Flashback to the MTC!

One thing I learned while on my mission is how relative time can feel.

"The days are weeks and the weeks are days"

Time passed quickly and slowly at the same time.  While in the field, life before the mission seemed like a dream and eventually even my time in the Missionary Training Center (MTC) seemed like another lifetime.

For those of you that don't know, all missionaries go to the MTC for a period of 2 to 9 weeks before they head to the place where they will be serving.  I was a part of the first 6 week group headed to Sweden (before us there was a 9 week study period).  At the MTC you basically learned about how to be a missionary and you start learning your mission language.

I was part of a group that was nicknamed Legion... because we had 32 missionaries headed to Sweden!  It might very well be the largest group ever headed to Sweden at the same time!

Back Row:  Elder Beus, Elder Olson, Elder Higham, Elder Keele, Elder Farley, Elder Schwabedissen, Elder Gentillon, Elder Magum,  Elder Judd, Elder Richards, Elder Stafford and Elder Forsyth
Middle Row: Elder Bilodeau, Syster Lowe, Syster Sjoblom, Me, Syster Faux, Syster Swenson, Syster KKalt, Syster Larson, Elder Ogaard, and Elder Hills
Front Row: Elder Gray, Elder Simas, Elder Miles, Elder Miller, Elder Simmons, Elder Hanson, Elder Cahill, Elder Johnson and Elder Zaugg

My MTC district:

The Back Four: Elder Miles, Elder Simas, Elder Stafford and Elder Ogaard
Front Row: Elder Cahill, Elder Zaugg, Elder Hanson, Syster Faux, and me :)

The MTC as a whole is all a blur.  We had the opportunity to listen to Elder Ballard speak (As you will see later, Elder Ballard was a main figure of my mission).  The MTC was hard, but very worthwhile.   I learned a considerable amount about myself and I knew that I wanted to do everything that the Lord required of me, no matter how hard that may seem at the time.

Visas came in three waves with our group.  12 missionaries left on time, 9 left a week later, and the others a day later.  I was part of the middle group.  I arrived in Sweden late on 12 March 2014!