Provo MTC - week 1

We arrived at the Provo MTC January 1, 2018

It was a cold, crisp winter day when we checked into the MTC.  We arrived around 9:30 a.m. and waited for the other couples to check in.  There are 120 senior missionaries in our new group.  We had an orientation with the MTC presidency; each couple or sister stood to introduce themselves, say where they are from and where their mission assignment is.  There are 12 single senior sisters in our group; two sets of siblings going out together to serve.  The assignments are varied and reach across the world.  Several of the single sister are called as Women's Auxiliary Support Service (WASS).  We have not heard of that previously and when we questioned some the sisters, they did not know what the assignment would involve.  It will be interesting to learn what they end up doing.

After lunch we met again as a large group for a lesson or discussion on our missionary purpose.  It was mostly a Sunday School type lesson on the doctrines of Christ (faith, repentance, baptism, etc.).  In every classroom and hallway are posters telling us our purpose:

YOUR PURPOSE

Invite others to come unto Christ

by

helping them to receive the restored gospel

through

Faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement

Repentance,

Baptism,

Receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost

and enduring to the end.

We were organized into districts, which would be our classroom group for the week.  We had a few minutes to return to our rooms to unpack before dinner.  We were a little disappointed to be in the older section of senior housing this time.  We were kind of hoping we would be housed at the Marriott a few blocks away, as we have a car with us.  No such luck - our tiny room is like a bad Motel 6.  Not to complain or anything but it sure could use a make over.

Here we are at the infamous world map pointing to our assigned area

We received 12 name tags in our packet (6 each). 
We're not sure which of the ones on the right are Elder and which are Sister

These are our
ministerial certificates that go into our missionary handbooks.  We hope no one ever asks us what they say!  

Monday evening concluded with Family Home Evening.  We watched Elder Bednar's MTC talk from a few years on the difference between having a testimony and being converted.

Sister Bonnie Oscarson and her husband Paul were the speakers at the Tuesday evening devotional.  Her talk was very different from what we usually hear from her.  It was very casual and she made it more personal for the missionaries.  She told stories about the missions they had served together, then several from her children's and their spouses mission experiences.

The rest of the week was filled with classroom time, teaching experiences and study.  The days seemed rather long each day but the week has gone by quickly.  One of the best parts of the MTC is all the wonderful people you meet and quickly grow to love.  We were partnered with a couple from Burley, ID for our teaching exercises.  We already love them and know we will be friends for life!

John & Karen with Becky & Todd Whitehead by the Sons of Mosiah mural

We love wearing our missionary name tags again and are so grateful for the opportunity to serve.  We testify of Jesus Christ and His Atonement.  We know we are children of a loving Heavenly Father who knows us and loves us.