December 30th to January 7th

Once again, I am very behind. No excuses! But I do have a few pictures. The first one is from Sister Cannon. Every time she and President Cannon visit with the missionaries, she takes pictures of them and emails them to the families (can I tell you how much I LOVE this woman??). So here was the latest we received on the 30th of December. I felt so spoiled! To Skype with Calvin on Christmas Day, then to get this picture the next Sunday, and in the January 7th "Kaldt to Serve" (the mission newsletter) there was a picture of Calvin with his companion (but I won't post that one because remember I have this thing about posting pictures without the permission of everyone in the picture).

I wrote to Calvin that his letters didn't include a lot of detail about the areas or the people, he gave a general overview of things. I asked him to write more details in his letters so that we can have more of the flavor of what is going on in his daily life. Here is Calvin's letter from the 31st of December:

Momm, 

Yeah, i was writing a lot of the details in my journal, but if you are keeping track, i will write more details. Sorry I have been so bad at that, I need to repent in sackcloth and ashes. [he says that a lot]  So I will by starting today! So, we got lots of snow up here, too. Oh, wow, last Preperation day was only 5 days ago. That messes me up. Ok, so, preperation day we spent in Babylon (the missionary name for the Rideau shopping center) following the zone leaders around while [an elder] bought a new suit. (hey [same elder] did you... did you buy something last pday?? I dont know, I cant remember..... I think it was....... ) So, after waiting in line for 2 hours at Zaras, we left the Rideau center, and hung out at the zone leaders appartment. I sketched LOTS of people in the mall, making sure i took note of the design of the coats, hairstyles, stuf like that. Unfortunately I couldnt put color in, because this one lady had her hair done in this awesome way, but i couldnt show the color. So, after that, we ate at [young couple's] house. That was fun, they are this super cool young couple. After that, what did we do? we didnt have a lesson with [another family]...... because it wasn't monday. so I cant remember what we did. (planners only have what we PLANNED to do, not what actually HAPPENED!) 

    so, then the next day was District study, then our DA with [a family] cancelled, because the roads were so bad ( they gave us a bunch of baked goods and candies like cookies, and brownies, and fudges, and all sorts of other stuff on sunday. We are DROWNING in candy and baked goods at our appartment ) umm... we also did an interview for baptism with an investigator in Champlain (the zone leaders) so, that was cool. so they had a baptism this week. The next day was weakly planning. so, we did a lot of thinking. Hard thinking. Lllllllloooooonnnnnnggggggg thinking. but that was ok. After that we ate with [a couple]. They are lots of fun! we had spaghetti. and little cheezecakes, that she gave us to take home (Throw me a life boat!!) Then after that, we went to a lesson with our recent convert. He LOVED it. We taught this super awesome lady. She is from DRC Congo, and has 2 little girls. So the lesson was all over the place.  But her and her husband are super solid investigators, so we are really excited. Then we went and knocked [his term for going door to door] for 15 minutes. 

  The next day, NOTHING worked oout that we had planned. We met with [a sister], who told us [her friend] doesnt want to get baptised any more, so thats sad, but we had a nice meeting with [the sister]. She gave me a coin purse from Siri Lanka, because that is where she is from. [My companion] let me have it, because there wasn't another one. So it currently has a whole dice set in it i found in the apartment. (Yes 20 sided, 10 sided, everything I was so happy!) So, we then had a lesson with a young man from our Ward, who had some question about the Plan of Salvation. We took a priest age kid with us. So, after that, we took [the priest-aged boy] with us to a lesson with [a family], which was cancelled at the door, because [the wife] forgot, and her son (the investigator) was grounded until he finished his homework. So, we went and taught a Malagassi man in french. Unfrtunately [the priest-aged boy] doesnt speak French. [He] is a really cool kid. He is part aboriginal (knick nack tribe? not sure but I think thats  what it is) and he comes with us to LOTS of appointments. After dropping [the priest-aged boy] off at his house, we went to [a family's house] for a good, Hatian DA. [The dad] cooked most of the food, or at leas prepared it, and it as all DELICIOUS! Hatian food is AWESOME! So then after having a lesson with [them], we passed by 2 less actives who were near each other. Neither was home, so we decided to try and help someone shovel snow. But that person wasnt interested in having our help because by the time we got there, they had already shoveled their driveway. So we went back to the car, and as we were about to get in, we hear this grating sound, like some one shoveling. So we go to help that person. he isn't interested, but his wife/ daughter (couldnt tel wich) asked "Is that the Mormons?" So we went to talk to her, and it turns out she had talked to missionaries on an airplane, as they were going home. So he gave us her # and Email, but wasnt really interested. Still, a cool expirience, showing that God really does guide us. 

