Mission: Week One, Day One-The Real Day One!

We were up by six to shower, dress, collect our resources for the day, pray and be out of our room by seven to get to breakfast.  Because our official check-in time was 10:00 AM to 10:20 AM we had time to put our room in order, walk around to get a feel for the campus a little, and attempt to calm a few butterflies in our tummies that had inexplicably shown up.

When we went to the lobby for that check-in we found it jammed with Senior Couples, all checking in, too.  We went through the line, learned more things we needed to do as far as what places we needed to go  to for various tasks.  For example, we had to go to the General Services office to pay for our board and room for our stay at the MTC.  Pretty painless.  We will be here a total of eleven nights.

By the time that was all accomplished it was noon, and time for lunch, which we both enjoyed.  The food was delicious.  Even more delicious,  I did not have to plan a menu, cook the food, serve the food, or clean up after cooking and serving the food!  What is not to love about that?!!!

After lunch was our large group Welcome meeting with the MTC Mission Presidency.  They are lovely encouraging people and we enjoyed the meeting.  There are sixty-five new senior couples this week.  After the welcome was an orientation to what our week of training looked like.

After a short break, we had our first large group meeting where we began instruction using our scriptures, Preach My Gospel manual, and our study journals.  The next hour we were divided into smaller districts.  We were so happy to be in a district of four couples!  Getting to know six new people seemed more do-able than being in a larger district.

Now it was supper time.  Another good meal.  Another time to enjoy the spectacle of so many good young men and women eating dinner together, helping one another, even helping the senior couples.  One young elder asked if he could take care of our tray of dirty supper things!  That was really nice.  (There are lines for getting food, and more lines emptying the trays…)

There was a “family night” gathering where we watched “The Character of Christ”, a video we had seen the night before but which was so compelling we watched it again.  And were touched again.  It was a reminder that Jesus Christ never put Himself first.  Even on the Cross He was concerned for others.  This is an example I would like to follow.

Finally we returned to our room and were ready to pray and fall into bed almost instantly.  So much concentration.  So much spiritual engagement was glorious but taxing.  We dropped off to sleep with smiles on our faces.