A Real Mission Moment

These are my roomates.  Coolest four missionaries in Santiago

 Me at the Mall in Santiago

 This is Elder Mertz and I just love him.  Today is his first day in the field.  I'm jealous.  I wish it was me

 This is my favorite teacher in the MTC.  He is so good to us missionaries and really wants us to learn and has fun ways to teach us. 

                                          Cool Dudes!  Thats all Im gonna say about that.

Big Email this week- .

I am now almost a month into the mission can you believe that? Ha I definitely can it has been a long month. This week was pretty much the same as any other week. But I had the most amazing experience during last p day that I would like to share with you.

So we had an hour left but we were finished with everything that we wanted to do. We weren't sure what to do so we both kind of wanted to walk a little bit further down the street even though we have never done that before. We went kind of a complicated way but we had time to burn so it didn't really matter. We stopped at this vendor in the street to buy a coke. By the way the coke here is super good because they put real sugar in it. Anyways were buying our pop and this women comes up to us and shakes our hands. It's really hard to understand her but she says she wants us to give her daughter a blessing. After awhile we finally figured out that she wasn't sick but was about to go into surgery. So we walked over a little bit to a bench for the girl to sit down on. It was a rainy day so I took my coat off and put it on the bench so that she could have something dry to sit on. Elder Clarine gave her the blessing (in english). It was amazing because we were in downtown Santiago with a bunch of cars honking and people walking past us but it was one of the times in my life where I felt the most calm. Afterwards I bought the little girl a candy bar. It's hard sitting in a classroom all day because you don't really feel like a missionary. But I was so grateful for my first experience as a real missionary. I can't wait to get into the field! I think it was one of the best moments of my life.  There is no way to be happy in life, if you are not genuinely serving and helping people.  I know this now.  Smart selfish people are always looking for ways to serve because selfishly it makes you the happiest. Dumb selfish people are always trying to put themselves first and act in their own best interest. Nothing else but meeting others needs makes you deep down happy.  Every selfish thing we try leaves us empty.  Every unselfish thing we do leaves us full.

I hope everybody has a good week this week. I feel support and comfort from all of your prayers thank you!

Companions cant date my sister

Another week finished at the CCM. Officially three weeks and half way done with CCM. I can't wait to get out and just get to work  All the missionaries that we see tell us the field is a lot better than the CCM. I love the people here. It is so small about 70ish missionaries so I am really close with all of them. But sitting in a classroom all day kind of stinks but it's okay because I know that it is necessary and is going to help me especially with learning Spanish.

We got new roommates. Elder Francia (Peru) and Elder Patiño (Columbia). I love them so much. They are crazy! We have so much fun together. Communicating is so hard but I think that is what makes it so funny. It helps my Spanish trying to communicate with them.

I showed some missionaries the book with all of the pictures of our family with it. They were all pointing to the picture of Emma and they were like ¨Who is that?? She is so attractive!¨ haha I got all mad at them and told them she was my sister and they weren't allowed to even think about her haha. Sorry Emma, you might have some RMs trying to take you out in a couple years.

I heard the stars in South America are amazing but I never get a chance to see them because I am in downtown Santiago and there is too much light and too much pollution. It is really strange though, The lights reflecting off all the pollution make for a night sky full of orange. I've never seen anything like it.

My favorite part of the day is when me and my companion Elder Clarine eat lunch as fast as we can and then go try to talk to people by the temple, usually little kids. Oh my gosh loving these Chilean children will be the easiest thing of my life. They are so precious. It is almost impossible to have a good conversation though because our Spanish isn't very good but were learning and getting better.

Well I am glad to hear everything is good with the Terry family. Until next week!

The earth shakes at night

It is fun to talk to you guys the same time Marie is on, but something tells me her emails are funny and full of jokes with stories that are hard to believe, and I might seem a little stale in comparrison.  I hope not.  That would be like the rest of our life though.  Whatever, Chile is just better.  Thats all you need to know.

Today was another good week for Elder Terry in the CCM. Thank you for all of your prayers, I can feel them and they bring me comfort when I need it.

 The missionaries here are some of the coolest people I have ever met in my life.  I cant believe the quality of people who have showed up at the ccm (Chile MTC)

 This is my District.  Seriously as District leader I feel like the dad.  I think I have about the cutest kids in the world.  Dont be haters

 I think I have an especially cute look when I eat.  They tell us to eat up, cuz food wont be as plentiful when we leave.  I hope thats true.  My pants are getting tight.  YIKES!

