News from the MTC

Here are a few excerpts from his most recent letter, dated last Monday, April 6. He should have received my little Easter package Friday or Saturday. And get letters today. I'm going to write him on the Dear Elder.com so he will receive it right away. There is a link on the right to that for anyone who is interested.
From Mike's email: "We figured out this DearElder.com, and how it works. It is run from the MTC. You can register and open an account which allows you to compose a letter on the website. They then print out the letter at the MTC and put in the missionaries mailbox. If it is submitted before noon Mountain time, it gets delivered same day. Once the missionary arrives in his mission, you can still use DearElder.com, they just print out your letter and mail it to him/her in the field. While in the MTC it's free, but they charge appropriate postage ($.42 here in the states) once the missionary gets out to his mission, which we would be paying anyway. So it's about convenience, not having to purchase supplies, go to the Post Office, etc...pretty cool, in case you didn't know."

"...My schedule is of course very busy. This was my schedule for today. 7am Referral center, 8:15 breakfast, 8:45 personal study, 9:45 companion study, 10:45 missionary directed time, 1pm lunch, 1:45 pre gym, 2:05 gym, 3pm post gym, 3:30 class time with Brother Morgan, not me, I'm Elder Morgan, 6pm dinner, 6:45 class time with Brother Winder, 9pm planning, 9:40 zone prayer, 10:15 quiet time, 10:30 lights out. Although our zone leaders were leaving tonight with about 10 others so we spent about 20 minutes taking pictures.
That was all just today. Our schedule changes throughout the week. Tomorrow Elder Gilbert and I are going to a teaching appointment in the Teaching Assessment Building. We get to go into this creepy little room with "trained investigators" and teach them the Restoration and there's this tiny little camera in the room that our teachers will be watching us through and evaluating how the investigator is feeling. Elder Gilbert is nervous but I can't wait. Out of our district of Elders, I think Elder Gilbert and I are the most prepared. There are some companionships that haven't even gone through it together.
On Friday we watched a video called the District. It's about a few real live missionaries and their day in the field. That video just made me want to get out there faster.
General Conference was amazing! I've never stayed so attentive before. I took notes like crazy. My favorite talk was Elder Holland's talk on how we can never be alone. I did fall asleep a few times but it was the kind of sleep where you can hear everything but your head can't stay up. Yep, that's the one..."

We are so glad he is happy. The letters don't come soon enough, but I can wait. After 10 hours of Conference, I too, even fell asleep once or twice, but I wasn't in my Sunday clothes. The reference to General Conference is from Elder Jeffery R. Holland's talk last Sunday. He was the President of BYU when I attended and have always loved to listen at his feet. I had hoped to post a video of the talk, but it wont be on the church website for another week. Here is a link to the text, and at the end is a short video the church put together using the last few minutes of the talk. It went well with Easter.

Love to all, and thanks for showing your support for Jacob.
Love, Jenn =)

Jacob's First Letter

We got Jacob's first letter today and we are very excited. I know you all can't wait so here it is:

April 1, 2009 (first day in the MTC)

Dear Mom,

Well, this was probably the longest day of my life. After I walked through that door I probably spent the next 45 min going through hall after hall, getting packet after paper. I got my hepatitus A shot and they gave me a sucker. ;-) When I finally got to my room my companion was already there with his bed made. His name is Elder Gilbert, from Idaho Falls. He helped me bring my luggage up.

We met our room mates, Elder Peis and I can't remember the other elders name but we got to know each other while we unpacked. We then went to the cafeteria for dinner and then came back to our room to prepare for our branch orientation.

When we got there we were told how to act in the mission field: hands out of pockets, buttoning the buttons of our suits, standing when sisters enter the room. I'm sure we'll forget all this when we get to the field because I've never seen our missionaries without their hands in their pockets.

After we were told all of this we went through our schedules while we are here in the MTC. OH! MY! GOSH!! There is so much. I looked at Elder Gilbert and he has the same feelings as me. Our schedule is packed. I knew it was tight but this? You have no idea. Our zone leaders said "If you get through the first 3 days, you'll be fine."

Dad was right. The food is great. I only get 30 min to write an email once a week so I'll try to write everyone.

Elder Jacob Frank Morgan

The MTC!

We started the morning and Jacob was up, dressed and packed before my eyes were even working. He was so excited and ready. He has been such a good sport about us dragging him around the Salt Lake and Utah Valleys, visiting family, college friends and wrapping up loose ends. He was getting tired of, "Are you excited?" and "Where are you going?". I woke up and went into his room at his Aunt's house and gave him a big hug and told him to just indulge me for one more day....he just smiled.

See all the snow we woke up to out the window?

We grabbed him some lunch at the local McDonald's, his choice and it was fun to listen to the kids laugh and joke together.

The MTC is located in Provo, Utah. It is it's own closed campus, with everything they need, laundry, barbershop, bookstore, mail facilities, cafeteria, dry cleaners, gym. There are anywhere between 1,600-2,500 missionaries there at one time. He is also across the street from the Provo Temple and down the street from Brigham Young University, where Mike & I met and started our family.

It is a smooth running machine. They do this every Wednesday.

We pulled in and unloaded at the curb,

while Mike parked the car, we rolled his luggage down the sidewalk, parked it in a long line of luggage and he had to remember the number so he could find it later. Then we walked back to the front where there were lots of missionaries and lots of families. Missionaries in one door and the family/friends through another. We end up in a large lobby and the missionaries turn in their paperwork, immunization information, and they receive their nametag. They gave Jacob a little seam ripper so we could open his pocket for the nametag. Silly us!

