder Mark D. Larsen, Russia Moscow Mission informs:

You may have heard of the attacks in the Moscow Metro? President and Sister Cranney of the Russia Moscow Mission were quick to report and confirm the safety of all their missionaries to the families back home.

All missionaries are safe in their apartments, where they are told to stay until further notice. The explosions occurred during rush hour, which is during our missionaries' morning study time in their apartments. A report confirming the safety of all members is in progress.

The first few hours after the bombings the phone lines were so busy that it was very difficult reaching everyone as quickly as we would have liked. We have double checked to make sure that all of the missionaries are accounted for. We did have two sister missionaries at the airport, but have contacted them and had a driver pick them up and get them back to their apartment. There will be no Metro travel or name tags worn until they get further instructions.

Elder Jepsen - Mission Entry 54 - Easter Message

The weather is changing and we're back on our bikes again, it's wonderful and I have missed it! I can finally start burning some of all my winter fat. Woohoo!

Wow! Those pictures of Paul and Brittany are amazing! They look very happy together, and very together!

Eric met Elder Dane Christensen? Awesome! He had just barely started his mission in Denmark as I was leaving for the MTC... Wow...

What an odd sequence my mission turned out to be so far. Not that I mind, like Dad I like the road less traveled. Dad never was a flock animal either (you know, like sheep) more like the lone wolf, the leader of the pack that you gladly follow, but don't want to cross. But, thankfully my mission has been nothing ordinary: First I am called to serve in one mission, then due to changing visa-laws I begin serving my mission in my home country to not delay everything. I even get to serve in my old home congregation for a little while. After being on a mission for some time, I get my visa and can travel to the MTC (Mission Training Center). I get my training to learn what I have been doing, not that I didn't have LOTS to learn (the MTC was a great experience and I enjoyed learning more of what I was to do). Then, well into the timeline of my mission I get to go to the mission where I was originally called to serve, only to leave the country again to serve in the one corner of the mission that overlaps yet another country entirely, namely Canada where I was born. It's been a long trip to get here, but I am finally in the heart of the mission I were was first called to serve and I love it here too. My mission sure is a mission to write home about, in every way there is and I am grateful to be here!

When my current companion Elder Noffsinger and I talk about my past areas, we don't refer to a specific area but which country I was in at the time... it's pretty funny that it took me a whole year to finally get to the States.

I love that the Lord has a great sense of humor, and also the fact that he knows me perfectly enough to know what I need to experience on my mission. Here's just one example:
The Bishop in our ward has stressed ever since we began the program called "Mobilizing the Ward Mission" that we start with a hymn in the beginning of every single missionary lesson. It was NOT my idea, you know me! I was terrified of singing before and it took a lot of guts to do any public singing. I will NEVER forget my EPIC FAILURE of singing in front of 500+ people, but I really wanted to challenge myself.

When I heard that we had to start singing, my stomach just went into a knot... this was going to be TOUGH. I realized that if I had to do this I couldn't do it alone. I knelt down and just admitted to God that I was terrified (as if He didn't know, I'd bet He was expecting my call for help). I pleaded with the Lord that this needed to be a little bit more successful than last time I sang for others to hear.

At our first appointment after receiving our new directions to use song, we began with a hymn and you could immediately feel the difference. The singing was not fabulous and it was not the kind of miracle where we suddenly sang as if we had fifty years of professional singing behind us, but we followed the directions of our priesthood leaders and offered the Lord our compliance and obedience. Our offering was accepted and the response was immediate as the Holy Ghost made it's presence known. The Spirit was present and strong, and the awesome thing was that I had no problem with my expected fear and inadequacy. I just sang, and keyed in just great with Elder Noffsinger and since then we've just been singing everywhere we go. We even sang on the street once and now we have a baptism coming up because of it in three weeks from now. Words really can't explain how this feels!

Easter is here and it's a time where people are reminded of our Saviour. We are just running into people left and right these days, wanting us to teach them. We meet people on the street, who are truly searching for truth in their lives. It's amazing and I love it!

We're trying to get as many people to the upcoming General Conference as we can, because I know that can be a powerful experience. I can't wait, it's going to be amazing! If you humble yourself before God and open your heart, General Conference is a spiritual feast and always serves to confirm and remind me that our priesthood leaders are men of God. I am so grateful that Jesus Christ Himself truly is the one leading this Church, as He has said: "This is my church, and I will establish it; and nothing shall overthrow it, save it is the transgression of my people." (Mosiah 27:13).

