Pop&Nan: MTC

Hunter (7) wanted just one more game of Battleship, and Tanner (6) gave us his lucky marble, and Bekah (4) did a stunning pirouette for us, and then we left for the airport (compliments of Jana's taxi service) and flew to Salt Lake City, then shuttled to the MTC in Provo and were assigned to cozy room in the senior missionary hall.

The MTC experience is a spiritual ramp. There are about 50 other senior missionary couples and we share classes, swap stories, and get to know one another a little better each day.

We were assigned districts the first day and our district has three other couples, with whom we've shared most of our learning experiences. We dress up in suits and beginning at 8 a.m. we're grilled, taught, corrected and challenged in gospel teaching, which is both humbling and elevating.

Our District: Us, the Pettingill's, the Hansen's and the Leavitt's (seated).
The Pettingill's are going to Nicaragua, the Hansen's are going to West Virginia,
and the Leavitt's are going to Florida.

Meals are a wondrous sight. In addition to us seniors there are about 4,000 single missionaries, average age of about 20, who are fed gourmet meals three times a day. It's nothing short of a dance to get from one end of the 2-acre-size cafeteria to the other.

The young elders and sisters go out of their ways to serve us seniors -- hold doors, give cuts in line, carry our trays, etc. The laundry may be an exception to that. We had to do a load today and getting into the laundry we maneuvered down stairs where missionaries were studying with books, marking pens, tablets, 3-ring binders and scriptures spread across every step. Once inside the laundry we found that most washers and dryers were in use. We managed our way down the washer/dryer aisle amidst lots of legs sprawled out where young missionaries were studying with their backs braced against machines. No one even looked up. Missionaries must teach in new languages from their second week at the MTC and are in classes from 8 a.m. through 9 p.m. every day except on their preparation day, where they have a few hours to wash clothes and do personal chores. Even during that precious little time they study. We carefully stepped through their legs so as not to disturb their studies.

The Christmas lights came on today on the MTC grounds. It's certainly a magical place to be and we are very, very happy.