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Posts Tagged ‘mtc’

Every time one of the missionaries from our LDS Ward leaves for a mission I try and send them a couple of notes using DearElder.com. I then try to send them a package while at the training center. The package I usually send is a small box of microwave popcorn. Below is the story.

“While I was spending my 2 months in the MTC (Missionary Training Center) to try and learn Spanish, I was walking with my companion one day up the steps to my room. I am sure we had already been in the MTC for over a month so we felt like we knew everything there was to know about all of the buildings. Anyway, our district was on the 2nd or 3rd floor of the building we were in. As we were walking up, I smelled something delicious. We followed the buttery smell downstairs and walked around. We discovered that in the basement of our building there was a small kitchen area. This kitchen was supplied with a microwave and someone had just popped a bag of popcorn. It smelled soooooo good. Anyway, it was a memory of mine from the MTC I wanted to share with others.

The MTC is very intense and really goes by fast. Even though I was excited to go to my field of service, the MTC was a wonderful place to start my mission. I think it was in the MTC that I learned of the seriousness of the call to serve as a Mormon Missionary. Even though some of the Elders goofed around, they were all serious about there dedication to their missions and the gospel of Jesus Christ. I had some great role models to look up to while I was there.

The last story I’ll tell you was about a song we sang while there. It seemed like several times a week our entire floor would meet in one room and have a devotional. It was great to sit with all of the other Elders and learn about the Scriptures and the Gospel. My favorite part was when we sang songs together. All of the Elders on our floor were going Spanish speaking so we would sing songs in Spanish. Our favorite song was “Secret Prayer”. We really got the room rocking with that song even though it was supposed to be a quiet song we sang it loud and strong. The harmony in that song was awesome as the music reverberated off of the wall in that dorm room. I loved those moments.

I found this cool little blog that was created by a student that works in the MTC mailroom. It is called MTC Going Postal. I found it while browsing through some of the websites on the Mormon Times website under the “Today in the Bloggernacle“. Many of you may not know but the MTC (Mission Training Center) is filled with BYU students trying to work their way through college.

When I was at “The Y“, I worked at the MTC too but I did not have the cushy job of sorting mail for the missionaries. My job was a little more gritty and unpleasant. I worked in the dish room. Yep, I washed the dishes of thousands of missionaries. I would wake up really early in the morning, like 4:30am or something crazy like that and washed dishes. I remember putting in earplugs because of the noise of the dishes clanking together and the noise from the dishwashing machines, drying machines and disposals. I would put on green rubber gloves, a plastic apron and stand by a conveyor belt. I was assigned the job of cleaning off all of the major pieces of food off of each plate, bowl and cup. Then I would stack each piece nicely on another convener belt so that it would go through the washer correctly. On some of the days, I would work at the end of the washing line where I would have to take off the clean and dry dishes and stack them. At that time, I would have to wear cotton gloves because the plates and bowls were so hot coming out of the rapid dryer that they would burn your skin. After a couple of hours of staking hot dishes, the gloves would be soaking wet. Even though it was not fun work, it did help pay my way through my classes. So, if you want to know what missionaries eat, or don’t eat, I could tell you. I must say, I don’t think I have ever put that work experience on my resume.

When I was at the MTC learning how to speak spanish and preparing to go on a mission to Cali Colombia, I loved going to our mailbox to check for mail. Everyday there was an excitement that would build and build until it was time to pass by the small 3X5 inch mailboxes. Even at BYU I remember checking several times a day to see if there was a shadow that I could see through the tiny glass. If there was a shadow, there was mail.

My nephew entered the MTC yesterday and is now on a 2 month stay. He will be learning Russian and servicing in the Moscow Russia mission. I remember several things about the MTC that I like to share with new missionaries. I like to share the idea that many people feel overwhelmed when they first start learning a new language. I like to tell them that there are many people praying for their success.

Anyway, I like to use a website called dearelder.com. It’s a really great website to send messages to a missionary whether that be in the MTC or out in the mission field. If you send a message to the MTC, the service is free. If you send it to a missionary out in the field, it might cost you a few cents for the postage.

Send your favorite missionary an message of encouragement today.