Dear Family and friends,

                We send warm greetings from North Carolina.  We trust all are well and progressing in 2013 with continued determination to keep the resolutions made just 30 days ago.  We read and hear of the miserable smog conditions in Utah and pray for some relief for our dear family and friends at home.  We had a few hours of freezing rain on Friday here in North Carolina and it was frightening.  We were having a Sisters conference at the mission office.  All of the Sister missionaries were present and were suppose to head back to their proselyting areas after the conference, however we had many of them stay with local sisters until later on Saturday to allow for safer driving conditions.  It proved to be a good move as Saturday was considerably warmer weather and driving became much safer.   I know it doesn’t match the challenges you are all facing in Utah and Idaho, however the bad weather is compounded here with no equipment to help the roads be safer. Regardless, we hope improvement for all of you is sooner than later. 

                This week was mostly just the calm before the storm.  We are prepared to receive 27 new missionaries and to send 11 home.  This is always a logistical challenge, however we are getting better anticipating the needs and it seems to be getting easier.  Sister Andrus really shines in this area.  She is the “go to person” with the logistics of such events.  Elder Stanley is also relied on of which we will miss him as he is heading back to Texas.  He has trained some capable replacements and all will be fine. Three new senior couples will be entering the MTC on Monday.  One of them will be serving with us in the office.  One couple will be serving in the employment center, and the other will be a member support couple.  We welcome them, of course and look forward to their safe arrival and their anticipated addition of strength to our missionary force.  We are learning just how valuable the senior missionary force is in offering another dimension to the mission success.  We spent an afternoon with Elder and Sister Bushman this week.  They are serving in South Carolina on the Catawba Indian reservation.  Elder and Sister Bushman lived many years in Payson, Utah as neighbors to Rick and Beverly Rushton.  For those of you who don’t know, Rick is Sister Andrus’s brother.  The Bushman’s have become dear friends, as all the Sr. Couples have become.  The Bushman’s took us around the reservation.  What an interesting area.  The tribe gave property to the Church to build a Chapel.  It is one of a very few LDS Chapels that have on the property a cemetery.  One distinguishing feature of many denominations buildings in this area is a cemetery contiguous to the building.  It is unusual to see this on an LDS property.  The Bushman’s say it provides lots of service opportunities to the youth groups to keep it clean and trimmed.  They shared many interesting happenings and projects for which they are involved.  What a valuable service they are providing.  Elder Bushman is a seasoned priesthood leader who is assisting a new Bishopric as well as all the PEC committee in their duties.  Sister Bushman provides such a bubbly confident environment to every situation.  What good people they are.

                We had one of those tender mercy moments this week in our Book of Mormon class—As we were concluding the discussion on Tender Mercies of the Lord,(1 Nephi 1:20) one of our participating couples received a phone call informing them that their son and daughter in law were just involved in a head on collision and were in route to the hospital.  We quickly bowed in prayer with them as they were rushing to leave and asked the blessings of heaven to be with them and their family.  As we followed up with them the next day, they reported that indeed their family experienced miracles regarding the accident.  Their son required surgery to repair a broken femur which is anticipated to heal completely.  The wife experienced only minor abrasions and the unborn child remains unaffected.  He shared with me that he is sure they were blessed with tender mercies.  Perhaps a little thing but a powerful object lesson for our class.  “Behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.” (Alma 37:6)

                We pray for each of you and know you are striving to keep sacred the covenants you have made.  Please know there is not a greater work we can be about than that of keep the covenants we make.  In a world that is increasingly becoming covenant breakers, we must be” steadfast and immovable” and must always keep the covenants we make—especially those made in the holy temples.  Sister Andrus and I strive to do so and pray you will do so likewise. 

                We love you all—Hope your health will improve Sister Long.  We are proud of your service.

Elder and Sister Andrus, Grandpa and Grandma, Dad and Mom, Don and Ruth.