Final Days at MTC

I am feeling better, I got released from quarantine Sunday afternoon. This week has been full of many cool experiences. I finally got a picture of the view I get to see for 6 hours a day while I'm in class. We figured out where the vending machines are in our complex, and they have things like licorice, pizza, soda, and even ice cream in them. The food has been lowering in quality, the only good thing we've had this week is Subway. We've been eating pretty much anything else besides the main courses. Later in the week, we made a basketball hoop out of a hanger in our room. We've been playing Pig with the basketball you sent before bed.

Since this is our last week, we got to do lots of different service. Monday we got to welcome the new senior missionaries by carrying their luggage and showing them their rooms. Tuesday we got to got back to the docks where the food arrives and took all sorts of ice cream and yogurt to the different fridges and freezers. Wednesday we welcomed both North American and international missionaries. The international missionary I helped spoke only Portuguese and Spanish which was a very difficult thing to do but we got him settled in. I then went down to the garage and got to help new missionaries get unloaded and led them to their rooms.

We had our last TRC week, and we were sad to say goodbye. Me and Elder Robert's taught a nonmember student at UVU named William. He's from Salt Lake City and all his friends are on their missions. His experience with the church are his friends talking to him about missions, and he loved to play church ball. Me and him talked for a while about basketball. Our meeting with him were great. We got him to pray and got him excited to read the Book of Mormon. Last night was our last meeting so we got his email and we're excited to keep talking to him while we're out in the field. 

After all the experiences I've had in the MTC, I'm so excited to go out to North Carolina and serve the people there.

-Elder Thompson

Adventures at the MTC

There has been a lot going in this week. Last we left of I had gone to the temple with my district which was a wonderful experience, and a stark contrast to what would hit later. One of my Saturday classes we learned about stress and ran up and down stairs to learn about physical stress. We then practiced teaching a nonmember who was role-played by our teacher Sister Ball. After we all had the opportunity to teach her, Sister Clark was hit pretty hard in class by the flu. The other elders and I had the great opportunity to give her a blessing before she was sent into quarantine. On Sunday we went to church and got to hangout more with our branch. Before the Sunday devotional my companion and I went to our first choir practice and then listened to a devotional by Elder Holland broadcast from Peru. Monday brought more class and workshops but we lost Sister Faleta to the flu as well. Monday night was our first TRC opportunity where we got to teach a real nonmember going to BYU. Speaking of BYU, I get great views of the Provo temple as well as the Marriot Center, Lavell Edwards Stadium, and BYU baseball field from my classrooms. Tuesday night we had Taco Bell for dinner and got to see Elder VoB(ss)ler's and Elder Veal's reactions to it. They are from Germany and the U.K. respectively and haven't had it before but said they enjoyed it.(Dad will probably know how to say VoBler by the way I typed it) Throughout the week my companions and I play basketball during our exercise time. I think I get a little too competitive though because I like to win, and the elders have been joking that I play a little too well. Our games are ended quickly and when I'm around, they all want to play knockout instead. Some nights this week the Elders on our floor have rubber band and slingshot battles with balls of paper. Thursday my companion wasn't feeling well and it turns out he has the flu so he is in quarantine but we did get Sister Clark back. I went with Elder Allen and Elder Postma in a trio and got to teach their TRC with them. All of our classes at this point include teaching a real nonmember or member or teaching one of our teachers roleplaying as a nonmember. Today, I woke up with the flu myself, but I can't check checked into isolation until 11. The rules before isolation were that I could receive and read emails all week and couldn't respond until Friday. Now that I will be in quarantine I can receive and respond to emails whenever I feel like it. I appreciate hearing all the great things that happen. They really lift my spirit and everyone else's as we are all struggling a little in the MTC.

-Elder Thompson

Note from his Mom

Josh was sent to the BYU health center to be checked for the flu since they didn't have enough room at the MTC. He is back in quarantine and will probably be there until Monday or Tuesday. He has a companion in quarantine and is only allowed to read missionary materials and watch movies from the gospel library. He would love to get email. He can check it at any time while in quarantine.

