Real Missionaries!

Wow what a whirl wind! We have only been at the MTC for three days and it feels like much longer. The training is intense! We have met some wonderful people here. It is quite humbling to realize the quality of those couples who want to serve the Lord full time all over the world.

We have the privilege of belonging to the largest senior missionary group that has ever come to the MTC. There are 128 of us. They are scrambling all of the time to have room for us all, I guess that we are also apart of the enormous wave that is rising forth over the earth!

Last night we were able to attend the Tues. devotional at the Marriott Center since that is the only place that can host all of us! What a joy it was to listen to the choir practice and here all of those strong willing voices! We got to sing 'Call to Serve' with all those missionaries and Elder Preece and I both were overcome with emotion! Five times in the past we have dropped missionaries off and sang that song to them in farewell and now we are the ones marching off to serve our King!

Emeritus General Authority Jay Jensen spoke to us about effective scripture study.

When we left the Marriot Center on the way to our car, the sight of all those 3,000+ missionaries winding their way back to the MTC was so powerful; behold a royal army!!!

Today we got to teach an 'investigator' and be evaluated. It was actually quite enjoyable and a good way to relieve reservations and jitters. The Preach My Gospel Training is pretty concentrated but so amazing. Everything we are taught is directed toward listening to and meeting the needs of the people we teach. This church is so amazing! It is so True!

I had an added delight as we entered the cafeteria to eat lunch I found my niece Heidi's son Josh Bethea. He was very surprised to see us but I was able to give him a big hug for his mother. He is going to Japan and has one more month left at the Center.

Today is also Wednesday, the day when all the young Elders and Sisters enter the MTC. 900 arrived today, 500 Elders and 400 Sisters! What a sight that was! This place is a well oiled machine! After we had lunch the new missionaries were finishing up some of their orientation and as they left the administration building, lined up along the corridor were many missionaries with Helper badges on them standing there with a new missionary's luggage. They were lined up in perfect order so as the missionary came out  his/her helper and luggage were waiting for them to take them under wing and show them around. Just as we were going to dinner I think all 900 of those new missionaries were eating their dinner. It was kind of fun to be helping them to find their way around. We felt like it was all old hat to us with all of 3 days under our belts.

We have until next Friday before we leave here so maybe I will post more of our MTC experience before we leave. We miss everybody but are so busy we do not have time to pine.