5/8 AH! A relaxing time. It is Sunday about 3:00 no meetings until 5:30, dinner at 4:30 then there is a departing fireside for those leaving before Sunday of next week and at 6:30 there is a devotional starting at 7:00 PM but we need to be in our seats by 6:30 or we lose our reserved seating. This morning in RS Shauna said Sheri Dew spoke and it was very good. Three of us couples going to Cebu ate lunch together and stayed and stayed and stayed. We have packed and re-packed our luggage until I think we have it. We are allowed 2 bags each weighing less than 50# each bag. However the second bag cost us $50 each. Our carryon luggage cannot exceed 15#s. I have been weighing each bag as we move along to be sure we don’t exceed the 50#s if we do it is $150 from 50-70 #s and $300 for over 70 #s. Pretty steep amounts if you ask me. We are sending 2 suitcases home with the overage. Brother Heaton the MTC Training Coordinator, not just for Provo but for all of the church MTCs spoke and was very good.
This coming week we will be Monday through Wed 8-5:00 at the Provo Temple studying and Thursday from 8:-1:00. Then we will be on our way to Ogden to spend one last night with the girls and families in the Sleep Inn motel. They will take us to the Airport at 7:30 PM on Friday and then our flight leaves at 9:40 to San Francisco, Frisco to Hong Kong and Hong Kong to Cebu 30 hours later. We leave on Friday and arrive on Sunday. Crossing the International Date Line we lose Saturday.
5/10 (Tuesday) Today in the morning at the Temple Training we had Elder Merrill Bateman &(former BYU Pres,, 70 and now the Provo Temple Pres.) came and addressed us for a little over an hour, my cup runneth over. Kurt Jenkins the Provo Temple Recorder came and talked to us-boy we didn’t know the recorder had such a lengthy list of duties and responsibilities.
Tonight being Tuesday we went to the Devotional. Quite a buzz was going on around the MTC as to who the speaker was and the Young Elders and Sisters were enmass at the doors of the Meeting Hall. The Sr. Missionaries can get in a 6:30 if they go to the South entrance, which we did. When the doors opened at 6:40 for the younger missionaries there was the rushing of wind as they rushed to get the seats as close to the front as possible. Of course the Sr. Missionaries get the first few rows reserved right in the center, no more than 20’ from the podium until 7:50 and the younger missionaries were hanging around like vulchers for any vacant seat at 7:50 to sit at the feet of an Apostle and Prophet. But not just any Apostle/Prophet but, Elder Jeffery R. Holland was the speaker. He spoke for 1 hour and 15 minutes without notes and gave a dynamic talk to all the missionaries. He used terminology like “This isn’t Burger King” you can’t have it your way on a mission, we are sent forth to Preach His Gospel, HIS way not ours. We are to study and pray and teach by the spirit what the people needs not by rote but by the spirit. Something to the effect that we are sent forth to preach for the 12-24 months we were called and to testify to the people by the spirit, you (the missionaries) need to know where you are going, you need to have a testimony. Your first convert is YOU. I don’t want to see any of you in 5 or 10 years with body piercings or tattoos, if I do I’ll punch you in the nose. You need to be converted to the gospel of Christ before you can teach it. And in no uncertain terms in this manner he spoke to all the missionaries for 1 hour and 15 minutes. It was a powerful, spiritual, uplifting talk. WOW! What great power and authority he spoke with.

5/11 (Wednesday) Today in our Temple Missionary training we had Elder Kakuchi come and spoke to us for over an hour. These men are truly dynamic. Our Temple Missionary training leader is Elder & Sister Rex D. Pinager (70 Emeritus) they are the cutest couple, so loving. She turned around once while she was talking and he was napping so she gently woke him and went on with her information. Just so cute. Of course we cannot write about the things we have been learning so suffice it to say we have been well rewarded for the time we have spent at the temple in training.
Yesterday we met Elder and Sister Michael Cummings from Idaho Falls, We have been asked by a few people over the past few years if we were related to them but of course we are not. He and his wife started their mission this week and are going to Cove Fort for I presume a 6 months mission. We have had a few meals with them and got to know them a little. He is a retired school teacher/administrator from the Shelley area. They are a really nice couple, wouldn’t mind being related to them.