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.] 

Happy Canada Day and Happy July 4th!

We "waved to Calvin" in a Northeasterly direction from Boldt Castle.

  This past Monday was Canada Day (July 1st). Todd's factory is shut down this week, so we've had him home with us all week! We celebrated Monday by visiting Boldt Castle in Alexandria Bay, NY. I wrote to Calvin on Sunday night and told him that we would wave to him from Boldt Castle. We took pictures as proof that we waved to him. *smile*
  Apparently Calvin's p-day has been changed from Monday to Tuesday. AGH! So here's his email from TUESDAY (it takes a lot to adjust to a new p-day!!).
  Happy July 4th to all my American friends. Here's something to think about:  http://www.purewatergazette.net/asimov.htm

Momm

  I don't know what is going on with P-Day, my personal theory is that they are just changing it because then we can have our Zone Activity the day just before the Zone Study, so it's easier on clicks, and yesterday was Canada Day, so nothing was open to go shopping. So that is why you haven't heard from me in a while. [It's only been a week!] I hope you haven't been freaking out tooo much, one missionary wrote to his parents the week before St Jean Baptiste day [June 24th], and told his family he was super sick, and that he would write the next Monday.... that email didn't come Monday, so the frantic mother called up the Cannons. [This isn't the first story I've heard of a mother calling the Mission President when her son didn't write an email on p-day] So ...

  This week was busy. We have a baptism coming up this week, and so we have been preparing for that, and then we had splits, and some other stuff to prep for zone activity, plus  zone study, and then trying to do missionary work on top of all that. It's been nuts! But I'm super happy about it. Its fun to be busy. [My companion] and I decided that we will do a huge Zone drawing for our zone. that's going to take a lot of P-Day hours, but it should be fun. 

 Other than that, all is going as it usually is. I have seen the power of member referrals here, for example our baptism this week is Quèbecoise, has two kids, and is super open to all our teachings. She was a member referral, and it turns out she was SUPER open to the message. then, that same family gave us another referral who has already been reading the "Gospel principles" manual. She also has a baptismal date. Member referrals are GOLDEN!!!!! 

   So, one of our investigators, the third with a baptismal date, we had a lesson with him about the Word of Wisdom, and he started off the discussion by telling us about an experience he had the night before. With tears in his eyes, he told us how he had been reading the Word of Wisdom pamphlet and how he read that smoking and drinking are against the will of God. He started crying as he described the horrible feeling he had, when he realized that he had displeased God. So, we are working with him to stop those bad habits. It was really special to see someone who truly wanted to do Gods' will, and that the mere thought that he had displeased God hurt him so much. That was a humbling, spiritual experience. 

   I'm so glad you and dad had some alone time [Todd and I went to the temple on Saturday. It's been a while since we were there together inside the temple. We usually go with the youth on their temple trips and Todd goes inside to help with the work but I have to stay outside with Sophie], and that all is going so well for you! All your fun stories are my favorite part of emails. I did feel your love this week, and I'm glad that you had such a cool trip [to Boldt Castle]! 

Love

Calvin

Catching Up . . . Again

June 10th we got a forwarded Kaldt To Serve (the mission newsletter) from Calvin. It was really fun to see how missionary work is progressing in his mission! It also had a transfer list and we noticed that Calvin has been transferred to Montreal. My apologies to my family and friends who speak French and noticed the missing accent aigu there. It's late and I'm tired, but I promised a certain young man I would update the blog today and since Sophie wouldn't let me update it earlier, here I am at 11:47pm.

Hey Momm!!!!!!
   We had a big week too! You know how missionaries fall asleep before their heads hit the pillow? that hasnt happened to me yet, but I am DARNED close. One of our investigators told me to go home and take a nap, which I did during my dinner hour. 

