The LTM

After spending a week in the Mission Home, I was sent to the Language Training Mission (LTM) located on the south side of BYU Provo. Here we were taught the basics of the Spanish language, including the discusions. I was put into a district of eight missionaries all going to a Spanish speaking mission. We were supposed to be at the LTM only eight weeks but I had trouble getting a visa to go to Mexico so I stayed around the LTM a lot longer. My companion was Elder Wheeler. It was an interesting time. Elder Wheeler had a hard time adjusting to being a missionary. He had, had a very hard youth and upbringing. But he got along with well with me and he eventually adjusted to mission life. Besides, we seemed stuck at the LTM.

We stayed so long at the LTM that we learned all the discusions word perfect and all the Spanish they could teach us. Now days they send missionaries who have visa problems to another mission where they can work until their visa comes but back then we just seemed stuck in the LTM. Elder Wheeler and I became the mission taxi drivers. We learned how to drive a huge 12 passanger van and we took all the missionaries up to the Salt Lake airport so they could fly to their missions. We also took missionaries who were in trouble and needed to see a General Authority up to Church Headquarters to see a member of the First Quorum of the Seventies or one of the members of the council of the twelve. We went so often that some of the General Authorities got to know us and would come out of their office and talked to us. We used to go up to Salt Lake two or three times a week.

Well, eventually my Visa showed up and I got to leave to Mexico. Saddly Elder Wheeler's Visa didn't come and he had to stay behind. It was sad, I had really got to love Elder Wheeler after being his companion so many months. But I said good bye. Poor Elder Wheeler had to drive me up to the airport and see me off. I saw my Grandma and Grandpa Brinkerhoff and talked to them a few minutes then off I flew.

Dad