This feels like a dream! Week 1

We served the first 5 days of our mission in the MTC (Missionary Training Center) in Provo, Utah.  It was like going home - since we had been serving as ecclesiastical leaders in a branch presidency there for 3 years.  When we submitted our mission papers, President Calderwood released us from our MTC calling.

We love the Spirit in the MTC, and we were so happy to be a part of it again.  This time was a little different, since we were the "missionaries in training" - instead of the leaders. Since we live in Utah Valley, we were able to stay at our home and travel each day to the MTC to receive our training. 

This special place has been such a formative part of our lives - as teachers, interpreters, leaders & once again, full-time missionaries!

We loved reuniting with our dear friends with whom we have served - at BYU & the MTC.

The MTC is in good hands under the leadership of President & Sister Calderwood! We love them!

Tuesday we saw so many of our wonderful MTC friends, as we were blessed to hear from Elder Michael T. Ringwood and his wife in the Tuesday evening General Authority Devotional. Sister Ringwood spoke about our having the greatest message in the world. 

Elder Ringwood entitled his comments, “First class devotion to a first class cause.”  He reminded us of President Nelson’s admonition that, “The gathering of Israel is the most important thing happening on the earth today.”  He quoted President Hinckley- where he stated, “Every good thing in my life I can trace back to a lesson I learned on my mission.” We both feel exactly the same way and are so grateful to be able to serve again - now as a senior couple.

"The decision to serve a mission will shape the spiritual destiny of the missionary, his or her spouse, and their posterity for generations to come. " - President Russell M. Nelson

Since we were very familiar with the MTC, we didn’t feel any stress or adjustment as some of the missionaries did.  It was nice to know where we were going and how things work.  It filled our hearts to see many of our old friends from our season as ecclesiastical leaders the last three years. We also ran into some of our BYU 8th Stake members, from our cherished season serving there for 5 years.

 We were a part of a district with 3 other couples; the Milburns, the Martineaus and the Spackmans - each one of them consecrating themselves to the work of inviting others to come unto Christ. It is amazing to us how many different types of senior missions there are.  While in the MTC we were told there are over 100 different assignments that senior missionaries fill.  In our district there was one other YSA (Young Single Adult) couple who will serve in Leon, France; another couple is going to be directors of a youth camp in the Dominican Republic; and, the third couple is over the English Connect program for all of Central America.There are so many ways to serve God’s children.  It’s humbling to be a part of it.  We were taught by four different, amazing young teachers.

Since we didn't plant any flowers this year, our souls took in the beauty around us at the MTC!

For an hour, over the course of three days - we were paired with other missionaries to implement principles taught. These AMAZING sisters are both widows, who lost their husbands to cancer. They didn't know each other before, and bravely chose to make the world better thru their service. What an inspiration! As a cancer survivor, I am so humbled and beyond grateful to be here. I pledged to God I would not take any extra time he gave me for granted.

As we wrapped things up, it was a beautiful tender mercy that we were assigned to have a "mural experience" on the 5th floor, by the Martha mural. Out of so many floors, and so many murals, we knew this was not a coincidence. Rather, it was a "divine signature." Why?

Personal note from Martha:

In 2019, we were robbed. The thieves ransacked our bedroom - and for some reason, took our BYU/MTC ID keys and name tags. We had been volunteer interpreters for Italian missionaries as they came to the Provo MTC, for about 9 years. When I went in to get our new credentials, the person in charge asked if we could chat in his office. He said that when he saw me, he felt inspired to ask me to be a scripture teacher in the Study Skills MTC department. Guess where it is located - the 5th floor, right by the "Martha mural area" in the pictures above. Being robbed really shook me, and I felt God's love in that area - and I knew He knew my name, and that I needed His strength and an eternal perspective.

Not only is this area special to me because I was a teacher there for 2 years - even into Covid/and on-line through Zoom, right up until cancer surgery. But, more tenderly - we were called to serve as ecclesiastical leaders right after I finished healing from a long course of radiation treatments. It really took it out of me, but I have to say, my service there saved me. It gave me mental, emotional, and spiritual strength.

We had been on "hold" for a few months of MTC service (because I was so ill from cancer treatments and couldn't talk), and when we came back - guess what branch we were assigned to? Yes, the one on the 5th floor, by the "Martha mural area." I knew that God knew me very personally, that He was aware of me, and that where He placed me was exactly where I needed to be to heal.

I know that again as a missionary. I'm placed with the love of my life, in a country I love, with people I love, sharing the message I love! We have a Heavenly Father who knows us, loves us, and stands ready ALWAYS to help us. I believe in the power of prayer to communicate with God, and I know He responds to us through messages we find in the scriptures, like this did for me. Isaiah 41:10. (Our nephew Nick designed this into a canvas, which hangs in our bedroom.)

Personal note from Cliff:

The Lord has a perfect plan for each of us. My testimony of this was strengthened as we received our new missionary key cards for the MTC. The key card above is my full time missionary key card, the one below was my key card as an ecclesiastical leader. I wasn't sure why I brought the latter with me to the MTC, until after about an hour of our arrival. We have always planned on serving a senior mission together, but we didn't plan to do so until 2027. Also of note is that our calling as ecclesiastical leaders was for 4 years. We started in Sept of 2021. We had another year before we were scheduled to complete our assignment at the MTC. The Lord had other plans for us. If you look at the expiration date on my MTC key, it is 16 Sept 2024 - a year before our assignment should have ended, but the exact date we entered the MTC as full-time missionaries. I testify that the Lord is in the details of our lives. He loves us and has a plan for each of us. As we prayerfully listen, he will guide us on the paths He has in store for us.

Next post - from Italy!

The last days with our family...