We began our volunteer training by entering the MTC in Provo, Utah on September 18, 2017. We really appreciated our son, Kevin, taking us to the MTC.
Upon entering the MTC, the first picture I took was this special stone that had so many meanings for me--
When I was serving as a Student Body Officer in 1965-66 at Ricks College, we were trying to think of a theme for the coming school year. Our SB President, Ron Hart, suggested this quote which had meant so much to President McKay when he was serving in the Scotland Mission--"What 'ere thou art, Act well thy part," usually attributed to Shakespeare. President McKay was very homesick at the time, but he re-dedicated his next two years to do the best he could in what the Lord would have him do. I had never heard this quote before that time, but that year, we really emphasized it to the student body and centered all of our activities around it, so it has long been a favorite of mine.
Then, when my grandson, Elder Carter Copeland, took a picture of a copy of this same stone which was on the Scotland Edinburgh Mission until 1970 (now a copy is there), and he is serving in the Scotland/Ireland Mission with this as their motto, it struck me again how brilliant and important this saying is--that all who serve throughout the world will remember this same thought and pattern their lives after it.
The MTC is so well organized and beautiful, inside and out!
Our rooms for the next five days were very adequate and comfortable.
Our name tabs were written in Russian. We weren't sure whose was whose when we first received them.
The newest area of the MTC where some of our classes were held had beautiful murals that were back lit and just beautiful!
Overlooking the area where P-day activities are held for recreation.
The grounds were just beautiful with all types of flowers and greenery.
With 2,200 in the MTC right now, over 300 as seniors, this is a city by itself!
After the five days of lessons and learning, we finally got to put our little tag on our door--"We have left for our mission!"
We were able to spend one more weekend with our family and did lots of fun activities, including two of my daughters-in-law, Angie and Kim, as well as two granddaughters, Lauren and Jenna, and I were able to attend the Women's Conference at their Stake Center. Nothing better than being together as family listening to such wonderful talks and music about the Savior!
After some tears with many family members, Lauren helped me get the final items stuffed in the allowed number of suitcases we could take--it certainly wasn't easy! We must have packed and unpacked a dozen times! Lauren helped me zip the final ones!
Our daughter-in-law, Kim, was so kind to take us to the airport.
Our flight would be 9 1/2 hours to Amsterdam, a little over 3 hour layover, then another 3 1/2 hours to Moscow. Fortunately, our son, Kyle, had gotten up-grades for us to sit in Economy Comfort where we had extra leg room, which really helped out!
After basically two days of no sleep, we were exhausted when we arrived. But the Mission President, his wife, daughter, and the two APs were there to pick us up and take us to the Mission Office where we were served the traditional Russian borscht soup made by the mission secretary.
The suitcases which had been lifted up three flights of stairs--16 suitcases in all--now had to be taken back down and loaded in cars to take us all to where we would be living, which included us, one other senior couple and two other young volunteers who had come with us. We all lived in different areas of the city.
We would now be starting the next 23 months of our lives with new experiences every day, helping out wherever we can.
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