Elder & Sister Dattage

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Happy Birthday Elder Dattage (August 7th letter)

August 7, 2016

Thank you for everyone that wished Elder Dattage Happy Birthday. We had a very amazing day. There were 13 of us at one Temple that day and 3 in the other Temple. We left at 6:30 in the morning and traveled to Snowflake Arizona. The best part of this whole trip was that we had 3 Young Women with us that were doing baptisms for the dead. They don’t get to do them very often and we were so excited. While we were there we all went to different parts of the Temple and did Temple work. It was such a wonderful day. After we went to the food storage place and some of them got cases of food then we went to have lunch. Because it was Elder Dattage’s birthday they gave him a card and we all had a wonderful time. We were blessed to be in the Temple with good people. We love it and love the work that is done there. Pray for all of you at home that you can find time to be in the Temple, learning and feeling the amazing Spirit that is there. I have been serving in Primary the last few weeks and it is all about Temples and the body being a Temple. I love teaching that to children. They listen and learn. We are very blessed to be here at this time.

We had a good experience this week also. We helped our friend Pam clear up her weeds. They had been raked and she had lots of piles. When we were done our truck was full so we headed to the dump grounds . We were unloading and a man from Zuni safety (clean up guy) came over to our truck. We were both in the back with this huge load. Three of them said they would like to help us unload. They had seen us doing service and wanted to help us. We had a very good talk and were very thankful for them.

The next day we went back and took the Salt girls with us as for the next few weeks they will be working as our Branch Missionaries. They share a beautiful video with her and talk to her. We really love her and are so wish she was coming back to church. It is so hard to see someone you love loose their testimony. Pray that all can continually build on their testimonies so when someone is having a very hard time we are sad but we still love and care about her so much.

Here is a funny story and it is true. We got home late on Thursday night. We were so happy that the girls had their recommends for the Temple but President Walker couldn’t get his printer to work. We printed them and he signed them and they were delivered. We had just got on our Pajamas and decided to go up the road and call Brother Park who was driving another car to make sure all was good with them. We said oh we could go in our pajamas because we were just making a call. Well the phone didn’t work anywhere so we drive over to his place. He is just getting home so he comes over to the truck to check what we want and laughs at Elder Dattage’s flannel pants and old shirt. We get a feeling that we need to double check with Sister Pinto to make sure if she would let two other girls ride in her car. So I won’t get out of the truck without going back and changing but you know Elder Dattage he marches right up to their door and makes the plans with the daughter and asks her to call us as soon as she is home. We end up taking a recommend out to another young girl and all of this dressed in flannels. All we could do is laugh about it.

I have learned that even though I am a little bit uncomfortable coming some places that some times we just have to do it. Last night we went to a birthday party for Marias little niece who is turning 4. She was adorable. This is a very Zuni traditional family and I was a little nervous. We took Marie and went and they were very nice to us. Maria had told them it was Eldens birthday so they sand to him also. Good week, busy week Enjoyed a visit from Ben Jenkins and his sister on Sunday. They came to dinner after they went to church with us and stayed and visited with us and the Elders. We are having one more visit tonight – the Lalio family is bringing a birthday cake over later and another celebration begins. If any of you are deciding about going on a Mission do it. You are busy, happy and it is such a Spiritual experience as you want people grow in the gospel. Even more you want yourself grow in the gospel and your Spirit. Love all of you.

So excited for Providence first Ward for having Janie as a Young Womens President. She is the best of the best and they are very lucky girls.

So happy our girls are in good hands.

Love our family and sure enjoyed phone calls from all but a few grandkids and their parents. Such a good time talking to them. Love that some of you were together because it is such a hard week for our family. We seem to be blessed every year as we let the Lord bless us and let the atonement work as we go through the week that our Ryker was killed in. Never get over it but just know more and more that he is so busy and doing many good things for our Heavenly Father. We all have a lot of work to do to be able to love and understand him and know we will all be together some day. Love him. Enjoy some few days before school starts. Wow what a fast summer. The kids start school down here this week and they are glad. They need to be busy and school keeps them busy

The pictures of the Raspberry days were priceless, parade, rodeo and water. So love that you were there together.

Thank you for your love as we love all of you. .

Love,

Elder and Sister Dattage

Great Zuni people helping us unload our weeds

Cutting boards for Vivian with the Elders

Beautiful Zuni Mountain

So much RAIN! This is the view from our trailer. So many places are flooding

Visiting Blackrock Dam with Gina and her little girl

Grandpa's Birthday Dinner after a temple trip! Note: The Zuni Branch is held together by some of the most wonderful people and faithful members of the LDS Church! Grandpa's dear friends the Salts are on the right. Sister Vecenti is sitting next to Grandpa on the left and she is the RS President. I have been able to meet these people are few times and feel so so grateful to know them! Brother Salt is like Elder Dattage's bestie (if grown men have besties:)in the mission field!

