Letter received November 21, 2011

Hi Family!

The fall season here is amazing.  All the pine trees still have their green needles but the other trees are colors of muted red, yellow, orange, and brown.  The trees grow really close together and they are really dense around the roots so it seems like a tunnel into a sunrise. 

Thanks to everyone for the prayers and that you are thinking of me.  You asked what it’s like having a companion – having a companion isn’t all that stressful.  It helps to know you have someone out here to help if you mess up.  Elder Beck (my comp in the MTC) and I got to be good friends and he was sad when we left each other.  Tell everyone at church that I’m doing fine and have already shot a hundred wolverines. . . just kidding!

Fortunately, I don’t have to wear my suit 24/7; I only have to wear it on Sunday at Sacrament meetings and at district meetings.  My new shoes needed wearing in, but they’re good now.  The town here is kind of like Banks, Oregon except it’s more spread out.  There’s a place here, supposedly famous, called the Virginia Diner, but it’s more of a tourist trap.  I will continue to give you a short description of the town and of my work.

The town of Wakefield has three stoplights.  The houses and buildings are either broken down or trashed and lived in.  There are many fields of corn and cotton.  I’m sending you some cotton!  The trees are quite beautiful because the vines that grow on them have a lot of colorful leaves.  Everything here is so spread out that all of the fast food places like Little Caesar’s, Wendy’s, and Pizza Hut are very far away.  Living out here is very weird with everything falling apart. 

Everything for me is just dandy.  I love the people.  Most of our investigators are black, since the town is mostly black.  Here is a list of some of my investigators right now:

-          Karen, 14 years old, very committed to everything and open to the gospel; she’s read all the pamphlets but her mother doesn’t want her to be baptized.

-          Loretta, a black lady, we read the testimony of Joseph Smith to her and she is very receptive to the scriptures.

-          Sheena and Arcy, a couple with one child (Kaitlyn), they are kind of looking for a church with gentleness about it because Baptist churches here are really loud.  They like our church meetings and Sheena wonders a lot about life after death.

-          Jaclyn, a black lady with two kids, she likes the church but needs to read more scriptures.

-          Mrs. Nan, an old lady, has her own church that she belongs to; she doesn’t know what some things mean in the Bible.

-          Tasha, a black lady who has her niece and nephew living with her, she likes everything about the church but doesn’t come to church.

There are more investigators, but those are the ones I know the most about.  Now I’ll sum up my week.

We visited a lot of houses and gave lessons to the people listed above.  Even though she is old, Mrs. Nan is so filled with the spirit.  Elder Lloyd tried to jump off a ledge and he fell.  Later that week we got pranked by a bunch of sisters.  They put toothpaste on all the mirrors, switched up the beds, and put baby oil on the toilet seat.  I worked out every day so I keep myself toned.  I’m constantly trying to better myself with the spirit.  I have been called to leadership training and it seems surprising because not a lot of people go this early.

I love you all.  Every time I write a letter I know that you will get it in a few days, but in some sense we are connected through the letters by me touching them and then you touching them later.  Thanks for all your letters.  When I get a letter, I jump for joy to know I have physical evidence that my family loves me.  Every day I spend here is a day closer to getting back and enjoying that fun, happy feeling of reunion.  Sometimes I really want to return home, but I must fulfill what the Lord needs me to do.

This letter will come to you before Thanksgiving, so Happy Thanksgiving!  I am so thankful to have you as a family.  I love you all and I miss you.  I want to give you all a hug, but I’m in Virginia.  Remember that I will send some gifts that might be hilarious and useless, but bear with me.  Write back soon and send me what you would think I would love for Christmas. 

Always be the best and stay close to the Lord and the church.  Garry, be more joyful that you get to bless the sacrament.

Love you all,

Elder Maximilian McClure

Letter Received November 8, 2011

Dear Family

I am doing fine and arrived in Richmond, Virginia fine.  Mom, I’m sorry that the phone cut you off after we talked, but I want you to know that I KNOW that you love me.  I will always love you for now and for always until the day I get married then you are 2^nd loved.  [Well, isn’t that comforting?]

