About Your Son

July 8, 2014

Letter from the sweet mission couple who have been with Logan the last 10 months. I am beyond grateful for them.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Michael Cosgrave <michaellcosgrave@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Jul 8, 2014 at 3:33 PM
Subject: Elder Van Wagoner
To: mfvw500@gmail.com


Sister Van Wagoner,

To begin, let us tell you how much we love your son and what a good missionary he has become. He brings a great spirit with him and has the confidence and love of the members in the Ho First Branch.  Elders who have served with him have commented on his strengths and his rapid growth as a missionary.  That being said, we are aware of the love he has for all of you in his family and in particular, at this time, for his sister and her family as they face this challenge with the baby.  In his sweet testimony on Sunday, he shared a bit about what he knew at that time and invited the members to include her in their prayers. Maybe he shared with you in his email about feeling the presence of this baby's spirit that Sunday as he administered the Sacrament. We are currently in Accra to bring two missionaries down here for their return home having completed their missions.  We will be here tomorrow when your son comes for transfers and will be able to have some time to visit with him about the latest findings. He does have a tender heart,but he is strong and we feel certain he will handle this with the faith he has already shown many times.  We do have really mixed feelings about his transfer.  We know he will be a great district leader and will bless the missionaries and members in his new area, but, selfishly, we would keep him in Ho until we go home next year. We will contact you again after we talk to him. Thank you for sharing your son with us and these people in Ghana!

Elder and Sister Cosgrave 

Myrna Van Wagoner <mfvw500@gmail.com>	Jul 11
---------- Forwarded message ----------

From: Michael Cosgrave <michaellcosgrave@gmail.com>Date: Fri, Jul 11, 2014 at 11:54 AM
Subject: Re: Elder Van Wagoner
To: Myrna Van Wagoner <mfvw500@gmail.com>

Brother and Sister Van Wagoner,

Your son is a real valiant soul.  I am sorry that it has taken us this long to report on the conversation that I had on Wednesday with him, but sometimes the internethere is pretty sketchy unless we go to the cafe and we have been on the road since Wednesday.  Anyway, so much for excuses, but to report to you, I visited with your son on Wednesday when he went to Accra for transfers.  He has been called as a District Leader in on of the districts in the Accra area.  I shared with him the results of the testing that showed the Trisomy 13 and then, as best as I could, explained the nature of the defect and the likely outcomes.  He was very controlled, but emotional as you might expect, and as we were near the end of our visit, President Heid came in and sat with us.  He shared the personal experience that he and Sister Heid had had with a miscarriage and their feelings for that baby. He then shared a favorite scripture that has taken him through some tough times.  After he left, I gave Elder Van Wagoner a blessing and then he took some time alone and then went to join his new companion and headed off to his new assignment. Sister Cosgrave shared text messages with him yesterday and he let her know that he was doing OK at that time even though it had been a hard day.  He has great faith which will strengthen him and we know that he will continue to serve well and share his strong testimony.  We know that Heavenly Father is mindful of your family and will bless this good elder and all of you.

Elder and Sister Cosgrave