Sunday:
The view from our room: 
I have to start out by saying I am sorry this is so long winded, but again, this is our journal to not only ourselves but to our family. Don’t want to forget anything. I do hope whomever reads this enjoys.
This has been such a uplifting day. It started out with meeting in a branch with the Elders and Sisters. We were in the A – C branch. It was small but the spirit was there and we felt it. Sister Crawford and I looked around for Elder Archuleta, but was he was not there.
Then we went to Music and The Spoken Word. This was held in the Lorenzo Snow Center. For those of you who have been to the MTC, you know where I am speaking of. Music and Spoken Word is on the BYU channel every Sunday at 9:00. It consists of some narrative and then the beautiful music of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
After that we attended Relief Society for the Sisters and Priesthood for the Elders. Relief Society was great and we heard from a sister who had been a missionary all of her life. She gave instances of serving and how it not only effected her but her family.
Then came lunch, rest time (much needed), then dinner (we had breakfast, as usual, around 7:15). After dinner we met in one of the conference rooms and had a Departure Meeting for those of us who will be leaving on our mission this coming week. It was awesome! There were at least 200 elders and sisters and senior missionaries in the group. President Brown, President of the MTC, spoke. He spoke of his mission as a young man. He told us about his companion, Elder Gold. Elder Gold was a soft spoken young elder who was an eloquent speaker, but he was obedient and every morning he arose and study his scriptures. Because of this, when he spoke or gave a lesson you could feel his sincerity and how much he loved Heavenly Father. This was because of the spirit of the Holy Ghost.
President Brown emphasized that we need to be obedient to what Heavenly Father asks of us. As we all know, listening to what we are supposed to do and doing it, are two different things. . .
After he finished speaking he called out different mission destinations and had whomever was leaving for those missions stand. When he said the Maryland Mission, Roy and I stood and about four elders also. They were way in the back so we weren’t able to see who they were, but when we get to the mission field, we will look them up. Excited to meet them. They will be there way before us because I am sure they will be on an airplane. We have chosen to drive because we can see the countryside and take our time
Finally, we went to the Sunday Night Fireside. What an unbelievable experience. When we came in we sang three songs. It is so overwhelming to hear all of the missionaries sing. Very powerful. Then after prayer, we all stood up because our guest speaker arrived on the stand. It was Elder M. Russell Ballard, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Wow! Before Elder Ballard spoke David Arculeta sang “The Spirit of God”. As long as I have been in the church we have never heard that song sung with such feeling. It was so moving, that when he sang the last Amen, and Amen. He could hardly finish it. It was so moving. We looked around and all were either teary eyed or very moved.
Again, and I know I have spoken of this before, but it is fills my soul to see the strength and sacrifice of these young Elders and Sisters. They are full of life and so excited to be going out and serving. I am so in awe of our children. They actually did what these elders and sisters are going to do. I look up to them. I hope Roy and I can serve do as well as our children and these young missionaries
After Elder Archuleta sang, Elder Ballard said “he is a tuff act to follow”. Funny. Elder Ballard gave us many words of wisdom. For example, when you are conversing with people, look them in eye and be yourself. They will see that we are sincere. Also, we will have good days and tuff days. But that is life. It’s not what happens, but your attitude. So important. He was uplifting and made us all feel that work we will be doing is so important not only for the people we teach but for ourselves. He ended his talk by saying, speaking of the quorum of the 12, “We are a bunch of old men, but we are pretty cool – well kind of”.
I know I have gotten long winded, but oh my gosh, what an unbelievable day. So uplifting and full of the spirit. You cannot understand until you have experienced something such as this.