MTC Part 2

view from our room

Our housing at the MTC included a simple hotel-style room with a functional shower/bathroom but no television.  Our room had a great view of the temple and the mountains, which brought great joy whenever we looked out.  There was a well equipped gym in the basement of our building, which also houses the bookstore and infirmary.



At the MTC cafeteria, there are no special meals for seniors.  The same foods that the young missionaries enjoy are available, and the unlimited and varied food offerings can be too much, even though they also have sensible things like a wrap bar.  A real treat was the legendary BYU mint nut brownies:  We had planned to walk down to the Creamery for one, but they showed up for dessert at dinner a few nights.  And we couldn't eat even one together--so rich and sweet.  Another special MTC signature dish breakfast is a sausage on a stick covered with a pancake.  In this case it was a chocolate chip pancake.

One of the great things about being out in Utah was the chance to visit with family and friends who we don't see often due to so many miles away. This picture is in front of the famous mural where Jesus Christ commissions his disciples to take the Good News of the Gospel to all the world.  We are with our online tutor, who has been working with us on the Indonesian language since October.  We had dinner with one of the missionaries who served during Sanford's first mission and met with us during our tutoring.  We visited some of Sanford's cousins on both side of the family, including Sunday dinner with Dixon and Susan Woodbury.  We enjoyed time at the Bean Museum with the insect collection curator, who had been on the insect collecting trip when Sanfored and I first met.


The night before we were scheduled to leave for Indonesia, it started snowing.  I had been fearing such cold weather all week, but it was not horribly cold until then, although we were wearing gloves and jackets whle locals were jogging in short-sleeved shirts.  We had a snowy walk down to the Bean Museum.  Then Sanford got his last hepatitis immunization, and we walked across the MTC to work with the young missionaries who are training in Indonesian.  There are 7 elders and 4 sisters, and they are coming along well.  We did role-playing with them.

After that we boxed up our cold-weather gear and mailed it back to Florida before catching the shuttle to the airport.

At the Missionary Training Center (Part 1)

We were in training at the Missionary Training Center (MTC) in Provo, Utah from March 19 to 23, 2018.  Colleen missed out on the experience of checking in to the MTC because she stayed in Salt Lake City for a few hours of training in the Missionary Medical e-MED program.  Sanford handled all our luggage, returning the rental car, and checking in. Colleen was able to catch a Frontrunner train to Provo.  It took just over an hour, almost as quick as driving and much more comfortable.  She arrived only three minutes before our first training session.

In the introductions, it turned out that most of our group were going to church history sites for the summer.  We were about the only MLS missionaries going abroad.


We were divided into districts of four couples, and Sanford was a district leader.  We were also assigned another couple outside the district who we would be teaching twice during the week.  We were delighted to have the Smiths, and enjoyed the time that we spent with them. We taught each other on Wednesday and Thursday afternoon, and on Friday morning a volunteer from the local community came in and we taught them, with only 10 minutes to prepare.

Throughout the week, there was an emphasis on increasing spirituality and focusing on Jesus Christ.  In the newest building at the MTC, there are "disciple spaces" for quiet pondering and study.  There are a dozen murals that are printed on cloth, with lights from behind.  (This one is Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail.)

The training for senior couples has changed a lot in recent years, with encouragement and skills to use modern technology.  We had two sessions on the Gospel Library app, and had to record and send a video.

This statue of young elders on bicycles touched us, because that is exactly how Elder Porter looked on his first mission:  no helmets, no reflective vests, but big smiles on their faces.  This picture was taken by a pair of young sisters who are going to Indonesia in April.

In this picture, I am wearing hiking shoes, as I did most of the time at the MTC.  Right before we left, I had a ganglion cyst removed from my left foot; I was very grateful to have it diagnosed and treated before we left home.  It is a tribute to the mellowness of the MTC that nobody asked me why I was wearing those shoes.  Or maybe it is because senior missionaries are so respected here.  (Young missionaries were always opening doors for us!)

Another highlight was visiting the Provo temple on Saturday.  We were married in that temple but it was so many years ago that we would have become lost about where to go, except that there were so many nice people willing to direct us.  MTC missionaries do not pay for clothing rental.  And most importantly, we were able to take care of some things for family members, which we had been meaning to do but somehow never made it to the Orlando Temple at the right time.

Unmoored

We are not super-experienced boaters, so for me there is always a moment when we first untie from the dock or push off from the bank, when things are unsettling.  The boat may rock, somebody's feet may get wet.  I have every confidence that once we move away and start paddling and get a rhythm going, then all will be fine.  And our days in Salt Lake City before entering the Missionary Training Center have had some of that same feel, as well as a great opportunity to connect with our Mormon history roots and friends.

