First week at the MTC

We have completed our first week at the MTC.  Wow, what a week.  We have met many wonderful people who are headed to a wide variety of places and assignments.  The majority of our group, of about 35 to 40 couples, are assigned to work with the Young Single Adults or member leadership support. Some are as Military Support, Records Preservation, and some are as Office specialists, like us.  We, as a group, are being sent to a vast variety of places such as India, Hungary, Mongolia, Chile, Norway, Finland, Rome Italy, Washington, DC, Madagascar, Phillipines, West Africa, Hawaii, Trinadad, Japan, England, Romania, Canada, Marshall Islands (to the same assignment as our friends, the Pulisiphers had a few years ago), Texas, Nevada, Germany, Minnesota, New York, Liberia, Ukraine, Poland, and of course, Ecuador.  We have enjoyed getting to know them and learning about their various experiences and assignments.
One couple we met have been here since Nov. 21st. They are from Canada and will be opening a Family History Center in India.  It seems that there are several going to India for various assignments and most of those are from Canada.  It is somewhat easier to get visas to India if you are not from the US. One couple going to India have dual citizenship from Canada and England and had no trouble getting a visa and have already left for their assignment.

One of the first couples we met on our first day have connections with our daughter-in-law, Sarah [Hancock] Nelson, Kaleb's wife, who is from Star Valley, Wyoming.  The Elder served in the bishopric with Sarah's father and the sister was Sarah's Young Woman's advisor.  Our first day of classes on Tuesday we met our teacher Bryant Jacobs, who we learned was from Livermore, California and knows our son, Jarom and family. His father is their bishop and he remembers babysitting our grandson, their oldest son, Ben, when he was little.  What a small world this is.

We've talked with many of the young Elders and Sisters and have felt of their excitement and enthusiasm for the work.

Our small group that we did training with consisted of Bro. & Sis. Vermason, from Cedar Hills, Utah;  Bro. and Sis. Battraws from Mesa, Arizona and Bro. & Sis. Hulbert, from South Jordan, Utah but moved to Idaho recently.  Bro. Hulbert was the district leader.

This first week has been spent in training from the Preach My Gospel book.  What a great resource that is.  It's been interesting that even as we've done some role playing how we feel the spirit so strong in sharing the message of the gospel.

Tuesday night we had Elder David F. Evans of the Seventy and director of the Missionary Department speak to us.  As he started his talk he asked how many missionaries were at the MTC who turned in their papers after Pres. Monson's announcement last October of the change in age for young men and women.  Nearly half of the congregation stood up.  They are expecting a great tsunami of Elders and Sisters in the next few months as the great increase of these young people enter the MTC.  They are having to make many adjustments to accommodate their arrival.  They expect to have nearly 8,000 by this summer.  They will be changing the time the English speakers spend from 3 weeks to 5 days.
Elder Evans spoke of the relationship between miracles and faith and that we can expect to have great miracles occur while on our mission based on the kind of faith that we have.  He said that the Lord does remarkable things for those who serve Him.

On Saturday we were able to spend some time with our son, Jarom.  He was at BYU for one of his recruiting trips that he comes on about 2 to 3 times a year and this time happened to coincide with our stay at the MTC.  He picked us up at the MTC and we did an endowment session at the Provo Temple.  The name that I went through for was kind of interesting. This sister was of the Sioux Tribe, Native American Indian and her name was "Gets Angry or Cross Rope Necklace".    After the session Jarom took us to Walmart so I could buy a new camera.  I dropped my camera on Friday as we were taking pictures and broke it.  We bought a more sturdy camera and hopefully I won't destroy this one.  We then had lunch at a small Mexican restaurant and then saw the movie "Lincoln".  It was a very enjoyable day.  We were so glad to be able to spend some time with Jarom before we leave, as he lives in California and we aren't able to see him or his family very often.