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By the way!!!  I need everyone to comment on this blog so I can feel like I am a little closer to you!!!

package from the MTC

We got a package of homemade cookies from Kaylee, some puzzle books, diet pepsi, fruit punch and the sweetest letter ever!!!   Way to go Newmans!!!   We loved it and loved making everyone else jealous!

A new week of training!

Hi everyone!  So time is just flying by!  Here it is - 8 days in and our brains are mush and we haven't even gotten to Mexico yet.  We spent all last week at the MTC learning Preach My Gospel.  We had a fabulous weekend partying with the kids and grandkids!  Saturday we did a little more organization to  be ready to leave, got to Jack's basketball game (he won big time!)  We then put together an impromptu pizza and bowling party.  Everybody was able to come and we had a blast!  I'm not sure who the best bowler is, but there were lots of strikes, including the kids!   Good times.   The grandkids think this mission is nothing but fun!!!   Sunday was a very nice day.  We had our Thanksgiving dinner.  Everyone (the girls) all brought yummy food and Angie did all the work cooking the turkey, making the green bean casserole, potatoes and gravy at the house.  It turned out perfectly!  I just love my kids and grandkids.  We had lots of fun playing reverse charades with blessing words like nature!  Haha!  That one was funny!  We left the house around 10:30 pm and came downtown to the hotel where we will have training all this week!  This emed training on the church's site makes for long days - hence the mushy brain!  We start at 8 am and go to 4:30 with a few breaks during the day.   Saturday morning is coming very fast!  I probably will never get everything done that I want to!  It's hard to think that I won't be able to just do the rest next week! We leave for Mexico on Saturday morning at 7:50 am!  At least it's 70 degrees in Mexico!

Life at the MTC!

11/13/14
Well, we have 4 dots stuck on our mission timeline!   This week has gone by fast even though the days are long and it is a real struggle to stay awake!
Yesterday (Wednesday)  we had a long lunch break so we stood at the front door and watched the poor, sad mothers (and fathers)drop off their adorable children at the MTC.   I felt so sad for those parents.  I wanted to go out and hug them all. All of us that were watching had tears in our eyes and we didn't even know these kids. I wish all parents could come inside the MTC and watch their children from our viewpoint!  They all are matched up 2x2 and going to and fro with someplace to be and happy to be doing it.  I love to sit and watch the young elders and sisters.  They all stick together and support one another. 
They are studying their lessons or language, exercising, doing laundry, visiting in the big hallways or eating in the cafeteria.  When I dropped off my sons, it seemed they disappeared into a big black hole!  Of course, that's all I could see through my tears!  Now, to hang out with these elders and sisters with all their enthusiasm is totally delightful!  The spirit in these kids is outstanding!
The spirit in the senior couples is almost as outstanding!  The seniors are so amazing with their deep love of the gospel and service to others.  We have met a couple going on their 3rd mission to Armenia to do humanitarian stuff, probably water ways for villages. This couple can't wear name tags that have the church name on it because it is strongly muslim. Another couple is going to Iraq.  WOW!  No thanks!  Another couple going on their 3rd mission to New Zealand to do records preservation.  Bummer!  They will be in such a beautiful place and have to sit inside a room all day!  A nurse and her husband going to Accra Ghana, Africa to be the mission nurse.  Scary with all the ebola stuff going on there!  Anyway, the people we are hanging out with are such great examples.  I feel blessed to only be going to Mexico right now!   While here in the MTC we have been trained to be missionaries - including how to talk to and teach investigators.  Tomorrow we will talk to people acting like less actives and try and learn what to say to these people.  The food in the cafeteria is not half bad and great that I don't have to fix it!!
I still miss my darling grandchildren.  I hope they don't grow up too much without me!  They are my treasures!!!  
Thank you Newman family for the wonderful care package we received today.  The cookies are perfect and so yummy!  I am going to drink my diet cherry pepsi tomorrow after morning classes, just to make it through the afternoon!  The letter from the kids was the best part of the package.  We showed it to everyone and they are all so jealous! 
Last night we had plenty of time so we decided to do a temple session in this crazy busy Provo temple.  Of course, we got picked to be the witness couple, so we had to stay awake and pay attention!  
Tonight we got to spend an hour or so with some dear friends we lived next to in Arizona!  James and Ann Tanner have just moved to Provo to be the area genealogy specialists!  James has only been doing this for about 10-15 years and is quite the expert!  It was so fun to catch up on their family and good times from our stay in Arizona!!!  The difference between us moving to Utah is that I was very excited to be home to the seasons!  The Tanners are not quite sure with the snow we got today and this cold weather we have had this week!  
Best of luck to you ...staying warm and all!
Talk to you soon!   love y'all!!

saying goodbye to Hadley!

