MTC (Missionary Training Center) aka Drinking Through a Firehose

MTC (Missionary Training Center) aka Drinking Through a Firehose

Dear Family and Friends,

Today was the day that we were supposed to fly to Chile to begin our mission service. We have not obtained visas yet because of covid restrictions there. We consider this a tender mercy as our daughter Becca is due to have a baby boy in 7 weeks. Since we are already delayed, we will wait until after his birth to leave the country. We will begin our service from home, working remotely until we can enter Chile.

We have spent the last two weeks being trained for our missionary assignment. This training would have normally taken place in person at one of our MTC’s (Missionary Training Centers) -for us, in Provo, Utah. We were the last set of senior missionaries to do our training virtually. In person classes resume next month. During the first week, we met people from Brazil, Mexico, Columbia, Denver CO, Boise ID, Baton Rouge LA, and Arizona. They will be serving in Boston, Mexico City, Santiago, and Brazil. This week all our couples were from Utah, heading out to Chile, Dubai, and Cambodia. Collectively, they have already served missions in Mongolia, Bosnia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, the South Pacific and in Germany. We were the new kids on the block, embarking on our first mission as a couple.

We have been called as humanitarian missionaries to relieve suffering and foster self-reliance. We are not going to give handouts, but a hand up. We will do this by identifying and helping with humanitarian projects in the country of Chile. Our training was thorough, enlightening, and uplifting. We felt as though we were drinking through a firehose- in the best way! We were taught by safety experts, lawyers, counselors, IT specialists, spiritual leaders, and best practice humanitarians. Our heads are spinning, our hearts are full, and we cannot wait to begin. Latter-day Saint Charities is the legal name of our Church sponsored non-governmental organization and the official humanitarian arm of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Ed served a mission when he was 19 in the Florida Ft Lauderdale Spanish speaking mission. He spent most of his two-year service on the island of Puerto Rico. Right after I became of age to serve a mission, I met Ed. I was to graduate with my elementary teaching degree the following semester and was deciding between a semester abroad in Jerusalem, a mission, or getting a teaching job. I wanted to do all three in that order. I took a teaching job and got married so I’ve always teased Ed that he owed me a trip to the Holy Land and a full-time mission. He paid up on the trip a few years ago and now we embark on this long-awaited adventure!

During our last couple of pre-covid vacations, Ed and I both felt kind of a vacant feeling- not the usual joy and excitement we feel exploring a different part of the world. As we discussed this, we concluded that it was because it was time for us to be doing something different, perhaps something less self-indulgent, that it was time for full time missionary service. The past two weeks, meeting other couples with this same desire has confirmed our feelings. We feel so joyful as we join with over 90 like-minded humanitarian couples, disciples with service hearts, serving all over the world. We all have achy hearts, leaving our children and grandchildren and we also have strong desires to serve God and our fellowmen, and make a difference in this world in a new way.

We have noticed that we feel different wearing a missionary name tag. With the Savior’s name over our hearts, we find ourselves catching ourselves before we utter an unkind word or make a sassy remark. On our morning walks we smile and say hello to everyone we pass. We now not only represent ourselves and our family, but also our Savior. These name tags are helping us be better people.

We will keep you posted on the arrival of our grandson and visas. For now, we will be busy with our Spanish tutors and learning the ropes of our new calling from our home in Utah.

With love, Elder and Sister Lamb (aka Ed & Debbie, Mom & Dad, Pop Pop & Tu Tu)