Mission Experiences: Elder Greenhorn

I've been following Mr Curie's stories of his mission and have found them to be fascinating. Granted, my mission happened a lifetime ago, much of the stuff is probably been erased from my mind, but I do recall some of my experiences that may have/should have triggered some flags.

I didn't get to go to the Provo MTC. The training center I was assigned to attend didn't have the communal showers others talk about (damn!!...just kidding!). Either way it wasn't a big deal. The one thing I do remember from this is that about half of the missionaries had not yet gone to the temple, so some elders walked around in their G's and others walked around in their regular undies until everyone went to the temple. I saw it as nothing different from being in a high school locker room. Still I was severally repressed & none of this was even an issue for gayness.

Living/working 24/7 with another missionary wasn't that big a deal. My trainer was kind of a hard-ass and he was one of those that had the choice extending his 18-month mission to 2 years only to spend the following months regretting his decision not to go home earlier-- He was an interesting character. We had a tradition on my mish that we would pray every morning and night together and we had to hug our companion, (woot for whoever came up with that!!) and whenever we met other elders for conference or transfers the situation would turn into a huge hug-fest, I wonder what people used to make of that little ritual, but as it is, public display of affection is already a normal thing in that country so again, no big deal, just interesting.

Not that there weren't enough cute elders ones out there, believe me, there were plenty of them!!--But I can honestly say that I didn't have a crush on other elders or my companions

---until I became a trainer---

Here came this greenie, fresh off the bus, ready to be taught, mentored and shown the way and I was the one to 'break him in' in a sort of way. He was the youngest in his family so he could get away with pretty much whatever he wanted, he was handsome, playful and frankly quite adorable!!! Still he was a hard-worker and went right along with everything expected from an elder. The months I spent with him were probably the best part of my mission. We taught tons, we baptized the most out of any area, I seriously thing we were allowed in many places because of his charisma. I seriously loved this guy (but not in that way--well sort of---uggghh!!!)...Anyway, the one thing he LOVED to do on P-Day, after going to play basketball, he loved to lounge around in the apartment in nothing but his tighty whities...man, I probably have never sang more hymns than when he did this, but I for one was not about to tell him to please jump in the shower and put his G's back on...no sir! I can see how my brotherly love was slowly turning into a full-blown crush and obsession with him...

Towards the end of our companionship we did this game of waking up the earliest and literally pouncing on the other as soon as the alarm went off. I remember he'd win most of the time but I managed to beat him once, jumped on his bed (well him), then laid next to him for a minute before getting going and he had this raging erection going--it was morning after all, LOL. I immediately got up from his bed, started singing again, went to take a shower and never mentioned anything to him--nor did he-- He was reassigned shortly after that but I don't think this had anything to do with him being reassigned--not that I'm aware anyway. I remember the last morning we were together before taking him to the bus station: We studied, prayed, hugged and I held him there, I didn't want to let go off him and I seriously started bawling and told him how much I loved him--probably the first person I ever told openly that I loved them--how much fun it had been working, baptizing and sharing with him and how much I was going to miss him. The next guy had nothing compared to him, although he was a greenie too and I probably antagonized the companionship while I moped around and mourned the loss of my favorite companion...

Thinking in hindsight, I probably had more than a crush on this elder (no really?) and while I knew deep down my ulterior motives, at least I was able to vocalize it as simply brotherly love, no way would I ever divulge openly or privately that I had fallen in romantic love or even the possibility with my companion. I was lucky to see him again a few times after our missions, very briefly and I never got any indication that he might have been freaked out by my excessive love towards him; heck I'm sure everyone loved him the same!!! I don't keep in touch with him--not that I haven't tried to find him-- but in a way I'm glad he remains a current enigma for the most part. :-)

Oh memories...