MTC Days

Our "district" on the first day on our tour of the campus. There were about 110-120 Senior missionaries in our group that started April 7. Groups range from 50 - 150.

(Still having formatting problems, and I'm sure it could use lots of editing, but this is what I can do in the time I have)

We left Wednesday morning April 3 and drove to Sydney where we ate at a familiar Mexican restaurant and walked off our stiffness across the street at Cabellas, where the salesmen tried to convince me to buy a gun to carry. They showed me some and gradually moved to simpler ones for the dummy. The hotel room didn’t have hot water! Arrived at Bethany’s where we got delicious creamy asparagus soup and fruit salad and her superb bread. Friday we took her to WinCo for some bulk wheat and flour and spices and lentils, then to the movie "Penguin Lessons" and Crown Burger lunch, threw stuff back in the car and went to Ogden where we got to see Megan’s last night in the musical "The Pajama Game." Played games with Isaac and watched conference, took Bethany back and watched the evening session, drove to Blair’s (Durk's brother). Sunday was conference watching at Blair’s where I figured out how to use pancake mix to make biscuits to have with soup. 

Backing up slightly, Tuesday April 2 President James was having other mtgs in JC so we didn’t have to drive to Columbia to be set apart. Wow, we received the most amazing blessings, I wish recording was allowed. Included being invigorated, learning reasons why that specific mission was our place, interestingly that I would find a friendship with someone, health and safety, lots more I can’t remember.

We were given an MTC (Missionary Training Center, Provo Utah) arrival time with a “do not arrive early” so we joined other cars in the parking lot across the street watching our clocks. They have remodeled the senior rooms and they look like a fairly nice hotel room. The bed was cushy, the shower has real stone walls that should last a very long time.

MTC Day one 

It’s always interesting to hear where senior missionaries are from, where they are going, what assignments. Also we had a group of young men missionaries do a beautiful musical number and they were interesting too - several learning Persian to use the the Frankfurt Mission (yep), one a Spanish speaker who has good English already and is learning Icelandic. I took a photo of the board that lists languages taught here. Seniors have 109 possible types of assignment! We have lots of historic sites missionaries (preparing for tourist season) including at least three sets of teamsters for Nauvoo (Handling horses and even oxen,). Another set of Merrills (obviously didn’t learn the correct spelling) going to Nauvoo to be tour guides. One couple is going to Croatia to work with young single adults in a little town - apparently everyone speaks English. It’s wonderful to meet with a big group of consecrated Saints and makes me think of Joseph Smith's words "Shall we not go forward in so great a cause? One couple will work with a program to help pre and postpartum moms with baby health, there are two single men which is new, one says he was #6 of senior single men called. One of the branch presidency is Bro.Thomas who was St. Louis temple pres. and good friends with Jim and Cindy, have traveled with them and are always impressed by how organized they are. 

The boat created for the Bible videos was used to make this sculpture, Fishers of Men is appropriate for missionary training!

Durk said, on the way, "hope I’m not the district leader again," so of course he is. Or in this case, we are, since they sort of said it’s the two of us. He will call on people to pray in class and we will lead a discussion after the general authority devotional tomorrow night. The teacher said they haven’t had an apostle for a long time so we might be lucky - no one knows ahead of time who will speak. Got over 7,000 steps in despite being in mtgs and class all day. All the trees are in bloom, tulips starting to show and daffodils and pansies out, last week they said is snowed, when we were here six years ago was January and snowy cold slushy so this is nice.  nother new thing since we were here in 2019, “miracle time” or miracle,hour, for young ones it’s 10-10:30 but earlier as we wish. Alma 37:37 time to ponder pray and read scriptures to end the day focused on Christ. We were asked to read DC 31 with our own name inserted, which is actually a powerful experience for a missionary! See also D&C 88:124 (one our kids heard a lot) 3 Nephi 31:21 “ prepare your heart and mine to “lie down unto the Lord” by journaling, studying a passage from the BM, and/or effective prayer. Rise early refreshed and with thankfulness to God to start a new day” Bro. Bourneman seems lonely, there are few single sisters and even fewer single brothers so its hard to fit in amongst everything being geared around couples. The sisters quickly join together but I'm not sure the brothers ever did - just two of them i believe, once there are a few more it will probably get easier.

I never did get a photo of the daffodils and tulips and other flowers coming up and opening - one couple saw a deer on the campus eating the tulips. The MTC camus is a beautiful and peaceful place, really inspired to promote learning and peace and joy, I think. And of course it was prettier than last time we were here in a cold wet slushy January. There is a lot of outdoor seating so the learners can spend time outside with classes or groups or studying, etc. 

The newest buildings, the ones with the nurals, have lots of big windows and natural light and great views - no one will feel closed in!

MTC day 2 “Repentance is more about the future than the past” 

"Spiritual pause": when you pause during teaching to listen to or point out or just feel the Spirit. 

Make invitations that are kind and clear, that lead to strengthening faith. 

Jeremiah 5:5 footnote - the yoke of Christ is the ordinances 

3 Nephi 21:14 do we spiritually “come and feel” during the sacrament? 

Plan of Salvation - we came to become more like the Father (physical body, knowledge and experience, faith and obedience) 

I did over 7,000 steps despite being in class or mtgs, guess the walking around during breaks and lunch adds up, plus cruising about the cafeteria looking for something edible not deep fried. How I wish they’d let us take a piece of fruit for later. I really miss my mid-morning and mid-afternoon banana or apple. At least the workers are very nice about giving me just the bit I want at each place as I "curate" a meal out of what's available.

The other Merrills also ate breakfast in the common room at the dorm instead of paying, I was a bit jealous of their fruit and berries when we had out oatmeal, but they did say we had inspired them to consider doing more than one mission, which had not occurred to them before.

