Central Eurasian Mission - Week 1 - March 20-26, 2017

Monday morning we were supposed to arrive at the MTC between 10:00 and 10:20 AM.  We found out later that different couples were assigned different times so that we wouldn't get clogged in a big line.  We were among the first.

We're leaving Ivan's house and arriving curbside at the MTC.  You notice that at the curb we don't have any bags.  That's because Elders from the Portugal group were assigned to grab our bags and take them to the elevator that we'd eventually use after we got checked in.







We finally got inside the building and made our way counterclockwise around the reception room.







We got our name tags - now we are officially official.
The first ones we got had our name in English which was good for when other people wanted to call us by name. We surmise that the language underneath is Kazakh and we assume it says Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

\\

Later on in the week, a young MTC employee showed up at our table while we were eating and handed us a small envelope that had a second set of name tags - we are now super official.  This one has my name and the name of the church in Russian.  The three tiny words under my name literally translate to SERVICE ENSURING WELFARE which when put into understandable English is WELFARE SERVICES.



We met up with our luggage and went up the elevator (which, by the way has a note taped to it saying only Senior Missionaries, service personnel, or sick missionaries may use the elevator- That made us feel very special....and old.

The room is really nice.  Just like a hotel room.  Queen bed, chairs, table, night stands with lights and a private bathroom.  No bunk beds or bathrooms down the hall for Seniors.





We unpacked and went downstairs for lunch in the cafeteria.  We easily found the iconic map hanging on the wall and, of course, posed in front of it....so special.



Let me explain the weekly schedule.  In the morning right after breakfast, we have a big group meeting of all 72 Senior Missionaries where we're taught whatever works in a big group.
After lunch we'd go to smaller classrooms to be taught as a District.

There are all different kinds of missions represented:  Humanitarian like us, MLS (Membership Leader Support), Church History, WMT (Wyoming Mormon Trail), WASP (Women's Auxiliary Specialist. Program), CES (Church Educational System), Records Preservation, Mission Home Office.

We were divided into groups called Districts - some had four couples in the group and others, like ours only had three in the group.  Here is our District: our teacher, the Grays, the Monsons (not related to President Monson, but President Monson did seal them in the Temple when they were married) and the Andruses.



Here we are in our classroom



So - you're probably wondering what we're are being taught and learning.  Basically everything presented is in the book "Preach My Gospel".  Specifically we are learning to teach The Doctrine of Christ which is embodied in the Purpose Statement:

Invite others to come unto Christ

by

helping them receive the restored gospel

through

Repentance

Baptism

Receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost

and enduring to the end.

In our small classes we learned how to present information to those we might teach, how to ask questions, how to apply what we teach - you got it- all we need to know to be effective missionaries. All senior missionaries do this regardless of their type of mission because one never knows when they might be asked a gospel questions.  Even if (like us) you might be working on providing hearing aids to the Deaf Society, you have to be prepared to teach someone who wants more information about the Gospel.

We were assigned a couple who was not in our district and told to get to know them because we would be "teaching" them.  They were the Sigmons.  They are from Bernalillo, which is close to Albuquerque where I was born, and Elder Sigmon worked at Intel in New Mexico which is the same company for which Warren works.  They are on the Wyoming Mormon Trail Mission and will be working with youth and others who want to experience the Handcart Journey of early pioneers.  We decided to teach them about patience and, it turns out that is the same subject they chose to teach to us.  Interestingly enough, both of us approached the subject slightly differently and used completely different scriptures. 

This week of learning and teaching was difficult for us and stretched our comfort zone quite a bit.  We know gospel doctrine but are not confident in finding scriptures that apply to a specific concept.  That is what happens when one has been in an administrative calling for 39 years and the other has been a scout leader for 23 years.  We did learn how to use Gospel Library, but I found that using good ole' GOOGLE and entering "LDS patience" would find numerous General Conf talks or Ensign articles that had great ideas and many pertinent scriptures.

We all eat in the MTC cafeteria which we loved.  Lots of really good food and varied. After the first day I knew I had to start asking for smaller portions and choosing mostly to eat only salads.  I will confess that on the last breakfast of the week, I succumbed and ate a chocolate covered doughnut.  There is a rule of no photographs in the cafeteria - probably so the junior missionaries won't start taking creative photographs and causing a commotion.  Senior missionaries can choose to eat at any time when the cafeteria is open for a meal, but the junior missionaries come in with their districts, and when they do, it is like a river of young men and women flowing through the doors.  It was fun to watch the Elders - so clean cut and eager. Honestly, some of them look no older that grandson Evan who will be 16 in June.  And the sister missionaries are lovely in their missionary attire - this season large floral prints are in vogue.  I can imagine them looking at the senior missionaries and thinking that we are all old, a bit overweight, and way more experienced than they are. One day in the cafeteria we ran in to Marshall Carmen from OC1 who had just arrived that day.  And I broke a rule and surreptitiously took a photo of our cafeteria trays.





Our evenings were free.  One time we watched a 'classic' video of  Elder Bednar teaching about how one should reach out and not reach inward - it was better in person.  One evening a visiting Seventy, Elder W. Craig Zwick, came to speak to all the missionaries. And there was entertainment - Lexi Walker, the fourteen year old LDS singer, performed wonderfully.

Another evening we met up with our granddaughter, Natalie.  Using an app on Dad's phone we ended up in a parking lot quite a ways from her dorm.  After calling her and getting better directions, we ended up meeting at the Creamery-we did not eat thereof because we'd all recently eaten dinner.



Our room was in the Jacob Hamblin building.  We knew he was an ancestor of our friends, John and Linda Hamblin who had moved to Utah last year.  So we got in touch with them and went out to dinner at Bam Bams BBQ.  If was enjoyable sharing news of the last year.



On Friday we finished our Preach My Gospel training, and we headed for Ivan's home.
Saturday morning I went for a 4 mile walk which was the first prolonged exercise I'd had in weeks.  Great sunrise over Cascade Peak



We went to a Korean BBQ named Cup Bop - yeah, I have no idea what the name means.  But the food was yummy - it had flavors that were distinct...not Chinese, not Japanese, not Thai...but Korean.



That evening Renee and I drove to SLC for the Women's Conference.  I've always enjoyed attending conference in person rather by television or internet.  A bazillion women and girls were in attendance.









Sunday we went to church, and in the evening Ivan threw another scone party.  Well, it was a joint scone and ice cream party.  Last week his neighbor across the street said, "Lets do ice cream next week".  He's on the BYU faculty in physics and so has access to liquid nitrogen...he said he taught the ice cream store, Sub Zero, how to make their ice cream.  So ice cream and scones it was. Surprisingly, it seemed like even more people were there this week.  Guess that is what happens when members of your ward are also your neighbors for four blocks around you.







We're back in the Jacob Hamblin building now looking forward to a week of instruction with the other Humanitarian Service Missionaries.  We still don't have our visa for Kazakhstan which makes us a bit anxious. But not to worry, we have faith and know how to use that faith to make us patient.