Gasp! I am actually posting the same day?!

I used Google Translate to help me with what Calvin wrote today. Here's what it said:


Hey momm!
Dont worry about Chantal! You Will Be ble to skype her EVERYDAY if you want to, or call her up on a phone. And email, and instant messages, and all lots of ways to communicate. It'll be WAY better than me on my mission. That I just hope she gets as much as I was growing expirience.
Ban, so this week was very busy, due to the fact that we had our conference area, aves of trade, then one of our missionaries had a temple trip with one of his converts, ca it was cool, but he was the third wheel in our group. But the week ended, and another that is occupied PLUS begins, because we need to do three exchanges this week, and it's called payment transfer this Saturday. Wow, talk about was alive. oh, so we board the area on Friday. it's crazy ... In any case, in our neighborhood, we focus on working with people less active. With that, we hope to find more friends. OH! Something cool this week was that we had a less active father back to the meeting of St. cene! It was very happy, and also his family. Everyone was atonne he returned. The Lord benis us this week! With i-pads, we do not know when we will have them. Personally, I hope it's after my mission, because I know there have many missionaries who will use it in a bad way, and I do not want to quibble with them about it. But that's life. It myself, I'm not perfect-plus. Momm, some things you can do as a family to help the missionaries is to invite people you know are interested in the church home for a party or a dinner, or some things like that, and then you can invite missionaries to us at the same time. It is how we give referances to the missionaries. Also, you can go with the missionaries to contact people who are less active we know very well. It will help them a lot. Even if there are Features that what has come over leglise and their tresa knows well, invite missionaries to go with you to this person, to contact him. Sorry for this little discourse about the missionary work, but now I understand that the members do not know what we must do as members to help the missionaries. Oh, also, be good friends with the friends of the church missionaries! Prompts them to dinner! It will help them a lot!
In any case, know that I love you! I think about you a lot, but not too much.
I love you!
Calvin
Oh, one of our less active, she told me to say that she said "your parents, they will be proud of you."

[OY!]

Here's what he wrote:
Hey momm!!!

Dont worry about Chantal! You will be able to skype her EVERYDAY if you want to, or call her up on a phone. And email, and instant message, and all sorts of ways to communicate. It'll be WAY better than me on my mission. I just hope that she gets as much a growing expirience as me. 

Ban, donc, Cette semaine était tres occupe, au cause du fait que on a eu notre conference de zone, aves des echanges, puis un des nos missionnaires a eu un voyage au temple avec un de ses convertis, ca c'etait cool, mais il etait le troisieme wheel dans notre groupe. Mais la semaine a fini, et un autre qui est PLUS occupe commence, parce que nous devons faire 3 exchanges cette semaine, et c'est l'appelle des transfères cette samedi. Wow, ca c'etait vit. oh, aussi on a le conseil de zone  ce vendredi. c'est fou... En tout cas, dans notre cartier, on se focalise sur le travaille avec les gens moins actif. Avec ca, on espere de trouver plus des amis. OH!!! Quelque choses cool cette semaine etait que nous avons eu un pere moins actif revienne pour la reunion de sainte cene!!! On etait tres content, et aussi sa famille. Tout le monde etait atonne qu'il est revenu. Le Seigneur nous a benis cette semaine!  Avec les i-pads, on sais pas quand on va les avoir. Personellement, j'espere que c'est apres ma mission, parce que je sais qu'il y aurais beaucoup des missionaires qui va les utiliser dans un mauvaise facon, et je ne veut pas chicaner avec eux a ce sujet. Mais, c'est la vie. Moi meme, je ne suis pas parfait non-plus. Momm, quelque choses que vous pouvez faire comme famille pour aider les missionnaires est d'inviter les gens que vous savez sont intéressé dans l'eglise chez nous pour un fete, ou un souper, ou quelque choses comme ca, et puis, vous pouvez inviter les missionaires chez nous au meme temps. Ca c'est comment on donne les referances aux missionaires. Aussi, vous pouvez aller avec les missionaires pour contacter les gens qui sont moins actif qu'on connais tres bien. Ca leur aidera beaucoup. Meme, s'il y a quel q'un qui ne vienne plus a leglise et on leur connait tresa bien, invite les missionaires aller avec vous chez cette person, pour le contacter. Desole pour cette petit discourse au sujet de l'oeuvre missionaire, mais maintenant, je comprends que les membres ne savent pas qu'est-ce que nous devons faire comme membres pour aider les missionaires. Oh, aussi, sois les bonnes amis avec les amis de l'eglise des missionnaires! Invites les pour souper!! Ca leur aidera beaucoup!

