MTC Tour

Today was a good day for feeling the Missionary Spirit. First, we heard from our sweet Elder Wride - weekly letter here. Although I do need to send a note to that young man to send more pictures of himself and less of food, silly boy. So no pictures of him this week, but we did see a fiery taco, ramen noodles, and two fun sized candy bars. ...He sends a lot of pictures of food - I'm not sure if that means that he's starving or he's overfed? But it sounds like he's in the zone and loving missionary life, and that is just what we want - for him to focus on what he's doing and where he is. We're focused here too and the clock on the wall just keeps tickin', which I'm all for until January 14th. and then after that I want it to slow down a lot as I try to savor time with the new baby.

So, yes, missionary spirit - tonight I took a tour of the Missionary Training Center in Provo with Hyrum and some youth and adults in our ward. Hyrum was the only kid representing our crew because Mel was at Lyceum (plus she had already gone with Corey) and Wes felt sick and Ethan had a concert and was worried he wouldn't get back in time. So Corey was on kid duty and I headed down with Hyrum. We had the group stand for a picture in front of the most photographed map in the world, predicting where they will serve their mission - Hyrum's going to Brazil!

It was fun to be there at the MTC. Funny I couldn't remember at all what building I had my classes in or lived in. I loved the memories of living at BYU when Corey was getting his MBA. I love Y Mountain - showing fall leaves with snow on top.

The kids ran into some friends from school.

I was there for two months, I thought something would come back to me, but I mostly had a blank. We walked past he old and now vacant buildings and toward the new buildings -

The new missionary campus is beautiful! Wow, it was wonderful. Yes, a lot of natural light, lots of quote and scriptures, reminding missionaries of their calling and purpose.

I wish I could do my personal study by a window with a view like this! Maybe I need to create a space like this at our home.... Mountains and the Provo temple in view. Pretty lovely.

Amazing computer graphic art depicting scenes from the scriptures - with LED lights behind them to make them appear real. And this was a lovely fiber optic and crystal sculpture that went up two floors - representing the Plan of Salvation - all of God's children coming to earth to be tested, creating families, and going back home to God, and the story repeats for generation after generation.

It was really neat how everything was symbolic and pointed to God, Christ, and his Plan. At the end of the tour, as we were heading out, we spotted a missionary from our ward, Joseph's BFF, who happened to have most of his family there for the tour! It was tender mercy for them to get to see him and hug him again. He's the tall one on the left. He's been in the MTC for 3 weeks, headed to Ecuador in 3 more. 

I hope Corey and I go on a mission together, or that we get to work at the MTC maybe. Something church and gospel related. It was wonderful to be there, it felt like Home. I'm excited for my kids, I hope some of them get to go to the Provo MTC, we'll see!