Our First Week

This week we finally began our mission.  On Sunday, July 1, 2018, President Lillywhite and Bishop Wayment came to our home and set us apart.  Then on Monday, July 2, 2018 we drove to the Mission Training Center (MTC) in Provo, UT to began an incredible week with 114 senior missionaries and 1500 young missionaries.  The senior missionaries are assigned to various missions throughout the world and include a variety of different responsibilities such as Member/Leadership Support (MLS), Mission Office Support, Welfare/Humanitarian Aid, Church Farm Managers, and Polynesian Cultural Center Assistants.  Sister Erickson will describe some of the events below.

President Lillywhite and Bishop Wayment

Our District with mission assignments in Nevada, North Carolina, Lebanon (Middle East), Winnipeg, New Zealand, Cape Verde and Boise, ID.

One of five groups of senior missionaries.

Elder and Sister Rose.  A special couple with whom we worked and practiced the teaching techniques.  They are headed to Peru to work as welfare missionaries also.

Hi Family and Friends,

This past week we entered the "Mission Training Center" (MTC) in Provo, Utah and stayed there for five days.  It was a spiritual feast and an experience never to be forgotten. We arrived with one of the largest groups of senior Missionaries that the MTC has had this year, a total of 114 Senior Missionaries. Our association with them this week was so wonderful.  I am sure Heaven is going to be a lot like that, filled with people who love the Lord and desire to serve Him. On the first day we were assigned to districts and continued working with them for the entire week.  We had seven couples in our district.  We had amazing teachers, (all under the age of 25), who taught us from the book "Preach My Gospel".  We were learning how to apply the teaching of that book. We practiced topics such as "learning to listen to the Holy Ghost", "discerning the concerns and needs of others", "using the scriptures", and then "helping them come to a closer relationship with their Savior". Elder Erickson and I were paired up with an amazing couple from Cedar Hills, UT, Elder and Sister Rose. They have also been called to serve as Welfare Missionaries and will be going to Peru. We found we had so much in common with them; even our parents go down in the winter to the same Trailer court in Quartzsite, Arizona. We loved working with them and sharing the gospel. We will never forget their lesson on "Dynamic Faith".

Our celebration of the 4th of July was very different this year. We didn't see any of the fireworks, but  we saw some amazing LIGHTS. In the evening we had some free time, so Elder Erickson and I went over to building T4 where they have some beautiful murals on display.  This building is used as the main training center, where all the young missionaries come to learn the languages of their various missions. The building has six floors, with 12 beautiful murals that depict various scripture stories from the Bible and the Book of Mormon. Each mural is about 10 feet high by 20 feet long.  On the opposite wall from each mural is written a scripture quotation that pertains to the mural and includes a thought provoking question. While we were sitting there enjoying one the murals, two young missionaries, going to France, came up to us and asked if they could share their testimonies with us (they had been at the MTC for a week). Even though we couldn't understand a word they said, we could see the LIGHT in their eyes and feel the warmth in our hearts as they bore witness of their love and faith in the Savior. It was such an incredible experience that as we moved from one floor to another to observe the murals, we decided to invite other missionaries to share their testimonies with us as well. We listened to Chinese, French, Spanish and Japanese that night, and each time we could feel the spirit bare witness to our hearts that what these young missionaries were testifying was true.

We loved every minute spent at the MTC this week. Some times we were a little out of our comfort zone, but it felt good, as we grew from our various experiences. We can hardly wait for our 2nd week of training. Next week the main focus will be on the Humanitarian work. I love being a missionary and I love my Savior Jesus Christ.

With love,

Sister Erickson