Ron writes: This last Saturday we had the opportunity to meet members of the Centerville IA branch because most of them went to the Nauvoo temple to accompany a couple in their ward who got their endowments for the first time and were also sealed. The Nauvoo Temple is quite different in that we walk through the very front door and needed reservations for the session. Luckily, we were able to get in, meet the couple, and other members of the ward. After the couple's sealing, Colene and I were able to do temple work for my mother Rose. At the end of the day we drove 70 miles to a baptism for the branch, and got home to our house at 10 in the evening--a long day starting at 6 AM and with 7 hours of driving and meeting folks. Our branch president is an Iowa farmer. His family of grown up sons and daughters represent about 1/3 of the branch. Once the sons and daughters start having children, the White families should quickly outnumber everyone else. Our branch is located in what used to be a community dance hall located in a barn. Then it became a bar for awhile, and now has been completely rennovated and is a nice meeting place for our small branch. On Monday, 21 Feb, we went to the Corydon Museum, met our supervisor, and are now learning to do microfilming of probate records for Wayne County. It's going to be fun!

Some Things Learned the First Week at MCT

Ron writes, Oh how I wish I knew 35 years ago what we learned last week on how to share the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I would be a far better home teacher and missionary. The key is to help others read and study the Book of Mormon and then help them ask God through prayer if it is true. Our purpose is to open the lines of communication between the one reading the Book of Mormon and his/her Heavenly Father. Praying to find out the answer is foreign to many. Yet that is how one can become converted to the Gospel. It is not through giving wonderfully prepared lessons. We must do all we can to encourage study of the Book and prayer about it's truthfulness, and then let the Holy Ghost confirm it's truthfulness. We do our best to answer their questions and concerns, but it all comes down to them following up on commitments to read the Book. As they gain a confirmation of its truthfulness, all of their other questions will be answered.

We are both excited to work with the less actives of our new branch or ward for two weeks when we get to Iowa about 13 February. After we do that, we will be taught how to microfilm by our supervisor. This week we are learning to capture record images with a digital camera, something we may or may not use in Iowa. Interesting tidbit we learned today to the question of how the Church safely preserves all it's digital images and other documents. Answer: First, they keep it on two hard drives on servers located in different locations. The servers will automatically backup the hard drives before they start to go bad. Additionally, the data is stored on three separate tapes. I guess the expression would have to be for Church images, five times and you're out. That is a lot of backups!

The MTC is really wonderful. We went to the Mt. Timpanogas Temple and did initiatories today, and I realized that the feeling that is in the Temple is in the MTC. You feel like you are in a world apart. No TV no radio etc. just a lot of young elders and sisters and seniors who are all very nice and helpful. (You do have Internet and you can do what you want in your room)

The housing is great. We are in a building that has a bookstore, mailroom, dry cleaning, exercise rooms etc. On our floor you can get to it only by swiping your id card in the elevator, so no young elders can go there. There are couches on your floor a room with refrigerator microwave, tables, couches etc, so if you want to leave your room you can. There is an ice machine, a couple of food machines and exercise equipment room. (In another building there is lots of free washing machines. Bring your own soap or buy it in the bookstore. Friday night is a great time to wash laundry – no elders.) The room is just like a motel room. The bed is quite comfortable. You soon get used to being in the same room with your husband although Ron has gone downstairs to exercise in the big exercise area alone and as adults you are not glued together although it feels natural to be together. Some senior missionaries are staying at the Marriot Hotel. You eat with everyone. Around 2000 missionaries eating in 1 to 1 ½ hour time period. You have a lot of choices and the food is good. You meet an awful lot of people during meal times. One elder who was adopted from a Russian orphanage is going to the Ukraine. The next day he walked by and said hi my new friends. They are all just really sweet.

The first day you arrive in your Sunday clothes. (You will be wearing them the rest of the time except when in your room or exercising.) You will be issued nametags, keys, and a room. You set up your room, eat and then go to orientation, You have inspirational talks and are divided up into groups of 8. Our large group has around 70 seniors who arrived when we did. They are going all over the world - The East Indies, Philippines, Hong Kong, etc. Your lessons begin at 8 AM. You go to large group meetings to be inspired or hear senior missionaries tell how it really is. Those meetings are great. We did study preach my gospel, but in a different way than I thought. You actually teach the gospel using the lessons. You practice on volunteers who pretend to be nonmembers. (that can be a spiritual experience and very intimating at least to me) You are on camera so your teacher can watch and critique you. You are given wonderful ideas about how to teach. I found those teaching sessions scary at first. I learned a lot of teaching techniques that work. They do show you things in the Preach My Gospel book so you can effectively use the book. You are to study in your free time, but we rarely had time to read all the assignments because when you are back in your room you want to go to bed. (You might want to study the first two lessons and find scriptures to support the lessons that you like. That would have helped me to be not so stressed) Your day classes end around 4:30. Tuesday nights, you have devotionals (We had Elder Holland and Elder Nelson to celebrate 50 years of MTC and rededicate some buildings. It was great,) Wednesday and Thursday night, we learned word and excel. Others had tutors to help them with their language. Saturday was great. P Day! You can go where you want after you check out and tell them where you are going. Sunday is full of devotionals and meetings.

Next week we start to study camera work. Others stay and learn whatever they are doing unless they are member support, and they left after a week.

Honestly this week has been hard at times for me because I get stressed out by teaching in front of a camera etc, and I was still tired from packing. I think it made me better prepared for a real missionary experience though, and I made some great friends. If I didn’t get so nervous about stuff, I would have really enjoyed the whole experience. (They ask for volunteers for playing hymns, and I did some but you know me, I got nervous - so silly) Also Ron and I have had to really grow in our relationship. When you have to prepare a lesson together in 20 minutes and then present it, things can be a little hard. You have two different ideas and two different ways of teaching. We have had to really talk and express how we feel. We are learning to work together and appreciate our differences. When you are tired, it is easy to get grouchy, but we have also found inspiration that has helped us deal with our differences, and I think our relationship has already grown. Maybe that is part of the MTC also.