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!!

 

Great Day Today!

Good Morning!

Hows it going? It's pretty warm this morning in Calgary for the winter so I am doing great this morning! This last week was kind of slow missionary wise but we did see some miracles. I honestly can't remember much of what happened this last week. We taught our investigator Mark on Tuesday and he told us that he wants to be baptized! But... he doesn't live in our ward! So they next day we passed him off to his Ward's Elders, but he is getting baptized this Saturday which is sweet.

Our other investigator is leaving to go up north and work on oil rigs, so he will only be back periodically. We had our family ward's Christmas party this weekend.  It was fun and there was good food -- they cooked 165 lbs of turkey! We went to a Christmas concert last night and it was really good.

We got some referrals this week that we are going to teach so that is looking good as well. On Friday we had Zone Leader Council and it was really good.  I got to see Elder Staley (one of the missions newest zone leaders) and a lot of other mission friends like Elder Grbin.

Tell Sister Sorrells if she would like me to help at that fireside in February, I am happy to do so.  We will probably SKYPE from the Pitchers home, they have computers we can use.  Mom, if you haven't sent the package yet, will you see if you can find some kind of missionary themed Christmas ornament for us to give the Pitchers.  They have had missionaries live with them for five years.  Also, since you offered, yea, sending something for me to give to my companion would be nice.  Thanks.  What are your plans for Christmas?

Also Mom, you asked about the email account.  I think it stays open for a little while after you get home from the mission, but our mission gives us a copy of all our correspondence with the Mission President before we leave, so I don't need to worry about that.  We can get on it when I get home and print out whatever other ones I want to keep.  The Church has a different system now for emailing the Mission Presidents.  We use that to correspond (if you want to call it that - I just report about the same thing each week!). 

That was my week! Hope you all stay warm and have a Merry Christmas Season!

Love, Elder Dowd

Mission Tour Week

Hey!

My last week was pretty good.  On Monday we had p-day. Then we had District Meetings on Tuesday. Later that evening we taught our investigator Rob. Wednesday we didn't do anything special. On Thursday we had our mission tour with Elder Evans. It was a really good meeting. We talked about the age change for missionaries and then we talked about a lot of other stuff. We had lunch and I was able to eat and visit with Elder Staley and Elder Orozco which was really nice. I have now and have had a lot of really good companions. I am really lucky.

On Friday we went to get mail at the office. Then we did a baptismal interview and then we ate out for dinner. On Saturday we reported numbers for the end of the month and then we went to that baptism for the people we interviewed.  They are a couple and their son joined the church 10 years ago. He baptized them. Rob our investigator was there.Then we had dinner with the Pitchers and it was a lot of fun. Then on Sunday we had church and none of our investigators could make it because they were all sick. Then we had a dinner with a bunch of YSA - they fed us Borsht? After dinner we watched the Christmas Devotional. Well, that was my week.

Uhhh, I got a speeding ticket.  I was going 120 km in an area that just barely changed to 110 and I wasn't slow enough.  I will need you to transfer some money into my account I think, or you can email the office and see if they prefer a different way.

Also, you asked if I have any requests for my Christmas box - can you send EZ cheese and RITZ crackers.  They have Ritz, but they don't taste the same.  I can't really think of anything else.

Love Elder Dowd

A Great Week

Hello!

This last week was really good. On Monday we had p-day and it was pretty fun. On Tuesday we had Zone Conference and it was pretty good. I had to give a talk that I had no preparation for! Elder Orozco was there.  So, it was really good to see him again. On Tuesday night we had dinner. Afterwards we went and taught a new investigator named Andre.  He is pretty cool and pretty interested in the gospel.  He agreed to read the Book of Mormon.

Nothing really special happened on Wednesday or Thursday.  On Friday we went to the office and picked up mail and then we taught another new investigator named Rob. He is really prepared. It was a cool lesson.

