Continuing MTC Experience





Very sorry that we have not kept this blog up to date.  We keep thinking that we will be on our way from the MTC and be able to show some pictures of our area of service in India.  It is now 81 days since we entered the MTC and we continue to wait on our visa's.  Currently the Church is considering reassigning us temporarily so we may not be here much longer.  We continue to look forward to serving in India.

While here at the MTC we have made the best of our time and have truly enjoyed every day.  Since the first week here in late November, 2012 when we were trained in Preach My Gospel, which is standard training for all missionaries,  we have immersed ourselves in as much additional training as available week after week.  Since the first week in December, 2012, we have taken training in CES (Institute and Seminary), Office Support, Visitor Centers, Welfare/Humanitarian, Family History and just recently completed training for Perpetual Eduational Fund (PEF)/Employment.  All of this additional training was available through the MTC training program except for Family History, which was a week long intensive course offered by the South Utah Family History Training Center in Orem.  MTC training has been a combination of training in Salt Lake and at the MTC.  When attending training in Salt Lake we have either travelled from the MTC daily by bus with a large group of by train if in a smaller group.  Shuttles at the MTC will take you anywhere in Provo so that is a great help. 

While not in training, we have spent most of our time on our personal family history research and have enjoyed much success.  We both have been blessed with the Spirit of Elijah and miraculously have found hundreds of our deceased ancestors, some of which date back to the early 1500's or 1600's, and their descendants.  Many of you may know of our Irish backgrounds (I am fifth generation and Sister Leary is first generation in Canada) and this has posed a lot of difficuly for us for many years in finding our ancestors.  So to have the success we have enjoyed here is truly miraculous but what is most amazing is when we recognize the specific times when help comes from heaven.  We have gained testimonies of this important work and the blessing of linking our lives to our ancestors and their descendants.  We know they want us to find them so that makes it all the more meaningful in regards their acceptance of the gospel.  We both feel the urgency to move our research forward for them.  We truly have come to know them better and the conditions of their lives in ways that connect us to them.  To come to some understanding of  the history of movement of ones forebearers in settling this promised land, such as in the case of the Leary's, and the conditions of their lives is a real blessing.  To see their courage, faith, sacrifice and hard work and devotion to church and community along the way has been most rewarding.  Through these experiences, we have come to know that help comes from our ancestors and the Lord in finding their names and in preparing their information for temple ordinances.  We are truly excited about this work and spend most of our free days looking and searching for them.  We do most of this work from our room at the MTC but have also spent considerable time at the BYU, Orem and Salt Lake Family History Centers.  The staff at these centers have been very helpful.  In Orem, Sister Leary received valuable help from a sister with an Irish background that directed  her to online sites where she was able to find many of her ancestors.  Sister Leary considers this a blessing from heaven and an answer to prayer.

We have nevertheless been busy doing other things as well.  In the evening twice a week we attend firesides or devotionals and enjoy great talks by General Authorities and Priesthood leaders that oversee the MTC and others involved with the Missionary Department.  Elder Jeffrey R. Holland came and spoke once and what a treat that was to sit so close to an Apostle of the Lord and feel of his love and counsel for missionaries.  We have felt the presence of the Lord on occassion at these events.  Sometimes on Saturdays or Sundays we visit with "our missionaries" and their families (Elder  Smith lives in Pleasant Grove and  Elder Cook lives in Salt Lake City; our third missionary lives near London, England with his family).  We have also been blessed to see our daughter Joanna and her family a number of times while here and were able to spend Christmas with them.  And, we keep in touch with family primarily by skype.

Hope you enjoy some of the pictures we have taken while at the MTC and in Salt Lake City as follows.

