White Bible

[_Lemmie]

I'm sure there's a very rational reason for that last part, and maybe it's because I never experienced a Mormon mission first hand, but I have to tell you, it reads like the start of a Tom Clancy novel! What exactly were you doing down there?!!

I was the travel and statistics secretary in the mission office. When someone arrived in the country, you had to go to various government offices, fill out forms, and pay fees (and often bribes) to get the missionary a "carnet de identidad" (or national ID card that proved they were in the country legally). When they left the country, you had to go through a similar process. When I started that position, my predecessor was heading home, so he gave me a crash course in the entry/exit process, and I took notes. I had long ago forgotten where I had put them, but as I mentioned, the notes were behind my missionary certificate in the little folder with the white Bible. As I recall, we were required to carry it at all times, so I usually kept a small reserve of cash hidden there as well, as I figured if we got robbed, they would take our wallets but not the white Bible. Sure enough, when I found my missionary stuff a few months ago, there was cash right where it should have been.

So, no real Tom Clancy stuff, but as I recount in my book, sometimes it was an adventure getting people in and out of the country.

Wow. I have 5 brothers, 2 went to S. America. They never really talked about it much. They must have some stories bottled up inside! I'll have to read your book again. I read it once long ago but I think it's time for another read.

[_cwald]

I have mine from 1989. Let me know if you need it.

I can't remember how many pages it is, but maybe you could just take photos and send them to me, possibly?

Done.

[_Runtu]

Wow. I have 5 brothers, 2 went to S. America. They never really talked about it much. They must have some stories bottled up inside! I'll have to read your book again. I read it once long ago but I think it's time for another read.

I can't speak for anyone else. My mission was what it was.

[_cwald]

I have nothing but fond memories of the mission. I think it is one of the few things that I actually like about the Mormon church. I spent my time in the slums of Brooklyn and Harlem working the projects. Enjoyed it. I got mugged twice. Had a beer bottle broke over my head, knocked me out cold. Froze my ass off in the winter, sweltered in the summer. Walked 15 miles a day. Became friends with drug dealers, hookers, gang members, cops, jews, muslims, christians, lawyers and crooks. Played basketball most nights in the streets with poor black kids. Crunched 100s of crack viles while walking up flights of stairs, and had hypodermic needle go through the bottom of my shoe into my foot. (I have to get screened for HIV every five years and can't donate blood)

The mission, and finding a good wife, are the probably the two things about Mormonism that I don't regret.

The only part of the mission I regret is dealing with people who I found and converted to the church. I regret that very much. I baptized several people of African Americans decent, and never once talked about the priesthood ban or the racist teachings of the church, because I did not know about all that at the time.

Yeah, I regret that.