Dear about to be missionary,
I am super excited for you! And like me before I left on my mission you probably googled every single thing you could about the Provo MTC and were saddened to find not a whole ton of information. Well you are in luck! Because I am going to share with you everything I can remember.
So your first day:
Your first day will be Wednesday unless you are an international missionary, than you might arrive on Tuesday. It's going to be kind of overwhelming, you will have an orange dot on your tag so everyone will scream, "Welcome to the MTC!" at you which makes the whole experience amazing because you are a missionary! It's awesome! (Remember at the end of the day to put your orange dot on the back of your tag and write the date you entered the MTC on it.)
You will get a couple of items, for example if you are speaking a foreign language they will give you a bible and a Triple Combination in your mission language. (Super cool!) They will also give you a large Preach My Gospel in English if you do not have one, and you automatically get one in your mission language as well. (They have smaller versions available in the bookstore for you to purchase as well)
Dorm Rooms/housing
I obviously know literally nothing about the Elders rooms, but every single one of the sisters rooms has 3 bunk beds and 6 rather small closets. Each of those closets usually has a million hangers in it so you can usually get away with not bringing any. Also closet space and just shelving in general is super duper tiny, so don't expect everything to be out of your suitcases the entire time. They provide sheets for you in the MTC so don't worry about bringing any if you know that your mission provides them for you. (some missions do, do that! Make sure to call your mission office, mine provided sheets and it was AWESOME!). I would recommend bringing a small blanket from home though.
There is a hook suitcase weigh station on every single floor (so don't worry about bringing your own!) and from what I saw at the airport they are extremely accurate! There are also vending machines on every floor, a sharing shelf (sisters can put food they don't want and it's free for anyone to take!) as well as bins on every floor for items like clothing or cosmetics that sisters do not want any more as well. There are also microwaves on every floor, but no refrigerators! (so don't bring perishables).
Gym:
The MTC has two gyms, the big main one with a basketball court and a track. (Oh and you don't have to be with your companion in the Gym! So if your companion wants to run on the track but you want to play volleyball don't worry about exchanges or anything like that). There is also one with exercise machines. The rumor is indeed true! You can bring headphones to the MTC because you can listen to things like conference in the second gym. Okay, best game in the MTC is foursquare. I highly recommend playing it!
Also for gym pants make sure it is something you are incredibly comfortable in! I saw a lot of sisters who brought tight pants (like yoga or leggings) (which aren't really allowed) and then looked uncomfortable because the ones you buy in the MTC store aren't exactly the most comfortable things in the world (garment lines show big time!) so make sure you bring your own!
They also have a scale in the main gym that you can weigh yourself on. I didn't use it much because I was to terrified to see what numbers it was going to say, but a lot of the girls in my district did. :) Also you will gain weight in the MTC! You sit a ton, and you get a ton of food for meals but don't worry you will most likely loose it all once you get the field.
Book Store:
They give you a card and for sisters, they put 8 dollars on it every single week. The bookstore has lots of options! They sell pretty much anything you could ever want in most mission languages, office supplies, cards, post cards, food, candy and best of all clothes! They have some Mikarose clothes as well as Downeast so make sure you bring some money for that. They also sell drugstore makeup products as well.(Seriously, I got two shirts and a skirt there!)
Updated things as of 9/28/2017
There is a brand new building at the MTC lucky you! It is absolutely gorgeous with about a million windows so enjoy not feeling like you are trapped in a dungeon while you study!
I now work in the MTC cafeteria so who knows you might see me! Some tips with that, if you have allergies no worries! They have a section just for you! (make sure you arrange things before you go by calling the MTC).
Updated things as of 14 June 2018
Okay all! Don't know why I did not put this, total fail. Anyways! They do offer tailoring in the MTC! I personally got a couple of shirts fixed while I was there that had started to fray a bit on the sides. It does cost money, but so worth it! They do not add fabric to skirts (there was a rumor when I was there that that was a thing, its not) they can also hem things for you as well. So if you are a midget like me (5 one and a half for the win!) and have a long skirt you want hemmed, that is the place to do it!
Updated 5 March 2019
They now give sisters $10.00 and Elders $8.00 a week.
There are mirrors in the rooms in the MTC. In the picture my closet door was open which is why you can't see it.
My friends highly recommend getting a miniature copy of your patriarichal blessing made at the copy center there. It's super cheap and it's the things I regretted not doing.
There are indeed healthy food options at the MTC. They have a salad bar and a wrap station! They also have whatever fresh fruit is in season usually available. I remember the day they brought in strawberries and everyone was so excited! So if you enjoy being healthy don't worry the MTC will not destroy your healthy dreams!
This is all the tips I can think of for now, if you want to know anything else comment down below and I will answer those questions in another post. :)
My see my story of coming home early from my mission, click here.
To follow my blog and get awesome mission advice as well as learn about my life click here.
To see a list of things that would be helpful to memorize before you enter the MTC click here.
wow, I didn't know they gave you $8 for the bookstore! That's great, also the sharing shelves, good to know. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteKind of a silly question but, is there tailoring there at the mtc?
ReplyDelete