En tout cas, sais que je t'aime! Je pense a vous beaucoup, mais pas trop. 

Je vous aime!!! 

Calvin

Oh, l'un de nos moins actives, elle m'a dit de vous dit que elle a dit "vos parents, Ils vont etre fier de vous." 

I'm glad his French is coming along, but . . .

These last weeks Calvin has written to me in French. I am so happy his foreign language skills are improving,  however it has been 20+ years since I have spoken French at all on a regular basis, and my mind isn't what it used to be, so it takes me a while. (Plus my translator MOVED TO UTAH on me!! AGH!)

8 August, 2013
Momm,

 Donc cette semaine etait tres bien! On a trouvé quelque familles partiellement membre d'enseigner, ou ban d'essayer! Puis, on a eu un rendez vous avec notre dirigeant de mission de paroisse et avec le 2me conseiller de la college des anciens, donc, on a trouvé BEAUCOUP d'information. On a haut, parce que on a deux amis de l'eglise avec un date de baptême. Alors, l'oeuvre progrès tres rapidement. [Rough translation: This week was really good. We found some part member families to teach. Then we had a meeting with leadership and we learned a lot. (something) we have two investigators with a date for baptism. The work is progressing quickly.]

 Aujourd'hui on a tué un oiseau avec notre voiture. C'etait un peut triste mais on veut prendre d'avantage de cette situation. On va le prendre d'un marie d'un membre, et lui demander s'il peut taxidermie le oiseau. ca nous donnerais un occasion de parler avec lui, et on peut avoir un oiseau!! Dit a papa que il y a beaucoup des membres ici qui sont des artists! L'eveque est un concept artist aussi. I will continue in a sec  [Rough translation: Today we killed a bird with our car. It was a little sad but we took davantage of the situation. The husband of a member is a taxidermiste and we asked him if he would stuff the bird. It gave us an opportunity to talk with him and we'll have a stuffed bird! Tell Dad that there are a lot of members here who are artists. Our Bishop is a concept artist too.]

[As I was reading this and translating to the family, Sophie became worried about the little bird. "Was it a baby bird?" she wanted to know. We only had this first message, so I typed back to him. Then we got the second longer message below, and then this short message:]

Non, C'etait pas un bebe, c'etait un adult. Vous avez traduit le message tres vit! [No, it wasn't a baby, it was an adult. You translated my email very quickly! Okay, so maybe my skills aren't as rusty as I think they are, but for those of you who speak French better than I do, my translations are VERY rough. I have the greatest respect for those who translate our scriptures and our church magazines!!] 

Ok, Je suis encore la. Oui, on fait pas trop grand choses cette semaine, Plus les choses comme le porte a porte, et les passbyes. Pas beaucoup, mais on vois les fruits. Je peut voir les fruits, et la vision de cette paroisse.  Il va devenir tres grand. Des choses qui nous aide beaucoup c'est le fait qu'on a des dirigeants qui ont l'enthusiasme pour leurs appells. [Rough Translation: Okay, I'm back again. Yes we didn't do big things this week, just door to door and passbyes. Not a lot but we have seen results. I can see the work and the vision of this ward. (RGH!! For some reason this computer won't let me write the exact translation of the sentence!! GRRR!) It w i l l be (HAH! outsmarted the thing!) very large. The things that help us the most are members who have enthusiasm for their callings.]

  oui, mama, tout le monde part, mais c'est bien, ne t'inquiète pas, ils vont retourner. on va pas vous lesser tout seul dans le monde (mais vous etes pas tout seul, vous avez toujours papa) on va retourner, je te promis. Chantal va retourner, mais peut etre elle sera mariée. j'ai aucune idee. 

