Missionary Encounters: Far and Wide

 Phil Lyman: When I was on my mission in South Africa I had just been transferred from Krugersdorp to Johannesburg. It was a huge city and I had been in fairly small towns up til then. I was thinking this would probably not be my best transfer but I would do my best. Our first visit was to a member's home. Literally the first person I met, (when I said,  "My name is Elder Lyman") said,  "Are you the one who likes Jody Shumway?" Jody and I had dated our senior year but no one in the mission knew anything abut that.  

Joe B. Lyman -- Ryan's mission in Madrid: 

First day in Madrid as a missionary Ryan and his trainer were approached by an LDS couple. When he told them he was from Blanding,  the man, who was from Bozeman, said his good friend married a girl from Blanding. The friend's name was Steven. At which point Ryan informed them their friend married his sister Chantelle.

 Jacob Smith -- Nevada
 While serving as a missionary up in Sparks, NV a young couple had my companion and I over for dinner. When I told them I grew up in Blanding, they couldn't contain themselves, looked at each other then back at me and just busted into song: ♫♩♫
"Blue Mountain you're azure deep
Blue Mountain your sides so steep
Blue Mountain with a horse head on your side
My love you've won to keep"

Of course, when I joined in, my companion looked borderline scared. It was hilarious. After singing the chorus together, the husband said, "So have you ever heard of Albert R. Lyman?" I laughed. When I told them I was his great grandson I thought they were going to prostrate themselves on the floor and start worshiping me. (Thankfully, they didn't--my companion would have run out the door without me).
I wish I could remember their names, it was great. They said they had family in Monticello and had annual family reunions up on "The Blue" every summer and they always have one night where they sing Stan Bronson songs and share stories of "The Old Settler".

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