Friday, December 11, 2015

Our last day at the MTC!   We used the nifty portable luggage scales they have here to take them to our car and weigh our large suitcases.  We discovered some adjustments were going to be necessary.  We initially were told we could take suitcases weighing 70 lbs. each but new information stated it is 50 lbs. each. I'm not sure that we were told, although we might have been, because we originally thought that we would be flying on Delta. I do know that we assumed that we could have a 70 and a 50 pound suitcase each plus a carryon.  Luckily we had a Saturday to sort it out. When we get to the baggage check area, we may still get some surprises.

Today we did additional TRC mock training with our acting as investigators (using people we knew as models) being taught and then missionaries teaching investigators.  It was very productive.  I attended App training for the Gospel Library with my I pad. We took pictures with our teachers and district.

We had two senior missionary couples teach us about how to keep busy and serve in community as well as our area of religious responsibility.  They come every week and teach one or more classes to the Senior Missionary group. After our last class ended at 3:30 we packed up and ate our last meal at the MTC.  It was sad to leave such a lovely spirit and such sweet recently returned missionary teachers but we will be glad to get on our way.

We shopped for a tote bag big enough for the laptop and my purse essentials because of the tight requirements of the airline and then arrived at Erica's for the weekend.  We had a great time with them, and played with Adam and Gracie.

 

Our district with our a.m. teacher, Sister Ricks, in the middle.

 

 

Rick and I with our p.m. teacher,  Elder Hyde

 

Gracie dressed up for church

 

 

Taking Adam and Gracie to Cold stone for ice cream for our last treat in the U.S.

Adam consumed his at a frightening speed and while Gracie took longer, she was no slouch.

Dad Nate was not photographed but he seemed to enjoy his Dark Chocolate Mint also.

 

 

Thursday, December 10, 2015

More TRC training which means Teaching Resource Center training.  We did mock teaching of investigators and taught (Lesson 2) the Plan of Salvation.  We had a good time and felt the exchange between us of ideas went more smoothly. We watched a wonderful movie clip of Elder Bednar talking about how to know when you are being lead by the spirit.  I wish I had been taught this years ago.  He basically instructed us to "not worry about it" and to live good lives, keep the commandments and we might see years later the positive effect of an action we took.
Our visas and travel documents came which was a relief.

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Up at 6:00 a.m. and breakfast at 7:00 a.m.  Today at our TRC training, after study, we practiced teaching an investigator.  We were assigned a Sister Kemp from Adelaide, Australia who moved to Provo from Australia two years ago. She had been trained to act like an investigator who had agreed to find out more about the Mormons by having the missionaries visit.

It was fun for Rick and I to teach about The Restoration together.  We realized it was easy for each of us to teach the subject by ourselves but teaching it together was a bit of a challenge and we will need to work on that.

Each meal we sat by different senior couples and learned about the missions they were going to serve.  It was very interesting.  Some requested and were called to specific missions they were interested in.  Some had sold their homes and were on their second or third missions.  Some were having to learn Russian, some Spanish, some Mongolian.

We spent our TRC training with our District couples. We are enjoying getting to know them.  Elder Myler just retired from the Tabernacle Choir. We decided to have a District picture in front of the world map.



Left to right:  us, Elder and Sister Hafen, Elder and Sister Myler, Elder and Sister Coleman



I really appreciate the little extras that are provided for us.  There is a room with all kinds of candy available for us once a day in the training center in Building M-4.  The chairs have little stools under them for we short legged women.  The hard folding chairs have cushions that fit over the back and cover the seat so that they are comfortable for us.  Seniors are allowed to go to the front of the food lines in the cafeteria.

Our dorm floor has portable scales to weigh luggage so we took one to the car and weighed our suitcases and discovered we are about 25 lbs over the allowed.  We will have to do some juggling this weekend. Maybe Sheila's 25 pairs of shoes will have to be pared down to 20 or so. Ha Ha

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Today was our first full day of training from Preach My Gospel.  We both slept better last night.  We enjoyed the training presented by returned missionaries who were very enthusiastic about teaching us.  The program was introduced by Elder Chin. Sister Ricks taught us in the morning and Elder Hyde taught us in the afternoon. Sister Ricks is from Midvale, Utah which is my home town. I knew her grandfather 50 years ago. Elder Gubler from Santa Clara was also an instructor, but he taught another district. I do not sense any fear to teach among our district missionaries, but there is angst about being effective in our assignment to teach an investigator tomorrow. I believe that all will do well and the Spirit will testify to the investigator. Sister Ricks asked if we knew who the first Prophet was to go through the MTC. There were several guesses, all of them wrong. She then told us that Moses was the first Prophet to go through the empty sea. Yuck Yuck LOL!

