Tonight's Reunion...Looks Like Fun

I knew months ago today was the day when friends would gather, friends who shared a common experience half a world away all those many years ago.

And it was my intention to attend, except life got in the way. I had to work; I was scheduled and that's just the way things go sometimes. When I returned I saw pictures posted on Facebook and I hope it's okay that I used some of them in this post. Around 30 1/2 years ago I met four of these gentlemen, the four standing beginning from the shortest and moving right.

We all found ourselves living together in a type of school, but unlike any educational institution on earth. It's a center where men, women and married couples train to become missionaries. I remember that day. I remember saying "goodbye" to my mom and sister and entering an new world--literally.

We ate together, learned to speak/read the Danish language together, and we learned what it meant to become a representative of Jesus Christ. We did this for ten weeks.

There were six of us, five men (boys, really...), and a woman. It's safe to say that when we climbed aboard a van that took us from the unique school, we had learned more about ourselves than we did the Gospel, or the Danish language, or the Danish people.

We try to reunite when we can. I attended last year's reunion and I had a blast seeing old friends (we're really old now...) and reminiscing about the times we spent together those many years ago.

Tonight some of those special people gathered. I was unable to attend. I'm sure they had a lot of fun.

Det er jo kun en liden stund,
så er vort løb til ende,
og døden er jo kun et blund,
som vi fra søvnen kende,
og hvilen, vi alt smagte her,
vi ved, er mer end møjen værd;
hvad da, når vi skal kvæde:
Nu evig er vor glæde!