"Before anything else, preparation is the key to success"
--- Alexander Graham Bell (Inventor of the telephone; 1847 - 1922)
M.T.C. stands for "Missionary Training Center"; the acronym may change to suit different languages [1]. As of 2021, there are 10 MTCs worldwide [2]. Similar to a school, before hitting the streets, missionaries spend a few weeks in an MTC where they learn and practice basic teaching and language skills, not to mention adjusting to being on their own and developing basic life skills. When COVID-19 hit, a stay-at-home "virtual MTC" was implemented via video calls where, even though they were still living at home, the missionary was still expected to follow the mission rules, lifestyle, and schedule as they would if they were gathered together at the MTC, until they could go to their respective missions.
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THE HISTORY OF WORLDWIDE MTCS
In the early days of the church (the 1800s), missionaries traveled directly to their destinations. As time grew on and travel became more complicated, a place was needed for those who had to wait for Visas and passports. The first place to accommodate waiting missionaries was called the Salt Lake Mission Home, which was located near Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1925 and could house up to a hundred people [3]. Starting in 1961, missionaries would gather at the Roberts Hotel in downtown Provo then buildings just south of Brigham Young University [4], under the direction of Spanish Professor Ernest J. Wilkins [5], which led to the formation of a new mission called the Language Training Mission (or LTM) in 1963. By 1968, educators and returned missionaries from BYU were helping teach missionaries 16 different languages while certain campus buildings served as housing and classrooms. LTMs were also established at Rick’s College (later to become BYU-Idaho) to teach Dutch and Scandinavian languages, and another at Church College in Hawaii for missionaries serving in Asian Pacific regions. The results from the LTM proved so good that the church decided to make a curriculum mandatory before entering the field. The success of the program led to the need for expansion and the construction of the Provo MTC just north of BYU replacing the former premises in 1978. The land was originally bought for BYU campus expansion during the construction of the Provo Temple across the street. The LTM was renamed "Missionary Training Center" (MTC) to note that it was far more than just language training. As church membership grew, and with more missionaries serving, it became apparent that more MTCs needed to be built.
MTCs began to be constructed around the world [6]. With a worldwide membership, it wasn’t convenient for every missionary to travel to Provo, whether financially or geographically. MTCs were constructed in Brazil, England, Mexico, Guatemala, the Philippines, South Africa, Ghana, Argentina, New Zealand, Columbia, the Dominican Republic, and Peru. Depending on the demand, some MTCs may close, while more may open in the future. The Provo MTC remains the largest, housing up to 3700 missionaries and teaching 50 languages.
The photo to the left is an image of the New Zealand MTC located in Manukau, Auckland as of September 2010. It was originally established in 1977 in Hamilton. Although it has a maximum occupancy of only 106, missionaries here will be serving in Australia, Fiji, New Guinea, Samoa, Tahiti, Tonga, or New Zealand.
HOW LONG IN THE MTC?
Depending on the language, a missionary could be in the MTC anywhere between two to nine weeks nowadays. When I was in the MTC in 2014 during the high wave of missionaries serving due to the age change (See "Mission Call -- Reynosa, Mexico"), MTC time was cut in half to accommodate for the influx. So, for that time, the shortest time for a missionary serving in their native language was a mere ten days in the MTC. But since then, things have stabilized and have returned to the usual two to nine weeks [7].
COMPANIONSHIPS
Missionaries say goodbye to their family and friends once they enter the MTC and are assigned a companion. This companion, who is also "in-training", is with him or her everywhere he or she goes. Neither is allowed to be alone except for interviews or to use the bathroom. It doesn’t matter if you need to buy bread from the store across the street, you must be accompanied. Having a companion serves as a help-meet to be a second witness to your own words and a safety measure against all forms of danger and temptation. Companions teach each other how to be better. I would tell you from experience that it is generally because of continuous time together that you learn to work as a team and develop new skills. You rub off of each other. It is a common scriptural pattern that the Lord works in pairs. Moses had Aaron, Adam had Eve, in the Book of Mormon Alma had Amulek (Alma 8:29), in the New Testament the Apostles preached two by two (Mark 6:7; Luke 10:1) and even the animals boarded Noah’s ark in pairs. It is not good for man to be alone (Gen. 2:18).
In the MTC you learn to plan your day, see it through, and adjust a bit to the missionary lifestyle because after the MTC it is off into the real world. No one will be there to hold your hand and tell you what to do and say. That’s why it’s better to prepare yourself the best you can long before the real thing. You won’t be perfectly prepared when you leave the MTC, but that is okay because the real world is where real learning and growth happen anyway.
ARRIVING AT THE MTC - August 6, 2014
My family and I were greeted by a kind gentleman at the security booth as we pulled into the MTC who directed us to our drop-off. Many fresh missionaries were being dropped off that day. As a matter of fact, all American missionaries enter the Provo MTC on a Wednesday. We took a quick left (south) because every drop-off was organized alphabetically by last name. My drop-off point would have been where the now recently constructed buildings meet the gym where we had our devotionals. Where a road once was where our shuttle would take us to and from the main campus, now lies a solid sidewalk and buildings. Demolition of the old storage buildings hadn’t even begun when I was there let alone the construction of the buildings we can now see since the demolition took place in July 2015. Now there lie two new gorgeous buildings as of May 2017.
