Mission Training Center - Week 1

Can you say firehose of love, revelation and inspired learning? It has been a great week coming unto Christ.

My former mission companion Marcy dropped us off at the Missionary Training Center on Monday. Below is the picture of all the senior couples and senior sisters that entered the Missionary Training Center on Monday. We were the biggest group since COVID(109) We are going all over the world(40 different countries) to do Medical, Humanitarian, Member and Leader Support, Historical Records Preservation, Mission Office, Historical Sites. Some of these beautiful couples and sisters are on their second, third and even fourth mission. Two of the senior sisters are on their second senior mission, the first being with their husbands and this one in the first after their husbands' passing. They are brave and consecrated. We have all sacrificed to serve and it is so uplifting to be with people sharing the same purpose.

These pictures are the view from our room (which is like a hotel room) and our accommodations.

A picture at the map pointing to your assignment is a tradition we didn't want to miss.

We found Ken's great nephew who was going to Peru but is now reassigned to Washington DC South to await his visa. Also a distant Cheatham cousin, Lance from Greybull, WY who with his lovely wife Darlene will be serving in the Argentina Resistencia Mission, which is the one over the boarder from us. We are hoping they will get permission to come to the temple in Paraguay so we can see them again.

Our neighbors at the MTC are Rich and Deronda Lallatin. Rich and Ken lived in the same house before Ken and I got married. It has been so nice to enjoy their company again.

 

A shout out to the Davenport Iowa Stake contingent at the MTC. We found Jordan Snarr during breakfast one day, Julie Clarke served us lunch another day (we didn't get a picture because the line was too long) and

Nate and Julie Johnson came down to train last week. It is always fun to see familiar faces.

Below is our awesome district and teacher. The Robbins are headed to Papau New Guinea-Humanitarian, The Brobergs to Washington Yakima - Office, Sam Ross -our teacher whom we love, us, and the Martins (on their third mission (Guam, India) now headed to Ethopia-Humanitarian.
It is amazing how close you become to these people as you study the gospel, teach and eat together 12 hours a day. All these couples will bring joy and love to the world wherever they are serving.

Thursday  night we were able to attend the temple. In the temple there are prayers said. It was emotional as a missionary to pray for the missionaries all over the world with a big group of missionaries. For those of you that don't know, when Ken and I were "friends" we attended the temple weekly together and he proposed to me in the celestial room here. In January the church is shutting down this temple for remodeling so it may not look like this when we get back. We are grateful we were able to go inside and feel the power of covenant made with Heavenly Father to bring us closer to our Savior Jesus Christ and be reminded of the power to be more like Him.

On the last day of class Ken won the quiz on Preach My Gospel.

This is our same district. Different teacher. Jessica De La Torre is our morning teacher. She has a wonderful conversion story and is beautiful inside and out.

This is the building that we had classes in. When Ken and I were here as junior missionaries these buildings were the residence halls. You would never know.

To be in the scriptures and Preach My Gospel all day, every day and study the character of Christ and try to emulate him has been soul stretching and life enriching. We are ready to help the people of Paraguay but know that our mission will also help us to grow our faith in Jesus Christ and learn to depend more on Him. As I looked around at all the couples I thought, we are all imperfect in one way or another but we are all doing our best to serve the Lord and do His errand - what a mighty force for good.

We made many new friends this week. Each couple is paired with another couple to practice teaching. We were blessed to be paired with the Bushmans. They are going to serve in Washington Tacoma - Member and Leader Support. They are amazing and have helped us grow and learn in so many ways with their strength, support and example. (Christa and Neil we need to get a picture this week!)

Saturday was our preparation day were we can prepare for the rest of the week. Carter let us borrow his/our truck and go shopping for more comfortable shoes for Ken and then we met up for Panda Express. Sunday Kensington stopped through on her way to a hospital site in Murray. It was great to see our kids. We are grateful for their support.
 

If you are a couple, senior sister or of the age for a junior mission get ready and come join the ranks. The Lord will prepare your way and the blessings will follow. 

One week from tomorrow we leave for Paraguay. We love and miss you all but know we are doing the will of the Lord for us at this time.