Hello to All

Dear Family and Friends,

Not much is happening that is newsworthy this week. While I am serving my mission, I am in a college area and school is about to start, so there are new people coming and it is that same fall excitement.

It is crazy to me that so much is going on in the world - earthquakes, hurricanes, wars, etc. How are things at home, in our Ward, etc. Hope all is going well. I am praying for you all. I will pray for Elise also. How long has Talmage been gone? I am glad you were able to hear Jake speak. He will be a great missionary.

We were scheduled to teach a lady this week and she was going to have people over for us to teach as well, but when we arrived there was a note on the door saying she was sorry, but she had an emergency come up. Hope all is o.k.

While we were waiting at a church building here in the library, I saw an old Friend magazine from April 1999 and it had an article about when Grandpa was a General Authority. There was that picture of our family in front of Aunt Fredi's old house and I was just a little kid! That was funny.

I got a letter from Nickie with a picture of her and her roommates. Sounds like she will have a good time at BYU and she sounds happy.

Tomorrow we will be going to Calgary, so that will fun. I am sorry that my letters are so boring. Can you tell all of my friends that I say hello? I love getting letters, so any would be appreciated.

One thing I am loving is learning, I have learned to study more and love learning about the gospel and thinking about it too.

Well, sorry I've got to go. I love you all and pray for you daily.

Love, Elder Dowd

Mission Tour and Conference with Elder Baxter

Dear Friends and Family,

Sorry to write so late (3:15 pm as opposed to 11:00 am regularly). We were able to go to Cardston to the temple and just got back. I cannot write too much because we are late to play basketball!

I have been thinking a lot about y'all too. I was at our Mission Tour and Conference yesterday, we focused a lot on consecration. It really impacted me. Today we got to go to the temple and I couldn't stop thinking about consecration.

I am glad you are all having a good time and that everyone is heading back to school I can't believe it is that time of year already!

Elder Roberts is becoming a better missionary every day. It was great to go to the temple in Cardston with him today.


I'm sorry that I don't have much to say. Every day is pretty similar in my life! But, the University of Lethbridge people are starting to come back to school (his area is all young single adults around the University) so a lot of stuff will be happening once everyone arrives.

Well I hope everyone has a wonderful time in school. Tell Carly happy 12th birthday (since Carly is the youngest in our family Blair always says she is 12, but she actually turned 15!). Glad to hear Nickie moved to her dorm to start college.

I sure love you all and I am still praying for you all.

Love, Elder Dowd

Elder Roberts from Lubbock, Texas -- My New Companion

Elder Welling (one of the Assistants) me and Elder Roberts my new companion

Dear Family,

My first week went by really well with Elder Roberts. He is from Lubbock, Texas. He seems really shy, but he is getting better every day. I am pretty sure I was probably the same way when I got here from the MTC.

Sadly Amie was not baptized last week. She told us she wasn't ready yet, and we haven't been able to speak with her since then. Olivia wasn't at church on Sunday and we are hoping to meet with her soon, so we shall see.

The mission is being visited next week by an Elder Baxter of the Quorum of the Seventy. He is Scottish so that's exciting. We will meet with him in next Monday at 10:00 a.m. so I am not sure when I will be writing next week. We are preparing for the visit by reading a talk by Elder Maxwell that he gave back in 1999 at the MTC. We are focusing on Christ, knowing him, and keeping centered in his teachings and life. It has been good to study this and I am looking forward to hearing Elder Baxter speak to us next week.

I am glad that things are going well back home. It's good to hear that Nickie is home from her trip. Good luck next week moving down to BYU - I know you will love college and all. Maddie and Carly good luck with going back to school. Carly, I think you will love High School and Maddie, WOW you are a senior - enjoy that, it is a fun year.

I hope that the rest of ya'll are doing ok still! I love you all and pray for you every night. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ know and love all of us personally and I know that we will all be with them some day.

I love you, Elder Dowd




This picture of my last companion Elder Whiting and me



Reunion with Elders I served with in Cochrane



Reunion with Elder Crowther!

Upcoming Baptisms & Training a New Missionary

Helllo,

This last week was awesome! We set two baptismal dates! The first one was with a girl named Amie and she was a former investigator who just called us one day. We had a spiritual lesson and then she accepted to be baptized on August 13 - this Saturday! Then one of our Ward Mission Leaders, Jon Koegler, brought a friend from work - her name is Olivia. She is from Nigeria and we taught her this Saturday. Jon invited her to be baptized on August 20th and she said yes! Then at Fast and Testimony Meeting our investigator Amie bore her testimony and it was really sweet.

Also, this last Thursday I got a call from the Assistants and I am going to be training a new missionary. We went to a meeting in Calgary on Friday and we are using this new program that the Church developed. It seems pretty intense. We will do an extra hour of companion study every day. I am excited about it all. All the Elders in my district are training as well. Elder Whiting will be staying in this same zone in an Area called Brentwood. He will be training also. My area is South West Lethbridge.

Mom, don't worry, I have been eating! Just a lot healthier, I am doing well and feeling good. I can't believe Jordan has already left the MTC. I hope he got the letter I sent. Wow, that went fast! Tell my sisters I will write them soon and I love them.

So that was basically my week - a lot of exciting stuff. I will know who my companion is tomorrow and then I will let you know next Monday!

I sure love you all and you are all in my prayers!

Love, Elder Dowd

Six Months Have Flown By!

Dear Family and Friends,

Hello!

6 Months have flown by! I guess it's exactly six months ago today that I entered the MTC!

Yesterday was P-day, but as you figured out, it was a Canadian holiday, so we couldn't access the public computers. We have one hour to read and reply to our emails. I had quite a few emails today.

Grandma Dowd wrote about their service in the temple. I am jealous they get to spend so much time there, we only get to go once every 6 months.

Can you send me a definition of "long-suffering"? I have been studying the scriptures and can't find a definition, though I have a good idea. I am excited to hear of all the baptisms and successes my friends are having on their missions. I am happy for them. I am happy to be here and to serve, even if I am not having as many baptisms. I am grateful for the chance to share my testimony of the gospel and know that we will have success if we continue to work.

I got my 6 months package you sent up with Jonny Low last week. Thanks so much! It was wonderful. I ate the chocolate, but shared the other treats with my district. I have lost 30 pounds, so I didn't want to eat all of that. I haven't eaten out with this companion at all and we don't eat very much. He eats fermented eggs and sourdough bread every day. (I happened to be on the computer when he emailed and I asked him what fermented eggs are and he said his companion's brother has researched and said this is really healthy - you just separate the yolk and the whites in a pan and let them sit until they crystallize? I also asked him if he tried it and he said he did taste the whites and it just tastes salty.)

It's crazy to hear all my friends are leaving! Sounds like a lot of things are happening back home. Nickie wrote that she went to New Mexico. My trainer, Elder Crowther, is from a town called LaJara on the border of New Mexico and Colorado.

We have been working hard this week. We have been working hard with the members and hope they catch the vision of missionary work. We have a couple of investigators that we are teaching this week. Next week is transfers so I might be getting a new companion next week.

I'm thinking about buying a Calgary Flames Jersey. What do you think?

I am going to get my haircut this week!

I sure love all of you!

Love, Elder Dowd