SOME OF OUR FAVOURITE PICTURES DEPICTING THE LIFE OF THE SAVIOR THAT ADORN THE MTC MAIN HALLWAY WALLS

--Perhaps pause and consider each one-- 

THE MTC DINING HALL IS A HUGE L-SHAPED AREA.  THIS IS WHAT YOU SEE AFTER A MEAL.  THE CHAIRS ARE PUT UP SO THE ROOM CAN BE VACUUMED AFTER EVERY MEAL.  THE MEALS ARE EXCELLENT.  IN 81 DAYS WE HAVE NOT HEARD ONE COMPLAINT.  TWO LONE MISSIONARIES ARE STILL ENJOYING A MEAL.  CURRENTLY SOME 3800 MISSIONARIES, THAT'S 2000 MORE THAN WHEN WE FIRST ENTERED THE MTC IN NOV/12, ARE AT THE MTC.  AT THE FIRESIDE LAST NIGHT THE SPEAKER--ELDER MARK J. LUSVARDI, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROGRAMS FOR THE MISSIONARY DEPARTMENT, ASKED ALL 18 YEAR OLD ELDERS AND 19-20 YEAR OLD SISTERS TO STAND.  ABOUT HALF IN ATTENDANCE STOOD.  IT WAS AN AMAZING SIGHT.  SO MANY, INCLUDING PRIESTHOOD LEADERS AND TRAINERS AND  MISSIONARIES AS WELL, SPEAK OF THE BLESSING OF BEING ABLE TO SERVE AT THIS EXCITING TIME IN THE GROWTH OF THE CHURCH.

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS DECORATING THE MTC GROUNDS.  THE COVERED WALKWAY IS WELL TRAVELLED EVERY DAY.  IT SEPARATES THE MAIN WILFORD WOODRUFF BUILDING FROM THE RESIDENCE FOR BOTH SENIOR AND YOUNGER MISSIONARIES. 

WINTER COMES TO PROVO AS WELL

This is a view looking north from the Wilkinson Center at BYU.  We often go here to do research on family history.

Looking out from our room at the MTC.  The room is very comfortable and equivalent to that of a very good hotel. 

AND THEN THERE ARE SCENES LIKE THIS FROM OUR MTC ROOM--IT DOESN'T GET MUCH BETTER

THIS IS WHAT FAMILY HISTORY IS ALL ABOUT.  REAL PEOPLE WHO CAME TO CANADA IN THE LATE 1850'S AND REMAINED AS GOOD CITIZENS.  BELOW IS A PICTURE OF MY SECOND GREAT GRANDPARENTS--JOHN LEARY AND HIS WIFE MARIA SNEYD WHO TOGETHER LEFT IRELAND FOR JAMAICA IN ABOUT 1852 WITH 8 CHILDREN FOLLOWING THE POTATO FAMINE IN IRELAND.   HE WORKED AS HEAD POSTMAN FOR JAMAICA, LEAVING A JOB BEHIND IN IRELAND IN THE ROYAL IRISH CONSTABULARY.   THEY ULTIMATELY TRAVELLED TO CANADA, PROBABLY UP THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER, IN ABOUT 1858 VIA NEW ORLEANS AND SETTLED AS HOMESTEADERS ON THE EAST SIDE OF LAKE HURON.  FROM THERE THEY AND THEIR DESCENDANTS PROGRESSIVELY MOVED WESTWARD FOLLOWING THE FRONTIER, FIST TO THE WINNIPEG AREA AND THEN TO ALBERTA, WHERE GEORGE'S FATHER WILLIAM HENRY LEARY HOMESTEADED, AND FINALLY TO THE LOWER MAINLAND AREA OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.  SISTER DARLA SMIGEL ORIGINALLY FOUND THIS FAMILY FOR ME  BEFORE WE LEFT CALGARY LAST FALL AND SINCE THEN, WHILE AT THE MTC, INFORMATION HAS MIRACULOUSLY COME TO ME ON NEARLY 1000 OF THEIR  DESCENTANTS.  SISTER LEARY AND I WILL BE ATTENDING THE PROVO TEMPLE TOMORROW TO DO THE ORDINANCE WORK FOR THIS GRAND COUPLE.  WHAT A GREAT BLESSING THIS IS TO US AND I KNOW IT SHALL BE FOR THEM AS WELL.

