Hello everyone!

Beloved missionaries, 

My husband and I have been watching videos of the missionaries put together by Elderr Baclayon. We are  homesick to see you. We would like to have a reunion either October conference or next April. We would keep it simple inasmuch as all of you are too busy and we are getting old. He will be 86 soon and I will be 80. We would reserve our ward soon in order to  have it there. If any are interested we would arrange more activities.. We love you  and want to thank you for precious memories.

We also know  you love each other and would enjoy seeing your former companions. And please know we would love to see you in addition if you come to Salt Lake, any or all of you. Recently we  saw Arthur LeBaron, Marsha W. Marshall, Emily Nielson, Rebvcca Wallentine  and Sister Borup meets in our ward.                                          We cherish our memories of you

Tuesday we are off to Rome  to see the location of the new temple. The church is TRUE. We love you, 

Pres. and Sister Ensign

Merry Christmas from the Ensign's

Beloved Missionaries.,                   

We think of you often but at Christmas time, when we think of people we love a lot and that includes you.  We returned from our mission  to South Africa last year t this time and have spent a very busy year catching up on our posterity .Lots of events to go to but then you know how that is. We teach the CTR  5-6 year olds in Primary and find it a challenge. They are so bright. They call us Grandma and Grandpa and we love it. We are mentoring  at a Title 1 school during the week . The Pres. is the only man volunteer but they, too, call us Grandma and Grandpa.  We also like it when your children call us that If anyone stops by  with children, and a  with a little notice, we will give them cookies and hugs if they don’t mind.  We love to see you.! Last year we asked anyone to stop by or phone us  but I think you were too busy because  we didn’t get much of a response. We know you are busy wth work and family and doing good things so it” okay  We love to read your cards and  we can’t believe how the time flies, but we are pretty healthy and the Pres. had a lot of golf this summer with people in our neighborhood and he beat some ten years younger which put a smile on his face!

I have to tell you  that mission life is terrific, you are doing the right thing, together, and life is much simpler on a mission. Here our time is fractured, busy, busy, busy, but when a couple is on a mission you are focused on serving the Lord and others  , usually with a small apartment to clean , the cost is not very great—housing is $ 350 a month, that’s new, we paid about $1800  just for a place to live on the Isle of Man  but we were near the ocean front and it was worth it!  know you are busy and I don’t mean to rattle on but retirement can be fun. We even still like each other!

Most of all we treasure  our testimonies of the Restored Gospel and learn  everyday  more wonderful things about our church. We have read “Life  of Christ” by Farrar and highly recommend it,some of which was referred to in Talmadge’s “Jesus the Christ”. It combines the Gospels and adds so very much. We pray you, with your families, will have the direction, the peace, joy  and all the marvelous things the Gospel  gives us, and that your precious families will  have the same safety net in these, the Latter days.

We love you so very much and think of you individually and collectively. We would love to see you anytime. I have been collecting frogs for our next reunion. It will depend on when you want to have it. We are not going again –well, never say never -- that husband of mine is amazing.  r phone number is 801 9923551, address is 1012 East Eagles Nest Circle, North Salt Lake. If you come to town give us a ring.

Know you are loved and cherished and  we will continue to pray for you  always, we have such sweet memoies---

XOXO Sister E and the Pres.

To our beloved missionaries

   We want you to know that we think of you often and long to see you and learn how you are doing.  One recent wonderful experience emphasized how truly we enjoy visiting in person.  On our way to Yellowstone a couple of weeks ago we stopped in a grocery store in Idaho to discover Sister Leishman/Hanson with her cute family.  What a surprise and how we enjoyed visiting with them!  So it would be with each of you.  You have gone on to great things in your lives and we would love to hear about them first hand.  Perhaps the dedication of the Hartford Temple might furnish an excuse, unless of course, something could develop sooner. In the meantime, we will be at home in July and August and would love to see you and your families if you are  in town. Our phone number ie  801 9923551 and our address in North Salt Lake is 1012 East, Eagles Nest Circle. We hope to hear from you.

     Since our return from our temple mission in Johannesburg South Africa, we have been working on temple work for some of Sister Ensigns family.  In fact we both went into the fount and I baptized her for 12 of her family.  Wonderful experience for both of us.  Besides that, we have both been called to teach five and six year olds in Primary.  Suddenly my appreciation of Primary teachers has increased at least ten fold.  What an experience! 

     Fortunately we are both in good health considering our age.  We are so very grateful that we have each other and can enjoy our 43 grandchildren and 25 great grandchildren in these golden days of our lives.  So far, 20 of our grandchildren have served full time missions and 3 others are now serving and others are awaiting their times to go.  We are so blessed.  I have just purchased a new set of golf irons and my only concern at age 85 is that I will live long enough to fully depreciate them.  In the meantime I am enjoying appreciating them although I have pretty much given up the idea of going on the PGA tour, 

     Our testimonies of the truthfulness of the Gospel and the Church keeps growing.  We read the scriptures together each day and are suprised at the number of new truths that comes to our minds as we read and reread the Book of Mormon.  We have both completed our personal histories and are basking in the joy of wonderful memories.  Over and over we have said that the happiest days of our Church service was the three years we spent with you in the service of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Thank you thank you for enriching our lives.  We love you each and every one and send you our best wishes.  