Oh hint, hint! For a birthday gift... mormon.dk has a whole bunch of free download mp3 downloads with church music and stuff.... Please?

Love you all!
Elder Lee Jepsen

PS: Eric, give the Boulder a wrestle from me, please :) I miss you kiddo, STUDY "PMG" NOW, NOT LATER--NOW! To wield the force wisely, you must first know what it is! AHA!

Elder Jepsen - Mission Entry 53 - Amazing Faith & Willpower Endures Trials

This week has been a little slow as a lot of appointments have been falling through. Maybe people just want to get outdoors in the warmth after a long winter, rather than sitting inside listening to us teaching them? I'm fine, though. So many other things are working out well for us. I am happy and thrilled to be a missionary here in Minnesota. Things are going great and I'm enjoying life. I think my teaching has improved and the principles of the gospel make such perfect sense as I continue to learn. It's amazing how everything ties together in Christ when teaching the gospel. It's awesome and I love it!

We have the US Census is going on right now, so we filled it out and sent it in as it is required by law, even though you are not a permanent resident. I'm now part of the American records in Minnesota for the next ten years. They will know I was here years from now (well, they can know if search through enough records). 

I never got around to tell you that one of the members bought me a chromatic harmonica which I have been playing on in my spare time in the apartment. It's awesome and it's a nice portable instrument to learn while on my mission. I love it (I am not sure if my companion does, but he hasn't complained. I must hurry and get better before he stops me).

The same people who bought me the harmonica also provided an awesome opportunity a couple of weeks back. They introduced us to a woman in their building who actually has been a member since she was young, but never had much association with the church for various reasons. Now she is an active member and is like a sponge when it comes to learning about the gospel. She has an amazing faith and willpower. She is a single mother struggling with two very young children of which the oldest is autistic. It is obvious that her situation is stressful, yet she works very hard at fighting the trials and obstacles in her path, continually drawing closer to God and be cheerful. This woman has not only turned her own life around, she introduced us to a friend, another woman in the building, whom we also have been able to share the gospel with. I can never stop being amazed at how the gospel has so much to offer to so many! It's like pieces of God's great big puzzle all falling in place and working together as our Lord provides opportunities for his children to receive the gospel. I love it!

Gotta go now, but I love you all.

Elder Jepsen

South Pacific Cyclones - All Are Well and Safe in Fiji

President and I wanted to let you know that we are all well and safe in Fiji. Cyclone Tomas is in the South Pacific and is a category 4, but we have been very lucky that it is only brushing the edges of Vanua Levu and Viti Levu. It is a very slow moving cyclone (4 to 9 km an hour) so we have had plenty of time to prepare. All the missionaries have food and water and are obeying the curfew to stay off the streets. It hit Vanua Levu last night and will pass by Viti Levu tonight. This cyclone is approximately the size of Cyclone Mick that came through in December.

Warm regards,

President and Sister Ostler

LDS Church Offices:
The latest is that there is another cyclone that follows the other ones. Cyclones are generally active during the month of March. The latest news received from the Area Authority is that all missionaries are restricted to stay where their central locations or meeting places are at, and no one is allowed to be proselyting right now, they are all safe, and all communications are cut off from Fiji….

Elder Jepsen - Mission Entry 52 - God Lives and He Will Answer Prayers Coming From the Heart!

I feel so blessed, it is very nearly is overwhelming. The happiness resulting from seeing the change in people as they discover that God is there for them, that He answers prayers and understand your fears, worries and concerns is impossible to describe with mere words. It is truly an indescribable blessing to be here and I feel privileged to be a part of it.

Our snow just barely melted and all that is left is just some small stubborn remnants. I hear that Minnesota usually gets a surprise snowstorm in March, but we'll see.

We just had another baptism this week! It was great! It was of the couple that I told you about last time. It was great to see them make this covenant after such a long time of meeting with the missionaries. Forty-one people showed up for the baptism!

I love how I the Lord provides opportunities for me to learn and grow even though they usually never are easy. Oh well. That's why I am on a mission right?

My year-mark is coming up this week, halfway done already? This is going way too fast!

