Monday March 20, 2017- WE FEED THE PIGS

Greetings from Narnia,

This is Elder Callor coming to you from the mythical land of bridges, pigs, and oil. As you well may know, I got transferred to Sarnia. What you may not know is that Sarnia is right on the border of Canada and the United States. RIGHT. ON. THE. BORDER. I have inserted pictures of the bridge to the states and a video of the flag. Elder Kimball and I actually said the Pledge of Allegiance on the way home from a dinner appointment because we could look across the river and see an American flag flying strong and free in the Spring breeze. It was a precious moment. We see the States every single day and it's pretty interesting haha. So essentially all of this means that I'm in one of the most Southern parts of the whole mission, and actually all of Canada. Har-dee-har-har. I'll go to the Great White North someday.

Upon arrival, we actually got to play floor hockey in the gym with some members and non-members. I felt dramatically more Canadian than ever before, and even more out of shape haha.

A few days after floor hockey escapades, we went to a funeral for a wonderful elderly sister in the ward. This has been the second funeral I've helped out with on my mission, so death has seemed to follow me, unfortunately. This ward has had 5 deaths in the last 3 months though, which is pretty tragic, but not out of the question because a great deal of them are elderly. From the cleanup of the funeral, we got three or four bags of leftover sandwhiches. MORE THAN FOUR LOAVES OF BREAD'S WORTH OF EXTRA SANDWHICHES. So we brought them home, opened them up, and then realized all the sandwhiches, egg, ham, peanut butter and jelly, all were mixed together, and very dry and gross. Realizing that, we went straightaway to these really nice new convert's house (farm) with the sandwhiches. These people are real salt-of-the-earth and very kind, immediate friends sort of people, and they have lots of pigs. We fed the pigs our sandwhiches and felt pretty good for helping them out and saving them some money for feed. Then we realized something dark and terrible. We realized a lurking truth that slid in our stomachs like scaly snakes, a truth that haunts my dreams to this day... We realized the food we fed the pigs included ham sandwhiches. WE FED THE PIGS HAM SANDWHICHES. I hope there is forgiveness for our ignorance! Anyway, the pigs seemed to like it... so maybe they're just weird pigs haha.

And that about covers my Sarnia adventures!!! (thus far) Elder Kimball and I are ecstatic to be back together. We both had similar transfers previous to this one, and we are happy to have a relationship of teaching and work to go off of. We are really blessed to have a super nice apartment that is part of a member's home. We have carpet, which is a first for me in my mission haha. I just lay on the carpet and feel warm and happy and it's great. I also have the best mattress I've had on my mission yet which is delightful. I sleep so well! It's better than a couch, I'll tell you that! The final important feature of our apartment is something both original and also completely stereotypical of a missionary apartment... We have a wall. Covered in Mt Dew cans... We have a Mt Dew wall. And it's spectacular. We were dumb enough to move it from one spot in our apartment to another. They all don't stay up anymore, but we put them back haha. A Dr. Pepper wall is in the making... We'll let you know as construction continues!

Finally, I thought I'd just tell you all again it took me nearly two days to clean our apartment. It seriously amazes me how filthy people can be. I'm not even a neat freak! I just like living in normal human-friendly conditions. Seriously, we found expired food from 2009 in our cupboard. TWO THOUSAND AND NINE. I was 11. Years. Old. Gross. Anyway, I suppose you all may want to have my address. Important note with that though, I may not be staying anywhere for 6 months anymore, so if you want to send things, send them here early, if not, and with important things, send them to the mission office. But this area is unique in that not only do members go to the States and buy us great food all the time, they also send letters for us from the States at a cheaper price which is awesome! So I hope I can send some good letters while I'm here. 

Our address is:

1059 Camelot Cres

Sarnia, ON

N7S 3L4

Canada

Happy St. Patrick's Day too!

Love,

Elder Callor

March 13, 2017- ONE DOES NOT SIMPLY GO TO SARNIA

Hello all!

Due to circumstances out of my control, I can't email a lot today, so I hope the small tidbits you all get will be enough.

To start, I am being transferred! I went from staying in one area for 6 months, to just 6 weeks haha. I am really going to miss it here because this area is beautiful and the people are really strong in the faith and I made some good friends. Some of which include the Jamaican guy who wrote poetry and we would read our poetry together, a man we met recently who has so much 70's and 80's paraphernalia as the 70's and 80's had to provide. He had a priceless comic book collection, movie posters, sports cards and collectibles, you name it. I really wanted to get pictures but didn't have time. My favorite thing he had was a lifesize picture from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. You know, the one photo they take in the movie when they are all dressed really nice? He was a cool guy because we both really like Robert Redford and Phil Collins.

