Day 2/3 in the MTC

I didn't know what to expect during our time here - I envisioned a large auditorium filled with senior couples and one outstanding speaker after another (a la Education Week). I guess I didn't get the part about MTC standing for Missionary TRAINING center, so I hadn't thought about them training us to be missionaries. Duh! We are using the Preach My Gospel book, and each day we learn another lesson. We talk about it in the big group, then practice more in the smaller groups (8), and then each afternoon a "volunteer" comes to our room and Steve and I give the lesson, as if that person was a non-member. We need the practice - we understand all the principles, but to teach them with simplicity and clarity is still a challenge. We pray for the Spirit to be with us in our teaching, and then find that each time we bear testimony to the truthfulness of a principle we become emotional.

Last night we had the MTC Devotional. Carl and Melanie had dinner with us (they are in a Branch Presidency here) and sat next to us at the devotional. They put all the Senior Couples in the seats right up at the front, and then fill up the rest of the huge area with missionaries. They have a missionary chorus we thought about joining, but found out that the choir takes up half of the bleachers--probably 500 people. Wow! And the woman playing the organ for the hymns sung before and during the devotional--I don't know how to describe the accompaniaments. It's officially called "free organ acc." but the music goes everywhere. I loved it. Can I get into training with her???

Steve and I have been side-by-side now for several days, and we really like it. It's a new experience for us to work together on these assignments. We're having a great time!

Today was Wednesday, the day the new Elders/Sisters come into the MTC. Our large meeting room is the one where they hold the meeting before the parting of the ways. Just seeing the signs on the wall this morning "Missionaries This Way" "Parents This Way" gave me anxiety.

As we came back to a final meeting this afternoon, there was a note that there was a package for us in a room. When we went to see about it, it was a gift bag from Sandy Webb filled with things, but in the bottom, yes, a container of sugar cookies! I am in heaven (and almost to a sugar induced coma). I bought a container of milk from the treat dispenser in the dorm and will enjoy some of them before bed. What a friend!

Love to all of you from the MTC!