 En tout cas, je t'aime, je vous aime tous, et on va se parler plus tard. 

JE T'AIME!!!!!

Calvin  [Rough translation: Yes, Mom, all the world is leaving but it's okay, don't let it trouble you, they will return. No one will leave you all alone in the world (but you are never all alone, you always have Dad), we will return I promise. Chantal will return, but maybe she'll be married. I have no idea. In any case, I love you. I love you all and we'll talk later (when he gets home I'm assuming). I LOVE YOU!!!!!

*another mail later*

Oh, le nom de notre Eveque est Gingras. Si papa veut le rechercher. Il travaille a ubisoft, sur assasins' creed.

[The name of our Bishop is Gingras. If Dad wants to look him up. He works at Ubisoft, on Assasins' Creed.]

*and I didn't find this email until about Wednesday*

OH! est-ce que tu peut m'envoyer un recit pour calamari? Je vois les calamari chaque fois on est dans le magasin, et je veut l'acheter. Oh, et est-e que papa peut m'envoyer quelque photos de l'art de Jerry Beck? SVP!!!! Merci, je t'aime!

[OH! Could you send me a recipe for Calamari? (shudder, ICK) I have seen calamari every time we're in the store and I'd like to buy it. Oh, and could Dad send me some photos of Jerry Beck's art? Please? Thanks, I love you!]

19 August, 2013

Hey Momm!!!! 

   Well, all is going well here, wer are working hard, trying to get stuff moving in our area, and things are coming. We are seeing success, and I can see this area progressing. We've found TONS of Part member famillies, so we are trying to focus on them. 

  Il n'y a pas grand choses qui s'eppasse cette sermaine. C'est just qu'on fait notre travaille. Oh, on a eu in petit accident en moto cette semaine. C'etait just un scratch, donc, c'etait pas des choses TROP grand. on n'est pas blesse, on est tout en santé. Oh, notre zone a un autre district, donc ca nous donne 4 districts dans notre zone, et ca nous donne, comme 29-30 missionaires dans notre zone. Quelque choses comme ca. Plus de responsabilité, challyn, je le déteste, mais c'est fun d'avoir quelque choses de faire. Vous avez conduit un audi, SICK!!! C'est fun. Moi, j'ai conduit un jour cette semaine, et je suis un peut dessous, parce que je dois practiquer un peut plus. J'ai perdu beaucoup de qu'est-ce que j'ai appris a chicoutimi!! GRR. Mais c'est bien. Hier c'etait bien pour moi d'aller au reunion de sainte-cene, l'esprit la bas me manque pendant la semaine. ET, au reunion de sainte-cene, on a eu un membre excommunie venir !!!! Avec sa blonde!!! On etais TRES content!!!!! 

Momma, je t'aime, et tu me manque beaucoup!!! tous les membres de notre famille! Je vous aime!! 

Calvin

[Rough translation: Nothing big happened this week. Just working. Oh, we were in a little car accident this week. Just a scratch, so, nothing TOO big. We're not wounded, we're fine. Our zone has another district, so that gives us 4 districts in our zone and gives us 29-30 missionaries in our zone. Something like that. More responsibility, challenge?, I don't like it but it's fun to have things to do. You drove an Audi? SICK!! That's fun. Me, I drove one day this week and I am a little down because I have to practice a little more. I have lost a lot that I learned in Chicoutimi! Grr. But it's okay. Yesterday was good for me to go to a meeting. The Spirit will stay with me all week. And at the meeting, an excommunicated member came! With his girlfriend! We were very happy. Mom, I love you and I miss you a lot! All our family members! I love you all!]

