Last week, Kelly Mills, the International Director of all MTC’s across the world, came to Mexico City.  He gave a WONDERFUL talk.  We thoroughly enjoyed it.  He said, “In the Church we have good music and should have more of it, and good speeches, and should have less of them.”  There are 14 MTCs outside of Provo.  This is the largest campus of any MTC anywhere with 93 acres.  Half of all missionaries trained are taught in Provo.  A total of 14,000 missionaries have been trained here since it opened a few years ago.  The Provo MTC campus sits on 35 acres.  Guatemala houses 150 missionaries, Columbia houses 90, Peru 160, Dominican Republic 60, Argentina 80, South Africa has the smallest MTC with accommodations for 50.  The Philippines will, after its considerable remodeling house missionaries from all of Asia including:  Thailand, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Indonesia, New Zealand, etc.

He told a choice story of the Philippines.  Dear to our hearts.  He showed a slide of a missionary there with enormous ears, sitting with a group of other young missionaries.  The next slide showed the whole length of this huge missionary.  He was 7’8” tall with a size 23 shoe.  The MTC president said, “Oh Elder we are so glad to have you here, but I don’t know where we are going to find a bed long enough for you.  Oh, I know, we will pull 2 beds together, end to end.  This humble young man said, “Oh President, please don’t worry.  All I need is a piece of floor and a pillow.  I’ve never slept in a bed.”  Then the MTC President said, “Don’t worry, Elder, we will find you some shoes.”  “Don’t worry, President, I don’t remember when I ever had shoes.”  So he served barefoot. 

Sister Call gave another wonderful Relief Society lesson today.  She used the phrase, referring to the Iron Rod:  “Hold Tight, Knuckles white” until we get to the fruit.  She learned it on trek. 

Testimony:  One of our branch elders spoke of how nervous he was to actually leave for his mission until he got on the plane with 90 others coming here.  (I think that was the plane we suspect brought the virus.  We have had 2 weeks of a virus which has affected well over 100 missionaries.  Kind of like a Cruise ship virus.  They had this same experience last year about this time.  It is nasty:  high fevers, vomiting and diarrhea.  Neal and I have not escaped.