June 22 Report from the MTC

Today marked the first official day of our mission! We joined approximately 120 other mission presidents and their wives at the MTC. They are literally from all over the world--Africa, South and Central America, Europe, Asia, Australia, North America--every continent except Antarctica! They are some of the nicest people we will ever expect to meet in this life or the next. After a short conversation over lunch we feel like we have made life-long friends. It's hard to explain, but I guess it comes because they have all sacrificed to be here and are happy to do so.

Our day actually began with a cell phone call (thanks Metro Restaurants for letting me use the phone until the day that we depart to Japan!) from a representative of LDS.org who wanted to interview Pam and me for the Church's website. I don't mind saying that it was a bit intimidating as we were escorted into a room with bright lights, cameras, sound techs, and interviewers for about 45 minutes worth of questions and answers. I think it is because we are going to the Sendai Japan Mission and everyone knows the devastation that occurred there just two months ago. In any case, it was nice to be able to tell the cameras about our motivation for going and the support and love we feel from family and friends. They will follow up on Friday with more interviews and still shots when we get to meet and interact with the Sendai-bound missionaries who are currently in the MTC. Interestingly enough, this was the third interview from the media we have had in less than 24 hours. Yesterday morning a reporter from the Arizona Daily Star called us at the prompting of David Hoefferle, the Church Public Affairs Director for Southern Arizona. We visited with her on our cell phone for about an hour as we drove from Soda Springs to Salt Lake City. Then last night as we had a delicious authentic Japanese dinner with our good friend and Japanese language mentor, Norie Takada Palmer, and her family and friends, one of the family friends who is a student at BYU and a reporter for the BYU Daily Universe interviewed us for about 45 minutes about the adventure we are about to embark upon. As a couple who naturally seeks to avoid the media spotlight, this is an interesting position to be in. It is because of our strong feelings about what we are doing that we are willing to step out of our comfort zone and open ourselves up a bit.

We are still reveling in the experience of being set apart as Mission President and full-time missionaries last Friday by Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles, and Elder Michael Ringwood of the Seventy. We were blessed to have our mothers, each of our children, my brother Craig and his wife Savina, and Matt's three oldest children, Drex, Braden, and Sadie, with us. Amazing promises and blessings were pronounced upon us by those who we sustain as God's inspried leaders here on this earth. After that experience, we felt both comfort and greater courage to go forward in this great opportunity. Attached is a picture that we took immediately after the setting apart. Thank you for your love, support, and prayers in our behalf.

Love, Gary & Pam