Mission Training Center Week 2- More than what we thought it would be.

This quote was found on Facebook but sums up this week. We transitioned from Preach My Gospel to learning our duties as a Humanitarian Missionary. Wow, they really expect a lot from us. What a great work we will be doing. This week was not as busy in the evenings so we were able to relax a bit more but our days were filled with learning from those who went before us. Our teachers were inspirational. We are humbled by the call we have to serve. We know we will need the Lord's help and direction to be instruments in His hands and do the things He wants us to do.

Last week I forgot to mentioned that Saturday night, Steve Muller came from Evanston and took us out to dinner. It was great to catch up and laugh. Steve is Ken's childhood friend from across the street.

Tuesday for Devotional, Elder Gerrit Gong and his wife Susan spoke. Sister Gong spoke about how much Heavenly Father loves each of us and to do missionary work with our own special talents and gifts. Elder Gong is quite funny. He shared that he and Elder Wong served in Hong Kong and were called Hong Kong Gong and Hong Kong Wong but not to get the Wong Gong or you will have Gong Wong.

(Photo credit to Dina Robbins, who did get to shake his hand)

We were one couple short of shaking his hand but were able to show him we understood the main point of his talk that we will be the ones fulfilling the prophecy in Doctrine and Covenants 133:37 that says:

"And this gospel shall be preached to every nation, and kindred, and tongue and people."

He asked us every morning to look in the mirror and place our finger on our nose, as if to point to ourselves and remember it is us who will go out and fulfill the prophecy.

When we couldn't shake his hand we just placed our finger to our nose so he knew we were listening. Then he commented something like, "it's a little hokey but you will always remember." And we will.

Our humanitarian training was fabulous. We learned about the chain of command, the scope of projects, the desired outcomes, the tracking program and so many wonderful things that Latter-day Saint Charities, the humanitarian arm of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, provides for people all over the world regardless of religion. I am very happy for the principles of agency, accountability, patience, love, and sacrifice that were shared.  Part of our responsibilities are finding organizations in our assigned countries that will develop and implement projects that can become self sustaining and promote dignity with the help of funding from LDS Charities.

This was the largest group of humanitarian missionary couples to train together. 

 Front Row(RtoL): The Barneys (trainers), The Taylors (Jordan), The Lindsays(trainers)

Back Row (RtoL): The Lallatins (Indonesia) The Orrs (Zimbabwe), The Jacksons (Poland), The Robbins (Papua New Guinea), The Martins (Ethiopia), The Myers (Paraguay) and The Penners (Ghana)

On Wednesday they began to leave and our heart hurt to say goodbye. Godspeed to them all.

These are the people who have been with us both weeks.

The mural behind us is a depiction of Jesus Christ's Second Coming. On his right hand are those who are coming unto Him and on his left those who have chosen to turn away. This mural used to hang in the Washington DC Temple but was transferred to the MTC when the temple was remodeled. (The Martins although on His left hand are in no way turning away from Him but continue to serve Him on mission #3 together)

This week we were able to get in a little more visiting and we appreciate everyone who came to see us or drove us out for treats or dinner.

John and Mary Thompson came and got us and shared their favorite spot in Spanish Fork called The Barn. They have wonderful fresh peach shakes. Yummy. 

Chris stayed with Mary and John a few weeks before we got married and while she was pregnant with L.Chloe and finishing her degree in 1992. Mary was one of Chris's professors at BYU. Chris TAed for Mary's Clothing class and did research with Mary on the BYU swimsuit fabrics. 

John and Mary have served a Humanitarian mission to Indonesia and taught English in China.

Claudia Becerra came down from Midvale to have dinner with us. It was so fun to see her. We know Claudia from the first time we lived in Iowa and became closer to her the second time. We enjoyed dinner at the Black Bear Cafe but more importantly we were uplifted by all that Claudia is doing to serve the people in her ward in UT.

This is Caroll Morgan. She is a senior sister who is going to Salt Lake Headquarters Mission to work on records recovery. Caroll is 79 and wants to do the Lord's work. Many of us tried to warn her she needed to slow down but being a kindred spirit she overworked herself and came down with a viral infection. Ken and Chris tried to help Caroll feel comfortable and less alone while she recovered. One day when she was thanking us we shared that we would hope if our parents were ever in this predicament that someone would step up and help too, after all that is what disciples of Christ do. We love you Caroll!

We caught the Cheathams before they left and hope to see them in Paraguay at the temple. They are serving the people of Resistencia Argentina so they are right over the border from us. On Ken's birthday evening we played games with them and the Lallatins and heard the story of their courtship. They should make a movie. It is full of intrigue and tenderness. They are great examples of humility and dedication to each other and the Lord.

Friday for lunch we hit the Creamery on 9th for some burgers and then walked around the BYU campus. We got 4 miles in and reminisced about times past.

In the evening we met up with Carter for his birthday meal of Bok Bok Korean Chicken along with Mike and Lyn McCracken (Carter's landlords and our dear friends from Indiana, transplanted to Utah). We played games and then made it back in time for curfew. (Ugh, forgot a picture)

On Saturday October 14, we watched the "ring of fire" eclipse with our niece Ali Jones who came down from Kearns for a visit. She also helped getting us back and forth to Target for our neck pillows. We felt loved.

For lunch on Saturday, Ken ate some ramen in the room so he could watch football and Chris met up with Ivona "McCarthy" Mills, a sister who served in North Carolina with her in 1985-86. Ivona is a general manager of catering at BYU so it was easy for her to come visit inside the Missionary Training Center. We laughed and caught up for about three hours and then laughed some more while trying to take a selfie at the famous map. 

This afternoon we left the Missionary Training Center. We were welcomed on October 2nd with the white door tag on the right. Today as we leave we get to hang the yellow tag. 

We are one of two couples left from our group to leave. Carter will drive us to a hotel near the airport where we will meet up with the Chris and Steve Muller. After a visit we will try and sleep until 3:00 am and take a shuttle at 3:30 am to the airport to be ready and through security for a 7 am flight. 

Salt Lake to Houston

Houston to Panama City, Panama

Panama City to Paraguay

ETA 5 am Tuesday, October 17th

Hit the ground running with our trainers the McClures.

Consider this scripture as it pertains to your life. The God of Israel is great and his goodness can be enjoyed by all who look to Him.

Mosiah 7:17-19, 33

And now, it came to pass on the morrow that king Limhi sent a proclamation among all his people, that thereby they might gather themselves together to the temple, to hear the words which he should speak unto them.

 And it came to pass that when they had gathered themselves together that he spake unto them in this wise, saying: O ye, my people, lift up your heads and be comforted; for behold, the time is at hand, or is not far distant, when we shall no longer be in subjection to our enemies, notwithstanding our many strugglings, which have been in vain; yet I trust there remaineth an effectual struggle to be made.

Therefore, lift up your heads, and rejoice, and put your trust in God, in that God who was the God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob; and also, that God who brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, and caused that they should walk through the Red Sea on dry ground, and fed them with manna that they might not perish in the wilderness; and many more things did he do for them. . . .

 But if ye will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of mind, if ye do this, he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage.