A Senior Moment

After leaving Florida and "Little Lara" we flew home to prepare for our next adventure -- 

a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  

Leaving for the MTC

On March 20, 2016 we were set apart as missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  When we were set apart by our Stake President, he reminded us the Lord promised special blessings not only for senior missionary couples but also their families. Russell M. Nelson said, “When we think of missionaries, we generally picture in our minds young men with shirts and ties and young women dressed modestly. But along with them are marvelous senior missionaries who have answered the pleadings of prophets and apostles for more missionary couples." We too felt compelled to answer the Lord's call to serve.

Our room at the MTC

After visiting with family and friends we traveled to Provo, Utah where we entered the Missionary Training Center (MTC) on April 4th. Our MTC room is small and simple, with a queen size bed, two closets, a small private bathroom, and a desk. It’s fairly spartan in decoration, but we have not spent much time in our room.  At the MTC, senior missionary couples receive training in doctrine, conduct, and proselytizing methods. 

Our Name Tags

Plus, it was in the MTC we began using the titles of "Elder" (for the men) and "Sister" (for the women). These titles are reflected on our name tags. During our first week of training, we spent the majority of our time with other Elders and Sisters in class, with breaks for meals, temple attendance, fitness activities, and personal preparation time (for laundry, letter writing, etc).  

In our classroom
 with other Senior Missionaries

Full-time senior missionaries are called by the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We serve voluntarily and at our own expense in a wide range of missions, including proselytizing, humanitarian, health, education, genealogical, as well as leadership missions. A missionary’s purpose is to “invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end”. 

Elder and Sister Bowden
standing with the first Church missionary,
 Samuel Smith

 For us, we spent our first week learning different teaching skills. This included an opportunity to practice those skills in the "Training Resource Center" where we learned how to teach by the Spirit. Here we went into a situation ready to teach one thing, only to discover we needed to teach something entirely different, as we tried to follow the Spirit's promptings. We also learn how to work with members, and church wards and branches. Next week we will travel to Salt Lake City Temple Square to receive specialized training on working in visitor centers, since we will be serving for six months in the Wyoming Mormon Trails Mission with a specific assignment at the at Sixth Crossing visitor center. 

While at the MTC  preparing to serve our mission we have met many wonderful senior and young missionaries.  They have come here from all over the world and will be leaving from here for assignments all over the world, including: the United States, Canada, England, Switzerland, Mexico, Dominica Republic, Brazil, China, Mongolia, Taiwan, and Japan.  

Standing before a world map
pointing to our assigned Mission

We have had many spiritual experiences while in the MTC.  This is a special and unique place and we have made many new and wonderful friends.  We have grown to love them in a very short time. When we all leave, going our separate ways, we will miss them, but we find joy and happiness in knowing they too will be serving the Lord.

Just a few of the many friends we met at the MTC