How does it feel to be 20?

  Calvin's 20th birthday was on January 25th. His first birthday away from home. We sent him a package with some leaves from Palmyra (the Sacred Grove and the Temple) that we had picked up off the ground when we were there in October. We dried them and laminated them. We also sent him a huge (almost as large and deep as a 9x9 baking pan) Millennium Falcon rubber ice cube mold, a package of Jello (because he may be able to use the ice cube mold for the Jello if he's careful not to put the Jello in hot!), a Yoda Pez dispenser, some more D&D figures and some letters from us. He'll talk about that in another email. I have to ask him specific questions all the time about things we sent, because he forgets to tell me that he's gotten them.
  I also forgot to mention in the last post that you can google "snow removal in Quebec, Canada" and watch videos of the way they deal with snow removal in Canada. It's really quite unique and works very well! I think the US could take a note or two and get some better ideas.
  AND I forgot to share that Heavenly Father loves missionary moms. Each week I find that there is a tender mercy for me from Heavenly Father. Missions are very demanding and hard for the missionaries, but they are also very hard for mothers. The rules for contact with our missionary are very strict: emails only on Monday, and a telephone call (or Skype if it's available) on Christmas and Mother's Day. (Yes, if the missionary is hurt or very ill he or she may call parents) Yes, it does seem a little Draconian for those who haven't grown up in the church, knowing that this is coming. But my son is in Canada to serve the Lord, to help people come to know Christ, to serve the people in his area. Whether it be teaching them about Christ, bringing them food, shoveling their driveways and sidewalks, helping them in their gardens or fields, mucking out animal stalls, helping out in soup kitchens or whatever, he is there to serve. I wouldn't want to be a distraction to the work he has prepared himself his whole life so far to do. I have always believed what Joseph Smith said: “a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has the power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation."
  Heavenly Father knows what we need! He knows how difficult it is for us to send our sons and daughters on missions (often to countries halfway around the world). Every week I find a tender mercy whether it be meeting a missionary whose friend is serving in the same mission Calvin is in, or listening to my iPod on shuffle and a French song comes on just as I'm thinking of Calvin, or a mission president's wife who makes sure my son has good boots as he serves in the freezing cold, to other little things like that. Heavenly Father is in the details!
  The week of Calvin's transfer, I got a Facebook message from my beloved friend who lives in New York City. I will paraphrase it: "You're not going to believe this, but I have a friend here in NYC who is Canadian. His mother lives in Calvin's new area. Calvin may have had dinner with her this weekend. My friend's best friend still lives in Canada, and he's not a member of the church, so I have a referral for Calvin. How do I get the referral to him?" Tender mercy! And it also reminds me that within our church, the world is really quite small!
  Now on to Calvin's email:

Momm,

so, what happened this week? Not much, But we had a good week. I'm starting to understand the French here, which is exciting! No more looking at people and nodding and making affermative noises as if I know what's going on!  But I still have lots to learn. It's even weirder when your tracting because you run into accents of varying severity. But we havent had a lot of time to do door to door, because of the new rule, that we cannot go door to door in -20 or lower weather. So, we have been contacting in shopping malls (which is so wierd) and tracking down formers. [inactive members of the church] So, that's what we have been doing lately here. 

 Chicoutamie is BEAUTIFUL!!! Ikeep wanting to stop and take pictures, but we have no time, and it would be awkward to linger after knocking on someone's door to take pictures. 

  Oh, so this week, well, there are a few good stories, we had tracted into an investigator last Sunday, and had set a return appointment this friday (my birthday!) well, we went to the appointment, walked into the appartment building, and suddenly my compannion stops, and starts staring into the mailbox. I look over and see a blue bound book. It's a Book of Mormon, with rumpled torn pages, and some completely torn out. We picked up the book, and it was wet. We have no idea what happened, but there were some underlined words, as if someone had read the book. So we dont know what happened. we tried calling him, no answer, and knocked on his door two different times, again with no response. so, we are planning on going back there to see what happened sometime this week. 

   But, what else happened this week, well, I got Happy Birthday sung to me twice. Once by the entire Zone Council because Sister Cannon called when everyone was there to wish me a happy birthday. the second time, was by my district leaders' Tahitian companion. Then the sister missionaries in Dows Lake sent me a happy Birthday text. They are awesome! And don't worry, we had a dinner appointment. Oh! We also taught this Colombian guy. He only speaks Spanish and French, and It`s like he`s speaking in Spanish when he speaks French because he has a really heavy Spanish accent, and mixes spanish words in with his French. But, the lesson we had with him was super awesome, because he started asking really good questions, and the discussion started going twords baptism, and authority, so next time we`re going to talk more about that. Going to go for a baptismal challenge! Or at least we`ll try! 

  Lets see, what other stories can we tell. Quebecquois dont like to wear shirts. or pants. and they have no shame answering the door without either or both. I almost burst out laughing at the second guy who answered the door without his shirt on. 

  Well, that`s all that I can remember, and my hour is almost up! Love you all sooooooooo much!!!!!!!!!

You are the best!! Yes, I`m taking care of myself! 

I`m warm! 

I`m happy!

I havent got my package yet, but next week I should!

LOVE!
Calvin Messinger

  Have I mentioned that Calvin always signs his written letters with his first and last name? I keep telling him that he only needs to write "Calvin" but he always signs both names on his written letters.