Week 1 at MTC‏

Dear Interested people!

Selamat Sore from the MTC! Thank you for all of your love and interest in our mission. We are humbled to be here.

However, just as you would expect, we have had miracles occur already. First of all, I am typing this to you on Microsoft Word! Yes, that is what I said. There are no dogs barking at me to tell me if I am doing something stupid, no pig to oink when I save this and walk away. I will tell you that I miss my Kids Write program, but every good thing must come to an end! Second miracle, we are actually sleeping in the same room. The MTC told us to just deal with it when we went crawling to beg for a suite at the Marriott (just kidding, we didn’t even ask). I know, I know! And we are, in fact, sleeping….!

But the real story is about what we are learning! We feel like we have had an entire college education in one week. After we arrived, they had the young elders carry our luggage up to our rooms so we could go right in and get started. The first part of the week was all about Preach My Gospel. We were taught the importance of teaching with the spirit. They wanted to make sure we got it, so they have us practice role playing with each other and with other couples. But the final test came when we were given a contact name, and that contacts situation. We were taken to an area where they have separate rooms set up like living rooms and asked to knock at the door teach that contact. Our contact was ”Terry Chang” and we were told before that he had been to multiple tours in Afghanistan and was angry at God. Well we were wonderful at the “get to know you” part, in fact Terry loved to talk. In the conversation he told us his wife was an active member. Then we tried to draw the conversation toward God. He just kept talking. Finally, I asked if his wife was reading the Book of Mormon and if he had ever read it and he said yes! So then Elder Greenway asked how he liked it. He said he loved it. So, I said, “Well then, why haven’t you been baptized?” And he said that he had been baptized! What!!! Our little paper didn’t say that! So immediately we stepped into less active mode. We had just assumed he was acting as a non-member!!!!

On Thursday we headed to the Church Office Building to PEF training. At our introduction we received a bright yellow paper with a giant list of acronyms that we should become familiar with. PEF, ERS, S&I, etc. That first day of training was absolutely life changing. We learned about Pres. Hinckley’s concerns about the poverty in the world, and especially within the Church. We learned about the statistics about membership concerning members in North America vs. membership outside North America, and then the projection out 20 years. Staggering! Not only does poverty diminish leadership opportunities but it also creates financial burdens for the secure areas that cannot be sustained. We can bear testimony that we have, and have had living Prophets that do receive revelation. That the Perpetual Education Fund is one of those revelations! It soon became an Ah-hah Moment in both of our lives. The information was both tender and mind boggling. We received two days of that kind of training.

Add to that a devotional with Elder M. Russell Ballard, and being in the midst of 2000 young elders and sisters, and you can imagine what a wonderful week it has been. We have seen Elders Ben Richwine, and Milo Lahekahe. We have met a young sister from India going to Fiji… amazing!

We are so grateful for your support. We are very aware that life goes on for all of you, so therefore the struggles go on also. We pray for our family and friends. We love you dearly. We miss the Grandchildren with gusto (both the grandchildren and our yearnings have gusto)! But one thing is certain. As Emily told us earlier in the week, WE ARE WHERE WE SHOULD BE! Be where you should be, Doing what you should be doing, when you should be doing it.

We love you, we miss you, and we hope you are contributing to the PEF fund occasionally!

Dengan Mengasihi dan bahagian!

Elder and Sister Greenway, Missionaris bagi Gereja Yesus Christus Orang-orang Suci Zaman Akir.