Wednesday, November 2

I woke up pretty early and had to take a cold shower.  After, me and E. Beck had gotten ready, we went down and put our luggage in the bus that took us with a group of missionaries to the airport.  We got everything checked in (it only cost $60, which will be reimbursed).  We waited outside the gate (that’s when I called you) and finally got on the plane.  It was a hard three hours, but I studied the scriptures and watched bits of Rise of the Planet of the Apes without sound.  We got to Georgia and I grabbed a muffin for lunch.  We flew another hour but I slept through most of it.

We got to the Richmond airport early.  President Perry met us and we got all our luggage with ease.  We got to look around Richmond and we saw the Jefferson Monument, the Stonewall Jackson Monument, and a bunch of houses that mom would kill for; you can look them up on Google maps by entering Monument Avenue.  We got back to the Perry’s and had a dinner of lasagna and French bread.  After, we all had interviews of health and integrity.  I passed both.  [Sheesh, I hope so!] Then we went to sleep and in the middle of the night I sleep-walked to the center of the room, woke up, and had to crawl back to bed.

Thursday, November 3

Got up and had breakfast of an egg casserole.  We got our pictures taken and headed to the church.  We were all assigned companions.  I was put with Elder Carter and Elder Lloyd (a missionary who’s waiting for his visa to come through so he can go to Brazil).  After, Elder Carter and Brother Grober (a church member here who was a convert 14 years ago) took me to a BBQ place and I had a sandwich and chocolate cake.  We went to the Fisher’s who live in two trailers outside a house they have been building.  They have a little boy who was very dirty and who was picking up chickens and bringing them to us.  They seemed really burned out from building their house.  We helped do some work on it with them.

After this, Brother Grober took us to the church which is like the only church in the whole area.  It is an old, white Quaker church with stained glass windows and it’s very beautiful.  Everyone in the branch originally met in someone’s house for church.  Well, it’s beautiful here in Wakefield.  Bunches of trees.  The dominant bird here is the turkey vulture which flies around and looks like it could pick up a dog.  There are many people with dogs and cats here.  It’s a pretty rural area out here.

Me and Elder Carter walked around and talked to some people and most were very receptive to hearing about and getting a pamphlet from the missionaries, but that’s because a lot of people are open to stuff like that.  We have about 40 people in the branch here.  We went back to the apartment and it has five different rooms for different stuff.  [Wow – that tells me a lot.  J ]  This part of the mission has the best phone and the best car because we have around a 100 mile radius of an area.  This is the funniest thing in the kitchen – a sign that says:

Rules of my Kytchen

1.       PLEASE TO KEEP OUTE, except on express permission of cooke.

2.       Cooke shall designate pot scourers, pan polishers, peelers, scrapers and cooke has SUPREME AUTHORITY AT ALL TIMES.

3.       NO REMARKS AT ALL WILL BE TOLERATED concerning the blackening of toast, weakness of soupe or the strength of garlic stewe.

4.       What goes in stews and soups is NOBODY’S dam business.

5.       Don’t CRITICIZE the coffee – you may be olde and weak yourself someday.

6.       If you Must sticke your finger in something, stick it in the garbage disposal.

7.       Anyone bringing guestes in for DINNER without PRIOR NOTICE will be awarded 3 thwacks on skull with sharp object.

8.       Please waite.  Rome wasn’t burnt in a day and it takes awhile to burne the ROASTE.

9.       If YOU MUST pinche something in the KYTCHEN, PINCHE THE COOKE!

10.   This is my KYTCHEN.  If you don’t believe it, start something.

Basic sum-up of area:  rural, lots of trees with vines growing up them, Elders fun, very old buildings and equipment here, every house has some amount of junk in and around it, turkey vultures everywhere, and a heck of a lot more black people than in Idaho. [He understands the concept of diversity, I promise – we’re from South Carolina!]

