Greetings from the smallest, largest, and best mission in the world!
• Around 1200 missionaries (it varies a little) and 20 zones
• Only about 4 city blocks
• Located on and near Temple Square in Salt Lake City (Except for the Granite Mtn. Records Vault)
Chrysta and I left her apartment in Phoenix Tuesday morning, February 28th and arrived in Provo around lunch time the next day, with a stopover Tuesday night in St. George, UT where we visited the St. George temple and visitor’s center. We ate at the Café Rio in St. George in honor of Mark and Laura (their favorite while they lived in Utah) and at the Los Hermanos in Provo in honor of Melanie and Tami (because they waitressed there while they lived in Utah). We had reports of bad weather all the way there, but it remained clear until we arrived safely.
Because of reports of an incoming storm, Chrysta remained in Salt Lake City with friends (and my car) and I rode the FrontRunner train to Ogden where I stayed the night with Chris Price. That was a fun little side adventure. Chris kindly picked me up at the station, took me shopping for a file cart, and to dinner at Chili’s restaurant where I ate a bowl of hot potato soup and watched the snow fall. Just for us! Everyone was talking about this late snow fall after such a mild winter. I spent the night at Chris’ and got all caught up on our visiting and then she took me to the station to catch the FrontRunner back to Salt Lake City the next morning on her way to school.
Chrysta picked me up at the station in Salt Lake City and we made it just in time to my 8:00 a.m. appointment in the mission office to sign my apartment agreement papers and pick up keys. Then we hurried to get to the apartment and unpack my car (which involved a trip up three flights of stairs and through three locked doors one way and two locked doors the return trip each time we carried a load) in time to take Chrysta to the airport at noon. She was a lifesaver. The snow held off for us while we got everything inside and then started to fall as we finished the last trip upstairs. Blessed again!
Friday morning I reported to my mission home, the Joseph Smith Memorial building, for a lunch and orientation meeting in the Relief Society banquet room (you can’t imagine how fancy). Over the next week I was repeatedly asked to introduce myself in various meetings and had my picture taken multiple times. They guide the new missionaries around and keep them together so they won’t wander off and get lost. After this meeting we met our trainers (mine is Sister Gilbert) and got started with one-on-one training on the third floor (the mission office).
The first day I met two of the other single sisters in this batch of new missionaries, Sister Munger from Idaho and Sister Calandra from Texas. Everyone always asks where you’re from. We all live in the Garden apartments and are sharing the experience of being new sister missionaries. We walk to meetings together and have done some grocery shopping and sight-seeing together. It’s nice to have someone to share all the amazing things we are seeing and doing.
Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m. we were in our seats in the Tabernacle on Temple Square for a live broadcast of Music and the Spoken Word at 9:30. Our choice if we want to go. That particular Sunday the Bells on Temple Square joined the Orchestra and Choir. What a way to start your Sabbath!
Then at 2:00 we went to church across the street directly north of us (the only time I’m closest instead of farthest from everywhere we walk) in our new branch, the Salt Lake 2nd Branch. The branch is not small. It just has no Primary or YM/YW because it is made up only of missionaries. We are mostly senior missionaries but we do have some young Elders who for one reason or another cannot serve a traditional mission but still want to serve.
Monday morning we began our regular schedule of training for the next two weeks which looks something like this:
7:30-8:30 Mission Devotional, Chapel, Joseph Smith Memorial Building Mezzanine
8:45-9:45 President Stalvey with all new missionaries, JSMB 10th floor, Suites A&B
9:45-10:00 Break: JSMB 3rd floor Training Zone
10:00-11:30 One-on-one training, JSMB 3rd floor Training Zone
11:30-12:30 Lunch break
12:30-3:00 One-on-one training, JSMB 3rd floor Training Zone
3:00-3:30 Elder Vermillion: parking issues and walk to Church Office Building for security pictures
End of training day
Afterward we do our laundry, make calls to the internet service, pay bills, get groceries, take out the trash, cook dinner, wash dishes, practice what we learned that day at home, etc. Monday night we had a Hail and Farewell dinner at the branch with a service project.
It varies a little from day to day. Tuesdays through Fridays we start the day with Prayer Meeting on the 3rd floor in the Training Zone instead of the Monday Mission Devotional. Different people come to talk to us about different issues or to take us someplace. Tuesday we went to an orientation in the Church History Library. They brought some artifacts down for us to see up close. There was a first edition Book of Mormon (worth 60-70 thousand dollars), a Book of Commandments (more rare, worth a million dollars), and a page from Oliver Cowdrey’s transcription of Joseph’s translation of the Book of Mormon. Seeing something I have heard about my whole life does make it come to life for me.
I can’t imagine a better place to serve a mission. I really do walk among angels every day. Our lessons, talks, and inspirational thoughts are funny, touching, testimony strengthening, and sometimes life-altering. It’s beautiful here, historic, convenient, everything is done so well, and the people are so kind and considerate. Did I mention I love my apartment?
I’ve already learned so much. I’m so happy with what we have been able to do to attach sources to our pedigree already. That sounds so much drier than it is when you find a picture of a headstone with your ancestor’s name on it and additional documents attached to the picture like a death certificate or a life story. You read the inscriptions and think about what kind of person this was. I thought it would take longer to do what we have been able to do this week. Can’t wait to get back to it Monday morning!
President and Sister Gledhill with President and Sister Peterson:
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