First P Day at MTC

My first couple of days at the MTC have been great. My companion's name is Elder Roberts who is also going to Raleigh and the two other Elders with us are Elder Postma and Elder Allen who are going to Oklahoma City. Elder Roberts' is from Buckley, Washington; Elder Allen is from Frenchtown, Montana; and Elder Postma is from Cash/Cache Valley Utah. There are ten of us in our district so there are three other sister companionships with us. We've all gotten to know each other better in classes and have been eating meals together. The food is all good, there are plenty of options for meals and there is also endless candy and dessert if you want eat that instead. We share a floor with many Russian and German-speaking Elders who have been here for over five weeks and one room was discovered to have a Christmas tree stuffed in the ceiling and nerf guns in the vents. They also told us about Elder Mittens, a cat roaming around campus and I found him and took a picture. As a room we wake up extra early to beat everyone to the showers and we go to bed a little late because our last class is later in the day so we are getting as much sleep as everyone else. The teachers of our district class are really cool, they are RMs from the same mission and students at BYU. One of my workshop teachers said he was from Texas and got to play football against Kylaer Murray and Patrick Mahomes in high school. Yesterday morning we watched a devotional that was broadcast from the Peru MTC where Elder Holland spoke. Today we are doing laundry then playing basketball and then we are going to the temple together as a district because it is our P-Day. I have attached pictures of our room, our district, our branch in the elevator, and Elder Mittens. The missionaries in our district picture in front of the scripture from left to right are Elder Allen, Elder Postma, Sister Faleta, Sister McKinkley, Sister Thompson, Sister Summerfeldt, Sister Clark, Sister Willis, Elder Roberts, and me. In our room picture from left to right is Elder Roberts, Elder Allen, Elder Postma, and me.

-Elder Thompson

Missionary Training Center- Provo, Utah

Josh's Uncle Cliff, drove Elder Thompson to the MTC at 1 PM. Cliff mentioned that Josh was confident and ready to serve. Josh was able to send us the following short email.

Hi, I am in the MTC now and have gotten settled. I am in my first class with my district and am getting to know my companion and others in my district better. My P-day is Friday so I will be able to talk then. I am learning basics of the MTC and how everything is run. I am very excited to be here. 

-Elder Thompson

Saying Goodbye

 Monday, January 20, 2020, the day was filled with last-minute preparations. Later in the evening, the family went to Leatherby's ice cream parlor to enjoy some delicious ice cream.

Tuesday morning, Josh was asked to attend Bryce's early morning seminary class and talk to the students about his mission preparation. Later that day Ethan, Becki, and Hannah took Josh to the Sacramento airport where he caught a flight to Salt Lake City, Utah. His Uncle Cliff picked him up from the airport.

Officially Elder Thompson

Sunday, January 19th, 2020, Josh was ordained a missionary by our Stake President, President Cocker. Mom, Dad and all siblings were in attendance. Gathering in the Stake President's office as a family for his ordination was a blessing for our family. True love was felt there by all.

Josh's talk in sacrament meeting

Josh spoke in sacrament meeting today. Bryce was the youth speaker.

 Bryce spoke about eternal families. He related it to the Super Bowl. He mentioned how everyone wants to make it to the Super Bowl and in order to get there, you have to put in some hard work. Just like the Super Bowl, families need to put in work to become eternal.

Josh mentioned that him and Bryce must be brothers because they both were using sports analogies. (They did not know what each other was speaking on.) He mentioned that since he was going to North Carolina it might be more important to relate his topic to College basketball. His topic was attending the Temple. He talked about teams trying to get to the NCAA tournament. He talked about the preparation it takes to get there. How you have coaches to help you along the way. He also mentioned that you can't let other thoughts get into your head, like your homework or the cute girl who came to watch your game. He then related this to how we need to prepare to go to the Temple. We have coaches to help us along the way who are not there to demean us but who help us. This he said was the Bishop and Stake President. He also said that we have to stay focused.

Since there were a few minutes left in the meeting, Ethan was also able to say a few words. He talked about the message in the Come Follow Me this week. How we need to hold to the rod. He related this to attending the Temple often and continuing to live worthily to enter there.