THE MTC

We have just spent 9 days at the Provo MTC (Missionary Training Center) and what a wonderful experience we have had.  I will now show you around.

July 30, 2012 - Today at 10:00am we entered the MTC in Provo, UT and we officially started our Mission. 



This is a lot different entrance than when we brought our Sons to the MTC.  We had to stop at the guard house at the right, give them our name and they opened up the gate to let us drive in.  I don't know what happened but a lot more security.

This

This is the building we are staying in.  It is a new building for the Senior Couples.  We are on the third floor.




We were greeted at the front door of our building by a lot of young Elders who are here training at the MTC.  Three of them helped take our things up to our room.

 

This is our room.   It is like a hotel room but smaller but very comfortable.  We have free internet connection so I can continue my Mission Blog.







Down the hall is a small exercise room with 2 treadmills and 2 sitting bikes.  That is all I need.  Other places around the campus are much larger areas and equipment to exercise, but this is real handy just right down the hall from our room.

The view from our window was fabulous!  We look right out onto "Y" Mt.  The building on the left is the main Administration building that includes the cafeteria, large meeting rooms, classrooms, etc. There are 25  senior couples in our group and we met each morning for devotional in one of these large rooms.




You can also see the top of the covered sidewalks that take you all over campus.  I'm sure these are very useful in the winter with the snow.

This is what it looks like under these covered sidewalks.  We loved being there with 2,450 other younger Elders and Sisters.

After dropping our things off in our room, we  received more checking-in items, that included our name tags,  packet, etc.  We were then introduced to the buffet eating area and had a very nice lunch.  There we ate with all the missionaries and it was fun to see how excited they all were and how young they looked!  I’m sure they thought we all looked very old!  I could not take a picture of the cafeteria but we spent many hours there eating, eating, eating!  The food was great and they offered a good variety.  I especially liked the idea that I didn't have to fix meals for 9 days!

They divided us up into Districts and Elder Godfrey was called to be our District Leader which included four couples.  The first week, our days were filled with classes around “Preach My Gospel”.  As a district, we went to classes taught by young returned missionaries who did a wonderful job teaching us "Senior Missionaries".  We practiced teaching to (role playing) "non-members"  from the things that we had learned.   At first, this was a little out of my comfort zone but as the week progressed, it became easier.  Our teachers really gave us confidence that we could do this and just be ourselves.  It is really the Spirit that teaches and converts.  I enjoyed our classes a lot.

On Tuesday nights are Devotionals with Emeritus General Authorities as guest speakers.  Our first Tuesday Devotional we heard from Rex D. Pinegar, and the second Tuesday, Robert K. Dellenbach spoke.  These meeting were a spiritual feast.  It was amazing to be in a large area with so many missionaries.  It was a good ending to very busy days.  

Sunday meetings were also spiritually filled.  Between meetings we could visit around the campus in lovely courtyards.

  

One evening as we were walking around the MTC campus, we had a wonderful view of the Provo Temple.  What a peaceful atmosphere we could always feel on campus. 

One day, after dinner, for exercise we walked up and around the temple.  It is great to have a temple so close to the MTC. 

Saturday was an open, personal day for us.  It was suggested we attend a temple session in the morning; either the Provo Temple or the Mt. Timpanogos Temple.  We decided to attend the Mt. Timpanogos Temple in the morning and then spend time with our kids and Grandkids the rest of the day. 

Monday, August 7th, we started our training with Elder and Sister Mitchell, who trained us and three other couples, for the next three days.  We are all going to Visitor Centers so the training is all centered around “how to bring souls unto Christ” while serving at visitor centers.  They were great teacher and we learn a lot.

We spent Monday morning up at Temple Square at the Salt Lake Visitor Center.  Two Sister Missionaries walked us around as we watched and observed.  This was very helpful to us and we could really feel their spirit teaching us.

We finished all our training at the MTC on Wednesday, August 8th.  It was a wonderful experience for us and we are spiritually charged, ready to serve the Lord in the Missouri Independence Mission.  

After being here and feeling such a spiritual uplift ourselves, and seeing and hearing all these young missionaries bearing their testimonies on Sunday, about the spiritual strength they have received here in the MTC, I’m excited for our grandchildren to keep themselves worthy so they can be called to serve a mission and also attend here at the MTC.   It is a wonderful Training Center and well worth every minute here.