Below is a pictorial of our experience at the MTC...
We were dropped off by our eldest son T.J. who lives in West Jordan, Ut. This is outside the main MTC Administration building.
Upon arrival, you are assigned a dorm. Senior couples are either here at the MTC or down at the Marriott. We were assigned room 208.
You're given name badges that are used as your meal tickets and security passes to enter your dorms.
These are not the most spacious of accommodations but adequate for our needs. In our building, if you didn't take your shower prior to 6am, you were lucky to get hot water even then your water only sprayed out about 2".
A stop by the world map for a photo with your finger pointing to your final destination is obligatory!
Here's the bedroom area of your room. Pretty spacious isn't it.
The study area isn't very large either, but again, it's just about right for what you have to do.
The study space is shared with your other personal belongings and in our case a box of Ritz crackers!
Senior couples are taught "Preach My Gospel" by a team of outstanding past full-time missionaries. Here Brother Chinn teaches our group. He was an amazing teacher being able to really connect.
We also had a sister assist in teaching. Here Ann is shown the finer points by sister Grover. She was outstanding!
We also had the digital camera training by one of the Family Search staff from Salt Lake. We were the only couple in this teaching. Here's Barry Urry our instructor.
Here Ann and Tom take a moment from their training on camera operations for a quick photo.
Here's the full complement...Barry, Tom & Ann along side our training station. You can see the digital camera above everything and the bright lights shining on the table where the documents to be captured are displayed.
One piece of training that we couldn't capture any pictures of was our training from leaders of the church. There was a Mission Fireside every Sunday evening and on Tuesdays there was a Mission Devotional. At both these events all those at the MTC would gather together and be taught. It's quite the site to be a part of nearly 3,000 missionaries in the same room! We had Gerald Lund, Cecil O. Samuelson and Merrill Batemen speak to us. Their instruction was amazing! There was also a choir of nearly 300 missionaries that would do a couple numbers. They sounded like they'd been singing together for years. Again, amazing!
We celebrated our 38th Anniversary while at the MTC. Not much need for fancy gifts here. Tom treated Ann to a brief message spelled out with the help of "Red Vines". The letters didn't stay in place very long!
The food was actually very good considering the fact that something like 7-8,000 meals are prepared daily in the dining hall. Here are Ann, Tom and Sister Johnson (headed to Paris). You can see all the missionaries in the background.
There has to be a better way of organizing the backpacks of all the missionaries! Oh heck, forget it since they all seem to figure it out.
The dining hall looks pretty empty just prior to serving a tasty meal.
It doesn't take too long to fill up around breakfast, lunch or dinner time!
The main purpose of the MTC is to study and learn. The full-time Elders and Sisters study nearly 14 hours each and every day in preparation to serve. It does catch up with you!
The walkways between the some 20 buildings that make up the MTC are very well kept and serene.
One of the very interesting events that takes place each and every week is the arrival of new missionaries to the MTC. It's actually quite the happening to watch. Can you image the arrival of nearly 500 every single week. In each situation, the missionary arrives at the MTC via some form of transportation accompanied by family or friends. They drive up to the curb, out jumps the missionary and family. Luggage is retrieved from the car. A few quick hugs and kisses and in less than 5 minutes your good-byes are completed and you won't see family again for 18 to 24 months. Only in the Church will you see this.
Here's the caravan of cars that starts just before lunch and as you work through the alphabet ends about 2pm.
An army of Elders and Sisters already experienced with the MTC life are assigned as "Hosts" each week. They greet the new arrival and gather up their luggage while goodbyes are being said and before you can blink, the family is left looking as the missionary leaves.
In most instances there's not even a lingering look behind you as they are all in shock as to what they are getting into. In most cases broad smiles adorn their faces as they look forward to starting this great missionary adventure!
Here we are, ready to begin our great adventure to New Zealand! The two weeks of preparation are over and we're headed to the Salt Lake airport to fly off to New Zealand. Here we're holding the doorknob sign that shows a jet and says that "We're off to our Mission".
