My Five Minutes at the MTC

Last Wednesday, my friends Liz, Kylie, and I went to the Missionary Training Center in Provo, UT to see my old roommate Elder Jarrod call of on his mission to the Colorado Denver South Mission.

The night before I was able to see my friend and old neighbor, Elder Brandon Langford (Fort Lauderdale Florida Spanish Speaking).

It was a miracle that we were able to see him at all. Because of the recent flu outbreak in the MTC, nobody who is not a missionary, or a member of MTC personnel is allowed inside the gate. Parents are asked to drop their Missionaries off at the curb. We didn't know how we were going to be able to see Elder Call because his Airport Shuttle was going to go in through the gate and drop him off on the curb. We walked up to the MTC and asked where the airport shuttles went. The guy said we could not go in unless we had a Missionary with us. I asked him what the airport shuttles looked like. He pointed to a blue shuttle, and as he did, we saw Elder Call waving to us from his place in the back seat.

We got permission to walk alongside the shuttle to meet Elder Call. On our way we saw a Missionary that lived in my BYU Housing complex last year named Elder Deep (Atlanta Georgia). We talked to Elder Call for about a minute, took pictures, and said goodbye. We began a fast paced walk back to the outside world because people looked at us weird like we were disobeying rules. On our way out I heard a voice yell "VANCE BRYCE!" I jerked my head around to see my old Elders Quorum President, Elder Jon Uland (Las Vegas Nevada South, Spanish speaking). I moved my head again and saw my old roommate Elder McKay Ward (Manila Philippines Mission Tagalog speaking).

Just across the exit I saw Elder Dustin Paris, who has been in the MTC for awhile, running with his district. I yelled out to him, but I don't think he saw me. He will be in the same mission as Elder Ward.

I had an awesome experience at the MTC and I can't wait to go on my mission.