November 27th, 2017- IN THE KING-PEN

Hello everybody!!!!

This is Elder Callor greeting all of you with 4 exclamation marks! Yes 4.

So to tell you a little about what's been going in my life...

I left at 10:00 am in Tuesday to drive to Kingston from Sudbury. We met the Elders in Bracebridge, and I got home in Kingston at 8:30 Pm. IT was a long day haha. The drive doesn't necessarily take that long, but between going the speed limit the whole way, stops for food and waiting for the other Elders it took a long time.

From there my first day in Kingston was spent cleaning a dirty basement that had recently been flooded with sewage, so that was disgusting haha. My poor companion had a box soaked in sewage accidentally thrown on his head so he had to take a shower after that. Needless to say I did to from the persistent stench we had on us. :P

Beyond that strange service we did, I forgot to mention last week that Kingston is the only District in our mission. So basically that means it's made up entirely of branches and not wards. It's funny though because as far as I can tell there are definitely more active members in the Kingston District than the Sudbury Stake haha. Of course they are all different and have different needs but it's just cool to see the differences. 

I thought I'd be serving in a YSA branch, but there isn't one in Kingston. My area used to be a YSA area because the zone leaders only worked with YSA members/investigators because there is a college here, but we're all in a family branch so we just split up our work with the sisters.

Something else you might find funny. My MTC companion switched places with me to go to Sudbury, well I guess for some odd reason he had their forks put in a bag here. . . and they lost it. So we haven't had forks for a little while, but we're getting some so no worries there :)

Last of all there is a pretty famous penitentiary here, so we call it the King-pen of course :)

I went from a lot of snow and every day in the negatives to no snow and 10 degrees Celsius which was a weird transition haha. It was kind of sad because it felt like Christmas for a second but not anymore :/ I don't really mind, and it'll get better, but it felt like going back in time to late fall or something haha. It's interesting how much things change in an environment over a few hours of driving.

Anyway, that's all I have for now, but I am grateful to be here with my good friend Elder Martin whom I know from last year (and who also is from Farmington [ish] and is half Chinese) for Christmas, and I can't wait to see you on my call coming up this transfer!

Love,

Elder Callor

November 20th, 2017- WE THREE KINGSTON? OF ORIENT ARE

Dear Everyone, (yes, that's you!)

So here in Canada everyone has already been celebrating Christmas, A LOT. If you all remember, we already had Thanksgiving so that leaves most of November and all of December open for Christmas celebrating. I like it at times, and at others I don't. It's nice to start this early, especially because there is so much snow on the ground already, but sometimes it feels like you've been celebrating a long time by the time Christmas actually rolls around. In any case, I'm just happy to be here!

...

Except I'm leaving haha.

I got transferred to Kingston!!!! We totally thought Elder Morris would be leaving. He's been here for 3 transfers, and I've only been here with him for 2 of the three. When we found out I was being sent away, we were all floored. Sudbury has been one of my favorite areas, and I will definitely miss its snow covered poorly maintained roads.

Kingston is known for its penitentiary, in case you wanted to know a little about it. It is the most Eastern zone in our mission, so know I can say I've served in the far reaches of the whole mission! I've been the farthest West, (almost basically) the farthest south, the farthest north, and now the east! I'm excited to go! I love obeying the Lord's will. That sounds like such a gospel-nerdy thing to say, but so be it, because it is just so darn satisfying to do what God wants when you know he knows better than all of us! Tomorrow I'll drive from Sudbury and it'll be around 7 hours so wish me luck there too!

Beyond that as far as our week went....

Two notable things:

Number one. We forgot our bags in Elliot Lake which is two hours away. Who does that? I don't know what we were thinking. We had to wait a few days without everything we needed which was tough haha. I didn't have my camera so unfortunately l don't have many pictures of the next important event... sorry!

But the next big thing is the Sudbury Santa Parade! We helped prepare that all day on Saturday. We made a little manger float and had two TV's mounted on the side to play the Light the World video and it was really great. We wrapped ourselves in Christmas lights and walked the whole parade handing out candy and cards to all the people we met along the way! There were THOUSANDS of people! I thought the Kaysville parade was big, and it is, but this was just as big but way more spread out! And it was snowing the whole time and we got really really wet haha. I loved it so much. It was so touching to walk up to little kids, wish them a merry Christmas, and then give them some candy with a card on it and light up their whole world. Simple pleasures are the purest pleasures life has.

Anyway, that's all I can relate from this week. I want you all to know I am so grateful for all of you and being able to know you in this life.

Love,

Elder Callor

November 13th, 2017- OK IT'S COLD NOW

Hello everybody!

So it snowed this week! The temperature dropped really fast and it feels like Christmas already! Along with the lovely weather.... Elder Morris and I both got sick hahah. I just have a nasty cough that is pretty persistent, but don't worry! We've been having lots of healthy things and taking good medicine and being warm and all that good stuff you'd all try and tell me to do haha.

