MARVELOUS MEMORIES FROM THE MTC (MISSIONARY TRAINING CENTER)

We have completed our 10-day training at the MTC in Provo, Utah. It is hard to describe in words what we experienced. As we drove into the parking lot, young missionaries stood outside and clapped and cheered for us. They were on hand to escort us to our Orientation. There were 2,600 young missionaries (ages 18-20) on the day we began training, with 660 more arriving within the week. There were 105 senior missionaries in our group, one an 83-year-old widow headed to serve at our church historical sites in Illinois. Senior missionaries are offered one-on-one language tutoring online which we have taken advantage of for the last several months. Young missionaries receive their language training as part of their experience at the MTC. 55 languages are taught in Provo. Our church has nine other Missionary Training Centers all over the world in South Africa, Brazil, England, Ghana, Mexico, New Zealand, Thailand, Peru, and the Philippines.

Upon our arrival we were divided into districts. We had classes morning and afternoon and large gatherings in the evenings with all the missionaries. Our district included Elder & Sister Bates headed to serve in Croatia & Slovenia, Elder & Sister Bracken who will be serving in Samoa, and Elder & Sister Marx going to serve in Kenya, Africa. Our morning instructor, Sister Ross, and our afternoon teacher, Sister Talbot, are darling young women full of love for us and for the Lord.

As we learned how to teach and minister, we got to practice with each other. We were paired up with Elder & Sister Wright from another district who have been called to serve the people of Samoa. We shared sweet moments together with these couples and felt our lives were supposed to intersect. That is one of the many blessings of serving a mission- the wonderful people you meet and grow to love as you serve alongside each other.

Mealtimes were wild with thousands of hungry teenagers lining up for the feast. These wonderful young people were so respectful and insisted we ‘seniors’ go to the front of the long lines. It was a delight to visit with them to find out where they are from and where they have been called to serve.

The MTC is such a joyful place. Imagine a beautiful campus with missionaries walking and talking in their various languages, laughing, smiling, studying in groups or companionships or individually. The joy was palpable. There is a very special spirit at the MTC. If you are ever discouraged about the way the world is headed, come to the MTC on Wednesdays as hundreds of new young missionaries arrive- you will never look at life the same way again!

The buildings are also beautiful, conducive to learning and growth. As you walk the halls you might see a district in one classroom receiving language instruction, another practicing ways to share and teach by the spirit. One of the buildings has twelve back lit murals which provide a perfect place for meditation. Each features a person from the scriptures, a scripture verse and a prompt for thought.

Being able to join with this large group of missionaries in the evening for a devotional was a special experience. We thought it was a thrill to stand and sing Called to Serve but then one night we sang We’ll Bring the World His Truth. We have loved this song for decades, listening our own children sing it and then in Chile hearing the youth sing it at For the Strength of Youth conferences. But it was a never to be forgotten experience to sing different words to the chorus with 2700+ missionaries. Instead of “And we will be the Lord’s missionaries to bring the world His truth,” we sang, “And we are now the Lord’s missionaries to bring the world His truth.” During the first week we were taught by Elder Karl B Cook of the presidency of the seventy and his wife Lynette. The next week we were instructed by Elder David A Bednar, of the Quorum of the Twelve, and his wife Susan. Unforgettable!

Our second week of training was specific to our calling as Welfare and Self-Reliance missionaries. We have been called to relieve suffering and foster self-reliance in the Europe Central Area. We were paired with couples called to England, Germany, Pakistan, Arkansas, Samoa, Kenya, Croatia, Slovenia, and Puerto Rico (Elder & Sister McClellan will be busy during their first week in the field as Hurricane Ernesto made land fall while we were in class together.) Our training was thorough, enlightening, and uplifting. We were taught by safety experts, lawyers, counselors, technology specialists, spiritual leaders, and best practice humanitarians.