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.