Missionary Training

Heading Out

After finishing our final packing, we left Liberty, Missouri on Monday March 6, 2017. After a hard days drive through high winds and their accompanying dust storms and wild fires in Western Kansas / Northern Oklahoma, we spent the night in Gallup, New Mexico. The area around Gallup is meaningful to Sister Biven as she lived in Window Rock on the Navajo Reservation as a teenager. Mid-day Tuesday found us at the home of Sister Biven's Mom in Mesa, Arizona.

We had a wonderful visit with Sister Biven's Mom and also our daughter and her husband who flew in from Copenhagen and our son from Denver, Colorado. Later in the week, we drove north through Flagstaff, Arizona, across the Navajo Reservation to Page, Arizona, then through Southern Utah and finally reached the Provo, MTC, our home base for missionary training. It was late when we arrived, but the greeting was warm.

Our Calls

It is important to note that Sister Biven and I have been called as missionaries for our Savior Jesus Christ.  As such our ongoing role will be to invite others to come unto Christ.  In addition we have been given specific assignments; Sister Biven as a Mission Nurse Specialist and myself as a Humanitarian Missionary. In these assignments Sister Biven and I are to support each other. Because of these varied assignments we were scheduled for three weeks of training.

Missionary Training - Week One - Preach My Gospel

Our first week of training was at the MTC in Provo.  This first week was focused on our calling to invite others to come to Christ and centered on the missionary training text Preach My Gospel.  There were 30 senior couples and 5 single sisters divided into 10 districts.  Here is a photo of our district:  Elder & Sister Moon, going to the Philippines;  the Bivens;  Elder & Sister Winan, bound for New York;  Elder & Sister Bird who will serve in Ogden, Utah, and our wonderful instructor, Brother Arslanian.  How we love these missionaries! 

In addition to the work we did within our district, we had the opportunity to work closely with the Butlers from another district as we taught each other specific aspects of the gospel.  

Missionary Training - Week Two - Medical

The following week we went to Salt Lake for four intense days of medical training.  we returned to Provo Thursday evening and spent Friday in the senior missionary language training center working on our Portuguese and reconnecting with the amazing Portuguese tutors we have had.  We have been studying Portuguese on our own since last May, and with tutors since last October.  Out tutors tell us that we now have basic proficiency. Hmmm. I think that they are being kind.  One of the fun highlights of the day was translating useful medical terms. 

Tender Mercies

We have been so enriched during our time in the MTC.  We have felt the Savior's love for his children, for his missionaries, and for us, in so many beautiful ways.  We have been prepared to go forward to love and serve the people of Cape Verde.  And to support our mission president.  A wonderful tender mercy, one among many, occurred last Saturday when we were leaving our lunch area, and I finally saw a Sister with a Portuguese name tag (I had been watching, hoping to meet the Cape Verde-bound missionaries who are here learning Portuguese).  There are hundreds of missionaries here.....the first Portuguese speaking Sister I met, lovely Sister Giacalone, is called to serve in Cape Verde!  I was so excited to meet her!  Three minutes later as we entered the residence hall Mike introduced himself to two Elders wearing Portuguese name tags and they are also bound for Cape Verde.  What a beautiful tender mercy.

We are now within days of our departure.  Monday through Thursday of this week we will enjoy humanitarian training here at the Provo MTC and on Friday we depart from the Salt Lake airport.  Salt Lake City to Amsterdam to Lisbon to Praia, Cape Verde, arriving in the early hours of the morning of Sunday, April 2, 2017.

One last photo. The obligatory map photo that all missionaries seem to take.  The couple we are with are our friends the Wilsons.

In the past days, I have been reminded of a story that starts in John 4:46.

46  So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine.  And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum.

47  When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death.

48  Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.

49  The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die.

50  Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth.  And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.

The faith of this nobleman is inspiring.  As we get ready to depart to Cabo Verde, Sister Biven and I cannot clearly see all the steps ahead.  In just a few steps the path becomes darkened.  But we have faith that as we continue to step forward, the pathway will be lit. Not to the end but enough to keep us moving forward.