Week 2 (MTC)
Monday, December 08, 2008
Today we started our Mission Office training. This morning was an overview of the duties of the Mission Office staff – which was of use. Then the rest of the morning was on Microsoft Word. We opted out of the class since it was the most basic (how to turn on the computer, change fonts and font colors, set margins, etc.). This afternoon is Excel and it certainly doesn’t include linked spreadsheets, pivot tables, and functions (we also opted out of the class). I went and had my hair shampooed and styled ($12). At 3:30 pm we will be back in class learning about the MOS (Mission Office System) software.
This last week the weather has been cold (40s and 30s) but clear and beautiful. Today it started snowing. Walt tried taking a picture but it doesn’t show much and the snow stopped fairly quickly.
We had a lovely complement today as we were heading to the cafeteria. We stopped to say hello to one of our group and asked her how she was feeling (she had an infected dry socket and has been miserable most of the week). As we were talking about the software training we haven’t been going to, she said something like: “I don’t pick up things so easily anymore, after all I’m quite a bit older than you; I’m 60.” Walt and I thanked her for the complement and told her we were 63 and 64, and she couldn’t believe it and thought we were in our 50s. Wow. I’ll take a complement like that any day.
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
We spent today learning more about MOS: Finance for the Mission such as figuring out how much each missionary gets for their monthly stipend. You have a Missionary Base to which you add or subtract any Area Adjustments and Missionary Adjustments. That is calculated monthly depending on missionary transfers. [NOTE FOR P&C FOLKS: The MOS reminds me very much of E2S with pop-up screens and having to save almost everything you do.
This evening we went to the Tuesday Devotional with Elder Lynn Russell of the Seventy. He spoke on opposition:
· Problems are our opportunities.
· Everybody has problems.
· Problem solvers are converters.
· Without problems there usually is no conversion because people are happy just where they are.
· We can’t sell the gospel as a product, but we can convert by showing how problems can be solved through living the principles of the gospel.
Walt has managed to catch a cold of some kind. He’s been miserable since he woke up this morning, but has managed to stay in class and make it to the devotional.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Today we learned more about MOS: Baptism and Confirmation documentation, Referrals, and Missionary Transfers. Then this afternoon, we learned how to do a Mission Newsletter. Oh, how much fun. Actually it was. I just did what I wanted and followed along when I wasn’t showing someone how to take what was taught just a little bit further.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Today was our last day of classes. We had a final which went fine, then a testimony meeting which meant tears and sniffling. Walt and I have the weekend pretty much free to do what we want (clean the residence room, pack, and try to get our lessons well documented so we are ready to go when we get to England). We have to meet the shuttle driver at 5:00 am Monday for an 8:25 flight to Atlanta, then to Gatwick to arrive at 6:55 am.
We’ve met some wonderful people that will stay in my memories forever, but oh, how I miss you all!
Friday, December 12, 2008
Today was a free day for us since classes are over. We slept in and didn’t do breakfast since you have to get dressed in church clothes to go to the cafeteria. Most of the senior missionaries we trained with are gone – some of them left this morning, some tomorrow and are busy trying to squeeze 18 to 24 months of clothing into luggage. Those that are like us and not leaving until Monday and live close are going to family for the weekend. When we went to the cafeteria for dinner we didn’t see anyone from our group. We still have two couples with no visa that will be staying for a while longer when we leave Monday.
Walt is still feeling miserable so we did very little today. Delight sent a package of things we forgot that arrived yesterday. One of the items was a black skirt that was about 3” too long. There is a “sewing room” where two or three volunteers work part of the day on mending, hemming, etc. I wasn’t sure they would have time to hem my skirt but we decided to ask anyway. The ladies were closing at 2:00 pm and that was only 3 hours from when we were there. What we finally agreed on was that they would cut the skirt off, use the serger on the bottom, and press it with a 1” hem. Then I would hem it by hand. The cost was 50 cents. I said that wasn’t, enough and the sister asked me if I would take money for my missionary service. I said, “No.” She said the 50 cents was just enough to buy buttons, thread, etc. This was their mission. That is one of the most heart touching things about the MTC – almost everyone working here are volunteers. The students in the cafeteria and cleaning are working their way through BYU. Almost all the adults are volunteers.