John Leary 1804-1881

Maria Leary nee Sneyd 1808-1901

JOSEPH SMITH MEMORIAL BUILDING WHERE WE RECIEVED TRAINING ON HUMANITARIAN WORK INCLUDING DISASTER RELIEF; HOWEVER,  MOST OF THE HUMANITARIAN TRAINING WAS DONE AT THE MTC. 

This statue of Joseph Smith, above and below, is said to be about the height of Goliath according to the Old Testament

 From the 8th floor of the Joseph Smith Bldg with the Church Office Building on the left.  Wasatch Mtns in the background.

Joseph Smith Memorial Building--a beautiful building in every respect.

WELFARE SQUARE IN SALT LAKE CITY

 Map of employment centers around the world

 Grain Storage Silos

 Desert Bakery

Some of our group at a display presenting the Church's dairy operations

 Fruit, jams, peanut butter, honey and other products produced by the Church.  The Church produces 70% of all commodities it provides to help those in need.

 A glimpse of the storage capacity of the facility we visited with some 20,000 square feet.  The Church's main storage facility in Salt Lake is at a different location and is much larger with some 600,000 square feet of storage for commodities.

 Cheese production

Pasturizing equipment above and below

 The story of cheese production at this facility

The mission statement of the Welfare Plan as stated by J. Reuben Clarke Jr.

ENSIGN PEAK--A HISTORIC LANDMARK FOR THE CHURCH

 The two upper views are looking north along State Street.  Ensign Peak is just to the left of the end of the street, an indiscriminate peak to the left of the Utah State Capitol Building, about due north of the Salt Lake Temple.  Its location seems significant to me in terms of the analogy with the North Star and its value to navigation.  Here Brigham Young found the landmark he had previously seen in vision and knew this was the valley that would provide a home to the Saints.

 Ensign Peak up close looking to the north from the edge of the city.  The peak is a small subsidiary peak to the main Wasatch Mtns and is not distinctive from a distance.  It only takes on a somewhat unique appearance close up.  It has distinctive features that would have allowed Brigham Young to recognize it immediately when he saw it for the first time subsequent to an earlier vision of the peak.

Utah State Capital Building at the head of State Street

Salt Lake Temple



MANY FRIENDS HAVE BEEN MADE AT THE MTC

Elder and Sister Livingston, on the left and below, from Seattle going to Barcelona, Spain for MLS.  They have previously lived in Calgary.

Sister Smalley going to Spain as well.

MT. TIMPANOGOS TEMPLE.  A BEAUTIFUL SIGHT AT NIGHT WITH A FOGGY MIST ENVELOPING THE SPIRE.  WE DID A SESSION WITH ELDER SMITH AND FAMILY AND HIS DAUGHTER CARRIE, WHO TOOK OUT HER ENDOWMENTS TONIGHT.  SHE IS  ON THE LEFT BELOW AND THEN CENTER RIGHT IN THE NEXT PHOTO.  SHE IS GOING ON A MISSION IN LATE MARCH THIS YEAR TO NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE.

 

I have a habit of taking weird pictures.



TWO WONDERFUL GRANDDAUGHTERS IN SALT LAKE CITY DOING CHEERLEADING COMPETITIONS.   THEY LIVE IN ST. GEORGE, UTAH.

Brookelyn  

 Kiara

 A few hundred were involved in these competitions.



PERPETUAL EDUCATION FUND (PEF) TRAINING IN SALT LAKE CITY

 Church Office Building in background where the training was given on the second floor.  The building has a great cafeteria in the first level below ground.  Meals were provided for us while there. 

 

The First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve and other General Authorities have offices in the building in the center foreground above and as shown on the right front of the Church Office Building. 

 Salt Lake City Temple--A beautiful site and setting.