It's August? Already?

I have no excuses. Just apologies. I'll have to admit to myself that I am not good at all at keeping up with this blog. I keep trying to do better and I do worse. Maybe I should try to do worse? Then I'd do better? Hmmm. I'm pretty sure reverse psychology doesn't work on me. In any case, here are the emails since July 4th (remember we went to Boldt Castle the week of the 4th):

8 July, 2013
Hey Momm, 

 So this week was really busy. apart from the baptism, it wasnt the best week in the world, but with the baptism it was!!!!!! I'm so excited that it happened, but I want to make sure she understands everything. We just gotta get those new member lessons going! So, super excited abut her! 

   We also have a baptism coming up in 2 weeks. Super nice guy, who truly wants to follow Christ. He was Muslim before, but he believed that Christ was the Son of God, instead of just a prophet, as most of the Muslim community does. Really cool guy, who accepts everything we teach him. 

  Other than that, things have been going well. I love my companion, and we are getting along really well. I just hope I can learn everything he has to teach me!

  It's been the same for the last while, tracting, lessons, DA's (tons, by the way), striving to be more obedient, and just loving the mission. Oh, this week, we went to Montréal for zone study, and to meet our new mission president. He is truly prepared. I was nervous that I wouldnt feel the same love for them as i felt for the Cannons, but that was quickly taken away. They are going to do a great work here. President Patrick is already stressing member work, and working with ward leaders. Luckily our Ward leaders are already super on the ball with everything! Members are sooooooo important, especially inviting investigators over to their house. And inviting friends to your house to eat a meal goes a long way! The person who was baptized this week was super prepared by the members, the members invited her over to eat all the time, they were right there for her the whole time. That is a missionary's dream member family. I just hope that when I get off my mission I can do the same!

  So, yeah going to Montréal was super fun! It's COVERED in graffiti tags, and pictures, and cool stuff like that. I will probably NEVER be a missionary there because I wont be able to pay attention to what i'm doing, I'll be so distracted by all the cool stuff going on around me! 

  So, I'm glad to hear all is going well at home, and that everyone had such a fun time at the castle! I was just thinking during sacrament and priesthood about all the things I'll have to do with you all when I get back! Especially spending time with the girls. I thought a lot about that only because they were talking about families, and stuff like that

Well, Love you all TONS!!!

Calvin

15 July, 2013

Momm

Ok, now for the real email!

So, those baptisms didnt work out. We have one whom will have to stop smoking for him to get baptised, but that's not bad, because he still wants to get baptised, and he is getting professional help to stop smoking. [I included this little bit because I think it is amazing that someone would pay the money to get professional help to quit smoking just so they can be baptized. This man must have incredible faith. And I am humbled that he is asking for help to overcome a habit that he cannot overcome himself. I think there are a few habits I could use help overcoming.] the other one is still on!

Well, this week was slow. We did TONS of knocking because all of our investigators went away for the week, but we found tons of cool people, and had one SUPEr creepy experience. I'll have to tell you about it when I get home, it's too creepy.** But, this week went well besides that. Last night we went to a meeting with the mission president, the zoneleaders of quebec zone, and the stake president and his councillor, and the stake mission leader, it was cool and they outlined for us what they want to do for this stake, and taught us about keys, and line of authority, and stuff like that. It was super cool. So, we got home last night, with our mission president's permission, at 10:39. The other elders in our appartment were worried about us, they had called and texted twice. 

  Well that's a look at my life now. I have just been thinking a lot about the blessings I have received from the mission, and I feel soooooooo blessed! One of the Elders, Elder Lucas, who is from tahiti, we were talking about who we were going to mary, and he was like, "You will marry a beautiful woman, that's one of the blesssings of your mission! that's how the Lord pays you back," and I was like , "Yeah,but he has ALREADY paid me back with all these blessings DURING my mission! " It's nuts. 

 tell Sophie that I think about her a lot, and I plan to spend LOTS of time with her, and do fun things with her! Did I twell you about the dream I had a while ago where I came back, and Sophie spoke fluent french? That was super fun! 