Moving on, I am going to Sarnia which is right by Detroit actually haha. It's a pretty big area from what I hear. The crazy thing though, is that my MTC companion, Elder Kimball, will be my new companion!!!! I can't believe I'm going back to serve with him. My trainer, Elder Layton, will be my new Zone leader! This is a transfer for nostalgia if I've ever seen one haha. I'm really excited to serve with Elder Kimball because he is really my speed. We were zone leaders in the MTC and really knew how to get stuff done. Ironically, he has served in really populated areas thus far, and has had 8 baptisms in his whole mission. (Which is unreal for our mission). I haven't had 8 investigators yet so that puts things into perspective. So know, we'll go baptize the nations together.

That's really all I have with time permitting. I love you all, thank you for your words. Please stay in touch.

Love,

Elder Callor

March 6th, 2017- HUMBLE PIE & HE HEALS ALL WOUNDS

Brethren, Sisters, everyone, and everything else,

This week was perhaps one of the most interesting weeks of my mission thus far. That's to put it lightly. I think I'll leave out the bulk of my interesting experiences, but I'm just gonna say this week I've had so much humble pie. SO MUCH. Or in other words, I've had to swallow so much pride I may have choked a few times. But here is what I learned... God expects us to be humble. Whether you feel right, justified, or like you know it all, God expects us to (of course take care of ourselves and our physical/emotional well being) but also to submit to Him and always show the most Christlike love to others that we can. At the end of the day, you may not be right, but you will be Christlike. There is a whole lot more to that and what I learned, but I'll just leave it at that and hope you all have a chance to experience that feeling for yourselves. It is a transcendental sort of peace that comes with being utterly broken or berated but being humbled enough to take it quietly. Also, I'm no master at it either haha. I've learned a lot about humility this week, and partially because of that I'll be the first to tell you I still have a long way to go.

Next I have a miraculous experience to share. We are teaching a guy who is a member but struggles to come out to church because he has MS. He is pretty functional but the pain can be overwhelming at times so he comes usually, but doesn't stay very long. Anyway, come to find out we are teaching him and he tells us that both his parents died this month, on his dad's birthday. (in the past, of course, but this month is one of the anniversaries). He is battling his MS, and still has the power to not blame God for it. To top it all off, he was divorced early on in his marriage, and due to the court's inaction and his wife preventing him, he couldn't see his son after the divorce even though he was supposed to. It's been 18 years since then. He is trying to get his inheritance that his siblings are withholding from him, so he can buy a car to go and visit his son and repair a long lost relationship. To put it nicely, this guy is down on his luck. I understand that obviously this guy isn't just suffering because of everyone else, and that some things are his fault, but really, in the moment I was feeling a lot of empathy for him, which I feel he or anyone within reason deserves. 

He said something to me in tears. He said, "I haven't seen my son in 18 years. How do you explain 18 years? People have told me time heals all wounds. I'm here to tell you that's not true. In my case, time has made things worse."

My heart started pounding, and tears welled in my eyes (which was a big deal to me) and I said without even thinking, just by being guided by something beyond myself, I said

"Brother, time does not heal all wounds. Do you believe Jesus Christ heals all wounds?"

He looked at me, and with more tears, and with more peace, he said "Yes. Yes I do. I believe he enables me to heal my wounds".

And with that, we left, us feeling more blessed to see the work of God, and him with a greater sense that everything will be alright because of a God that loves him.

Finally, I just wanted to give a shout out to the Edwards and the Seelos family. Thank you so much for your letters and Valentine's, they were much appreciated and really uplifted me!

Love,

Elder Callor

February 27, 2017- ZOMBIE FOG PART II

GOOOOOOOOD MORNING VIETNAM!

(and everyone else)

This week, we have had more fog than ever before, and although I didn't see any, I'm certain there were more zombies than ever before too. They were out there in the fog, I just know it. Luckily I cast a protection spell on our apartment so we were good to go.

Anyway, beyond that weird note, I am doing very well, and just living one day at a time our here in Oakville! I'm a little more late to most meetings than I'd like, and I think it's good for me. Builds character. Patience. All that good stuff.

We went on a hike to some small falls in our area and that was really nice. I'm free to get my outdoors time and that makes for a happy Elder Callor! We're probably going back there with our District in two weeks to have a campfire lunch on Preparation day. Wahoo!

I don't have much else to say, except that I've met quite a few Jamaican people on my mission, which I found was interesting. I'm working on my patois, and I'm crawling slowly haha. But, I bring this up because last night I was extremely touched by an experience with an old man in our ward. We went home teaching with this ward's previous Bishop (from South Africa) and he mentioned we ought to stop by a widower in our ward. He is an 80-some year old Jamaican who is rather lonely and would be worth a visit. We stopped by, and this dear old man told us many of his life experiences, stories, and anecdotes. He's met many apostles, served many callings, been many places, had many trials, and even more blessings. By the end of the night, we were laughing and nearly crying together. We didn't see angels, or talk about the mysteries of God, but last night I met a man who has lived his life, and all his happiness can be attributed to one thing: living the gospel of Jesus Christ. I'd say that's a life I'd like to have. I hope all of you feel that way too.

