Thursday, March 24, 2016 – Fourth Day at the MTC, Teaching Experience with Actors

For the past two days we’ve had a “Teaching experience with an actor” playing the part of a non-member investigator. This morning the part was played by a gentleman named Ray Andrus. I described him as a “tough nut to crack” as he played the part perfectly. We spent almost an hour with him and he did a great job helping Sis. Johnson and I rediscover our hidden and almost forgotten teaching talents.

After we were “off the clock” with Bro. Andrus we discovered that two years ago he and his wife served an 18 month mission to the Mesa, AZ Visitors Center.  Then he asked us where we were called to serve and when we told him Nauvoo, Illinois he had a surprise for us. As a young man in 1956 he served part of his mission in Nauvoo too! 

Bro. Andrus told us he and his companion were assigned for a time to search out historic sites around the old township of Nauvoo. He explained that this was in a time before any restoration of any sites had been started. He and his companion were some of the very first to undertake the task of identifying the old structures, foundations and pioneer cemetery, etc. He said the whole area was a thicket of weeds and undergrowth.   We were particularly interested in his description of the old house he and his companion lived in while they were there. He said it was a small stone building sitting right on the site of the original Nauvoo Temple. And, it was constructed of the original limestone block used in the Temple!

It was a pleasure to spend some time talking to Bro. Andrus. In the 60 years since his mission he married and is the father of 10 children. He has been a professor of Business Marketing at the Univ. of Utah and recently retired as the Associate Dean of the School of Management at BYC. He and his wife also spent two years in China teaching English. What a great man and great example.

Today we also got to spend some time with other Senior Missionaries. We got to take turns learning about them and they about us. Then we practiced our teaching skills on each other. The idea is that as we learn more about the people we are teaching we can better prepare the lesson materials and plan a custom outline for their specific needs. As a side benefit this is a wonderful way to learn about the back ground and pre-mission lives of our co-Senior Missionaries her at the MTC.

The couple we got to learn about and teach was Bro. & Sis. Faapuna. They are a wonderful couple and have been called to Brisbane, Australia as member support and leadership missionaries. The Faapuna’s are Samoans but lived in Hawaii most of their lives. They have 3 children of their own and 2 adopted daughters. Bro. Faapuna served in the US Army for 20 years.  Their 40 hour journey to Australia with 3 layovers starts next Monday.