The MTC

We entered the MTC the morning of September 3, 2012.  What an amazing experience.  There were 2750 young elders and sisters and 118 senior missionaries, mostly couples but we had 4 single sisters among us.  The Spirit is so, so strong here it is like nothing I’ve experienced before.  Yes, I’ve felt the spirit in many places and in many circumstances but this is ever present and unending.  Everyone here is here for the same purpose, to prepare to serve our Lord and Savior in whatever place and position we have been called to serve.

We have met missionaries from around the world who are called to serve all over the world.  This is a mighty army, mostly of young, strong, dedicated men and women.  This is the largest group of senior missionaries that anyone here can remember.

There should be lots more of us as willing to serve as these young people are.  It is hard, harder than I ever expected, to leave home and family and friends and to venture out into the unknown.  But I think of the many, many Saints who have gone before us, how they left their homes and family and friends and never looked back and never returned, but trekked miles and miles and more miles…buried loved ones along the way, suffered unspeakable hardships and kept on going into the unknown.  Were it not for them my life would be very, very different.  And so, we leave the comfort of the MTC behind and trek east in our air conditioned truck loaded with every conceivable item we may need or want.  We will stop along the way and rest in clean, well-supplied hotels and eat meals 3 times a day which we will purchase.  Certainly we are very blessed to travel somewhat the same trail as our ancestor pioneers traveled, but in very different circumstances and in the opposite direction.  I need to count my blessings more often and on my knees.