That Our Joy May Be Full

Hello!

I can't believe that two years have come and gone.  I owe many people thanks and most importantly I owe so much to Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ.  I know that they live and love us. 

I have so much to say, but I think that I will let the scriptures speak for me.

2 John 1:12

Love, Elder Dowd

2 John 1:12

Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.

One More Full Week as a Full-Time Missionary

Hello!

First of all - that is so exciting that Nickie got her mission call to the California Riverside Mission!  She will be awesome.  Thanks for the map of the area.  It looks about the same size as my mission.  I am glad we get a few months together at home before she leaves in June.  CONGRATULATIONS Nickie!

I will be writing on Tuesday next week.  Not sure I will have too much to write, but...I write so much anyway :) I am looking forward to Saturday.  Elder Grbin and I will be going to the temple with President Nicholas.  To answer your question, Elder Grbin and I are the only ones coming home next week.  The week after there are actually a few Elders and two sisters who will be going home a little early.  Elder Grbin's flight leaves in the afternoon and he flies to New Zealand and then onto Australia, so I will be flying home alone, well at least as the only missionary from my mission coming to SLC that day.  Tuesday is P-day, then Wednesday is transfers and Elder Grbin and I will attend a fireside that they have for outgoing missionaries.  They invited members, people we taught, and investigators that we taught.  So, that should be sweet.  Also, I should have enough money in my debit card account to finish up everything.  Just check it each day to make sure.  Thanks for taking care of that. Sorry to hear that Rochelle has the flu.  Hope it passes soon.  

 

This was a pretty interesting week, but not too much to report. On Monday for P-day we played dodgeball, which I really love playing. Then on Monday night I went on exchanges to Cochrane again. The Cochrane Elders cover Banff as well, so we went out there and did some work. It was pretty cool. 

And then on Wednesday we had a Stake Meeting.  Thursday was weekly planning, Friday we went to the mission office, and Saturday we didn't have much happen. But on Sunday they changed the ward boundaries in the stake and now the family ward that we cover is a lot bigger. We had really good lasagna for dinner.

 

So that was my week in a nut shell sorry there weren't a lot of  details, but I love you!

Love, Elder Dowd

Weekly Letter

Dear Family and Friends,

Hey! This last week was o.k. It sounds like nothing too crazy happened back home. A quick recap on our week.  Monday - we had p-day which was fun.  We played dodgeball which I loved. Tuesday - we had District Meetings and that was the highlight. On Wednesday we taught Dillon again.  He is ready to be baptized, but like I mentioned last week his only setback is that his work schedule prevents him from making it to church, so after that is resolved he will be baptized.

Wednesday night we cooked steak at the Pitchers house for dinner it was good. On Thursday we were running errands - a companionship in the zone wrecked their car and called us and told us that they were in east Calgary and needed a ride so we had to go get them. On Friday we went to the office which is fun and then we delivered mail to everyone. On Saturday we taught a new investigator.  She is from Nigeria. She met with missionaries in Texas. Then yesterday we had church. We learned that this Stake is going to be doing ward boundary changes so that's what's going to happen next week. And that was our week!

Mom, to answer your questions - I got a picture of me in front of the Calgary temple, but it isn't very clear, so we are going to go and do a photo shoot.  I will wear my suit and a nice tie.  You asked how I am feeling about coming home - well I feel really wired almost the same way I felt right before I left for my mission -- excited but sad.  I will be shopping in the next week or two so I can bring home something for you all.  Thanks for putting some money in my home account and thank Grandpa and Grandma Dowd and Carl for the money for Christmas and my birthday, so I am good with money.  Some of my clothes are really worn out, so I am going to leave them up here.  I saved my blue suit for church mostly so it is still in good shape, so I can wear that to speak when I get home. 

I sure love you all!
Elder Dowd

It's Warmer in Calgary than in Utah!

Good Morning,

It's pretty warm here in Calgary. (It's 12 degrees.) Sounds like it's been a pretty cold week in Utah. We had a pretty crazy blizzard on Wednesday. It didn't stop snowing for the night and all Thursday. The week was OK.