I am really grateful for the gospel. Recently we just found another family that had been looking for a way to bring their family closer to God, waiting for the gospel to come into their lives. It was obvious to us that as they have been seeking God, He has allowed gradually greater insights into His truths. It's awesome that God trusts us with families that He has worked with for so long. They are truly good people and they have a great desire to learn about the gospel. It makes you feel really small to be a part of something so great.

Love you all and I wish you the best. Miss you, but I like where I am and what I do. Looking forward to talking to you all for Mother's Day.

Elder Jepsen

Chile Earthquake Update by Temple President Ted Lyon

We've had a bit more time to find out details since the big quake. Cheryl's letter, written last Saturday just a few hour after the quake, was written in haste and was never intended to be a full report, nor did she expect it to "go around the world" as it has done. We had only two hours of sleep before the quake, and then she had experienced several hours of anguish and fear, plus having to rush to take care of several very real urgencies and emergencies. She wishes that she could recall, and then re-write that letter, since it has been reproduced almost everywhere.

What might we say with a week's perspective? First, the damage is much much more than originally reported or we realized. For the first twenty-four or thirty hours the Chilean news media didn't even report anything on a tsunami here, but covered happy tourists waiting to film something in Hawaii! The tsunami, reported here to be somewhere between ten all the way up to ninety feet in height (quite a variation; averaging the two might make a safe guess), did terrible damage, perhaps killing more and doing more damage than the earthquake itself. The reasons for this slow reporting are somewhat understandable - all electric power, microwave towers, and other base ground works for communications were down. Bridges were (are) out, roads were impassable, and most seacoast boats had been washed high up on the shore, or destroyed. No one really knew anything. Some few who had satellite-link phones could communicate. It was night of course (full moon though) and no one could take a picture of the tsunami. All coastal towns that I know here have a good warning system (sirens, evacuation routes) for tsunamis, but people in isolated areas did not have this advantage. The damage is truly terrible. Here in Santiago not so bad, but there are thousands here whose homes or apartment buildings were so damaged that they cannot return. Almost all modern buildings stood up very well.

The LDS Church is doing something. A lot. We are working through established ward, stake and mission structures. And this is good - we indeed "cover the territory," and know how to deliver aid. The first aid has been to members but where possible, and where real need exists, has extended to thousands of others. For several days the government wouldn't let relief from Church headquarters into the country. And the roads to the worst-hit areas simply cold not be used. We have several bishop's storehouses set up in and near the Concepcion area; a mobile hospital, have sent tons of water, food, medical, blankets, clothing supplies from here in Santiago. We have an on ground rep with a satellite phone who keeps in touch. All our missionaries are safe; I wish that concerned mothers would quit pressuring the Church for details (as they have done so loudly; hundreds of calls every day to find out if Johnny is OK). Trust the Lord, the call, the setting apart, the mission president and wife. Actually, I personally feel that where ever possible the missionaries ought to be out on the streets, trying to help people, all people, and not just holed up in a safe chapel waiting to "report in." (I may get in minor trouble for that last statement, but hey, I can express deep-seated feelings here). So far we only know of one member killed, some 900 homes of members destroyed (that's a huge number, and will grow) and major damage to 40 or 50 chapels. Many chapels, even here in Santiago, suffered minor damage, but hey - being alive, you can live fairly well with cracks in the walls, and broken or missing ceiling tiles.

Finally (I say "finally" only because this letter may already be too long and no one really wants to read 'too-long' letters from too-talkative Ted): some surprises. We are used to minor quakes here, quite often. But when this one started, at 3:34 AM, I knew that it was more than minor, because of the noise, yes, the actual noise of the earth moving. Not only could I feel the sliding up of some distant tectonic plate, but we could hear it! Grinding, rock on rock. Then the noise of building shaking, really shaking as if it were cardboard in the wind. Then dishes and pictures falling from the cupboards and walls. The sound was frightening (and also Cheryl complaining in fear - I hate to see or hear her suffer anything). Time. Perhaps just a little over two total minutes, but paralyzed as were were, rocking back and forth on the fourth floor of a building that seemed sure to fall, time was extended and seemed to go on for hours. When will it end? How soon will I die?!

Will it be long, painful hours in rubble, with twisted girders and legs and ankles twisted and broken too? Hurry, end this all now! And then finally, peace, peace. The building stopped shaking and sliding back and forth, and peace came. We all rushed from the building, and gathered near the fountain between our temple patron housing building and the temple. People came from neighboring apartments and joined us. And "round about the temple" we "were marveling and wondering one with another . . . ." And conversing about the amazing thing that had taken place and the destruction, yes (or, yea), even the fact that we were alive, safe, saved. And only a few minutes later did I realize that we had all sought the temple, to be near the temple (III Nephi 11:1,2), to gather and find peace. And we did.

