May 26, 2010

Hey everyone! How is it going? Hope all is well. This week for me was alright. Can't really complain... going through it it felt like we weren't able to get much done, but looking back it wasn't too bad of a week. We were able to get in a good number of member lessons even though we had a lot of our dinner appointments cancel and lessons cancel. A lot of people were "sick" this week. Even our investigators canceled on us this week. Mitch called us the day of and told us that it "just wasn't a good day for him" and then Sam texted us and said he wasn't going to be there. He didn't even call. He just text us. I am kind of worried about what is going on with him. Ever since he finally said he was going to read the Book of Mormon we haven't seen him. That was four or five weeks ago. He keeps canceling on us and that isn't really like him. Missionaries have met with him every Tuesday at 730 for the last nine months and up until this happened he had only missed one day. So I don't know what is going on there but hopefully it stops and we can meet with him next week. Elder Reese hasn't even met him yet. But some good news with the investigators. Mitch and his daughter, Savanna, came to church! Only for sacrament though because they had a BBQ to go to. But it was still awesome! It was the first time Savanna has made it out to church and it was actually her idea to go. She said she felt guilty about not ever going. Which is awesome! She is only ten and is an amazingly smart girl. I'm pretty sure they are both going to get baptized eventually. I just hope it is sooner then later.

We were able to do a lot of service this week as well. We are working with this guy named Duncan Badger and he has this whole giant thing he started with making a giant garden in the neighborhood. He says in ten years it is going to be one of the biggest in Canada. It is pretty big and nice looking. And he got the city to plant over 7000 trees in it, which they called the birthplace forest. It's pretty sweet looking. And it is a lot of fun to work there and see it grow all the time. There are 15 or so people that help plant and stuff for it and most are non members so it is a good missionary opportunity as well. Duncan is getting pretty comfortable around us. In fact one day him and his wife had us over for lunch when we were working with them so that was awesome! Anyway, it's a pretty cool thing to be doing and I am getting my tan back! Even if it is a really bad farmers tan... haha

Other then that not too much exciting had happened this week. We had a really cool experience were we stopped in just to say hello to one of the Haitian families in our ward. They are so happy and so positive. It's so sweet to see. We could tell he was pretty stressed out right now. He doesn't have a job and he might get sent to Haiti for 6 months to help rebuild and have to leave his family. So we had him read Proverbs 3:3-7 with us and it was awesome. He said it was exactly what he needed and was so happy that he let us in and so amazed that we could come up with exactly what he needed in his life. So that was actually a really cool experience for me to see. I love the Haitian families in our ward. They are so fun to be around. They are always so happy and positive. I want to be like them when I am older.

That is pretty much it from me this week though... we did a lot of walking around and I started having some fun with my camera at times. So that was fun. I can't send all the pictures though. That would be way too many and take too long, haha. I hope you guys all have an awesome week though! I love you!

Love
Elder Townsend

Look! I'm eating healthy! I love pears! haha

Arizona pride! haha
The 130 stairs up to Greenwood Village... not a fun 50 min walk, especially if you have to do it twice in one day.
Almost making it...

Halfway there!

The rest stop partway upIt was Victoria Day on Monday. Everyone had flags in their front yard.
This is Elder Gelwix. I came out with him. He's in my district. He wanted me to send you guys a picture of him. I don't know why.

May 19, 2010

Hey everyone! How is it going? My week was pretty good. We were able to teach quite a few lessons which was good. And we are getting a couple of appointments with the older couple to go by once a week in the mornings. Which is something missionaries love because it is always fun to go teach the older people and they are always so happy to have us over. It is sweet because the morning hours are the hardest ones to fill for the day because everyone is either still sleeping or at work. So I love those regular visits to the older retired couples.

We had a pretty momentous thing happen in Calgary on Saturday as well. They finally broke ground for the temple here. It was awesome. We weren't allowed to go to the actual ceremony because the community didn't want to be over run with cars so each ward only had three parking places they were allowed to take up. But they did broadcast it to all the Stake centers in Calgary so we went to the church and watched it from there. Which was probably better anyway because we were actually able to see it and we didn't get sunburned like everyone that was actually there. haha. So that was awesome. It was a great experience to see it and the talks were great. They were all about how we can, like in King Benjamin's address, turn our tents to the temple. And it was also fun to see all the excitement that came from the members here in Calgary about finally getting their own temple. It isn't supposed to be done for three years or so so I wont be able to see it unless I come back up here. But it does look like it is going to be an awesome temple. And it is on a great piece of land. It has an amazing view from up on the hill. I am excited for it.

