First official day at MTC (FODAM) (wow Ken....I mean, wow Elder Nelson!)

ROMANIA/MOLDOVA MISSION 

We have arrived at the Missionary Training Center and will be here until September 19th. We are settled into our room right on the campus and haven't made too many foolish mistakes....yet. 

On Sunday night we attended a devotional with over 6,000 missionaries in attendance. When we sang songs dedicated to preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to all ends of the world it was VERY moving. We feel privileged to be among them. 

Today we formally checked in with the group of Senior Missionaries who begin training with us for the next week. As we introduced ourselves it was exciting to hear that, just in our small group, we are traveling to the Dominican Republic, Utah (numerous locations), New Zealand, Philippines, Chile, Georgia, Germany, Central America, New Mexico, Japan, Toronto (Canada), Argentina, Marshall Islands (South Pacific), Slovakia, Kansas, Thailand, Zambia, Oregon, England, California, and Massachusetts to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. How amazing is it that the pure and simple truth of the gospel can be taught in all of these languages. We have always felt gratitude for the parents of the two missionaries who travelled to Naples, Italy to find us for sacrificing their sons for the two years they served their missions. Now we feel that same gratitude to my own children and grandchildren for sacrificing the next two years with us so we can travel to Romania and share our love and the message of the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

There are a number of nurses going to some of the above locations in our group. There was some funny (sage) advice given to them this afternoon. In one particular mission area when a young missionary would call the nurse and tell her they weren't feeling well today and wanted to stay in bed the nurse would respond with, "that sounds fine. I hope you feel better soon. I will be over to your apartment in about a half an hour to give you an enema." They responded with "Okay". Because most young missionaries do not know what an enema is, it took them a few minutes to look it up. Within a half hour the nurse's phone would ring again and the missionaries seemed to recover miraculously and were ready to get up and out. The nurse would reply that she was so glad to hear they were feeling better.

We were also counseled today that we would be the eyes and ears of the mission and that we should relax, smile and do good. This is good advice. We were also told that we shall be watched over, that the Spirit would be with us, that we would be attended to by angels - as would our children and grandchildren. Blessing would be unfolded in regard to those things that deeply concerned us and as we look after the Lord's children, He will look after ours.

Unfortunately the food is fabulous (waist bands are feeling tighter) and I have located the ice cream in the cafeteria. I may even have some for breakfast. Until later....hugs and kisses from me and "right arm, farm out, out of Sprite, and in the groove" from Ken (Elder Nelson)