Pre MTC, MTC & First Week as Missionaries

As soon as we received our call we jumped right in.  We first visited the Mission Office where we met the office couples, Elder & Sister Hall, Elder & Sister Mortimer, and Elder & Sister DuPaix.  We made a connection right off.  Elder & Sister DuPaix's son and family are in our Ward.  Their grandson is friends with our grandson, Robbie.  We found out while at the office that there was a MLS (Member Leadership Support) Training meeting coming up, a Christmas Devotional we were invited to and we went out with the Sister Missionaries on one of their visits.

Elder Collins, his Dad was our Branch President in Hong Kong

Our Sister Missionaries, Sister Malyfau and Sister Snyder 

At the MLS meeting we met the other 45 couples who are serving in the Utah Salt Lake City South Mission.  What an inspiring group of seniors.  They all sounded so positive and happy about what they were doing.  That gave us confidence.  The Christmas Devotional was inspirational.  Only half of the mission was there because there are so many of them they had to have two devotionals.

We spent Christmas Eve with Rob & Kelly and Rob's family.  Lisa, his sister, had planned a wonderful dinner and then a great program for the kids to participate in.  The children acted out the nativity and then we had games and fun all evening long.

Christmas Day we watched Kelly and Rob's family open their presents and then after a few hours they took off for Island Park.  We came the next day.  We were able to stop at the Ogden Temple and do a session then headed on to Idaho Falls where we stopped to visit Dick and Laurna Lundberg and finally arrived at the cabin around 6 pm.

We had a great week with all the family at Island Park.  Kimberly and Gary and family and us stayed at the cabin.  Kory and Katie stayed at the condo and Kelly and Rob stayed at another condo.  The  kids kept moving around each evening and enjoyed being with their cousins.  The big boys went out snowmobiling every day.

Gary, Kory and Rob

On our way home we stopped in Idaho Falls to see my niece, Marcy and her family.  She had her baby while visiting Mike's family in Afton Wyoming.  An ambulance had to come and get Marcy and the baby and take them to Idaho Falls.  He was six weeks early.  All is well and they are home now.

We also got to watch Kory's boys play some basketball.  Actually six of our grandsons are playing at the moment.

Grandpa and Josh

Gage and Grandma

Grandpa and Tyler

JANUARY 5, 2015 ENTERED THE PROVO MTC

January 4, 2015 we were set apart as missionaries by President Kurt Soffe.  Robbie came with us which was very special.

  Bro. Maby, President Bradshaw, Paul, President Soffe, President Heally, Robbie and Mar Jean 

We arrived at the MTC Monday Morning for orientation.  We had to have our favorite picture taken in front of the missionaries on bikes.  

Utah Salt Lake City South Mission

President & Sister Robert Chambers, our Mission President

During a couple of lunch breaks we were able to visit with Davor Bzik and his family who are at BYU working on a Masters degree in Engineering.  We know them from our Croatia mission..

Davor and Edita and their two boys

We also got to see Nickola Stan who was in Serbia when we served there.  He is working on a PhD in Engineering.

Nickola, Paul, Mar Jean 

The MTC was another marvelous experience.  This time our emphasis was on teach the person not the lesson.  We had some great experiences with our role playing.  We did four of them and came away a great feeling that the Spirit was there and directed our teaching.  

We had 54 couples and a few single sisters in our group.  We were then put into a District with seven couples and two morning teachers and two afternoon teachers.  One couple was gone for language immersion, Another couple left on Thursday for Moscow, Russia and the Petts got sick the last day.  

Elder & Sister Lewis in this one.

Our District was made up of:  Elder & Sister Allan, Gilbert AZ, Horns, West Indies, Ure, Moscow Russia, Pett, Malad Idaho, Kessel, Tallahassee Florida, and Kitchen, Wichita, Kansas.  Most are MLS missionaries but one office couple and one "Just Serve" and one housing missionaries.

Our invitation is to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His atonement, repentance, baptism, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and endurie to the end.

We learned 1) listen and get to know them.  State what our expectations are and what they expect from us.  2) How to teach and commit  3) What to teach--teach to their needs 4) Commitment -- direct questions, promise blessings, and bare testimony  5) adapt to meet their needs  6)Invite  7) follow up.

We went home the first night and then the rest of the week we stayed at Kory and Katie's each evening. 

On Tuesday evening we stayed for the Devotional.  Sister Bonnie Oscarson spoke.  We received great training all week and loved the young teachers who were very good.  

HOME IN THE MISSION FIELD

Sunday we attended two Ward Conferences and got to meet many people.  Monday we met with President and Sister Chambers and received instruction from them.  President Bishop, 1st Counselor will be over the MLS couples.  He gave us direction.  He said President Monson talked about the hastening of the work two years ago and then he had us read Alma 23:5 and then 4.  It talks about all the thousands that Ammon and his brethren converted to the gospel and then we go back and read verse 4 and find out that it wasn't just them but they consecrated priests and teachers to  help with the work. Most of our calling is to encourage members to step forward and invite their friends and neighbors to listen to the gospel message.  It's pretty exciting work to be involved in. 

Monday night we were invited into President and Sister Bradshaws home to tell  them what we learned in the MTC and how they can be better missionaries.  They are an incredible family who are wonderful at inviting and shepherding others.  We are blessed to know them.  President Bradshaw is the counselor over Missionary work.

FIRST DISTRICT MEETING

1st Row: Elder & Sister Pilcher, Elder Rahaufe, Elder Hamilton, Elder Banks 2nd Row: Sister Fameitau, Sister Malyfau, Sister Aldridge, Sister Snyder, Sister  & Elder Fau a'alo,, Elder & Sister Lewis, Sister & Elder Simpson, Elder Wehlofe

We are in  the  South Jordan #1 District with Elder Banks as our District Leader.  We had an incredible meeting today.  There are four couples and four young companionship.  They did a great job at teaching.  Our focus this week is invite and follow up.  We did some roll plays and Elder Lewis and I did pretty good.  We look forward to working with these wonderful people.  

The gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored upon the earth again.  How blessed we are to have this witness that God loves us and all His children and He desires that each of them have an opportunity to hear and live the gospel so we can return to live with him again.  Let us keep the covenants we have made with Him.