Saturday was pretty uneventful. On Sunday we had church and taught our investigator Mark. He is really prepared as well.  We were teaching him the plan of salvation and we were explaining the spirit world and he asked us, "Well is there a way that we can be baptized for those people in the spirit world since they don't have a body?"  It was really cool!

And yeah, that has pretty much been our week in a nutshell.

This upcoming week we have our mission tour.  Elder Evans of the First Quorum of the Seventy will be coming and touring our mission. 

Mom, I will look for that Sunlight soap you want from here.  Are you sure they still make it?  I will ask Sister Pitcher if she knows where to buy it.

I don't need anything for Christmas and I don't want to just get something to have to pack it up and bring home, so don't worry about sending anything.

I think Jason White is coming home this week.  Check with his mom to see when his homecoming talk is.  Let me know what he says.

I love you!

Love, Elder Dowd

Hello family!
It's been a crazy week! On Monday I finished saying goodbye to people.  I said goodbye to the YSA Ward at FHE and got a group picture with all of them. Then on Tuesday we had p-day.  That was fun.

On Wednesday we went to transfers (we meet at a Stake Center and have a meeting and are told where we are going and with whom).  I found out that I will be serving in West Calgary Zone.  This is the same zone I started my mission in. It's really wierd! I'm in the Brentwood YSA Ward.  It's the biggest YSA ward in our mission. I met one of Nickie's friends from BYU who is here on a Mandarin speaking mission.  We live with an elderly couple called the Pitchers, and they are super nice! They treat us really well and they have an unlimited supply of mango juice which we are more then welcome to! We also have a shower that is like 4 feet long and 4 feet wide it's huge! The best part is that we have a sauna! It's a really cool apartment.

The rest of the week went by pretty fast. We had two non-members come to church in our YSA Ward and we taught one of them after church. The other one we will be teaching later this week so things are really good. My companion's name is Elder Renshaw from Modesto, California. He's a really good missionary. He is a BIG Giants fan, so that it sad! (Richie's a big Dodgers fan.) He has been out for a year.  We will have a lot of fun, I am really excited to be here.

We have a zone conference on Tuesday and it's combined with the zone that Elder Orozco is in so I am excited to see him. Elder Staley became a zone leader this transfer and he came to Calgary. So every Friday we get mail at the office and I will get to see him which is really good too.

The Church is so true!!!

Love, Elder Dowd

Oh, sorry I forgot to tell you, I will be coming home on February 7.

Transferring Tomorrow to Another Area in Calgary

Hey all! It sounds like you had a busy week!  This last week was o.k. Let's see - on Monday we had p-day.  We went to the mall and I got a tie.  We played dodgeball and basketball and stuff. Then for FHE we had a lesson on finances from the YSA Bishopric it was pretty good.

Then on Tuesday we had a Zone Meeting. The assistants came. It was good and then we had a meeting with the Stake Presidency.

On Wednesday we didn't have any appointments until 7:00 which made for a long day. Then on Thursday we had weekly planning and a few lessons, but sadly all of our evening appointments canceled. Then on Friday we had lunch with all the Calgary Elders then we went to the office to get mail. Then we had dinner at the Toutais family's home which was a lot of fun. Then we taught some investigators.

Then on Saturday we had no appointments. We went to Applebees with the Chinese elders. Then we stopped by and read with a less active. On Sunday it was Rememberance Day. In our family ward all the talks were on wars. It was pretty good. In our YSA ward (which is always really good) we had ward conference. The Stake Presidency spoke which was really excellent. I really love the Stake Presidency -- they are great men. After church we had another "Linger Longer" which was a lot of fun.  I really love this YSA Ward.  I am going to miss it. Then we visited with some members.

