Imagine hosting a large Thanksgiving Day gathering of friends — mostly young adults. But there are a few caveats and limitations to what you and they can do that day.
No playing the traditional “Turkey Bowl” touch football games in the neighborhood. No watching NFL or college football games, Hallmark holiday movies or streaming series on television — no watching TV at all, for that matter. No board games, puzzles, bingo, charades or the like. And don’t expect to spend much time on the smartphone, either.
Oh, and did we mention that the guest list exceeds 1,300?
So much for simply inserting an extra leaf into the dining room table or making room for a couple more place settings. And who’s going to do all those dishes?
Welcome to Thanksgiving Day at the Provo Missionary Training Center, where on Thursday, Nov. 28, the number of elders and sisters at the MTC was 1,359. That number required Thanksgiving lunch to be served in three separate sessions and the annual service project to be done in two afternoon shifts.
“Thanksgiving Day at the Provo MTC can be a time where deep gratitude is enhanced for God the Father; His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ; and for our fellow man,” said President Kevin E. Calderwood, Provo MTC president.
“Through devotionals, musical presentations and a service project where about 1,500 missionaries will package 500,000 individual meals for local food banks, missionaries gain a greater love and appreciation for all that God has given them — and they then have a desire to serve and give back to their fellow man. Missionaries can then take love of God and neighbor to the world,” he said.
Added his wife and MTC leadership companion, Sister Sydnee L. Calderwood: “The MTC experience helps missionaries see the Savior through new eyes, so during these special days, their growing love and gratitude is almost tangible, and their missionary purpose resonates in a fresh way.”
Listening to an Apostle
The day’s major events began with a 10 a.m. devotional with Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Mary Cook.
Emphasizing four topics and efforts key to missionary work during his address, Elder Cook first acknowledged the day’s holiday celebrated in the United States, quoting prophets, scriptures and the Savior in his introductory message of thanksgiving.
Elder Cook added his own words of missionaries and gratitude: “You are in a unique season of your lives when you are demonstrating your love and thanks to the Lord through your service to Him and His children. Your mission can be one of the most joyful and thankful times of your life,” he taught. “Service such as this helps us gain new perspectives on the blessings and privileges we enjoy as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”
After the devotional, missionaries were divided into three groups and sent in as many waves to the MTC cafeteria for their Thanksgiving Day meal — turkey and the traditional trimmings.
Thanksgiving dinner at the Provo MTC
In reality, Thanksgiving dinner at the Provo MTC isn’t much different from any typical meal there, except with a focus on the traditional holiday fare and a staffing limited by the holiday, said Corey Lewis, managing director of MTC Dining Services.
“Feeding 1,500 — that’s kind of a low count for us,” Lewis said, mindful of summer months when missionary numbers at the MTC really balloon. “Every day we’re prepping meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner for these missionaries.”
But for a holiday? “We want them to have Thanksgiving while they’re here, to feel that little touch of home that they might be missing — not that they’re too homesick but still feel like they’re getting their turkey and stuffing and goodies.”
Goodies like pumpkin and apple pies and pecan tarts and more.
But Lewis and his staff have to be mindful of those with dietary limitations — 5 to 7% usually having some sort of food allergies or medically dictated restrictions, he said.
Feeding hundreds requires substantial amounts of food. “It scares me when I start thinking about it,” said Lewis of pre-holiday planning with his executive chef. For Thanksgiving prep alone, the MTC cooked about 780 pounds of turkey breast.
“That’s an incredible amount, and then to look at the statistics on the chocolate milk we go through daily and the amounts of cereal — it’s just incredible,” said Lewis, adding, “We’re grateful for those sacred resources.”
For the holiday, the MTC’s kitchens and dining area were staffed by about 100 individuals — some 50 to 60 student employees who were available and another 30 to 40 volunteers. After lunch, missionaries were directed to food-filled rooms where they put together sack lunches for dinner, alleviating the need for evening kitchen and cafeteria staffing.
