On Feb. 9, 2000, Dwight Seawell and his family met with us in Provo, Utah, at the Missionary Training Center to join us as we said goodbye to our son Christopher for a two-year mission in the Illinois Chicago North Mission (Spanish-speaking). Elder Seawell, who was from Raleigh, N.C., taught my wife, Sandra, and me the missionary discussions in 1977. Being the zone leader at the time, he also conducted our baptismal interviews in the kitchen of our home in The Dalles, Ore. Elder Seawell baptized Sandy, and his companion baptized me.

After Elder Seawell went home from his mission, he kept in touch by calling us every year on the anniversary of our baptism. Through those phone calls we grew to know Dwight and his family and to love them very much — so much so that when my wife and I had the opportunity to fly to Las Vegas, Nev., where they now live, in 1999, we did. Elder Seawell found out that Christopher was going on a mission soon. He said he would like to be there with us.

He then read from his missionary journal about the day of our baptismal interview and the day of our baptism 22 years earlier. What a thrill it was for us to hear what this great missionary had written and to relive those moments of so long ago.

Finally, on Feb. 9, 2000, we met Elder Seawell and his wife, Connie, and their children for breakfast. Elder Seawell rehearsed from memory the account of the First Vision to Christopher, who then recited Doctrine and Covenants, section 4.

Then the five of us went to the Provo Utah Temple. I sat in the front row with Elder Seawell on my left and my son Christopher on my right. I remember thinking through tears of joy that this must be what heaven is like.

After our temple session, we took our son to the Missionary Training Center. Nothing can quite prepare you for this bittersweet experience, and we are so glad our friends the Seawells were there to share it with us — the older missionary enjoying the fruits of his labors and the younger missionary so full of hope and love and excitement in anticipation of his new calling.

This brings tears of joy to my eyes just to write about it. We are struck in awe by the simple beauty of a missionary's love and how wonderful it must have been for Elder Dwight Seawell to help send off on a mission the son of one of his baptisms, thus completing the circle of missionary service and love in one eternal round.

— David Lee, The Dalles (Ore.) 1st Ward