Thank you for all your prayers,

Ted Lyon

BYU Professor Dr. Ted Lyon has served as an LDS (Mormon) mission president in Chile. He has also served as the president of the Chile LDS Missionary Training Center. He is currently serving as Temple President in the Santiago Chile LDS Temple.

The earthquake in Chile moved the city Conception (population 300.000) three meters on the map. The city Santiago (3.700.000 people or 46% of Chile's entire population) moved twenty-eight centimeters in the same earthquake. With over half a million Latter-day Saints living in the country, the Church has a substantial presence in Chile.

"Safety for the Soul" Part 1 - Jeffrey R. Holland 2009

"Safety for the Soul" Part 2 - Jeffrey R. Holland 2009

Elder Jepsen - Mission Entry 51 - I Wouldn't Want to be Any Other Place Than Right Here, Right Now!

Things are going great. We are blessed to bring several less active people to church and it is awesome! I feel it a great pleasure to serve here. I could praise this area to the skies all day long. The ward leaders are doing a lot of work to ensure that our time is never wasted and our work goes as smooth as possible. I consider it an honor to be on their side in this work. The ward here has an exemplary degree of dedication and willingness to do what has to be done to optimize their missionaries efforts.

I am grateful to the Lord for surrounding me with missionaries and leaders that I can look up to and learn so much from. A mission is truly an opportunity for constant progression as long as you keep challenging yourself.

I love this area. We bus around a lot and we get to see many interesting scenes on the way to our appointments. It is not uncommon to see a police cars with big flashing lights arresting somebody right there on the street as we ride by on the bus. The contrast between people being arrested laying prostrate on the asphalt in between moving cars and the people we teach who are sensitive to gentle whisperings of the Holy Ghost is one to really make you appreciate the gospel.

The snow is finally melting. I have not seen a lawn or any greens the last four months and was surprised the other day when the snow gave way. I had nearly forgotten the color green.

Give Jennifer a shout out from me! Respect! My sister is rocking with all the smart people! Yes! Kudos to her from me!

We have two people getting baptized this weekend and they are awesome! We have just been working with them the past couple weeks, but they have been working with missionaries before us for a year. So I'm just blessed to be at the end of the line. We'll be setting everything up for the baptism for Saturday.

I am continually humbled by the Lord trusting me with teaching these wonderful people about His gospel. It is as if I am not doing anything and yet I get all the credit and joy from the experience. The people we find, decide for themselves to listen, first to our message, then to the promptings from the Holy Ghost. They want an answer to their prayers and they decide to listen to and follow that answer. As we teach these people, they read the scriptures that hold the directions for bringing God into their lives. I haven't made them a product, I haven't created anything and I am not doing anything of my own. God is already there for them and the gospel is already there. Reading the scriptures is nothing new and living Gods commandments is nothing new. Certainly praying to God in earnest humility is nothing new. Joseph Smith tried prayer and it worked for him, I tried it and it worked for me. All I do is share what I know and feel about God, His gospel and my experience in trying to align my life with God. It is all really so simple and yet it changes lives everywhere around us, every day.

Gotta go. Love you all!

Elder Lee Jepsen

Elder Jepsen - Mission Entry 50 - I Just Love Being a Missionary

We had and AMaZING week yet again!

The highlight of the week was obviously Elder L. Tom Perry, what a man! There was such a great spirit at the meeting and he taught us so much that we now can use to improve our work. I am excited to get out and do more missionary work, using what I have learned. I am ready to go! I had the honor of shaking his hand as well, which was cool! Did you know that Elder Perry has an iPhone and that he's all techy? SWEET!

This week has been amazing. We had a lot of appointments fall through, but we still got to teach a lot as well. I am amazed with all the good people that the Lord is trusting us to introduce and teach the gospel to. With all our inexperience, lack of years, knowledge and other insufficiencies we have to represent the Lord to these people. We're it, and that's an awesome responsibility. I will give it my best, but when I am in the Lord's errand He has promised that I am entitled to His help and that makes all the difference. With God's help things are working here and I love it!

