Arrived In Laos!

This was the view from our room at the MTC for almost two weeks, but onSaturday, May 3 we ate breakfast in the cafeteria and then brought our luggage downstairs while waiting for the shuttle to take us to the airport.

Love the view of the mountains.

The door sign to show we had left for our mission.

We had some time, so our daughter-in-law Dawn brought her children to spend some time with us. We had delicious ice cream at the Creamery, and then spent some time at the BYU campus. The science building has some fun things to look at. 

This is very cool!

Noah likes the funny mirror 😄

When it was getting close to the time we needed to leave, Dawn took some last pictures of us with our grandchildren 💗

Our trip took us from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles, to Incheon, Korea, to Vientiane, Laos. We had two long layovers which made the trip over 30 hours long. Our suitcases did not transfer automatically to the flight to Vientiane. We needed to go through customs in Korea, pick up the bags, and take a 20 minute bus ride from one terminal to another with our 250 pounds of luggage. It was not ideal, but we made it!

The trip was tiring and we were concerned that although we were happy to get to our destination we would be cranky because we were so tired. I think we were okay, because the kind people who met us seemed happy. 

Unfortunately I was too tired to think to take a picture of our welcome committee, our branch president  (leader of our congregation here) and immediate boss, the other missionary couple, and a young man and young woman who had received their mission calls. The young man is now serving in Scotland! A little different from the heat and humidity that he is used to. 

Interesting concept at the Los Angeles airport. I wonder if many use their service.

My suitcases arrived with some issues in Korea. I can no longer pick up one of them because the handle is completely gone. It will hopefully be remedied.

We were taken to our apartment, and here it is! We arrived there around 3pm local time.

We have koi in our lobby!

We also have a small but beautiful garden.

Our elevator music. Do you think they wrote the sign to match the song? 😄 

It makes me smile every time I hear it.

The kind missionary couple, the Bairds, we are serving with had bought some of their favorite snacks. We unpacked, showered, checked out our apartment, and then the Bairds came and picked us up for dinner. We love having access to the local foods in this part of the world again. There will most likely be a lot of pictures of food in the near future. Our apartment is perfectly located with a nearby grocery store, pharmacy, and lots of restaurants and massage places. Have yet to get a foot massage - maybe tomorrow.

This Chilean restaurant is a two minute walk from our apartment. We did not have our first meal there as they are not open for dinner on Mondays, but we did have lunch there the following day. 

The food is not bad! We meet our missionary friends here sometimes.

MTC - Experiences

Most days at the MTC were very similar. The first week we had Preach My Gospel (PMG) classes before lunch, and also after lunch until dinner. 

Our district with our morning PMG instructors. We must have been the trouble making group, because we had three instructors in the mornings. 

With our afternoon PMG instructors. Craig and I on the left, the Kershisniks (who are serving in Paris, France) next to me, and the Popes (Pakistan, although because of the difficulties there they have been serving in the Family History Center in SLC. They did receive their visa finally, so they may be able to go there soon.) to the right of them.

The second week we were trained in what we specifically would do during our missions. Craig and I were trained in what we would do as humanitarian missionaries with others who would do similar things. Those classes were during the same time slots as the PMG classes. Others were trained in office work, leader and membership support . . .

Our Welfare and Self-Reliance group with the two missionary couples who were our main instructors.

l-r Reeses (instructors), us, Kershisniks (Paris, France), Newmans (Adelaide, Australia), Popes (Pakistan), Hastriters (instructors)

Our group with most of the other instructors who are church employees.

After dinner on Tuesday evenings were devotionals where general authorities speak to all the missionaries, young as well as seniors. Our first Tuesday Elder I Raymond Regbo and his wife Comfort (I ADORE her name! It fits her very well) spoke. We were reminded that the language of the Spirit is the most important language and to teach by the Spirit. If you do this you will be correct nine of ten times. We were also told that if we trust in ourselves God will deliver us from everything that we may not understand at the moment. Other reminders from them - the fruit of the Spirit is joy; “o be wise, what more can I say.” We were very tired, but they kept us awake and interested as they were speaking. It was a wonderful devotional.

