Today was pretty cool. We have 2750 young missionaries at the Provo Missionary Training Center (MTC). That is about full capacity. This Monday 118 senior missionaries entered and that is the largest senior group they have had to date. We all met in a room and each companionship/couple got to introduce themselves - tell where they are from, where they will be serving and how many previous missions they had served as senior missionaries. The vast majority were serving for the first time but a few had served before - one couple was on their fifth mission and had been all over the world. There are three couples going to Russia - all CES (Church Educational System) like us. We talked a little - really a little! - Russian with them and in a few minutes are going to meet with a couple from Colorado and review the language for a while. We've put on our sweats and are going for a walk after that. It was amazing to hear all the different countries these couples will be serving in and the incredible variety of duties - from facilities management at the Polynesian Cultural Center in Hawaii (where the brother gets to wear a Hawaiian shirt all the time and NO TIE!) to Russia, South Africa, all over Europe, Tonga, etc. We talked to a couple going to Taiwan and a couple of young sisters and told them that our son Christopher had served there. We met a couple going to the Philippines - different mission than Jamie - and have not found anyone going to Rome like Jared did. There is a couple from Tennessee who are going to Russia...that's the closest we could get to your mission, Brandon.
The food here is pretty good for cafeteria food. Think about what it takes to feed over 3000 people - mostly hungry young men aged 19 - 20 - three meals a day. All you can eat and a wide variety of food. Always salad and sandwiches, three or four main courses, and desserts. For example - at dinner tonight they had fried chicken and some potato casserole thing, fish cakes and a potato tots sort of thing (Mom had those! Yum! Not!) boneless spareribs, some kind of wrap, salad bar and soup and sandwich and a variety of ice cream bars. That menu explains why we have on our sweats and are going for a walk. We're trying hard to eat properly but all you do is eat and sit in meetings and eat again and sit some more. Did great all day but I think I might have had one too many pieces of chicken!
We've met some great senior couples. The ones going to Russia are the only ones we will probably ever see again but it's all good. We love you all! We are really happy to be here. Tomorrow morning we start at 8:00 and go until 6:00 and the rest of the time it's 8 to 8.
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