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Show Garn Heaton Relates Experiences In Mission Field Leaving St. George May 23, 1937, he arrived in England on June 22 and was assigned to the Hull district where he labored the first 19 months. Here, outside out-side of regular missionary work, the Mormon elders became mem-l mem-l bers of the baseball league which is a branch or the national association as-sociation in charge of all athletic sports in that country. Though naturally interested in sports, I states Mr. Heaton, the majority of the rank and file have not the physiques nor general physical fitness fit-ness for participation in strenuous games and are therefore impressed im-pressed with the ability of the American youths who do have this capacity. Although not many lady missionaries mis-sionaries go to the foreign lands, Mr. Heaton explains that they have been able to organize a Gleaner girls baseball league in the Hull district and these young ladies are making the game popular popu-lar with old and young and are splendid leaders in activities of the church. While Mr. Heaton served seven months as supervising elder and district president and enjoyed his labors in that capacity greatly, he states the happiest months of his mission were the two spent tracting in the country district. Conditions there were much as the earliest Mormon elders found them, and kept the missionaries on their toes, especially in their contacts with the local vicars. Transferred to the Manchester district in Rochdale branch, where interesting athletic work is centered, cen-tered, the missionaries have made very pleasing contacts with the government officials through their well-organized "Keep Fit" program. pro-gram. This has won them such popularity that their help is constantly con-stantly requested. One elder was startled with a phone call from Scotland Yard, but it proved to be merely a request that he arrange ar-range time for coaching the policemen's team in preparation for a coming game. He feels sure these contacts have meant much to the growth of the church in that branch, which in four years has increased from a regular attendance at-tendance of 12 to 15 members and friends on Sunday and at M.I.A. to from 80 to 125, which is the recorded attendance of each week. Athletics are only a side line with the missionaries, but the line is good and of much value, he declares, and is doing much to break down the unfavorable unfavor-able attitude of the people generally regarding the L.D.S. church. Elder Heaton made the return trip with Clarence Beckstrom of Spanish Fork and Rodney Tew of Shelley, Idaho, and for a small sum made a tour of Europe before be-fore returning home. After visiting visit-ing Wales, Scotland and Ireland, they went from Newcastle to Oslo, Norway, to Stockholm, Sweden, across to Denmark and to Berlin in time to attend the great spring festival. This he says was spectacular in that it was almost totally a military exhibition. ex-hibition. More than 8,000 Hitler Youths and 5,000 regular soldiers paraded in the great Olympic stadium before the 125,000 spectators specta-tors in the grandstand, and thousands thou-sands more on the outside. It was 10 p.m. and their torch procession was an amazing scene. They heard first hand the address of Dr. Goebel, much of which was interpreted in-terpreted by a youth nearby. It took them until 3 a.m. to get clear of the crowds and on the way to their hotel. They visited Munich, Vienna, Budapest, went down the Blue Danube, and spent seven days in Italy, hiking to the top of Mt. Vesuvius and down to the ruins of Pompeii. Of his souvenirs Mr. Heaton has a piece of erupted lava which was still hot when he picked it up. The Isle of Capri, the prison of Paul in Rome, the catacombs were all interesting, and Switzerland was most beautiful. beauti-ful. But is was best of all. he says, to set foot on American soil, and to his great surprise find his father and sister, Leda, with Jean Leavitt on the New York dock to meet him. Coming west they attended the great L.D.S. memorial pageant at Palmyra and visited many places of religious interest. At the conference con-ference session in the sacred grove they met Alva Snow on his first day out. Kirtland, Carthage, the Smith mansion and Brigham Young home and numerous other side trips made the return journey enjoyable. |