MTC Week 2 - Office Training

The second week at the MTC was good, but very different from the first.  While the first week was centered on "Preach My Gospel," the second week was mostly on office procedures.  I learned a lot!  I hope I remember it all, but I know I'll get a chance to practice once I'm in Columbia.   

Jack has always been the one to use Exel.  He makes spreadsheets for everything!  Now I know how to make them too.  We also worked in IMOS...International Mission Office Recording System.  That tracks all the information on all the missionaries all over the world.  pretty important when there are over 75,000 of them out!

We learned how to do newsletters  in Word, and group correspondence, and a whole lot of other things.  They also talked to us about the importance of our relationship with the young missionaries.  They are SO young now...just kids, really.  We can console them and encourage them.  We can be their grandma and grandpa.  I hope there will be senior couples in the Philippines and in Paraguay, for Ty and Justin.

Brother Russ Foutin talked to us the last morning we were there.  He is over a large area of the world as a fleet manager.  Worldwide, the church has over 20,000 vehicles in its fleet.  There is a brand new software program to manage fleet the world over for the church.  Brother Foutin is really excited about it.  It's called CARS!  How cool is that?  It stands for church automotive recording system.  :o)

Brother Foutin stressed the two following points.

1.  Stay anchored to the approved program.

2.  In everything we do, we are representatives of The Lord and His church.  We need to remember that in our dress, our speech, our actions, how we take care of our apartment and our vehicle.  

We will have our own vehicle in the mission field, but others, including the young Elders and Sisters will be driving church owned vehicles.  Brother Foutin said repeatedly that everyone who is authorized to drive a church owned vehicle MUST remember that the cost of the vehicles and their maintenance comes from tithing money, and it is sacred money.

One of the men in our group asked about cost effectiveness - the price of cars and their maintenance vs. the number of baptisms.  Brother Foutin said that a member of the Twelve (he wouldn't say who) said, "If it takes one car per baptism, it is worth it."   D&C 18:10

After learning about the responsibilities of the vehicle secretary, can I just say, I'm glad I'm not one.