Shine Bright!

It was great to see all of you too! I loved talking with you, and I think Skype was a great Idea! Though... a little better image would have been really nice! I will not complain though! I loved seeing you all and talking with you.

I am looking forward to getting out the Yikers! game and giving it a try, it looks like a good challenge and thinking game! It is good to take a little break, as they said in the MTC, we are to loosen up every night, but we should not unwind (be crazy).

So, at zone conference, I was talking to the missionaries there, and I started talking with one of the new Elders, and he knew me! He told me that when he got his mission call, that he looked up Sweden and such and found my blog! I was super excited, especially since he said that it made him excited to serve in Sweden! That made my day!

As well as being with other missionaries, learning from others and from the Holy Ghost! Zone conference was just a good, fun, spiritual day! I was talking with Elder Stoddard and we figured out that he was actually in our ward in Beacon Hill for a year! He was likely even in our class! I have a shadow of a memory, it is weird... so, a lot of new friends, and good times.

I love the spirit, it works in so many ways and is different for every person. Now, I don't want to be all cliche, but the eyes really are the window in to people, you can see joy, peace, worry, sorrow, light, darkness, and more just by looking someone in the eyes. Why, who knows... but I know that it works, I have seen it, and feel that it is right. I was able to give president a handshake and wish him a Merry Christmas, and looked at him and he shone! It was incredible, but He also looked in mine and I hope that he can see the same joy, and peace in me. I love the feeling of love and support that he gives me, I am glad that I don't have to be alone in the work. As it says in the district. ''There are seen and unseen forces working'' and that it is our job to do our best to be working to the same goal.

I love missionary work, it is the best work in the world, and the best opportunity we have to show our light! Shine bright, show the world your joy, share it! I love being a missionary! I love you all, have a great week, and a happy New Year!

Love ya!
Äldste Maxwell

Looking forward to Christmas Eve!

I am a little short on time today, we are e-mailing from the library computers and they allot us an hour that we are able to use the internet. I am down to 36 minutes! So...

I am looking forward to Christmas eve this year... that is when all of the partying is going to be happening!! ! Though I have to say the best part of the whole weekend will be the call home! Can't wait to talk to you all! Hopefully all will go well before then! I have an exciting week planned!

We have no snow here either though I am still holding out the hope that we will get some snow before Christmas! It would be really weird to have no snow for Christmas and be in Sweden,what is up with that? haha....

It is great being a missionary this time of year, with a message of the Love of God, in that He sent His Only Begotten here to the earth to live as we live, to show us the way, and to provide us a way that we are able to overcome our sins! That is the greatest gift, the gift of life eternal. Life with our families, life with God. Life that is perfect and in which we will be perfectly happy for all eternity. All we have to do is accept the gift that has been given, to enjoy it! As a missionary I get to teach people about the gift they don't even know they have been given, to show them how to use it, and watch as they experience the wonders which it contains.

I know that Christ lives,that He came to this earth to suffer and die, to show me how I can myself come back to him, to be better in every way. I know the church is true. I know that it is a blessing to everyone that accepts it! I love being able to help others to see that!

I love you all! Thank you for your prayers and support!Talk to you soon!
Äldste Maxwell

New Companion, New Area - and Loving it!

I was introduced as the new Elder in sacrament meeting as well as the Christmas party that they had last night. I did bear my testimony in sacrament meeting... at the end of the talk I gave! First week in the branch and I am giving a talk! Yes, they do speak a new dialect... skånish. It is basically the southern drawl of Sweden. It is not too different, though they do sound funny and have a couple words that are a little different... I have done well so-far understanding everyone! After my talk I was told that I made no grammatical mistakes by two ladies. By an older man I was told that I needed to be more lively... he also told me that I was a ''mothers best dream'' and that what I said came from the heart, but to be even better (unstoppable) I needed to work on my speech skills! So, that was exciting!

So, I am a co-senior companion. Elder Gygi was in my MTC group, he comes from Cotton Wood Heights (Sandy) Utah. Um... played soccer in the US, and has two brothers and an older sister I believe... so, yeah! He is cool, looking forward to a lot of hard work together! He has no problems speaking Swedish, so we have been speaking Swedish almost the whole time! It is great! Week went well, allt är bra hit tills! And I am not sick! Yes, I am starting to feel old... especially as a missionary. It is weird... My trainer is going home in about three months, and my other companions will all be gone about the same time! It is weird.

