In Field Training

We are reminded every week that Drew's mission experience is very different from ours, and not just because he is serving in the States.  For example, we spent most of our time in the MTC focusing on the language and then spent the first three months once we got in country memorizing the discussions word-for-word to further improve our Portuguese.  In contrast, Elder Tonini spent his time in the MTC learning how to effectively teach.  And just because he has left the Missionary Training Center doesn't mean that this training has ended.  Beginning August 2011, a new effort was started Church-wide to bring an additional 12 weeks of training to missionaries who have just arrived in the mission field.  The materials for the in-field training of new missionaries includes three training documents (one for the mission president, one for the trainer, and one for the new missionary) and new companion study video segments.

The four-page Instructions for Trainers begins with this admonition: “The responsibility to train a new missionary is a sacred trust from your mission president and from the Lord. A missionary’s first companion has a profound, lasting influence on the development of the missionary’s attitudes, habits, and ability to fulfill his or her purpose.”

Each new missionary’s trainer will receive a copy of the booklet, which gives tips on being a positive example and guidelines on studying and proselyting together, training a new missionary, the additional 60 minutes of companion study required in the first 12 weeks, and personal study. New missionaries and their trainers are expected to train together daily, explaining, demonstrating, practicing, evaluating, and repracticing principles from Preach My Gospel.

The First 12 Weeks for New Missionaries and Trainers is the third booklet in the new program and the one that is supplied to each new missionary and his or her trainer.

It opens with a call to the new missionary. “You will continue to build on the foundation established at the MTC by understanding and living all of the principles of missionary work found in Preach My Gospel,” it reads. “Strive to become the kind of missionary who could, if called upon, train a new missionary by the end of your first 12 weeks in the mission field.”

For the first 12 weeks, new missionaries and their trainers follow a suggested schedule of study from the manual, which lists what sections and topics to study in Preach My Gospel. It also provides suggestions on how new missionaries can apply what they are learning in their proselyting.


More information can be found here.

Letter: March 19, 2012

The Tonini Family:

Enjoy the shirts! They are one of a kind. the MTC was a cool place but I am SO ready to get to Cali!

LOVE Y'ALL!

Elder Tonini

Enclosed were t-shirts with this graphic:

Letter: March 16, 2012

Mom and Dad,

Thank you for supporting me while I'm out serving. Thank you for your love, prayers, and support. I know I've asked a lot while I've been out on my mission and y'all have been there every step of the way. I am eternally grateful for that. I wish I could find some way to pay both of you back in the amount that could cover for all you have given me.

I leave in four days to go to the field. That is CRAZY! Sure do love you and miss you. Send my love to the Branch. I love you two so much.

Your missionary son,

Elder Tonini

Letter: March 9, 2012

I typically correspond with Elder Tonini via mailed letters so that he can read and respond to them at his convenience (they are able to use public computers to email home but only have about 30 minutes each week).  When we got home this weekend from Spring break activities, I had a letter waiting for me.  Included were a few pictures:

This is a picture of him with his companion, Elder Braithwaite.  In the lobby of the MTC is this large world map and by tradition, every missionary stands in front of it, pointing to their mission.  I am glad to see that they have kept up the tradition.



In the MTC, missionaries are assigned to a district (see yesterday's post).  In addition to a picture of his district, he also sent a picture of him with two other Elders in his district: 

Fortunately, it was easy to pick out which one was Elder Kaluhiokalani because by reading the back of the picture, Elder Tonini hasn't figured out the convention of listing people from left to right!

In his letter, he talks about continuing to focus on his teaching skills:

We don't teach specific lessons any more, it's about what the Spirit tells us to say.  It is a huge challenge sometimes to teach by the Spirit but at the same time, it is seriously amazing.  We got our first commitment to baptism today!  That was the most awesome feeling ever.  Even though it was a practice investigator, we listed to her and asked inspired questions to her in order to get her to open up.  It was an amazing experience.

He also told me a little bit more about Brother DuBois, the Dutchman he met at the Salt Lake Conference Center:

He taught me something that I will never forget.  He said that there are two things that are not in God's vocabulary: luck and coincidence.  He told me stories and experiences he has had.  It was a pretty cool experience and it wasn't by luck that we came to talk to him.

He concludes:

Well, I think I am coming down with something and I feel like crap.  I'm pretty miserable right now.  But I'm not complaining and keeping my head up.  Sure do love you and miss you.  Send my love to Mom.

He leaves for Riverside on Tuesday so please keep him in your prayers as he begins this next phase of his mission.

email: March 14, 2012

We received another email from Drew today.  He is anxious to get to the field (he leaves next Tuesday) although he is has already had to say one goodbye:  our trio of Taiwan Elders left today to go to the Asian district to start learning Madrien. it was hard to say goodbye but thats where they need to be. 

Even with the short amount of time that he has spent in the MTC, his knowledge and understanding of the gospel has increased. As he put it:

Learning about the gospel has given me a whole knew outlook on the doctrine and how I should really apply it to my life. The gospel is true and the Spirit is amazing.