And I even still got to go dig some dirt up there on the site even though I wasn't able to be there on Saturday, because our bishop borrowed one of the shovels they used and our ward had an FHE up on the site where we could come and take some pictures with it and stuff. So that was awesome. And probably even better then actually being there Saturday because we didn't have to wait for hours to get the picture. It was fun to be able to talk to members there and run around with kids and play soccer and Frisbee. Although turns out my ankle is still keeping me from running too fast. bummer, eh?

I also just wanted to say that I live with the coolest members ever! And not just because his name is Wilford Woodruff. haha. But after they gave us a ride to and from the FHE on Monday they dropped us off and then went and got us some milkshakes from a place called Peters. Apparently they are the best milkshakes ever. I don't know about that but they were pretty darn good! The sad thing is that there is only one of them and they aren't in our area. So the Woodruff's were nice enough to go all the way down there and buy us some. They were going down there anyway though because Bro Woodruff loves those things. But anyway, that made for a pretty good night I am not going to lie. They also bought some dino-sours and airheads strips things. They are delicious as well. No wonder I'm getting so fat eh? haha

Well that is pretty much it for this week. But my mom said I need to start to leaving a spiritual thought in all my letters so I guess I'll give one now... it is one I like a lot and I call it the Recipe for Happiness. It comes from 2 Nephi. This is when the Nephites just separated from the Lamanites and Nephi is telling us how the Nephites are living and what they are doing. So it starts out in verse 10 which says

"And we did observe to keep the judgments, and the statues, and the commandments of the Lord in all things, according to the law of Moses."

So they were being spiritually strong. They were doing what the Lord wanted them to do. Then go to verse 17 that says:

"And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did cause my people to be industrious, and to labor with their hands."

So not only were they doing what the Lord wanted them to do, but they were working. They were providing for themselves and their families and communities. They weren't just standing around waiting for their blessings. And now this is why I call it the RECIPE for happiness. Because just like a recipe where you add stuff together and come out with something awesome we are going to add those two verses together. so what is 10+17?... right 27. So we are going to go over to verse 27 that says

"And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness."

So isn't that awesome? And we can apply this to ourselves and think of it as a promise that if we continue to do what the Lord wants us to do and to work and not just sit around looking for the blessings that we will live in the manner of happiness. :)

Love,
Elder Townsend

Me and Reese digging at the temple site

The view to the left (downtown Calgary)the view to the right (Canadian rockies) Not bad eh?
the shovel
look at those mountains!
peters night

May 12, 2010

Hey everyone! How is it going? I hope you all had such an exciting and fun week like I did. This week started out with me getting my new companion, Elder Reese. He is a pretty fun guy. Kind of weird at times. He has only been out about three months and has only been in a singles ward. So he doesn't really know how a family ward works so I've been trying to get him used to being in one. He also isn't the best at taking advice. He seems to get frustrated with me pretty easily. But what can you do. I guess he's just going to have to learn things through his own experiences. He is a really good missionary though. Still has that greenie fire burning. I think it is going to be really good for this ward to have him here. I am excited to see what happens with him here. Elder Reese is from southern California. (my first companion not from Utah) and he is a huge surfing bum. Kind of exciting.

But since it was the first week with a new companion and he is getting used to a lot of new things and we didn't have a car and my ankle still hurts after walking on it for a while not too much exciting happened. I think for the first half of the week the best thing that happened was that we stopped by this less active guy's house that nobody knew anything about and his wife answered. At first it was like any average less active house we stopped by and she just kind of told us they weren't interested. So we started walking down the road out in the snow (yes it was snowing) and then she came back out and yelled to us and said she couldn't leave us out in the cold so she invited us in for hot chocolate. So that was awesome. We aren't going to deny that as missionaries. haha. So we went in and we got talking to her and her son and we talked to them for a while before we went to dinner. They were a really nice family and really fun to talk to. And they said we could come back anytime. So we are definitely going to go back. Even if she doesn't want us teaching her it will still be good to go over and see if her heart will soften at all. And since then we have seen her son, who is 14 or so years old, around the neighborhood and he has come over and talked to us for a while so that is sweet!

