First Week at MTC

We've been at the MTC for a week now.  They keep us very busy with classes, devotionals and activities.  I'll run through some of the highlights:

This week we had a Teaching Activity where we were assigned a couple outside our district to get to know.  In those few minutes we were to identify a spiritual need, then plan a lesson to share with them, invite them to take action, then followup.  Our couple was Elder and Sister Desmond from Herriman, Utah.  They are going to South Africa.  They are in their 70's and she has trouble with her vision, but they asked to go to an area where there is a critical need.  Very inspiring.  We prepared a lesson and shared with them having an "eye of faith."  

We shared this scripture from the Book of Mormon (among other things):

"And there were many whose faith was so exceedingly strong, even before Christ came, who could not be kept from within the veil, but truly saw with their eyes the things which they had beheld with an eye of faith, and they were glad". Ether 12:19

At the end of the week we did a "Help Activity" with them.  We had to come up with an activity to help each other feel closer to the Savior.  We decided to walk around the MTC and discuss the sculptures on the campus, then we stopped for ice cream (on a very cold morning in Utah 😬) and chatted.  We asked the young missionaries to take a photo of us at each statue.  The first group of missionaries were going to Peru like us.  Then the next two missionaries were going to Korea, which is where Elder Desmond went when he was young.  A tender mercy that out of 1,000+ missionaries here, those were the ones that happened to walk by.

We are with Elder and Sister Desmond in front of two missionaries riding bikes
(Missionaries assigned to Peru took this photo)

This is Samuel Smith, younger brother of Joseph Smith
(Missionaries assigned to Korea took this one)

This sculpture is of the future apostles fishing
before Jesus offers his invitation to come follow me.

(Missionaries who didn't speak English took this photo)

We've had some wonderful, very spiritual young return missionary teachers here.  It has been such a blessing to be able to focus on Jesus Christ without any of the everyday distractions.  We also had a devotional Tuesday night with Bishop Gerald Causse, the Presiding Bishop of the Church.  He spoke of Faith in Yourself, Faith in Others and Faith in God & Jesus Christ.  He finished with playing on the piano his own arrangement of "Come, Come Ye Saints."  He's very talented.

We also had a devotional called "The Character of Christ" based on a talk by Elder Bednar in 2011 to the missionaries.  This link is for a similar talk he gave to BYUI, but is shorter.  It is phenomenal. 

 Character of Christ - Bednar

This post has become much longer than I intended.  It's hard to fit in a weeks' worth in one post.  I'll finish with some more photos.

Our district with our afternoon teacher, Sami Worthington

Our district with our morning teacher, Tanner Monroe

All of the senior missionaries who entered the MTC the day we did.  

First Day at the MTC

We made it through our first day at the Mission Training Center.  Sam, Kailie, Penny, Sydney and Michael dropped us off and then Sydney and Michael drove off with Dodger 😢 We think we are learning our way around.  We checked in and they gave us our missionary tags.  We had a quick tour - then lunch.  We had our first Preach My Gospel class this afternoon and then another tour.  There are 3 other couples in our district (class):  El Salvador (Tim's sister's husband's, sister, if that makes sense), Costa Rica and Philippines.  Tonight Tim was assigned as district leader.  Then we stopped by the small Creamery here and grabbed some ice cream 😋 Stay tuned - we are planning to wake up early and exercise before 7:30 breakfast.  We'll see how that goes. . . 

 Our kids dropping us off at the MTC