He is already getting thing ready for his departure, checking with the travel department to see how much cash he needs to have on hand (to pay for his luggage - you would think the Church could have negotiated the baggage fee for as many tickets that they buy!) and last minute purchases at the bookstore.  He purchased one packback (without a hydration system) and now he wants to buy another one?!?  That son of ours!

email: March 7, 2012

On Wed, Mar 7, 2012 at 2:18 PM, Andrew Tonini <andrew.tonini@myldsmail.net> wrote:

My dearest mother (and father),

Thank you so much for your prayers and thoughts.
I was so blessed to be in an awesome district. We have so much fun and we are learning so much as well. We really do feel like a family. We have sister missionaries in our district too! they are awesome and help us Elders to stay on topic. I have a great companion, Elder Braithwaite. He reminds we a lot of Jacob. We butt heads but we are good friends. There are three of us going to Cali, one to Idaho, Sisters to St. George Visitors Center, and a trio going to Taiwan! We really get along really well and have tons of fun together. We have a huge Hawaiian elder that plays for BYU and another that is a wide receiver for Utah. I will send pictures home soon so you can see my new missionary family :)
I got called to be the zone leader of our zone! We were here five days and I got called to be the leader of our zone. It was quite humbling for me because I was NOT expecting that at all. I guess we were called to the leaders for a specific reason. On our first couple of hours, we had to deal with a missionary that was having conduct issues and then call the branch president. We got it taken care of but it was an awesome welcoming to the leadership.
I had seriously one of the most spiritual experiences of my life on Monday night. One of my missionaries fell and hit his head really hard on the hardwood playing basketball. He definitely had a concussion so I had to take him to the emergency room. We were there for less than ten minutes before someone asked us to give a blessing. Only did we know that our night was just about to start. We got called back into our "room" which was only a trauma bed with curtains to separate the beds. There was a woman next to us that had a super bad seizure that lasted almost five minutes. After the doctors got it to stop, I got this prompting that I needed to give her a blessing. Elder Bean (the elder who had the concussion) got the same impression as well so we acted on it and we gave her a blessing. She was so thankful that we were there for her. So we went and got Elder Bean's CT scan done and went back to the bed. The same woman had another seizure and I felt prompted to give her a blessing of comfort, so we did. However, she kept having them and having them. I started to pray, I prayed harder than I ever have before for a woman that I just barely met. I asked my Father in Heaven to stop the seizures and to help her not to be in pain anymore. Then the most amazing thing happen, her seizures started to get shorter and shorter. My prayers were actually working! I kept praying and praying for her and they kept getting shorter and shorter. After one of the later ones, she called out to us. She could barely call to us because she was in so much pain. We went to her bedside and with tears in her eyes, she asked for another blessing. I grabbed her by the hand and Elder Bean asked her to offer her a prayer. She did, expressing the faith and love she has for our Father in Heaven. After she finished, I looked her in the eyes and asked her "Do you have faith in your Lord and Savior?" She replied with tears in her eyes again that she did. I told her that if she has faith, these seizures with stop and that the pain will leave her body. We anointed and sealed the oil on her head for the second time. In that prayer, I said something that I never thought I had the power to say. I promised her that the seizures would stop. That they WOULD stop. I blessed her with healing and that she would not be in pain anymore. I could hear her just sob when I blessed her. When I finished the blessing, I told her that I believe that God will answer this blessing and that you will be okay. Soon after, the scan came back for Elder Bean. He was fine, just a mild concussion. She did have another seizure but they were getting shorter and shorter.
It is really hard to not tell that story and not cry. I cried like a baby last night in front of my branch president when I shared my testimony about the power of the priesthood. Even typing it up is bringing tears to my eyes. That was not just by luck that we went to the ER that night. We needed to be there for Barbara Jean Largent. She needed us to be there for her. How do I know this? A CT scan is only supposed to take 20 minutes to be read. We were there for an HOUR. The Lord works in mysterious ways and that was one of the ways. I was seriously humbled so much from that experience. Thank you Dad for teaching me to honor my priesthood and how to use it. I've only been here a week and I've given 5 blessings.
The new missionaries get here today so I'll be pretty busy getting them settled down. Sure do love y'all, so much. Send my love to the Branch and let them know that Seminole is being represented really well here in Utah and soon in California. I know I need to be here. This gospel is so simple and true. I love you all and miss you. Can't wait to hear from y'all next Wednesday.
Elder Tonini
P.S. A package of goodies wouldn't be too bad to get here ;)

Letter: March 3, 2012

How are things in thriving Seminole? I made it here okay. The MTC is good, I like being here, but I really want to get to the mission field. My companion is Elder Braithwaite (his personality reminds me of Jacob). My roommates are Elder Weight and Elder Stimely.

Teaching is going okay, I'm learning a lot from the Spirit. I have to completely relearn how to teach. We've been super busy so sorry its taken me forever to write. I love you and miss you all.