Yesterday we had a District meeting we typed up some Zone Records. We went to a lesson that canceled and then went to dinner in Balzac with a family who have these really cool twins that just got home from their mission. The Payne brothers. It was a lot of fun. One of them went to Guatemala on his mission and got a lot of basketball jerseys for really cheap. He gave me a Magic Johnson jersey and a Kobe Bryant jersey! That was so nice of him. Then for FHE last night they played Where's Waldo but we didn't go because the mall they went to was out of our area. So we visited with some of the members that stayed behind at the church. Then everyone came back and I said some goodbyes.  I got a group picture with the FHE group.

That was my week! Oh and yes I am getting trasnferred, but I am staying in Calgary.  I don't know which area in Calgary or who will be my companion, but I will let you know.  We no longer get the list of where everyone is going, we get told what place to report to for transfer and they have a meeting and tell you.  But, this list says who is staying in Calgary, and who will be going to other areas.  So, I will let you know as soon as I can where I will be.

I never knew that Elder Ellgen has a card reader that works to load pictures until today!!! So, here are a few pictures!

I love you!  Elder Dowd

One of the Payne twins - he gave me BOTH of these jerseys!

The Confederate Park YSA FHE Group 

with Elder Ellgen and me 

Ian's Baptism

Another Week in Calgary!

Hello!

This last week was pretty good.  On Monday we had p-day.  Then we went on exchanges with one of the Assistants and we went to FHE with the YSA Ward.  It was a lot of fun again - we had a Halloween party. Then on Tuesday we went to Airdrie for District Meetings.  After the meeting we went on exchanges again to teach a new investigator we found for some other Elders. Then we took the Assistant back. Then I went on exchanges again so Elder Ellgen could teach a new investigator for us.

We went on exchanges with the Chinese elders on Wednesday. On Friday we had Zone Leader Council and I scared an Elder with a giant shark balloon and it was really funny. Then on Saturday we had a few lessons with some less actives and recent converts.

Then yesterday was pretty good. We had church.  In our YSA Ward a lot of people bore their testimonies (including me) and the meeting went 40 minutes over. Then we had a Linger Longer social afterwords it was fun.  I really love our YSA Ward. Then we were almost out of gas so we had the other Elders give us a ride.

It was a good week. Oh and my Temple Recommend expired, so I had an interview with President Nicholas on Friday and I got a new one.

Also, this year President Nicholas is letting us SKYPE for our Christmas call, so that will be fun.  Do you have SKYPE available?  Also, I will work on all the essays, etc. for the college applications.  I am not trunky, and am doing well with the work, it just feels very weird to think my mission is coming to an end. 

I am attaching some pictures of the temple at the dedication that a member took.  I still can't upload pictures at this library.

I love you! Bye!

Temple Dedication Week

Hello Family!

This last week was pretty good!

On Monday we had Pday, and that was fun.  Then we played Minute to Win It (he didn't say, but I think with the YSA Ward) and that was a lot of fun. Then on Tuesday we had District Meetings.  Then we he had some lessons.  On Wednesday we went on exchanges with the Spanish elders. It was fun and we went to dinner with some recent converts and were fed some Mexican food. I didn't speak very much -- I just listened and tried to understand as much as I could. We had these meatballs with a little bit off egg in the middle.  We also had beans and rice.  It was really good. 

Then on Thursday it was really boring we had no appointments the whole day, but we went to the office to get mail. Then on Friday we had no appointments, but we went to the temple, because Elder Ellgen needed to get physio therapy for his knee. His doctor was working at the temple and so he asked us to meet him there.

Then on Saturday morning the whole mission got together to meet with Elder Ballard, Elder Christensen and Elder Walker (who is from Alberta). There are missionary dvds called "The District" and Michael Moreno is in them.  His companion's name was Elder Christensen and at the end of our meeting on Saturday I asked Elder Christensen if his son was Michael's companion, it was pretty funny. He laughed and said he is not his son!  Then I was able to ask Elder Ballard a serious question right after about missionary work.

Then that evening we watched the cultural celebration through a closed circuit broadcast at the church. 

 Performers in front of VIPS

They gave Elders Ballard, Christensen, Walker and their wives

white cowboy hats at the end. 