I am so glad your concert went well, and that everyone adored sophie! 

Is Chantal heading out to college soon? I hope she sends me pictures of her experience, and I cant wait to write her about it.

tell Miranda that I cant wait for her to blow me away with her next art work. How much did that guy pay her for the book?!?!

Love you!!!

Calvin

**I wrote to him about this experience and I explained that he cannot just say he had a creepy experience and leave me to wonder! Not that I necessarily WANT to know the details, just that I want to know he's safe.

22 July, 2013

Hey Momm!!!!!!

  So, that scary expirience, wasnt too too bad, it was just some creepy lady, that's all. It was just weird. But, off of wierd stuff, we had an ok week this week, goal wise. We had to do knocking, and passbyes, because our investigators were all out of town, but we did some Less active, recent convert work, which was great. it's kind of sad, sometimes, seeing people who got, or are getting discouraged with the church, but we still go over and see them. So, oh, we also went and blitzed another missionaries area. They have been having a hard time, because last transfer they dropped all their eternigators,** and now they are working with nothing. But they are both still super happy missionaries. So to help them out, we both went over there to work in their area, and we brought pizza! [pizza makes everything better] That was fun. Sunday was the most exciting, because all three of the most recent recent converts were at church, and one less active! So, that went well. However the biggest news is that we got our TRANSFER CALL!!!!!!! We are stayig companions, but swapping wards with another team of missionaries. SOOOO wierd, but I'm excited to start over with a clean slate, and get to work.  The members were kinda sad and confused, but we are going to split the other Elders so we can mutually get to know each others area. So, that is the biggest news. I'm super happy to hear that the girls want to go to church, now we just gotta get them there. [I explained that I had headaches the last two weeks, so the first week I didn't go to church, just stayed in bed and Todd didn't wake Miranda or Sophie up when he left, so they were both very upset when they woke up and their ride to church had left. Then I had a migraine at church and had to go home. It's difficult for everyone to go to church and to STAY at church when I have headaches like this.]

 Thanks so much for helping the missinaries out!!!!! I know how much we LOVE members that help out, so keep it up!!! 

I love you sooooooooo much, I hope all keeps going well, and i hope your migranes get better!!!

Love You!!!!!!!!!!

Calvin

**"eternigator" is someone who has been investigating the church and asking questions, and investigating the church and asking questions, but doesn't show progress towards baptism. Though the missionaries love them very much and do all they can to help them and to answer their questions, if they aren't committing to anything, sometimes the missionaries have to stop visiting them. Sometimes the missionaries will stop visiting for a while, and then start visiting again at another time.

29 July, 2013

Momm,

 Hello Everybodeeeeeeeee!!!! [He must have been channeling Grover when he wrote this. Sophie LOVES "The Monster at the End of This Book" and this is how Grover starts the book.] So, this week was pretty hectic, because we flushed into an area. So, when we got to work this week, it was filled with knocking, and stopping by member's houses, so we could get to know them. That was fun, but the rest of the week was full of zone and area orginizational stuff. Meeting with the 1st councillor, stuff like that. Then i had to give a talk this week in sacrament, and I was nervous that I wouldn't take enough time so my companion would have to fill in with a half an hour long talk, but I actually went way overtime with my talk. So i was happy that i could ramble on in French, but my companion and the other speaker only had 2-3 minutes each. oops. [MY son? Rambling on in French?! Wow!] Oh well, I was happy. So what else happened this week, oh, we had zone leadership council this week, so my companion and I got to go into montreal again. I enjoy montreal, it's full of graffiti, and is super busy. However, I dont think we should drive on the island if we go, because drivers are HYPER agressive. Busses will literally cut you off even if you are  halfway through passing them, and they won't care. Zone council was cool. President wants to turn our mission into a mini Utah, where missionaries don't tract, they just drive from lesson to lesson, getting referrals along the way. Also, president cracked down on rules, such as you can't learn another language on your mission, unless you are called in that language. So I packed all the Hatian Creole stuff I had been reading away. Momm, I highly reccomend you pick up Hatian Creole, it's SUPER easy. It's just like French, but NO conjugations. It's cool! Anyways, I'm in an appartment with 2 spanglephones, and one white kid who was called in spanish in addition to french. so, half the conversations are in spanish, and sometimes the Spanish elders bring home leftovers from their spanish [dinner appointments]. 

