Hey,

Thats so exciting about Jordan's call!! Tell him that I am excited and glad that he is going to stay in the United States, where it is warm and beautiful. Sounds like life is pretty crazy out there, but it's pretty crazy out here.  It's been a crazy week. We went to Banff last Monday after emails and I will send you some pictures. Then I went on splits twice this week so i worked like two days in Calgary this week.  Then I went back to the mission home to do retraining and I got to see Elder Grbin again. Then we drove by the temple that is under construction and it has been fun, but yeah I am so glad that I have chosen to be out here. It is really great. I have really enjoyed getting to teach and bear my testimony of the Book of Mormon, and to be guided by the spirit.

On saturday we had about an hour in between lessons and so we went and knocked on a less active member's door and he didn't answer so we felt like we should just walk down the street. We walked down a street that we had never seen before and we saw this lady shoveling her driveway. We offered to help her and then it led into a discussuion about the church. She told us that she has been searching for a religion and that she had read about our church and was very intersted. She gave us her phone number and we are going to meet with her later this week. It is really neat to be able to have experinces like that. And yes the Nzijbwamiis, their son Marc just won Provincials in basketball which is the same as state.

You don't need to send my jacket because the Elders in Banff got me one for free because they do alot of service at a thrift store, but I would still love that music.  Tell Brian and Julie that I am so excited for them, and I am bummed that I will miss their wedding.

Today for p-day we are going into Calgary to play basketball and stuff, and we are going to go shopping at Walmart! I think I am going to buy some Benadryl becuase Saturday night I broke out in hives really bad, and I went to bed thinking that it would be better, but it only got worse and I was crazy itchy all day, but I didn't scratch because I knew that would make it worse and then we had dinner with a really nice family and their mom gave me some childrens Benadryl and I drank like half of it last night and it has kept it down, but I'm still really itchy. I think that I might be allergic to garlic beause we ate at our members home on Saturday night and there was garlic in just about everything, but I am doing alright and it is not hindering my work.

Did i tell you that we moved? We moved into this older ladies basement and it is funny because she is always watching tv.  Like last Monday she watching the Bachelor finale and we could hear it from downstairs it was driving me crazy. But she is really nice. And yeah that's pretty much all that is going on out here in Cochrane Alberta Canada, I am almost two months old! I love you all and have been praying for you!

Love, 

Elder Dowd

snow man

Elder Crowther and Elder Dowd at Banff

Banff

Banff

Banff

Elder Dowd with his district at Banff

The beginning of the Calgary temple!

Hello,

I don't mean this in a bad way, but I don't miss you guys that much. This past week has been crazy. On Tuesday I went on splits and I went up to Canmore which is right next to Banff and it was just like Park City. Then on Wednesday we went on splits with the Zone Leaders. Thursday, we moved from our members home, the Comstocks, to a older single sister's home just outside of town. Then on Friday the Banff elders came down and did splits with us because we had to leave early to go see Elder Christofferson on Saturday. I told Elder Christofferson that Rick was my uncle, but he was shaking hands with everyone in the mission so all he said was, "He's a good one." And then he talked to us about a lot of stuff I can't even remember because I was so tired. Then yesterday we had like 5 lessons with members and we ate dinner with the Nzidjbwamiis. They are from Burundi and they are such nice people and the food she cooks is always good. She used to have a cooking show in Burundi, we shared a message with them about love and service, we showed them the Mormon Message called Lessons I learned as a lad, where Gordon B Hinckley tells a story about his grandpa where they were going to pull a prank on someone but then decided to serve them instead, you should watch it. Then I shared John 1 ch 4 versus 5-8 I think but it was crazy because I've never even seen those scriptures before but the spirit was so strong it was really cool!

But yeah, I'm doing well and I am grateful to be out here in Cochrane serving. Elder Crowther and I get along really well.  In our mission when you are new they call you a greenie and you have to have a trainer and your trainer is your dad and on Saturday when the whole mission was together we took a posterity picture and I met my grandpa and my great grandpa, so that is pretty unusual to have 4 generations in a mission so I am in good hands and have been blessed with a good family (again). But yeah, I love you and this gospel is true!!! I will talk with you again next week.

Oh and tell Talmage and his mom that I am so excited! when does he leave??

I love you and happy Birthday, Mom =)

Love,

Elder Dowd

Hey,

Here some pictures. The work is good. We meet with lots of different members and one of them is a relative of Brother Sulz, her name is Sister Mcclellan I think. But I don't know her maiden name and she said that she lived with Shane when she was younger for a little bit, but yeah there are alot of cool people in the ward. Some are more missionary minded then others, but it is ok. Elder Crowther and I get along really well and everything is good.  I spent too much time trying to send pictures so I will write more next week. Tell Chris that I heard that Coach Sloan quit and the Jazz traded Deron Williams and that the Jazz will be better now because they will play Fesenko more, also tell him to write me! Tell uncle carl that i miss him and pray for him, and that i liked his Valentines day card, also tell my friends that i miss them.Its really cold up here, its like Hoth from Star Wars. Cochrane is on average since ive been here -18 celcius plus wind chill so tracting is always really fun.The Church is true, and there is power in the gospel and in the priesthood. But yeah, keep me posted!

I love you

Love,
Elder Dowd

Elder Dowd pointing to Clagary on the map, classic.

Elder Dowd with some of his district

Elder Dowd with his district, sporting krispy kreme hats

Elder Dowd with his whole district

Elder Dowd with his MTC companion, Elder Grbin

Elder Dowd with Elder Burdett at the Provo Temple

Elder Dowd with Elder Hamilton at the MTC

Elder Dowd all bundled up in his room in Calgary