At the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah

This is our MTC District.  On the first day, the 60 missionary couples that reported with us to the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah, were divided into small groups or districts.  All of the training we did in the first week was done with the couples in our District.  The two young people on either end were our teachers.  It is amazing how quickly we came to care about the other couples in our District! 

On Thursday, during one of our breaks, Scott was talking to Elder Montgomery and figured out that he had been serving in the Roanoke Virginia Mission (where I was baptized) in the summer of 1974 (when I was baptized).  We asked him if he had known the Elder that taught and baptized me.   He had not served with Elder Packard, but remembered him.  Through a mission website, he was able to pull up Elder Packard's contact information, which he gave to us.  Unbeknownst to us, he called Elder Packard that evening and suggested that he call our phone number (he did not give Elder Packard any idea who would be answering the phone).  Imagine our surprise when Elder Packard called that evening.  Numerous times during the 40 years since my baptism, I had expressed to Scott that I wished I could let Elder Packard know what had occurred as a result of that one baptism.  I finally got the chance to do that!  Elder Packard then shared with me that he had struggled with some significant health concerns during his mission and for that reason did not remember those two years as fondly as many missionaries do;  he appreciated knowing what a difference his missionary service has made in our lives.  It also turns out that a close friend of Elder Packard's is currently serving as one of the counselors in the MTC Presidency.  He was able to arrange for Elder Packard to come this afternoon and spend an hour visiting with us.  What fun we had catching up on the last 40 years!

This whole experience has strengthened my testimony that our Heavenly Father knows each of us individually and that what is important to us and for us is important to him, even the little things.