2 June, 2014
HEllo Everyone!!!!
Well this week was really Bi-polar. we had 10 visits fall through. RRRRRRRRRRRFGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So that stunk. this whole week has been like that. Even when we confirm ahead of time, even the DAY BEFORE!!!!!!!!!!! Well, thats ok, because as consequence of that, TONS of miracles came about. for example, one day we were going to pass by [the first] family to share with them "hastening the work of Salvation" and they werent home. But we got to talk to a non member husband to a member wife, which was good. He was doing rennovations on the house.Then, we decided to pass by another member who was home. So we shared it with him. It went ok, he wasn't super interested, and just before we finished the lesson, [the first family's father] knocked on his door!!!! So he invited us to his house, and we got to share the message with both families!!!!! It was nice to see into the members lives a little. Then, we had another lesson THAT WE HAD CONFIRMED THE NIGHT BEFORE fall through, and [a] family was right next to us when it did (the lady had to go to the hospital with her daughter) So, we took the family to pass by [three more people]. that was a good night. We made a lot of progress with [an investigator]. then this sat My 2 year mark on my mission, we went over to a less active man's house and sang hymns with him because he is having a hard time with his health. After that we went and did service with an investigator and her husband, and then afterwards they fed us STEAK and CHOCOLATE FONDUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND the husband is totally fine with the wife investigating, and they really like us! They even offered to take us to Costco to buy groceries!! What a miraculous week! Hey, when is the stake broadcast meeting for you? We just had ours, and president Eyering and Elder Holland spoke at ours. So, all in all, doing well, love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Elder Messinger
[MoMM note: In recent years, our Stake Conferences are occasionally broadcasts for several stakes at a time, and these broadcasts originate from Salt Lake. These are different from our General Conferences, which are broadcast twice a year, for the church as a worldwide congregation. I think I have mentioned that our church is composed of units that go something like this:
*Branches and Wards - basic unit (congregation) of the church; 3 men comprise the Branch Presidency or the Bishopbric and they preside over the congregation. There are auxiliaries in each Branch and Ward and they have their own presidencies who act under the direction of the Branch Presidency or Bishopbric. Yes, there are women presidencies: Primary Presidency (for children 18 months - 12 years old), Young Women's Presidency (for young women 12-18), Relief Society (for women 18 - 180). We live in the Greene Branch.
*Districts and Stakes - several Branches and Wards grouped together; 3 men comprise the Stake Presidency and there are 12 men who assist the Stake Presidency in the Stake Council. Again, on a Stake level, there are auxiliary presidencies who assist the Branch and Ward Auxiliary presidencies, and the Primary, YW, and RS Presidencies are all women. We live in the Owego Stake.
*Mission - group of Stakes; presided over by a Mission Presidency of 3 men. We live in the New York Utica Mission, Calvin is serving in the Canada Montreal Mission.
*Area - group of Missions; presided over by an Area Presidency of 3 men. We live in - and Calvin is serving his mission in - the North America Northeast Area.
Have I confused you yet?]