  So that leaves us with sunday, which was wierd because President and Sister Cannon came to our Ward. They came to give us interviews, but also to give some talks, and lessons in ward council, sacrament and the third hour.  Of course, one of our investigators shows up to church, but he's always there, he is practically a member. And i got to do a "split" with Sister Cannon. It was in the church building, but technically i guess it was a split. I just went with her to help teach the youth. It was interesting.  Sister Cannon talked about 7 positive contacts with members makes someone interested in the church, and how being and example is the best way to do those contacts. Then she had the youth role play some scenarios on how they could be examples when faced with immodesty, porn, disobeying parents, stuff like that. And how that influences a person to be interested in the Gospel. After Church, President and Sister Cannon came to our appartment, and while president did interviews, she inspected it. She was appalled at the bathroom, and how much clutter there was in the appartment. So, while I was being interviewed, Sister Cannon told my companion all the things we need to do to fix our appartment. Sister Cannon took the picture [the picture I posted at the beginning of this letter] after interviews was done. Actually, which picture was it? Anyways, I told Sister Cannon how much you love those emails. Oh, and she thought Sophie was the most adorable thing, and she was impressed with dad's drawing of the muscular missionary. so, after that, we went and taught a lesson to [a woman], and committed her to baptism on the 16th of February. Then, had a dinner apointment with [a family], and [another family] were also there too. That was fun. Then we saw (a spanish Less active) and he actually went to CURCH!!!!!!!!!!!!! YES! He goes to a spanish group at the Riverside chapel, so we didnt see him, but he WENT!! So, after the lesson with him, we stopped by [a family'd] house, and dropped a restoration DVD, and that was our week. 

    Today we have a DA with [a family], and since we cant prosolyte after 6, we may spend that time with them. Yay! I love [this family]!! I'm so happy they are back from Germany. 

    I got the Totoro pic. :) that makes me happy!!!

    Well, I love you all , and I miss you LOTS!!!!!!!!!!! I cant wait to bring you all up here to show you the Great White North, and introduce you to EVERYONE!!!! 

    Love you all lots!

    Watchout for ohmus!!!

Love

   CALVIN

I'm sorry this gets rather confusing to read sometimes when I edit out the names of people. But I feel very strongly about protecting privacy. Before you read this, for those of you who aren't LDS, I probably should explain that "greenies" are missionaries fresh from the MTC, so they don't have a lot of experience in the mission. There is a sort of hierarchy in missions, but it's not based on merit (in other words, you can't really "earn" a "promotion.") Here are the terms they use, in hierarchal order, starting from the "bottom."

You start as a "Greenie" fresh from the MTC, and you're a Junior Companion.

Senior Companion

District Leader

Zone Leader

Assistant to the President

 Here's Calvin's letter from the 7th of January:

Hey Momm!!!!
Ok, sooooooo what happened this week......... well, on New Years Eve, we went to [a family's] house for their dinner appointment. We had some lessons set up, but they all fell through, and since we cant go door to door after 6 on New years Eve, we spent the evening with [them]. (oh darn!) They are an awesome couple, and [he] is the new Elders' Quorum president! When we come back, [when we as a family go back to visit people in Calvin's mission] we have to go and hang out with them. I dont know what we will do, because D&D will be WAY to booring for [her], and watching Babalon 5 wouldn't work either. Oh, well, worry about that when i get there. 