My companion is a good and sincere Elder with good intentions and I am sure we will accomplish some good work together. I am grateful and happy to be on a mission, it's a great blessing and an experience to remember forever.

I feel blessed beyond all expectations as the Lord keeps surrounding me with missionaries and leaders that I can learn from and look up to. I have so much to learn and so much growing to do.

We have so much to take care of today, so we have to go now. Love you all! 

Elder Jepsen

Chile Earthquake: President and Sister Laycock of the Chile, Santiago East Mission

I am writing to let you all know how very grateful we are for your prayers, concern, and love. Please keep praying! We need the Lord's help and guidance in order to do all He would have us do to learn what He would have us learn from this earth quake tragedy, and to minister in the way He would have us minister. During the past few days, we have witnessed many events which serve to remind us that the Lord is in charge and that as missionaries and members of His church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we are performing His work, and as President Monson teaches, "When we are on the Lord's errand, we are entitled to His help." I want to share with you a few miracles that will help you to understand our profound feelings of gratitude.

When we were set apart for this calling, Elder Scott of the counsel of the twelve apostles taught us many important lessons. He spoke from personal experience when he was a Mission President in Argentina. One message that he shared with us is this: "At times, during your mission, you will be awakened in the middle of the night or the early morning hours with thoughts of specific things you should do for certain missionaries. Do not ignore these thoughts. They are promptings from the Holy Ghost who will communicate with you in the stillness of the night or the peace of the early morning hours. He will speak to you then because that is when you are still enough to hear." Elder Scott further instructed us to keep a notebook beside our bed so that we could record these precious promptings. He said that by the next morning, we would be likely to forget the promptings if we didn't write them down.

We have been astonished at the fulfillment of Elder Scott's prophetic words. We have received many promptings in the exact manner that Elder Scott described. We are so thankful that Elder Scott taught us how to recognize and act upon these precious promptings. Had he not taught us, we may not have given these promptings the attention they require.

Nearly two and one half weeks ago, I was awakened at around 4:00 AM by just such a prompting. I did not hear a voice, but the thought was as clear as if it had been in the form of spoken words: "There is going to be an earthquake. Prepare your missionaries." I sat up in bed and immediately remembered Elder Scott's counsel. That morning I told Larry what had happened. He immediately set to work organizing our missionaries to prepare for an earthquake.

In talking with our office missionaries to arrange for them to put together a list of everything we would need to prepare... in both Spanish and English... we discovered that the Lord had also let two of our office missionaries know of the possibility of an earthquake (in the form of dreams) and the need to prepare our mission. We set a goal and arranged our schedule so that we could visit every apartment in the mission to check for safety and to review with our missionaries what to do in case of an earth quake. What a wonderful experience we have had as we have met with them and shared scriptures with them about being spiritually and physically prepared. "...if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear" (D&C 38:30). We instructed every missionary to have a "go-bag" (36 hour kit). We reviewed our emergency action plan with them of where to go and what to do if they had phone service and in case they did not. We gave everyone a paper with all instructions in English and Spanish, and we reminded them that "this life is the time to prepare to meet God" (Alma 34:32-34). We shared with them our thoughts and feelings about the need for spiritual and physical safety. Some of them became frightened and asked us if we knew something they didn't know. We smiled and repeated "...if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear." We didn't want to unduly alarm them, but we did want to impress upon them the need to be prepared. We tearfully reminded them of our recent transfer conference where we had shared our feelings about our dear Elder McKay Burrows who was unexpectedly called home in January while serving his mission in Romania...how he was prepared in every way to meet God. We reissued our challenge to "be prepared" in every way. Then we knelt with them in their apartment and dedicated each apartment, asking for a blessing of safety and security to be upon every apartment.

When the earthquake came, we were prepared. We did not experience the panic that many felt. We knew we were prepared. Because of the words of the Lord's chosen Apostle, Elder Scott, we had listened and heeded the quiet, but clear promptings of the Holy Ghost. We were blessed with peace in the midst of chaos. We learned an important lesson: our preparation helped us to avoid panic and fear, but the Lord, in His wisdom, allowed us to experience enough discomfort to know that He has all power. He is in charge. We are nothing without Him. We are dependent upon Him for every breath we take. Only He can save us from death and destruction. He is the way, the truth, and the life. He is our perfect example. If we follow Him, we will be saved through obedience to the laws and ordinances of His gospel.

