The Missionary Training Center (MTC) is where young LDS men and women and retired couples go to prepare to serve full time missions. The missionaries do not normally choose where they would like to serve for those 18 months – 2 years but whether they are told to serve in the Outer Banks of North Carolia or Outer Mongolia thousands of missionaries serve faithfully each year.
My brother, Craig left on a mission 18 months ago and my family drove all the way to Rexburg, Idaho from British Columbia to visit me and then planned to drive to Utah to drop him off at the MTC. Around this time most of my family including Craig came down with the flu that was going around in Rexburg (me, JJ and our daughters got the flu a month earlier). Not wanting to make the other missionaries sick my family decided to leave my brother at my apartment and go back home. They were disappointed to not be able to go into the MTC with him.
On June 1st, 2009 the MTC made an official statement asking missionaries to delay their arrival to the MTC if they show any signs of illness. The MTC is also no longer allowing family members and friends to accompany new missionaries into the MTC. This change was scheduled to be made at the end of the year however a recent outbreak of both swine flu and regular flu at the MTC required them to make the change immediately.
Richard G. Hinkley, executive director of the Missionary Department says that the MTC plans to produce a movie that gives a tour of the MTC and shows what goes on their for families and friends of the missionaries that will be sent with their mission call package.
I think the DVD is a great idea. It will be a dificult change for families who have a tradition of accompanying their sons and daughters to the MTC. I went to the MTC to drop off my brother-in-law and you can see that it is a lot of work for the MTC to accomadate all the family and friends so I’m sure there will be less work to do on Wednesdays (drop off day) at the Utah MTC from now on!
June 19th, 2009 at 6:53 pm
What a change!
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