It's All Good - First Week in the Field

So I'll start off by saying sorry everybody for not writing last week, I was having a crisis trying to get out into Kentucky. 

Anyways hello everyone!! It’s been a killer 2 weeks. To say the least. Last week I ended the MTC. That was an amazing experience and I already wish I took more out of it. That's not to say that I didn't, I just wish I made that extra extra little effort. My Spanish was not prepared to speak to a pregnant Cuban lady. I just kinda nodded and said si si a lot. I'm super grateful for all of my MTC teachers. They are super awesome, and taught me so much. 

So Monday was the big day! It was different than I thought. I had to say goodbye to my family immediately at the airport due to Covid which was a rush. So that was just great. Anyway I was going to get my things and the start for the baggage, and all of a sudden I see my sister behind me. I was like what the heck? Did she like fight through that annoying security dude? Turns out she forgot her keys on my suitcase, so little blessing I got a few extra seconds with her. So I got to my terminal with about like 7 other missionaries going to Louisville too. I sat with Elder Pleder and Elder Stott. There are poppin. I sat with them for both flights. I don't want this email to be an hour long so I'll skip a bunch of things. We got to Atlanta, and immediately hopped on the flight for Louisville. We got there and went to the mission office and had some BBQ sandwiches. It was around 5 when we got there. Pres started to interview each missionary to assign them a companion and trainer, but we had something like 28 or 30 missionaries with the group. We went to the mission home and I still hadn't gotten interviewed. I ended up being the last one interviewed which I thought was ironic. So about 3 or 4 months earlier I met the mission president at Mr Mac in salt lake before they were in the mission field. I was the first Louisville Kentucky missionary they had met, and I was the last one to be interviewed. I finished at like 11:45, and I got the worst air-mattress. It completely deflated during the night. 

Next day we woke up, went back to the office, had orientation, and got sent out. 

So this is when I met my companions. I'm in a trio with Elder Bird, and Elder Brandner. They are straight homies!! Really cool people. 

Elder bird is the senior companion, he’s from Idaho, and has been out for about 14 months. His original call was to the DR.  He’s been in this area for almost 5 months. He is a great driver haha. He likes his music quiet and is literally a perfect child. He carries me in Spanish lessons. 

Elder Brander has been out "6" months but bc of quarantine he just barely got out of training. He’s super cool and is kinda the opposite of Elder bird. He is from Orem. His OG call was to Mexico. He makes some pretty solid marinated chicken. 

The area I'm in rn is Jasper, Indiana. It is great!! I'm lucky enough to have a ward in the area and the members are awesome.  The people we are teaching are as well. I got some picture books from my mom in a package and all of the covers say Kentucky, but I'm not in Kentucky so I thought that was funny. Jasper is a banging place for sure.

The week was crazy not just bc it was my first week. First day we went over to the zone leader’s apartment. They are straight homies too!! Elder Hoffman is a big big boi. His Spanish is golden, and he's super chill. There are in a trio too and elder Smith and elder chambers are awesome too. We also met up with my grandpa, elder haws. He's the best, his personality is so genuine. He said some things that comforted me on the first day. I was like, I'm going to be ok. 

Throughout the week we travelled so much. Jasper has sooo many corn fields, I think they have day farms beat by a mile. Probably not the Todd's backyard though. I'll take a picture next week and send it. We did a lot of service and teaching. The work in jasper is popping off and hasn't slowed due to Covid. We had so many things this week, but this email is already so long so I won’t talk about a lot of them. We had district conference, zone leader exchanges and they got a electric guitar for free, did service and found a frog at this beautiful lake, became marriage counselors, I didn't have a pillow for a sec, we had a Cuban tirade and I didn't help at all with my tiny bit of Spanish, and that's only the first couple days. If you want to know more about anything just text me on Google hangouts today. 

Everything in the gospel is just amazing!! The Holy Ghost is such a blessing. I was way worried that I wouldn’t enjoy the work or my companions would suck, but the Lord has my back. Through prayer and faith I've already learned and grown so much. All of these missionaries really do understand. We're all in the same boat and we are in it together. The faith that they have lifts me up and the power we all possess works miracles in those we teach.

I really am just thriving out here. It is still an adjustment but I'll be in the right place for the next 23 months. My companions have started saying little things that I do so this is going to be fun. 

I still love hearing from you guys and all of the "I'll miss you" have turned into "I miss you." Just shoot me a text on Google hangouts or an e-mail any day and I can read it. I just can't respond until Mondays.

I also don't have access to what I normally send me emails with so if you hear of anyone who didn't get this, just let me know. 

Te amo 

-Max