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Hi everyone!!! 

Well, this week wasn't super crazy, but I have a couple fun stories. haha

So Wednesday was probably the most eventful day. We got on the train in the morning to go to Jeans house; just to visit her. (Shes a member) So yeah, we got on the train and were waiting for it to leave. elder Ferguson and I were sitting in the main car, facing each other, and a girl came and sat a few seats over from me. Then, a guy came running up and asked us if the train was going to the city. (he was probably 60 or so..?) We said yes, and he came and sat down in between me and the girl (who is a college student). This guy immediately starts talking to us and we can tell he's a little crazy, but really nice. So he starts talking and asks us where we were from. We told him and then another university aged guy came onto the train and sat next to elder Ferguson. The older guy then introduces Elder Ferguson and I to the new guy saying "these are my Mormon friends. He's (pointing at me) from Alabama, and he's (pointing at me again) from Kansas." I said, that's 100% incorrect. haha and the college guy said "you just pointed at the same person twice" hahaha So I think the college guy knew it was going to be an interesting train ride, cause he started to record immediately. The older guy proceeded to keep asking weird questions and say weird things. 

He at one point introduced the girl as his "youngest girlfriend" The guy was so funny!!! But crazy too. Idk, see if you can find a video on youtube or something. It was hilarious! 

I don't know if that made much sense, but yeah. :) Then we saw Elder Bush, who's supposed to be home, and his family. They were visiting Jean the same time we were!!! So that was pretty cool to see him and his family. 

Also, I got to sustain the prophet this week. I believe that he has been called of God. I know that by following the prophets, that we will be protected from harm and from Satan. He is guided by God and Jesus Christ Themselves. Follow them, and you will have the happiest life that God has planned for you. 

Love yall heaps! 

Elder Maxfield

1) We pressure washed a pool. That square took 15 minutes to do.. 

2) Possibly the best fort ever constructed!

General Conference and Saturday services

This week was yet another crazy week. So I'll give a synopsis. 

Aaron is doing a lot better. He seems to be willing to act and try to go out and meet people. I know that he'll get better when he does this. I've seen it happen before in him, so he'll get better again if he reaches out. On Friday, we went over to talk and we created a pretty cool plan with him. We made a list of all of his interests and we're planning on going and doing lots of them with him. While we're doing that, we'll teach him some principles of the gospel. He came to conference Saturday afternoon and really enjoyed it. He said after conference that he feels "a discouraging spirit leave him" (he told us about how discouraged he is) and that he loves how united our church is. He later told us that he wants to belong to something. Elder Ferguson said that he's more than welcome to belong to our church if he wants. hahaha We're going over tonight to make curry with him. 

We made a plan with Happy Luke. He's been really frustrating, but we think we've made a plan. He wants a list of commandments (so just the commandments in the lessons) and he will then do a "3 month trial" of Mormonism. During that time, hes gonna pray and come to church and a bunch of other stuff to see if he gets an answer from God. I know he will. At that point, its up to him to do something about it. 

Conference was great! We missed Saturday morning session because we went to a Seventh Day Adventist church. Our ward mission leader is trying to get us to go to different churches so that we can get to know the congregations and they can ask us questions. That way they feel comfortable with us and will invite us over. So we did that on Saturday morning. There were 8 people at the church, but that's okay. Conference was good. Definitely answered some of my questions. I'm so excited for this new direction that the church is gong with "ministering"!!! I think its a great idea and definitely inspired. I'm looking forward to watching the Saturday Morning. I've heard that's a good one. And that's when I'll be able to sustain my new Prophet and President of the church. I believe that he has been called of God and that he will not lead us astray as we follow his counsel. 

Love yall heaps!!! 

Elder Maxfield

1) sushi and dumplings last monday!!! 

HEY!!!!! Hoppy Easter!

WOAH!!! Reese is going home... thats not okay. hahahaha Im so excited for him and for all you at home!!! 

Okay, first of all, sorry for last week.. I was super distracted and ran out of time to email, so I neglected the group email... SORRY!!! 