Moving on, I've been studying the Old Testament and let me just say, I've never had a better study experience other than when I studied the Book of Mormon (thoroughly) for the first time! I've reached the book of Judges now. The story of Moses is so much larger than most people think, and the Old Testament is so much more about God's love for us than most people think too! If you ever want to understand more about the Priesthood and how God teaches us through physical means we can understand about spiritual things, then read the Old Testament! I would love to talk to anyone who is reading through it :)

Also, I discovered a super sneaky hidden closet inside my closet in our new house! and guess what?! There's an even MORE super sneaky hidden super sneaky hidden closet inside the closet that is super sneaky and hidden. Well I pray in there sometimes because it's isolated and it's really meaningful to talk to my Father in Heaven. I hope all of you pray to Him, and not just out of habit, but because you feel close to Him and want to actually TALK with Him.

Lastly, Elder Morris and I were travelling to an appointment and I was turning left on a green arrow when a car came speeding at us through the intersection even though they had a red light. Elder Morris could only exclaim, "Oh geez, oh geez!" enough for me to notice we were about to get hit by a car going well over the speed limit on the parkway, so I accelerated enough to BARELY miss getting hit by them. Poor Elder Morris would have been dead for sure, and I would've been the same or not much better. I am so grateful we were watched over and we're alive now. Appreciate  your body and how it works, and how you have it. If you're not sick, be grateful you're not sick. If you don't have a mosquito bite, then you ought to be pretty happy about that! Almost everyone I'm emailing today probably doesn't have a papercut or even a hangnail. The point I'm getting at is we have so much to be grateful for, and we rarely acknowledge such little things. We only complain about them when they come. I'm trying to be better about that, and I hope you all enjoy what you've been given more than what don't have... it's such a happier way to live :)

Love,

Elder Callor

November 6th, 2017- THE VAL'DOR CHRONICLES

Okay so today is crazy and I have approximately 32 minutes to email everyone starting now.... If I don't get to you this week, I am so truly sorry, but life has been a madhouse for a week and will continue to be for another week haha,

First and foremost, I am sincerely grateful for everything all of you sent to me on my email today. Even now my eyes are stinging with tears because of how loved I feel. (I don't cry that much, so that's saying something.) Really, I am so lucky to know so many people who choose to love me in spite of my numerous weaknesses. I only hope to be some of a better man when I come home to honor all the love you have so freely given me. I promise I send it all and infinitely more right back at all of you, even if I don't get to communicate with you personally often.

So this week the Elders in Val-d'Or, Quebec, had a little problem. They are 1 of the only 2 French speaking areas in our mission, and they are as far out as you can get from the mission home. They weren't getting along, so we had to do an emergency exchange, and they'll be transferred this week after zone conference. Anyway, I was in Quebec from Thursday to Sunday. On Sunday, my birthday, I drove from Val-d'Or to Sudbury which is about 6 hours right after we had church all in French haha.

I don't know how to summarize all of my experience in Val-d'Or, but it was definitely wonderful and I'm glad I had it. I learned some French, talked to a lot of people who I had no way of understanding, and ate some REALLY good poutine. I will send pictures of my adventures in Val-d'Or (translation: the city of gold) next week.

Other than that I had a very pleasant dinner on my birthday last night from some really nice members and I got some cake and everything was festive and fun so rest assured I did not go without on my special day. Above all I was so happy I got to bear my testimony of the Savior in Val-d'Or at their branch. It was in a little library with about 10 people there and my companion at the time translated in for me in French. I was so lucky to testify of my Redeemer and there isn't more I could've wanted from my birthday other than to hear from all of you. :)

That's all I have for now, I hope I'll get to all of you this week!

Love,

Elder Callor

October 30th, 2017- ICE CASTLE 2.0 & HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, people of all ages,

We now live in a new house.

Yes! That's right! We moved. All day Saturday we moved, and it was really crazy hahaha. We are so tired. We had to take a banister in our old house and move my stinkin' desk cuz it's so stinkin' large, but we made it happen. That meaning I had to switch desks with someone because it was too big to go upstairs. Our new home is in a much nicer neighborhood and is better quality by far.

We also had a Halloween party earlier in the week with the ward that we helped out with! It was much bigger than I expected and the ward had a great time together.

Not this week, but next week is the week in which I will be in Brampton from Monday night to Friday. Wish me luck!

It sounds like a lot of change is happening in the mission and our conference with Elder Kevin B. Pearson is going to be really meaningful. President has put a lot of stress on being reverent and making the most of the meeting, and we get to have a leadership conference that same week with Elder Pearson so it's basically going to be brain overload!

I want you all to know I love the Lord, and what he does for us. This week Elder Morris and went to Elliot Lake for church because they were short on priesthood holders. We blessed/passed the Sacrament, and then we each gave talks. It's funny, really, because our topic was being spiritually and physically prepared, but because of the move neither of us were very prepared for our talks haha. The Spirit was with us and because we did all we could to prepare, it really worked out well.

