Wow, I can't believe that week flew by so quickly. Here it is Friday and we're finished with our MTC experience! They spent the morning pushing all of us out of our comfort zone again. The lesson was on teaching less-actives. So were assigned another Senior couple that we didn't know - (not in our district) and we met with them for a role-play assignment. For the first 15 min. we played the role of a less active couple. (one of the couple was a member, maybe active or less active, and the other had to be a non-member, or less active member) while the other couple were missionaries. The next 15 min. we were assigned a new couple where the roles were reversed- we were the missionaries & they were the less-actives. You have to find out all you can - like a real life situation would lend itself to - and then we all came back to our original classrooms. Then we had 30 min. to develop a lesson plan that we should go back & teach them according to the things we had discovered about them. At the end of the 30 min - we return to meet the couples again. We had 30 min. as the less actives & the other couple got to teach us their lesson - then we switched to new couples - and we were the missionaries and had to teach a lesson to our less-active couple for 30 min. (I hope this all makes sense). It was enlightening to say the least. Wow! Talk about have to bring up scriptures on the fly, address hurt feelings, give some type of gospel lesson, give them a committment to do something & then finish without getting thrown out of the house! ha! It was a full afternoon of evaluations & then each district had a senior missionary couple come to speak to them & read several case studies of situations & tell how you'd use the plan that includes the ward council & fellowshipping less active people. Our senior missionary was pretty elderly - but he had & his wife had served ELEVEN missions!! Imagine! It was a spiritual feast just listening to him. Then off to dinner. Since it was Friday it was PIZZA NIGHT!!! (made us think of some of our kids & grandkids who have the tradition of having Friday night Pizza Night ! See? we had it with you!)
Only in the MTC things are kind of different. They give you a choice of 2 or 3 different kinds of pizza, and it's all you want. You should have seen some of those Elders' plates!!! This pizza is delivered by Papa Johns... All 750 of them! Can you even imagine? The worker we asked said they usually get about 750 pizzas delivered on Fridays! The kitchen was STACKED with empty pizza boxes (which, unfortunately, they had thrown away by the time I grabbed my camera!) After dinner we usually go for a walk before our language tutoring from 6-8pm. I can see now why our missionary kids always liked to get outside. After sitting in classrooms & cafeterias etc, all day... you really yearn for some REAL outside air!
The grounds are just lovely. There are gorgeous flowers planted and lush green grass (usually underneath several missionaries who have reclined all over it). And then many of you will recognize the circle drive where all the flags of different countries are displayed:
It has been an absolutely WONDERFUL week here. We finished our language tutoring with a testimony meeting for all the couple who are taking language training. We were asked to bear our testimonies in the language we've been studying. So, we heard testimonies in French, Spanish, Japanese, Hungarian, and Cambodian. Absolutely amazing to see all these couples get up and struggle through, but complete their testimonies in a new language. Obviously the Spirit is multi-lingual, because there wasn't a dry eye in the house as we could feel the spirit so strongly, even though we could exactly understand. We left that night with rather mixed feelings. We were totally exhuasted in every way possible - so we were glad to be headed home to our own beds. On the other hand, we hated to leave the MTC and all those amazing couples we had grown to love in just 5 short days, and the incredible spirit that exists there. We LOVED it there. Believe me, start planning today for your opportunity to experience this! Our motto this week: Rise & Shout - The Senior Missionaries are Out! We are ready to join the approximately 4250 Senior couples worldwide. Next destination - Montreal!
Only in the MTC things are kind of different. They give you a choice of 2 or 3 different kinds of pizza, and it's all you want. You should have seen some of those Elders' plates!!! This pizza is delivered by Papa Johns... All 750 of them! Can you even imagine? The worker we asked said they usually get about 750 pizzas delivered on Fridays! The kitchen was STACKED with empty pizza boxes (which, unfortunately, they had thrown away by the time I grabbed my camera!) After dinner we usually go for a walk before our language tutoring from 6-8pm. I can see now why our missionary kids always liked to get outside. After sitting in classrooms & cafeterias etc, all day... you really yearn for some REAL outside air!
The grounds are just lovely. There are gorgeous flowers planted and lush green grass (usually underneath several missionaries who have reclined all over it). And then many of you will recognize the circle drive where all the flags of different countries are displayed:
It has been an absolutely WONDERFUL week here. We finished our language tutoring with a testimony meeting for all the couple who are taking language training. We were asked to bear our testimonies in the language we've been studying. So, we heard testimonies in French, Spanish, Japanese, Hungarian, and Cambodian. Absolutely amazing to see all these couples get up and struggle through, but complete their testimonies in a new language. Obviously the Spirit is multi-lingual, because there wasn't a dry eye in the house as we could feel the spirit so strongly, even though we could exactly understand. We left that night with rather mixed feelings. We were totally exhuasted in every way possible - so we were glad to be headed home to our own beds. On the other hand, we hated to leave the MTC and all those amazing couples we had grown to love in just 5 short days, and the incredible spirit that exists there. We LOVED it there. Believe me, start planning today for your opportunity to experience this! Our motto this week: Rise & Shout - The Senior Missionaries are Out! We are ready to join the approximately 4250 Senior couples worldwide. Next destination - Montreal!
1 comment:
Dear Elder and Sister Mahaffey,
Wow, I am thrilled to be able to address you as such. I just clicked onto your blog and got caught up with this past week's experiences. The spirit was very evident and strong through your postings and pictures. There is no doubt that you will truly be an instrument in the Lord's hands as you continue to be led and guided by His spirit. May you feel His love and guiding influence as you serve. Thanks for sharing these inspiring experiences.
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