George and Eva at Cove Fort: MTC

Tuesday

We both feel like the training has been fine-tuned. There was even more flexibility in how the lessons are presented. It requires the missionary to be in tune and teach by the spirit. I wonder if the percentage of baptisms has improved.

One of the teachers for the morning training is Elder Hawke from the River Ridge 6^th ward. We were hoping to be in his group but it didn’t happen.

We were so impressed with the food last time. It has become more fast food oriented than we remembered. The good thing is that we won’t eat as much.

Our speaker tonight was D. Todd Christophersen. It was more for the young missionaries but cool to be taught by an apostle. His wife gave brief remarks, neat lady.

Monday

We are excited to have completed our first day at the MTC. It is interesting where and when the tender mercies come in our lives. It was a different experience this time when we arrived at the MTC. We had to come through a gate with a gatekeeper. Looks like heightened security. There were young elder to help us get our luggage to our room, last time we were on our own. Our room looked very much like last time. We couldn’t get the window to close and it was freezing in the room. We finished checking in, had lunch and still an open window.

When we met with our MTC branch president and his wife at check we let them know that we needed to get our car repaired as the transmission was not acting properly since getting new transmission fluid on Thursday. His wife came up to us later in the day with new room keys. We didn’t know she knew about the window problem. The keys were for a room in the new wing! The room is lots bigger and nicer than in the old part of the building. I recruited three elders from the bookstore and we were able to move to our new digs in one trip. We have a view of the mountains, lake and the city. Amazing!

Brad met us at 5:30 and took our car to get it repaired for us. The transmission isn't working properly.

There are over 40 couples in our group. About 7 are going to Cove Fort and eight to Nauvoo. Several couples are on at least a second mission, one couple their 6^th and another their 5^th. What an interesting and powerful group. Elder Ross was selected as district leader again.

The MTC seems even more diverse than in 2008. A few young elders joined us for lunch. The elder next to me was from Mongolia. There is now a stake in his area. He is going to the Salt Lake Mission. The elder from Chile will be Spanish speaking in upstate NY. The other elder was from Italy and he is going to Texas English speaking. All three are learning English. A little while later in the lobby two elders came to talk to us and they were from Warsaw, Poland ( Elder Tyzwinski) and a tiny island with 500 people in Figi ( Elder George). They are headed to Tacoma, WA and Minneapolis, MN respectively.