Then the best part of the week came, Sunday. Mother's Day. One of the four days missionaries look forward to because we get to call home! It was my second call home and it was awesome! I loved it! I loved being able to hear my families voices and being able to talk to them and hear about the news they had and what was going on in their lives. It only lasted for about an hour but it was an amazing hour! It was kind of just a relaxing day after that though. We didn't want to bother people on Mother's Day so we just wrote some letters home and then went to dinner. It was kind of a nice day. I liked it.

Then we got another pretty great call. It was from Sister Moore in our ward. She is awesome. We have stopped by her house at least once a week to talk to them and teach them a lesson because we know that they are always going to let us in if they are home. I love people like that. So Sis Moore has grown up in the church but didn't have the best family. She was baptized at eight but doesn't have the best testimony. In fact she tells us she doesn't have one at all. But I know that isn't entirely true because she is at church every Sunday and is a YW leader. But she called us Sunday after church and told us that she was sick and tired of sitting on the fence. She was listening to the lesson we gave in Sunday school and was just asking herself why she was there if she doesn't believe it. So she said she was ready to know what we know and to gain a testimony for herself. That is pretty much the best thing I have heard in a while. That is exactly what we have been trying to get her to say this whole time! So we are going to go teach her tonight and I am excited to see how that goes. It should be fun. Hopefully we can help her. It's going to be difficult. She likes to argue. haha. But she'll learn. I know she will. She is an amazing person.

That's pretty much it for the week though. We taught some lessons to members and stuff as well. Both of our investigators canceled on us on Tuesday. That was pretty sad. I haven't seen Sam in three weeks. I don't know what is going on there, but we'll be working on that. Well I hope you guys have an awesome week and I'll let you know how mine was next Wednesday!

Love
Elder Townsend

well they are kind of random this week. but i like them...




Coolest license plate ever! haha

I found this in a less active's garden...

Me and Elder Hatfield. My favorite missionary from the mtc! I love that kid!

May 5, 2010

Hey everyone! How is it going? So, it is transfer week! And no I am not getting a new area. Although I am getting a new companion. Turns out he has already been in my zone and he is just moving over here. He is a really fun guy though. I don't know what he does in missionary work but he is a lot of fun on Pdays. So I am excited for that! I am also really excited for next Sunday. It is Mothers day! It means that I get to call home! It is going to be my second call home. I'll be halfway done with my phone calls home next week. haha. I also hit my six month mark this week. That was kind of exciting. It was kind of weird though because it means that I am a quarter the way done with my mission. weird... anyway. This was a pretty exciting week though. I don't know how much my mom is going to like it though. Mom, you might want to stop reading.

Anyway. It all started last Pday. It started out as a normal day. Except it was snowing like crazy. But we went and played basketball and around five o'clock. I ended up landing on another guys foot and then my foot stayed on his foot and then my ankle decided to go down and touch the floor. That was pretty much the worst pain I have felt in a while. It kind of sucked though. But, don't worry. Sis Mustard went and got me a bag of snow to put on it. haha. But it definitely wasn't fun. I got carried out to the car and then after dinner we went to the church and had bishop look at it because he is a physio therapist or something... turns out I didn't tear anything or break anything so that was good news. It was pretty swollen though. It was awesome. So I have been icing it and stuff for a while. It was good that we had a car this week because I wouldn't have been able to walk very far. Yesterday at dinner the mom had this weird little hand held machine thing that sends electricity into it. So she did that for a while last night and it has actually been feeling pretty good since then. She said to come back in a couple of days to have it done again. So that will be fun.

Then also on Pday. It was my six month mark. It's kind of a big deal. It was kind of fun though. It was weird to think that I am a quarter of the way done with my mission. But for those of you that have been on a mission you know what else that means. Yep, it was time for me to burn a tie. So Saturday we went and had a district dinner and we all had some stuff to burn. It was awesome. I burned a tie, Bleazard burned a tie, Fowler burned a tie and Gelwix burned a tie too. Then our district leader burned a pair of pants a shirt and a tie, because he turned 18 months a little while ago. It was pretty awesome. The members were sweet and bought us some lighter fluid. It was awesome. haha! Anyway, that was a lot of fun. It was a great week!

We spent a lot of time doing service at the gardens with Duncan. That is always fun. We also spent a lot of time giving lessons to members. Other then that we didn't do much else. It is snowing again though. It's kind of exciting...

That is pretty much it from me this week though. Thanks for everything! I love you guys!

Love
Elder Townsend

First two: my ankle




the district of burning stuff

me burning a tie

Elder Riggs burning his pants, suit, and tie
(picture didn't come through)