A Most Capable and Motivating Instructor

This is Sister Amy Street our morning instructor from Stockton, California who served her mission in the Massachusettes Boston Mission. She has skillfully taught us principles from Preach My Gospel. I wanted to get a photo of Brothers Pike and Barney, our afternoon instructors, but only one was there this afternoon. These young former missionaries are my heroes and I always want to remember them and their influence on this missionary.

This from Elder Jeffrey L. Holland:

"Come to the edge." "No", I will fall off.
"Come to the edge." "NO! I will fall off.
"COME TO THE EDGE!"
I went to the edge, and He pushed me....and I flew.

People do not experience miracles, says Elder Holland, because they do not push the envelope and put themselves in situations where God can work them. He invited us to merit miracles in our missionary efforts and promised them if we would exercise great faith and match it with works that stretch us as never before.

Missionary Training Center (MTC)

Highlights

My companion, Bobbie Peterson
Being one of 1600 missionaries on site
Being taught by outstanding returned missionary young men and women
Being housed at the Marriott
A Devotional with Elder Dallin Oaks and his wife, Kristin
Having reserved seating on cushioned chairs for the Devotional
Teaching a lesson to an "investigator" in the TRC and having the spirit present as if she had been a genuine investigator
Having 3 meals a day cooked and served to me with no dishes to do
Meeting old and young missionaries from all over the world, going to serve all over the world
Having re=affirmed again and again that the Gospel is true!
Finding one black skirt left in my size and on sale!
Having the gumption to pass up BYU Creamery Ice Cream at lunch and dinner
Having Caitlin be blessed with a job and know it was the result in part of Heavenly Father keeping his promise that my family would be blessed because of my missionary service
Getting my missionary badge
A video from the Romans Family made at FHE
Emails and texts from family

By the way...you can email me at my regular email address as I have forgotten my user name and password for my Maria.Mitchell at myldsmail.net and dont have the time to sort that all out

mimi and Caitlin Went Down to Provo

Saturday morning at 7 a.m. Caitlin, my grand-daughter,and I left for Provo...school for her, the MTC (Missionary Training Center) for me. The trip went quickly since I got to take two naps while Caitlin drove! We had no difficulties whatsoever and were very grateful. Caitlin and I both missed Cafe Rio, so we shared a bar-b-qued- pork salad for dinner. Easter Sunday was very enjoyable with a beautiful musical Easter Program at church. Has anyone heard the song, "Be Still and Know"? George Dyer has it on CD. After our meetings we visited Patti and Delray and then the Hansens. Scott came a little while before we had to leave so that was nice we got to see him as well as new little Evan. We went to Holladay for a lovely dinner with the Paces, Caitlin's roommate Abby's family. They had a family Easter Egg Hunt and rigged up string especially for Caitlin in the backyard to lead her to her basket. A returned missionary from Georgia said the highlight of his week was a four hour segment he spent at the Employment Center, helping people become self-reliant through employment. If they are not self reliant, he said, they cannot progress in their lives or in the gospel. It was really something special to be able to travel with Caitlin and spend the weekend with her. I heard the term "Quality GIrl" several times at the Pace home as they talked about different girls they would like to see their son date, and my Caitlin is definitely one in every way.

A story from church on Sunday: Two friends were walking in a desert when the one friend slapped the other. The man who was slapped, without saying a word, knelt in the sand and wrote the words, "Today my friend slapped me" and then they continued on their way. Later in the day, the slapped friend fell into some quicksand and was saved by his friend. The rescued friend walked over to a stone and carved the words, "Today my friend saved my life." His friend asked, "Why when I slapped you did you write in the sand, and when I saved your life, write in stone?" He answered, "When unkind things are done to you, you must let them go; when good is done to you, you must remember it always."

...And From My Temple Shift Friends

After serving for five years with mostly the same men and women in the Columbia River Washington Temple it was a very emotional day for me last Wednesday, my last day as a temple worker. I don't know if I will see some of our older patrons, Sisters Lane and Smith, when I return in 18 months as their health is failing. They attend every week, without fail and are my heroines! My friends held a "Farewell Pot Luck", hosted by Syd and Trudy Rodabough at their lovely home, after our shift. These fellow temple workers are some of the finest men and women on the planet and I am going to miss them all. Not being able to be instructed by Presidents Moody, Johnson, and Naef, and their wives is also going to be a great loss to me, but President Moody was reassuring in my release interview with him. He said in a few short days I would become an official representative of Jesus Christ and that brings a special feeling as well as a unique responsibility...that people would want to talk with me, just because I am a missionary. I anticipate that I will feel the same sadness when it is time to leave my mission as I am feeling today, but in 18 months, I will have the temple to return to.

...And From My Primary Friends

These sweet smiling faces belong to the Primary Children of the Clearwater Ward in the Kennewick Stake. For four months they were my kind and patient "guinea pigs" as I learned how to be a chorister! My interview for this calling went something like this: "Sister Mitchell....have you ever been in a choir? NO; Have you ever been a chorister? NO; Do you sing? NO!....but I did teach myself how to lead music so I could teach that to my 11 year old Activity Day girls. "PERFECT!, says he....we would like you to be the new Primary Chorister!" Stunned silence, but....eventually, a subdued, "okay". It was perfect training for being a missionary! As the Primary chorister I was a complete beginner, all my mistakes were very public, and the learning curve was challenging! I can't help but think it will be exactly like that as a new missionary! No one could be a more loving and tolerant group for "new beginnings"as were these sweet little children. I recall one incident where I had made a mistake on something (surprise, surprise) and apologized to the children as I turned my back to fix the error on my poster. I heard the dearest little voice behind me respond with, "That's alright, Sister Mitchell". You just had to hear the caring in her voice. MY FRIENDS! How I will miss them.

Pre-Mission Fun With My Granddaughters

Caitlin, Macy, Chloe, Gracie, Leo and I had one last grand-daughter sleep-over...and as Chloe said to me, "I bet this is the most fun you have had in a long time." She was right! We had pizza for dinner, took a walk in the "grove", had homemade brownie sundaes (gran abstained!) and the best part of all....at Chloe's suggestion, we played a fun prank on McKay! This photo shows the fun we had making a poster "asking McKay to prom". The girls put it on his windshield and then hid behind the porta potty at a nearby lot. Caitlin was with McKay and was our partner in crime texting us along the way. Unfortunately, Macy had to leave before McKay came out to his truck, but the rest of us heard him say, "Whoa, Whoa!" We were all so pumped to think that a grandmother and five girls put one over on him!