We got to go to the temple this week. The missionaries here go every other week. I loved the temple here it is so beautiful. Most of the missionaries in my session were American so the whole session was in English so that was nice.

P days here are so awesome. Well it is not really a pday more like a p few hours haha. President Doll said that as far as he knows The ccm is the only mtc in the world that lets missionaries walk around the city. I love the city it is so interesting to me, I have never ever seen anything like it. Its nice too because they have a lot of American places to eat like mcdonalds, burger king, pizza hut so its not too much different then the states! No that a horrible exaggeration, it is actually a lot different ha. 

Sundays are so amazing here. It really is the best day of the week at the CCM.  The spirit is so strong. All week we work super hard and it is stressful but Sunday we get to relax and feel the spirit through devotionals, Sunday school, and the Sacrament. I love Sundays here. I was able to teach my zone for an hour this Sunday.  I had a really spiritual experience doing it.  Mom, I taught my whole lesson on the alabaster box in honor of you.  Thank you for telling me this story the night before I left.  It has had a huge impact on me.  I have a testimony the the cost we pay personally to put the oil in the alabaster box that we use to wash the Saviors feet with, is worth every tear shed.  Im trying to fill my box full of sacred oil so that I can wash the feet of my friends in Chile that I go teach.  The spirit was so strong. I will always remember your advice to find the saddest most broken people and teach them about the ministry of Christ. I love the scripture in Ether 12 that says gods grace is sufficient for the meek. I think everybody has very difficult things in their life and are sad and the meek are the ones who turn to Christ.  Stupid pride keeps us away.  I read 3 nephi 17 and had such a strong impression of gods love. Something about Gods love for little children really helps me understand. Its why we are all so crazy about Lukey.

Every two weeks we switch teachers and the spanish gets a little more intense. Tomorrow will be two weeks so we will get new teachers. I am excited for that.

I felt my first earthquake here. It was right before I went to bed. It wasnt that big but it was definitely noticeable. I was in my bed and it started shaking.and slowly moving across the floor.  It was actually pretty cool.

I am glad everything is going well with you guys. I love you so much.

Santiago is Sublime!

 This temple scene is the view from my bedroom window and its the best part about waking up every day. 

 this is the Chile MTC.  It is about 90 percent American white kids....like us

Thank you everyone so much for the wonderful Emails!
This past week might have been the hardest week in my life but what I learned is that I love being a missionary!

In the salt lake airport there were 30 missionaries going to the ccm (that is what they call the MTC in Chile) We met up with maybe ten more so we had 40ish missionaries on the plane to Santiago. It was awesome!

The schedule is pretty much the same every single day. wake up, have personal study, breakfast, exercise, shower, and then from 10 to 10 we have classes almost all in Spanish. We get mostly carbs at meals (rice and pasta), so just plan on me getting fat.

My companions name is Elder Clarine he is from Arizona. We get a long really well. Our teachers pretend to be investigators and we are already practicing teaching lessons all in Spanish. Which is pretty difficult because I know pretty much speak NO Spanish. But every single day I get a little bit better and I can see the progress slowly.

My district has 6 people in it. Four Elders and two Hermanas. I really really love my district. We all get a long really well and work hard. I got put as district leader so that has been cool and made me feel a lot of love for them. The CCM is pretty small and I know every persons name and we all feel close to each other.
 Today during our exercise time I played basketball because I usually play soccer but I threw down way hard. It was awesome. After we were done playing I had a 360 dunk. The rims arent 10 feet here obviously haha

Santiago is so awesome. The people here are ridiculously nice. In one of our classes we were learning about greetings and small talk and then my teacher was like "alright now everybody go outside and start talking to people" The Chileans spoke too fast to have a conversation but it was still a really cool experience and they were very warm and kind to me. 

Im glad to hear that everybody is doing well. DON'T WORRY about me Im having a great time. I  desire to be a successful missionary so badly because I know of the truthfulness of this gospel and the joy, peace, and comfort it brings. I love you guys.  All is well.

Wrapped up in love--

On July 1st 2014,  Maxwell Terry left for the Santiago Chile North mission to serve the people for two years.  It was a tender and heartfelt goodbye from a family who loves and adores him. He joins a sister who is serving in Buenos Aires, Argentina as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  Proud of this guy is an understatement.  "No greater love has a man than this, than to give his life for his friends."  Give it everything you have Max!  Love like never before.  And we will see you in two sacred years.