As the earthquake became more violent, the mission home groaned and wailed. The power died, so the whole city was black. The windows made a hideous screeching sound, and flying objects banged against swaying walls. The printer/fax machine, books, book ends, and fifty-pound television burst from the entertainment center and crashed to the floor, cabinets emptied, drawers flew open, the refrigerator moved, water sloshed out of the toilets, the floor jolted up and down as we ran across it trying to hold onto the walls to keep from falling down, and the piano toppled over like a small toy. As we made our way to the back yard, I remember thinking, "God is all-powerful. He is our only refuge from this horrible mess." I prayed and prayed for Him to still the earth. When we reached the back yard, we watched in terror. By the light of the moon we could see the swimming pool water form giant waves and crash out onto the rocks. House and car alarms screamed into the night... some from being crushed by falling debris and others I guess from the bizarre movement of the earth. I am not sure if the intense rumbling sounds came from the earth itself or from everything else that was shaking so violently. Finally, it stopped. When the calm came, we had to sit down because our legs were weak and unstable. My legs stayed wobbly all day and night yesterday. Today the muscles in my legs hurt like I ran a marathon. The aftershocks have been extremely unsettling. Each one begins like the one last night started. We just close our eyes and wait to see if it escalates or dies down. I have never experienced anything like this!

We were awakened this morning by a very strong after shock. Larry jumped out of bed and yelled, "Welcome to another glorious day in Chile!" We just had to laugh. We moved a mattress into the floor in our bedroom and made Landon sleep in our room. He was in his room with the door locked the night before and we couldn't wake him up. He never locks his door, but he was playing a joke on Larry because every morning Larry wakes him at 5:30 AM for seminary by tickling him unmercifully. So Landon had decided to stop him. When we couldn't open his door, in the middle of the quake, we thought he was trapped, so we screamed and banged. Landon thought that everything was falling off the walls because we were banging so hard on the door. I think we scared him more than the earthquake did!

Today, we attended a strong ward where Larry was invited to speak. The entire chapel and beyond was filled. People were so humble and so teachable. Larry taught the importance of doing the small things. He taught about Jesus Christ and the opportunity we have to love one another and to share what we have with others. It was a great blessing for us to be with these beautiful Chilean people. Some have lost their homes...or at least parts of their homes. But they are strong and they want to serve the Lord. He taught of the scripture in Luke 21:11,13 which says, "and great earthquakes shall be in divers places...and it shall turn to you for a testimony." He also welcomed the sweet young woman who was in the congregation with the missionaries...her first time attending church...and then he invited her to be baptized from the pulpit. He asked her to please invite us to her baptism, and she said, "I will." The Lord always knows what His people need. Landon was reading in Alma 15:17 today. He said, Mom listen to this. This is what is happening here in Chile just like in happened in Ammonihah. The people were humbled and "checked as to the pride of their hearts and began to humble themselves before God, watching and praying continually that they might be delivered from Satan, and from death, and from destruction."

Our hearts are filled to the brim with gratitude for all of the blessings we have received in the Chile Santiago East Mission. We see miracles every day. In the midst of great pain and suffering, we can always find our Savior. He stands with His arms open, pleading for all of us to humble ourselves and come unto Him. He loves us. He invites us to accept His gift...the atonement. He invites us to repent. He wants us to love one another and to serve one another. He wants us to bring our families and those we love to Him. We can do it. We can do all that He asks, no matter how difficult it may seem. "With God all things are possible"

OK, sorry this is so long. I will end now. We are having a devotional tomorrow for all of our missionaries to talk about the last week of Christ's life in preparation for Easter. We want to remind our missionaries to teach and preach with increased vigor and animo of Christ. Last Monday in our office meeting, Larry suddenly stopped in the middle, and said, "During the prayer, I had a very strong impression that March 2010 is going to be our best baptizing month we have ever had in this mission." Now we know why he received that feeling. We are going to prepare to bring many souls to the waters of baptism in March. Please continue to pray for us and for the people of Chile. Please pray for the missionaries to have strength and courage to do all that is being required of them, even in difficult times.

We are so thankful that the tsunami did not turn out badly in Hawaii. Who would ever think that an earthquake in Chile could threaten the shores of Hawaii? Thankfully, the Lord is in charge. He is the one to whom we must turn for refuge from every storm. He has the power to save us.

Con mucho amor,

President Larry and Sister Lisa Laycock, Chile, Santiago East Mission