Hard Things Make You Grow--We Hope

What can I say? They tell us we have so much experience that we can do anything. But they don't know Bill and me. If they gave us a week or even a day to prepare for one day, we'd be okay, but this spontaneous, instantaneous requirement to teach and talk is simply not our thing. I love it when I'm listening; it's like BYU education week. But the doing is the hardest thing I've ever done. Oh, to be a little more like Gwen Brimhall!

(I just wanted a picture of the cafeteria and elders. Should have waited until it was more full or some were performing their service. Also this is about one third of the space. Works better than any restaurant--quite amazing--as is everything!)

Bill has lost five pounds (Doctors' scales are outside our door.). Three nutritious meals a day without dessert (it's available) and no snacks in between or at night help--him at least. The cafeteria is geniously set up with several types and choices of food for every meal. They have ice cream with every topping imaginable on Wednesdays. I couldn't resist. We've never waited more than a minute in line even though there are about 2,000 of us. Imagine all those young men in their best dress. Surely the 2,000 stripling warriors of Helaman had nothing on these young men who likewise have believed their mothers and acquired the faith to leave home for two years and teach the message of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They make me proud to be associated with them.

The young elders have surely received etiquette instruction but they perform cheerfully the taking of our trays when we are finished, standing up whenever a female sits down at the table (there are quite a few young sisters), holding doors, smiling and talking to us. Pretty cute! Tonight Elder Reidhead from Snowflake (Todd and Michelle) cornered us. I haven't seen him since Alyssa used to babysit. He's off to the Philippines in six weeks.

Third Day's a Charm

(This is our small class group whom we met with daily for special instruction and help from Brother Sunday and Sister Barlow. Wish I had their picture. From left: Reber, Jakarta Indonesia; Himle, Ethiopia; us; Riser, Laos; Marlowe, Houston, Texas. All of us have welfare services of some sort.)

The classes, films--everything--are so inspiring. We are being taught mostly by about 12 young returned missionaries, all of whom are extremely impressive. Three or four went to Russia. Bill said they either sent the best to Russia or Russia was so hard that it made them the best. Their ability to teach with the Spirit, with mastery of the scriptures, with questions and thought-provoking responses to ours is something to behold. (Of course, we think our son Cameron has the same credentials.)

Our investigator teaching experience was much improved over yesterday. Sister West, originally from Argentina, had real questions, though some were tough. In real life, she welcomed missionaries who taught her the plan of salvation 17 days after her grandfather died, condemned to hell by his priest for not attending one mass.

Bill's hacking isn't going away quietly. Neither is his snoring.

2nd Day

There's no time here for a slow Swede like me. Haven't even been able to look for the q-tips and aspirin yet. Bill needs the former and we both need the latter.

We got up at 5:30 and it's now 7 p.m. and this is our first break. We're supposed to be at a devotional but Bill forgot his coat and of all things I did too and he was too embarrassed to stay as the only white shirt in the sea of suits. Men need jackets for devotionals and church. It's just as well. He started a cold as soon as we entered the MTC and it has turned into continual snorting, honking and catostrophic coughing episodes that only he can produce. Those who've heard him know. It's mortifying and distracting.

The plus side is we do have a little more time to study and bone up for tomorrow. We got through today but mostly because our "investigator" was slightly strange and didn't play her role too well. We want to be better prepared for tomorrow.

MTC

For some reason the travel office didn't schedule our flight so we could arrive at the MTC in time for orientation and registration at 10 am. Instead we arrived at 1 pm and still had instruction until almost 4:30. Whew! Up at 3:30 am and no food for Dad until after 5 pm. A record for him and he was only just beginning to get a little ugly. We were happy to learn that another humanitarian couple is called to Bangalore. She is terrified--literally--and we were asked by the office couple to encourage her all we could. Our district leader is going to Ethiopia andwill also spend time in Uganda. They don't even have electricity half the time and no hot water, and we thought we had it bad! Of course the electricity goes out frequently in India too, we're told.

(This is the little walk we take from our room in the Jacob Hamblin building to the cafeteria and our large meeting room.)

Our reading assignment tonight was huge (three hours and that was without all the scriptural references) which we did but still don't feel all that prepared for tomorrow. We will actually teach the first lesson to someone and we're not supposed to use the book but rather teach from the scriptures. That's easy for Cameron and Billy but I've never taught without days of preparation. We're so-o-o nervous!

I don't know where the idea of no cameras came from because they said we could take all the pix we wanted--just not in certain places like the chapels, etc. There wasn't time today to even think of it but I will try to get a few here as it is beautiful. And the weather is great. Don't think it gets above low 80s during the day.

India Here We Come

Fewer than two days we fly out of Phoenix to Salt Lake, catch a shuttle to the MTC in Provo, and bone up for our big humanitarian/strengthen the branches adventure in Hyderabad, India, and thereabouts.

Eighteen months on the other side of the world is so far from our comfort zone we sometimes wonder if we can find our way back. President Nichols says that we will fall so much in love with the people we won't want to leave them. That might be true but returning to the US to be with our children and grandchildren will be a greater draw. We pray for blessings to attend them in abundance during our absence. In the meantime, we will serve the Lord and His children the very best we can.