(Pictures from stopmonkeyingaround.blogspot.com - she said it is a Calgary

Civic tradition first instituted by an LDS mayor, Donald Hugh MacKay in the 1950's)

Well, yesterday was the temple dedication.  We were able to watch it from the Stake Center.  We were very blessed to be able to watch all three sessions.  The dedication was really great.  The ceremonies were all very spiritual and I was deeply touched.

 Calgary Temple Dedication

Sunday, October 28, 2012

(picture - Deseret News)

Elder Walker, some children who got called up to help,

President Monson, Elder Ballard, Elder and Sister Christensen

(picture - Deseret News)

YSA Choir who sang at the dedication - several of these

Young Adults are in the Ward where I am serving.

(Picture - Deseret News)

Well, that was our week!

Love you, Elder Dowd



Another Great Week in Calgary!

Started Snowing in Calgary this Week!

Hello!

Things are pretty good in Calgary.  It started snowing this last week. Let me see -- this week went by really fast. On Monday it was p-day and then we went to FHE with our YSA Ward.  They did a combined FHE with another YSA ward.  They did YSA Idol and they called Elder Ellgen and me up to do a duet.  We sang a "Whole New World" from Aladdin and we got a standing ovation at then end! It was a lot of fun. 

Then we had interviews on Tuesday and that was good. Then on Tuesday night we taught a new investigator, but it was really wild because she just kept asking us questions.

Then on Wednesday we took a group of eight bible college students to the temple open house and then they asked us a lot of questions after. They were all Pentecostal and they prayed for us at the end of the meeting. Then we went to dinner at the Toutais family home. They are some of my favorite members in our YSA ward.  Their son Henry just got home from his mission in Toronto. Their dad is from Tonga and their mom is from Iceland. They are really fun.

Then on Thursday some missionaries that just left came back up and visited. We talked with them for awhile, and Elder Ellgen did a baptismal interview for an investigator.

Then on Friday we went to the office and got mail and on Saturday we went on exchanges.  I went with a brand new elder.  He is from San Lois Obispo and he joined the church last year, he is really sharp. We stopped by this one member of our YSA ward and we talked to his mom who served in the Ventura mission so that was pretty cool.

Sunday was good they made announcements about the temple dedication for Sunday.  It is being broadcast at three different times.  We may be asked to usher at the cultural celebration - but if not, we will not be attending that.  President Monson and Elder Ballard are supposed to be coming for the dedication which is next Sunday.  After the YSA ward they had a linger longer. Then we went to dinner with a Hispanic family from our family ward at the church with the rest of their family it was really fun. And that was my week in a nut shell!

Sorry I was on late today.  We went to breakfast in Airdrie at the home of some YSA members.  They made waffles for us.

Love YA, Bye,
Elder Dowd

PS Happy 23rd this week Rochelle! I hope your birthday is golden, I know mine next year will be!

Good morning!

 

This last week was all right.  It was Thanksgiving here last Monday and we had a meeting at the mission home.  They fed us turkey pot pie for lunch and had us all go around in a circle and say something we are grateful for. There was only one missionary in the room that has been out longer then I have been and so I said that I am grateful that I have been out on my mission longer than all of you!  It was pretty funny.

 

Then we had p-day on Tuesday.  The rest of the week was kind of a blur and really boring.  It was a slow week.  We went to the temple open house with some investigators on Thursday and they felt the spirit there. On Saturday I went on exchanges and the Plewrights took us to the temple open house with some non-member friends. I have been to the open house four times with investigators.

 

Sunday was good. I love going to the YSA ward they are a lot of fun and really great. A girl in the ward brought her friend to church and we are going to teach her on Tuesday. So that is exciting. Other than that nothing really too cool to report. And yes, I did get your package and that was marvelous! And it really saved my bacon! Thank you!

 

Here's a picture the Assistants sent out of last transfer.

The church is true!!!!

 

Love Elder Dowd

Yesterday Was Canadian Thanksgiving!

