Instead of going home after 5 hours of responsibilities in the International Office of training and assisting our missionaries, we remained at the MTC to attend the weekly anticipated Tuesday evening devotional held at 7:00 p.m. in 19M, the Lorenzo Snow multi-purpose room. Actually, this is an enormous multi-purpose room that readily converts into a meeting/conference room as rows and rows of stadium benches are rolled away from the walls, a podium is brought in as well as an organ, etc. for large group meetings. The primary use of this room, however, is a gymnasium/athletic facility provided for the missionaries on their "P" days. The room holds approximately 3,000 missionaries with the overflow held in the Wilford Woodruff Bldg (main bldg where our office is housed). For security purposes, interestingly, the name of the General Authority speaker is kept a secret until 6:00 p.m. when the missionaries enter the room. Our office is given privy to this information ahead of time, so it's always a test to answer "wait and see" when often missionaries enter our office before hand and wish to know who our honored speaker will be.

Elder Gary Coleman, First Council of the Seventy, was our honored speaker--his church leadership credentials are as long as your arm, including multiple mission presidencies and area authorities. His main message implored the missionaries to FIND PEOPLE. He reminded us that they don't know who they are and will find out as missionaries take them the message of the gospel. Additionally, he emphatically reminded missionaries that "the messenger should match the message" and the message brings eternal life!! FIND! FIND! Find someone to teach! He ended this talk by reminding the missionaries to look sharp! Look like a priesthood man! Keep their suit coats buttoned so they look well groomed and not sloppy!

We remained afterwards a few minutes to see if we could see Brittany. Lo, and behold, she walked out with her threesome companions and two elders who are not in her district but also headed for Spain Barcelona. She looks great and exudes enthusiasm and joy!

Thanksgiving, tomorrow, we are hosting an Apostle (name withheld for security purposes, but he's awesome). This will be a Thanksgiving never to be forgotten! Unfortunately, I was asked by Sister Boone to conduct the music for the two firesides held that day, including 3 prelude hymns before the meeting begins. Yikes!! I'd rather be at the organ!! The previous conductors stand at this large podium and lead the large congregation with words memorized. I don't have time to memorize "If I Could Hie to Kolob" by tomorrow--the words are flashed on large screens, however, for the participants. We'll have a long day as we work from 8:00 a. . to noon, eat Thanksgiving dinner, then assist with setting up the cafeteria for the humanitarian project, off to 19M to lead the music at fireside #1, back to the cafeteria to help with the humanitarian project, back to a second fireside (all missionaries are divided into 2 groups) and then back to the cafeteria to assist with the humanitarian projects. What a day!