September 20th

Hello
This past week has been so exciting, we are starting to see the fruits of our labours. This past week we found 6 new investigators, and 4 of them just yesterday. The members up in Bancroft, and the Thomas S. Monson camp director, are the people doing the work. Apparently there's only more to come, because we couldn't visit with all the people the members wanted us to. It is awesome. Not only that but our investigator Bowadi Affuo is praying for the baptsimal date October 17. Even though I don't think I will be here for that, it is very exciting, and my joy is full. I bought a new 8 gigabite MP3 player that was the same price as the 4 gigabite Coby. Mine broke down. I sent dad a letter, and he should receive that on his birthday or before hand. I'm keeping in touch with Elder Nilson, and I found out that he has 2 baptismal dates lined up. Great for him, since he just arrived in the field. I'm hoping for the one baptismal date before I leave Peterborough. I have been collecting the full series of the teachings of the presidents of the church. President Kimballs is considerably small, and that was disappointing, because if you remember I loved quoting from him. This next transfer I feel I will be moving out though. I am enjoying my new companion, he is really awesome, he prefers to listen to classical music on his mission, so we alternate. We really do get along quite well. My comapnion and I are going to go and play frisbee golf today, since it`s free, and since we both have frisbees. It`s going to be quite fun. The work is moving along, and here's a story about one of the investigators we found. Her name is Pearleen Plumptin, and she loves to do family history. We brought a member along with us, but she has 7 cats in her house. I think I might have a slight allergy to cats, because my nose was really bugging me during that appointment. I think you would have died if you went into that house dad, and my nose still has not recovered.
I love you guys a lot,
Elder Dumouchel
lol, there something that you and dad have to do for me, and it is written in the letter. you better answer it properly.

September 14 2010

Hi mom
I can't believe Logan is already back!!!!!!, I can remember when he left like it was yesterday. General Conference is exciting, we are inviting people left right and center to come and listen to our prophet speak. A lot of less-actives as well. I'm kind of tired of nephews, tell Leiah I think I want a niece. My family will have tripled by the time I get back from my mission! I expect by that time Meagan will have 2, Leaih might have a 4th on the way, and Mark will probably have one by then too! Thats really crazy. This week things picked up, but do you remember me talking about that catholic guy. Elder Sanders and I just absolutely love talking with him, he's so smart. He actually asked us if we could share how we came to know that the Book of Mormon was true, it was like and awesome testimony meeting, this was yesterday, and it really brought the spirit. He also played the fiddle for us, and he is really amazing at it. I love listening to the fiddle. every time we go there and have a discussion it just feels good, learning about what they actually believe and sharing what we believe. I also learn so much from talking with him. After my mission I want to come back to Peterborough just because he's my friend now, and also just to talk about everything, talk about his pretty big book collection. He really is a great guy. I haven't gained OR LOST any weight since I've been on my mission, I'm not starving, and have eaten plenty, if this will make you feel better this past 2 weeks are really good for being fed. We even got invited to the Auburn bible chapel for some crazy lunch thing they do once a year. This happened when we tracted into this guy who said to come. The food was really good, and the people came up and talked with us, it was a good experience. Well i guess I'll ell you this story. We went to petro canada to fill up with gas, when a couple of university girls, wearing the blue Shinorama shirt asked us if we wanted a car wash, I had no idea what this was for, so I asked them,and they said if we donated to their cause, which is Cystic Fibrosis research, we got a car wash. So we got the car wash and donated after, originally we were just going to give them all our change, but I thought one of the girls was cute, so I gave them the only money in my wallet which was only a 10 dollar bill, also as a missionary I have learned a bit more about charity, and this was a better cause for that money then buying some toy or something for me. But that was pretty cool, they were all modestly dressed, which I really appreciated. Except for one of the girls boyfriend, he was in some black briefs, oiled down his chest, and went out on the side walk with their advertiesment sign. It was pretty funny. We noticed after that, that all over town there were university students collecting money, something like 500 students. It was very neat, apparently I think they do this once a year. While they were washng our car, we explained who we were and what we're doing.

Ilove you lots,
Elder Dumouchel

September 7 2010

Hi mom
Thanks for the picture of the house being built.The house looks pretty shabby right at the moment, but I think with a bit of work it will come along nicely. It looks like it was a beautiful day in Calgary as well. I will try to be shopping at a fudge store in town to see if they do sell any caramel spread,if I find some I will treat my companion to a beautiful taste, if not I already treated him to some groc, and a hearty big meal of rice peas and groundbeef with montreal steakspice. My companion Elder Sanders is from Auburn California, its a small town about 1 hour east of Sacramento. He has 5 acres of land, and is spelling all his words the canadian way, like Colour Saviour etc... We went up to Bancroft this weekend and it turns out they got around 4 friends to come to church. They are really showing their appreciation for missionaries by making more work happen up there than down here. Bancroft is absolutely beautiful though, I love it up there, I forgot to take pictures though, so I will the next time I get up there. This week we did a ton of traveling to go and see the inactives that live on the outskirts of our area, we probably spent 15 hours in the car, Bancroft itself being arounf 4 hours. So that took a lot out of both of us. I might need a stake directory, because I have finally gotten to writing the Surdu's back, when I noticed there is no return address on their envelope, if you could send me their address and postal code I would be greatly appreciative. I love you a lot
Elder Dumouchel