The awe kept coming. The spirit was king. The air was filled with energy! This was a sight to see! I beheld, what seemed to me, an army of wonderful people all like me brought together from all walks of life who were soon to go separate ways into foreign lands, speaking diverse tongues, bringing in the nets and harvest of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They all appeared to be so wholesome and mature and kind. I loved them and felt slightly misplaced in the presence of people I respected profoundly! This was so much better than school. This was a sacred campus. Having since worked at that same MTC for eight months, I still respect their service but I second guess the extent of their maturity at times, which isn’t always a bad thing. Missionaries are normal people too. A little healthy fun can be just what you need to get through a tough day.
I was greeted at the curb by a missionary host who just so happened to also be one of my buddies from High School who was going to Japan (strange for a six-foot redhead. I’m sure he stood out like a sore thumb among the Japanese).
In an attempt to get through the final farewell with as few tears as possible, I leaped out onto the curb and hauled my bags out of the trunk. I squeaked another quick half goodbye before my family drove off. You’re not allowed visitors in the MTC so you can focus on the work.
Words could not describe the plummet that started in my throat then sunk to my stomach. My family told me upon my honorable return that they’d spent the rest of that day bawling and comforting each other in my absence. They missed me a lot some days. I’m grateful for them and for the faith they had in me to serve. If you ever see missionaries, please treat them well because they sacrifice a lot but they’re somebody’s children and they have family who look to you to help them since they can’t be there.
Another host took over to help me with my luggage and directed me inside where I received my nametag and book materials.
I still remember getting my missionary nametag. It was so slick and official-looking. It read “Elder Robertshaw” and beneath it, “La Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Últimos Días”. The lady volunteering at the desk slit open the front pocket of the new suit I'd bought a couple of weeks earlier, slid it on, and gave me a tiny yellow envelope. Although my nametag didn’t always keep its plastic shine, it brought on permanent meaning to the heart it covered (See "Lost and Found"). It got a lot of use out of it which is what it was for. It got worn out in the service of God.
After collecting my weighty study materials at the following table station, I boarded the bus that would take us to our dorms on "West Campus". West Campus was designated for Spanish Speakers only and consisted of the Raintree Apartments (where I lived) and the adjacent Wyview Apartments (Where I believe that only the Sister Missionaries lived there). Because it was summer during the influx of missionaries, they were converted from BYU student dorms to missionary dorms, but now they’re again used only for students. “West Campus” no longer exists as it was "closed down" that November of 2014.
Everyone else would remain there on the main campus which was just under a mile away. I didn’t realize just how frequent shuttles like the ones we took would spare us exhaustion in the future. We packed in like sweaty sardines but that was only a shadow of the Mexican buses or as we called them “Peceras”. Public transportation was the way to go. We didn’t have cars on my mission and only a few areas had bikes. Other than that, our options were walking, calling a taxi, or finding a ride with someone who had a car. If you think about it, taking taxis is the same as getting in a stranger’s vehicle but you pay.
You’re not allowed to leave the MTC grounds while attending. The only exceptions were to take a shuttle for the weekly devotionals, on P-Day (Preparation Day), or for medical appointments. Otherwise, you kept to a strict fixed schedule of class, study, food, exercise, and service. But we had nothing to complain about since Raintree was a beautiful place all things considered. We were permitted to study outside during personal study and we got to practice teaching outdoors a few times as well. But besides beauty, air-conditioned rooms were a big motive for me to study inside that late summer before being plunged into hot and muggy Mexico.
As soon as I boarded the bus to head over to West Campus, I started eavesdropping on the other chatty new Elders in hopes of meeting my mission-bound groupies. I heard one say his name was Elder Maughan (whom I would get to know better a few months in since he wasn’t in my District). That was about it. On my envelope that had my room key, it read who my companion was— Elder Whitlock. I didn’t see him on the bus.
We arrived at West Campus and jumped off the bus, almost literally, out of sheer enthusiasm. Some Elders who happened to be walking by volunteered to help carry our luggage up the flight of stairs to that forest green door of our apartment on Raintree. The three or four of us newbies had a few minutes to dump our stuff before searching for the classroom.
Mind you, this was early August and we were all sweating. They gave us a neon orange dot sticker to keep on our name tag to identify us as “green” just for the day. And because it was our first day, we were forbidden from taking off our suits. Don’t ask me why. I suppose it was more tradition than practicality. So, we sweated that whole day in our head-to-toe suits. After the first day, we went without suits and moved our sticker to the back of our nametag. Turns out that many missionaries collected stickers on the back throughout the mission, including me. I see nothing wrong with that.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
I walked into our classroom where there were only three or so Elders seated so far and our instructor Hermano Clark welcomed us in Spanish. (Our other Instructor, Hermano Pitcher took turns teaching until he was switched for Hermano Zuzinaga). Hermano Clark was a cool guy with raccoon eyes. He served in Paraguay and the only mission stories I remember him telling us were about the stomach parasites he developed, the pill called the “bomba” or “bomb” he had to take to treat it (which just flushes everything out of you), and about the angry man who tried to shoot him. Spoiler alert: He survived. I hoped I wouldn't have similar experiences, which was very possible in Mexico.
