July 2nd 2014 | Provo MTC | Week 1

Getting a ride to the MTC with Parker Dahl

Waving goodbye for two years!

Elder Maxwell's first companion Anzaino (Elder) Tew!

Canada Day!!!

Hello family!!!!! I have no idea where to start??! So much has happened that its crazy! I'll start with my companion. He is from Utah not to far from here and his name is Anzaino Tew. He is the best! he is actually so awesome we get along together really well. he is laid back which is nice. Our district is super sweet. Our teacher is Sorella Urban. she served in Rome and she is the best. she it very nice and understanding. so this was my first day. Parker dropped me off which was awesome of him and i had a good time helping him out while he imparted some solid wisdom for me. When i got here i got all the little stuff out of the way then we had a big devotional kind of thing with all missionaries and that was good. then i got my stuff to my room and they took me to my classroom. I show up to the classroom and this crazy lady starts talking a mile a minute in Italiano and i have no idea whats going on or what she is telling me to do so I'm like ok ya this is bad. but then i kinda figured it out. that crazy lady is sorella urban and she really does pretty much talk in Italian the whole time unless we ask how to say a word or if she says a complex word but we area all starting to get it a little bit. So the first day wasn't so bad.  

 In our district its me and anziano tew and a trio of anziani and a pair or sorela. so 7 of us. the sisters are fluent already so thats great... but we usually have from 4-6 hours of language study each day. usually four with sorela urban. we have memorized the missionary purpose and we are working on the first vision. In me and anziano tews room are another pair of elders that arent in our district and they are pretty funny guys so thats nice. Ive made some really good friends already and even some who know a little about hockey. Yesterday being canada day alll the Anziani in our zone wore or most of us wore read ties and i had a canadad tie and we got i picture ill try to upload after I'm done. 

    Our third day we got to teach and "investigator" another teacher but they pretend like the don't speak any English so we have to only use Italian and its was the scariest hardest thing i have ever done but its actually so fun. The spirit is so strong even though its a role play situation. Our investigators name is Stefano and his real mom is very sick in the hospital and he told us that during the lesson so it really did feel like a real lesson as we talked about the plan of salvation and how grata "grateful' we are for our famiglia. I brought up grandma and her situation and i think it really helped as it brought a powerful spirit into the room even though we can barely put together broke sentences. But now we have taught stefano 4 times and we actually committed him to baptism last time so that was actually so cool even thought its not necessarily real if felt real.  

    So our branch is 51 missionaries and on Thursday i think our branch president asked us all to prepare a 5 minute talk on the holy ghost and 2 of us would have to give them on Sunday. and guess what.....? Yup i was the fist name he called and i almost fainted lol but i did have a decent talk prepared so it wasnt to bad. I talked about the difference between the power of the holy ghost and the gift of the holy ghost and i think that went well. Then i told them "The Goggle" story and everyone really liked that and i explained even though it was and innocent thing that story has been the foundation for my faith in the holy ghost my whole life. And mitch you where the star in the story! So i am actually really grateful i had that chance to talk.  

     I like the food. The Late Coccolato is molto molto bouno mitch!!!! There is so much to say i could never say it all in one email but im trying lol. It was really hard to hear that news about grandma but the more and more i think about it the less i am saddened for a few reasons. I was thinking about all the wonderful things she has taught me without saying any words. Is there a more welcoming house to walk into than hers? or someone who is genuinely happier to see you? or would do anything for you? might be tie between her and grandma Matkin but it sure is close. So for me to feel depressed or sad about someone who has taught me so much and has lived a wonderful life i feel like that is a little selfish. I know Grandpa Stan is waiting and watching over us all. Even though using his putter never seamed to help much.. But i really do love grandma maxwell and matkin and both my grandpas for that matter and im grateful to have known them for the time that i did. 

