San Jose is so, so, so, nice!

Well that's another week down. I am in California and San Jose is so, so, so, nice!

I'll start with the last week in the MTC, I had a lot more class and half of my district left for Roseville California on Tuesday morning. The four of us left, headed out this morning. We had an awesome devotional last night. Elder Godoy of the seventy came and told us all his conversion story. It really stuck out to me about how there is a spiritual half to conversion and a social half to conversion. Both of them are equally important. It was a really great talk. I wish everyone could have heard it.

So now onto the events of today so far, we got off the airplane this morning and were met by the AP's (assistant to the president). They took us down to the baggage claim where I got my one bag and it had a corner torn off and I'm not sure what fell out but I will find out. Then we went to downtown San Jose and did some street contacting. That was super cool. I gave out a lot of pass-along cards and my first Book of Mormon. This guy asked me if I had any reading material and I testified of the Book of Mormon and then gave it to him. It was a super cool experience.

I don't have a lot of time today because it isn't p-day but I am glad I could share a little. I got to go! Love you all and am super glad to be serving. Ill probably write again on Monday.

Love, Elder Maxwell

The MTC is amazing!

 I totally made it to P-Day. The MTC is amazing! I have had such a great experience here. I seriously have had my testimony grow 500 times the size it was in the past week. It is incredible.

My companion is Elder Pehrson, he is a really good companion and helps keep me in line. I have the best district in the entire MTC for sure. In my room we have me and my companion and then we have Elder Featherstone and Elder Staker (our district leader), the other half of our district is right next to us. Our zone leaders are in our district and they are Elder Avery and Elder Zaugg. They are the best. Super fun group of guys. We also have Elder Chapman and Elder Hanson in that room. That makes up the entire district. My room is all going to San Jose and the other room is going to Roseville. Super fun group of guys.

It was awesome walking into the MTC and the first thing they do is put that name tag on you. It has an orange dot on the front so everyone is welcoming you to the MTC because you have a noob dot on. It was fun but today there is a new group of missionaries coming in today and it is going to be cool to see them all and see how far we have all come in the past week. I can't wait to get out to California though. It is way too cold here!

Okay, so I wasn't nervous when Austin and Maddi dropped me off, but I was nervous when they picked me up. Did you know that they have random seatbelt parts laying around on the floor of their truck! It is not safe back there. I could have died! You better talk to them about taking good care of their children.

I am at the main MTC campus and it is really cool. Lots of good missionaries running around causing all sorts of tomfoolery! My typical day consists of about 6 hours of class and 4 hours of study time. Then there are meals... the food isn't as bad as everyone makes it sound. And, I'm really upset because everyone is like the MTC is all about singing "Called to Serve"... I've only sang it twice so far. "Praise to the Man" like four times.

We started teaching our first investigator on the second day and we have him committed to being baptized. We have taught him the first three lessons and it is going super well. Me and my companion are rocking it! We got our second investigator on Monday and he is a bit more tricky that the first guy but we are teaching him again tonight and it is going to go super well.

The best part about the MTC has got to be my district though. They are great! They make the days go by and all the stress go away. The MTC has been a breeze! We have had two awesome devotionals so far. On Sunday night and then last night. We had Elder Robbins of the Seventy last night and he talked about opening our hearts, then eyes, then our mouths. It was really a good devotional. Don't have time to go into too much detail but it was great. If you guys need a good talk to hear I recommend trying to listen to "The Character of Christ" by Elder Bednar. It is super good.

I miss you all and hope everyone is doing awesome! I pray for everyone every night!
Well that's all I have for today! The next time I email I will be in San Jose! I look forward to hearing from everyone!

Love, Elder Maxwell :)

First Day - First Letter Home!

Well, here I am at the MTC all set for the night at the end of a crazy first day. 

It has been a wonderful experience so far.  The flights all went well.  WI got to Atlanta, I met four elders that were on their way home from Brazil.  They were really cool and we had an awesome conversation.  Once I got to Salt Lake, Austin and Madison found me pretty quickly and we got my bag and they crammed me into the back of their truck.  (which has tons of seat belts that don't work)  They took me to Panda, which was delicious, and then on to the MTC (a couple of hours late). 

I snuck in with my first ever, temporary companion, Elder Reed.  He is from Arizona and will be serving in Texas.  We were companions through the MTC presidency welcome and then dinner.   After dinner, we went our ways, thus ending my very first companionship.  I went to my residence, where I met my real companion.  He is a good guy but he is a little bit strange.  He should be all right for 12 days. 

We went to a teaching exercise where a big group of us elders and sisters all taught an investigator at once.  We did this three times and it was really cool how everyone fell in love with the investigators each time.  After the teaching experience I got to meet my district and my zone.  There are four of us elders going to San Jose and the other four elders in our district are going to a different English speaking California mission.  There are about 16 elders and sisters in our zone.  It is a really great group of people. 

And that pretty much sums up the rest of Day 1.  I have lights out in 30 min. and I am ready for bed.  I love you guys and I will try to write letters about once a month but don't hold me to that.

Love,
Elder Maxwell