[Provo]

First thing I called Stan Peterson at CES—Associate Commissioner—for an appointment. He said to come right up. I also got an appointment with Eugene Hill, director of training here at the MTC. We went to Salt Lake City, and to the 9th floor of the Church Office Building. Stan was waiting for us. He gave us a good audience, and pledged to get things to happen—check on our visas, get us with Corey Bangerter (who has been CES in Portugal a few years ago), see that we got to a home study setting for an experience, and see what else he could do to have the experiences of a CES missionary couple learning a foreign language to be a good one. He told us we are the first ever to do this particular assignment—go on a foreign-language education mission. We are "guinea-pigs" (his words). As Frank Bradshaw previously put it, we are writing the book.

The difference between us and previous education missionaries is the language. No one before has had to learn one—all went to English-language missions. They were called, spent a week at the MTC for "flavor" (his words again), then off to work on Seminaries and Institutes somewhere. It was felt that we needed full time at the MTC for the language. So, that's why we're sent here on a full-shot basis. I felt that's where the misunderstanding has come in. Here we've been slotted with all other missionaries who were called for leadership and for proselyting.

So, back to MTC and the appointment with Brother Hill. He said frankly, "we haven't known what to do with you." But he is anxious to meet our needs and to schedule help in whatever way is helpful. We'll get with Elder Slezak (our zone leader) tomorrow to set up a better program. It looks as though our struggling and discomfort will finally pay off.

We got a letter from Mary Ellen today in the mail, also a card from her and John from Hawaii. They are there on an Equitable vacation. Also got the stuff to sign for the escrow on the house sale. We signed everything tonight to get it right back and finalized.