Missionary Moments

From Sister Deborah Romney:

The week at the MTC is wonderful. The senior missionaries (50) of us, are great people. They come from all over, and are heading out to Nigeria, Slovenia, Australia, Texas, SLC Temple Square, El Salvador, Equador, The Baltic States, and the Navajo reservation in northern Arizona, and a variety of multiple other places. 8 of us heading to Nauvoo, All are excited and eager to serve the Lord any way they can. This is the 2nd or 3rd mission for about 1/4 of the group. The Church would love to have at least two thousand more adults NOW. All of the mission presidents are begging for them. There are a total of 8 single senior sisters here. All of us are widows, but, mine was the best way to lose a husband. The others lost theirs after years of Alzheimers, Parkinsons, cancer, or brain tumors. Clyde and I had it better than all of them.

The young Elders and Sisters are instructed to help us in any way that they can, so they hold doors, allow us to precede them in the cafeteria, carry anything for us that looks the least bit heavy, and greet us whenever they see us. They are outstanding. It's uplifting just to be around them. I was assigned to attend the Sacrament meeting today with the foreign Elders and Sisters who have been assigned to an English speaking mission. They are from France, Hong Kong, Philippines, Mexico, and several other areas.

This morning as we viewed the Tabernacle Choir Broadcast prior to our MTC-wide Relief Society, with about 300 Lady Missionaries, the song you and I have talked about so often, Hymn #109 about the "sultry glebe" was sung. I thought it might be a "sign" as several other things that have happened to me have been. (I'm trying to find meaning wherever I can.) Then a story that was told in our Sacrament meeting was about an event that occured this past week with a young sister who was caught stealing her companion's money. In our Branch President's five years here, this is the first time anything like this had ever happened. He taught a wonderfully important lesson about the way the other missionaries reacted, from "why is she even here?", to "how awful", and "she shouldn't even be serving a mission", to "I'll pray for her, and hug her and tell her 'I love her' when I next see her." --- the last being the correct response. She wasn't sent home, but did not attend the Sacrament meeting with her Branch. I would love to find out how it was all handled. Anyway, I learned an important lesson about judging. It's not my place. I will learn to "forgive all offenses". I will, I will.