July 31 Letter

July 31^st Meeting

Dear All,

Hope you are having good weather. We finally got rain last night and it really rains in sheets here. The thunder and lightening are pretty loud in our trailer. No fires so I guess it didn’t hit as close as it sounded. The rain brings the frogs out and they are loud but a fun sound.

A few highlights of this week are: we went for wood again. We went with the Salts and it was for sister Lena. It had been awhile – I think cold might be easier than heat but we got a great load for her.

On Tuesday wk took some Sisters to the Temple. We had a good session, went to the food pantry which was closed until Friday, then of course always Wal-Mart.

Sister Asha Walker and I had a planning meeting on some things which was so fun. I sure love that lady. She is headed to Utah for two weeks and I am so happy for her and her beautiful family. President Walker is still here but will join them soon. One of the best families ever.

Today was Junior Chevez 4^th birthday. Fun to stop by and give all 4 kids little gifts which included some school supplies. They were so happy and are very cute.

Mutual was the Great Race. The girls loved it and we love that Chelsea Pinto has been coming on Wednesdays. She is a cute 14 year old and the girls love her.

On top of our regular visits and such we are going to 45 homes to see if they have received their Magazines that were paid for by some one who was once here. So far they have received them and as a bonus we get to visit with many of the less active members. They are happy with the magazines. They always say to come back and visit again.

On Thursday We were ask by Elder Boyder our Zone Leader to help with Housing inspections for the Elders and Sisters trailers. There are 10 or more of them but they are not close to each other. So there is a bit of travel between each visit. We need to finish on Monday because this is for July. Our Missionary friends, the Burks are sick and in Phoenix getting Chemo. We are doing this for them because they can’t. This is a push but we are making it work. Fun to see the Sisters and Elders in their Trailers. They are typical and a bit messy but not many broken things. Cute to meet and get to know them. We had our monthly meeting with Haws, President Saolman from the Mission Presidency, the Zone leaders for the Young Elders and us. He loves his Stake and works so hard for them. Hard place to be Stake President as he is working with so many young Elders, Branch Presidents and Bishops. We are so fortunate; we have a very wonderful Branch President – President Walker. We love ;him and his family as they give and serve all of the people in the Zuni Branch, Today I was serving in Primary but Elder Dattage said President Walker told everyone to stop their gossiping in the 5^th Sunday combined meeting. Even happens in small places. There are many good people here but we can all do better for sure.

In Primary Sister Viola taught the lesson. It was on Samuel the Laminate and she taught it with such a sweet, simple Spirit. The children were listening as she told them the story. What a great Spirit that wonderful lady has for sure. She has been a member for about 4 years and is amazing.

We also went to Gallup to take back for wood for the Lalio family who are building a roof. We sure care abut this family and love that they have been attending church consistently and reading the Book of Mormon.

We had a Zone Activity on Saturday at Mesa Verde. We went and enjoyed some of the country but came back to meet with the Elders here. We have a great group of Senior Missionaries here and it is fun to get to know them.

This has been a very hard week. There have been some disappointments in baptisms and other wonderful things. We love these people and only want to help them have better lives.

We spend a lot of time serving them and helping them but also being with them and trying to help them. This was definitely one of the hardest weeks we have had and can only trust in our Heavenly Father and know he loves his children so much and knows what is best for them. We pray and pray for some of them. We hope they can feel that we love them and want to help them become stronger as they attend Church and read the Book of Mormon. So blessed to be here and feel of their strong Spirits We are learning so much and feeling so much love from these good people. They have a love for the Lord that has made them a happy people. Love all of you at home and hope that your last few weeks before school will be wonderful. Grateful for the health we have to serve.

Thankful for our family back home. We may have had challenges but we are blessed as we serve and unite as a family. I can’t believe how blessed we are with our children, and grandchildren. You lift us both spiritually and help with so many little things. We seem to be asking for something every week and no complaining. I know when I get back I will be better at helping others because of our families example.

Can’t believe the strength we feel as our grandchildren get older and share their beautiful thoughts and testimonies with us. Sure does strengthen mine as I hear from them. The little ones make us laugh with the pictures and the funny things they do and say. Thanks more than a ton kids.

