Sydney Munsters (Sister Pate)

Dear Keri,

I don't know you but I served in the England Leeds Mission with your husband.  I only ever knew him as Elder Rhineer but I will always remember the impact he had on me and my mission.  Many of my mission memories include him. Some elders just ignored the sister missionaries but I always felt that he respected me and was a friend. I was in Leeds when Elder Rhineer came to be the zone leader. Then he was made the assistant. We were in the same area for about 3 months but then as the assistant I saw him many times throughout the rest of my mission. I saw that Elder Hilton wrote on your blog about Elder Rhineer injurying his hand playing soccer. Well at the next zone meeting we were all in a group listening to his story about his injury. Someone wanted to see it so he showed us. At the back of the group where I was an Elder passed out after seeing it. He landed really hard and Elder Rhineer felt so bad. We laughed about it later.

I have another story that still makes me laugh to this day. In England orange juice is sold in a box. Elder Rhineer drank a box every morning. One morning we were headed to Hull in a convoy of vauxhall corsas for zone conference. No one really knew where we were going but Elder Rhineer was leading us and I was driving the car behind him. It took us nearly an hour to find the stake center once we got to Hull.  We got stuck in standstill traffic.  As we were waiting, all the sudden Elder Rhineer jumped out off the drivers seat and ran down the side street. One elder got in the drivers seat while another chased after Elder Rhineer. It didn't take us long to figure out that Elder Rhineer's OJ had worked its way through him on the long drive. I will always remember him sprinting across four lanes of traffic.

Shortly after I was transferred out of Leeds the sisters were removed from the area.  Even though his schedule was busy being the assistant, him and his companion took over some of our investigators.  Elder Rhineer was so excited to be able to teach again. Whenever he saw me after that he gave me updates on the people that he was teaching.

At every zone conference he taught and motivated me. Other APs came and went but there was always Elder Rhineer.  I can't think of my time in England without thinking of him. And I know I am not the only one. He was an amazing missionary and one of the best people I have ever known. With three young children at home I have let some habits from my mission slide. After attending his funeral I realized that he was still just as strong and amazing. It made me resolve to try harder and be a better person. His example is still motivating me. Thank you for letting me share some of my thoughts with you. I felt I should but I haven't had the courage to write to someone I don't know until now.

Love, Sydney Munsters (Sister Pate)