Elder Rhineer loved to play soccer on preparation day. It sure got competitive at times. He was my zone leader in Leeds one just before he became one of the assistants to the president. I had two companions at the same time and we had one car. One preparation day we played soccer with a group of missionaries and others in that part of England. In his enthusiasm to go after the ball, Elder Rhineer tore up his hand on part of a fence. In a panic one of my companions, Elder Williams, drove Elder Rhineer's car to the hospital. Only problem was the keys to our car were in Elder William's pocket so my other companion and I were stranded.
Elder Rhineer must have been an Assistant to the president for an eternity. Once President Bowen went home Elder Rhineer in some ways showed President Woodward how to run a mission. He was asked to extend his mission at least twice. This all means that Elder Rhineer served in the same ward and part of Leeds the whole time.
The second time I served in the Leeds zone I would often visit an apartment that housed six or eight missionaries. My companion and I would get invited over to watch movies on preparation day. One week a few of us missionaries watched, The Lizzy McGuire Movie. It was obviously made for children and I thought it was dumb. In the middle of the movie a missionary would always walk in and ask what we were watching. They would always want to watch it with us the next preparation day. By the time I was watching it with Elder Rhineer several weeks later, The Lizzy McGuire Movie, was my new favorite movie. Now and then as a guilty pleasure I still watch The Lizzy McGuire Movie, and remember watching it with my friends from the England Leeds Mission.
Just before going home every missionary gets a chance to bear their testimony and says their goodbyes.
Since it was her last day, one Sister bore her testimony and then confessed that one of the most difficult parts of being a missionary was stopping herself from checking out Elder Rhineer's cute butt.
Just being around Elder Rhineer had a profound effect on me. Though I haven't kept in touch, knowing he is gone, I feel I have lost a part of myself.
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