The Training Has Begun

We are half way through the first week of training at the Provo Missionary Training Center (MTC).  This has been a wonderful experience so far.  We flew to Salt Lake City on Monday morning, April 22^nd.  We arrived at the MTC on Monday, April 22 about noon.  We checked into our room and we were just in time for a brief orientation and lunch.  There are currently about 3000 young missionaries at the MTC.   There are about 45 senior couples and 6-8 senior sisters also.  Lunch for the senior missionaries is served in the cultural hall in the chapel next door to the MTC.

After lunch we began our first training session.  It was held in the Chapel.  Each couple introduced themselves telling where they were from and what mission they had been called to and what assignment they had been given.  What a variety of missions - - Martin's Cove, Detroit, Pittsburg, Texas, Netherlands, Germany, Bulgaria, Italy, Mauritius (sounds like "delicious".  It is an island that is part of the Madagascar Mission), Kentucky, Zimbabwe, South Sudan (a new African country), Hong Kong, etc... 

Mission assignments include: Member Leadership Services, Nursing, Office Services, Employment Services, Church History Sites, Humanitarian Services, Church Education System, Military Relations, etc.  Most couples are going for 18 months, some for a year, and a few for 23 months.  The missionaries come from all parts of the country and a few from Canada.

Monday evening we had time to unpack and then go to dinner.  Eating in the main cafeteria is definitely an interesting experience.  They manage to feed all 3000+ people in about two hours.  It is amazing the way things are organized to make all this happen.  The food is actually pretty good.   The cafeteria is staffed with BYU students.  We eat breakfast and dinner in the cafeteria and lunch is brought over to the chapel cultural hall to make it easier for us.

Tuesday began our training as missionaries.  We have been taught by young returned missionaries the most effective way to invite people to come unto Christ and benefit from the blessings of his atonement.  Today we had the opportunity to teach an introductory lesson about the Restoration and the Book of Mormon to an investigator.  We will continue that teaching experience tomorrow and Friday. 

Tuesday evening we attended a devotional with about 1000 missionaries.  Elder David Evans of the Seventy spoke.  There was a missionary choir made up of about 500 missionaries.  It was a very special evening.  They had the senior missionaries sit down in the front section so things were perfect.

We will be staying with my sister over the weekend and then begin our second week of training on Monday.  We begin by taking a tour of Welfare Square in Salt Lake City on Monday.  I’ll post more on this training when it is concluded

Ready for Training

 

The Entranced to the MTC

 

Entrance to the MTC

 

All the Spring flowers are in bloom.