Sights and Sounds of Reunion 2015
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(Comments posted below picture gallery)
Mission President Respected
Thank you for another wonderful evening. Julie and I
enjoyed it very much. Both reunions have been magical for us. I still have
almost 12 companions that haven’t made the reunions, so I’m a supporter of the
every other year schedule. Maybe they’ll eventually show up. I think you might
enjoy what my wife wrote last night about the reunion to our missionary
daughter serving in Atlanta GA.
“As Dad mentioned to you above, we had a really nice time at his mission reunion. I have to say that the best part of the reunion is the last 45 minutes or so when they all go into the chapel and their President and his sweet wife speak to them. I get choked up again right now, even as I’m typing this, because well, there is this transformation I get to see. In the gym they are just all visiting and swapping stories and reminiscing, but once they go into the chapel and their President stands at the podium to speak to them I see a change. (I know it was there in the gym too, but I’m not aware of it because of my own conversations going on.) But once we are in the chapel what I see in the eyes of these grown men… men who have been, or are now in bishoprics and stake presidency’s or have served as mission presidents themselves, (one of them is now serving as a General Authority and couldn’t been there but President Sager’s shared his letter) Anyway, what I see in the eyes of these grown men and women as they look up at their President, is so much love and admiration…those men and women who are now in their 60’s, almost literally become 19, 20 and 21 again… and you can see in their eyes that he is STILL their Mission President. He could tell any one of them to do anything and they would do it. They still love him, trust him and respect him that much. And he still seems very much devoted to each of them as if they were still serving under him. He remembers them ALL and his wonderful wife is the same way. The love in their eyes for all those “Elders and Sisters” is still there! It’s such an amazing thing to witness that and be a part of it in some small way some 40 years later. I can’t wait for you to be able to have similar
experiences at your mission reunions.”
Because of these reunions, Julie and I have become good friends with Don and Janice Ryther (who I never served with). I was able to visit with my very first companion E. Pearson and his wife. He set the tone and work ethic of my mission. I was able to reconnect with E. Monroe, my second companion. And I now see Bruce and Kandie Dayton (my ZL companion) regularly. And I have come to know and love you and your dear wife… all of this wouldn’t have happened without the reunions. Julie and I will look forward to our 2017 reunion. -- Jeff and Julie Stewart
“As Dad mentioned to you above, we had a really nice time at his mission reunion. I have to say that the best part of the reunion is the last 45 minutes or so when they all go into the chapel and their President and his sweet wife speak to them. I get choked up again right now, even as I’m typing this, because well, there is this transformation I get to see. In the gym they are just all visiting and swapping stories and reminiscing, but once they go into the chapel and their President stands at the podium to speak to them I see a change. (I know it was there in the gym too, but I’m not aware of it because of my own conversations going on.) But once we are in the chapel what I see in the eyes of these grown men… men who have been, or are now in bishoprics and stake presidency’s or have served as mission presidents themselves, (one of them is now serving as a General Authority and couldn’t been there but President Sager’s shared his letter) Anyway, what I see in the eyes of these grown men and women as they look up at their President, is so much love and admiration…those men and women who are now in their 60’s, almost literally become 19, 20 and 21 again… and you can see in their eyes that he is STILL their Mission President. He could tell any one of them to do anything and they would do it. They still love him, trust him and respect him that much. And he still seems very much devoted to each of them as if they were still serving under him. He remembers them ALL and his wonderful wife is the same way. The love in their eyes for all those “Elders and Sisters” is still there! It’s such an amazing thing to witness that and be a part of it in some small way some 40 years later. I can’t wait for you to be able to have similar
experiences at your mission reunions.”
Because of these reunions, Julie and I have become good friends with Don and Janice Ryther (who I never served with). I was able to visit with my very first companion E. Pearson and his wife. He set the tone and work ethic of my mission. I was able to reconnect with E. Monroe, my second companion. And I now see Bruce and Kandie Dayton (my ZL companion) regularly. And I have come to know and love you and your dear wife… all of this wouldn’t have happened without the reunions. Julie and I will look forward to our 2017 reunion. -- Jeff and Julie Stewart