Hope everyone is doing the best they can. Love all of you,

Elder and Sister Dattage

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

July 24, 2016

Dear All,

Happy 24^th of July. Yesterday we went to the little Mormon town of Rama to a parade. It was a very good parade for a small town. Their floats were done around Family History and some did them just for fun. Zuni was going to make one but didn’t get to it until it was too late. They had a town celebration in which their were vendors like at Bear Lake on Raspberry Days except only about 15 booths. Three women from our Branch had their tables there selling jewelry. There was a farmers market selling lettuce and some herbs. The Rama High School had a booth selling sodas and candy to made money for their class. It was small but so fun to see. It was more people than we had seen in 10 months in the same place.

Compared to last week this has been a very calm week. Elder Houston left for home and Elder Brurud came. He is very tall and from Montana. We miss Elder Houston and his enthusiasm but am sure we will get to know Elder Brurud and love him. We fixed a salmon dinner for our dinner today – his favorite. A little more rain this week but not much. Hot and dry and dusty most of the time. We think it is good though because the alternative is mud. That is tricky also.

Our family likes chocolate peanut butter krispie treats. Because they are so each I have made them a few times down here. People haven’t had them so they ask me to make them. Glad they choose easy.

Still working with Nicole and Gina and her little girl as investigators. The Elders mostly work with them but they often ask us to go with them because they need Elder Dattage. Last week we spend a birthday evening with the Walkers and the Salts. When Jodi heard that she said she was jealous. They are good, kind people. We will always love them and feel they are our friends along with many others.

On Friday we went to our Zone meeting in Farmington. Elder Dattage and the other District leaders had to do a power point presentation they will be used when all members come to this mission. Just in case you think this was easy – oh no. We worked hard on ours, sent it to Utah to have Kim proof read it, then collected more information and change some of it. We are so glad to have this done. Not something we expected with we brought our little old lap top with us as our computer. It works and we are glad for it.

Such a privilege to talk to people in this town and learn about their thoughts and feelings. They are so traditional and because of not writing down their history they have made many changes from how things were. Blessed when they will listen and want to know more about how they can be even happier. They are amazing to talk to and we get to visit a lot of the people here. Our biggest push has been to get them to go with us and the Elders to visit the people. They love hearning from their own people and listen and laugh together. Such a blessing to watch them. They are amazing. We are learning that even though we think we have said something and we think they were listening that they often do not get it. So many complex yet simple things to tell them. What they do feel is the Spirit and they will say was that what I was feeling. Wow they are good words to hear as we bear Testimony to them.

Today President and Sister Adams came to Zuni to Church. They were in the Gallup area and stopped by to our Church. President Adams spoke to the members and ask them to work harder to get their friends and family to become active members of the church. He did an amazing job and the Spirit was so strong. Loved their visit. They are such good leaders and kind people.

Pretty sure we are going for wood for a few people tomorrow. Haven’t gone for a few weeks. It will almost be fun because the wood is found in pretty places.
Today I read a quote from President Gordon B. Hinckley that said, “Go Forward in Life with a twinkle in your eye and a smile on your face, but with great and strong purpose in your heart. Love life and look for its opportunities, and forever and always be loyal to the Church. Those are words I want the Zuni people as well as my family to live by. I love them. Being happy and kind to those around us is so important. We should treat everyone with respect because everyone is a child of God – everyone. As much as I love that part I love the twinkle and smile. Life is so much nicer when we are happy and share that happiness with those we love. Being loyal to the Church is a beautiful blessing. It is there for us. Helps us raise our children and blesses our lives.

Hope our family had a good time at the Pickett Family Reunion. What a blessing it is to have family around and to share our love with them. Thanks Carolyn and Wendee. Looked like a fun week by the Watrins, Morgans, and Johnsons and as someone said a bonus Hayden in St George. Love Jodi and Jeff’s beautiful home and they share so kindly.

Thanks to all of you for your love and help as we are gone. The older we get the more we realize the important of being self sufficient, cleaning up our messes, thanking those around us and , taking care of the things we have been blessed with and just respecting those that help us. Never take someone for granted Thanking those helping any of us deserve our thanks. Last night we had a very beautiful New Mexico Sky and it made me think that it is the same sky for all of you – all the people we so care about. Love and appreciate all of you and your lives that you are living as you continue to serve and love our Heavenly Father.

Love,

Elder and Sister Dattage

Bear Lake Raspberry Day's parade has nothing over the Rama parade!

Rama Navajo Queen in the parade. She walked, no fancy convertibles

Elder Dattage helping President Walker after the parade. Alternator went in his truck.

Note: Elder Walker's wife actually sent me a similiar picture and said how much she loved Elder and Sister Dattage and how they are always "saving" them. Some of the finest people I know!