Hey! I am still here in the great white north zone! I am still with Elder Ellgen.  Things are going pretty good. President Nicholas has made a few changes in the mission and dissolved the segregated Spanish and Mandarin Zones in our mission so we now have a pair of Chinese and Spanish elders in our zone. Also, they opened up a new area in Airdrie so we now are the biggest zone in Calgary.

Yes, I watched conference and it was really good. That's great news about the minimum age requirement and that Nickie is getting ready to go sooner than she thought she could.  A lot of people up here in the YSA Ward are pretty excited about it as well.  I really enjoyed conference and it was my last conference on my mission. There are only three missionaries in the whole mission who have been out longer then I. So I have been feeling really weird lately. My whole mission I have felt like I have had loads of time and it has been comfortable. But now all of a sudden I feel like I have no time left and it makes me want to finish strong.  I have seen Elders get super trunky at the end of their missions and I think I would be so sad if I did that, so I am really going to try hard to be strong.  So yeah, that's what has been going on. Work wise we have some investigators right now, but they aren't really progressing and they are crazy some of them but we are getting referrals and stuff from the temple so we will see what happens.

Yes, we will get to go to the Calgary Temple dedication, but we will probably just watch the broadcast of it.  You don't need to send me a white handkerchief because they are getting them for all the missionaries. That's great that you can send my debit card with Cathlyn.  Also, since you asked, can you send some of those big bags of cereal?  I like Cocoa Krispies and the Fruity Krispies.  Cereal is so expensive up here, so that would be great.  Also, can you send some pull apart Twizzler licorice?

I don't know those two kids from the Church News that are from Calgary. I know who Elder Nate is, but haven't served with him.  He went to Lethbridge to open up the Spanish area for that Zone.  He is a good Elder.  I know you want to buy me temple clothes for when I get home, but I really like wearing Dad's old ones.

You asked if I know when I am coming home, looks like February 7, but at the next transfer they will tell me the travel plans and I will let you know for sure.  

Love you!

ELder Dowd

Calgary Temple Open House

Hey Everyone!

Yeah we went and helped clean the temple.  It was great and really fun.  We met Elder Walker as we were cleaning. I have been all throughout the temple.  It is beautiful.  We were able to take our recent convert through the temple open house yesterday.  (Pictures below are from the Calgary Herald Newspaper as Elder Dowd still cannot send pictures from the library where he sends his emails - some of these pictures are taken by the Calgary Herald, others are courtesy of the LDS Church.)

Elder Walker at the beginning of the Calgary Temple Open House

Back of the Calgary Temple

Front of the Calgary Temple

Angel Moroni on the Calgary Temple

Recommend Desk in the Calgary Temple

Bride's Room

Art work above chandellier

Ordinance Room

Tile Art

Sealing Room

Window and Inscription at the Calgary Temple



This last week was really good. We had another baptism on Friday and it went really well. The rest of the week is all a blur really.  A lot of crazy things happen all the time that seem to keep us pretty busy.

On Sunday our newly baptized member didn't show up to sacrament meeting, so we texted him asking him where he was. Halfway through the meeting he texted back and said he just woke up!  He made it and got confirmed in the third hour combined class. It was good. 

Yesterday we had a conference call with all the Zone Leaders and President Nicholas. He told us that the Spanish and Mandarin speaking elders are going to be combined into the English zones. So that is kind of a big deal and it will make all the English zones larger.

We had a fun family home evening with our YSA Ward yesterday and I said goodbye to a lot of people just in case I am getting transferred but we have not gotten any news yet, so we will see. Yes it's ok you can send me that lady's cell number if she will be up here that should be fine.

Well, I may be transferred, no news yet even though transfers are tomorrow, so you may not know until next week!

Love, Elder Dowd!

Calgary Shots of the Northern Lights on Sunday, September 30

(Not sure if Elder Dowd was able to see them, pictures are from Calgary Herald)

A Really Great Week!

