The Missionary Training Center

For the past four year my parents have been serving at the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah. Back in November 2004, my dad was called to be a counselor in one of the branch presidencies. Two years ago he became a branch president over Elders and Sisters going to Spanish and English speaking missions and has currently been over missionaries who will be serving in Cantonese and English speaking missions.

In those past 48 months my parents have spent hundreds of hours traveling from Salem to the center just below the Provo Temple. Countless hours of precious time have been freely given as my parents attended the Tuesday night Devotional, welcoming new Elders and Sisters on Wednesday night, visited them late in their dorms on Thursday and later Friday nights and weeks upon weeks of Sunday worship have been shared in priesthood, Relief Society and sacrament meetings. Talks have been prepared, interviews have been given and each and I know they made every young missionary that entered knew they were special, wanted, loved and needed and that they were in the right place and the Lord was grateful for their desire to learn and serve. The Lord loves his missionaries. When you are called to help assist in their preparation to serve, you and your family are strengthened and blessed through your efforts.

Two weeks ago, Sunday came with mixed emotions, because it was my parents final day at the MTC. My dad was released from his calling. Their time has come to a close and as all LDS members know, for good or bad, no calling lasts forever. Change has come and can be difficult even when it is expected.

While I know he has mixed emotions about leaving, I too feel a range of feelings about him leaving. I know that my dad's calling blessed our family. It gave me and my family the special privilege and opportunity to enter the MTC, feel the spirit that abides there and let my children spend time with the full time missionaries.

When we have been home over the past few years, my family and I have been blessed to attend sacrament meeting at the MTC with my parents. We would often eat in the cafeteria with the Elders and Sisters before the meeting. I always ran into men and women I know and love who are serving there just like my parents. We often saw Elders from back home who were there being trained. My time there helped increased my testimony and appreciation of the work that these young men and women commit themselves to do.

My favorite part was listening to my parents talks. I was able to be in the audience three times when they were the speakers. I loved their messages and I will always cherish hearing their testimonies of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What a legacy of faith I personally have in my life.

I know the highlight for my parents was sharing my little brother Kurt's MTC time together. They saw each other often and even ate dinner together on Sunday. It was the perfect way to send him off. It also gave my youngest brother Rhett the opportunity to spend time with the missionaries as he will soon be able to serve himself.

I loved going to the MTC. I knew what a blessing it was to be there with them, since I never went on a mission and never had the chance to see what really goes on. When I was young, I had long wondered what I would find inside the walls of the MTC. When my older brother entered the MTC I had to simply give him a hug outside of Chili's in Orem and then rush over to a class at BYU while the rest of my family drove up near the temple to see him off. I met Rich when I was 19 and married at 20, so that meant no mission for me. I didn't set foot inside until I was 23 years old. I finally was able to attend the meeting with my family when my little brother Brad checked in to prepare for his mission to Spain, but even then it was a quick 30 minute talk and a quick goodbye. I still didn't fully know what it would be like to be there as a missionary. Yes, Rich served a mission to New Zealand and three of my brothers have been missionaries, Kurt is currently a missionary in Taiwan and Rhett will submit his papers in just over a year and a half, but I still did not have the personal experience they had. When I finally got the chance to enter beyond the foyer, it was more than I had imagined. This is the Lord's work and you know it the second you step through the front door.

While I was a bit saddened to see my dad's time come to an end, there was a sliver lining for me in their release. It was our Sacrament meeting program the last day my dad served in the MTC. There was a confirmation of a new member (young mother of two) who was baptized the night before, two speakers that shared their recent conversion story, a homecoming address from an Elder in our ward that recently returned from serving in the SLC south mission, a testimony shared by a new full time missionary that was just assigned to our ward and the closing song was Called to Serve. It was a missionary day through and through. It was perfect.

As I belted out the missionary theme I had many thoughts. I was grateful for my dad's calling, for the blessing it was to my and my family and for the new knowledge I was able to acquire from visiting the MTC. I am honored to have a brother currently out serving and am more appreciative of the two sets of missionaries (Elders and Sisters) that have been assigned to our ward. But what thrilled me the most was to think about the future when my own children will be numbered among the Lord's servants. Their time in the MTC has given them perspective and a testimony they couldn't have gained any other way. This was my greatest blessing.

Thanks Dad for letting us share in this calling. We are all better because of it. I love you!