First Week in the Senior MTC

Bonnie and I reported to the Senior MTC in Provo at 8:00 am on Monday morning, September 30, 2013.  We joined about 58 other couples, and about 6 senior single sisters to begin our week of training.  We began studying the principles contained in Preach My Gospel and learned inspired teaching techniques that we will take with us to Italy when we leave next week.

We broke up into small groups and met our instructors, very bright return missionaries who have lived and loved wonderful missions throughout the world.  These young return missionaries have successfully implemented Preach My Gospel and are teaching us the best ways to teach the gospel with power and testimony.

We have had two opportunities to work with investigators in the Teaching Resource Center, who role-played some very realistic teaching scenarios.  Bonnie and I worked well as a team as we taught, and we think that we are going to be able to do this.

On Tuesday evening, we joined the army of young missionaries for an MTC-wide devotional where Elder Baxter of the Seventy explained clearly and succinctly why Mormons are Christians, notwithstanding what others may attempt to argue.  He made it very clear, providing wonderful support from the scriptures and history, why many of the accepted doctrines of most Christian churches, such as the Trinity, a closed canon and other principles, came from negotiation and debate among various post apostolic factions, and not from prophetic declaration from God's prophets.  Elder Baxter encouraged the missionaries to be respectful and kind, but at the same time to be bold and direct in calling out those "doctrines" that are not supported by Christ's teachings and the teachings of the Gospel writers and the epistles and letters of other Biblical authors.

Tomorrow we finish our first week.  We will return next week for some specialized training for our assignment to work with young single adults.  Then, on Thursday morning, we will board the plane for a long trip to Italy.  We fly from Salt Lake City to Dallas, then from Dallas to London, and then from London to Milan.

We are excited to join the missionary force in Italy to help further the work of the Lord in that vineyard.

Highlight of the Week - Being taught by a general authority and learning to teach boldly and with the Spirit.  Getting to know some very powerful and dedicated senior couples who are going out to all corners of the world to preach the Gospel.

Lowlight of the Week - Eating the food at the MTC cafeteria.  We are sure that the MTC tries its best to provide good food for the missionaries, and they do have hundreds and hundreds of missionaries to feed each day.  While the food is plentiful and there are a number of options for each meal, the food just isn't that good.  We are grateful that we are only here for 10 days, and not the 8 - 10 weeks that most of the young missionaries must endure.

Here is the classic photo by the big map in the MTC.  Elder Dean was Bonnie's Italian tutor, and he joined us for lunch one day to wish us well.