Elder Max McClure

Max's First Area: Wakefield, Virginia

Max arrived in Virginia last week, but we just discovered that his first area is Wakefield, a town of about 1,000 people that is southeast of Richmond.  According to Wikipedia, it is considered the “Peanut Capitol of the World.”  J

November 7, 2011

Dear Family,
By getting this letter, it means that I am safe and sound in Virginia. On the plane trip here I was tired and compacted in the tiny seat.  I had to concentrate and struggle not to watch the in-flight movie, which was Rise of the Planet of the Apes.  I read the story of Sampson instead. 

President Perry and his wife are very nice people and I am in good hands so no need to worry.  They love the mission and the area because of its rich history and beautiful landscape.  I have found a number of beautiful houses that you would love, Mom.  They’re on Monument Rd.  They are very old, restored homes with a lot of history.  Mom, I do know that you love me every day by the many letters you send for me that are full of love and your awesome way of telling me about boring Idaho.  J  I love you all extremely and will send more letters and pictures about my adventure here.  I love each of you in a very individual way.  I wish all of you the best!

Your son, brother, and goofy friend,
Elder Max McClure

Max also sent an email on the same day:

Hi Family,

My first area is nearer to the Coast that Richmond. It’s a town called Wakefield which consists of two areas:  Sussex and Surry. We only have one church in the entire area. Our mission president is President Perry and he is one nice guy and he has a really good background in the work of the Church. I like him a lot but I don’t get to see him a whole lot. I have two new companions which are E. Lloyd and E. Carter. E. Lloyd is waiting for his Visa to come from Brazil and E. Carter has already been here for a long time so he knows everything.

There are things in Virginia that you need to look on Google maps:  Monument Road in Richmond is one of them.  Look at the houses and tell me what you think. Another thing that you will fall in love with is the church building we go to every Sunday. It’s an old 100 + year old church that was built by the Quakers and everything is the original deal like the seats and the decorative ceiling. I'll try to get some pictures of it for you so you can oooo and awww.

I love you all incredibly much and really wish I could have one more phone call before Christmas. One thing I want is letters from more of the family so I can spend time writing back to the people I love.

The short story of my half a week in Virginia is in the letter I sent Friday so you’ll be getting it around tomorrow. It has some of the last of the pics of the MTC before leaving. Two days that weren’t included were Saturday and Sunday, so here are the basics of those days:

Saturday we did a lot of service for people so we spent most of the day in our service clothes. We cleaned out some gutters for the Dayton’s where the mom is French so she will speak half in English to us and half in French to her children and cat. They gave us a meal of pumpkin soup which tasted weird because she added carrots for flavor and a dessert of homemade pumpkin pie that has no relation to the real deal pumpkin pie but it was okay. We also helped put an attic ladder for the Fishers that live in trailers while they build their house. They have the walls and wiring and some of the pipes done but they are burnt out which is odd because they are halfway done and got the hard half done too.

Sunday we had to fast and had to go over to church around 8am for a meeting and had to wait for church that started at 10 am. During the meeting the children were screaming while people were giving their testimonies. The strange thing was that everyone wanted to give their testimonies and there were no awkward pauses. After the other two meetings, we had choir practice.  The choir is the other two missionaries, me, and two ladies, one of whom is major pregnant. We went to the Harter’s after a short trip to the apartment and we had spaghetti but it was hard to get in line because they had a lot of their family over that Sunday. After, we went out to a big garage shed and played a bunch of games. One of the Harter’s daughters was riding a horse and it didn’t want me to pet its face because it had been abused by the Amish. Very weird. Then I went and picked some cotton to send you guys in my next letter so you can brag about having real Virginian cotton right from the bush.

I miss you all an incredible amount and hope you are all coping without me there with the death silences and awkward moments.  I really love you all and most teens don’t know how a family relationship can help them in the long run but it creates something more than just a group of people, it creates a family that loves each other. I love you all like a spider web loves to catch people in the face as they walk into it. Thanksgiving is coming up and please have everyone write me a letter. I love you all and I’ll be back in no time.