   So, we got the transfer calls this week, and I' going to be a Zone Leader in LeMoyen Rougemont, which is in Riv Sud. (south of Montreal) My new companion is Elder Baker. [GASP Zone Leader!?]*

   This week we spent a long time out of our area. We went down to Quebec City monday, and had zone study tuesday, and did this MASSIVE contacting extravaganza. My companion and I contacted on a street corner for about 7 hours. That was fun, I got to meet many new people, and learn a lot about street contacting. [they posted some of the numbers from this contacting and it was astounding the work they accomplished. They contacted 10,000 people in one day!] Then we went to Alma on wednesday, which was fun. After we got home, [an Elder] taught us how to make dream catchers. Then we got back to our place thursday. We did service for this one lady for about 3 hours ( of painting, YAY!!!!!!!!!!) and she gave us dinner!!! Poutine and fried chicken !!!!!!!!!! then walked to our next appointment. I forgot a tie to change into, so i went the rest of the day without a tie. We had one lesson that night and then went home. The day after that Friday we spent about 11 hours in the sun about 9 of those was spent doing "service" for a golf tournament. They asked a service community center if they could get some volenteers to help them out, so we were reccomended. I was expecting to do some hard labor, and we had no way of getting there, because our truck's klick limit was cut. But the golf people paid for a taxi and we got there just safe. So then what happened? We sat at a hole each and watched people play golf to see if anyone got a hole in one. I was like "WHAT!?" That's all they wanted us to do. no one got a hole in one, and the golf course fed us lunch, which was nice. They gave us porc ribs, an eclaire, a really good baked potato, coleslaw, bread, and soup, along with a pepsi. We introduced ourselves as the missionaries the whole time, and I saw a guy there I had taught in Alma on splits. He was pretty happy to see me. [gee, how come I'm never asked to do service like that?!] Then we had to walk an hour home, because we didnt call any members for a ride. So we were super tired, and super sunburned. It was fun. Then we did some passbyes, and port a port. saturday was more service over at this guys house, who gave me a ghetto sword he made himself. Then we had a great lesson, then did some knocking, and went home for transfer calls. 

sunday at church we sang in the choir and the lady we did service for came to church!!! Then [three of us] all bore our testimonies for everyone ( before the choir sang) Then church went as usual. We went and had a lesson (we almost got smurfed with 2 members yikes!!) and then did our weekly planning, and went to a house for dinner. after that we passed by some people, and I basically said goodbye to some of our investigators. 

   so that was this week

I am zone leader number 2. I have no idea whjat responsibilities I have, but I will effectively be a district leader for a whole zone. 

  Well, Love you lots!

So glad to hear sophie is ok, and that DAD GOT THE JOB!!! Chantal, felicitations! I hope college lives up to your expectiations, and fufills your wildest dreams! Miranda, Keep on being awesome!!! 

I love you al!
Calvin

* There are different callings that missionaries can have. Every missionary starts out as a 

- Greenie, which means they are inexperienced in the mission. Usually they are called

- Junior Companions too, meaning that they have been out less than the other companion.

- Senior Companion - the one of the two who has been out longer - usually.

- District Leader - in charge of statistic reports for the district (remember that's from 6-12 missionaries usually) and does some training of missionaries in their district. I think Calvin went from Junior Companion to District Leader, but don't quote me on that.

- Zone Leader - in charge of districts, so anywhere from 12-30 missionaries? They are in charge of statistics for the Zone, and helping to train and encourage missionaries in their zone.

- Assistant to the President - usually the most responsibility a missionary can have. I'm not sure what they do, except help the Mission President acclimate new missionaries, drive new missionaries or perhaps transferring missionaries, work in the mission office, help to train missionaries in the mission.

June 17, 2013

Momm, 

  Dont you worry about writing me long letters since you were the ONLY ONE who wrote me. You dont have to worry about that anyways, because it takes me only 10 minutes to read my emails to you. 

  Well, here I am doing my emails on a MAC!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm sooooooo happy! Everything is so easy and makes sooooooooo much sense!!! Anyways, yeah so we do our emails in the mac store, so I get to use really nice technology to do my emails now. 

  Here it is, South of Montreal, I'm having a blast here! My companion is super awesome. He was called here in French, but then President asked him halfway through his mission to learn Spanish, so he is one of the EXTREMELY few white guys here who goes home tri lingual. That's a big help too because our ward is HUGE, and it has people from EVERYWHERE. We have Hatians, latinos, Francophones, Africans, Quebecois, tons of different nationalities here, so tons of the members are bi or tri lingual. So, its a lot of fun. For example, we went to a dinner appointment with a spanish family, and the parents spoke french and spanish, and the kids speak french english and spanish. That is basically the story of this ward. 