Okay, so this week was nuts!!!!!!! AHHHHH 

Tuesday we had service in the morning for Griselda. Shes from Peru and is super cool! We cleaned out one room in her house, and it took 2 hours.. the room wasn't even that big. ahahaha But after that, we had a few really good lessons. So Aaron is really progressing. We talked with him about setting a schedule and trying to do something every day to reach out and do something service oriented. Later on in the week, we visited him again and he said that he felt a lot more peaceful and that his mind started to clear a bit. (hes bi-polar and is in a really hard place right now) But hes improving a lot. We are about to start teaching him gospel lessons. OH! And Tuesday night we went to get ice cream with the young men. They're so cool! We just got to know them and we talked about basketball and sports the whole time. They're so awesome!!!! I'm excited to work with them more. 

Wednesday was zone conference. That was so fun!! We pretty much just had that though. Not much to comment on. 

Thursday was trade offs. Elder Wu and I taught griselda and Carolina. Carolina is from Chile. So a member who speaks Spanish helped us out a lot. (he taught the lesson lol). BTW these were Elder Wu's investigators not mine. 

Friday... I don't think anything...? 

Saturday was transfer calls!!! We had steak (mine looked like a chicken but if you flipped it, it looked like Australia.) I'm staying with Elder Ferguson! I'm so excited for this next transfer. We're gonna have a ton of fun and hopefully the area can get moving a little. The ward is really good and willing to help, but we just need to have investigators to use them. We'll see how that goes. 

Sunday was Easter!!! We had church and then went to the Mitchell's house for Easter dinner. They were beyond nice and we just talked about music and Easter and a bunch of other stuff. They had a ton of family over, so it was just like home. I had a really good time. 

That's pretty much the week. I'm doing awesome and am really enjoying the ward.

Reese! Have fun at home!!! Give Mom and dad and the girls a big hug for me!!!!

I love yall heaps! 

Elder Maxfield

To the young, old, and those going on their missions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AHHHHHHHHHH CLAIRES GOING ON A MISSION. AHHHHH IM SO EXCITED FOR YOU CLAIRE!!!!!!!!!!!! If you want to know where shes going, you can ask her, I don't want to steal any thunder. 

Okay, so this week was very eventful. We had a couple trade offs and those were all door knocking. 

We also went to Youk's baptism!!!! YOUK IS THE MAN!!!!! He was an old investigator from the city, and I really got along with him. So he invited me to speak at his baptism. he told me that the first time he felt the spirit was that night after the bridge. he felt it really strongly, and two days later, he was ready to hear the message of the Atonement and accept baptism. He's great! 

Well, not much else to really report on this week. Lots of teaching lessons that were a little strange, but tahts okay. 

Well, I love yall heaps! 

Elder Maxfield

wow... what happened?

Well, this week was crazy, so Ill try to put in the highlights in a way that makes sense. 

Tuesday

We went to the city and worked at the giant Book of Mormon. So, we left and were like "oh, it probably wont rain". Yeah.. we were wrong. It DUPED!!!!! POURED!!! Other words that describe a torrential downpour! So we got totally soaked for the two hours we were there, but it was so fun!! I talked to a girl who was an usher for the Book of Mormon Musical. She'd seen the play a few times and knew that it wasn't really "accurate" so she wanted to learn more of what we're about. so cool!! OH! And we went to Outback Steakhouse with a super cool old lady. She gave the best advice ever. (more about her in later emails)

Wednesday

Interviews with President. He always gives the best advice. I'm really gonna miss him when he leaves, but I cant wait to meet our new President!!

Friday

MISSION CONFERENCE!!!!!! President Clayton of the Seventy came and spoke to our two missions on Friday. He told us our new President was going to be R. Scott? I think> He said like 5 different names and we're all confused. hhahaha But we're all super pumped for that. 

Other than that, heaps of appointments this week. Youk (an old investigator form the city) asked me to speak at his baptism, so I'll be going there next week. I'm so excited to see all these people in the city get baptized!!!!!! AHHHHH SO FUN!!! I'm so proud of them and their decisions. 

