Mission calls can bring many surprises.

My husband, Maurice R. Millett, and I were called as family history missionaries to the England London South Mission, and we were told we would microfilm records in the queen's archives. I had imagined we'd work in a small English village, never in the huge Public Records Office in the city of Hayes, west of London.When I was told my assignment on this mission was preparing the documents of World War I soldiers, I had no idea what an arduous task this assignment would be. These files were badly damaged when the Germans bombed Great Britain during World War II. Some documents were blackened and brittle from smoke damage, mildew or chemicals. Others had been soaked with water and stuck together or were covered with a gritty substance, which was hard to remove.

Cleaning these papers became very depressing. I had to remind myself I was working for the Lord. Many of these records were all that was left to keep these young men, who gave their lives for their country, from being forgotten.

One day after a routine of cleaning and recording, I saw a paper that gave me a real jolt. It was a list of the personal possessions of 19-year-old Robert Anderson, who had been killed in France. First on the list were "Bible, Mormon book, and Doctrine and Covenants."

The effect this discovery had on the missionaries working on this microfilming project was like a message from the Master. We felt impressed to "press on, be of good cheer."

We realized that we were where we were supposed to be, doing something important for these soldiers and for our own exaltation. Many of the documents seemed insignificant to me, but I read letters from wives asking the whereabouts of their husbands. I realized these were people I was dealing with, not just names. Through all this I learned the importance of preserving every document so these soldiers could have the chance to receive the gospel.

Our concern was getting the work done for Robert and the other men who may not have had the opportunity to receive the fullness of the gospel.

My husband and I considered it a privilege to be involved in the work of microfilming. We had mixed feelings as we were released from our mission in April 1992. - Sister Rueda H. Millett, Mesa 1st Ward, Mesa Arizona North Stake

(Another in a series of "Missionary Moments." Illustration by Deseret News artist Reed McGregor.)