It seems appropriate to take a moment to reminisce that 42 years ago, Janie, our first baby to enter our home in mortality, was born. She was named after her maternal grandmother, Mary Jane. How appropriate, now 42 years later, she and Mark are offering their eldest daughter Brittany to serve our Heavenly Father as a full-time missionary headed to Spain Barcelona. Brittany will enter the MTC Provo Wednesday, November 14. Elder Cook and myself will hopefully be able to take off a few minutes from our preassigned responsibilities there and join the family for her setting apart and general farewell in the MTC chapel.

If today is typical of Mondays forthcoming, they will be nonetheless as hectic as Tuesdays and Wednesdays! Whoever said that Mondays at the MTC are slow?? All international missionaries are asked to arrive from their various homes at the MTC by 9:00 a.m. on Tuesdays; however, today a beautiful new sister missionary from Uganda and a handsome elder from a remote island (can't pronounce or spell it) in the Micronesian islands appeared bright and early! The elder, red-eyed and a bit blurry because he had been awake for 48 hours, was nonetheless excited and anxious to begin his training; he is the only member in his family. The sister is the third of eight children (second missionary from her family), speaks impeccable English and served as Primary President in her branch in her country; her parents joined the church when she was eight years old. She quietly said to me, "I know my Primary children are missing me today." Tomorrow she receives her temple endowments in the Provo, Temple. Both needed photos taken TB tests, chest X-rays, additional clothing shopped for, immunization records verified, etc. The challenge in our new missionary experience is not in loving each of these young people (this will be easy to do), but rising to the challenge of addressing each and every one of their special needs preparatory to sending them forth to serve within 9-12 weeks. We never sit down nor stop walking! Perhaps, we'll get in better shape!! Let's hope.