Week 1 - MTC

Dear Family,
This is the last day we will be at the Mission Training Center in Provo. It has been quite a learning experience to both Mom and I. We have learned a lot about Microsoft Office in the word and excel programs. We are excited to be able to use these programs in our lives. We think we will be able to put them into practice in the mission field. We have learned a lot about the new IMOS program that the church uses. We used the old MOS program in our mission in the Idaho Pocatello Mission and both of the missions we served in while serving in Ukraine. The new IMOS seems to be a lot easier and friendlier to use. Yesterday we received our last shot which was a polio booster that they wouldn’t give us in Burley because they don’t give them to people that are over age 65. That in itself seemed to be scary to think we are too old for anything. The church wanted us to have it so we got it.

We are also susceptible to malaria in the Botswana area so they are getting us some pill that we have to take every day. They gave us quite a lot of information concerning it so we need to be very careful with mosquitoes and try to keep from getting bitten very much. We are to put on repellant all the time and we are to use sun screen as the pills make us susceptible to reddening of skin which is an irritation. I’m not sure but I think we will have mosquito nets to sleep under. He wants us to check and make sure we have screens on the windows that we will be opening and make sure the doors seal well as they can and do come through any opening that their bodies can crawl into. We are told by the doctor that 1 out of 4 mosquitoes are carriers of malaria and you will be bitten by one of them but with taking the medication you may get malaria but only have a very mild case. The doctor said if we take all the precautions we will be fine and if we do get malaria it will be a mild case instead of being down for more than a month at a time.

We are really excited and yesterday I was asked to call our mission president in South Africa before we leave on Friday. It was a great conversation and he told us we will be in Botswana as that is where he feels the Lord wants us and we will be of more service to him there. He indicated that he wanted us to get close to the Elders and Sisters in Botswana as we would be taking care of almost anything that they will need. We will be doing the government paper work, helping in transfers, team teaching with them, helping with medical problems and in general being there for them. He also said that many mission presidents don’t really like the couples to do much with the younger missionaries but in Botswana we need to be close to them. We will have to keep a fine line so we don’t interfere with the proselyting they are sent to do but we have not interfered in previous missions so we will be very careful of this in Botswana as well.

I need to shut down as we are getting ready to start another class on the last day of the MTC. I will continue during the next break.

Back again, the mail part of the couples had some training on mission cars and Mom with the Sisters had training on mail merging in a room next to us. This week has been very busy and we have learned a ton and hope we will be able to remember it when we get to South Africa or I should say Botswana. We are the only couple that has served a previous mission so the young instructors have directed many questions to Mom and me. It has been fun and I think we have helped a lot. We have done many last minute things here in Provo and one included getting our birth certificates. That may sound very easy but we forgot to get them before leaving home and so we called Sherrie and she went to our home, found them and mailed them off to us. We got them the next day so we were very happy, (I’m happy thank you). Last night I called Bryce to have him call Handy Truck Lines in Salt Lake so we can go there in the morning and have them take us to the airport. They will then take the car back with them and will have it put on a Handy Truck and they will haul it home for us. There are a few personal things that we will leave in the car that we would like someone to put up high in our walk in closet in our bedroom. Roger my patriarchal bless is in with those items so perhaps you would please get into the envelope that you have most of the family’s blessings in.

Mom and I both feel really good about this call and know that this is where we are suppose to be and we will be protected as we are obedient to the rule of the mission and obey the laws of the land. I’m not saying it will be easy but we will be able to do it. I decided to put this picture in as you can’t really be in the MTC without having your picture taken with your finger on your mission area. I know that the Elders that come into the MTC can’t have a car but it has been nice for Mom and me as we needed to run to the Distribution Center to get some YSA things to take to the mission and last night we went out to eat with the Pattee’s that we served with in the Ukraine mission. It is wonderful the camaraderie we feel with couples that we have served with in other missions.

I will close but I want to tell each of you that we have been called of the Lord to serve and we will do our best to serve him with all our heart, mite, mind and strength. We feel the guidance of the Holy Ghost in our lives and pray for you our family every time we pray with is often. Be careful and keep the commandments of the Lord and you will all be taken of.