Love,

Elder Max McClure!

Letter Received on October 26

Max is leaving for VIrginia on November 2.  The Virginia address to use is listed to the right of this letter.  Thanks to everyone who has written to him!  I think letters/emails distract some missionaries, but for Max they help motivate him, so thanks for helping him in that way. 

Dear Family,

Got your package and I’m happy you didn’t weigh me down with too many goodies that I would have to get rid of when I leave for Virginia.  I get more than enough to eat from the cafeteria and I always try to eat in moderation and I stay away from the soda.  It’s tough to find all the time I want for both studying Preach My Gospel, lessons for investigators, and writing letters home.

I will be leaving for Virginia on November 2 in the morning so make the last letter count!  Please send me letters every day because I feel happy on the days I get a letter and sad on the days I don’t get one.  Knowing that your hands took part in the creation of that letter makes it all the more special. I will be calling you sometime in the morning on November 2, maybe really early, so keep a phone near you on that morning.  This will be my last letter from the MTC; the next one will be from Virginia!

Here’s an overview of my week:

Monday

We taught at TRC [I don’t know what this is] and taught a man named Arnold Young who was whittling a spoon while he was raveling his own long story and it was hard to get a word in.  Sister Evans is one of our teachers and she helps us team teach.  Today I ran 1 ½ miles and worked out during gym time.

Tuesday

Richard G. Scott came to speak to us and the topic was missionaries.  J  He asked missionaries to come up and he would ask them questions or read scriptures into a microphone.  I went up, but it was already ending so he didn’t ask me a question.  At the very end, he gave us a blessing and said “I love you.” He couldn’t shake hands with anyone.  We got to see him off when he drove away.  It was really cool to see him here in person!

Wednesday

Today was our first P-Day and we kind of slacked off and chilled.  We got a sack breakfast and lunch so we could stay in our regular clothes.  I wrote a ton of letters!  Someone easy cheezed all the remaining bathroom toilet seats and shower handles.  The entire floor got a talking to.  I did my laundry and it was easy except the machines took forever.

Thursday and Friday

Don’t remember much except Arnold was more free for listening and not talking.  He liked everything we taught him except prayer, which he has to work on.

Saturday

Went parcouring [I don’t know how to spell this, but it’s that free running stuff people do] late that night and had fun with it.

Sunday

We did Priesthood meeting on inviting the Spirit and how it works in lessons.  Sacrament meeting was about the Restoration and two Elders had to get up and give a talk about it. Then we had a temple walk – I was diligent in taking a lot of pictures.  During the walk, Elder Godfrey went off and was a loner on a hill most of the time.  He’s having a hard time and doesn’t know what to do because he only came on a mission because everyone expected him to.  He hates people telling him what to do.

Brother Allen talked at today’s fireside about how hymns can reflect how we feel or what we should be doing.  He also explained his experience with food as a missionary:  he thought brown beans were chocolate pudding and ate a big spoonful and got a shock.  It was the last time he ate brown beans on his mission.  I shook his hand and he wanted to know where I was from.  He was one of the people who created the PMG [I don’t know what this is].

It was a good week, but I’m nervous because next week is my last full week.  Don’t send anything back but a letter until I write to you from Virginia.  I love all of you and am so happy you sent a letter back.  Thanks for the package and please have more people write me and give me a family photo to hold dear. 

Love you,

Elder McClure

Finally got a letter!

Max’s First Letter – 10/19/2011

Note:  The following transcription doesn’t begin to do justice to Max’s quirky (and nearly illegible) handwriting and grammar.  I added a couple of my own comments in square brackets and italics.

Dear Family,

I could not wait to use the computer in a week and I have so much to tell you that I couldn’t wait.  SURPRISE!!  I bet you have been very sad lately.  Well, don’t be because I’m the one supposed to be sad.