Hello Everyone!

It was a really good week. Last Monday our YSA Ward went and helped clean and landscape the temple grounds.  We went and helped out it was really great.  Then on Tuesday we had district meetings.  On Wednesday we met with our investigator and arranged the program for her baptism. On Thursday we met with another investigator who is planning on getting baptized this upcoming Saturday, we gave him a blessing to help him quit smoking. On Friday we had a special zone leader council, because the MTC sent some people to come and evaluate our mission. 

We were looking at a chart of how effective our mission is compared to other missions.  It only takes our mission 5 new investigators to have a baptism overall where other missions in the area take an average of 15 new investigators. The MTC wants us to change the way that we keep track of new investigators so they can track how many people are expressing interest in the church or something like that.  Well, none of us liked that idea so we were all kind of fighting it, but they changed it anyway, which we will support.  Then he was complementing us on the fact that we are more effective and then I asked " Well could it be that we are more effective because we don't get as many new investigators? And that we care about them more?" Everybody laughed and he seemed a little frustrated.  Then after that we went to the office and got mail. I got my package thank you so much and thank you Sister Wagstaff.

Later our investigator had her Baptismal Interview.  On Saturday we went to another companionship's baptism.  It was really great -- he has a really strong testimony. And then we went to fill the font and had the baptism for our investigator.  It was really spiritual.  She was baptized by her friend that introduced her to the gospel.  There is a family in our stake whose dad is Tongan and their mom is from Iceland, and their son is in our YSA ward so we sang that Tongan song that we sang to you on Mother's Day at the baptism.

At church on Sunday we had her confirmation.  It was a really great week.  Today for p-day our whole zone is going to go help out at the temple site becuase there is still a lot of work to do and tours start tomorrow!

Well I love you!

Elder Dowd

Another Great Week

Hey Family!

I'm glad that Jason called and came over.  Thanks for having him. I loved serving around him -- he was a good missionary.

Jason Kuetell recently returned from Calgary with Elder Dowd's Sisters in Orem

I don't know why we cannot send pictures from the Calgary Library System, but, we live with a member and I will see if she is able to upload them to that photo account you made Mom.  Thanks for doing that.  So, hopefully you will get pictures soon!

Today Elder Ellgen and I are getting haircuts, then we are having a Zone activity.  After the Zone Activity, the YSA Ward in our area is cleaning up the new Calgary Temple grounds, so we get to go help do that.  I am excited about being able to do that.

This last week has been a lot of fun and really good as well. We had a really fun p-day with the Calgary East Zone last week. Elder Pikula was there and it was fun to see him.  He goes home in November. Then for FHE that night we played "Whose Line is It Anyway" which was fun and everyone participated.  I got called up with a member of the ward and we had to pretend to be Tarzan and Jane, it was funny. And then on Tuesday we had a meeting with the whole zone and it was funny because these two Elders put a wrong address in their GPS so I had to go rescue them because they were lost.

On Wednesday nothing too spectacular happened, that I can remember. On Thursday I went on exchanges with an Elder in our zone.  His name is Elder Krogue, we went on exchanges because Elder Wangsgard, the senior missionary over housing needed help moving some furniture and Elder Ellgen needed to get a brace for his knee at the same time. So it was a lot of fun.  As we were storing some of the furniture there was some furniture that was getting thrown out so Elder Krogue and I broke them down and it was a lot of fun.

On Friday we went to the office and got mail and that was about it. And on Saturday we went on exchanges again because the Wangsgards took us out  to eat for helping them which was fun. And then on Sunday our two investigators with a date came to church, which was really good. And we had dinner with a really fun family. Yeah, good stuff. Our investigator getting baptized this Saturday is really nervous about her jumpsuit and the refreshments and the program and all this stuff - it's really funny. So things are going really good and yeah we have a baptism this Saturday.

The Church is true! It grows despite its missionaries and members! Love you!

Elder Dowd