MTC Experience

MONDAY, August 02, 2010

Greg and Gayle arrived at about 8:30 A.M. to pick us up and take us to the MTC. Off we went to begin this adventure. We had to be there between 10:30 and 11:00 and we arrived early; my feet were killing me. The kids let us off and unloaded us, we had to say some more hard goodbyes and we were on our own. (Greg and Gayle said that we had come full circle; we dropped them off on their way to the mission field and now they us).

Greg and Gayle pick us up to go to the MTC.

We had a short orientation and then had lunch in the large cafeteria with a sea of young missionaries. That was an experience in itself. You can’t believe how much those elders can eat! The food is good and unending so you have to have some self control. We ate breakfast, lunch and dinner there for the seven days we were there.

In our room with all our belongings.

Where  in the world is Durban, South Africa?

                                      

After lunch on Monday we again met with 25 couples in a large meeting room and met with the MTC presidency and our young return missionary trainers and started to work. It was a busy 5 days. With training starting everyday at 8:00 A.M. with short 10 to 15 minute breaks about every hour or hour and a half and a lunch break and then back to work until 5 P.M. and a study assignment for the evening. We had to learn teaching techniques and then use them in presentations the next day (it was scary but fun too). One evening we had a devotional that was good. We were broken down into 4 couple groups and worked with them the entire time. I was our district leader. We survived and they didn’t send us home on Friday, so we took pictures of our entire group of 50 and said goodbyes, some of them were leaving immediately, but we weren’t leaving until Monday morning so we stayed at the MTC for the weekend.

Elders and Sisters Lee, Mayo, Nuzman and Wright.

Our Group

                                 

Our Trainers

Saturday, we did laundry and then about noon, Jeremy, Nicole, Aurora and Eve arrived to take us to lunch. We had a great lunch at Mimi’s and then bless their hearts they took me to a SAS shoe store. I bought two pairs of shoes and Yvonne bought a pair of sandals, HEAVEN! Then again some more hard goodbyes and off they went. The rest of the day we packed, unpacked and adjusted bags so we wouldn’t go over the weight limits.

Jeremy, Aurora, Nicole and Eve

                                                

Sunday, we went to church and two great gatherings and listened to talks from the MTC presidency and their wives and also from the Kendricks an emeritus Seventy and his wife. It was super. The rest of the night we played with our luggage and got ready to leave at 6 A.M. on Monday morning.

Monday, we got up a 3:30 A.M., got ourselves ready and out the door by 5:30 for a 6:00 A.M. departure to the airport. We arrived at the airport early and Greg met us there. It was so good to see him as we were frazzled and he had a calming presence. He stayed with us until we boarded our plane at about 10:30 A.M..