26 May, 2014
Dear mother belovest whom i love soooooooooooooooooo much
WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME???!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!? i am TRYING to not get trunky, and then you send me things about whats going to happen when i get home, and then yell at me about getting trunky!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[I told Calvin we are going to have a party for him the Saturday after he gets home (so the 28th of June) but I want him to focus on these last few weeks of his mission. I compared it to running a race: runners do not run TO the tape at the end of the race, they run THROUGH the tape - so they are still running their fastest at the end of the race, instead of slowing down. I told him "NO GETTING TRUNKY! RUN THROUGH THE TAPE!" (trunky is a term for a missionary who thinks a lot about going home and is focusing more on going home than doing missionary work)]
Its ok, i like getting an idea of what is going on at home. here in chicoutimi, we are working hard, trying to see all the people we can. I feel really scared to leave all this work, because i feel like if I leave it, someone will fall through the cracks, but i think i can have confidence in my companion. When I think of home, its more like a "I wish I didnt have all these rules, and had my own car to go teaching with the missionaries, and I could bring them to church, and go into houses with single women without a MOB of people to watch us, and I could just do sooo much more" [Mom explanation here: Male missionaries are not allowed to teach single women unless they bring another male member of the church with them. Just like Female missionaries are not allowed to teach single men unless they bring another female member of the church with them.] BUT life has taught me wisdom. I know that as sooon as I get home, life will be like, " Well guess what, you wont even be ABLE to think about missionary work, because your are going to be BUSY out of your MIND getting sucked into the black hole of work that will NEVER LET YOU OUT UNTIL THEY DAY OU ARE DEAD!!!!!!!! And then the church leaders will PLEAD with people to go teaching with the missionaries, and you will sit there feeling SO GUILTY!!!!!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHQAHAHAHAHAHA LIFE WINS AGAIN!!!!!" ugh............. I will have to figure it out somehow. until then the only thing to do is be Happy where i am. And I am happy!!!!!! I get to see some of my dearest friends ALL THE TIME!!!! All these people are sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo incredible, and i've only mentioned half of them!!! Not to mention, all the stories I will be telling YEARS after my mission. I only hope i dont slow down, but keep going and accomplishing lots throughout this short existance on earth. Man, there is a lot to do.
Mother, i love your writing style. Its so funny!!!! I love our family, and how funny, and lively we are, and how much light we have. I have seen that light in many families here, and I want us to share it with EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love
Calvin
19 May, 2014
Salut a tous!!!!!!!!!
Donc, cette semaine etait tres bien passe. on a fait un grand travaille, on a beaucoup du monde qu'on enseigne maitenant, et on a meme trouve une nouvelle amie de l'eglise!!! On est content.
*Google Translate: "Hi all!!! So this week went very well. it was a great work, there was much of the world is taught now cover, and we even found a new friend of the church! We're happy." I think he means that they have more people to teach now.
But other than that, not much going on, just trying to get members to come out teaching with us mostly. That helps so much in our work, when members come out teaching with us. But, the best is when the members have a friend that they have us teach at the members house. That is just a more natural feel. Thats really the thing we want to know, how to make missionary work more of a natural part of the members lives. How to help them see that sharing the Gospel is such a natural thing to do, and how to introduce their friends to the church, and the missionaries.
Anyways, I'll get down off my soapbox.........
Thats really life right now, not much different going on. on a eu quelques miracles cette semaine, comme la femme je viens de mentionner, aussi un member moins active nous a dit qu'elle va venir a l'eglise chaque dimanche a partir de maitenant. Donc, on est tres content!! On travaille avec beaucoup des potentials amies de l'eglise, mais le progress va lentement. Ce n'ets pas facile de s'integrer dans la vie d'un autre person, mais on doit essayer. Je pense que le chose qu'on manque est l'hardiesse. On a peur d'offenser les membres, parce qu'on les aime, et le vrai travaille missionnaire reste avec eux autres. don, maman, s'il te plait, essayer d'aider les missionaires dans leur travaille, et d'aider nos amies d'entrer dans l'eglise!!!
*Google Translate: "we had a few miracles this week, like the woman I mentioned, as a less active member told us that she will come to church every Sunday from now cover. So we are very happy! We work with a lot of potentials friends of the church, but the progress is slow. Ets not that easy to integrate into the life of another person, but we must try. I think the thing we lack is courage. We are afraid of offending members because we love, and the true missionary work stays with them others. gift, mom, please, try to help missionaries in their work and help our friends to enter the church!"
ok, I'll get off my soapbox again.......... :P
Anyways, I am missing all of you a LOT!!! I love the people here, and the work that is going on here, but I am SOOOOOOOOOO EXCITED TO SEEE YOU ALLL!!!!!!!!!!!
Love
Calvin
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