My new area is really cool. I am already starting to love the way that they talk here... it is so different. If is funny, I just love it! Maybe you can you-tube it or something... Swedish vs skånish... I bet you would find something funny! Anyways, I love it, the people here are really nice, I already feel like I am becoming a part of the ward, though they are also very very different from the others. I have had 2 people now though say that they recognized me... in two different areas, that I am sure I never met before! It is cool, but weird. The area is ready to be harvested, the field is white, and now the workers are ready to get in and work!!! It is going to be a really exciting time here... I just feel that people here are ready, that there are people here that I need to help, who are waiting, and that I can and will find!

Like I said I am ready to work... A mission is training, in all reality, for life and continued missionary work. I feel like I have a good enough grasp on the work now to really start to work, that it is going to be awesome! I am just excited!! I am working on getting to know the members and all of the investigators, but also working on opening my mouth always, to talk to people, and help them find the light! I love being able to see my growth and their growth. All progressing together in this life towards our goal in the life to come! This work is the best work ever, it is full of blessings, and the fruits are rich. I love being a missionary!

I love you all! Have a great week, and I hope to hear from you all!
Äldste Maxwell

PS - I'm Being Transfered!

Isn't it crazy that a year has already passed? It has been nothing! I have no idea where all of the time went, but I might want some of it back.... we will see, we are changing a lot in the mission, how we work, what we say, where our focus is. As President Causeé said, we have great potential, but we need to ''raise the bar''! It was sick! I love being chastised, torn apart, and inspired! Sometimes it is hard, I just want to start running, or to sit in the hot-tub, lift some real weights... get a hug from Mom, play with Ian, you know! But, it is as you said... a blessing and is full of purpose! I want to be a missionary! I want to teach, I want to help people find the light! It is the best ever! When we give, we are given soo much in return!

I try to keep my apartment relatively clean... it does need to be cleaned right now, I will admit that, but I will let that wait a couple days... it is about to get a lot worse!!! haha! Yes, I have opened my Dec. 1st packet, and I have the other two waiting!!! I scribbled out the green sticker (custom form) so I can't read it. So, now I get to wait to open it!!! Elder Kundis hates waiting... it drives him crazy! Haha, so it was funny telling him I got two more packages that I won't open. And now he won't even know what is in them! Ever! maybe... unless he calls on Christmas or something like that. I have yet to set up the tree, which is a good thing, I will wait until Thursday or sometime this weekend to set it up after getting settled in! I am excited to see what it looks like set up, and to try the eggnog recipe inside it!

This is something that I have really appreciated on my mission... I have had to think about the why and how. I mean, the church is part of my life... it IS my life.. why is it something that is so important to others, why would they want it? Thoughts like that are not too often thought before the mission. I at least never really thought about the gospel like that. I hope that was not a bad thing, but coming on the mission has really opened my eyes. I didn't really understand the gospel, I didn't know what I was living, or who I really was. I love being able to see, to have an open perspective without the distractions of the world to sit and think through my own beliefs, my feelings, and my experiences with the gospel so I am able to share them with others! Of course, I can not do it on my own, when I try to teach nothing goes the way that it should. I am just glad that I have the spirit to lead me, to put words in my mouth and help me find the elect! I love being a missionary, I am still learning every day, and loving the experience that it gives. Both spiritually and otherwise! I hope and pray that as I continue to work, that I will be strengthened and blessed to see the fulfillment of the promises for this land of Sweden. I want to be a part of the Second Harvest, the promised gathering here in Sweden of the Swedish folk. It will happen, the only question is, will I be a part of it? The best part is... I get to decide! Do I give my all? Do I focus on the message? What more can I do? I want to, now I just have to get out there and do it! It is a question I guess everyone has to ask themselves... what am I willing to give? I know that this church is true, the gospel works miracles in peoples lives every day. I love being a missionary and serving the people!

I love the work!Love you all!
Äldste Maxwell

PS. I am being transferred this week! Haha, I will be going to Kristianstad (Christian City) and serving with Elder Gygi from my MTC group. It is going to be awesome, I get to learn Skånish, and it is going to be incredible!!! I don't know too much about the area... it is a branch, though nearly a ward supposedly. I am looking forward to it and hope that all goes well! I will let you know about it next week when I learn a little more! haha... I am getting on a train Wednesday kl 9.00 and ride down to Kristianstad to meet my new companion! That is actually interesting, with President Newel, we are allowed to travel alone, so I will be going solo for a couple hours! Scary, but pretty cool. Oh, and I got my grey card with SJ (The travel company for Sweden) so I get free hot chocolate on every SJ train from the Bistro!!! Cool, huh? Well, I have a lot of packing and cleaning, as well as appointments, teaches, and such before I go!!! I hope that you all have a great time! You are all incredible! I love you! Ha det så bra!