   Oh, so we are in a four man apartment now, three anglephones, one francophone, two from canada, two from America, and one from Tahiti. [I count 9 people, but really there are only 4 missionaries in his apartment.] It's a lot of fun, and [one of the Elders] has started teaching me Tahitian. It's really fun. Let's see.. oh, one really crazy story this week, so this lady was contacted on our street right outside our home, and later that night, she knocked on our door at 10:30 at night. I wasnt there for that, but when I came in, we had another expirience with her. While we were training the District leader and trainer in our zone, they were both new at it, ( ok, the trainer wasn't, but we basically gave his greenie a run down of how things go) so , during that time, I heard this woman screaming " ouvre la porte! Ouvre la porte!" and banging on the window of this van. I thought it was some mom, whos kid had locked her out, but no, she was freaking out at the man she was staying with. It was so weird. Then, he pulls away, and she starts screaming at anyone who will listen about this.  I see all this happen from our balcony at our coisplex appartment. So then, the next day, the sister missinaries talk to her on the phone, and she tells them that she has been kicked out of that guys house. So we go home, and we see the moving van, so we are like " ok, lets help her out." I didnt really want to, but [my companion] did, so whatever. So we go, and she is trying to get out as fast as she can, and she's freaking out at this guy, Who we think initially is the van's owner. Then he starts explainging to us that she goes from house to house, staying with friends, and boyfriends, and she doesnt really stay in the same place for long, because no one can deal with her personality. So, I'm thinking " ok, this guy is a social worker." Not true. So, the lady is bossing us around, trying to separate [my companion] and I, and trying to half do all the moving herself, and making us help her, meanwhile saying insults at the guy who kicked her out. Meanwhile, [my companion] is trying to call the sisters to get them out here so they can meet the lady. Then, she backs the truck to the side of the appartment so that we can start loading up all her plants into the truck. Then, she sees a friend and asks if she can keep drugs in her refrigerator. (she asked us before, and said they were syringes, and needed to be kept cold, and out of the blue, I just say "We dont have a fridge" No Idea why, but it just popped out of my mouth. We didnt want to keep those things in our fridge because, I didnt want her to have a reason to come back to our appartment, and we werent sure if they were really perscription drugs) So, then she started ranting at this friend, mostly because she is just freaking out in general, because she has no where to go, and anyone who doesnt help her out immediately, or shows hesitation at all at this point is against her, in her mind. So, she's getting herself worked up, and then all of the sudden we hear a huge CRASH. (oh, btw, by this time the sisters have JUST arrived) WE all look, and [the van owner] just backed the van into a fence, and almost drove it right through the house. We were like " what the.....?!" And the guy who owns the house is like "What is happpening to my house?!" The lady is speechless, and we are all trying not to just bust out laughing. So us and the sister walk around the corner of the street, to let things work out, and then come back when she starts shouting for us again. But, we got her loaded up in the van, and the sisters talked to her for a while, so it all went well. We got pictures of the fence too, we'll have to show them to you later. 

 Well, thus far, all is going well, and I'm excited to get to work. 

I'm really sad to hear about Brother Owens!* He was a super awesome example for me, and I'm glad he will have the opportunity to teach others in the Spirit World. 

Well, I hope you all are doing well! 

Love

Calvin 

*Brother Owens is a dear friend of ours who passed away. We have known the Owens family for almost 16 years. We have worked with them in our church callings, Todd has gone shooting with Dave, we have watched 4 of their 5 children grow up (their oldest son was on his mission when we moved into the branch). Brother Owens made these fabulous Molasses cookies for his Sunday School class. He served as Branch President when we were first in the Branch in 1997, he served on the Stake High Council, he served in his local Scout Troop. He loved the little children in the Branch, and was their truest advocate for love and affection. He loved to cuddle the babies in the Branch. Many a baby fell asleep on his shoulder - including Miranda and Sophie. I think his favorite calling was in the Nursery. And after branch social activities you could always find him in the kitchen doing dishes. His life was cut short by cancer, and we will sorely miss him. This little bit of writing doesn't do him justice, but how do you describe a spiritual giant of a man in a few lines? How do you describe a man whose life was filled with family and friends and a deep love for all of them? If the world had more Dave Owens in it, there would be a lot less heartache and sorrow and the very gates of Hell would rattle on their hinges.