On Saturday, March 17, we left home shortly after 4:30 a.m., since we needed to check bags.  All the local family came with us to the airport.  This picture was taken at Lois' home before we headed off to the airport. We were on the same flight with the UF tennis team bound for Vanderbilt.

I remembered to wear something with green in order to avoid being pinched.

We arrived in Salt Lake City by 10:30 a.m. their time, and realized that the car we had rented would  be too small with all our suitcases and Rebecca's luggage as well.  We had made that reservation before learning that our daughter Rebecca who lives in Europe would be on a trip to the US, and would overlap with us by about 10 hours.  We dropped off most of our luggage at our hotel, and went to pick up Rebecca.  It turned out that her hotel was only 5 minutes away from ours.

That afternoon we visited Betty Woodbury, and were delighted to visit with her sons David and Dixon, as well as David's wife Kathleen.

Saturday evening we had a St. Patrick's Day dinner of corned beef and cabbage at the Little America restaurant, then headed off to see the BYU International Folk Dance Ensemble at the Conference Center Theater.  I had bought those tickets thinking Sanford and I would be going, but since Rebecca likes that kind of thing, she came along instead:)

As delightful as the performance was, after intermission I was struggling to stay awake after getting up so early that same Saturday  morning (2 a.m. Utah time!) so we left a bit early.



On Sunday morning, we attended church at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building (former Hotel Utah).  A lovely group of people who were very welcoming to strangers, and how interesting to attend a church meeting in such a historic and elegant setting.


Sunday afternoon we scoped out the location and transportation options for my training on Monday morning and then we went to Temple Square.  In the Assembly Hall, there was a bagpipe band getting ready for a concert in the Tabernacle.  We didn't have time to stay for the concert, but enjoyed their warm-up.

Someone told us that there was a sister missionary from Indonesia serving on Temple Square, but we could not find her:(

Last Week in Florida

Sunday, March 11 was a busy day.  Our sacrament meeting starts at 9 a.m. and we lost an hour of sleep due to the switch to Daylight Savings Time.  We woke up at 7 a.m. to finish preparing our talks and getting fish stew into the crock pot.  It was hectic.

Sanford's brother and his wife drove all the way from Louisiana to be with us.  Our son and his children from St. Augustine also came over to spend the day.  After church meetings, we went to our house for a simple meal of fish stew, rolls, and salad.  Elaine had some mix for cheese biscuits, and she turned that into a fun baking experience with  the grandkids.

For dessert, we were able to pull cake out of the freezer.  Last weekend was Sanford's retirement party, and a colleague had crafted an amazing cake in the shape of a decapitated fire ant.which has been the focus of so much of Sanford's professional career in recent years.  There were abundant leftovers which made for an easy treat today.

For our sacrament meeting talks, Colleen told about the reasons why she had joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including a living prophet, the principle of personal revelation for each of us, that we view Jesus Christ as our Savior and big brother, and that we are assured that our Heavenly Father cares about each and every one of us.

When she sat down, Colleen whispered that she had forgotten to share her testimony in bahasa Indonesia.  At the end of his excellent talk on Grace, Sanford invited her back up to share that testimony.

Sanford's talk on Grace was a great segue into the Relief Society/Priesthood lessons on perfection.

This next picture was taken while we were recovering from the busy morning.  We are standing in front of a batik map that Sanford brought back from his first mission.  It is special, but the reality is that the Indonesian mission is much larger now, spreading from Sumatra into Sulawesi and Timor Leste.

That afternoon we headed to the stake center for our setting-apart.  Our stake president thought to take the picture of everyone.

Great Inventions

We are so grateful for the people who invented the stuff that will make our lives easier as we travel and relocate across the globe to do the Lord's work in Indonesia.

I have become a fan of the Trtl Pillow for long flights.  Unlike the linflatable pillows, this one is flat behind my neck, which I really prefer.  And some memory foam pillows come up so high that I can't use headphones, but this is low and loose enough for over-ear headphones.

This travel plug has served us well on trips to Rome, Greece, Prague, Vienna, Budapest.  We hope it will work most places in Indonesia.  It has 2 USB ports and 2 plugs.

This is the largest power bank available that is safe to fly with.  It has slots to charge two different devices.  It will be handy if we want to show a video and power in the tablet is waning. 

 How can they make a large suitcase weighing less than 5 pounds?  It is narrow PVC pipe covered with thin cloth.  Hopefully it will stay together once it is full.  We are limited to 44 pounds per suitcase (most missionaries get 50) because that is the limit for the local airlines that will eventually take us to our final destination.

My usual crossbody bag was not quite large enough for a 10-inch computer.  A full-sized backpack would be hard on my back.  This half-sized single-strap Travelon bag will be perfect.









RIGHT:  My razor only works with 110 current.  I found this new one, which plugs into USB so will work around the world.







We are glad to have these tools and toys to as we head out on our mission.