We had a combined p-day with another zone.  That was fun. Then on Tuesday we had to do a Zone Training meeting. On Wednesday we taught our investigator Dylan again. He is really solid and accepts everything.  He really desires baptism, but he is having a hard time making it to church because of his job. So once we can get him to church he can be baptized.

On Thursday we had interviews with President. On Friday we went to the office and got mail. I sent those jalapeno chips you gave me to Elder Orozco. On Saturday we taught Dylan again and then we went to Little Caesar's for lunch and then I felt sick and had a really bad stomach ache.

Yesterday we had church in our Family Ward at nine and then our YSA Ward at 11. Then we had meetings the rest of the day so it was pretty busy. In our YSA Ward they called 5 new ward missionaries yesterday. We had a correlation meeting that afternoon and they ALL showed up which never happens! And we had a good meeting. It was just exciting to talk about.

That was my week.

That's exciting Nickie turned in her mission papers.  I am guessing she comes to the Canada Calgary Mission!!  Maybe she won't get her call until I get home, but I hope she opens it if she gets it before I come home.  That's sweet she was willing to wait.

I sure love you!

Love, Elder Dowd

Excited to Finish Strong

Hello Family!
Sounds like everyone has had a pretty fun holiday season. The holiday season for us up here was pretty fun but pretty slow insofar as the work goes.  We are teaching an investigator who wants to be baptized.  He just needs to come to church and meet people. But it was really cool this last week, I taught him for the first time.  We brought a member from the Ward with us, and we just picked someone not really thinking too much of it. Well, it turns out that the member that we brought already knew the investigator and had worked with him at Best Buy before his mission so it was a really cool miracle!

Other than that this past week went by pretty slowly.  On Friday we had Zone Leader Council so it was nice to see and talk to mission friends. Unfortunately, not too much else happened during the week that I can really report.  A lot of people have been sick and one of our investigators has moved to Edmonton. But things are looking up and I am excited to finish strong!

Love, Elder Dowd

Monday, January 31, 2012 - Happy Almost New Year

Hey!

Happy almost New Year! My Christmas was very great. After our phone call we had dinner with the Pitchers.  Later some of the Elders in the Zone came over, so it was really fun.

Then on Boxing Day we combined with the North Zone and got to have p-day with them. We went shopping at the Cross Iron Mills mall.  It was sweet.  I got some really good ties.

Cross Iron Mills Mall

Then on Thursday we had weekly planning. On Friday we went to the office, and got my Christmas package. So thank you very much!

On Saturday we went on exchanges.  I went to Okotoks and one of the Elders from Okotoks came to our area.  They were passing an investigator to us.  He said he wants to be baptized which is sweet!

Okotoks with Calgary in background

Then on Sunday there was hardly anyone at church, but it was good. And that's been what's happened the last week!

Love Elder Dowd

Hello!

This last week has been pretty good, pretty busy. We had Zone Training meeting on Tuesday.  Then I was on exchanges with Elder Grodkowski, and that was fun.  Then on Wednesday we went back to Cochrane with a missionary that is being trained there, Elder Van Orden. It was really fun and I got to go to dinner at the Nzojibwamis! On Friday we went to the office and I saw Elder Staley and it was fun. I got to call Elder Orozco and talk to him for a while.

On Saturday our investigator Marc that we had taught and had to pass off was baptized.  Elder Renshaw baptized him. After the baptism we went out to eat with him and his fellowshippers and got sushi, it was really good except for the shashimi which was a big chunk of raw salmon. That was fun.

Me, Elder Church, Marc, Elder Young, Elder Renshaw

Then on Sunday we went to church and had a really fun dinner after.  Yesterday was a normal day because it is transfers this week. We had District Meetings and then we went and taught an investigator and his friend.  Then we had dinner and for FHE we went Christmas caroling on the ctrain, it was fun.

C-Train

Tommorrow is transfers and I am pretty sure Elder Renshaw is staying as my companion. Our p-day next week isn't until boxing day so that will be the next time we correspond. 

My friend Elder Trone left the mission this morning.  I think he will be staying with you tonight and for a couple days.  He will call you when he is there.  That's crazy Nickie is about done with her mission papers! 

I love you all! And see you in a week on SKYPE!

Love, Elder Dowd

P.S. Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes!!