Sunday Jan 8, 2023

We have completed one week of MTC training in Provo, and are now in Salt Lake for one more week of training before traveling to Honduras.  Last week while at Provo, the focus was mostly Preach My Gospel.  Which will be a huge part of all we do.  It teaches not only the missionary lessons, but how to be a more effective disciple of Jesus Christ. We were divided into 4 couple districts, so 8 of us in the classroom setting each day.  We are going to Honduras, one couple is going to Louisiana Baton Rouge to serve in the Bishops warehouse, one couple is going to New Zealand to serve as Church PR. and the other couple is going to be Area Medical advisors of the Caribbean area.  Then we had the opportunity to get to know one other assigned couple who we practiced, getting to know them, helping them with a challenge, and giving them a meaningful invitation to come closer to Christ to help them in their particular challenge.  The couple we spent time with were from Colorado and are going to the Church Office Building to help in the travel department.  It was a great experience to spend time with them as well as the others in our district.  It really was a spiritually enlarging experience that helped us in so many ways.  On Tuesday night there was a mission devotional for all the missionaries in the MTC, which was approximately 84 senior couples and around 1100 young missionaries.  Sister Camille N. Johnson the General Relief Society President spoke to us and shared a wonderful talk helping us to understand the orbit that our Heavenly Father has placed us in to be here at this particular time and place to do what it is that we are all about,  which is serving our Father in heaven and helping in His work here on earth.  Then on Thursday night we went to the Provo temple and participated in a session which was so great.  On Saturday we traveled to Salt Lake where we are in a hotel all week with more personalized training.  Elder Chappell has MLS training both recorded sessions and zoom sessions while Hermana Chappell is spending the week focusing on the missionary medical aspect of her calling with in person computer training.  We have our flight plans, we leave Salt Lake this coming Friday the 13th, which is our lucky day, at 11:50 at night to travel to Atlanta where we have a layover and change planes to go to San Pedro Sula where we arrive early Saturday afternoon January 14, 2023. We spoke with President and Hermana Ostler, our mission president his wife, they said they would be there to pick us up at the airport and greet us there.  So we are kept very busy and learning more everyday.  We are so grateful for this opportunity to serve the Lord and His kingdom in this way.  God bless us, one and all!!!

"add caption" This is a group picture that was taken of all the senior missionaries that started their missions on Jan 2, 2023, which includes us. It was a cold wet day in Provo that day but so very memorable.  

"add caption" This is our District from the MTC. Sister Sewell was our trainer she is the young sister in the middle. From left to right,  Elder & Hermana Chappell, going to Honduras, Elder & Hermana Bybee,  who are Area Medical Advisors over the Caribbean area, Elder & Sister Saunders, who are going to New Zealand to be Church public relations,  and Elder & Sister Weeks who are going to Baton Rouge Louisiana to work in the Bishops warehouse.