“We appreciate the opportunity to be able to serve the Lord’s servants here,” Lewis said, “and to nourish them physically while they’re getting nourished spiritually here at the MTC.”
From eating a meal to preparing many for others
The MTC missionaries went from one meal that they ate to creating and packaging hundreds of thousands more meals to help feed the hungry.
After lunch, the more than 1,300 participating missionaries — representing assignments to 256 missions worldwide and including 100-plus service missionaries from Provo and the Utah County area — received instruction on the afternoon’s service project.
For the third straight year, the MTC collaborated with Hunger Fight of Jacksonville, Florida, in packaging oatmeal-and-brown-sugar meals that would be donated to the Utah Food Bank. The goal was to package 500,000 meals — the most in three years of such MTC service projects.
“This contribution of 71,600 pounds of food is transformative, capable of feeding a family of four for 13 and a half years,” said Bob Sorenson, a ministering secretary at the MTC and team lead for the humanitarian service project. “Truly, participating in this Thanksgiving Day service project makes this a day of joy, a day of many smiles and a day of good tidings to all.”
Missionaries were divided up into two two-hour project shifts, with each shift of nearly 800 elders and sisters working in groups of 10 at the 80 workstations set up in the MTC’s underground parking area. The joyous work was punctuated by ringing and singing — the ringing of bells to celebrate a box filled with 42 packaged meals, and the singing of Christmas songs and carols by the missionaries resonated from underground.
While one shift was at the service project, the other half of the MTC missionaries were watching a film together. After the first two hours, the two groups traded places.
Musical performance and ‘miracle time’
The evening schedule included the missionaries eating sack lunches in their classrooms, followed by a special musical performance by Jon Schmidt of The Piano Guys and his wife, Michelle Schmidt.
“It has become a bit of a Thanksgiving tradition to have them here — we love them, and they love missionaries,” said Sister Calderwood of the Schmidts. “Their show is highly entertaining but also a spiritual feast.
“The MTC is a magnet for so many wonderful artists who are converted and willing to share their talents and their stories,” she added. “They surprise and delight the missionaries, and the joy level during the holidays is off the charts.”
The evening was to conclude with missionaries enjoying the first night of Christmas lights on the MTC campus — along with music and snacks — before concluding with the nightly “miracle time” half-hour beginning at 10 p.m.
“All missionaries are invited to be in their residence hall room with the door closed, focused on what they have learned about Jesus Christ during that day,” said President Calderwood, describing the quiet, reflective time as when missionaries go to sources where they find the Savior, reflect on classroom discussions or devotionals about Jesus Christ, read “Preach My Gospel” or the scriptures, write in journals, or ponder and pray.
“Lights are out at 10:30 p.m. with their minds and hearts centered on Jesus Christ,” he added, “and with a promise to rise with invigorated minds for the next day.”
What missionaries were saying
Elder Theodor Cornehls, from Germany and learning Cantonese to serve in Hong Kong, said the American holiday is “a new experience,” adding: “I really enjoy it and appreciate all the effort the MTC presidency puts into it in making it special and a good experience for the missionaries.”
Sister Brynna Dixon, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and assigned to the Hungary Budapest Mission, said she was loving Thanksgiving at the MTC. “There’s a lot of positivity and thankfulness here, and they’ve tried to make it really special for us. Even though we’re far away from home and missing our families, it has been great.”
Sister Eve Behunin, from Salt Lake City and also assigned to the Budapest mission, enjoyed the service project. “It helps me keep my mind off the fact that I’m not home right now. I couldn’t think of a better thing to do right now on Thanksgiving — it brings joy and happiness and makes me feel more Christlike.”
And Elder Jaxon Day of Hyrum, Utah, assigned to the Albania Tirana Mission, said of the service project: “It’s a surprise that I’m actually giving on Thanksgiving, and I’m thankful to be giving to other people who will be thankful for these meals.”
