Saying Good Bye to President Anderson

Elders and Sisters From the Denmark Copenhagen Mission- 1992-1995- Then Elder Rigby both shared and documented his mission extremely well.  So much so, that I feel right at home with this crew.  They are amazing people!

 Rigby's voice had a catch in it last week when he called from work to share with me that his mission President, President Anderson had passed away.  I knew how much he loved him.  I knew President Anderson truly shaped him as a man, husband, father, and disciple of Jesus Christ.  I loved him too.  He and his wife Jeanie loved everyone.  

President and Sister Anderson
Al and Jeanie

You see, I was the "girl back home."  You know the one everyone told it would never work out.  When then Elder Rigby asked on his last Christmas in Denmark if he could call his girlfriend on Christmas day, President Anderson responded, "Eldeste, I didn't know you had a girlfriend."  Rigby and I did it right.  I loved his mission almost as much as he did.

The Danish Sisters

We hugged Sister Anderson tightly as we passed through the viewing line last night.  Hoping if by osmosis she could feel what she and her husband mean to us.  They came to our wedding, our oldest son's baby blessing, we took our  five children to their home, and they were treated as grandchildren.  Rigby and Sister Anderson even share the same birthday!- they are so very dear to us!

The Elders

The Andersons loved the little land of Denmark.  They shared that love with their missionaries.  A good handful of those missionaries gathered today to say good bye to a man that they loved dearly.  At the conclusion of the funeral as the casket was taken from the room, this handful of missionaries paid tribute to a man who taught them about Christ because he served as Christ would.  They sang in Danish, "God Be With You Until We Meet Again."

These two- love them!
Elders Rigby and Harmon
Travis and Stewart served as assistants together.  They even made a trip to Iceland during their service.

Thanks so much to the entire Anderson family for sharing their father, grandfather, and great grandfather with the Rigby family, and the band of missionaries who grew through your sacrifice of those 3 years away from "Al and Jeanie."  

Rigby and I have our first missionary out now- yep, we are that old.  With his service, I feel an even greater love for missionary work, the entire Anderson family, President and Sister Anderson. and our son's mission President and his wife, President and Sister Lewis.

We love you Sister Anderson.  We will be seeing you soon -come birthday time!