Tuesday, February 24, 2015

MTC Week 1, 2-16 to 2-22-15

Wow!  What a great week we had in the MTC!  We have met incredible people and have been taught by the best young men and women! The bad part is that I got a whooper of a cold...with a cough that will not quit.  It has been the worst thing!!!!
We left early on Monday morning to get up here by 10:00 am.  They have everything so organized at the MTC.  There are volunteers everywhere to help you with every step you need to take here!  Our room for the next week and a half is really pretty nice!  It isn't very big...pretty much like a hotel room.  It was on the 3rd floor of  Building 2M.  This building is where the bookstore is, the medical office, the post office.....really a happening place!  But there are only seniors on the 3rd floor so it is a pretty quiet place.  We don't have anyone that comes in to make our beds or clean the sinks but it was still so nice!  I have to say that the food was not that good!  But it kept us alive!  We actually snuck out one night with Kim and her younger kids to Olive Garden.  Matt and Jamie came and so did Curt and Erin.  That was really a treat!  Then on Friday, we met Robs family and Curt and Erin at Pei Wei!!  Wonderful!  We had training each day on Preach My Gospel.  It is the most amazing book!  We did a bunch of roleplays and got to practice everything we were learning!  It was kind of scary but turned out pretty great!  Everyone is so kind and patient!  You really do feel the Spirit here.  We really feel blessed to be going on a mission right now.  It is the right time for us.  We are anxious to get to Sri Lanka and begin meeting the wonderful people that are there!  Yes, I am a little nervous, but not for the mission part!  That part is really exciting!  One night, we had Elder Daniel Johnson from the Quorum of the Seventy.  He was really great!  It was so fun hearing a choir of missionaries sing, CONSIDER THE LILIES, one of my favorite choir numbers.  There were probably 800 singers!  Just gave me chills.  We were told that there are about 1200 missionaries here right now.  The ratio is 48% sisters and 52% elders.  But they think it will be 50/50 by the summer!  There were 80 Senior missionaries.  8 single sisters and 36 couples.  We are going all over the world and doing lots of different things.  Most are doing Member Support missions but there are office missionaries, church education like us, military, Young single adults, and many more.  We love them!  They have such great spirits and strong testimonies and we have learned so much from them!  Steve ran into an old college friend and his wife one night.  He is serving as a counselor in the District Presidency here at the MTC. That was a lot of fun.  I have been playing the piano a lot for the openings of our meetings.  We also had to meet with some doctors and have a big malaria talk!  I don't think we want to get that!
  After a fabulous week in the MTC, we left Friday evening for Salt Lake for Matt's wedding on Saturday!  Steve always teases that we had to wear ankle monitors while we were gone!!!!  The day couldn't have gone better!  It was perfect.  Matt was so happy and I really think Jamie is too!!!  They were so fun and excited all day!  The man who did the sealing in the temple was really great.  He gave wonderful counsel and did a great job!  As I was walking out of the sealing room, I ran into Elder Dallin H Oaks and shook his hand.  That was a big thrill for me.  The weather was a little chilly but was not snowy or rainy so that was good for pictures!  We had our wedding luncheon at the Joseph Smith Memorial building in the Wasatch Room on the top floor.  The food was great and the kids said some funny things about Matt.  Jamies family also had some fun things to say about her.  We had a great group of friends and family there to support us!  The reception at Gardner Village was beautiful.  Lots of friends and family there as well.  We had a little dancing at the end and then sent them off down a trail of sparklers!  It was tough to say good bye to them.  That was the last time we would see them for a while so it was very emotional.  But I am so so happy for them.  They are a great couple and they enjoy life and each other.  It is just the best!
We spent Sunday with the family at my Mom and Dads house.  We had a nice dinner after church and then had to start the good-byes over again.  We were both having such a hard time.  I was bawling so loud...the cold seemed to exaggerate the loudness and make it worse!  Boy, it was awful.  I just love my family so much.  I will miss them....we both will miss them.  We hurried back to Provo to make it for 2 devotionals.  They were great also!  We have 2  1/2 more days in the MTC and then we are gone on Thursday!  WOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW!!!!!!!  We are so grateful for our wonderful family and friends and all the support they have given us for this mission and the wedding!  We are so blessed!
Here we come!

The traditional picture by the map!  We are going to Sri Lanka!
We found our great friends The Drakes on the Mission President board!
We found Steve's sister on the other Mission President board.  Pres and Sister Beckstrand
Elder and Sister Spear, Elder and Sister Fackrell, and Elder and Sister Condie!

Blackmail picture!  I was on too many cold drugs that I took a little rest every break because I was having a hard time keeping my eyes open!!
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President Lee and Terry Daniels- Old friends from College!

New friends made at the MTC.  The Fackrells from Bountiful going to Peru!

Our district with our trainer Brother Smith.

Our district with our afternoon trainers - Sister Sharp and Sister Bennion!
































Monday, February 9, 2015

Mission Farewell 2-8-15

This is a test!  I am trying to see if I can remember everything Tori taught me about using a blog!
Yesterday was our mission farewell.  I can't believe the overwhelming love we felt all day!  I can't believe how much I worry when I have to speak!  The hardest thing for us, as well as the best thing for us, was when our children had a surprise up their sleeve.  The best thing....all four of them sang, How Great Thou Art.  We didn't know they were going to do that.  Bro. Smith announced the musical number and we were confused.  Then, the kids get up and go stand at the pulpit.  Kaden Smith started playing and then they sang!  It was the most beautiful thing I have ever heard.  They sounded so good.  It was the greatest gift we could have received that day.  The hardest thing...we had to speak right after!  I started my talk crying and I hadn't even said anything yet!  We are so grateful for our friends and family.  We have the best of both!  (Now I am going to try and add some pictures!)