August 30 2010

hi mom
I have been taking lots of pictures, but I haven't filled up the card yet, I am going to take more pictures with the members and try to fill it up as soon as possible. My new companion is Elder Sanders, he is shorter than me, weighs about 20 pounds more, but not overweight in any way. He's been out for 20 months and I am really enjoying working with him. He's an awesome missionary.Thanks for elder Nilsons email address. Not too much happened this week. I am going to start teaching the members the discussions to try and help them become more excited in missionary work. I got the idea from a talk in this months ensign. I hope everything goes well. Take Scooter on long walks so he can remember me. I had a good newphy dinner last night, but nobody signed up this week. Oh well. Anyways I love you a lot, keep up the faith.

Staying in Peterborough

An awesome thing happened this week. We visited an investigator that was dropped by us, and we brought a member along. We taught 3rd nephi 18: 1-25, and afterwards commited him to come back to church, I really thought he was going to get up and give me a hug, (and say something like, man I will come back to church, I need it in my life, something like that) but instead he just gave me a really firm handshake. It was awesome, it's the first time he's really understood the spirit and what we teach. This week was transfer week, my companion Elder Williamson is heading back into Oshawa, and my new comapnion in peterborough will be Elder Sanders. Peterborugh isn't an area where I get fed a lot. Amazingly enough I am keeping up my weight, and I am working out my upper body, that's the good part about Peterborough, they have some good weights. This week seemed to go really slow, probably because transfers were this week. We taught a young man,18, who I had given a book of mormon to. It turns out he has actually been reading it. He has had a really tough life, and he lives in a group home, but his mom was a church girl and he wanted to get back into religion. We taught him about the book of mormon and about baptism, but we didn't commit him to baptism. I want you to tell all the people leaving on missions real soon to commit investigators to baptism, don't be afraid, just commit to baptism. We have a talk out here called challenging and testifying missionary, it comes from a general conference a long time ago. (I believe.) My suggestion is if you can get a hold of it before your mission, and study it thoroughly, even practice it, you will see a lot more success on your mission. My advice to prospective missionaries is to become challenging and testifying missionaries, it is hard, but it will help you give your all i know that if i do apply it I will see miracles happen.
Take Care All,
Elder Dumouchel

August 9th

"hellooooo" mom
This past week has been pretty stressful, and its going to continue next week, as we have another leadership training. My eyes bulge more when I'm stressed I find. We found an awesome new investigator this week, that makes 7 over 4 weeks, all from tracting. Her name is Erika, she's YSA age, but we're not sure if she's married. She is a nurse, and for the next week she will still be doing a night shift. She had taken a bit of a religion study, so she can aquaint herself with the religions of patients. She has questions about death, and doesn't believe that a child should go to hell if it's not baptized. It was awesome! We taught her a mixed lesson of the Restoration and Plan of Salvation, but since I was in Oshawa the Lindsey elders came over to teach her. I had told them to teach the plan of salvation, and they taught the restoration, which made it even more stressful for me. I really enjoyed the stuff you sent down,especially those sugar cookies, they were awesome. In Bancroft, brother Cook,he's French. He's a really neat character. He had us over for the night. That's because he lives too far away, and he had to drive us down. He's cool, he gave us a small can of maple syrup, so today I made myself some real good canadian french toast, my companion wouldn't even try it. I love you a lot
Elder Dumouchel

July 26th

Kent's family doesn't live in my area, they live in my district. I'm in Peterborough, and they live in Lindsey. So if you send it to them I will not be able to go pick it up until I am transferred to Lindsey. Next transfers are august 25th. the problem I am facing with my companion right now is his hope and faith, (not the tv show). He thinks that investigators never get baptised on their baptismal date, but with Gods help anything is possible. It's usually known as a miracle! You just have to have the right attitude toward everything that you do, then you will see the miracles and promised blessings that you were told would come. I went up to Bancroft yesterday. I was on splits with a Brother Rider. He served his mission in England, and he played a big part in bringing the Hinton Family into the church. Ask them if they remember brother Rider. With the humidity factor it has been up around 40 degrees down here, so it actually wasn't hot in calgary! I am tanning up nicely though. Just send the meds to me. I am doing fine, and I'm keeping the right attitude. I might use my credit card to buy something. (just as one of those every once in a while uses) it won't be expensive, just like 20 dollars or something. This week I should be repaid for the airconditioner, and I will put the money back in the account. We have an appointment with a former potential investigator named Candace, and I'm excited to teach her. She sounded pretty excited over the phone.I'm glad to hear you had a good time at the air show. You're getting burnt while I'm getting tanned, lol. I think Shaun will be a great mission leader, I hope all the young families are doing well. Tell them I miss them, and that they were excellent examples to me. I'm also extremely glad to hear things have picked up for work, I will continue to pray for you. I'm glad to hear that the work is still moving along up there. I'm going to keep the right attitude as we go to teach everyone and bring them unto Christ. If we can get at least half our potential investigators to commit to baptism (around 10 is half) I will probably explode with joy. Have an exciting joyful week.
love
Elda Dumouchel Eh!
ps. My companion is starting to say eh quite a bit.