We sat at dinner with a really cute couple who are waiting for the visa to leave for Mexico on their 6th mission. When you see the hoards of young missionaries (elders and sisters) and senior missionaries who are leaving for two years and paying their own way to serve the Lord, it makes you really humble. I would expect that any non-member, who would walk into the cafeteria and see the smiles and camaraderie, the well-dressed polite young people, the seniors (and in a lot of cases, we’re quite a bit younger) all believing in what we are doing, couldn’t help but understand that the Church is true.
Being a senior missionary at the MTC is too much. Almost every young missionary you pass says hello in whatever language they are learning to speak. Often you are asked to hear them teaching the first lesson. Most times one elder or another will come and ask if they can take our tray to the belt that goes to where dishes are washed. They hold doors. My sister-in-law told me her boys wanted her to have the MTC experience. They didn’t because they were on a Family History mission in Salt Lake and went directly there with attending the MTC. The most wonderful thing about the MTC is the Spirit is felt so strongly here (even more often than at the temple).
Monday, December 08, 2008
Today we started our Mission Office training. This morning was an overview of the duties of the Mission Office staff – which was of use. Then the rest of the morning was on Microsoft Word. We opted out of the class since it was the most basic (how to turn on the computer, change fonts and font colors, set margins, etc.). This afternoon is Excel and it certainly doesn’t include linked spreadsheets, pivot tables, and functions (we also opted out of the class). I went and had my hair shampooed and styled ($12). At 3:30 pm we will be back in class learning about the MOS (Mission Office System) software.
This last week the weather has been cold (40s and 30s) but clear and beautiful. Today it started snowing. Walt tried taking a picture but it doesn’t show much and the snow stopped fairly quickly.
We had a lovely complement today as we were heading to the cafeteria. We stopped to say hello to one of our group and asked her how she was feeling (she had an infected dry socket and has been miserable most of the week). As we were talking about the software training we haven’t been going to, she said something like: “I don’t pick up things so easily anymore, after all I’m quite a bit older than you; I’m 60.” Walt and I thanked her for the complement and told her we were 63 and 64, and she couldn’t believe it and thought we were in our 50s. Wow. I’ll take a complement like that any day.
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
We spent today learning more about MOS: Finance for the Mission such as figuring out how much each missionary gets for their monthly stipend. You have a Missionary Base to which you add or subtract any Area Adjustments and Missionary Adjustments. That is calculated monthly depending on missionary transfers. [NOTE FOR P&C FOLKS: The MOS reminds me very much of E2S with pop-up screens and having to save almost everything you do.
This evening we went to the Tuesday Devotional with Elder Lynn Russell of the Seventy. He spoke on opposition:
· Problems are our opportunities.
· Everybody has problems.
· Problem solvers are converters.
· Without problems there usually is no conversion because people are happy just where they are.
· We can’t sell the gospel as a product, but we can convert by showing how problems can be solved through living the principles of the gospel.
Walt has managed to catch a cold of some kind. He’s been miserable since he woke up this morning, but has managed to stay in class and make it to the devotional.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Today we learned more about MOS: Baptism and Confirmation documentation, Referrals, and Missionary Transfers. Then this afternoon, we learned how to do a Mission Newsletter. Oh, how much fun. Actually it was. I just did what I wanted and followed along when I wasn’t showing someone how to take what was taught just a little bit further.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Today was our last day of classes. We had a final which went fine, then a testimony meeting which meant tears and sniffling. Walt and I have the weekend pretty much free to do what we want (clean the residence room, pack, and try to get our lessons well documented so we are ready to go when we get to England). We have to meet the shuttle driver at 5:00 am Monday for an 8:25 flight to Atlanta, then to Gatwick to arrive at 6:55 am.
We’ve met some wonderful people that will stay in my memories forever, but oh, how I miss you all!
