First Week In The MTC

Wow! We are loving our time and experiences here at the MTC. So much to learn and recall but it all comes together in a most amazing way. We study what we have been directed to study and then when we are assigned a teaching situation (mock but very real) the Spirit helps us recall what we have studied. Just like the scriptures say: D&C 11:21 Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word and then your tongue be loosed;. Norriss and I love studying in Preach My Gospel. It is organized in such a way that each principle of the gospel is easy to study. We have been impressed by the organization and order of this manual and can add our testimonies to those of many others as to it's inspiration and high purpose.

We are surrounded by other Senior Missionaries in a sea of younger warriors and the feelings we have had as we have been swept up in their enthusiasm are invigorating and exhausting at the same time. That may sound a bit strange but it is true. We are absolutely exhausted by the end of the day but don't want to miss one second of the experience or association.

We are in a group of about 30 couples going everywhere from Florida and Texas to Argentina and Siberia to Japan and Africa as well as many places in between. Jeff Rogers' (from L.O. ward) parents are here. They are preparing to go to Japan. They are wonderful people.

Those of us going the South Africa have become quite close. The Staggs (brother Stagg is Pat Tunks' from L.O. brother) are going to the Congo, the Browns (from Canada) are going to Nigeria, we are going the Johannesburg, and there is one other couple going some place I can't recall at the moment. Zimbabwe keeps coming to mind but I don't think that is correct. The one thing I can say is we are all going in faith.

We have come to care about each other, check on each other, laugh and cry with each other and pray for each other. It is a wonderful experience. I hope you will each have a chance to enjoy the beauty of the MTC as you prepare to serve the Lord.

This next week we will receive training in CES (Church Education System) work and then finally PEF (Perpetual Education Fund), our area. One thing I have learned is be flexable; you never know what the Lord will have you do. Some things are changing so fast that we just need to hang on and enjoy the ride.