Sunday in Sandy

Laraine's Email to Diane,

Dinner is mostly ready, I am waiting for Ron to arrive from his after
meeting counting activities, and Erika, Eryn and maybe Dean to arrive
about 5:00 pm.  I haven't seen Dean for a few weeks.  He has been
invited to come but hasn't.  Eryn has delivered his dinner to him.

We had a wonderful sacrament meeting, Sister Kaye Jackson and Elder
Eric Jackson, former mission president and wife who have served in the
Kampala Uganda Mission.  Prior to their three year stint as mission
president and wife, they served three years as International Affairs
for the church in South Africa.  Their main task was for other
churches in South Africa to accept our church.

During this time there was unrest in Kenya, riots, etc as the election
was being held.  They would get calls from other denominations asking
if they could be on our properties...they had come to realize they
were always a safe place to be.  However, we could not have 50,000
people on one property!

There was a very famous reporter who had won 27 awards world wide for
her articles.  Brother Jackson and wife arranged a time to be able to
meet with her.  They acknowledged her awards.  The ladies name was (I
think) something like Given Lister.   She said she writes "the exact
truth."  Brother Jackson said she had reported LDS is a polygamist
church, a cult, and is anti-Christ.

Brother Jackson asked where she had gotten this information and she
confessed she had copied it from an article written in the Washington
Post!

Brother Jackson then asked her if he could tell her who we are...going
on to explain to her that how we live our lives often causes
discomfort to those we tell and, the articles she had been writing
about our church were not true.

He began with The Family Proclamation, the Articles of Faith, etc.
She then cried.

Elder Jackson reported to her that during a terrible flood in their
part of the country the church were first to respond with 5,000 tents,
10,000 medical kits, 25,000 water bottles.  There were some 200 people
who worked cleaning up in the area for nine weeks...until the Red
Cross had come.  No one had reported this.

Now, this person is the #1 reported who is pro LDS!

He want onto tell of a supreme court justice who is close to Nelson
Mandella.  He loves the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.  This too was so
interesting.

Well...there was many other interesting things he told.  He reported
senior couples are blessed who serve missions, their families are
blessed and will be blessed through the eternities.  They loved their
missions, many miracles took place and continue to do so in that area.

We are thankful to you, Stokoes, for your service.

You continue to be in our prayers,
Love,
Laraine