Three weeks to go......

When it's time to speak in church, you know your time to leave on your mission is close as hand.  Sunday, June 30th was the date of our farewell talks.  We were both pretty nervous as we had decided to bear our testimonies in Russian at the end of our talks.  Except during our Russian class, that would be the first time speaking Russian to anyone except ourselves.  Just a little stress.....but we kept telling ourselves no one speaks Russian in Heber.  Interesting, though, a Russian teacher just happened to be attending our ward that Sunday and, of course, he had to come an tell us how we did.  He said our pronunciation was a little off but he was impressed with our level of understanding of the complicated grammar rules in Russian.  He assured us the pronunciation would come as soon as we heard the natives speak.  Hope so, as we would hate to say something with the wrong accent which occasionally changes the total meaning of the word. For example, the word for flour is myka with the accent on the last syllable.  If you put it on the first syllable it means pain and suffering.   I'd hate to go to the store and ask for a kilogram of pain and suffering instead of flour. 

We were grateful that Todd and Kailee, and Jon, Jen and their family could be in attendance.  In fact, they all sat on the very first row.  A little intimidating but wonderful for them to be there.  My brother and sister in law, Ed and Debbie Richards, came all the way from Idaho to be a part of our special day, which meant a lot to us.  Our niece, Whitney, and her family joined us too. We were also thrilled that our Utah transplant friends from Spokane could come too. 

With Ed and Debbie from Idaho

Dee and Susan Humphreys and Jim and Janet Harmon-

dear friends from Spokane, Washington now living in Utah

After Sacrament meeting, we had a lunch buffet at our home for friends and family.  It was nice to be able to visit with these special people a little longer before saying our good byes.  It's hard to believe we won't see them for at least 18 months.  

The next Sunday, July7th, was the day we were set apart.  What a special evening that was in the Stake President's office with some of our family......very touching. The setting apart blessings for Paul and me were beautiful and promised us everything we felt we needed to be successful in Russia. After the blessings, President Hobbs asked if anyone wanted to say anything.   This led to several minutes of expressions of love and testimony.  An incredible experience.  We were officially missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. Wow!  A long time coming, but now it was here.  Tomorrow would be our time to enter the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah. 

OUR BIG DAY HAS ARRIVED

MTC HERE WE COME

Our time to enter the MTC was between 10:20 and 10:40.  There were 44 couples arriving on July 8 so we were each given a certain block of time to begin the check in process.  Such organization.  There was a volunteer at every step of the way making our introduction to our week very relaxing and exciting. The first person we met, the one who took this picture for us, was from Paul's hometown, Pleasant Grove, and remembered Paul's basketball success at Pleasant Grove High School.  Small world.
They would be going to Norway.

All the way across the world to Moscow, Russia

Our first day was wonderful, as was each of the four days thereafter.  We were divided into districts of 4 couples and each day was filled with large group and district instruction. We studied and practiced the Preach My Gospel manual.  When I say practice, we actually had to get to know and then teach lessons to a couple of investigators. It was a role play and the investigators were actually member volunteers but they made it seem so real. It was amazing to feel the spirit direct us as to what we said and how we taught.  Our instructors were young return missionaries and were amazingly good at teaching and motivating us old people.

On Tuesday we stayed late to attend a special devotional for everyone, young and old, attending the MTC.  It had to be held in the Marriot Center on BYU campus because of the large numbers.....3600 missionaries getting ready to go out into the world to bring people to Christ. What an awesome sight it was to see all the young elders and sisters sitting together in the large arena. The choir consisted of over 1000 of those young missionaries...so powerful.  The messages delivered were inspiring.  As we left, we just had to take of picture of the elders and sisters leaving the Marriot Center. 

It was almost like 'Helaman's Army' marching into battle.....in reality they were returning to one of two MTC campuses nearby.

Every Wednesday a new group of elders and sisters arrive at the MTC.  The cars are lined up at the gate and told what parking spot along the curb to take in order to drop off their missionary. They are told they have 3 minutes.  At the car, each new missionary is greeted by another elder or sister who acts as their host to get them checked in.  Just like when we checked in on Monday, everything was incredibly organized. 

     

No time for tears or long farewells when everything is so efficiently run.  

          Our district at the MTC.  Our teachers are the young ones sitting                 on the arms of the couch

After class on Friday, we met Jon and Jen and their boys, and Todd  (Kailee was at the eye doctor) at Pizza Factory.  We wanted to see them as much as possible before we left for Moscow.

We had dinner on Sunday, at our home in Heber, for the whole Utah family.  Kailee's sister and brother in law, Nicole and Jake, came too.  At the end of the evening,
 we had to say good bye to Jon and Jen and 5 of our grandchildren.  It was a little hard.  Thank goodness for facetime and skype.