25 June, 2013 - [notice this is a Tuesday! I waited all day long for a letter on Monday and it didn't come!!]

Momm

  I am soo sorry that I couldnt tell you that i wouldnt be able to write, but they switched p-day and they did it the weekend before. so we had no idea. Anyways, things have been crazy because the Cannons are leaving this week. [The Cannons have served for 3 years in the mission. President Cannon has been a fabulous mission president, and his wife, hmm. How do you describe the surrogate mother of a few hundred young men and women, who also helps mothers who are worried that their son has warm boots for the winter? Yah, she's that amazing.]

So, to start, 

Chantal FELICITATIONS!!!!!!!!!(confetti, fireworks, singing llamas) I am sooooooooooooooooooooo proud of you, that you SURVIVED high school!!! Agh! I'm gonna have to throw you a party when I get home, but know that I am celebrating up here! Go far, and keep it up! Well, what do you plan to do now? Well, go on to BYU i do, [Chantal will be attending BYU - Idaho in the fall. It's often referred to as "BYU I Do" because a lot of LDS young adults get married while they're in college, especially if they attend an LDS college] and get married, and have a billion kids, and be a world famous biologist, and discover the cure for cancer, and save the world!!! I am so proud of you! Keep going!

Miranda YOU ALREADY SOLD AN ART PIECE!?!?!?!?!  where did that come from!?!?!? For how much??? I quote [my art teacher at BCC], " you can sell it, but NO LESS than $50" Oh my gosh I am proud of you!!! 

Sophie HI SOPHIE!!!!!! I had a dream about you the other day in which you spoke fluent French because Momm had taught you. It was super cool! I love you lots, and I might teach you French when I get home, if you dont already know it by then!

So, this week was absolutly NUTS!!! we had TONS of stuff that was going on. We missed the missionary conference because we had a dinner appointment with some members and our baptismal committed was there with her whole family, so we missed it. The next day, we had a dinner appointment at her house with her, which was a super awesome surprise!! It was great because on ste jean baptiste day, we can't proselyte after 5pm because drunk crazy people come out at that time. 

Other than that everything went well!

I will send you pictures next week! LOVE

Calvin

Pictures this week! Poutine!

These are the groceries he mentions.

Note: groceries, Quebec Flag, Christmas lights, and the Star Wars pillowcase.

POUTINE!

 Calvin sent us his usual letter this week. I read it and then set the computer aside to do other things. When I checked the email later on, SURPRISE! There was a very nice message to us. It was written in Spanish, which I tried to get Chantal and Miranda to translate for me since they've been taking Spanish in high school for SEVEN YEARS BETWEEN THEM! Nope. I think I understood more with my ONE YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL SPANISH. The message said how wonderful our son is and how he's helping this person understand the connection between the Book of Mormon and the Bible, and how much this person considers our son and his companion to be great friends. It was nice to get a note like that, to know that Calvin is making friends with the people he's been sent to serve, and that he's helping these people he's grown to love.

Here's Calvin's email from this week:

Momm, 

  Girls, I am so proud of all your accomplishments!!!!!!!!!!! That's rediculous! vous avez fait un bon travaille cet semestre, prenez vos repos avec le connaisance que je suis filler do vous meme! C'est ban beau-le! Je t'aime! 

[Loose translation (but keep in mind it's been years since I studied French so I'm a little rusty!): you have worked well this year,  take your rest with the knowledge that I am proud (spelled wrong) of you. It's awesome! I love you!]

   So, this week we had TONS of miracles, and funny stories. One was I had my first lesson with a guy who was cooking meth right there in front of us. 

  [excuse me while I have a mother freak out here: METH?! METH?! THE TOXIC FUMES!! THE DANGER!! AGH! Miracle is right! You weren't killed right then and there by some freak accident!]

