23 December, 2013: SKYPE!!

We got to Skype with Calvin on Christmas Day (at about 7:30 PM). We are so grateful to the brother who shared his home with Calvin and his companion on Christmas Day, and let him Skype with us! It was wonderful to talk to him! I got some video of the conversation too, so I can watch it over and over! :-) Merry Christmas to all of you (yes, I know it's the day after Christmas) and we wish you a very Happy New Year filled with blessings of peace. I should mention that the scarf Calvin is wearing is an Ottawa Senators' (ice hockey team) scarf. Our own Binghamton Senators are affiliated with the Ottawa Senators.

Hey all!!!!!!!!!!
 Boy this wek was busy! We had splits with the Zls, then a christmas party, and Two live Nativities. We also had the lady who cancelled her baptism show up to the nativity with her child!!!!!!! YES!!! She still wants to get baptized, so we are super happy about that. Also, one of our investigators came to church. She is super cool! She really enjoyed church, though it was a little on the wierd side. We had a lot of singing in complex formations. It was interesting, and fun. 

   so thats what happened this past week. This week we are going to try to get out to see as many lonely people as we can this week to bring them some holiday cheer. Its so fun to go to someones house, and help them out and see the joy on their faces. Thats been something i have been trying to work on, looking for ways to help people out. I feel like we all need to be more accepting and christian in general, but especially at this time of the year.

  Oh! So We had two cool expiriences thisweek with our neighbors. So one of them, this nice older lady across the hall from us gave us some cookies for thanks giving, so we made her some cookies and gave them to her. Well, she returned the tin we gave the cookies to her in and as she did so, she was like "My mother taught me to never return a dish empty!!" So She had given us some chocolates in return. And the lady who lives directly below us came up and gave us some chocolates, and wished us a merry christmas. So, we were like "WOW thanks!!!" So we are going to have to think of some cool ways to do nice things back to all of them. This will be fun! 

   Any who, I hope all of you have a great Christmas. Remember that Christ our Lord is the center of this wonderful season. Remember the life He lived, and the things and miracles He did. This is a special time to remember the Light He brought into this world.
I love you alll!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Reach out to someone else this Christmas!

Love

Calvin

16 December, 2013

Momm

 Thank you SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much for the presents!!!! And, now that you sent them to me, I might just have to hand deliver them, OH DARN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) :) :) [Calvin had asked us to send some gifts for a family he knew. We sent the family's gifts in the package with his gifts, to save money on postage.] I am sooooooooo happy, because this week quite a few people progressed in our area! Oh yeah, I went on a split with [the other Elder from our Stake] this week. That was a lot of fun. We had some crazy miracles this week. Here's one:  so we were walking down the street, and we suddenly had the idea to make cookies for our investigator whom we haven't seen in a while.  So, we quickly made a mental inventory and came to the conclusion thaat we needed some chocolate chips. So we passed by the woman's house to see if she was home, but she wasn't. So we went back to the end of her street to get on the bus, and we saw this supermarket. Now, we are in the middle of Chinatown. There are only chinese supermarkets which are full of weird creepy sea food, and odd spices, and nice old Chinese women. So, this was a Chinese supermarket, but we were like, maybe just maybe they have choc chips. Now that I think back, that wasn't the brightest train of thought, but we were in a "let's follow the spirit" mode, so we went. We went in for 3 seconds, and said hi to everyone as custom, and this woman accosted me and was like HI I know you! turns out she had overheard me talking about religion with this other guy on the bus and she was super interested, but didnt want to butt in, so she left without saying anything. So now we meet her in this random Chinese market looking for chocolate chips (which they didnt have btw). So we got her number and now I think the sisters are going to contact her. Wow. The LORD is there, and He knows His sheep!!!!!!

 Hey, i love you all, and Christmas will be over skype at this less actives phone. I have no idea right now when we will call. probably early to late afternoon.

I love you ALLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hope you all have a great christmas

Love

Calvin

9 December, 2013

Hello all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  So, this week was interesting. We realized early this week that the person with a baptismal date had that date THIS WEEEK!!!!!! So, it was a scramble to get things ready, and then she cancelled the baptism. So, that was a bit of a releif, because I didn't want her to get baptized that fast, however, I do feel she is ready to be baptized, I am not sure if she is ready to be an active member of the church, which is what we want. So that took up a large part of our week. Oh, momm, so [the other Elder from our Stake] is my district leader, If i didnt already tell you, and this week we are going to be going on splits together. I hope it goes well! Umm, apart from that, I am just trying to get to know the area, the bus routes, the investigators and less actives, the members. Etc. But this week had a rewally crazy fun side because we had a ward activity for Christmas, and the Ward decided to get creative with it, and made "A Night In Bethlahem." So, basicaly we all dressed up as if we lived in Bethlahem, and went to the Gym, wherein the place was done up like it was a marketplace in Bethlahem. So we ate food that was from the time, and location (which was all really good, btw) and then we had little activities to do, like look up your  name in Hebrew, and learn what a carpenter did, etc. It was a huge success, and at the end of the activity, certain members acted out the Nativity while the rest of us sang hymns. It was super cool! I got a few pictures.

  I am going to ask president about taking videos on your mission, because apparrently he did that or took recorkdings for his journal entries, and I thought that would be a cool idea for my journal. anywho, I love youy all and will talk to you all later!

LOVE!!!!!!
Calvin

Back in Ottawa

2 December, 2013

Hey all!!!!

 So, I am FINALLY BACK IN OTTAWA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAUUUUGGGHHHH!!!!!!!! It's been quite a start as well! We have a baptism coming up this week, and they are soooo cool! Also, bus contacting on the bus is sooo boss! Not much to report now, except I feel wierd being in english.... But I love it. So, momm, I am in the same district as [the other Elder from our Stake] and all the District leaders in my zone are people I know super well, and love a lot, so this is going to be all fun and hard work this transfer. Oh, tell dad that I got to eat with a legit concept artist who moved the dayafter. NNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Lord just wants me to have emails, but nothing else!!! But we had a cool discussion before he left, and he showed me a little bit of his work. So that was cool. The game he is making looks fun. Its about cowboys who fight demons in gladitorial arenas. 

Anywyas, i love you all soooooooooooo much, keep up the good work, and I will send pictures soon!

Calvin

Transfers

25 November, 2013

Hey all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 So, this week was really fun. we were on splits just about all this week, so I served a day in the spanish area ( I felt like a greenie again) and then I went to montreal with one of the assistants. So, I was out of my area ALL this week. Also, we had a zone training meeting this week as well, which was SUPER special and sooo spiritual. So all that was incredable. But, I was out of my area ALL WEEK!!!!!! Geeze, but it was fun. We also got transfer calls this week, and I am going BACK to Ottawa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and serving with one of my BEST friends on the mission, so I am all sorts of excited! They split the Ottawa zone in half, and I get the half with CHAPEL HILL IN IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  [Chapel Hill is the first area he served in.] AAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! Also, [another Elder from our Owego Stake, who is serving in the same mission, but who is Mandarin speaking] is going to be in my zone, in the new mandarine areas, that were just started last transfer! This is going to be an interesting christmas!!

  However, I am soooooooo sad to leave the RIV SUD. I am going to miss all these people here. But, I have many emails, and I will come back to see them after my mission! I have to ! Its a sin if I dont, i live soooooooo close! Any ways, now I just have to make sure my luggage is less than 50 lbs, otherwise I wont be able to go. 

Hope you all are having a wonderful time! 

Momm, I love you!! keep hanging in there!

Chantal, study hard, and keep being awesome! 

Love

Calvin