The Best Two Years... In Ogden Utah!

  When Elder Pennington woke up on Monday morning, he began his training in the MTC (Missionary Training Center) at home, which was very different from the norm.  Thanks to the pandemic in 2020, things have changed with the training of new missionaries.  They now spend their first week or so doing virtual training at home.  This means that he was able to spend Christmas with us. YEA! It was an adjustment for him being a missionary at home.  Being in class online for about 9 hours a day was tiring, and when he wasn't in class he was a little bored not knowing what to do. Luckily, day 2 was his Preparation Day which means he didn't have class all day, just in the evening, so we were able to go run some errands and do some things that still needed to be done like ordering a new pair of glasses at Costco!   The optician said it usually takes a week to get them back. We were definitely cutting it close! There were several nice surprises while Jake was in home MTC.  Even though he ju

A brief summary of the events leading up to his official start date as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which is December 18, 2023. On December 15th, our close family friend (Meggan Boston) took family pics for us at the Memphis Botanic Gardens as well as a special "missionary" photo shoot for Jake which turned out awesome (above is one of our favorites). Before starting his mission, it is customary that the departing missionary speak at church.  Since we moved from one ward (congregation) to a new one only a year ago, the Bishops of both The Walnut Grove Ward and the Collierville 1st Ward asked him to speak so he pulled double duty on Sunday, Dec 17, 2023 and spoke on the topic of "How the Christ-like attribute of Charity will help him be a good missionary."   He posted an invite on social media for everyone to come and hear him speak as well as to come to our home that afternoon for an Open House to say their Good-bye's.