Hello All!
So, many thanks to everyone that has written me during my time at the MTC. I want to write to everyone before I go, but I may not be able to and it's really expensive to send a letter from Sweden, but I'll try! Ted, I found a scripture for you this week: Luke 2:23 and Exodus 13:2. I guess your ok after all. Also, thanks to Penny, Renee, Carter and Berkeley for the Easter basket! I love grown up Easter! Also, I shared with all the elders and they were VERY grateful :) They confiscated the light-up spinning egg toy and have been fascinated ever since. They will periodically take it out and stare at it. Probably not good for the eyes. We've been in a white cinderblock room too long. I think. Also, I got the bag Lisa! Thanks, Mitch! We had our training with Bro. Gruber and after that I completely understand the purpose of the first night activity. They were supposed to use the skills from "How to Begin a Lesson" in Ch. 10 of PMG. That's what was missing! We were all a lot happier about our role in this. Oh, 3 companionships from our district are being the missionaries that demonstrate getting to know an investigator for the new missionaries the first night. We think it's because we were awesome (we hope it wasn't because we are a bad example :)). Miriam Deaver is also in the group that is doing it. Mom, I saw Sarah Hite. She recognized me even though my hair was wet, my skirt was on sideways and I was going back for my name tag which I'd forgotten. It wasn't a good day for me ;) So, I had a break down on accident again this last week. Everyone was being really rude to me partially because I had been ornery all day. Fancy that. So, I was all contrite and going to say I was sorry and then they were really rude to me again. Imagine me when I was 8. 9? 12? One of those classic dinner scenes where I ran to my room crying. Really embarrassing. The only difference was that no one was laughing at me when I left. They all felt really bad.
So, we got our travel plans this week. We are flying through Paris. We go straight there from Salt Lake. It takes all night. Then we have a 6 hour layover and then go straight to Sweden. We get there at 6:30. So, Sweden is supposedly 8 hours ahead of Salt Lake, but there was some confusion because of daylight's savings here and there (they have it at a different time), so it might only be 7 now. We get to the airport here about 2:30 I think. So, I'll probably call around 3-3:30 our time, so 5-5:30 your time, mom and dad. I'll call until you answer. Ok?
Also, I was sad to hear about Uncle Ray dying. Mostly because he felt like the patriarch of the maxwell clan and it's the end of an era. I'm so grateful I got to meet him last year. And turns out Grandma Maxwell was right.
All our prayers were answered yesterday when Quentin L. Cook came to speak. Every week we'd say, "this week it will be an apostle. We just know it!" So, we were so grateful we got to hear from one our last week. We sang "Behold the Wounds in Jesus' Hands" in the choir. I remember when we sang it in the ward choir (right, mom?). I think that was one of those where you sobbed through it, right? I understand a little better why now. It has such a powerful message. So, what Elder Cook said answered so many of my prayers and concerns and questions. It was amazing! I knew it was for me. And everyone else felt the same way. It was so cool how it was so personal yet for everyone. Kind of like the atonement, yeah?
Well, the MTC has been great. We have loved it. There was a protester here yesterday. He's a paid protester who came all the way from England. I hope he's there today so we can see him when we go to the temple. We tried to go listen to him yesterday, but he was already gone. We won't talk to him, of course, but it's always interesting to hear.
Well, any last MTC words? It's like girls camp, but better because these are friends that we'll have forever. I will miss all the powerful speakers and meetings and my district, but they tell me the miracles haven't even started yet, even though it seems like they have. I love you all. The church is true.
Amy
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Week 7
Subject: 12 Days.
Hello All!
We get our travel plans tomorrow. Supposedly I get to call home from the airport. We'll see what they say. I'll let you know next week mom. We are all hoping to go through Paris. That's what they normally get to do.
Things are still really good. I asked Mitch to pick up the backpack for me, Aunt Lisa. Turns out we are going to be staying overnight for two nights at the mission home and they mentioned an overnight bag. I sure don't have anything like that and I don't want to carry that blue plastic bag they give you on the first day through the airport. If you don't have it anymore, I will borrow a bag from Sis Sumner. Thanks!
So, Melissa wins the prize for first letter from someone in my immediate family writing me. And she wrote me an email! Dear me! So, thank you Melissa, I was really excited to get your email. I've been reading your blog, and things sound great (except for you all being sick all the time...ok, mostly the butterflies and other adventures sound great).
So, we had Bruce C. Hafen come and speak to us yesterday. It made me think of Grandpa Maxwell since Elder Hafen was the one who was made Dean of Ricks when they went to Brazil, right? I had the overwhelming feeling that Grandpa would be proud of me and is. I don't know how much interaction people who have gone before have with the spirits who are waiting, but I've always felt a special connection to Grandpa, so I felt really touched by that. Elder Hafen shared some amazing remarks about having a 3 legged testimony built on reason, spiritual feelings, and the test of experience. He related gaining a testimony to falling in love. :) Overall, it was fantastic and I wish I could write more about it, but the point was, give your testimony time. I love how all of the speakers who come are reflecting back to when they were 19 and just as unsure about things as the elders are now and we can see the fruit of their life long dedication to the Lord. It takes a life time for us to sometimes see the fruits.
