Mid-week in the MTC

 

By Greg

 

A friend going to Peru

What and amazing place!

 

I just cannot get over the young missionaries.  They are everywhere, and so happy and appear to be doing what they should.  I love to just sit and watch them (we don’t have much time to do this though).  At meal time is the best time.  Yesterday I saw a young elder trying to get his tie right.  It had a huge knot and the big part was not as long as the small part.  He looked at me and smiled.  I was just going to get up and go help him when another young elder sat down and tutored him.  Over/under/around/ and through…

 

We have a lot of rules here, but the seniors do not have as many as the young missionaries.  We can have cell phones, text, email etc.  They get to go around all day in just their white shirts, but we are supposed to wear our suit coats.  Last night we had a devotional.  All elders were supposed to wear coats.  I saw one senior without his jacket.  He just happened to be in my district.  I am failing as a leader!

Our friends, the Eyers-going to Europe

 

Debi and I have gone for an evening walk each night at about 8:00 pm.  They even let us out, but we have to go through a special gate and swipe our ID cards so they know where we are.  Some of the seniors are not interested in walking much.  We even take the stairs to our third floor room, several times a day.

 

Debi is quite the missionary.  Yesterday in our role playing training, she committed a couple to be baptized and got a commitment out of a man to give up Sunday football and attend church.  This part of the training is a bit stressful, but it is also fun and very real.  We feel the spirit as we teach.

 

Today we went to the TRC (teaching resource center) and taught a couple as they role played as investigators.  This was a big concern as we did not know what to expect.  We did OK and I told Debi afterwards that this was a real life experience.  They had some serious questions that could have thrown us off, but we just did what we have been taught.

 

There are lots of pictures, paintings and statues all around the MTC.  We saw a big picture of Brigham and Heber shouting “Hurrah for Israel” and a cool statue of two missionaries on bikes.

 

We are singing Called to Server with gusto!

 

Some of my grandsons will be happy to know the food is very good.  “It is hot, it is brown, and there is plenty of it”.   Many elders take two plates.  I watched a sister walk by with two plates on her tray.  I thought maybe she was serving her companion—no, no.  She sat down and ate it all!

 

We have not met anyone going to West Africa.  One or two are going to South Africa.  We are the envy of the entire MTC!

 

Again, what an incredible place.  The Spirit of God like a fire is really burning here.  We can feel it.  Our love for our family and friends is immense and our love for all Africa is really growing.

 

I have a couple of ideas for anyone (especially senior couples) thinking about coming to the MTC.

1.     Study the Preach My Gospel manual

2.     Don’t believe everything someone tells you—it is better than that

3.     You can bring your cell phone and I-pad

4.     Be prepared for a great “circus” act put on constantly by the young missionaries

5.     The theory of relativity applies—we have only been here three days and it seems like months—not bad, it is just that it seems like time has slowed way down

6.     There are miracles all around here—be prepared to see them

7.     Get you shots before you come

 

New young missionaries came today, and a lot are packing up to leave.

 

We leave next Monday at 11:00 am.  We fly to JFK—New York (4.5 hours) and then to Ghana (10 hours).  We get there Tuesday at 11:00 am.

 

Hurrah for Israel!