We have had a marvelous 1st week in the MTC. In 1 week they teach the senior missionaries what they take 3 weeks for the young missionaries. We obviously get a shortened version. We had 20 couples this week and 2 senior sister missionaries. We were divided into districts of 3 couples the first day. Here is our district.

Left to Right: Elder & Sister Taylor, yours truly, Elder Dowda(our instructor), Elder & Sister Pack. The Taylors are going to Las Vegas West, and the Packs are going to Chile.

We also have another couple going to the Palmyra Temple. They are from Lake George, Colo. in your Uncle Bill's ward. He is recruiting everyone. Below are Elder and Sister Guthrie. We have become good friends and look forward to serving with them in the Palmyra Temple.

Tomorrow we start the temple mission training. There are 2 other couples going on temple missions. One to the Washington DC temple, one to the Halifax, Nova Scotia temple. All of us will be training together this week.

Tuesday night at a devotional Elder Jeffrey R. Holland spoke to us. What a treat. He encouraged us to make the most of our missions even though it will be hard, and there will be tears. We can't expect to become like the Savior unless we are willing to go through our Gethsemane's. But the he and the Lord don't apologize for asking us to do hard things. He quoted a French poem roughly translated.

"Come to the edge, the Lord called.

No I said, I will fall.

Come to the edge He said again.

No I said, I will fall.

COME TO THE EDGE!

So reluctantly I came to the edge.

He pushed me.

And I flew."

When we trust the Lord He will take us where He wants us to go and it will be far beyond what we ever dreamed.

MTC Training

Yesterday we became officially Elder and Sister Sherwood. We were set apart by our Stake President. This morning we entered the MTC. We are living at home but go to the MTC each morning.

What an exciting day. There were 20 senior couples and 2 senior sisters. Going all over the world. From England to Halifax to Singapore and all over South America.

We started off the first orientation meeting by singing "Called To Serve". Who would of thunk it. What a spirit that hymn brings. We were surprised to see that one of the counselors in the MTC Presidency was President and Sister Brienhold, former President of the New York, Rochester Mission that we new while in New York. We met another couple that is going to the Palmyra Temple, Elder and Sister Guthrie. They are from Lake George, Colorado. They lived right outside the gate to Camp alexander, where most of you boys went to scout camp.

Today we were taught how to stay healthy, organized into 7 districts, and reviewed the schedule for the next two weeks. In general we will be going home each night after dinner. On Tuesday's however we have a general authority for a 7pm fireside.

The rest of this week we work with the missionary trainers and learn how to teach the gospel. Next week we will be working with Brother Rex Pinegar and his wife on the temple side of our mission. We are so excited.

We probably will write again on Saturday. That is our preparation day when we also go to the temple.