Week 8: Hey, this is Christmas!

Charlie Brown tree

Hey family:) Christmas is coming up soon and that's crazy! Can't believe it's already hear. To answer your question mom I can Skype at 7:00 your time. So that will be 8 for me. Well the weekly update. It just doesn't really even feel like winter here. It just get cold and then rains all day long. So that's kinda weird. We did a decent amount of tracting this week but we are trying to incorporate finding new people to teach on Facebook. Knocking on doors at night has been kinda interesting. We were on this one street and it was pitch black and we knocked on this families door. Just picture us three Elders huddled on the porch as it's lightly raining. And we heard a noise like a door opening. And so Elder Taylor and Bollinger peeked around the corner of the house into the garage to see if someone was coming out to talk to us. And instead the people let out there dogs to scare us off. A big German Shepard comes barreling out of the garage and Elder Taylor and Bollinger just took off running and I just froze on the porch. I don't know what my thought process was. Maybe if I don't move the dogs won't see me. By that time my companions were half way down the street still running pretty fast. So I casually turned my back to the dogs and walked after my companions. It was just funny because they didn't even really say anything they just had a scared look on there face and took off running. So I was left on the porch thinking like what the heck is going on. So that was pretty fun. I also had the opportunity this week to teach the law of chastity for the first time this week so that was interesting. I thought it would be awkward and hard and it defiantly was. But it was worth it. The investigators didn't commit to live the law of chastity but they said they would pray to know if it's true. So that's a win in my book. 

Sounds like you guys have had a pretty full week of fun. One of the youth in the ward agreed to get us a Christmas tree. So he went out in the woods and cut off a branch of a spruce tree and it looks super ghetto but it works and I love it. A little tree is better than no tree. I'll probably be writing some letters home soon. Once I can figure out how to do that. I'm super excited to go pick up the package tomorrow at zone conference and I get to see all my batch mates so that makes me happy. 

Alright I can't think of so much to say but I miss you guys lots and I'm super excited to talk to you guys on Monday! Alright love you guys!

Week 7: Ready for Christmas

People in room

Hi familia,

This week has been really good. You can tell dad that yes the bike is working well. Everyone is super jealous because my bike is the best. I'm not freezing any more I bought some clothes and that's cool. The week has been going good. We have been on four exchanges in one week and I'm super burned out and tired. I've been adapting to mission life pretty quickly. Sometimes my comps forget that I'm new. We are teaching a cute family from Ghana and a cute family that is moving to Michigan. Both of them want to be baptized so I'm hoping that goes well.

I was super happy to get some mail from you guys. Letters are awesome and that really made my day. That's cool the Bishop wants to go on a mission. I honestly thought he would be the bishop forever. So that's gonna be fun to see who will go in.  Well mom I'm glad that you got everything handled and tell Adee she is a champ for keeping the Christmas tradition alive, yes of course I'm staying healthy and I'm actually pretty good at budgeting so I'm sure that will be a surprise. I can't wait to Skype you guys and it's gonna come so soon. I hope grandma gets feeling better and I miss visiting them.

My comp Elder Bollinger gave me a hair cut this week so I can't send any pictures cause he messed up my head. Just kidding it looks alright. I'll try to get better at taking pictures. But for now I just suck. I miss all of you a lot. But not that much. Today was another week of walking but since we have a part time car we get the car back this week. It alternated every other week.

Missionaries

Jake sent me a pretty good email and that's super good to hear from him and that he is doing well. They don't have sidewalks here in Murfreesboro so we walk on the road and I've been pretty close to being hit by cars and that's awesome. Had a super scary experience with some one yesterday that maybe Jake will tell you guys about.

I'll just leave you guys with a quote that everyone says here on the mish that I love.

