AGAIN and AGRIN

 USLCHQMission 8

Guest Blogger: Elder David D. Ames

On Monday, February 23^rd at 10:15 a.m., we pulled through the security gates at the Provo Utah Missionary Training Center (MTC).  We watched as young missionaries met those in the car before us with cheers.  They unloaded the luggage from that car and took them off to their apartment and assignments. 

Next it was our turn.  The missionaries cheered.  They loaded our luggage onto carts and we received a packet of instructions.  With the packet were keys to our room.  Friendly people handed us an envelope and explained “these keys will not match your room.”

I went with an attendant to park the car, and Sister Ames (followed by the entourage of young missionaries and luggage carts) was guided to a meeting area. I soon joined her.  

When we got to our room our keys did not match. Everyone seemed surprised. We weren't - and reassured them we were warned.  

We were on a schedule so our luggage was stored in a courtesy closet and a young Elder disappeared with our bogus keys.  We were escorted to seven stations, each with important information …

I don’t remember any of that information - other than I saw the Elder who was solving the problem of the keys.  I waved.  He disappeared for about a minute and came back with keys.  

When we got back to our room the keys worked.  I should have gotten his name.  We thought there was a problem but a young missionary with a bit of a smile made it no problem at all! Hugs to that young man!

We moved our stuff into our room and showed up only a few minutes late for our first class. Note: our stuff was merely in our room – not unpacked. As we attempted to find life essentials, we showed up just a few minutes late for meals and many classes for the rest of the week!

We were careful not to be late for Wednesday devotional. In fact, those who wanted to sing in the choir were invited to come an hour early. 

I wanted to sing in the choir. Can see me? There are 2 more sections of choir, one of them double this size. ASL is on the front row of this section.

The usher said that my companion couldn’t come in if she was not singing in the choir.  I suggested that there was reserved seating for senior missionaries.  He allowed her to go down to the senior missionary section.

When everyone was seated they announced that those who had not been to practice on Sunday needed to wait in the mezzanine.  I went, with half a dozen other missionaries to wait.  

Soon they invited us all to come back.  Then the choir director got up and said everyone who had not been there on Sunday needed to leave.  This time about 30 missionaries got up - the director added “except for Senior missionaries.”  I sat back down. 

Sister Ames, from the reserved section noticed that the number was being performed in American Sign Language (ASL).  She went over to them and was invited to join the Choir.  It makes me smile to think that we joined with 300 other voices in praise to the Lord through music.

On our last day at the MTC fences went up and work began to tear down the administration building.  Only a slight inconvenience.  We had to walk an extra block to buy a meal.  

And so, as we experience what seems to be trials again and again, we find that they are most easily resolved with a grin.