Elder Huffaker

Elder Huffaker

Thursday, April 30, 2009

And So it Begins...


It's official now. We know this because he's got The Badge.



Yesterday, accompanied by his parents and baby sister,Brandon entered the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah! The weather in Provo was gorgeous and warm, considering this is April in Utah. The MTC is amazingly efficient, between parking, unloading luggage and luggage stations, and how well they process the young men in. Our experience there was a bit unique, for two reasons. First, there was a fire alarm that went off just after we checked in. After a short evacuation, they invited everyone back in and continued on. (Apparently a microwave and an overdone baked potato were at fault.)



The other item of interest is the brand new policies that are a direct result of swine flu. Frequent handwashing is encouraged, as is use of the numerous bottles of hand sanitizer, which were available in several spots. Missionaries were asked NOT to shake hands (!!), to use a tissue for sneezes or coughs (rather than the elbow method), and to report right away to the medical personnel if they had any flu-like symptoms. Plus, if they were sick, they were instructed to remain in their rooms and not go out in the common areas, or to meetings or classes. As we entered the door, we were also asked if we had any sore throats/runny noses. There was a doctor in the lobby ready and waiting.

As is usual for the MTC, there was a short meeting with the missionaries and families, and then it was goodbye. It was certainly a bittersweet goodbye, and we were emotional about it, but he was SO ready to be there. It's a nice beginning. Because Brandon does not have to learn a language, he will only be there for about 3 weeks before leaving for Jamaica. He will leave the MTC about May 18th. See the sidebar for his mailing address. These are a few pictures from our day - enjoy!

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Getting Ready!

Hello and WELCOME to Brandon's Mission Blog! We are excited for him to get to go to Jamaica, and he will have a wonderful experience there. I'm the mom and will add information as I get it, in addition to emails he sends home and wants to share.

There will be an Open House to send him off on Sunday evening, April 26th, at our house, from 7:00 - 9:00 pm. We would love to see you there! We are leaving on Monday morning to drive him down, and Brandon is entering the MTC on Wednesday, April 29, 2009, at noon. We expect him to be there for about 3 weeks.

I will be posting his mailing addresses here on the blog soon, but if you come to the Open House ::wink, wink::, you can get all his addressing information. Hope to see you there!!
This blog is still under construction, so give me time to get it the way we want it. Comments and ideas from experienced bloggers are welcome! Thanks!