"They send boys to foreign countries to become men. They send men to the states to become leaders. And they send leaders to the south to become legends." Aww yeah baby. That's what I'm talking about. The wards here are super close knit and super fun to be in. The south is a good place but home is so much better.  The gentle man in the sweater name is Ron. He is a recent convert who we got to take to the temple for the first time to do baptisms for the dead. His sons name, his fathers, and his brothers. It was one of the most cool spiritual experiences I've ever had. He is definitely a legend. Its almost to cold to bike here. Our faces freeze. But my bike is the best. I'm so grateful to dad for shipping it, I miss Uncle Nate and his family and Uncle Ben. We have a mission conference soon and I'm super excited for that. We do a lot of stuff on facebook and that is gonna take some getting used to .
Love you guys!! Have a good week

Ron and missionaries

Week 6: Settling in

Looking out window

Dear mom and family. Sounds like you guys have had a pretty full week. It sounds like you guys want a lot of details about everything so I'll try to send some pictures of the city and the apartment and such. Currently I'm in Nashville on a exchange with the a PS. Those are the assistant to the presidents. Great guys both from Utah. The weather has been getting great but it's going down hill. I love talking to people and I'm way good at budgeting. Exchanges are way cool cause you get another perspective of missionary work. I love what I'm doing here no matter how many doors I get slammed in my face. There are some good religious people here tho and that's nice. Lots of people respect what we are doing they just don't want any part of it. It's crazy the the people who live in city are the most humble and the most willing to listen. I wish I had brought more clothes and shoes cause I'm always freezing. But it's really cool. Yes dad I have my bike and I put it all together a couple days ago and I get to ride it next week. We are a part time car zone so next week we won't have the car. The car we drive is a 2017 Chevy Malibu. It's really nice. Let me know specifically what you guys wanna know and I'll answer your questions. I'm sorry I'm not good at emailing but I love you guys. Email me back today if you can. Well sis its hard and sometimes really sad. but I know this is where I'm supposed to be and I'm working my butt off. What is it like being in Tennessee?, its honestly pretty much the same as back home just way less Mormon people. the humidity is weird. so its way cold. but most people here are at least kind hearted. how is it different? everything looks way old. and there are some huge houses here. I also found out that David Archuletta lives here and is in one of the wards in the Nashville area. so I'm hoping I will get to serve there and meet him. maybe get a picture or something. How is the food? the food is amazing. I mean these people know how to cook. the fried chicken is insanely good. but the members keep feeding us tacos over and over again. its like someone told them that was our favorite. we are teaching a few people. one of them is a cool guy named T who played minor league baseball in Arizona. hopefully we can get a baptismal date for him. the other promising person is a 10 year old kid who lives in a less active family. and we have a baptismal date for him on the 30th so that exciting. and we are going to the temple in two days with a guy who just got baptized named R so that he can start on his family ordinances in the temple which is super cool. he is a skinny old man who is way nice. yes I like my companions. Elder Taylor from Logan is a tank and he works way hard and is a good example. Elder Bolinger is a legend and he works hard to. I think I probably got the best trainers in the mission. Anyways love you all, until next week.

2 lanes go left, 1 right, 1 straight ahead

apartment fireplace

Week 5: Play on

SPAM guitar

Hello family:) it's really good to hear from you guys. It's been a long week. Defiantly a good week but a long one. First and foremost yes dad I have the bike I'll be putting it together tomorrow. And I think I have all the parts and stuff.  My first official day we got fed two thanksgiving dinners. They were way tasty. People in the south know how to cook that's for sure. After that on Friday we went out and knocked on doors all day. I burned holes right into my socks. It was hard work and I've never met so many interesting people before. Some of the people I have met this week are really on another high level as far as spiritual things are concerned and some are really trying to get back to being all natural and some just want to shout at the top of their lungs!  Besides that it's really cool here. My companion Elder Taylor and I went to high school together. His older brother is Nick Taylor, Jake knows him. So that's amazing I get to be companions with someone I know and he's way chill.

 My other companion is Elder Bollinger from Oregon's own Portland and he is way cool.  They are the zone leaders and we are in a trio. Sunday was way cool I got asked to speak in sacrament on my first Sunday in a new place in a new ward. It was awesome I just gave my farewell talk again. So that was a new experience. The apartment is decent. We have met some exciting people knocking doors in our area of town. 

