called to serve Calgary: December 2, 2009

Hey guys!

So in case you were trying to find Chapparel on a map I have some ways to find it. It is considered part of Calgary so if you are looking at a big map then youprobably won't find it. It's just be on the southern most part of Calgary. But if you get a map closer to Calgary it will be there. It is a tiny little group of houses right next to the road called 22x. Just in case any of you were wondering. haha

Anyway, not much has really gone on this week that was all that special. It all went by really fast. It was amazing. It seems like I was just writing a letter to you guys. It's weird.

P-day was pretty awesome. We spent the day at the stake center and played basketball and volleyball and indoor football with our whole zone. Then at six we just went back and had dinner and then had a normal night of stuff.

Then Thursday was Thanksgiving! It was awesome! We had this huge feast at the McDaniel's house. She is a caterer so she is an amazing cook and apparently feeds us well every time she has us over. But this meal was amazing! She had a turkey covered in cheese and then wrapped in bacon! It was so delicious! And she had mashed garlic potatoes and stuffing and corn and bread. Then she had pumpkin cake and cheese cake for dessert. It was OH SO GOOD! Oh man. I think I gained like ten pounds in that one dinner appointment. Then we had a pretty good message with them about being thankful. It was pretty awesome. I am excited to go back and get fed there again. haha.

Saturday was a pretty good day. We spent most of the day doing service. We have been helping this family finish their basement so we did some more dry wall there. Then we went over to the Vandeveld's and helped them move a GIANT TV. It was the biggest TV I have ever seen. It was like 6 feet wide and 5 feet tall and three feet deep. And we had to get it from their garage to the main floor and then up some stairs, that hallway up, and flipped completely around. It was intense but pretty fun! And we made it with only two holes in the walls. haha. They weren't too bad though so it was alright. I love doing service. It gets me out of a suit and it gives us something new to do other than just teaching or studying. And it feels so good to know that you've helped someone. I love that feeling. And they usually feed us lunch after so... that's a plus! haha

Saturday night was the first day that I have been here that we haven't had a dinner appointment. But this young couple, the Ady's, gave us some steaks the week before so we just fried them up. Oh man they were good. We had steaks and baked potatoes! It was so much fun and oh so delicious! We might have spent too long cooking them though. We realized that it was the 28th which meant that I had been out for a month so we decided that we had to party for my first birthday out here. It's pretty exciting. I have been out a month now. It is so weird, it has gone by fast yet it feels like forever... I don't know how to explain it... only 23 to go! haha

Sunday we had a lesson with the Grey girls again. They are the two girls that are going to get baptized! It was pretty awesome. We watched "The Testaments" and then talked a little with them about it. Then we talked about their baptism and planned it with them. My first baptisms are going to be on Sunday!! Well I won't actually be in the water with them. Their... dad... uncle... I'm not really sure what to call him since his sister in law died and left the two of them to this family... but he is going to do the actual baptizing. But it is still exciting. I am so excited to see them get baptized. I have only taught them two lessons though. And I don't know how much of the lessons they have taken in because they are so quiet. But I hope they are learning all that they need to. And they are in a wonderful family so I am sure they will do great!

But the biggest news I have for this week is that it finally snowed!!! It snowed a little bit on Thursday. Then Saturday night it really came down. It was awesome! It didn't actually snow ALL that much but it was still pretty exciting for me. And it gets really windy here so it made the snow that we did get feel like a lot more snow when it was coming down. There was a time when we were driving that we couldn't see like 15 feet in front of us. But that didn't last long. It has been fun to walk in the snow for a while. I think it is going to get really old fast though. And it has been freezing the last couple of days! It was -17 this morning and on Monday the high is going to be -23... I'm going to die!(all these are in Celsius... because I don't know how to convert it... but it is COLD!!! haha

Well anyway, that is pretty much it for me this week. I'm hopefully going to figure out how to send you guys some pictures. so that is exciting. I am so excited to hear from you guys! I love and miss you all so much!

Love,

Elder Townsend

PICTURES!

Before and After pictures of the x22