I spoke on being spiritually prepared. I realized that nothing can really "prepare" us for what the Lord has in store for us, be it trials, blessings, or our future in His presence. When I looked up the definition of "prepared" it came up as "ready; willing". I realized that "being prepared" doesn't mean WE are prepared for our plans, it means the Lord is preparing US for His plan. In all the scriptures, none of the prophets could have been prepared by their own power for what they would do, but they were willing to BE PREPARED by the Lord for His future work. They always accepted His will and that's how they made it out. Nephi went through all the same things that Laman and Lemuel did, but he was willing to be prepared by the Lord to lead His people to and in the promised land. Laman and Lemuel were not willing to be prepared and chose to see God, and/or Nephi, as the reason for all their difficulty. Perspective changes everything, and it not only makes enduring difficulty easier, it allows that process to be one the Lord uses to change us for the better. The children of Israel blamed Moses for their problems when the Egyptians were chasing them once they were halfway across the Red Sea. They only saw the walls of water at their side and the raging Egyptian soldiers ready to kill them. They forgot they were on dry ground. They forgot the ten calamities that plagued ONLY the Egyptians. Moses knew they were being prepared by the Lord to be His covenant people, and he knew the Lord had brought them all that way. "And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace."

Anyway, I know that's a novel, but I really liked the idea and hope it helps some of you.

Love,

Elder Callor

October 23rd, 2017- MOVIN' RIGHT ALONG

Greetings one and all!

This week I have three noteworthy things to share with you...

1. Elder Lee, a Korean Elder who is in the Sudbury Downtown area (they live in the same house as us) discovered what a ginger is. We started talking about hair color and how my hair is red (ish) and that I'm a ginger. "What this?" he asked. Well, Elder Lee, it means you have freckles. He looked at my arm and said "ooooooh. I thought you had disease". So Elder Lee just thought I was a sicko for the last 8 weeks haha. He was so astounded I had freckles all over my body and the sun is harsher for me than others so that was fun to see his discovery of my people ;)

2. We're moving this Saturday. The legendary ice castle is having its final days!!! Fortunately, we're moving to a great place in a MUCH better neighborhood and we'll have more room. So we lovingly named our new abode: Ice Castle 2.0

3. Some weeks ago we met a guy in the hospital. Some members had met his wife, who said that he was sort of mean/abusive, but just had a stroke and was in the Sudbury hospital. I didn't really want to see him too much, but Elder Morris reminded me and we decided to go visit him because the members mentioned and at least we could brighten his day. Well I don't know why his wife said what she did, because he is the most soft-spoken, kind man ever. He met with us a few times in the hospital, and since he's been home he really wants to join our church, turn his life around, and really follow the gospel. I love him a lot and I'm so happy we didn't judge him too much to not visit him in the hospital. Remember God sees all of us perfectly, and He has us help His other children for a reason. No one is undeserving of your love and help.

Other than that, we drove to North Bay for interviews with President Shields, which were wonderful as usual. We'll go back again this week for an exchange. But the week of my birthday, we have a zone conference where there will be a general authority (Kevin B. Pearson) in Brampton, and then I have exchanges with the AP's in Brampton, so I won't be in Sudbury for almost 5 days! So wish me luck and pray I don't get home-sick for Sudbury haha.

I love you all and appreciate so much your support. Jesus lives, He loves you. Don't forget him while you party for this Halloween season... and stay safe!

Love,

Elder Callor

October 16th, 2017- RIP LITTLE BLUE

Helloooooooooo family and friends!

This week I don't have much to report on because I emailed y'all on Wednesday haha. We went to Brampton for our Mission Leadership Conference, so that was a 5 hour drive down Wednesday night, an 8 hour meeting the next day, and then the 5 hour drive back. Unfortunately, we had to trade in our Subaru Legacy :(. His name was Little Blue and we loved him. We got to drive it because it was one of the older cars so they sent it up to Sudbury to use all the kilometers it had left to sell it soon. Well they took it sooner than we expected. Although we traded in for a red Toyota Rav-4 which if you remember was the same car I got on my birthday last year so I guess that's alright haha. We traded in Little Blue for Big Red haha. So that's my driving life right now. The nice thing about Big Red is that it can go over all the terrible road conditions in Sudbury. I have no idea why the roads are so bad here, but they are.

We went on a hike to some waterfalls so that was pretty cool. I'll be sending pictures of that so enjoy :)

To answer everyone's questions, yes, it has gotten cold here now. As of yesterday it's been around freezing so we finally got hit with the cold. Fall started with a few hiccups but I think we are finally here haha.

That's really all I can think of with the past few days. I am grateful for all of you sending me your emails and keeping me up on your lives :) Be safe, stay warm, and enjoy the wonderful fall season!

Love,

Elder Callor