As they were ushered into a room at the Murray Deseret Industries store filled with new shoes and clothing, 27 youngsters from the Republic of Georgia knew this was no ordinary day. Their eyes flashed with excitement. Their chatter in their native Georgian tongue filled the room.

The youngsters are members of a folk dancing troupe who arrived in Utah July 19. They brought with them their dance costumes but very little other clothing except what they were wearing. But when they left the Deseret Industries store Aug. 1, each carried a new gym bag filled with lots of new clothes.After performing in Price, Utah, the children, through a series of misunderstandings and miscommunications, were stranded in Utah with no place to stay, no further performances scheduled to earn money and three weeks left before their flight home.

Thanks to the members of the Church in two Sandy, Utah, stakes, the needs of housing, food and transportation were provided. Now, at the Deseret Industries store, their clothing needs were about to be met.

Before the children, ages 8 to 11, picked out their clothes and shoes, Elder Alexander B. Morrison of the Seventy and president of the Utah North Area, and President Thomas S. Monson, first counselor in the First Presidency, spoke briefly to them, through the aid of an interpreter.

In his comments, Elder Morrison told the children, "We would like you to have some new clothes today." And then after he enumerated what each child was to receive, the group in unison responded with a loud "thank you" in English.

As President Monson began his comments, the youngsters listened politely and attentively. Soon, President Monson had the children laughing, particularly as he told the story of how he built a relationship with a young boy at a conference.

"I don't remember what I said in that conference; I just know I made a friend of that little boy and he made a friend of me."

Continuing President Monson explained, "Jesus Christ said `ye are my friends.' (John 15:14.) The word friend in the English language is a very deep meaning word. So in behalf of all of us here today, we say you are our friends, and invoke God's blessings to be with you."

President Monson told the children they each would receive a Utah Jazz cap, and then referred to the two Jazz basketball players who were playing with the Dream Team in the Atlanta Olympics. "When you go home wearing this cap," President Monson said, "people are going to think you've been playing in the world Olympics." It was a comment that brought considerable laughter from the pleased youngsters.

"You're all winners," President Monson told the group.

In a more serious vein, he said, "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is happy to be represented here with you today. We're sorry you found difficulties, but we want to do our very best to help you through those.

"You are all children of our Heavenly Father and He is pleased with you, and I'm proud of you," remarked President Monson.

He then told the children not to leave any clothing or shoes in the room. "I do not want to see any clothes left in this room. Take it all," he declared, again to the pleasure of the happy youngsters. He suggested that the children take clothing home to share with their brothers, sisters and friends.

After President Monson spoke, the children excitedly clamored around the tables containing about 50 pairs of new shoes, 50 pairs of new jeans, new dresses, and new socks, underwear, gym bags and Jazz T-shirts and caps. In the back of the room was a rack full of about 400 like-new T-shirts.

True to President Monson's directive, the children did, indeed, take it all. They also followed his wishes to permit everyone to receive his or her share before going back for "seconds" or "thirds."

It was an exciting time for the children from the capital city of Tbilisa, Georgia, as they had a chance to pick out clothing not only for themselves, but also for some of their siblings and friends.

The plight of the dancers early on came to the attention of Doris Platt, a member of the Sandy Utah Crescent Stake and adviser to Georgian president Eduard Shevardnadze. She contacted Kent M. Seal, president of the Sandy Utah Crescent Park Stake, who is her dentist. Pres. Seal, working through the stake and ward Relief Societies, made arrangements to have the children stay with members of his stake for a week. The next week they stayed with members of the Sandy Utah Crescent Stake. They were scheduled to travel home from San Francisco on Aug. 12.

Since being in Salt Lake City, the dancers have had additional performances, and money has been raised, through the performances and from individual donations, to help pay for expenses to get the children home.

They also attended a performance of the Tabernacle Choir on July 28.

"This has been so exciting to me," said Pres Seal. On Aug. 3, a performance was held in his stake center, and then the children were taken to the Crescent stake for the next week. "People in my stake were crying; they didn't want to see the children leave. It is so gratifying to see the love of the stake members for a people they had never met before. It touches me that the members of my stake would be so kind."

Undoubtedly, the Church members will never forget the children from Georgia. Nor, is it likely that the 27 youngsters, with their new clothes, and their three adult leaders will ever forget their new-found Utah benefactors either.