Elder & Sister Dattage: Reach out, show love, be your best!

Reach Out, Show Love, Be Your Best!!

Wow...what a wonderful letter we received from Elder and Sister Dattage this week. It is evident that they are completely immersed in this work. Accompanying the letter was this little bit from my mom.

Dear Family,

Hope you enjoy this letter. We love sharing our mission with the people we love most - our family. Have a good week. Reach out to your families, show love to those around you and be the best you can be.

Love you,

Mom and Dad

What great advice! We do need to reach out, show love, and be our best! Thanks for the wonderful words of wisdom!

Letter from Elder and Sister Dattage dated November 15, 1015

Hi to my Favorite People, Our Family,

Zuni is a great place to serve. We feel so blessed to be here among these great people. We have done some visiting this week and even more service. Most of these people are hard workers because they have to be to survive. They have to have wood to heat their stoves and can’t afford to heat with fuel. There are so many widows or women and children living alone and it is very hard for them to get enough wood to get warm. That is why it is a great blessing for President Walker to want us to go ahead with our wood day and to see how we can serve others. He doesn’t want them to feel that they can continually get something for nothing and is asking them to write their histories and their testimonies when the wood is divided so they can learn that there is a way they can give back.

Tuesday we had out District meeting in which we were taught to strengthen the core. The people already active then to work on others. That is happening in this little branch right now. People seem to really love President Walker and as we get a chance to talk to them we see that they want to be back in Church and feel of the good spirit that is there. Today there were around 60 people at Church. The Young Womens President is now a native Zuni lady named Pam. She loves the girls and is so happy. Today the Second Councilor in the Branch Presidency was sustained. He is an amazing man that went inactive but decided that it was too important for his family and has been coming back lately. He is a great man and has even been a Branch President before. Now he is back serving others and helping his own family as well as others.

We were asked by President Walker to come up with a plan to help those he asks to talk in church prepare and give a talk. Many of them are just afraid to do that. We found some information on the internet and revised it, and simplified it and hope that as we help them they will say yes to speak. We can easily get their materials the harder part is helping them regain the confidence give the talk.

On Thursday Elden build a back to the truck to haul extra wood and I baked cookies. Both jobs took all morning. I baked 100 cookies 12 cookies at a time. Kim says that Jodi has found pans that hold 24 – when I am back I would love one but for now I have the smallest oven ever!

Also that afternoon we went and helped our Relief Society President with wood that is at her house. She uses a little but wants to have it for Sisters as they call her if they don’t have any to keep warm. She then fed us spaghetti. We had a great visit with her. She is reorganizing the visit teaching groups and then we will go with her and visit all of those not on the list. Those that have been less active. Elder Dattage (dad) and I have been visiting many of those people but I love the idea of us going with her. She is native Zuni and an amazing person.

Thursday besides some visiting we helped Sister Bernadette with wood. She has some but can’t get it ready to use it so the Elders and us chopped and stacked it for her. She was good to help us all along the way. She then invited us in for macaroni and cheese and hot dogs. The Zuni people love hot dogs.

Now for the wood cutting project. We told President Walker we would take this on and help him. We took flyers to about 20 people that could help. We brought sandwiches, chips, 2 cases of water and the cookies I baked earlier. We were excited when 14 people came. One is an investigator and 3 are from a family that used to be active and don’t come now. We sent pictures of the tree. It was huge. Brother Salt is a real wood hauler and so we went for a big tree. Cut it in pieces, filled 5 trucks with it and someone can go back and get another truck full later. Sister Salt came to and I was so glad. She of course could chop wood at times. I only carry and load. She is such a cute fun lady. We get home, very tired and get a call to go to the Salts for Dinner with the Elders. I couldn’t believe her . Then when we show up for Relief Society on Sunday she is the one giving the lesson. She is also going to school to get her nursing degree and a mother of 6 children. Oldest daughter on a mission. The rest are home. Her fun relationship with her girls reminded me of my relationship with my daughters and daughter in law. Love them to pieces.

Another good thing on Sunday the Cheves family road with us again and the kids got parts for the Primary program. Only one is a member but she has never given a talk and both boys also have parts now also. We will go get them and take them to the practice on Wednesday. They are cute children and hope the mother will become a member. She is a good lady.

We are so busy just trying to help those that are working so hard in this Branch. We are meeting a lot of other people and we also love that part. We do love watching and helping these people learn how things work and watch them do good for each other.

I will let you know how the Thanskgiving dinner goes next Sunday. Yes it is right after the block. We are helping organize it. The day was a surprise but that is how it is done here. I guess like a linger longer in a Young Adult Ward or Something. It is a full dinner. We are cooking turkey, gravy and dressing. It was amazing to watch as every women there and I mean every women there signed up to bring some of the food. They are excited and ask to bring anyone then can with them.

Today we took home the little girl with Down syndrome and got to meet the disabled boy in our branch that is her brother. . She had us sing happy birthday to him even though it was a week ago. Elden also had the opportunity to learn how to fix a toilet. This is new for him but he isn’t afraid to try to help any and all who are in need. He had to fix a beeswax seal. It is still working so we are glad.

When we were taking out papers to have them help with wood we were able to meet all the boys that are prospective Aaronic Priesthood holders. As a result a father and two of the boys showed up. They gave a lot of service.

Taylor had asked us to look for a dream catcher for her. We were in Gallup looking a bit and went in one shop because we loved the one we got her and it was in the window. When we got in that was a store that sold things that back home would be called drug paraphanialia. No drugs just other stuff. We got a good laugh out of that. There were a lot of people buying in that store. Thanks to Jodi for the great books. I love them.

Had such a great talk with our neighbors who are inactive. The people with the bakery. She is still mourning the loss of her brother from alcohol poisoning but very blessed by many other things.

We both feel so blessed that not a single day goes by that we don’t have opportunities to serve both physically and spiritually. The Lord truly does that provide for those that seek opportunities to servants in his hands. One of Lances thoughs that we read from each morning was “The most effective missionaries always act out of Love.” By Dallin Oaks. We read these messages everyday and try to work our day from there. We do love Zuni, its great people and of course the rain and mud. To our grandchildren we say that we love you. We are proud of you and know you are doing good for others and for each other. It is a blessing to be around good people and I feel when you spend time with family you are spending time with some of the best. Love you so much and pray for all of your happiness – especially Spiritual happiness. Have a great week. We pray that all of you are service and loving the opportunity to serve those around you and to feel of the Spirit as it blesses your life. Love you so much.

Lots of great photos came in this week too. I have attached the captions that Elder and Sister Dattage sent with them.