MTC

We have been here for the past 7 days and everyday except our P-day was packed with activities. We start at 6:00 each morning and go to the cafeteria for breakfast. There is plenty of choices but we are able to keep the amount down so we don't balloon. We start our classes at 8:00 and the teachers have given us a crammed course in the first week. We got in 4 days what the young elders and sisters get in 18 days.

Our first teaching opportunity was a struggle because it was new to the two of us and we were not used to working the message together, but as the days went on and we learned to work together the subsequent teaching situations went much better.

Our classes would go to lunch and then through the afternoon. After supper we would have French lessons with brother Betteridge would returned from his mission in the French area of Switzerland 6 months ago. Each night there was some other devotional that helped us spiritually.

On Saturday we had a P-day. It was much needed. We went to the temple early in the morning and then spent the rest of the day at BYU and with Jo and the family.On Sunday we met with the French missionary branch and enjoyed their testimonies in French. Four of the missionaries who are going to Toulouse sang a beautiful French hymn. It will be a privilege to be in the same mission with them.

We are now in the office training phase but we need to change the direction for our needs since we will be in a branch of the church and not in the mission office. We need to know about how to keep all the records in the branch and so we will see if we can get that help today.

We had a great experience one morning at breakfast. It is my habit to say "Bon jour" to all I meet. This morning I was prompted to sit with two sister missionaries. So as your Mom and I were sitting down, I said "Bon jour", to the sisters.

One of the sisters started to speak French. She is from Paris and is going to Washington D.C. on her mission. She asked us where we were going and I told her we were headed for Toulouse, France. I then told her that we had been given an assignment to go to the city of Angouleme. She came off her chair a few inches as if she had been hit with a hat pin. She said she has an uncle just outside of Angouleme and asked if we would go visit him. We said we would make him our first visit. He and his family are not active so she wrote a letter of introduction and her testimony for us to take to them. With 5 thousand miles between us and the MTC as a meeting place, I don't think this is a coincidence.

We are healthy and doing well together. We are anxious to be on our way to France and to our assignment. Our Branch President and his wife Margaret are from England and we have been in touch with them. We feel like we have known them for a long time. We have work to do and we are both eager to get our feet on the ground and start shuffling quickly.

We had a great time meeting Kalvin, from Cokeville, and his companion. He was a little sad that his visa didn't come on time and that he would have to stay in Provo for the rest of his MTC experience instead of heading to Madrid, Spain. He will be a great missionary with his attitude.

Love to all,

Mom & Dad