Hermano Clark spoke relatively slowly in Spanish for our benefit. The little Spanish I took in High School was evidently a massive advantage seeing as the only guy besides me who understood Hermano Clark’s Spanish was Elder Scott. He had most recently lived in Texas and consequentially knew basic Spanish just like I did. He was a cool guy but he didn't handle spicy foods well. He was a real one-of-a-kind. There was a time that he decided to take a bite of a jalapeño, and he nearly threw up in his apartment sink but instead, he stuck his head under the sink to wash the taste out of his mouth which I don't know if that was the right decision. I think this was during our gym break or on a Preparation day when we were all hanging out in their apartment next to ours.
Shortly after we arrived, we went to a computer lab for a brief orientation and returned to the classroom. The classroom itself was architecturally identical to our apartments. It had desks for each of us that faced a whiteboard and a television was mounted to the ceiling in the corner for instruction. Under each of our desks was a cardboard box where we could leave our study material so we wouldn’t have to constantly be carrying them back and forth from our apartments. The only downside was if we inadvertently left something in the classroom that we needed back at the apartment or vice-versa (The classroom was locked when we weren't scheduled to have class time and only our instructors had the key). But we were in class about 11 hours per day studying. It was much needed. It wasn't a vacation stay at a hotel. It was preparation time.
Our classroom had the layout of any other basic one-bathroom apartment, as that's what it was, so it had "bedrooms", a bathroom, a kitchen area, and a "living room" where we held class. The classroom was also located on the third floor of its building, generously close to the mailroom and cafeteria just North of us. In the classroom were three other rooms that were mostly empty except for a few extra desks but were used for study space. In the room across from the bathroom were two black leather couches and a short coffee table where we role-played teaching our instructors. We were otherwise forbidden to use that room since we had to study at a desk and not a couch. The couch was too much of a temptation to sleep, hence the rule. And, of course, we had a kitchen which we only really used to fill up the blue water bottles they gave us on our first day.
The 12 pounds of study materials they gave us included pamphlets in Spanish, a water bottle, a Spanish-English dictionary, red MTC-specific language learning books, and a water filter for our bottles which I never had to use, thankfully. When I first saw the water filter, I was a bit concerned thinking, “Will I ever have to drink out of a river?”. Other Elders simply used them as water bottles.
The others started rolling in in the hours that followed. I sat by the window that let the air in, with desks on either side of me that were soon filled by Elder Hale from St. George, Utah, and Elder Johnson from American Fork, Utah. And let me tell you, that these guys were tall! I thought they must have been at least two to three years older than me. Turns out I was a few months older than both. I was intimidated! But you can’t judge a book by its cover. You have to get to know them as individuals. Words can’t describe what love I feel for these MTC brothers now! I would entrust my life in any one of their hands. They are my brothers not because they had to be but because we wanted to be. Sweet was watching our transformation from day 1 to day 700!
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FOOTNOTES:
[1] The Spanish acronym is CCM which stands for Centro de Capacitación Misional.
[2] This is of February 2019. At the time of my service, there were 15 MTCs.
[3] Another reason why a Mission Home was needed in Salt Lake was to accommodate missionaries who first needed access to the temple (Before serving a mission, all missionaries go through the temple to make sacred covenants to the Lord). At the time of the Salt Lake Mission home’s creation, there were only 6 temples, 4 of which were in Utah: St George (1877), Logan (1884), Manti (1888), and Salt Lake (1893).
[4] The Knight Magnum Building became the central office of the LTM in 1963. It was demolished in the summer of 2008. One of the reasons for the MTC being so close to BYU was the school's ability to help teach and house. Brigham Young University is owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and many of the faculty and students were missionaries. This means that they were able to help outgoing missionaries learn the languages and culture. That's true today, that in order to be a teacher at the Provo MTC, you have to be enrolled in BYU.
[5] One of the reasons why this Language Training Institution was implemented was the need for missionaries to wait for both Visas and to learn the language. Missionaries going to Mexico and Argentina were chief among this need. Ernest J. Wilkins, who was a Spanish professor was able to help fill that need. On December 4, 1961, the first 29 Elders arrived in Provo. Thus, the predecessor of the Provo MTC was originally created for Spanish-speaking missionaries! Other languages followed.
[6] The first MTCs to be constructed outside of the U.S. were in New Zealand and Brazil (1977).
[7] This change became effective March 1, 2016, when I was already near the end of my mission, and long gone from the MTC. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church/news/mtc-resumes-three-weeks-of-training-for-missionaries-speaking-native-language?lang=eng
[8] "Investigator" is the general term used to refer to an individual who is learning more about the church.
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