Pre-training and MTC Week

We attended our first training by the Public Affairs Department of the Church from February 19th-21st at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in Salt Lake City. We learned much and were inspired by all the Church is doing with our friends in interfaith committees, media relations, and government entities.

We loved our week at the Provo MTC, where we joined 180 other senior missionaries in the largest group of "mature" missionaries ever. Our days were spent in training as we learned to more effectively implement the principles in Preach My Gospel. Our trainers were wonderful returned missionaries who taught with fervor and faith. By being divided into districts, we became well acquainted with amazingly faithful, optimistic couples going to serve despite many personal trials and hardships.

Elder Lystup and Holland were inspirational returned missionaries guiding us with patience and experience! It's almost impossible to comprehend how the Lord raises up such a marvelous generation to move His work forward.

Sister Holland is a Senior at BYU majoring in accounting headed for a job at Apple. She returned from New Mexico Spanish speaking just a couple of years ago.

 Our answers (dated by experience and tempered by the pressures of age) make the trainers laugh!!

Pictured in front of the most famous and photographed map in the world... Elder and Sister Jones

The "beauties" of the season...