The Missionary Training center is a little couple square mile complex near BYU Provo in Utah. It's abbreviation is 'the MTC'. Most stateside, and English speaking missionaries go to the Provo MTC. There are several complexes throughout the world but this is the one I know. I spent three whole weeks there, and I hated the schedule. I remember being picked up by what looked like an ice cream truck from the airport, and being dropped off onto what looked to be a college campus with high wrought iron fencing. The moment I went into the MTC I knew I wouldn't be in the real world for another 3 weeks. After we got our little welcome and time to meet our 'residence mates' we immediately got placed in classrooms. Besides the two new buildings, all the other ones are outdated and from the 70's it seems. Lots of the concrete sidewalks are smooth from the many thousands of shoes that scrape across it each day.
We woke up at 6:30 and not a minute later, and were showered an waiting in line for breakfast by 8:30. We got around 10 actual minutes to eat because the lines were long. Then we studied preach my gospel which is essentially the teaching manual that missionaries use. We ate lunch afterwards. Did our TRC's (Fake investigators that we 'teach'.) Studied in class some more, and then had dinner. Studied yet again, and then went to bed. Sundays were ok, but we spend a lot of time singing hymns andpraying. Overall, there was a huge difference between the missionaries who just arrived, and the ones near the end of their stay. Each week felt like a month, by the end of the three weeks you felt like a seasoned veteran of the MTC.
Funny things happened all the time. A Polynesian Elder Broke a toilet seat. We built bridges, we stuffed a guy into a luggage case. We did funny and dumb things. I don't think I've laughed as hard as I have at some off the things I saw and did in the MTC. Really it was a college dorm, just with people who are mormon. We broke things, we pranked people, and we hide spoons in people's stuff. Hilarious, yet it was the only fun we had, one hour at a time.
At the end we each threw one tie into a bin, and blind folded ourselves. The District leader (leader of up to 7 companionships) drew the first one. Whomever put that tie in was the next to draw a tie. I ended up with a good tie, and was glad to have it.
Overall, I disliked the MTC. Too many emotions, crying, and crazy leadership. I liked my freedom, and the MTC gave me none. I did enjoy moments nonetheless, but the bus ride to the airport I enjoyed more. Overall, I really wish that I made more friends, but I was never going to make them there...
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