Dinner with VA Elders

On Sunday, March 14, we were privileged to have invited into our home some of the greatest missionaries to serve in Taiwan in the 1970s and 1980s, who live in the Washington DC area. It all started when my wife was looking for the missionaries who served in Hsingying, Taiwan, during her high school years. The two missionaries that she remembered were Elders Cunningham and Heaton. Amazingly she was able to locate these two missionaries through the Kaohsiung Taiwan Mission Alumni web site. We were able to contact Elder Robert Heaton, who is living in Northern Virginia. Both Robert and his wife, Lynda, were able to come to our home Sunday evening.

In addition, we thought it might be fun to also invite other Taiwan return missionaries living in the area. We were lucky to be able to invite all one in night our very good friends and returned missionaries from Taiwan: Tim & Robin Stratford (both are returned missionaries from Taiwan; Tim served as mission president in the Taichung Taiwan Mission; both currently serve as temple workers), Steve Hilton (returned missionary from Taiwan; currently serving as President of the Centreville Virginia Stake) and his wife, and Matt Salmon (returned missionary from Taiwan; currently serving as the branch president of the newly formed Northern Virginia Chinese Branch) and his wife and friend from Inner Mongolia.

We spent time learning about the missions they served and their wonderful experiences. The conversation turned naturally into a discussion about the work of the kingdom and the mission of the church, especially as it relates to the Chinese people. We bid farewell to the Stratfords as they embark on their new adventure in China. Thanks, everyone, for making this evening special and historical.

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