the 9th through 11th days
Today was our last day, it was so hard to say goodbye to our friends that we have become even closer to through this last week. There were so many of us that they had to put us in two computer labs, and we were just a few of the couples that were left.
When we pulled in on Tuesday morning they were loading the big missionary bus that takes the missionaries to the airport. There must have been a lot that left because the cafeteria was much more quiet that day than it had been since we arrived last week.
The new senior couples came in Monday but they didn't have as big a group as ours. I may be biased (yes I know) but all the older teachers and the younger returned missionaries that taught us said that we were really a special group and we all felt it too.
The teachers told us that the church needs so many more seniors than they have and it made us feel good to really be needed. At our age it is easy to just fade away and wait to die or travel all over trying to get every minute in before we die. This is so much better and the Spirit testifies to us how important the work is that all the missionaries are doing.
This week we spent the whole time in the computer lab, Monday wasn't bad but Tuesday I hated it, we worked on finances and I'm certainly glad they aren't letting me do it in the mission because I would give away more than I would take in.
Yesterday they seperated us from our partners and they worked on the finances and we worked on posting baptisms, letters to families, missionaries etc. and doing the mission newsletter. I am going to lose my mind trying to get that cut and paste right!
So great to see our little ones (Tymber, Tyme and Kenya) at OutBack. We love our grandchildren so much and I had to work so hard not to cry again, but I did pretty good, as did Elder Ward.
Elder Ward did so good on our final exams today, he was through before most of the men and I came along really good until I got to the cut and paste, oh well, this too shall pass.
Tomorrow we finish up everything; cleaning, packing etc. We are going to leave on Saturday morning and stay the first two nights in Cheyenne, we are staying over on Sunday and going to church there and then leave on Monday to stay that night in Omaha. We have been sort of in limbo these past two weeks, not a home here and not in the mission field yet. It will be so good to finally be really serving. Time to go to bed, Elder Ward is asleep in the chair, I have to get him into bed so we can finish up tomorrow. Love you all.

8th Day

Today we started our classes in a new building and our numbers were fewer than last week. We were still one of the largest groups of office missionaries. We learned the computers and I really had a fun time learning new things about the computer, Dad even learned some things. I finally learned how to put pictures on the computer and I will try and do it tomorrow night.
Dad and I really had a good time on the Excell, I was so glad that I had that at work and boy, did I learn all the things you can do. Our teachers (returned missionaries) were really impressed that we were all pretty good on computers, Dad and some of the others were very good. They have had missionaries come through that have had trouble turning on the computer, but how special they were for keeping in there and learning.
Dad and I went out to dinner with Uncle Mark and Aunt Kaye tonight. We had such a wonderful time, they are still planning on going on a mission too, but are a little frightened because of the unknown and leaving everything, along with Mark's health. When we left Mark gave me a hug and Kaye did more than one with tears in their eyes, we have become so close this last year and it is hard to leave them, but we told them that we would be there for their homecoming.
Enjoyed our visit with Mark and Kristine's family this weekend and the beautiful piano solo of Elisha's.
We love you all.

Another spiritual day, it was the last time that we will see some of our friends, for those that are going to English speaking, proselyting missions will be leaving tomorrow. It was hard to say goodbye and know that we probably not see them again.
This morning we had big meeting with all of us and then we seperated out all over the MTC to have our one on one with the volunteers, this time the volunteers were "newly baptized members" and we gave them a review of the Atonement and Restoration lessons. It was so touching, the volunteer we were asigned was a young man with cerabal Palsey (sp) who was in an electric wheelchair. He came with a young woman who is his care giver. When Dad asked him to open with prayer it took all of his energy to pray but it was such a beautiful prayer from his heart. I was reminded of all the special people that Jon used to transport.
He said that he wanted to meet with us next week if we were going to be doing any more teaching, but I don't think we will because of our training. This young man (Sam) come in every week and serves as a volunteer.
I gave one of our PickMeUp pens to a widow who is going to Italy; her grandson is having problems with the church and she wants so much to have him back in the church again, I told her of Jon and she said that she would take the pen and everytime she writes with it she will remember not to give up on her grandson.
Wonderful day!

5th day at the MTC

4th Day

We spent most of the day learning how to work with inactives and part-member families. The church has found that seniors have much better results with these people than the younger missionaries.

We had a senior couple that just returned from a mission to Minnesota and before that in an African country that was so dangerous that they couldn't leave or have missionaries come in because the borders were closed.

This couple was great and told us how they had been able to reach so many inactives in Minnesota, so much so that the church sent them back again for another mission.

In the afternoon we had more opportunities to continue learning how to teach inactives and part-member families. Then after this we went to the call center and they showed us how to take calls from all over the United States from those t.v. commercials that the church does for the Book of Mormon.

The last class was with Brother Pinegar who spoke to us about his experiences as a mission president and as a missionary in upper New York. He said that when he was over the London Mission he begged for senior missionaries, but couldn't get any, finally he was able to have 4 sets come and he said they literally turned the mission around by all the fellowshiping and work in the branches. He said that the church cannot fill all the requests for senior missionaries throughout the world.

Tomorrow we say goodbye to some of our dear friends who are going to be proselyting missionaries and do not have to learn a language. It is going to be hard to see them go.

2nd & 3rd Day at the MTC

I screwed up the first time on this so I am trying again, I don't want to let this go or I'll forget it.

Tuesday Bob and I had a great day of learning the first discussion of the Restoration of the Gospel, and in the afternoon each couple was sent to a private area and we had a volunteer come and play an investigator, she was an older sister and Dad really thought she was a non-member and at the end of the discussion he was ready to set up a time to take her to church and have the missionaries visit her, she had to convince him that she was not a non-member.

At lunch yesterday I saw an older gentleman sitting alone so I thought he was waiting for his wife, so I sat across from him and asked he if he was a missionary, because I noticed that his name tag was different, and he said that he worked at the MTC. Soon another man came and sat on the other side of me and Dad on my left with another man next to him. We had a nice conversation and after they left Dad asked if I knew who they were and I told him that they worked at the MTC and he informed me that they were the MTC Presidency and the President sat next to him.

We didn't go home after dinner last night because there was a devotional with Brother Kikuchi from the Quorum of the 70's, we sat in the foyer and read our assignment for today, just before we left to go to the auditorium Bob went to the men's room and saw Brother Kikuchi there and had a very nice visit with him, what a day for meeting people.

The devotional was wonderful, we as seniors have seats in the front and all around are over 1,000 young missionaries; when we all sang "Called to Serve Him", I was overcome with the power of the spirit and cried as did so many of the other seniors. Brother Kikuchi gave a powerful talk and touched every one there by the Spirit. Our Mark knows him and the man that converted him. What a small world.

Today we learned the 2nd disucssion on the Atonement and again this afternoon we had another "investigator", this time he was a lawyer from Provo and he played a Baptist and he was very good and asked questions that a real investigator would ask; Iwas so proud of Dad, he answered every question with a scripture and did it in such a loving and powerful way that the man was touced also. He took our picture and is going to e-mail it to us and we will try and figure out how to post it so you can see us.

I love these senior couples, I am in awe of the far away places that they are going in the world and even though they are a little frightened they have faith that our Heavenly Father will protect them and they are putting their faith in Him.

Today was ice cream day and Dad and I really enjoyed it. The hot fudge is out of this world!

The new missionaries came today, it brought back all the memories of the times we took our boys there, I could feel the ever present tears coming again so we didn't stay to watch.

More teaching tomorrow, what a wonderful, true church we belong to.