I forgot to mention yesterday that we have two single sister missionaries in our group. One of them, Sister Farnsworth, had not been set apart and in the introduction yesterday by Elder Trost, one of the counselors in the MTC Mission Presidency, he said that he had set her apart.  He said, he told her that her husband, who had passed away three years ago, was present during the setting apart and would be with her during her mission.  He said angels were here to assist, both those who worked here and those from the other side of the veil. He said miracles still occur today.

We met so many wonderful people going so many interesting places.  It is quite nice being with people of similar ages with similar challenges that go along with age and seeing them full of life and joy in anticipation of serving the Lord.  One of those we met were Elder and Sister Maynes, a previous principal of the Pine View Seminary from 1990 to 1995.  He said he knew Patriarch Payne very well.

Our day finished with a devotional with Bonnie Oscarson, the Young Women's General President being the featured speaker.  The MTC choir sang and it was beautiful.

Blog – Sunday, December 6, 2015 (Sheila in black, Rick in blue)

We are now officially Missionaries!

Our day started off in our being set apart.  President Harris was very ill so President Hafen stood in for him.  We would have loved to have President Harris do it but were excited to have President Hafen because we have known and respected him for a long time. He also knows us very well. We hope that President Harris recovers quickly. He gave us both beautiful blessings.  John and family attended which was very special to us.  We were both sick with bad colds so left after Sacrament to drive to the MTC.  Our official check in time is 10:00 tomorrow morning.

We arrived, checked in, were taken to our lovely rooms and then had dinner.  The spirit hit in full force as we joined this huge group elders, sisters and senior missionaries. There are beautiful paintings decorating the walls.  The MTC is decorated with beautiful lights outside.  

We were happy to discover we could listen to the First Presidency Christmas message rebroadcast at 7:00 p.m. The broadcast was preceded by the singing of Christmas carols by over a thousand missionaries. The music was inspiring when sung by so many faithful and strong young men and women. We had some good exchanges with other couples as we returned to the dorm. It seems as if missionaries are just going everywhere.

Monday, December 7, 2015

As we both have awful viruses and didn't sleep well last night, off and on in my head I kept thinking, "I Love My MTC" instead of the popular "I Love my MTV".  I truly love this wonderful place.  Today was an introduction to rules and training schedules and three meals in the cafeteria.  Everything here is so smoothly scheduled.  I noticed people cleaning during the day, keeping everything in a condition similar to our temples. We met and talked to several other senior couple missionaries. I was appointed District leader and Elder & Sister Hershel Hafen are in my district. They are from Henderson, Nevada, and are going to Hawaii, Honolulu, and he is Lyman Hafen's cousin. The Colemans are going to Africa, SE. The Mylers are going to Chile, Conception. We also found one of my High School friends, Elder Miller and his wife who will be MLS Missionaries in Washington, D.C. All of these Senior Missionaries are wonderful people.

We listened to a talk Elder Bednar gave to the elders here a few years ago(on Christmas Day, a Sunday) on the character of Christ which was excellent and gave much food for thought. He made it clear that to be really effective, we must be converted to and actually become more like our Savior. This mission is not about us and what we get out of it. It is about spreading the gospel to those who will receive and embrace it and their conversion to Christ. As it turns out, Elder Bednar also does a killer impression of Sesame Street's Cookie Monster.  He said most of us humans have a Cookie Monster feeling of -it is all about me, all of the time - "Me want cookies NOW".

                                      Over a 1000 missionaries at the Christmas Devotional

One of my favorite paintings at the MTC

November 30, 2015

Yesterday we had our Farewell and everything went well.  We enjoyed having the ward Men's choir sing "The Hands that First Held Mary's Child".  It was beautifully accompanied by Perry Neilsen on the piano and Josh Hafen on the cello.  All of our children were able to be here and we had lots of fun together.  Sheila will write in black, I will write in blue, Rick. It was a wonderful, sunny day as the pictures show. 3 days after Thanksgiving and everyone looked full and satisfied. We felt blessed to have President Harris and President Hafen in attendance at Sacrament meeting. Many very kind people said that they liked the talks and the music. We are happy and ready to go. MTC here we come. Then on to Australia!

Taylor in a familiar pose.

                                                    Heather with Hannah and Lila.

Lila figuring out the Dixie Sun.

Heather and her family, husband Scott,

Cameron and Hannah

Erica and her family, husband Nate,

Adam and Gracie.

John and his family, wife Natalie,

Kate, Lila and Olivia. There are

extras because we could not get

Olivia to look at the camera.

.

Heather and Lila

Erin and son Taylor

Scott and Hannah and Olivia.

Grandma and Gracie, Erica's two -year-old