MTC Official Missionaries!

This was a really good week. We started out by finishing our packing and leaving for the MTC on the 1st. We actually spent Saturday and Sunday with Sue and Roger Flick and Cathy Moyer who flew in for a high school reunion. It was fun. Early Monday they drove us to the MTC where our lives totally changed. This place is so organized it is amazing. We had a pair of some elders assigned to be our guides. They carried our bags to our room then escorted us to the check-in room. There we got our badges and got our pictures taken for our key cards that admit us to all buildings. They don’t waste any time fattening us up. We immediately were told it was time for lunch. The cafeteria was an amazing place. They put 2750 missionaries through 3 times a day. Anyone can eat as much as they want and they usually have at least 4 choices of meals. Some of the missionaries take all 4 choices.

After lunch we began our meetings. In the first meeting we introduced ourselves to everyone. We are part of the largest group of senior missionaries ever. There are 118 in our group. Everyone was going to a different mission. We were divided into districts that we would work with during the week.

In our general meeting Tuesday we were assigned to our teachers. Our teacher is Elder Pike from Provo. He reminds me a lot of our son Jon. Several times I had the thought that this was similar to what Jon taught at the MTC when he worked here even though things have changed considerably. We have Sister Thomas in the afternoon. She reminds me so much of Cheryl Flick. Both of our teachers are very good. Their job was to prepare us to teach the next day—they do not waste any time.

In the evening we were able to attend a devotional. We had Elder Kopischke from the Seventy come speak to us with his wife. It was a good opportunity.

Wednesday we had the opportunity to teach a sweet lady. It was a good experience. Our teacher gave us some evaluating comments that helped. In the afternoon we prepared to teach again. Thursday taught another sweet lady. I think we did much better this time at working together. This will be a real learning experience for the two of us. After we were done our teacher evaluated us. We had taught the Plan of Salvation. He told us it was really sweet the way we presented the concept of the Spirit World and it was the most clear and sweet he had heard. That felt good. I think we did a fair job—she was very good to work with, but I think we followed the spirit. It really felt good to teach her.

In the afternoon we had a couple who have served 4 missions talk to us. They were really sweet. They talked about the impact we can have as we serve. I know there is much for us to do.

Friday we were paired with another couple to practice working with less actives. After the first period we had a time to prepare a lesson to give to our less active couple. It was a good experience.

We had an interesting thing happen. Our morning teacher is Elder Pike. He reminds us so much of Jon—his physical characteristics are similar, but his mannerisms are very much like I picture Jon doing things. At the end of our time together he gave us his email and told us his name is Jonathan. I was nearly in tears. Having this connection has made his help so much more personal to me. What a blessing.

In the afternoon we discussed working with local leaders. After this we met together for a final group meeting and missionaries shared thoughts about their experience at the MTC. It was very touching the things that were shared and I was a bit teary during the experience. This has been a wonderful experience, a bit trying and challenging at times, but definitely a building and learning time. The spirit here is amazing and we have met some wonderful people.

After dinner Sue and Roger picked us up and we went to Riley Schwenke’s football game. Steve Flick had not known we were going on a mission so it was fun to tell him.
Saturday we slept in a bit and it felt really good. We were able to do a session in the Provo Temple. In the afternoon we walked to BYU to see what was going on. We found a place where Ted watched the BYU football game. In the evening we went to a movie and got yogurt with Sue and Roger.

Sunday we had Sacrament Meeting with one of the branches for young missionaries. There were two districts in our group that were leaving the MTC tomorrow. One group is going to Texas Dallas. One of the Dallas group (Elder Chavez) spoke and told the story of his conversion. I spoke with him afterward and told him to watch for Jan and Tom.

There are several different schedules for branches to hold Sacrament Meeting and priesthood, but the women all meet together. Our speaker was Renee Hill who is executive assistant to the General Primary Presidency speak to us. She told the story of when their oldest child had died and how that had brought their family into activity and to be sealed in the temple. It was a very moving meeting.