Friday evening we had dinner with a couple of old friends, Helene and Larry Arnett. They live close to the MTC and were kind and invited us to their home. Because we did not have a car Larry was kind and picked us up and drove us back. They were supposed to have reported to the MTC one week before us, but Helene tore a tendon, so they had to postpone.  Helene did not want her cane in the picture although she had a difficult time putting pressure on her foot. She is much better now! When I write this they should be in Canada where they are assigned to serve. 

The beautiful view from the Arnett's balcony.

On Sunday everyone who were staying on campus met together as a branch. Some lived close and went to their home wards (congregations), and others who had family nearby attended their families’ wards. Craig and I were among the ones who stayed and attended our MTC branch. Some of us were assigned things to do for the two meetings, someone conducted the music, one couple gave talks, Craig and I were asked to lead a discussion for Sunday School. There are also devotionals onSunday evenings, but I unfortunately forgot to take notes. It was a wonderful and fulfilling Sunday.

At our second Tuesday evening devotional we heard from Elder Marcus B. Nash and his wife Shelley. It was another spirit filled meeting. From them we learned we should be “steady like a sea kayak.” Other types of kayaks are steady in quiet water, but a sea kayak is made for rough waters and will not be as likely to capsize by a wave like a stable kayak. It is important to be prepared to handle rough times in our lives. We were reminded that the first fruit of repentance is baptism, not to take the sacrament for granted, and not to approach baptism as a checklist. Lastly we were told that God put eyes in the front of your head so that you cannot look backwards. This was an important reminder for me. It is easy to look back and wish we had done things differently. That is not possible unfortunately, but what we can do is learn from our mistakes and make changes going forward. 

The beautiful painting in the hallway right outside our room. It is of a mother and her son, a stripling warrior. I love this painting and the story - the 2,000 stripling warriors had such strong faith because their mothers had taught them. Alma 56:47-48 "Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them. And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it."

Our MTC experience was fantastic! There was only one thing we would change - the food. It was okay, but we got tired of the cafeteria food pretty fast. Those who lived close and had cars were able to leave and go to restaurants to eat. We were not as fortunate, but were lucky to have met a kind missionary couple, the Popes, who drove us to a Mexican restaurant for dinner one evening our second week. The food there would not normally be amazing, but after almost two weeks of cafeteria food we were happy.

We love Laos and its people even though we have only been here less than three weeks, but we would encourage anyone who is considering serving a mission to do so.

The Beautiful MTC - Pictures and captions by Craig

The MTC campus has much to look at, it is not only beautiful, but reminds us that we are children of a Heavenly Father; that we are spiritual beings. We see art that tell stories of those who have paved the way for us and still teach us long after they left the earth. Being there is truly a spiritual experience. It is one we will not forget. Here are Craig's beautiful pictures of some of the art and the surroundings created for our pleasure.

 In the south entrance a chandelier was commissioned to an artist not of our faith. The art piece was to represent God's plan for us. She created an earth surrounded by white articles. Each article is in a unique position and level. She illustrated our faith well; that each of us is unique and incomparable, and on an eternal path of progression in companionship with Heavenly Father, Jesus, and each other.

From this angle you see progress exists before this life on earth and long into the future representing our eternal divine nature.

An arial view from one of the south towers overlooking the missionary training center. 1000 to 3000 missionaries at a time live at the center. The duration depends on assignment and how many languages to be learned. Currently, 57 languages are being taught here. We are here for only two weeks. Last time I was here, 47 years ago, it was much smaller, and I studied here for 8 weeks to learn Swedish.

The facility and grounds are beautiful and peaceful. Largely made possible by the donations and the high levels of volunteer labor and time dedicated by members.

  

Here is our training group with our teachers. They returned from their missions within the last year or so. Missionaries here fit into two groups: young and very shiny looking, and the silver ones, who together with their sweethearts serve for 1-2 years in over 150 different assignments around the world. Suzanne and I will be focusing on humanitarian efforts for the people in Laos.

Since we arrived we have averaged about 6000 steps a day moving between classes and programs.

This is one of the work and study areas with inspirational artwork.

Here is one in use. Slightly posed by missionaries who wanted me to have a good picture.

Even the architecture guides you to lift your gaze and look up.

One of the murals depicting a scene from the Book of Mormon i.e., Nephi returning to Jerusalem to accomplish a task - not fully understanding how it can be done.