Then we are able to mingle, take pictures, smile and cry.
Jacob with a bronze bust of Joseph Smith.

We were able to meet up with President Heaton, he actually found us! He is Mike's Uncle's Wife's Cousin's Husband (get out your genealogy, that would need to be mapped! Morgan's - did I get that right?) and is going to make sure a picture is taken next week when the last of 4 second cousins arrive at the MTC. I am so excited about that. What a heritage and memory. He took this picture of our family.

As you walk down the long hall, it is lined with pictures of missionaries. Large poster-sized, framed pictures of missionaries doing their thing, walking down the street, praying, a really neat one of two shadows on the sidewalk (use your imagination), baptizing in a pond/lake, riding down a tree-lined street, etc. They were all cool and if I had had more time, I would have looked longer.

We then went into a chapel (there are no pictures allowed because it is a chapel) and there in front, where it can not be missed, are 2 bright yellow signs. The one on the right reads: Missionary Exit, the one on the left: Family Exit. Is that not a tear-jerker or what? While we wait for everyone to arrive we watch LDS family commercials, you've seen them: "Isn't it about.....time?" In between, there are interesting facts, like, 2.6 tons of cereal are eaten every month, 52 languages taught, their schedule the rest of the day (getting a companion, orientations, dinner and unpacking), etc. We also learned that there are 16 MTC's around the world, amazing!

After an opening song of "Called To Serve" and prayer, short message by President Clegg and his wife, the moment came. Missionaries to the right, families to the left. As Jacob came down the row and gave each of us a hug, all cried, except for Richy, he was strong (just excited for his new room)! Mike gave his some great advice: Pray like everything depends on the Lord and then work like it all depends on you. He walked through the door, I knew he wouldn't look back, he's way to0 excited and eager to get started. He will be a great missionary.

A quiet walk back to the car, ate lunch at the Cougar-eat at BYU, stopped by the grocery store to put goodies into a box and sent to Jacob. He should receive it tomorrow.

I will try to post as often as we get letters and such. We can email, write, and send care-packages. But, no phone calls, except on Mother's Day and Christmas. This is a new experience for a lot of our family and friends, so if you ever have any questions or comments, please let me know. Love, Jenn =)

Getting Set Apart

Jacob was set apart as a Missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on Thursday night. It was a really nice evening. President Gregory D. Mott, our Stake President, set him apart and gave him some good advice and counsel. So, we are starting to call him Elder Morgan when we think about it. He will always be Jacob to me. We drove to Utah on Friday and hung out around the Salt Lake valley today. 4 days to go! Love, Jenn =)

MTC Website

Mike came across a great website that tells about the Missionary Training Center. For all of our friends, and Jacob's, who maybe interested in what they do there, etc. this is a great opportunity to see. There is also a virtual tour. Very cool of you are interested. Love, Jenn =)

A New Experience

We had a great experience taking Jacob to the Spokane Washington Temple last Friday. My sister was able to come and them we had quite a few other couples that have been important for Jacob. Past Young Men Presidents and friend's parents. He just absorbed everything and came out glowing. It is nice to see him take these important steps for his progression in life, being worthy to enter, and living the gospel standards. He is such a great kid (man?) He is so ready to get to the MTC (Missionary Training Center) and on to Arizona! We leave on Friday to SLC, Utah and then on to Provo April 1st. Time flies! Love, Jenn =)

Un-Official Farewell

I can not believe time moves so fast and yet so slow. We have been doing so much getting Jacob ready and I can't believe it's been over a month since I posted. But what do I post? I didn't think you wanted to know about the DMV visit, medical stuff, shopping, etc. But now there is something worthy........his un-official farewell. In the old days, when Mike went on a mission, they had horses and wagons......no, just kidding. They would have Sacrament Meetings full of family speaking, musical numbers, brag-talks full of family stories,etc. Then there would be Open Houses in the evenings where people would come, leave gifts, say good-bye, like a mini-party. They have now moved to a more spiritual/gospel centered meeting with the called missionary giving a talk on the assigned topic. And, they discourage the Open House Party. The purpose being to focus on the mission and teaching the Gospel and not on the farewell to his "former life". That is totally fine with me, less work. As if getting him ready is not work enough and top it off with preparing a talk, organizing the family to sing (I did do that), and preparing food and stuff for an Open House? I'm happy to Follow the Prophet.

This past Sunday, 15 March, Jacob gave his talk in church. The topic was The Gospel of Jesus Christ from a talk by Elder L. Tom Perry, from April 08 Conference. He did a really nice job. He spoke with the Stake High Councilman, George Johnson. There were a lot of friends from the old Pines Ward and it was so nice to see them and show their support for Jacob.

Mallory and Becca sang One Voice. It was a theme a few years ago at Girls Camp. I was at Time Out For Women in Denver a week ago I happened upon a great songbook collection with that song in it. They sounded like angels and we complemented by many people. Mal was having the hardest day of a cold and was really worried about how it was going to sound. There were angels there to support her because you couldn't tell while she was singing that she was sick, only before and after. It was a perfect meeting. (mental note: do not participate in the meeting yourself, it is hard to read music through the tears)

A great treat that we had was my nephew from St. Louis, Brandon, came out for the weekend. He is such a great kid. He took a few days out of his Spring Break to hang with Jacob before he leaves. This is such a tender time, as many of you know, watching your son do a lot of "lasts" for a few years. Brandon was a great addition to our family for the weekend, he probably thinks we are a little weird and quirky, but I'm sure we made him laugh quite a bit. Thanks for coming Brandon! (yes, he is taller than Jacob, he was standing on the carpet and Jacob was on tile, but he is still taller!) Love to all! Jenn =)