Week 1 - MTC

We start our mission with two weeks at the Missionary Training Center on the BYU campus. My brother Neil and his wife Machelle drove us to the MTC Monday morning and we started training meetings right after lunch. Each day we get up at 6 AM with our first training mtg. at 8 AM and finish training at 8 PM. It is a little longer for us since we decided to learn Russian. Kazakhstan is a dual language country with both Russian and Kazakh (a Turkic language) spoken. So far - after 6 hours of language training - we can speak a few simple Russian sentences. Both of us, however, feel strongly that we should learn Kazakh to connect directly with the local/native population. Kazakh is not taught here but I have found a couple of web sites that have some Kazakh language teaching/tutoring. It is going to be a big challenge!

I was assigned as District Leader for this first week. This is a picture of our District pointing to their country assignments.

There are over 2000 missionaries at this MTC and the organization is amazing. We have met some fantastic folks here who are dedicated to helping others. Our group of Senior Missionaries includes those going to Congo, Kenya, Chile, Mexico, Honduras, Nepal, England, Georgia (the country), Russia, Fiji, Turkey, Philippines, Holland, Caribbean Islands, and Lebanon.

Just the lessons we have learned and the feelings we have felt this week have made any sacrifice we have made worthwhile. Meal time is especially fun since we get to mingle with all the missionaries and find those who speak French/Tahitian/Russian and learn about their call. For example, we met a young man from Mauritius who was so glad to find someone to speak French to since he is here learning Dutch to go to the Dutch West Indies - he was a bit homesick for his native French language.
We are tired (we've missed our daily naps) but when we think about those who are waiting to receive what we have we get re-energized and keep on going.