Mid week Activities

I received a quick note from Chris along with this picture. His comment was, "So you thought I was learning to be a missionary, but I'm actually training to be a Jedi. We are working on our saber skills". On the left is Elder Erickson, his companion until Wednesday and Elder Paxton is on the right. I guess they have some unique ways of teaching Spanish in the MTC.

Momma P

Week 3

This week has gone by so quickly. Estoy aprendando
muchisimo espanol, I think that's right. I am really
enjoying all of my classes. one of my teachers
is totally intense and we learn a lot and the other
is totally laid back but we still get a lot done.
I am so excited to be able to speak very good
spanish, I know it wont be for some time but it
will be so good. I am trying to speak as much as
possible. Just today I had my first conversation
completely in spanish.  This guy asked how I was
doing and I said bien and then I asked him and he
said bien. It was amazing (not really).

Trevor, did you ever have Elder Bednar speak in
the tuesday night devotionals?  I think it was in
2005 so it was probably before your time. it was
a really good talk on becoming a missionary. He
gave 3 principles on how to be a better missionary
and such.

I'm sad that Elder Erickson is leaving to go to
lima peru next wednesday. I think I am going to
be put into a 3 some. Hopefully with the two guys
I am rooming with, that way I dont have to move
all of my stuff.

So in case you didn't know it is a real small world.
Brother Shumway's brother is my presidente and one
of my room mates is from Canada and is totally
awesome and my other roomate is from Colorado
but he is going to Tempe. So you will all have to
look out for a shorter guy named Elder Tate.

Dad; the spirit is so strong here it is amazing!

Well my time is running up soon and I am tired of
typing so I shall say so long to you all,
until next Friday....

love
Elder Paxton

Week 2 (actually 1.5)

Well, there was a little delay in the 2nd week email and
posting. I ended up getting 2 emails today I am not sure
what happened last week. It was great to hear from Elder
Paxton.

Momma P

Hola everyone,

This week has been going very well. Today I got to go to
 the temple which is always so wonderful. I look forward
to going every week. I love going to the temple. The other
day I was in the call center, where people call and ask
for free stuff,bibles, copies of the Book of Mormon and
other dvds, and I called this woman to see if she had
received her bible that she ordered and she said that
she hadn't and that she was really surprised that we, the
church, called her back. so i told her that I would send
her another one no problem. When I said that she called
me a God send and that made me feel really good, even
though I didn't really do anything except click some
buttons on the computer. I wanted to share more about
the church and possibly send the missionaries to her
house but she said that she had to go to sleep to get
up for work early the next day.

I still haven't gotten used to the fact that I look like
a missionary. Like when I go into the lunch room I
look out and see a whole bunch of elders and I forget
that I look exactly like the rest of them. or when
people call me elder in my mind I think my name is
Chris not Elder. Maybe one day I'll get used to it.

I'm really getting along well with my companions
and everyone else in my district. I am a little
sad though because my comp is leaving in two weeks
to go to the MTC in peru, so I think I am going to
be in a three some maybe. but i like everyone in
our district so what ever happens will be fun times.

General conference was so amazing. Probably because
I was forced to stay awake by sitting in a really hard
uncomfortable chair for forever. Also I took so many
notes. I think my favorite talk was president Eyrings
talk during priesthood session. I liked it a lot
because the night before I consecrated oil for the
first time, so it was very personal to me. Also who
couldn't have liked Elder Holland's bomb of a talk.

Can you and Jeanette have peolpe write me? I like
getting mail. Tell them all about dear elder, it so much
easier. I don't know if I can send pictures home through
email, basically everything is blocked on the computers
and I can only email or write letters on p day.

Another great thing about p days is something called
personal time. which means we can do anything we
want, with our comp which to me means nap time so
I'm planning on every friday from 10-11 I will be taking
a very wonderful and much need nap.

Love you all,

Elder Paxton

Elder Paxton's first email

hi mommy and family

I'm having a fun time. i really like my companion and the other people in my district we all get along very well and are learning so much so fast. i think i have learned more Spanish in the 2 days I've been here than the entire first year of Spanish in school. my p days are going to be on Friday but hopefully i can do some laundry before then.

Yesterday we had a guest teacher come class. his name is Hermano Martinez and he is a non member going to byu and is from equador. after he taught us we asked him some questions to get to know him and after we did that we had to teach him something about the gospel and fulfill our purpose as a missionary(which is: invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and his atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the holy ghost, and enduring to the end) all in Spanish because he doesn't know hardly any English. it was a little frightening because my comp and i had to go first so we had about a minute to prepare something. we tried to teach him that families can be together for ever and he was understanding our broken Spanish but then he ask us como or how and we could answer him in Spanish but we really wanted to teach him more.

I look forward to gym time everyday because it is a change of pace and i get to play volleyball which is very fun. also my branch president is Rex Shumway's little brother which is fun because he is a lot like Rex and i like Rex. i have my more direct address but i left it in my room but I'm sure if you send anything to the one in the book it will get to me. the things i want the most right now are my other coat hanger and my brown flip flops. you don't need to worry about getting my ipod here so soon because we aren't allowed to listen to any music in the mtc, not even church music.

Conference should be good but a little rough because today alone we will be sitting in the gym for six hours in stadium type seats I'm thinking about bringing my pillow for my butt.

I love you all and I'm loving it here. i hope to hear from every one real soon.

Love,

Elder Paxton

Elder Paxton's MTC Address!

Elder Christopher Loren Paxton

MTC Mailbox #229
ID-BOI 1201
2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT 84604-1793

Also, check out DearElder.com to send Chris free emails that will be printed out and delivered to him daily.