The Ensigns 

New Mission

We have received word that the Johannesburg South Africa temple is seriously short of ordinance workers. In fact, two couples are leaving in May, so we felt we are needed, which has been emphatically emphasized by the Temple President.

We will leave Salt Lake on May 22nd. Our visas are valid for 11 months without renewal, we will most likely return just before then. Our health is good. We are blessed beyond our understanding and feel we should serve full time where we are truly needed.

We love each one of you so very much and pray for your well-being while we are gone.

With our love and greetings,
The Ensigns, Dale and Elaine

More News

Beloved Missionaries,

First and foremost, we talked to Abby, Elder Salisbury's wife yesterday and he is at home. He is gradually improving and each day an Elder from their ward comes to walk with him. We didn't inquire as to why but understand that the sepsis illness effected his heart, lungs and brain. Abby is a rock and a great blessing to our very dear Elder Salisbury. You can mail a get well greeting to him at this address:

3931 South 2175 East
Salt Lake City, Utah 84124

Next, we have had a fantastic few weeks as we have seen so many of our precious missionaies from Hartford days. They are Nate Woolf, Curtis Whalen, Sheryl Ludlow, Paivi Baker, Ben Campbell, Elder Rosenbeck, at the mall Aaron Peterson, and we ran into Jessica Nilsons parents and have her contact info and yesterday an email from Max Alberts. We realize you are busy but we do love hearing from you.

We understand that the Hartford Mission is going to become part of the Boston mission effective July first. That makes us sad but we suppose for economic reasons some missions are combining. Nevertheless, A TEMPLE will be built near Hartford on land previously owned by a Catholic gentleman who is pleased to see one of our beautiful temples on his site. Wouldn't it be GREAT if we could meet there for the dedication? Please email us or visit us if you can. Our email is deensign@yahoo.com and our phone is 801 992 3551. We would love to see your families.

We are arranging to serve another temple mission. We will report our progress. Last week we were fingerprinted to apply for Visas. It will be at least several months, perhaps into the fall, to complete the process.

We pray for you every day. We love each one of you. We keep very busy and will work at the Bountiful temple until our Visas come. Our testimonies of the truthfulness of this great work of the Lord have never been stronger than they are now. Please accept our love and greetings!

President and Sister Ensign

Christmas

Beloved Missionaries,


We are thinking of you at this season of Christmas with much love and wishes for the Lord's blessings. Each one of you is a blessing to us and we love you dearly.

My husband is now 83 and I am 77. Each day we awake we are grateful for each other, our good health, family and dear ones like you who have been an inspiration to us and have blessed our lives.

We recently went to Maui, Hawaii to celebrate a wedding anniversary. Surfing in the ocean he hurt his leg and I almost drowned because the waves were so high. I guess we should act our age. We are thinking of another mission but close to home. We have an inactive son here, and that in itself is a mission, isn't it?


Wouldn't it be a grand gathering if we could meet in Hartford when the temple is dedicated or sooner here if possible. We miss you. Please phone us if you have the time, we would love to hear from you. I was trying to find everyone before our last mission and it was a daunting task but after Christmas we would like to talk to you each one. We will never forget our missionary family. Thanks for the memories and may you have a blessed Christmas. We pray for you and the well being of your families and for your testimonies as well. Every day we love the Savior more and His Gospel that has blessed our lives so very much. And yes, the Pres is so handsome. I think I won't love him so much in the next world because I love his grey hair, his maturity and good looks now.


Our phone number is 801 9923551. We can call you right back if it is too expensive. Our email is deensign@yahoo.com. We would love to see your families as well.


xoxo Sister Ensign

Beloved Missionaries

We think of your often with love and beautiful memories, some of them humorous but all wonderful. What a privilege it is to know you. Just a couple of things.

We have recently read a book by Toni Robinson called "Master". It is fictional based on fact. One of my goals is to know and think about the Saviour more and this book definitely helps me. I say that in the present tense because I continue to read it over again. It portrays the life of the Saviour when He was little in the eyes of a mute boy adopted by His parents. Much research results in a setting of the Holy land in those days, the politics, culture, food and what I believe is a viable portrayal of the Saviour in those early days of His life. I have bought 5. Just a suggestion.

And of course the wonderful news of the temple in Hartford. We understand from a man who works in the real estate dept. of the church it was purchased from a Catholic man who is thrilled to have such a beautiful edifice built on that location. We remember the times Pres. Hinckley came to Hartford while we were there looking for a place and being rejected by the environmentalists because of a bird nesting in the area or something. Now is the time. We hope that it will be finished for us to be able to attend with as many of you as possible and that we can have a gathering and sing the mission song and everyone hug everyone and shed tears of joy together. We do love you so. Thank you for your examples to us. Please phone us if you have time. 801 9923551.

Love always,
Pres. and Sis Ensign