GOOD-BYE MTC ... PORTLAND, ME, HERE WE COME

We have had an amazingly wonderful experience at the MTC this week. It is truly an inspiring place.  We have loved the teaching, the teachers and the other missionaries. Today was a bittersweet day. Several of the senior missionary couples left for their mission fields. We will leave on Monday morning, by 6:30 a.m.

We enjoyed visiting with all of the missionaries we talked to, young and old. 

We want to share a major, helpful teaching we received from a video given by Elder Bednar. It started out by asking if any of us had ever wondered if a prompting we felt was just us, from our own mind, or if it was from the Holy Ghost? If any of you are like us, you have had this conversation with yourself dozens of times.  Elder Bednar said, "Quit worrying about it".  Press forward, with steadfastness in Christ. Keep the covenants you have made, obey the commandments.  In other words be a "good boy or girl" (his words, with a smile on his face).  Anything that is good, comes from God. As you look back over time, you will see that what you did as you moved forward was indeed from the Holy Ghost.  We aren't going to receive that knowledge like a bolt of lightning, it will be a thought or an impression to do something or to say something, or to not do or say something. 

So often we don't know the total why or what, but that doesn't matter. We just keep moving our feet forward following through with the thought/prompting. This teaching  was SO meaningful to me, and I could see how it worked when we were preparing for the teaching to the "inactive senior couple." It was an amazing experience.  I think that I will have more confidence in my thoughts and feelings moving forward, and hope you all will as well.

We had a senior couple talk to all of the Senior missionaries this morning. They have been on about 10 couple missions and they were awesome.  They gave us so many practical ideas about how to get involved in the community, the neighborhood and even one on one. We are inspired to look outside the box, when we get to Maine, and strive to bring as many people as possible closer to Christ.  That is our goal as missionaries.  Everyone would be better off as they draw closer to Christ.

Our training here at the MTC is officially over.  We are tired but filled to the brim with so many wonderful things.  It is a week we will never forget, and we pray as we move forward that it will inspire us to be better missionaries and truly seek for the one.

Yesterday, late afternoon, we hurriedly left the MTC after our last class and we went to the new Provo City Temple.  We were able to attend a session.  It is a beautiful temple. Lots of woodwork and staircases.  It reminded to quite a lot of the Nauvoo Temple.  It was wonderful to be in the temple.  

We love and miss you all so very much. Know that you are all in our thoughts and prayers.