I shared that yesterday in the district meeting we have after devotional where we discuss everything. I shared how cool it was that they look back on being our age, but in my mind I thought, "No. Your age." Decided not to say it. It's funny how my age will come up and surprise me every now and then. The sisters are all exactly Brian's age which I often forget. Sometimes they call me mom. Oh well. That's just part of my personality I guess.
So, I've been thinking. I want to collect conversion stories on my mission, so if you feel like reflecting on that, please, send me your personal conversion story. A lot of what we do is to guide that process, and I'd love to understand it better through all of your experiences, so don't forget that dearelder.com is free until I leave!
Ok, love you all, you are amazing!
Amy
Hello All!
We get our travel plans tomorrow. Supposedly I get to call home from the airport. We'll see what they say. I'll let you know next week mom. We are all hoping to go through Paris. That's what they normally get to do.
Things are still really good. I asked Mitch to pick up the backpack for me, Aunt Lisa. Turns out we are going to be staying overnight for two nights at the mission home and they mentioned an overnight bag. I sure don't have anything like that and I don't want to carry that blue plastic bag they give you on the first day through the airport. If you don't have it anymore, I will borrow a bag from Sis Sumner. Thanks!
So, Melissa wins the prize for first letter from someone in my immediate family writing me. And she wrote me an email! Dear me! So, thank you Melissa, I was really excited to get your email. I've been reading your blog, and things sound great (except for you all being sick all the time...ok, mostly the butterflies and other adventures sound great).
So, we had Bruce C. Hafen come and speak to us yesterday. It made me think of Grandpa Maxwell since Elder Hafen was the one who was made Dean of Ricks when they went to Brazil, right? I had the overwhelming feeling that Grandpa would be proud of me and is. I don't know how much interaction people who have gone before have with the spirits who are waiting, but I've always felt a special connection to Grandpa, so I felt really touched by that. Elder Hafen shared some amazing remarks about having a 3 legged testimony built on reason, spiritual feelings, and the test of experience. He related gaining a testimony to falling in love. :) Overall, it was fantastic and I wish I could write more about it, but the point was, give your testimony time. I love how all of the speakers who come are reflecting back to when they were 19 and just as unsure about things as the elders are now and we can see the fruit of their life long dedication to the Lord. It takes a life time for us to sometimes see the fruits.
I shared that yesterday in the district meeting we have after devotional where we discuss everything. I shared how cool it was that they look back on being our age, but in my mind I thought, "No. Your age." Decided not to say it. It's funny how my age will come up and surprise me every now and then. The sisters are all exactly Brian's age which I often forget. Sometimes they call me mom. Oh well. That's just part of my personality I guess.
So, I've been thinking. I want to collect conversion stories on my mission, so if you feel like reflecting on that, please, send me your personal conversion story. A lot of what we do is to guide that process, and I'd love to understand it better through all of your experiences, so don't forget that dearelder.com is free until I leave!
Ok, love you all, you are amazing!
Amy
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Week 6
Subject: Heysan! Jag kan (inte) Svenska!
Hey all,
So, we have started doing English fasts this week. We had our first one on Friday plus a food fast, so that spelled disaster. No food plus inability to communicate creates a very distressed Sister Maxwell. It was fine though. I got over it. Today is P-day (of course) and we decided to do another one except we can write in English to you all and when we go to the temple. Aldste Bloomfield is down the table from me entertaining some English missionaries with his Swedish. We don't even speak to other people (non-Swedes) in English. I think it was a bad idea to do this today. It's hard to run errands when no one else speaks what you are speaking. I guess that will be how it is when we get to Sweden :) So this week went by incredibly fast. We only have 3 weeks left. Am I ready? I don't know. Probably.
So just a few choice tidbits for this week. So in the MTC you can buy t-shirts with your destination country or state. I chose not to purchase one because I don't think I'll wear it either in Sweden or when I get home because it has a huge gaudy Swedish flag on it. I prefer something classier :) So, the rest of my district bought their Swede shirts and wear them to gym each week. Sister Page wanted to start doing a district 1/2 mile run around the track to start gym and foster unity in the Swede shirts, but we all nixed that idea because it was silly and would look too much like a gang. We already look like a gang when we all play volleyball.
So part of the purpose of my letters is to capture a little of what it is to be in the MTC for those that haven't been here. I was incredibly shocked when I got here and hadn't heard about most of the things that go on here, so I apologize if there are any returned missionaries that think this is dull.
