An Eternal Bond

Elder Dixon from Kaysville, Utah and Elder Grah from Abobo, Ivory Coast

Today was a mighty fine day for our Missionary Training Center. We were the center of the universe for two young men. One, Elder Georges Grah was on his 12th day in the MTC and Elder Dixon was on his 730th day and heading home to his ‘new’ life. Elder Dixon had just finished his mission in Cameroon, a French speaking country East of us – and a part of the new Cape Coast Mission.

One year ago Elder Dixon was in the Ivory Coast and was part of the evacuation of the “White” missionaries during their political and civil turmoil. Just before he left he was a key player in the conversion and baptism of Georges Grah. Today, barely one year later this ‘last convert’ is a full time missionary and is preparing to return to his country to do what Elder Dixon has done for him – give others a total new way of life.

As they embraced and some ‘not few tears’ flowed it was a very reflective moment for all of us who were witnesses to this eternal bonding that was happening right before our eyes. The bond between a convert and a missionary is truly an eternal one.

In our morning devotional, after we asked Elder Dixon to bear his testimony, we shared some stories of some eternal bonds we had created since my Scottish days in the early 60’s with Elder Haight. I shared a wonderful experience where Carolyn and I had been in the Sydney Temple during our mission to that part of the world. I had borrowed the President’s phone and as I exited his office, the Temple secretary who had overheard me introducing myself on the telephone asked, “Are you the Jim Ritchie from Heber City, Utah?” When she could tell by my expression that I was, she continued with, “You baptized me 40 years ago in Scotland”. The re-connection and the email relationship that has occurred is priceless as we have each shared our histories, challenges and family growth since those days in Glasgow - truly an example of an eternal bond.

We also pondered the next 40 years that Elders Dixon and Grah will share their experiences – mostly via email. Elder Grah will send pictures of his mission successes, future bride, family, church leadership experiences and then pictures of the day he will escort his children to the Temple and the MTC. Elder Grah will share with his children the feelings he had the day he was with Elder Dixon - his ‘converting’ Elder – when they met at the MTC in 2005. Elder Dixon and his family will shed tears of joy as they read, remember and reflect on Elder Grah and his family.
The bonds that missions create are truly Eternal – and bring us ‘never ending happiness’. The memories of Members, Converts, companions, leaders, investigators, merchants and neighbors all become a part of the mosaic of one of the most incredible memories that God has foreordained for us to share. Missions truly are miracle making moments.

Elders Dixon and Grah with Sister Ritchie and Elder and Sister Snow of the Seventy who were also with us for a Devotional

P.S. As I concluded this writing and added this picture I was struck with the thought about the impact that missions have had on the six of us pictured above (including the picture taker).Where else but in the Lord’s church would you find six full time volunteers – with six totally unique histories - meeting in a remote town in Ghana where the six have combined for 20 full time missions and 42 years of full time volunteer service – in three languages. When you add their children and their spouses, you begin reaching "a lot" of missions. That's a lot of Eternal Bonding.