Really?! Bryce's Missionary Companion

Dear Wynette & Kim,  I couldn't help but think of Bryce today. 

We were invited by our Area President, Elder Carl B. Cook, to the Pretoria Stake Conference for the splitting of their stake and sat on the stand with Elder Cook, two Area Seventies and two mission presidents and their wives. 

It was an amazing birthday present to me when Wade Baldwin was presented as the new bishop of the Pretoria 2nd Ward! I'm sure Bryce was there!

We received this email and picture.  This was Bryce's mission president who is now the liaison for all the mission presidents in Africa Southeast and West Africa.  It was wonderful to see the Baldwins!  Great news about a great "kid". 

What's It All About?

Today I received an email from one of Bryce's companions.  He is coming to Utah.  Just when you think you are done meeting people from his life....someone new pops up.      I am grateful for these connections but have seen a pattern of funk after each encounter.  It reminds me that Bryce is no longer here.  You would think that things would change as each year passes and the memories would seem fuzzy. 

When Sis LaPray and I first arrived in Port Elizabeth, Elder Christensen was a green new missionary and that was the only opportunity we had to work with him, but I do 
remember one experience that I thought I might write about.  On one occasion Sister 
LaPray decided that she wanted to fix a special lunch for the district after district 
meeting.   She thought it would be nice to do Mexican food, something that was rare in 
South Africa.  She found that good tortillas were difficult to by and so indicated as we 
were preparing our taco's.  Being among a bunch of Elders, she was shocked when Elder 
Christensen indicated that they were really quite easy to make.  She was so surprised that 
she questioned him and then they spent quite a while as he taught her ways to cook and 
bake.   I couldn't help but think what a fortunate girl would be the one who he chose to 
marry and assist in the kitchen.  Unfortunately this accident will preclude this 
opportunity, but fortunately the gospel plan provides opportunities in the hereafter to 
continue this great experience called life.---
This was sent to us after the funeral.  Something that I didn't even know about Bryce.

Last month we made a trip to Colorado.  We were on a train going to Silverton when a beautiful lady came up to me and said she knew me.  We tried to make the connections and exhausted most possibilities.  She wanted to figure it out and I was ready to sit down when my sister  noticed her jacket and the name of our hospital.  She told me that she was a Chaplain there with her husband.  I don't know how she could have possibly remembered me from everyone since 2009 but I knew that she sat beside me in the hospital comforting me on Jan. 7th.  It was a happy reunion and opportunity for me to thank her once more for her service.  Small world isn't it?