OUR MISSIONARY TREE
Near, years ago, where a great forest fire had been,
Are thousands of young pines saplings to be seen,
Pretty with bright green needles just starting to grow,
Then a thought came to us as past them we did go.

One of the very smallest in those thousands growing,
We would carefully remove when home we’ll be going,
We’ll call it our missionary tree, tend it with great care,
And when it grows bigger we’ll think of forests fair.

Look how close they grow. only a few inches apart,
We’ll help by bringing one home to be close to our heart,
There is a trick to moving trees so they will feel at home,
It has worked with others we’ve brought after a roam.

Find out before you remove your tree, the north so true,
Tie a ribbon on a branch pointing to the north of you.
Then when you plant it with love make sure in every way
That the little north branch is, that’s right, north we say.

Then as it grows we’ll remember each friend in the north,
The missionaries we knew and friendships of great worth,
We’ll remember the blessings that came to us every day,
And the beauty of the winter, that warmed is a special way.

We’ll love our little tree and hope it grows big and strong
And we can tell our grandchildren, on a mission you belong,
Let us, we hope, our testimonies grow along with our tree,
That maybe serve another one, if not now, then in eternity.

M Ann Margetson December 8, 2001
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