    Joc!!!! thats awesome that you get to speak with a general authority. Not so awesome for him since yours will be better! I have thought about what mom said about how you wear thinking about sitting on the fence and i don't have the scriptures memorized yet but i was reading the end of john the other day and i thought about pilot and how he knew that Jesus was innocent but he was more worried about what the repercussions would be if he allowed Jesus to go free. I guess what im saying and u can probably find way better example but even though Pilot knew Jesus was innocent he feared man more than he feared god. And that can be hard in this life but i know that not only after this life but when we choose to follow and fear god more than man in this life it might be hard at the time but we will be blessed and be happier. Its not just enough to know that something or someone is right we have to act and support our beliefs.. 

   

   Mom tell Jen thank you sooooo much for that package!!!! my roommates and i were so excited when we saw all that food and it was a really warm welcome for me at the MTC which again is so amazing. Oh and thanks mom for the laundry bag! just in time. and we did good we got everything that i needed. I think i have the visa stuff worked out so that shouldn't be a problem.  

    Meg and Brett thanks a ton for the dear elders and if anyone is ever bored i never mind getting one of those!! but sounds like Brett is still learning away and working hard and i can see how a mission would help you be able to study. I actually lover personal study cause its one of the only times when we can just read in English and kinda relax. 

  Mitch and pax how is the all star team doing? Hopefully good! keep up the south chief name! Pax did you hit a dinger your first AB with the new weapon?? i hope so! Im trying to think what else i should tell you guys. Its really hard to not say GUYS cause were supposed to say Elders or anziani or Sorele for the sisters if there going to roam. There is quite a few of us going to Rome a lot more than usual and I'm sure that is because of the temple and we are all really excited about that! The temple here is closed for a couple weeks for cleaning so that was a big downer but oh well. rumor has it we might get to do some cleaning on it today but I'm not sure if that will happen. Waking up at 6 30 is a challenge gut actually the last couple of mornings it wasn't super bad. 

    The Italian is really fun and it can be frustrating at times but i feel like i have made a ton of progress already so im excited to just keep getting better and better!! Its a fun language to speak but some of the pronunciation is difficult but that is to be expected. i sound like this. God love you I know joseph smith restore church. Dio amore tu io so Joseph Smith restautato chiesa haha but its all good and it helps to be learning with a lot of other people. And its easy to tell when the spirit is helping us and when im not focusing enough on the spirit of the teacher and it doesnt work so well that way. Anziano Tew was sick this morning so i anointed some consecrated oil and one of Anziano Tews freinds that he knew gave him a blessing. That was a cool experience for because i have never done anything like that before. Hes feeling beetterish now so that's good! 

    Mom if you could get ahold of Kathie price or forward this part to her that would be great. She wrote me a letter. Kathie thanks so much for the letter!! i loved living at your house and you really made if feel like home for me even though i was only there for a short period of time! i hope Parker is doing well and he still doesn't wait at the stairs for me!! haha but good luck with your mission trip and all those other people are lucky to have you as the leader cause your the best!! Tell Jim i say hi and miss your guys!! 

   Oh and Corbin! thanks for all the advice Elder!! i loved your letter. ill have to get his email so i can write him on! 

   And Carly Maxwell. She wrote me but i don't have her email and I'm not much for real letter i guess. Carly thanks for the letter that was so nice to hear from you and read those scriptures!! They are awesome and i am working hard to become the best possible disciple of Christ that i can be! only if i could be more like you! Its not always super easy to be 100% positive but that's what im trying to be because i know that's how Christ would be and i want to try and have some of that rub off on others. Miss you tons and cant wait to hear more about everything you do!! 

   I feel kinda like i left dad out but for some reason i feel like he can pretty much just read my mind and he knows what im doing at all times.. But really im so grateful for all of you and you have no idea how many times i have bore my testimony or prayed about how thankful i am for my famiglia. I really am and i know that its because of all of you that i am the way i am today and i don't know what i would do without you. Love you all and i hope i didn't forget anyone or anything!!  

Ps sorry for the spelling.

Anziano Maxwell

If you feel like reading some scriptures i would recommend Alma 32 verse 26 and to the end of the chapter. we have all read this but it really applies to every single person. An investigator or a person who has been in the church for 50 years. Just thought that was cool. And the book of Mormon is great. Ciao