RETURNED MISSIONARY REUNION

We were asked by our mission president to hold a returned missionary reunion for all for all RMs living in Uganda.  There are approximately 180 who have served over the years.  The reunion has been an annual event for some time.

We pulled together a committee, planned the event, assigned committee members specific duties and crossed our fingers.  We kept the committee small so we could make decisions and get things done more easily.  It worked quite well.

We enjoyed our associations with each member of the committee.  Everyone was very friendly and cooperative.  They were excited with the idea of having special T shirts made for the committee.

We took time to  have some fun together during the planning stages.

Suzzie, upper right, chaired the committee, and with Sarah, Sister Thayn and Christine were the brains of the committee providing the right feminine touch.

Fredrick, Elder Thayn,  Stephen, and William were the brawn of the committee providing, or course, the needed balance of masculinity.

The theme was Earning a Good Living, Living a Good Life - Prospering Both Temporally and Spiritually.  We had T shirts made for the committee with a returned missionary reunion logo on the front and the theme on the back.

Each RM received a specially designed RM calendar to commemorate the event.

The event turned out to be very successful, starting at 10:00am, which means 11:00 Mormon-Ugandan time, and lasted until evening. Brother Anthony and President Jackson spoke at the beginning of the reunion by teaching the spiritual basis upon which to build a successful life..

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The returned missionaries wore their mission badges. Some had to look hard to find them after being stored away for many years.

 Two buses brought the people from Jinja, about two hours away.

Anne showed us how easily a woman can pick up a heavy object like this six gallon jug of water and set it on her head.

All were  invited to bring their spouse or significant other.

Many dressed according to the culture of the country where they served.

Fredrick directed the games and showed people how to dance with enthusiasm.

The games were to last for an hour, but lasted longer because they were having too much fun and didn't want to quit.

 A caterer provided a great meal and the rest of the day was spent dancing and socializing.

 The food was tasty and plentiful.  No one went away hungry.

 Keeping enough drinking water on hand was a challenge.

 Then came the dancing.  The music was lively with the traditional African beat.  Those who were not into dancing, sat on the sidelines and laughed while cheering those on the floor.  The mood was great.

Everyone was having such a good time, they didn't want to stop.  At around 6:00, we finally pulled the plug on the DJ and told everyone it was time to clean up.  We didn't leave until after dark.

Although it was a long and tiring day, we felt good knowing that everyone returned to their homes well fed and happy to have been together.

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