Happy Bump Day!

  Last Wednesday - November 28th - Calvin reached his 6 month mark. Missionaries have names for milestone days, and some missions celebrate by burning clothing:
6 months: Bump Day; burn a tie
12 months: Hump Day; burn a white shirt
18 months: Slump Day; burn a pair of pants
24 months (last day before you return to the mission home to go home): Dump Day; burn a suit
  I have asked Calvin several times if he burned a tie, but he hasn't told me how he celebrated yet. Maybe he didn't celebrate. Some missionaries don't pay attention to the milestones. Since I didn't post last week, here are two weeks' worth of emails!

Momm, on thanksgiving we had an AWESOME dinner with an American family. They had football on the TV they made a HUGE turkey dinner, it was all awesome! I thought of you all, and hope that your thanksgiving was GREAAT!!!!!!!!!!

Calvin

Momm, 

Wow that sounds like a great week!!!!!!!!! I am SO MAD that I missed [Miranda's] LARP party! That stinks! What happened at it? And which movie was skyfall? [Todd and I had a DATE! We went to see Skyfall. They had started the ads for it before Calvin left on his mission, but missionaries don't really pay attention to current movies because they don't go to movies.] So, I have had a pretty good week. I'm really nervous for transfers because i dont want to leave my area, i love all the people WAY too much! but I know it wont be to bad. So, this week we have a new baptismally committed person. She is 59 years old. She is really nice, and was introduced [to the church] by her friend who is super awesome! They arre roommates in the retirement home. We are haveing a great time, the new bishop is making his focus on missionary work. He is really buisness like and wants to get stuff done, it's really good. I am so excited that the area is picking up again!

Anyways, i will write more, but I cant think.... OH! We had someone run away from us. We knocked on their door, and we hear some footsteps, so we knock again. Then we hear this mechanical grinding sound, so we wait more. next thing we know, a car comes zooming out of the garage and zooms away. we both laughed our heads off! so thats my funny story so far! besides making plasma in the microwave. 

Love you all lots!!!!
Calvin

That's pretty funny that they had someone run away from them. We were speculating why someone would feel the need to run away from missionaries. Perhaps it was the black coats that scared them? For those of you who aren't LDS: Missionaries are good kids, and if you don't want to talk to them you can tell them you're not interested and they'll respect your wishes and leave. However, as the mother of a missionary I want you to know that if it's a hot day, or they look particularly tired, it's okay to give them food and water. You can still tell them you don't want to discuss religion, and you don't want to take their lessons. But remember that they are young men, and their mothers worry about them, and any kindness you show them would be greatly appreciated. Speaking of worry, what's this about plasma in the microwave?! I'm pretty sure that's not something allowed by mission rules - or any sane rules outside of a laboratory experiment! Gotta ask about this.

**I am not posting what Calvin wrote about making plasma in the microwave. Missionaries are, after all, 19 - 21 year old boys. They are known for doing stupid (often dangerous) things because, well, they are 19 - 21 years old, and boys these age often do stupid things when they're on their own. I am not amused, and I let Calvin know in a follow up email that I was not amused. Now on to this week's emails.

I wrote Calvin a nice, long email describing my week to him, and apologizing for writing so many emails to him every week. I usually watch for his first email to appear, then if I have questions I'll write a line or two. Sometimes that's the only way I get answers to questions - like if he has his winter coat yet, or if he needs anything like new shirts or socks or ties. Calvin tends to forget to answer questions like those. This was Calvin's first email:

Momm,

 You are NOT selfish. you are a MOTHER. You have an especial privelage to my time. 

love,

Ccalvin

momm, 

 yeah i think you might have mentioned that you love me.I dont know about skype. I might be able to. [I asked Calvin if he would be able to Skype with us for his phone call at Christmas. Some missionaries can Skype, others can't.]

Yeah we watched the [First Presidency Christmas Broadcast from Salt Lake City], it was a lot of fun! It was great to get that spiritual uplift. 

so, transfers, I'm staying! Im going to be in Chapel hill for Christmas!!!!! thats pretty cool! I am so excited, and i'll be with [my current companion] too! We are both excited, and things are picking up in the mission thus far! So you watched Lincoln. What is that? Was that the vampire hunter one, or a different one. I have been out of the loop for a while. [See? I told you missionaries don't keep track of movies and things. This time I went to the movie with friends - wow, I haven't been to movies for almost a year and now two in two weeks? Wow.]

So lately I have been worrying about [a family]. lots of negative things are happening, and its affecting them being able to come to church. But our ward has been super good with supporting them. Its wierd, I feel like I've been living in this ward all my life. I know everyone, and things have started to blend together. 

Oh, keep an eye out for an elder. he will enter the MTC on Jan 20th. he is a cousin of an elder here, but he is going to utica, so idk if that is our mission [it is], but I think he might be there. 

ok, Ill send this early bc inquiring minds want to know. there really isnt anything else that I wanted to say.

 LOve

Calvin 

Calvin usually forwards the mission newsletter so we can see what's going on in his mission. We learned this week that there is another "Elder C. Messinger" in Calvin's mission. His first name is different, but still it starts with a C!! We were flabbergasted that the first initial is the same, and that the last name is spelled the same. I'm so glad I've been writing his full name on the packages!! It must be a little confusing for the mission president that their names are close. And wouldn't it be cool if they ended up companions?! Elder Messinger and Elder Messinger! Then they could say "We're Messingers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!" Sorry, it's really fun to have our last name sometimes. Especially when it talks about "Heavenly messengers" in the scriptures. We always read it "Heavenly Messingers," and remind our kids that our last name has a special responsibility associated with it.

All fun aside, the mission is preparing for an influx of new missionaries (both the normal number of missionaries they usually expect, and a greater number of incoming missionaries since they changed the age requirements). The newsletter mentioned cleaning apartments. Calvin had become quite the pro at cleaning before he left, and we've discovered some really effective, non-toxic, cleaners since he left, so I wrote a quick email with some of the "recipes" we found.

thanks momm!
This will come in handy! I've also done a lot of cooking. Really bad for my waistline. but! its been delicious. Members feed us really well here, though. we cook ourselves some monsterous llunches, just because. Thanks for teaching for all these lessons that you have given me!
Calvin