After we had said our goodbyes at the front of the MTC, I went with my host missionary to get my ID, name tag, book, etc.  Then we go to my dorm room, and it’s pretty cool because it has all manner of desks on both sides and two bunk beds too.  (The pictures I’ll send will tell all about that).  Then I go to my classroom 8M-105 and met my companion, Elder Beck, who I’ll send pictures of, too.  He’s from Burley, Idaho and going to Virginia, too.  He also plays the guitar, is an artist with watercolors, and has a sense of humor.

So I meet the rest of my district, which is:  Elder Donovan, E. Godfrey, E. Call, E. Myers, Sister Jones, Sister Pribsbey, Sister Crandal, and Sister Huber (who is very funny, Tessa would like her).  After that we have an MTC welcome which is fun and unbearable because of the talks and unbearable because of the HEAT of the suit.  Fast forward, get back to the room with my companion and go to sleep.

DAY  TWO

Woke up early from my alarm clock and did a little workout and got ready for the day.  Weird thing is that the shower rooms are bright yellow.  It is weird showering in flip-flops, but the hair that collects on the floor is disgusting. Well, then I went to breakfast and got what I wanted so I wasn’t starving.  From a lot of missionaries, I have learned that everything gives you gas, especially the ORANGE JUICE!!!  The chocolate milk is so good and I’ve heard that it’s from a special shipment from a dairy farm so it’s especially for us.  Then we went to a class workshop on our “purposes.”  It was one of the better classes of my day.  Then I went to get my immunizations filled out.

I went to the classroom and almost fell asleep because it was tiring to just sit in an oven-baked room for three hours.  Then after, I went to the dorm room and met some new roommates that were suddenly moved into our room so currently it’s 6 to our room.  The new elders names are:  Elder Sampson, Elder Kennedy, Elder Wardberry, and Elder Fasor.  They are hilarious and have fun jokes.  They are leaving Tuesday.

After dinner, we went to see the Branch President and see who our district leader is.  It’s Elder Myers, but that’s cool; he seems very organized.  Then we went back to our dorm and suitcases are everywhere.  Elder Beck and I are pretty organized, though.  After that, I got to sleep okay and kudos to you for the blanket.  [I guess he liked the blanket I bought him.  J]

DAY THREE

Woke up early from my roommates going to do a service project.  Elder Kennedy gave us donuts, so pretty good.  The fun thing is that many missionaries get food and can’t eat most of it at the MTC because there is so much food at the cafeteria or they don’t have enough time to eat it, but they share their candy with others if they leave.  I got a bag lunch and held a conversation with some sisters while in line.  I went to the service assignment, but it was cancelled so I was free for two hours, but it ended too soon.  Had to get ready for a district meeting and then got the suit off for gym time.  Got showered after that and went to 2 classroom instructions both for a separate three hours.  We then went back to the dorm and had fun with the Elders by playing jokes and playing Space Commander, which is two people facing each other saying “Space Commander” until one of them laughs.  I went to bed and dreamed of saving a bus full of children, then woke up.  I talked in my sleep, also, saying “elder. . .ELDER!”  So that’s funny.

DAY FOUR

Having fun so far and found out how to stop myself when nodding off (totally out of focus) – keep my hands away from my head.  It’s a work in progress.  Writing during PST (Personal Study Time) right now.

I couldn’t wait a whole week because it’s so terrible to wait to tell you guys everything that’s happening,  so I prefer to send letters and I’ll email pictures to save money.  I got the stamp for 20 cents instead of 40 cents, so I saved some money there.  Please email and write back!  Tell everyone I love them and to write to me and send me food so I can feel special.  Having a little bit of a rough time planning and studying, but it’ll pass.  Write me back how you’re doing and I love you all.  Mom, I am staying clean compared to the other Elders and will always try to be a good example.  [I had told him to practice excellent hygiene because there are so many people in one place there at the MTC.]  My dormmates like the picture of me and Tessa and now want my address.

I know that I was meant to do this and I hope you get a good example from this.

Your son, brother, step-son, grandson, nephew, cousin, and comedian,

Elder Max McClure

October 12, 2011

Elder McClure's emails and photos will be published to this location every Thursday, so check back next week!