Love,

Elder Callor

 

February 22, 2017- ELDER CALLOR, KINGOF DREAMS

Hello,

Unbearably, intolerably, and unfortunately, yet AGAIN. I cannot send photos. My sincere apologies. The day I actually can send photos will be glorious, and for all of you, likely a bit overwhelming.

So I went and saw Niagara Falls! I'm not gonna lie, the tourism stuff and the main street by it are kind of a dive. It's pretty sad actually haha. Just a bunch of weird touristy stores and random haunted house amusement park rides that are still open in February. It was strange. But pleasantly I got to see the falls which obviously is the main point and boy they were fantastic! I wish I went in the warmer climates though because from the ground you can't get very close to view their awesome power. In the warm season you can take a boat tour really close which would be nice. Nevertheless the bottom part of the falls was frozen and beautiful. The weather was pretty nice that day and we took a spectacular hike with some other missionaries down into the waterfront by the falls so that was pleasant.

As the week went on, Elder Godfrey had an appointment in Etobicoke (pronounced Ih-toe-be-koh for some ridiculous reason), which happened to be near the Bishops storehouse centre! I got to volunteer there while he was in his appointment which was really fun. And sort of spooky being actually alone for an hour or two.

Additionally, this week has been a week of dreams. I have been having really vivid dreams every single night which is quite unusual for me. Unfortunately I don't really remember most of them right now, but man, I remember they were weird. Perhaps I'm supposed to interpret them for my mission experience or something. We'll see as time progresses if I can provide any vague and imminent prophecies.

Lastly, a sort of business item. I might be emailing earlier in the future; around 8 am (6 am for most of you) so if you wanna email me then sending it the night before or at unreasonable hours of the morning would be best, just so I can email you all back and send words of spiritual encouragement!

I love you all. I have been so blessed to be where I am today. It is strange how much the Lord knows what we need beyond what we think we need. It's also a tad funny how much we spend our lives trying to be happy and comfortable, and yet we grow the most when we're neither of the two. Luckily, in spite of not always being those things, the light of the gospel gives us a lasting joy that we always carry with us. It's an eternal flame we often take for granted. Best advice I've learned this week: Keep carrying the torch.

Love,

Elder Callor

February 13, 2017- TO THE FALLS

So this week I don't have a lot to report on. I've yet again spent more time in the apartment than I'd be happy with, but alas, so it is. Anyway, in that process I've learned how much of a work ethic my mission has taught me! I just get itchy to go out and do some work for the Lord, and it's a real blessing. I wouldn't say I was an all out lazy person before my mission, but I did struggle with working on things I didn't think were worth my time. I've been blessed to learn how to motivate myself to do things, even if I don't feel like doing them. Lesson learned. 

So unfortunately I am very sad to say my previous companion due to some family reasons is on a flight home today. He got permission and was able to stop and see me on the way driving back to Toronto, and I was really sad to see he was leaving, but that's what he decided. To make things more difficult, I really hoped he would come back out after he took care of things at home, but he told me he was just planning on getting married. I am happy he is on the right track to be married in the temple and is still converted in the church, but I was sad to see him lose the opportunity to serve the Lord he thought he wanted so badly. I pray I didn't do more harm than good in my time as his trainer.

Moving on to some more positive experiences, I have met a wonderful couple in our ward. They are advanced in age, the sister is Jamaican, and the brother is from England. He sounds EXACTLY like Mrs. Doubtfire and it's a bit spooky. I've never told him I think that but it weirds me out every time. Anyway, when we ate with them, we basically just quoted poetry classics and Shakespeare plays. Then they let me play their accordion, which was perhaps one of the most fun experiences I've had here in Oakville. I loved it! It was so fun and easy to pick up knowing the piano and such. I don't know how expensive they run, but I see an accordion in my future in the next year and a half! haha. 

Finally, in a few precious hours I will be off to see one of the wonders of the world! I am so excited I can't even tell you. If any of you know me well, you know I have a particular adoration of nature and being in it. Today I get to take a hike. AN ACTUAL HIKE. I have been missing that and I am honestly so happy because a little time in nature is something I think I need right now. Beyond that I get to see Niagara Falls from the Canadian side during the Winter which from what I've been told is apparently the best way of doing it, other than seeing it when it's warm of course.

I love you all. Thank you for sending your love. I pray you all have a wonderful Valentine's Day, and that you think about the everlasting Love that comes from our Saviour. Besides being conventionally romantic (and don't get me wrong, I highly recommend that) think about ways you can show people love in your life. Unexpected, heartfelt, Christlike love for someone in need. I guarantee your Valentine's will be much more meaningful.

Love,

Elder Callor