That was interesting! It was soooooo sketchy.The best miracle of this week was Sunday night. We had a Dinner appointment et ca cetait tres fun! on a mange beaucoup et on a parle beaucoup aussi.   [it was really fun. we ate a lot and talked a lot too.] It had started POURING rain before we got home, and we were walking home (because our klicks got cut) so we got SOAKING wet. Puis, on a commence de plannifier, et puis quelqun a frappe sur la porte! [so we started to plan and then someone knocked on the door] When we answered the door, there were two bags of food at out door, [funny, I counted three bags in the picture] and one of the [girls from the family they had dinner with] who's about 19, was getting into her car. That was such a grand miracle, parce que a cause de nos kilometres, on a pas beaucoup de faire des choses comme ca, et ca prendrais plus de temp d' acheter nos episceries, alors ils nous a sauve BEAUCOUP de temp! C'etait un GRAND miracle! on a eu un semaine PLEIN des miracles, et si j'ecrivais tous nos miracles, je vais remplir un livre! [our kilometers have been cut and it takes a long time to shop for groceries (if they can't drive to the grocery store), so these groceries saved us a lot of time. It was a HUGE miracle. This has been a week full of miracles and if I wrote all our miracles I would fill a book!]

  Je suis tellement heureux d' entendre que Sophie a vu Star Wars, c'est tres cool! [I'm very happy to hear that Sophie has seen Star Wars, it's very cool!]

    Merci pour tous que vous faites pour moi, merci pour les benedictions et les miracles! [Thank you for all you do for me, thank you for the blessings and the miracles!]

     Je vous aime beaucoup plus que on peut imaginer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [I love you all much more than you can imagine!]

        amour

Calvin

27 May - has it really been A YEAR?!

 So this week was Calvin's "hump day." He's been out for a year! Wow!

Hey Momm!

   No you are not a horrible momm for not sending me reminders of how long i have left in the mission. Most missionaries dont like to be reminded how much longer they have left anyways. 

    Thanks for what you wrote!!!!!!!! That means more to me than any package! The fact that I'm helping out, and you are being blessed by this is more than recompense for me. 

     I came to a realization this week. we were tracting for about 3 hours yesterday, and I noticed that I wasnt to focused on the work. My companion and I were working, we were knocking, contacting people, but I wasnt all there. I wasnt putting my all into the work. I was more sliding through than actually striving. So, grumblingly, I admitted to myself that i was wrong, and decided to get more focused. Literally the next door, we found a potential investigator. The encounter with her was interesting as well. She didnt seem very interested at first. We tried our usual door approach, but she didnt seem too interested. Then we explained how what we were here to do was to invite her to do an expirement. To see if God is really there. She looked at us a second, with a bit of a skeptical look on her face, then said "how do you do this expirment?" We explained by reading the scriptures, listening to our message, and then asking God to know if it's true. So, she accepted a gospel of Jesus Christ pamphlet, and we got a time to pass bye, not a lesson, but a " you can come back around this time" the rest of that day i tried to really help each person I met. I started focusing more on what was actually happening around me. the coolest part of it was that I was not bored. I was happy, and optimistic, and eager to keep going. I found that it is true what preach my Gospel says about the secret to missionary happines: work. Being there in the moment, doing the work to the utmost limits of what you can do, that is what will bring happiness!

    So this week was really fun! We went to Quebec city for a zone activity. we went to a waterfall! There was this point at the waterfall, where you could stand in the mist at the bottom, and get absolutely DRENCHED, which almost all the missionaries did, because we had just got done playing ultimate frisbee at the top, and we were hot and sweaty. then we had Zone Conference, which was really cool. PRESIDENT AND SISTER CANNON ARE LEAVING THE 29TH OF JUNE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AAAUUUGGGHHHH!!!!! But I'm ssure that President Patrick will be really cool too! Then I went on splits with the zone leaders, and I went with [one of his former companions], which was really fun! 

   So I am super happy because this week, [the dad in a family] got BAPTISED!!!!!!!! He was one of the investigators we spent the most time on at Chapel Hill, and FINLLY FINALLY he got baptised!!!!!!! All the rest of his family was already members, and now here he is!!!!!!! So happy! Oh, the [family] were the ones who let us use their computers to skype on christmas! 

    love you SOOOOOO mUch! 

Calvin