     Tuesday. Was ZONE STUDY!!!! had an awesome time with that. The trainings were really good too. We had one on gratitude by [a Zone Leader], which i think it was the best training of that day, which is high praise! Because, (these essentially two greenies) did this awesome obsticle course training, demonstrating how the spirit works. That was fun! So, after Zone Study (I got the packages from both Grandmothers that day as well) we went on splits with the Zone leaders, so i got to go to downtown Ottowa for the day!!!! that was fun, because we taught this girl who was SUPER prepared in advance by the Lord. She reads LDS blogs in her spare time, and got interested by reading those blogs, then saw a mormon.org link on that blog. So she requested a missionary visit! then we taught one of the more interesting investigators.

    wednesday. So, we unsplit, and immediately ran off to have a lunch appointment with a YSA member, who after wards came with us to a lesson. He is a returned missionary, and has TONS of good advice. So, then we had a lesson with a non practicing muslim. We have only had two lessons with her thus far, and are planning to pass her off to the Dows lake sisters. So, that was pretty cool. (The YSA member we took) did really well, though I think he was hitting on her the entire time. As he said "Elders, your not dropping your potentials, your dropping MY potentials" or something like that. so he's pretty funny. After that, later in the day, we went to a dinner appointment with our eternagator. She cooks REALLY well. she is a cook by profession, and she's hatian, so we had some AWESOME Hatian food , like plantaines, some turkey, and talapia. I gotta learn how to make all of that stuff!!! (Actually, we bought a plantaine today, and since our appartment has a DEEP FRYER in it, we are going to try to make some) [She] also had one member, and his daughter, over so we could be there, but we had no idea that she was going to bring her family out too! Some neices and nephews, so we got a potential investigator for the Riverside sisters! victory! 

   Thursday.  We got into a long discussion with an aethiest about our doctrine, and we went into some DEEP doctrine. It was the worst lesson ever, and i will NEVER do that again!!! we wasted so much time. so, after that (we found him by knocking) we went to a dinner appointment with [a family]. After that we had a lesson with the husband of a couple we found who are from DRC Congo. we brought a member (who incidentally has one son out in france, Paris? i think and one son JUST got back from Chile). [The husband] had a friend over, which was fine, until the friend had a question. He hijacked the rest of the lesson, because he asked "how can I know TANGIBLY that God is there?" At the end of the lesson, [the husband] was like " I still want to hear your guys' message, so next time, we will ask the questions AFTER the lesson." They are super solid potentials! 

  Friday. Friday was weekly planning, which we finally, FINALLY did in one shot! after that, i cant remember exactly what happened until we went to see Brother [], (who came to church this week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AUGH!! we are SO excited!!!!!) So that was Friday

   Saturday.  We had a lesson with our Malagasi (He's from Madagascar) investigator. It went well, but he isn't really progressing well. then, we went knocking, ate at Five Guys, and then passed by [a woman's house] (who wasn't home GRRR!!) and finished off the night with a visit to [a family]. You never told me the Red Green show was Canadien!!!! 

   Sunday. So, we had a lesson with [an investigator] that flopped, then a surprize lesson with [the woman we tried to visit on Saturday] (who was at church!!!!!!). She actually invited us over for a Lunch dinner appointment, so we shared a spiritual thought with her. then, ate at [a family's] house, and saw [another family] there! (tis been FAR too long) Then we went knocking to finish off the night. 

 So, that was my week in a nutshell! oh, [one of the men we taught] asked me to do the closing prayer, so i did in French, the whole lesson is in French. After the prayer, he said "Its ok if you do it iin English. I can tell your not fluent like your companion there." it was pretty funny.  I thought you would get a kick out of it. 

No they dont send Elder way ip to Ninivut. 

You guys watched "The ARTIST"? I heard that one was good. NAd Chantal got accepted?! With SCHOLARSHIPS!?!?! And Sophie went to SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and Miranda got her Patriarchal blessing?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?!???!?! NO WAY!! so much is changing! 

i love you all, and i hope all continues to go well for you!!!!

Keep up the good missionary work!

Love you!

Watchout for computers that sudde----- 

Okay, so I was going to try to paste this picture from the "Kaldt to Serve" from this week, but I can't figure out how to do it, and Todd isn't here, so I'll describe it:  You know the fans with round heads? and the covers are essentially painted, metal wire spokes radiating out from the center of a solid plastic circle? One set of missionaries found a discarded stand fan. They detached the metal cover, poked a hole in the center of the solid circle, looped a piece of string (or perhaps a leather bootlace) over the clothes rod, put both ends of the string (or lace) through the hole in the center circle, tied a knot to secure it underneath, and use it as a holder for all their ties! They have A LOT of ties from the looks of it. I thought that was a pretty clever idea!