MISSIONARY TRAINING CENTER (MTC)

On Monday, March 26th we entered the MTC in Provo Utah, on the BYU campus. Currently there are about 2,000 missionaries there, approximately 150 were married couples or older sister missionaries. The senior missionaries, generally come there for two weeks. The first week focused on teaching basic gospel principles and utilized Preach My Gospel as it's text. The second week focused on the various roles senior missionaries will do as they serve.  For us it was on welfare and humanitarian services. Others were trained in member leadership support, mission office work, employment services, etc. For those serving in non-English speaking countries, there was language training available in the evenings.

During the first week, we had the opportunity to practice teaching gospel centered lessons. It was indeed a learning experience. In the first lesson, Eileen and I alternated teaching parts of the lesson. It was immediately evident that we had very different teaching styles. When asked by our instructor to critique ourselves I said I needed to do a better job supporting Eileen in her teaching method and that we would have to better coordinate our teaching styles. For all of our married life we have had this almost unspoken division of labor. Some tasks, like providing the family finances are my job, others dealing with the home and Op Smile were Eileen's. We each had our responsibilities and personal "space," for lack of a better term. And now we were with each other 24/7 and teaching a lesson together, alternating speaking every few minutes. For this couple, married over 33 years, we went through a very new experience. No more division of labor, now we must work closer together than we ever have before. I have learned that we need to compliment each other rather than change each other, and I have also learned that Eileen needs her personal space now and then.

The second week was really interesting for me. I was impressed at the emphasis on sustainability for the humanitarian projects the church is involved with. The guiding principles of building self-reliance, recipient participation and work, fostering local leadership and project sustainability are at the center of all humanitarian efforts. It is the principle of teaching someone to fish rather than giving someone the fish. What I did not realize is how much harder it is to do the latter. We must respect the recipients view of what is needed and methods to meet those needs. This means that just because I think they may need something or that I know a better way to execute the project, my beliefs should not dictate what is done. Until the recipient sees the need, and not just buys into, but formulates the solution, there is not the foundation for a sustainable project. I would have been a better parent had I learned this earlier.

Russell is right. For this independent woman (Eileen) being together 24/7 was a little different. I have spent my whole life getting used to being alone while Russell has traveled, but I think we have finally figured things out and are enjoying each other's company immensely.

Operation Smile has prepared me for this "Amazing Adventure". I look at all of the wonderful people that I have met throughout the years and am totally in awe at the time and effort that they have sacrificed in giving up their lives to going to other parts of the world to serve their fellow man. The picture above is with me and Ann. Ann's husband has worked with Russell for years. Ann will be going to Lima, Peru for 3 years with her husband while he serves over all the missionaries in that area. We also trained with couples that were going to Ukraine, Laos, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, and Brazil. Each couple had an inspiring story.

During the time we were at the MTC we were able to go to an Indonesian mission reunion. We met with Elder Subandriyo. He is a regional area seventy, and will also be our supervisor while we are in Indonesia. He is a man with a huge smile and a friendly disposition. It was Elder Subandriyo that told Russell in December how much he needed us to speak the Indonesian language. NO Pressure or anything! I am my doing best to learn! He spoke quite a bit to us in Indonesian and fortunately Russell could understand most of it. I was a few sentences behind in responding. I am grateful for his encouragement because I know that I will have a better experience in Indonesia if I speak to the people in their own language.