Friday, December 12, 2008
Today was a free day for us since classes are over. We slept in and didn’t do breakfast since you have to get dressed in church clothes to go to the cafeteria. Most of the senior missionaries we trained with are gone – some of them left this morning, some tomorrow and are busy trying to squeeze 18 to 24 months of clothing into luggage. Those that are like us and not leaving until Monday and live close are going to family for the weekend. When we went to the cafeteria for dinner we didn’t see anyone from our group. We still have two couples with no visa that will be staying for a while longer when we leave Monday.
Walt is still feeling miserable so we did very little today. Delight sent a package of things we forgot that arrived yesterday. One of the items was a black skirt that was about 3” too long. There is a “sewing room” where two or three volunteers work part of the day on mending, hemming, etc. I wasn’t sure they would have time to hem my skirt but we decided to ask anyway. The ladies were closing at 2:00 pm and that was only 3 hours from when we were there. What we finally agreed on was that they would cut the skirt off, use the serger on the bottom, and press it with a 1” hem. Then I would hem it by hand. The cost was 50 cents. I said that wasn’t, enough and the sister asked me if I would take money for my missionary service. I said, “No.” She said the 50 cents was just enough to buy buttons, thread, etc. This was their mission. That is one of the most heart touching things about the MTC – almost everyone working here are volunteers. The students in the cafeteria and cleaning are working their way through BYU. Almost all the adults are volunteers.
We sat at dinner with a really cute couple who are waiting for the visa to leave for Mexico on their 6th mission. When you see the hoards of young missionaries (elders and sisters) and senior missionaries who are leaving for two years and paying their own way to serve the Lord, it makes you really humble. I would expect that any non-member, who would walk into the cafeteria and see the smiles and camaraderie, the well-dressed polite young people, the seniors (and in a lot of cases, we’re quite a bit younger) all believing in what we are doing, couldn’t help but understand that the Church is true.
Being a senior missionary at the MTC is too much. Almost every young missionary you pass says hello in whatever language they are learning to speak. Often you are asked to hear them teaching the first lesson. Most times one elder or another will come and ask if they can take our tray to the belt that goes to where dishes are washed. They hold doors. My sister-in-law told me her boys wanted her to have the MTC experience. They didn’t because they were on a Family History mission in Salt Lake and went directly there with attending the MTC. The most wonderful thing about the MTC is the Spirit is felt so strongly here (even more often than at the temple).
I took some pictures today of the outdoors:
Aren’t the winter colors great!
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Then we have the tree outside the cafeteria that we’ve nicknamed “The Last Leaf.”
Saturday, December 12, 2008
From the Friday pictures you can see how bright and clear the day was. I went to the MTC Sister’s Beauty Salon and got my hair washed and blow dried (we didn’t bring the hair dryer since it wouldn’t work in England), and when I started back, this is what it looked like.
Of course I didn’t wear my heavy coat (the first time in a couple of days) – just a light jacket.
From the Friday pictures you can see how bright and clear the day was. I went to the MTC Sister’s Beauty Salon and got my hair washed and blow dried (we didn’t bring the hair dryer since it wouldn’t work in England), and when I started back, this is what it looked like.
Of course I didn’t wear my heavy coat (the first time in a couple of days) – just a light jacket.
We’ve had purple pansies trying to grow that are on the way to the cafeteria. This last week they’ve looked pitiful, but today it was worse.
As we went to lunch (all bundled up), we had an elder take our picture. As you can see, Walt is feeling better and I came down with his cold this morning. After taking two DayQuil I felt quite a bit better. I hope this is over quick. I don’t want to have my ears filled with gunk when we fly on Monday.
This picture is of a bronze sculpture that I like of two missionaries on bicycles. Sure looks cold to me and the snow is piled so that they look like they have back packs and Mohawks.
Since tomorrow is Sunday and we leave at 5:00 am on Monday for the airport, we did laundry today. As everything else at the MTC, the laundry room is not your regular laundromat we see at home (large economy size). It’s 25 cents to wash and 10 cents to dry – I’m not sure that even pays for the electricity. There are also computers so the young elders and sisters can work on their homework (language and Preach My Gospel) while they are waiting for their clothes to wash and dry.
Unless something really awesome happens tomorrow, this is the last post I will make from the MTC. Love you all and miss you. Jackie
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