Elder Tonini

(Excerpts from letter to my parents as edited by my dad)

Still No News - But New Pictures!

Doesn't he look excited?!?

We still haven't heard anything from Drew yet, but we did get some pictures from his Aunt Rochelle that proves that he was at least dropped off at the MTC.


So what is he doing in the MTC?  Here is an article from the Church's youth magazine, The New Era, that gives an idea of what that first day at the MTC may have been like:

You arrive at the missionary training center in missionary attire, perhaps accompanied by your family if they want to be there and can make the trip with you. You check in and receive a name badge with your new title: “Elder” or “Sister.” Sounds good, doesn’t it?

You are then led to another area of the MTC. At the first stop, you receive your information packet. In it you find a card with your mailing address, your companion’s name, your residence hall and district assignment, and your branch president’s information. You also receive your schedule, which tells you when and where to be for your entire stay in the MTC. A volunteer explains all the information in the packet and answers any questions you have.

Next, you check some forms with your personal information and report any special dietary or medical needs. Then a volunteer goes over your immunization record with you. Depending on where you’re going, you might receive some additional shots at this point.

You then head to the MTC bookstore. You’ve taken a peek at your schedule and realize that a lot of your day will be spent in class. That means you’ll need textbooks—just like in school. You’re given a copy of Preach My Gospel - everything you do in class and during personal study will be connected to this book. 

After you pick up your luggage, you find your room. There you meet your companion and other members of your district. Depending on your mission language, your district has between 8 and 12 missionaries, who could all be going to the same mission or several different missions.

In the afternoon, the MTC presidency hosts an orientation meeting for new missionaries. Here you get additional information on the organization of the MTC and the resources available to you.

After dinner in the cafeteria, you meet your branch presidency. While in the MTC, your branch president will conduct Sunday meetings, hold personal interviews, and be available to answer questions and help you solve problems. There are 56 branches at the MTC, divided into two districts with district presidencies (the equivalent of stake presidencies). The districts are presided over by the MTC presidency. After you meet your branch president, it’s lights out at 10:30 p.m.  

What is the MTC?

Elder Tonini will spend the first three weeks in the Missionary Training Center (MTC) in Provo, Utah.  Technically part of the Brigham Young University campus, the purpose of the MTC is "to provide an atmosphere of peace, love, trust, confidence, and respect in which missionaries can prepare for missionary service."  The Provo MTC is one of seventeen that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day operates throughout the world.  Here are some websites to learn more:

Official MTC website
A three-part article from the Deseret News:
     Inside the Missionary Training Center 
     Arrival at Missionary Training Center 
     Running a Missionary Training Center 

Hello, I Must Be Going

Last night we called Thompson's to say goodbye to Drew one more time.  The only problem was - he wasn't home!  He had gone with his cousins to Mutual to play basketball (and no, he wasn't wearing his white shirt and tie).  Rochelle sent his cell phone down to him so he was able to speak to all of us one last time.  Not a lot was said - I think we were all out of good byes.  He did tell us how much enjoyed his session at the Salt Lake Temple and his experience at the Conference Center with a Dutch tour guide.  (Drew said they were kindred spirits).


After we hung up, we did have one last toast in his honor.  I have been hoarding this can of Guarana for far too long and I had planned to share it with Drew before he left but we somehow forgot.  After cooling a glass down in the freezer for a few minutes (you can't drink Guara with ice), I poured the contents into the glass and we all took turns having a sip until it was gone.  


We did manage to speak to Drew one more time before he went into the MTC today (at 1:10 MST).  I was on a teleconference at about 1:40 CST when I got a call from Rochelle's cell phone.  I stepped out of my office and simply told him that I loved him and challenged him to "Step up, brother."  He was able to reach Raena one last time before he reported.


Raena spoke with Rochelle later and got some more information on how the day had gone.  Before he left, Drew went into each of his cousins' room and wrote something on their whiteboard.  Rochelle didn't say what he wrote, other than it was appreciated.  On the way to the MTC, Drew was somber "but in a good way" as Rochelle described it.  They got there right on time and were the first ones in their group to arrive.  They were both a little shocked to see a red limo pull up (it had to go the bus area) and see it disgorge a missionary and his entourage.  Seriously.  


I have been think a lot about Drew tonight - wondering how this first experience in the MTC has been, what his companion is like, and what might be going through his mind.  

Letter from the MTC

Drew received a letter from the MTC today (via Sister Willis) with information about obtaining his MTC mailing address (he will get it the Friday before he reports) and instructions about watching a couple of videos on lds.org.  He isn't too excited about having to get a flu shot before going to the MTC!

I found amusing this last piece of instructions:  "Only one vehicle per missionary will be permitted to enter the MTC campus."  I can envision this caravan of five vehicles with three generations (plus the girl friend) arriving at the MTC to drop off a single missionary.  Just another example of why I am grateful to be sending a missionary FROM the mission field: one less thing to worry about!