Nothing too special...

We haven't had snow or very cold weather here for a while, or at least since the beginning of a couple weeks ago. Being next to the sea definitely keeps us a lot warmer than the rest of Bulgaria. It isn't anywhere as cold as it is back home and I am grateful for that and I hope you all are able to stay warm!

Mom, I would for sure give myself a dryer hug but sadly there basically is no such thing as dryers in Bulgaria, at least not in any missionary apartments.  We just have drying racks that we dry everything on.

This week was good we found a lot of cool new people that we have started meeting with, which is good because a lot of our older investigators have stopped meeting with us for whatever reason.

 

We've only got a couple more weeks left in the transfer, it has gone by pretty fast. Nothing too special from this week mostly just the usual contacting and teaching. This week though for Valentine's the branch is having a talent show and the member in charge of it is making all the missionaries do something... so, I think me and a couple others might just do a skit or something we will see.

Have a great week and keep being great examples to everyone around you!!

Love

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A bit of the stuffed up nose and never ending booger sickness!

I am doing well, I had a bit of the stuffed up nose and never ending booger sickness for a couple days.  I'm over it now and it wasn't anything too bad so I still was able to work!

 

We went to Sizopol last week for P-day so I've got some cool pictures from there I might send a couple!

 

 

 

Other than that, it was a pretty normal week.  We didn't find many new people this week but our investigators are doing well. One in particular, I think she would accept baptism, but she has some family problems that keep us from being able to commit her to that. She is a bit younger so for us to be able to meet with her she needs to have permission from her parents.  Her mom didn't want to give permission right away but she was way nice and reasonable, unlike a lot of parents here, and we were able to meet with her on Saturday and answer her questions.  She came to Sacrament meeting with her daughter and everything so that was pretty cool!

 

We are only 2 elders to an apartment but we usually do something as a district for P-day. My companion is cool he is fun to work with and he really likes Idaho.  He doesn't use his lips when he eats, ever, for anything so that is pretty unique!

Love you all! Have an awesome week!!

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Eat something smothered in BBQ sauce!

It's been a good week, I spent most of it in other places with zone conference up in Varna and a couple exchanges this week. I only got to sleep in my own bed a couple times!

 

I got to serve one day with Elder Vonn, my MTC companion, it was cool to be able to teach lessons for real with him and to be "real missionaries" together after the two months we had in the MTC. He is a way fun guy and I also got to serve with Elder Parkinson one day (from our district) it is a bit like my first couple transfers again when I was with a zone leader always working and staying in other places.

 

Funny story when we went up to Varna for Zone conference they had to put all the elders from all the cities in the zone into the two Elder apartments they have there so we were all really crowded.  We had four of us on this one couch that folded down into a bed (sort of) but we were on the short way so we would all fit so we had to pull up the table chairs for our feet to go on. It wasn't the most comfortable or best nights sleep but it was pretty funny!

 

Zone conference was incredible and Elder Malm was really cool and it was very spiritual and uplifting having him teach and train us. It is always humbling at zone conference when I think I am doing alright but there is always so much more that I can improve on. Like Elder Malm said to us the mission is like a university where for two years we have a time out from everything to be taught by the Lord. I am glad to be here and loving it even though my brother is getting hitched without me!!

 

I love you all, Have an awesome week and eat something smothered in BBQ sauce for me - preferably with some bacon!

Lots of love!

Elder Maxwell

I love this branch!

Most people here don't really know anything about the states so when I say I'm from New York they assume it's the city so I sometimes tell them I'm from the other side of the state by Niagara Falls because lots have heard of that too.

 

This last week was good, we got a baptismal date for one of our investigators and this week we hope to get another! We have some cool new people that we have found and are excited to meet with! We had a bit of rainy weather for a part of this week and that slowed up the contacting quite a bit but it is still going good! No worries about me being cold either, today is so warm that I'm not even wearing a coat, so we are having some pretty good weather right now plus in Burgas it generally is one of the warmer places in the winter so we haven't had any terrible weather yet!

 

A lot of the branches here are pretty small, some of them are about 30 active members and actually in Sofia they just combined the two branches they have there so they have a very big branch and they have around a 100 every Sunday!!!

 

I love this branch the members are so cool and there are a lot of super solid members here so I really enjoy being able to work here even though there aren't that many members! Also this week we have zone conference and there will be a general authority too so I am looking forward to it!

Love to you all!

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Most people are nice enough...

This week was really good.  We had more lessons than we have had the rest of the transfer, so I am glad that those are picking up and we have some pretty cool investigators! It is hard contacting all day, all week and having no one to teach but it has picked up with lots of people being back from the holidays and having time to meet! We're doing a lot more tracting because the leaders are really emphasizing trying to meet with the families when they are all home. It is not to often though that we get to teach or even come back but most people are nice enough and just say they aren't interested.

 

Me and my companion get along well.  He is fun to work with and a good elder. He has some real "Idaho pride" so me and Elder Von like to tease about that a little bit and make some jokes about Idaho because he gets pretty defensive, all within reason of course, because contention is bad.

Love you all!!

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I am excited to continue...

This week has been really good, with the holidays finishing up, we were able to meet with a lot of new people who didn't have time before.  We have found several really great and interested people so I am excited to continue meeting with them and teaching them more!

 

Our investigator had his kids this week ( he is separated and only gets them occasionally) and we went and visited them and it was fun to be able to be around little kids again. It was kind of like home the one little boy really likes Spider Man so he would climb up everything then tell me to watch when he would jump off and he was always wanting to fake fight me and all, it was pretty cool kind of like the little guys only in Bulgarian!

 

This week is a pretty lazy week for Bulgarians they have a lot of holidays here but New Years is probably one of the biggest, there were probably more shops open on Christmas than on New Years!

 

Our branch had a baptism on Saturday for a younger girl, one of the daughters of the members.  It is nice having some really solid younger members in this branch to help with the teaching so it was really neat seeing her get baptized! We had to use the portable font though and the burzo bars that they use for heating it up overnight weren't with the font because some other elders from a different city had borrowed them so it was quite cold but she still went through with it!

 

Thanks for everything!!

Love to you all!!

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Happy New Year to you all!

It was really good to see you and talk to you all on Christmas, all the little kids are growing up so fast! Happy New Year to you all, sorry I forgot to tell you I'd be writing today instead of yesterday.  New Years Eve here can get pretty crazy and they do like their beer so we all had a regular day but then we had to be in our apartments by 5. We were going to stay up untill 12 but we got tired and just went to bed and set an alarm for a few minutes before 12.  We got up to watch the fireworks, from 12 there is just straight fireworks and firecrackers going off for probably about 20 minutes and it sounded like a war zone.  Everyone was throwing firecrackers out their windows and there were mortars going off all around us.  We are up a bit higher in a smaller block so we could see some good fireworks so it was a pretty good new year!

It has been a bit warmer, which is nice, Burgas usually has more mild winters than the rest of Bulgaria being more south and next to the sea which is nice because I like being able to just be out talking to people on the street!

This week was okay, we did a lot of contacting because everyone was too busy to meet for lessons because of the holidays and all but this next week should be really good with everyone getting back.  We have some really great people that I am excited to meet with! There is a baptism this Saturday for a younger girl and we are starting the new English courses too.  I've got a lot to look forward to this new year!!

I love you all Have a great 2013!!

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