Well, thats pretty much all folks. Sorry, nothing new on investigators or anything. 

Love yall heaps!!! 

Elder Maxfield

1) The city was so fun!!!! This is the display

2) we ran out of milk and I had already poured a bowl and put honey on top... it was too late. 

Im famous!!!!

Hello my beautiful friends, family, and assorted "mates". First off, I want you to know that you are awesome!!! yep. :) That's all. 

So this week was a little hectic. I learned how to siphon this week, and that was super cool. Don't worry, we were taking water out of a pool, not gas out of a car. hahahhaaha. But that was fun. We were doing service for an ex-mission presidents wife who served in Melbourne. Shes so nice and told us all about her mission and her husband and her grand kids. Shes just a sweet lady. I love her. 

Okay, also, we met Brother Bailey this week. brother Bailey is "exceedingly rich". He's the CEO of ITP (income tax professionals). He is also the stake missionary leader and helps us out a ton because he used to be a mission president in New York. So we went over to his house and tried to figure out what advice he had for us. As you can see in my planner, one of our daily goals was to see, smell, and lick a Ferrari. We didn't lick it, but we accomplished the other two. His is a one of a kind, only in the world, Ferrari.So pretty!!! But, I don't have a picture,sorry. So he helped us a lot. 

Also, big news!!! I baptized someone this week!! Tiffany was a old investigator that I found in the city about 5 days before I left. She came to church with us and told us she had met with missionaries and had all the lessons in Melbourne. But I left... so I never got to teach her. However, a week or so ago, I got a call from Elder McCleskey and he said that she had asked me to baptize her. She said I want "the smiling Elder" to baptize me. They all thought it was Elder Clark (who never stops smiling) but then she said, "no, the one with the eyebrows" They all immediately knew who it was and called me up. hahahaahhaah. Also, most missionaries in this mission know about my eyebrows apparently. Or at least the ones that I've talked to have heard about them before they served with me. hahahaha so funny. Well, its been a cool week. Not much else to report.

Love you all heaps!!!! 

Elder Maxfield 

1) view from an investigators house (this is my area hahah) 

2) TIFFANY!!!! yay

sister williams always forgets my name... so she needs a reminder hahaha

Everybody's got a hillbilly bone down deep inside

Even the Aussies listen to country. Well at least one family that we met. Brother Harris told us about an acapella ( I think thats how you spell it but the computer doesnt like it...?) group that is country. He showed us them singing "How Great Thou Art". It was soooo good!!!! Home Free is the name of the group. 

Okay, so, I will explain my area for you. :) 

So, we live outside of our area, so we have to bus 45 minutes to get to Cherrybrook. That's a huge neighborhood that has best mostly knocked. The people there are pretty nice though. There's a few other places that are neighborhood areas. Pennant Hills, Thornleigh, Castle Hill, and... I think that's it. TONS OF EUCALYPTUS TREES!! They're everywhere. Like, that's all you see. Ill have to send a picture on time of that. Then when you head up north, its all acreage. Huge plots of land with mansions!!! Everywhere!! Its just land too, they don't really grow anything, just land. That's where a lot of ward members live, so its fun to travel up there. SOOO pretty. But yeah, that's pretty much the area.

We don't have anyone to teach right now. All lessons are pending. we cant really get in contact with anyone. And the one guy we taught said he wants to stick to his church. (we'll see about that when he feels the spirit). 

Ummm, other news. We got to go to the city!!!!!!! And we manned the giant Book Of Mormon. We had a lot of fun and I loved!!!! being in the city again!! Street contacting is so fun! I got into a conversation with someone from Gilbert AZ, that was so cool! Hopefully he came back later like he said he would to check out the display...? Nothing else really.. It was a good week. 

BTW everyone, Elder Ferguson is the man!! We talked about country music for about 7 hours (while working of course) the other day. Just all the songs and bands we could remember. It was so fun!!!!!! 

Okay, love yall heaps!!!!