First Steps

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Or so Lao Tzu supposedly said. I remember when Adam was learning to walk. He would stand up, balance, and look very pleased with himself. Then, when he managed to take a step and remain upright, he would pause and look even more pleased with himself. Kind of the same look he has now as an adult when he beats me in Skull King.

I am not sure what you might consider me and Mary’s “first steps” in serving a mission. Perhaps it was those discussions relatively early in our marriage, when the idea of being on a mission seemed like paradise compared to 12 hour days in the office, changing diapers, and trying to convince young kids that broccoli was their friend and nap time was fun!

Perhaps it was jumping in the car last September while I was still recovering from COVID and driving cross-country to drop in on President and Sister Harkness in the Canada Montreal Mission office and talk about serving there. Or later, on the drive home, when Mary decided that she would be all-in on not only serving, but going to the Great White North (shout out to the Mackenzie Brothers). Or maybe it was when we officially opened and then submitted our mission papers, received our call, sold our house, and put most of our earthly possessions in storage.

For me, however, today felt like the real “first step.” At 10:15 a.m. we drove into the MTC and “reported for duty.” Of course, by the end of the day, I wondered if that first step had included some dog doo. You see, we got our schedule for the first week, and (if it is possible) it is even worse than the schedule we had as young missionaries–two daily 4-hour lessons taught by a couple of chipper recently returned missionaries on Preach My Gospel, plus loads of evening meetings, firesides and group hugs. Give me 32 hours alone and I am pretty sure I could write Preach My Gospel (3d. ed.). However, our super-pumped instructor assures me that even if we had two weeks we would barely be able to scratch the surface of the first principle of the first lesson. And, also, he made sure to tell us about 10 times that he is going to make sure we are taken “way way out” of our comfort zone. Luckily, this will not include “role playing.” Because we are apparently going to teach other senior missionary couples and random MTC missionaries “just as they are–not as fictional investigators.” So, yay? Not sure exactly how that is supposed to work.

“Hello, would you like a Book of Mormon?”

“No thanks, I have several. Um, would you like one?”

“Ah, no, I’ve read mine all the way through, like, 37 times, and in 3 different languages.”

“Oh my heck, that’s awesome. I am in my second week here at the MTC, and I just learned about this awesome Nephi dude.”

“Okay, so I guess we are good. It was fun ‘not role playing’ with you.”

I am so excited about going back tomorrow I might decide to take up stress eating. And look for a few dirty diapers to change.

Oddly, Mary seems much more excited about the MTC experience than me. This brings to mind one of my favorite Buddha quotes (and yes, I have many, many favorite Buddha quotes): “Travel only with thy equals or betters; if there are none, travel alone.” Unfortunately, the Mission Department will not let Mary continue on a mission by herself, so she is stuck with me. Hopefully, Buddha will understand.

On a happier note, we met a lot of great senior missionary couples today in our MTC group, going to lots of interesting places to do lots of wonderful things. Mary had the chance to chat in Spanish with a group of Hermanas–all from Mexico and South America–that we met on our tour, one of which is actually going to be serving in the Denver South Mission, and another who is going to the Canada Calgary mission (shout out to Garrett Heath). Our initial large introductory session this morning was taught by Dallin Johansen, so we took five minutes to chat with him. We also were able to reconnect with Sister Barlow, a sister missionary who recently returned from the Ft. Worth mission and knows Sean, who just started a teaching job at the MTC. And, fun fact, the classroom for our “district” of four senior couples is actually in the same building and on the same floor that I slept in 39 years ago when it was an elders’ dormitory.

Despite anything they can throw at us at the MTC, I am still really excited about getting to Québec and beginning our “real” mission. So I guess tomorrow morning I will get up, wipe the smelly stuff off the bottom of my shoes, and take a second step.