Someone told me before I left that Sundays are the best days at the MTC. Turns out that is true. We get to go see Music and the Spoken word in the morning which seems to have double the cheese than I remember from times I've watched it before Conference before. There was a choir from China this week. They were so good! And so cute (they were children--that's important to note). I ate it all up, but some of the other missionaries thought it was weird. Especially the instrumental numbers. We have Relief Society meeting after that. This week Pres. Monson's daughter came and spoke to us. She was really good. Had some different insights for us. Also, she told us Pres. Monson's favorite color is yellow and one of his fav scriptures is Provs 3:5-6. I had a dream we met him the night before. He was very personable and made a thumbs up sign to Sis Page :) We have sacrament meeting after. We all have to prepare talks each week and they randomly call 2 of us up to speak. I already spoke, so there's less pressure every week. Then we have another lesson with our district, then we go to the temple and then we go to choir and then we go to dinner and then we go to a fireside. The fireside on Sunday was the director of the missionary department. He told all these stories about disobedient missionaries that ended up going home, in jail or dying, etc because they didn't follow the rules. All of us sisters agreed that we didn't want to listen anymore. It was a bit of a downer. They aren't all like that though. Then we get to watch a movie or talk! We watched Mountain of the Lord this Sunday. I am glad that LDS cinema is slowly but surely improving. That's all I will say.
I had to put out a fire this week. The District Leader has been mean to us sisters, telling us to be quiet when the other elders had been loud just a few minutes before. The sisters didn't like being so unjustly called out and embarrassed. So, I had to talk to him. He actually was rude to me when I went to talk to him, so I was a little sterner than I was planning on being. He's a great elder, though, and we worked it out. They have started treating us with more respect now and we are trying to be quieter and more on task.
Mom, I liked your thought yesterday. Covenants I think also mean nothing anymore because we don't really value keeping our word anymore. A verbal commitment has no weight. We also can't often see immediately the effects of breaking covenants in their full force.
Well, can't think of anything else to start with two minutes. I love you all. I love the gospel. My love and understanding is growing every day. Thanks for the letters! Keep 'em coming.
Amy
Hey all,
So, we have started doing English fasts this week. We had our first one on Friday plus a food fast, so that spelled disaster. No food plus inability to communicate creates a very distressed Sister Maxwell. It was fine though. I got over it. Today is P-day (of course) and we decided to do another one except we can write in English to you all and when we go to the temple. Aldste Bloomfield is down the table from me entertaining some English missionaries with his Swedish. We don't even speak to other people (non-Swedes) in English. I think it was a bad idea to do this today. It's hard to run errands when no one else speaks what you are speaking. I guess that will be how it is when we get to Sweden :) So this week went by incredibly fast. We only have 3 weeks left. Am I ready? I don't know. Probably.
So just a few choice tidbits for this week. So in the MTC you can buy t-shirts with your destination country or state. I chose not to purchase one because I don't think I'll wear it either in Sweden or when I get home because it has a huge gaudy Swedish flag on it. I prefer something classier :) So, the rest of my district bought their Swede shirts and wear them to gym each week. Sister Page wanted to start doing a district 1/2 mile run around the track to start gym and foster unity in the Swede shirts, but we all nixed that idea because it was silly and would look too much like a gang. We already look like a gang when we all play volleyball.
So part of the purpose of my letters is to capture a little of what it is to be in the MTC for those that haven't been here. I was incredibly shocked when I got here and hadn't heard about most of the things that go on here, so I apologize if there are any returned missionaries that think this is dull.
Someone told me before I left that Sundays are the best days at the MTC. Turns out that is true. We get to go see Music and the Spoken word in the morning which seems to have double the cheese than I remember from times I've watched it before Conference before. There was a choir from China this week. They were so good! And so cute (they were children--that's important to note). I ate it all up, but some of the other missionaries thought it was weird. Especially the instrumental numbers. We have Relief Society meeting after that. This week Pres. Monson's daughter came and spoke to us. She was really good. Had some different insights for us. Also, she told us Pres. Monson's favorite color is yellow and one of his fav scriptures is Provs 3:5-6. I had a dream we met him the night before. He was very personable and made a thumbs up sign to Sis Page :) We have sacrament meeting after. We all have to prepare talks each week and they randomly call 2 of us up to speak. I already spoke, so there's less pressure every week. Then we have another lesson with our district, then we go to the temple and then we go to choir and then we go to dinner and then we go to a fireside. The fireside on Sunday was the director of the missionary department. He told all these stories about disobedient missionaries that ended up going home, in jail or dying, etc because they didn't follow the rules. All of us sisters agreed that we didn't want to listen anymore. It was a bit of a downer. They aren't all like that though. Then we get to watch a movie or talk! We watched Mountain of the Lord this Sunday. I am glad that LDS cinema is slowly but surely improving. That's all I will say.
I had to put out a fire this week. The District Leader has been mean to us sisters, telling us to be quiet when the other elders had been loud just a few minutes before. The sisters didn't like being so unjustly called out and embarrassed. So, I had to talk to him. He actually was rude to me when I went to talk to him, so I was a little sterner than I was planning on being. He's a great elder, though, and we worked it out. They have started treating us with more respect now and we are trying to be quieter and more on task.
Mom, I liked your thought yesterday. Covenants I think also mean nothing anymore because we don't really value keeping our word anymore. A verbal commitment has no weight. We also can't often see immediately the effects of breaking covenants in their full force.
Well, can't think of anything else to start with two minutes. I love you all. I love the gospel. My love and understanding is growing every day. Thanks for the letters! Keep 'em coming.
Amy
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