Really tho I expected to be gaining some weight but I'm actually loosing weight. We have a couple investigators so that's cool. Alright well I miss all of you guys quite a bit and hopefully I'll get to here from you again before the day is over. Love you guys bye.

Week 4: I'm here in Tennessee

Hey I get to send you a quick email that I'm here. The mission home is in a super nice area and I find out who my companion is tonight I think. Also my p day will be on Wednesday now. Love you guys hope you have a good thanksgiving. Love Michael 

Week 3: Goodbye MTC

Hello family! It sounds like you've all been pretty busy. Please wish Adeline a happy happy birthday for me and let her know that I miss her and love her. I apologize for not sending many stories. The MTC has been full of ups and downs for me. But here are some stories for you guys. My first week here I was missing home and Buffalo Wild Wings. And they served boneless hot wings here. So naturally I had two plates full and didn't feel very good after that. I was honestly fine until I had to go to the bathroom and then the fire started. And I haven't ate the chicken since. All of this food here just makes me super gassy. I don't know what they put in the stuff. It's mostly good food it just gets repetitive. Yesterday two kids in my district got in a wrestling match at the residence hall and it got pretty heated. It was my redheaded Irish buddy Elder B vs my companion Elder M who was a football player in high school. So naturally my comp had the advantage. But Elder B was so small and wiry and feisty that he beat my comp. Everyone was out in the halls yelling and hollering chanting fight and stuff. It was way cool and stress relieving. And we haven't even gotten in trouble yet so that's awesome. Both of the guys were fine just lots of carpet burn and stuff. Tomorrow I'll be flying to Nashville. I'm super excited to get to Nashville. And yesterday night I had the opportunity to give a blessing of comfort to one of the sisters who was leaving and it was amazing. I felt the spirit so strong I was shaking and didn't even remember what was said. When I was done she was crying a lot tho so I hope that's good. I've made some good friends here at the MTC.  Apparently it's supposed to rain a lot in Nashville so I'm gonna be needing a good umbrella so maybe I'll save up and get one. Anyhow I have to go start packing. I love you all and miss you. Have a great week! PS:  this is Elder Vaka and he's a dope kid from California who is related to Jabari Parker if you know who that is. I'll send more pics as I get them.

Week 2- Ready to get to work

Well sounds like everything is going good at home. This week has been pretty long. I'm so ready to be out of the MTC. The food is really good, I should only eat 2 meals a day! We had a devotional by President Russel M Nelson so that was way cool. I miss you guys. Surprisingly I haven't gained any weight so that's good. We got to go to the temple again this week and that's always fun. We do teaching to investigators and one of mine is atheist and I'm struggling with that. But that's okay. I've been doing a lot of church history reading and Book of Mormon reading so my testimony is growing on those things. I like my teachers. They are good people. And I saw Carson Smith yesterday so that was great. Doing laundry is fun and I'm meeting lots of new people. Church is true. Have a good week familia and I can't wait for the update. Love Elder Swanton

Week 1- Loving the MTC

Hey famdamily. Things are going well here. The food is quite good. But I'm not gaining weight. My companion Elder Meacham is from Page Utah and played lacrosse and we get along really well. We are teaching investigators and learning lots. The spirit is so so strong already. It's crazy it's only been a couple days but it feels like weeks. I get to play basketball every day so I am happy. Lots of people here have been struggling with homesickness but I haven't had any issues with that. Just lots of crazy cool spiritual stuff. Everyone here is all in this together and that makes it easier. It's really weird in the MTC you seem to loose the concept of time and days seem, like two or three. I'm happy to be here. I think I'm loosing weight but I have to find a scale.  Anyhow I love you guys. Have a good week!

The time has come....MTC

Lots of crazy emotions today as we dropped off Elder Swanton at the MTC. We took some pictures with him at the Provo Temple. It brought back some memories of dropping off Jacob 3 years ago. We are so proud of him and his decision to serve the Lord. Three quick weeks and he will be off to Tennessee.

Temple of the Lord

Well my journey to begin my mission has started. I went to the temple in Logan Utah to take out my endowments on September 26, 2017. It was a great day spent with family in the house of the Lord.