First let me remind you that Grace and Noah have been quite inseparable since birth. I call them my twins, they're two peas in a pod, partners in crime, truly best friends. Grace has been having an especially hard time since Noah left for the MTC. She has been sad, even lost. She loves her brother and this two years of separation is going to be especially hard on her.
I am going to paraphrase Grace's story from today, with her permission.
After church today Grace felt a prompting to take a drive around the Provo temple. She said that at first she shook it off, saying, 'she didn't want to be that crazy person who stalks the MTC...' The prompting came again and this time she agreed to go but with a condition, "I will drive around the temple one time. If I don't see him, I'm going home."
Grace got in her car and drove the two blocks to the temple that is just across the street from the MTC. She circled round that one time, put her blinker on to head home and a red light stopped her from turning immediately. As she was waiting at the light a small group of missionaries came up to the intersection beside her. She noticed a tall blond. She said she thought the hair cut looked familiar, then she noticed sunglasses that reminded her of her brother's. All of this was rushing through her mind, her heart racing, she could hardly comprehend the idea that it could be Noah. Then something clicked, her heart sang and she yelled out her window, "ELDER ALLEN!"
Noah turned around.
Grace quickly pulled the car off the road.
And the two ran to each other, Noah saying, "Gracie!"
The two hugged and they cried.
Grace said that his companion came up behind them and said, "Elder, that's a girl!"
Noah's reply... "This is my sister, I can do whatever I want!"
They laughed and they cried and they told each other I love you.
And then the traffic light turned again and Elder Allen had to walk across the street with the five other missionaries into the MTC.
When Grace called me immediately afterwords to tell me what just happened she recognized that had she not been there at that moment, at that time that she would not have seen her brother.
Now there are about 4000 missionaries in the MTC at one time. Elder Allen is 1 of those 4000. There are seven days in a week, 24 hours in a day and 60 minutes in each hour. We are not given any idea of Noah's schedule, nor is there a regular time that he would be walking down that street. This was not a large group of all the missionaries walking to a specific event. This was 6 Elders on a Sunday walk. The very fact that Grace was able to be at that spot, at that time, on that day where her brother was is a miracle. It is a beautiful tender mercy.
Our Heavenly Father knew that Grace needed a hug from her brother. That she needed to see that he was smiling, that he was well, that he was surrounded by other happy missionaries and to hear that he loves her. I am confidant that that is something Noah also needed. What a beautiful blessing that was and how fortunate are we to be loved so dearly by Him who knows our hearts. I am very, very grateful.
Grace snapped this picture as he walked away.
