Here We Go Again!

California, here we come! Right back where we started from. We're happy to now be on our way.  Usually we go to California for a vacation break. This trip will be different -- much longer, and more rewarding. 

We enjoyed our week at the MTC. It is a beautiful campus with over 2000 earnest young men and women and about 100 senior missionaries during any given week. We learned so much in such a short time, and we grew to love the wonderful young returned missionaries who taught us how to listen to, love and serve others -- something that has the potential to change the world. There is such a great spirit there -- powerful motivation to learn, grow, and serve.

The Missionary Training Center

Provo, Utah   

My cousin who is a member of the Seventy, Elder Matthew Carpenter, and his wife Michelle, spoke at the MTC devotional while we were there, counseling all missionaries to nurture their companions and be united in their service.  This is great counsel to both the young missionaries and to senior couples. Pat and I have learned that the Spirit can only be present when we are united. This is a goal we will be working on during our mission and for the rest of our lives.

As we leave this weekend, one word keeps coming to mind, and that word is "sacrifice." It's not that I think we are making a great sacrifice to serve. After all, we know the territory pretty well, and we won't be gone that long. But I do know that focus, dedication, and sacrifice are required if we want to serve well. I like the following quotes on this topic:

There can be no true worship without sacrifice, and there can be no true sacrifice without a cause. The cause that earns our love and priority is the cause of Jesus Christ.   -- Pres. Russell M. Nelson

If we are to walk in the steps of the Savior, we cannot do it without personal sacrifice and sincere involvement.  It is rarely convenient; but love extends beyond  convenience for those who have conditioned themselves to look for opportunities to serve.    --  J. Richard Clarke

We have loved our full-time missionary service before, and we welcome new and invigorating opportunities to lift others and help them feel the love of the Savior. We are not just heading south for the winter. We want to make a difference in peoples' lives.

We have traveled a lot and enjoyed seeing much of the world. We love to meet people.  But honestly, we prefer to meet new people and see the world through the eyes of missionary service.  We are ready to trade our frequent vacation trips to LA in search of "pixie dust" for a longer stay, so that we can seek to bring people to Christ.  I am happy to give up my easy chair and remote and put CNN, Fox, and the ups and downs of the market -- as well those of the Cougars, Utes, and Jazz -- on hold, in exchange for the inner peace and joy that comes from serving the Lord and building His kingdom.  We don't know yet why we have been called to serve in Anaheim, but we expect to find out.  We feel very blessed and are thankful for the opportunity to put service to others ahead of other interests for the next several months.   

    - Don -   

Entering the MTC

Our grandson, Matthew, spoke in Church today, prior to leaving for his mission to Arizona.  It was such a blessing to hear him speak before we leave.  He's a great young man and he taught some important principles to us today. He enters the MTC in November.

So.....do you know who the first person was to enter the MTC?  Actually, it was Moses, who took the Children of Israel to the "empty sea....”

Tomorrow we will enter the MTC to begin our own week of training, prior to leaving for Anaheim.  It will be our third experience there, and we know it will be challenging. The MTC will not be "empty."  We will be surrounded by hundreds of faithful and enthusiastic missionaries, all preparing to go and serve throughout the world.

Missionary training just keeps getting better. A lot of things have changed since our last mission. After receiving this mission call to Anaheim, we put our packet away for a few weeks and got busy with all the tasks we thought we should complete before we leave.  When we re-examined our call packet about a week ago, we panicked.  Many things have been added to pre-MTC training and we almost missed it! We had overlooked important instructions regarding new on-line missionary training. This was new to us. First, we were encouraged to create our own personal Mormon Profile and put it on-line.  (Any member of the Church can create a personal profile, whether you are a missionary or not).

The pre-MTC training also included numerous videos about proper use of mobile devices in missionary work, including safeguards for the use of technology.   There are six pre-mission "District" training videos that are very helpful in learning how to work with your companion and teach with the Spirit. There are courses on family history work, learning a language, adjustments to missionary life, and several study and teacher practice lessons. All missionaries, including senior couples, are asked to complete this training prior to entering the MTC.  We worked hard to finish it.  It was well worth the effort.  We now feel better prepared, and won't go the MTC empty.   

       -Don-

Set Apart

A week ago, on Sunday, July 10th, before we entered the MTC, we gathered with our family in the Corner Canyon Stake offices and President Lane Wright, from the Stake Presidency, set us apart for the responsibility we have undertaken to be full-time missionaries. President Wright counseled us that we were being set apart from our current life activities to serve the Lord. He conferred the authority of the calling individually on our heads, then blessed us with promises that will help us to do the work we have committed to do. It was a sweet, comforting experience.

This week, as we begin week #2 in the MTC, we are very grateful for the added help we received through Priesthood authority when we were set apart -- particularly the guidance of the Holy Ghost. We have needed ability beyond our own. There's been a lot to learn.

When we excitedly entered the MTC last week, we had no idea what to expect! We have been surprised at how much we didn't know. We have been impressed with our instructors - young returned missionaries who are bright, capable, responsible, caring young men and women - and their ability to teach us. We have struggled to learn how to teach to the needs of our students. We have gained an understanding that we must teach people, not lessons. We have marveled that we have learned to work together in new ways -- something we thought we had already learned living together all these years and raising a family. We are grateful to have the health and ability and means to devote this time to serving others. We are exhausted, invigorated, anxious, excited, empowered, and humbled by this amazing experience.

Yes, we have been set apart. Set apart to do much more than we imagined - already! ~Pat~

7-11-11 -- Our Lucky Day!

WHAT AN EXPERIENCE this morning to walk through the doors of the Missionary Training Center for the first time and realize that our long awaited dream is finally reality! It was a moment we'll never forget.

After a wonderful weekend spent with our kids, grandkids, and so many dear family members and friends, the car trip to Provo was a little unsettling as the enormity of this life-changing experience settled on us. As soon as we arrived, though, there was a very kind man waiting to greet us and show us where to go. We got our official missionary name tags, some paperwork and basic instructions, then went to lunch with several hundred young elders and sisters in the MTC cafeteria.

At 1 p.m., our group of 62 senior missionaries met with the MTC Mission presidency. We introduced ourselves to each other; there are missionaries in our group going to Singapore, Indonesia, Poland, Ghana, Kenya, Scandanavia, Canada, Hungary, Germany, Florida, New Jersey, California, and Michigan. Wow! Many of them are on their second or third missions and enthusiastically looking forward to this new experience. Amazing people anxious to serve others.

By 3:30 we were done for the day and heading back to Draper. (O.K. - we stopped at the BYU Creamery for some ice cream....) Most of the senior missionaries are being housed at the MTC or the Provo Marriott for the week. We'll drive back and report in by 8 a.m. tomorrow morning to begin four full days of classes with the rest of the group. So far so good!! ~Pat~