The general authority devotional was Amy Wright and she is a powerful speaker. She spoke of how various prophets in the Book of Mormon tended to use different names or titles for Jesus Christ and how that showed a little of their own situation or character. They each related to one of the attributes of Christ from Preach My Gospel. She was on the committee that worked on the new version. Among other changes, it has a title making it more clear that it is not just for full-time missionaries, but it is hoped that every member will use it in their scripture study. She mentioned that the MTC is a place of revelation, consecration, and love. PMG is not a guide to "missionary work" but a "guide to sharing the gospel" that should be part of the personal study of every member for the rest of your life. 

Who is Jesus Christ to you? Who has He been, who do you need Him to be in your life?

Names and Titles of Christ can be aspirational - Lehi spoke often of Messiah - compassionate, forgiving, hope. Mormon said The Savior - redemption, epitome of charity and love, Jacob who was set apart very young spoke of the Holy One of Israel, served in the house of the Lord, confidence waxed strong, Benjamin (service, ruled with integrity, true to God at all times) Lord Omnipotent, Alma the younger - Shepherd - seeks to nourish His sheep; Samuel the Lamanite used Lord of Hosts - leader of a battle but has patience with the wicked, Abinadi who bore suffering as Jesus did spoke of The Son, submission, humility, gave Him the honor. Nephi though persecuted was diligent - Lamb of God, Amulek - Son of God, he may have lost his own family with those that were burned yet was obedient. Study of Christ and His mission can answer all our questions.

There was an MTC choir for the devotional that Durk was in, (I knew my throat couldn't handle it). He was sitting up front and was chosen to help with their warm-up of "Do as I'm Doing" but unfortunately no one took a video :)

Durk really enjoyed looking for Spanish and Portuguese speakers, or really any language he could try out or talk to them in or about. It's really his perfect way to start conversations.

Wednesday evening was a change in the way they taught "The Character of Christ" - instead of using Elder Bednar's devotional speech as is, they showed clips and asked questions and discussed it and then had a couple of converts share their stories. It was the first night for the group of young missionaries there. We did feel it went a bit long and late. But the powerful message about looking outward is pretty crucial and especially as these young ones start out - to realize its not about them. That afternoon was a class on "Adjusting to missionary life - Seniors Edition" but it was actually a very fast marriage counseling course. I guess its not uncommon for couples to have trouble dealing with being together all the time and under stress of new situations etc. I think the teacher was good but was trying to fit a two-hour class into 45 minutes. I was hoping it would be more on which rules the seniors really do need to follow and which are different, like can we wear casual clothes to the grocery store and watch a TV show when we're worn out...

The last day included a "help" time to just do something with our partnered couple and help someone else or each other. We went back to see some of the murals the Nelsons  hadn't had time to visit and had some good conversation. We saw Bro. Bourneman shining shoes!

Our district - left to right: Sister and Elder Michealis, us, Sister Talbot our morning teacher, Sister and Elder Hatch, Elder Bourneman.

District with afternoon teacher Brother Gefrom (we met his dad in our previous mission, a tech guy with missionary dept) (Hatches, Merrells, Gefrom, Bourneman, Michealis)

The greatest thing about the MTC, I think, was the discussions with a group of seasoned seniors who could just sit and talk about gospel subjects and share wonderful thoughts and knowledge- it reminds me of Tevye's desire (in "Fiddler on the Roof") "I would discuss the Holy Book with the learned men seven hours every day..." We were blessed to be in a district with learned men (an women) and the teachers would good at starting us into discussions. We weren't big fans of the role-plays but could see the value in learning to explain a doctrine or gospel principle in a few sentences - at least once we had a 45-second limit! They knew that we would tend to say too much and that we have a lot of stories to add in there. Elder Hatch had worked with some of the brethren in his career, a nd among other things said one of the twelve told them every sacrament meeting talk should include words of Christ and should tie the subject to His atonement. We talked about how Elder McConkie quoted scripture but said he had made those words his - the exception to the warning the quoting too much can block the spirit of prophecy. (Elder Hatch kept telling me I was a master teacher! I don't think so, I'm not sure where he was getting that from in my bumbling role-plays but maybe he thought he should be encouraging)

Here we are with Elder and Sister Nelson. One of the ways the MTC tries to help us have an authentic experience is to converse with another couple and figure out something we can teach that will actually help them - with inspiration, we hope. Just doing role-play doesn't really allow the Holy Ghost to enter into it. We didn't find much in the way of big worries so we talked about creating good inspired questions to help figure out why someone is not active in the church to make it possible to plan  lessons and invitations that might be effective. They came up with some really good ones. Their real worry was about their visas,which still havent come - but at the last minute the Headquarters mission found them an apartment which was a big relief. They will serve in that mission until the visas come, living in the Garden Apartments, where we were for some time.

Thursday night we got to go to dinner with Durk's Brother Barry and wife Annette. We went to the Aubergine Kitchen and I wasn't sure how Durk would feel about a "healthy food" place but he loved it, said it was the best restaurant meal he'd had in ages so now whenever we head to Utah we can go there, hooray! 

We had to have everything out of our room by 7 a.m.on Friday! Durk was getting a little tense that morning until he realized he was looking at his watch that was on Missouri time and we had a full hour yet. The afternoon was a "Safety and Security" class that we wished had been earlier in the week. For one thing, many of us had no idea there was a thing we should have done about driving authorization, for another, all the warnings about dangers and being robbed, etc. made it a little bit of a downer to leave on. We had considered bringing some things in and changing in a restroom but decided to just jump in the car and start driving. It took a couple of night on the road but now we're back in MO to do some laundry and pack the car up with everything for Boston, then another road trip, but to the East this time. Evan and Drew survived so far but hope I will grocery shop again before we leave.