The MTC

From May 25 to July 25, 2005, I was at the Missionary Training Center (MTC) in Provo, UT. Similar to a prison, we were to remain within the fences of the MTC for the full two months we were sentenced to be there. Every week, we did have the opportunity to cross the street and attend the Provo Temple.

In the MTC, I learned a little bit of Español and continued to learn about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The MTC was a great environment and I was surrounded by many wonderful people who made the move from home very easy.

The morning I entered the MTC, I weighed myself and checked in at a nice 212 lbs. After being in the MTC for two months, eating three FULL meals EACH day, exercising four hours a week, and sitting in classrooms 10 hours a day, I was able to bump that weight up to a record high of 225 lbs. I was ready to hit those Guatemalan mountains running (well, not right away, I kinda had to take it slow for the first little while)!

July 24, 2005

In the MTC branch that I was in, there was a tradition that we had for the last night that we were there. All the Elders that were going to be leaving the MTC and traveling to their missions would be the hosts of the Bathroom Farewell Ceremonies (no official name had been chosen, until now). The tradition was that all the Elders in the branch (usually all the Elders on the same floor of the dorms) would gather in the bathroom. If circumstances allowed it, we would hold the ceremonies in the showering area of the bathroom. We would tell everyone who we were and what mission we were going to, have a few words, sing "God Be With You 'Til We Meet Again" in our mission language (Spanish), then have a parting prayer. It's an emotional time for a young man to think that in the morning he'll be on a plane to the place that he'll be living for the next 22 months.

To give you a little insight on these ceremonies, I have here some almost-never-before-seen footage of the ceremony that took place my last night in the MTC. Enjoy!!

July 25 - 27, 2005

Well, off we went from Provo to Salt Lake, from Salt Lake to Dallas, from Dallas to Guatemala City, from Guatemala City to Quetzaltenango, and finally from Quetzaltenango to a little hill called Tierra Blanca in Momostenango.