This story states that these people were not able to attend the temple before serving missions. Is this common or has it happened before in areas where there is no temple?

http://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/61595/Temple-fund-blesses-LDS-Africans.html

Zimbabwe members Tongai and Fungai Tadokera met four years ago. After dating for 18 months they both decided to serve missions. They fulfilled faithful missions even though they were not able to attend the temple prior to their missionary service. Still, their goal was to marry in the temple.

Last March, the two were married for eternity in the Johannesburg temple.

"Life after our missions had its challenges, but we worked hard," they wrote. "After much perseverance we were married and sealed in the temple.

80-90% of the missionaries in my brother's mission were not endowed.

He went to Ghana while the temple was being built. He was one out of two foreign white missionaries. The rest were local and had never seen a temple.

In an emergency, our "Heavenly Father" is subject to intervene in cases such as these where a temple is unavailable. Although he was particularly busy at the time prior to the start of their mission, he appeared to them through their "spiritual eyes". At that time he informed them it would be OK to use the internet and look up the secret handshakes and tokens, which they did. They were also given temporary temple names, much like you or I would get a temporary password on a new website. These were valid for two years, at which time they would become unusable. Thankfully, these two were able to be married in the temple where they received their permanent passwords.

I served my entire mission (and the rest of my life, for that matter) while under-endowed. Any points for that?

Nope. Looks like you got stuck with the short stick..

That's what I used to tell my ex.

Lol :)

Living in Orem and got called to the Utah Provo Mission for a short time. The Church specifically said I would not be endowed for that time, but would get endowed if they sent me elsewhere for 2 years. Got back a year ago, did not go 2 years elsewhere, still not endowed.

I have a good friend who was in the same California mission as the LDS actress, Heather Beers. She played Charley in the movie of the same name (soon to be re-released to theaters in Utah for its 10 year anniversary.)

The funny thing is, Heather's rich daddy was friends with the rich mission president so she served for a full 18 months as a regular sister missionary without getting her endowments first.

Why?

Because she was only 18 years old at the time.

No MTC stay. No endowments. And she FINISHED her mission before she even turned 21.

I wonder if her companions were jealous that she could wear normal underwear.