Provo MTC

  We just completed an intense and wonderful week at the Provo MTC (Dec 4- 8).   Our training was centered on the Preach My Gospel manual and teaching techniques, with sensitivity to and teaching by the spirit being especially important.  The curriculum is based on the doctrines of Christ and our purpose as missionaries. Although senior couples are called to serve in many different capacities, the emphasis was that we are all missionaries first. As part of our training we practiced teaching another couple and finally a BYU student volunteer.  The importance of getting to know the people, then teaching to their particular situation was emphasized. Our teachers were returned BYU students who did a wonderful job. 

   Monday night at Family Home Evening we saw a video of a devotional that Elder Bednar gave for missionaries on Christmas Day a few years ago.  He discussed how Christ was constantly reaching out to people rather than selfishly turning inward, and emphasized that we need to learn to follow Him and turn outward to help others.  Tuesday night at a missionary devotional Elder Hugo Martinez of the Seventy talked about his conversion story and how friendly members of the ward were when they first began attending.
   We were able to tour the newer MTC buildings which are used for training the young missionaries. One building has a dozen impressive wall murals about nine feet tall and thirty feet wide.  They are back lit, so the sunsets, fires and candles look incredibly real.  The effect is to create a feeling of a sacred space, almost like being in a temple.
   We were also instructed in using smart phones and tablets to facilitate giving lessons. The ability to show short videos on a phone or tablet often adds an effective new dimension to the teaching.
    We were there with about 60 senior missionaries, mostly couples but some single sisters.  We stayed in a very nice dorm room with a view of Timpanogos. We received a great spiritual boost at the Provo MTC and are looking forward to the medical training we'll receive this week in Salt Lake before leaving Friday afternoon for Guatemala.

                                    The view of Timpanogos from our dorm room window.

                   

                         The classic pictures at the map and in front of the main MTC building.