A Tuesday to Treasure

The sister missionaries' purses on this Tuesday...notice the white one....
the owner brings a different purse every day....ALWAYS big and always colorful!

There are about 20 missionaries at the LDS Employment Center.

We are never there all at once. Some days there are a lot of the missionaries, some days there aren't very many. We each have certain assigned days.

BUT, when there is a phone call from a job seeker, it's just random who takes the call.

And, so when MC called about a month ago, I don't really know how it came to be that I was the one he ended up talking to. It could have come on a day when I wasn't there and it could have gone to someone else. But, I was the one MC talked to.

MC explained on the phone that for family reasons he and his wife wanted to move from Montana to St George.

So, he asked me about jobs. I was hesitant. Jobs in his field were scarce.

AND, the pay is terrible here in St George. I was brutally honest.

Over the next month, MC called several times to talk, to see if I had heard of any jobs in his field ( he and his wife both have masters' degrees in their fields.) I really had very little leads. But, he was still going to pursue things, he said.

On Tuesday morning, he called.....he was in town. He and his wife would like to come by the employment center and meet me.

He walked in the door, we shook hands, he introduced me to his wife, Tam. I in turn introduced MC and his wife to my husband, who just happened to be by the front door.

"Brother HACKWORTH!" she exclaimed excitedly! "You were my teacher!" She became VERY teary-eyed. She could hardly talk. She said she was sorry that she was so emotional.

And, then she explained why.

She said, "You were a good teacher. I really enjoyed your class.

"One day you brought in some pictures and talked about the Holocaust.

"It was the first time I really understood the horrors of that event. I was moved to tears in class. YOU comforted me like a father. You were so gentle and understanding in that moment of my awakening. That moment meant so much to me. It was a turning point in my life.

"And, I have remembered it and you all these years."

She also told RAH that he had been her best friend's Bishop. RAH remembered the friend of whom Tam talked.....

It was such a tender moment to be there and see those connections. I never want to forget that.

What if MC had originally called on a day we weren't there?

What if MC had talked to any one of the other 19 missionaries?

Witnessing this reunion of a teacher and student from many years ago, reminded me - once again - of the small moments in our lives that are such treasures.

Ah, just two more days next week of missionary service.

And, oh, how I will miss choice moments like this!