  Momm, dont worry about me. I'm fine, I wont get run over, I always look both ways before walking, I mind the pedestrians..... I'll be fine. :) We arent even NEAR trains. (however, one did explode near here, causing the biggest train wreck in Canada history)  [yah, I read the news about that and IMMEDIATELY found a map and looked up where it was. I was very sad to learn that so many people were missing or had already been accounted for as dead. Such a tragedy, and in a small town. I was heartbroken for the people of the town and their families.] And IF i die, I WILL visit you as a spirit, and I will say sorry, and you were right, etc. but until that day comes don't worry. I love you too much to be THAT careless. I promise that i follow the rules of the road, according to my knowledge. My companion too. The only things I'm struggling with are speaking my language, and getting to bed on time, and I think that's it. 

  Anyways, I love you All, and I hope all is going well for you!!! 

Keep going well

Work hard!

Kick the missionaries out after an hour at the house!

Help them out as well!

Do your home teaching!!!!!!!! and visiting teaching!!!!!! I'll tell you, LOTS of our problems would be solved if members did their home and visiting duties!! 

Love!

Calvin

5 August

Momm

  THANK YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH FOR ALL THE PICTURES!!!!!!!!!!!!!! they made my day!! I'm glad Sophie loved her toys. It's really funny, but when I went to the post office to send the package, (we had to do it on a day other than P day, because we were super busy) and while we were there, immediately this guy walks up to my companion, and starts reading his tag. My comp's tag is in spanish, so non one, but spanish people can read it. It's super effective for finding people! So, my companion starts contacting this guy, and the guy starts to go off about how Elijah and Jean the baptist had something no one else did, so we got his number. [I left in the French spellings. :-) ] Meanwhile, another lady, who was quebecoise, and she started speaking to all of us in perfect english aboput God, and all that. Then this other guy walked up to us, while these other two are going off about some stuff, and he said, "you mormons?" We said yes, and he said "good day" and walked off. It was such a cool experience! So, thanks for letting me know it was Sophie's b day!!!! Umm.. I will write more later, the mac dude is kicking us out. Bye! LOVE!!! [They write to us from the Mac store in their area. Blessings on that Mac store, wherever it is! May their business triple!]

*later that day*

So, I'm back, what else happened this week... well, we are still trying to get the area in good working order, but its hard because the bishop and ward mission leader are both on vacation, so we dont have too too much information about the area, so we are just passing by what people we can, and are doing a lot of knocking. I love the ward here, there are a LOT of artists, and the bishop himself is working at Ubisoft doing concept art sketches and storyboarding. soo..... i'm pumped for that. Oh, this week we also helped a hatian family paint their living room. with the 1st counciler in the Elders quorum, the sister missionaries, and another member of the ward. It was lots of fun to hold a PAINTBRUSH again. anyways, that's all that really happened this week!

Je vous aime beaucoup!Et Sophie, bon anniversaire!!!!! 

Amour, 

Elder Messinger

[We are very happy that Calvin was sent to this mission, and that he's had so much interaction with people in the video game business. Calvin wants to be a concept artist, and he has made some wonderful friends, and learned a lot about what his focus should be in school, and additional skills that will make him more marketable in the industry. This has been a testimony to us that the Lord  will do all in His power to help us achieve our goals.]