Saying Goodbye (Again)

It is an interesting agenda here at the MTC. For the first week, all of us studied together and learned the lessons of "Preach My Gospel" . . . then a portion of the senior missionaries left for their assignments. In the second week, those of us still left in our large class, learned about the Church Education System, and in our case, the Perpetual Education Fund . . . then most of the remaining senior missionaries left for their assignments, leaving behind . . . well, US! It seems we were the only senior couple in our class of 24 here at the MTC for a 3rd week when we traveled to Salt Lake City to tour Welfare Square and learn what we need to know to help those living in poverty in our mission field. Since we are not the only senior couple serving in a 3rd world country, we were a bit mystified why we were the only couple staying for an additional week.

The senior missionaries are amazing . . . and in a matter of a few days, we became friends through sharing the experience of being in the MTC together. Elder and Sister Moon left on Friday of the first week for Rumania - their fourth mission for the church. Elder and Sister Tamo'ua (top right) are serving in their homeland of Tonga. He and his patient, loving wife have been married for 40 years, but he joined the church only five years ago. . . and wept openly as he testified of his love for the gospel and how sorry he was that he had wasted 4 decades being resistant to his sweet wife's encouragement to listen to the missionaries. Elder and Sister Montgomery (top left)are serving at the Polynesian Cultural Center in Honolulu where she will wear muumuu's and he will wear Hawaiian shirts and sandals while helping to design new buildings. Sister Lewis (green shirt) lost her husband two years ago, so decided to submit her papers. She was called to serve in South Carolina. Sister Beesley (blue shirt), who immigrated from Germany as a teenager, has now returned to her homeland where she is serving in the mission office in Frankfurt. Elder and Sister Wright (learning the computer) left their beautiful big home in Mesa to travel halfway around the world to serve the people of Micronesia / Guam.

Our testimonies have been strengthened and our hearts touched through our brief association with these wonderful couples.

One sad statistic we have heard numerous times since entering the MTC is that, worldwide, only 20% of the requests for missionary couples, are actually fulfilled. To paraphrase President Thomas S. Monson in the October 2010 General Conference, "we need many . . . MANY more senior couples." Please join us in this important work of the Lord providing those skills and talents only YOU can give!!!