Goodbye Rachel
You have to be mom now!!

Our apartment at the MTC

Guess who is thrilled to be here????

It has been incredible to watch about 3000 young 18 and 19 year old boys and girls or should I say young men and women that are very culturally diverse sit together at lunch, talk and laugh and get along.  The world could learn a lesson.  They are fat, skinny, cultured, farm kids, southerners, northerners, South Pacificers, Mauri's from New Zealand, hispanics, chinese from Taipan, blacks from US and from Africa and they all love each other because of their common bond -the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  (I even saw Pippi Longstocking last night at the devotional.)  The lessons these young people are learning about cultural diversity could not be taught anywhere else and will last a lifetime. Peg and I are grateful to be here.

First day done!

Well, our first day in the mission went by quite fast.  We got to the MTC around 11:00 am after stopping to say goodbye to our Miss H and to our Ollie!  The church really has this mission thing under complete control.  We drove in, someone caught us at the front of the building, told us where to park and to go in a certain door.  We walked in the door and 4 sisters were standing there waiting for us to show up.  One sister got our name, found our packet, put on our name tags and we didn't need a brain the rest of the day.  From there we got back in our car, drove around the parking lot to our designated spot, parked and walked into another building.  (by the way, there are a lot of missionaries walking around here).  They are so cute and seem so young!  In this second building we got a bunch of booklets and packets with lots of information on them.  We were directed into the next room and got our passports and visas with our travel plans!  Great news family... we don't leave to Mexico until Saturday morning at 8 am.  You can get up at 5:30 and come see us off!!!
Anyway, back to our day...   we then headed upstairs and paid for our meal plans while we are here at the MTC.  WE then went back downstairs and headed into another building where we waited for an orientation meeting.  We met Dr Ryser  and his wife who Greg has known since medical school and had a nice visit with them.  Our boys were friends so many connections there!  Also, I saw my first OB Dr. that delivered Scot and Rachel..  Dr. John Nelson.  I also worked with him when I worked at LDS hospital.  He got called 2 1/2 weeks ago to be the AMA for northern states such as Colorado, Montana, into Canada, Kansas and some other states.  He will have 9 missions he will be responsible for.  We will have 34!!!   IN SPANISH!!!   We got asked to say the prayers in the big orientation meeting that started at 1 pm.  That meeting was in the same room as when we sent off our sons Scot and Richie.  Singing Called to Serve in there was another tear jerker!!!   I can still see my sons walking out those side doors.  I still don't like that feeling!!!   Spencer's sendoff was much better!  Way to figure that out MTC!   We survived the 1 1/2 hour orientation, then they broke us into smaller groups.  Greg was made a district leader.  One of the single sisters in our group was in Frankfurt with Marilyn Foster.  They were good friends over there and now this sister is on to her 2nd mission.  There were ALOT of couples that are on their 2nd, 3rd and 4th missions.  AMAZING!   Sister Ryser and I are happy to be doing this one!!!
After the meetings we came to our little abode for the week.  It is bitty, but perfect size for what we brought and how much time we will be spending here.  It is EXTREMELY quiet here and that will take a lot of getting used to for me.  I miss all my little ones - including the 11 year olds!!!  I wish they would all come with me to Mexico... then my mission would be perfect!!  We ate dinner at 5:30 and by 7:00 pm were back in our apartment wondering what to do next!!  We have to read the first 15 pages of Preach my Gospel and study the first lesson for our first day of missionary training that starts at 8 am.  I am praying for you so keep praying for us!!!  Love you all!!!

THE FIRST STICKER HAS BEEN PLACED!!!

ONWARD...EVER ONWARD!!!!!

Countdown to the mission!

We had a very nice family dinner at the Roof restaurant last night. I love my family and will miss them terribly.... especially those grandkids!!!
Here are some pics!

So, 34 more hours to go!