Email sent November 26, 2008

hey whats up. so everyone is there.
how you all doing i heard about the byu game and max hall choking - that is freakin stupid. thats a little rough - how did jefferson take the loss? poor guy im sure he had high hopes for them this year. hopefully utah will lose though. i hate utah so i hope they lose.
my jacket is really sweet i love it.
i dont know how much longer i will be on
what should i send you guys for christmas?
do you want me to just get a calling card. there is one i can get for 20 bucks and i get 800 minutes - i just hope it will be enough haha. ill be calling christmas eve and day cause christmas eve is pday so instead of email ill really talk to you haha. i think one card will be plenty i hope. im going to call braden and ben and sean and zach and i think thats mostly it - and TK if I had his number. they are all going to email me there numbers and then i will give them a call :) i might just get 2 cards so that way if i dont use it all i can on mothers day you know
so im in riverview right now with elder searle :) we planned a special exchange it was a lot of fun. riverview is in new bruswick. elder baker came with - we drove. its nice here
tell kelbee “i love you”.
i have to go though - love you tons - take care you all - mitch

Letter sent November 21, 2008

Tracy and her 7 dogs

Bald eagle

Hello. Well how is everyone doing? Well this past week was pretty sweet. We have a really cool guy we’re starting to teach. His name is JR.
We also had a road hockey tourney this weekend. My team lost in the championship. I was mad cause no one on our team was really even playing hard but whatever.
Elder Baker is a cool kid and it’s fun talkin trash that PG is better (Elder Baker is from Orem and played football for them!)
So I’m really excited for Christmas and talking to you guys and the boys. Well Tracy got her patriarchal blessing. It was so sweet. We got to go with her. She is so sweet. She is hands down the coolest person I have met out here and will meet. She’s my favorite in Atlantic Canada. Her blessing was so cool. After she went to this English store and got a ton of candy from England. It was so funny to see her going nuts over the candy.
I cleaned our fridge this past week. It was so freakin gross – I almost threw up a few times. It sucks. Ever since I left home my stuff doesn’t pick itself up like it did when I was home :) Thanks for all you guys do. Take care. Love Mitch

Pictures

We got a camera card from Mitch and it was so good to see different aspects of his life there in Canada. He sure has some beautiful scenery he gets to view every day.

Email sent November 19, 2008

so I was thinking the jacket can just be my christmas present its expensive. the jacket is really sweet and I will for sure use it when I get home.
so elder baker is really sweet he is a really humble kid i like him a lot
So an investigator here would like a pocket book of mormon like the one you got me a while ago and an issue of this past months ensign the conference issue. you dont have to make a picture cd if you cant as long as they are on your computer I'm ok with it. So how are you doing mama
i got the package thanks im going to get fat now haha but we have a gym we go to so that should help.
im going to email sean can you call him and tell him that he'll have an email from me so he reads it
you’ll have to tell me how 24 is - im sure its great or going to be great
I am direct and I think a lot of people dont like me cause of it but whatever.
well i have to get going soon so anything else
love you too take care and talk to you next week ill send you a picture of the coat i get :)

Letter sent November 13, 2008

Zone leaders at President's

L-R: Hopkins, Christensen, Searle, Me

Me at Jungle Jim's with Tracy

Jungle Jim's again

The pumpkin I made for Halloween

Go Buckeyes!!

Buckeyes burning Michigan

Somewhere out here!!

Stellerton, Nova Scotia

well, so about Abby having a seizure. please email me when stuff like that happens. I only heard about it when Krysta said it in a letter. Well, I'm serving with Baker. he seems pretty cool. I'll talk tons of crap about football :) Maybe I'll show him the highlight video - GO VIKINGS. I'm so mad they're out of the playoffs. Next time they play I'll be there.
Well this past week we went up to Cape Breton and i got to see all the members up there I know. Well not all, but the coolest ones!This past week was district conference. We had 14 missionaries sleep in our apartment. it was crazy. We had hockey and there were a few fights between a few of the missionaries. I'm sure you'll be surprised one was me! Everyone got mad cause I was making the games so competitive but whatever. It's not fun if there is no competition.Love you all. Take care.Love Mitch

Emails sent November 12, 2008

My old comp is a Marine – I told you that forever ago. He wanted to go to Iraq because his unit is going. He didn’t have to but he said it would be like me leaving the bros on their own so I understand.
Yes make a cd with the camera card if you could. And hopefully all the skin cancer is gone.
Hey so I have a question for you and dad. You can think it over and answer me next week. There is a really nice jacket that I saw that I like. It’s like $165 plus tax. I was wondering if I could get it. if not I have a jacket so don’t worry if the answer is no. just let me know either way. Thanks sooooooooooooooo much for everything you do. Take care and thanks sooooooo much for your love and support.Mitch

Email sent November 8, 2008

Hey mom, I’m serving with elder baker (note from Barb – Elder Baker’s mother Susan works with me at LDS Family Services) next transfer. Pres told me today so there you go. He doesn’t know yet but just figured I would let you know. Compton is going home to go back to Iraq. Love you tons.

Email sent November 5, 2008

I’m up in Sydney today right by Glace Bay on exchanges and we are emailing early. Things this past week were pretty good, not to much exciting happened – same old stuff. I’m alive and kickin. It snowed this past week.

Email sent October 30, 2008

Hey whats up. How are you doing. Things up here are going pretty good. Not too much to complain about. The pictures just put them on the computer and yes send it back. if you could send it out full with pictures of the family so I remember what you all look like. That would be great. If not its not a big deal. Well we had zone leader council and I got to see Elder Searle again. That was sweet. There are a few other zone leaders who are cool so that was nice.
I love you so much. Take care. Love you.

Letter sent October 29, 2008

Hey guys how’s everything. Well New Glasgow is still going good. Tracy is so sweet. She makes this area the greatest. She is so funny. When we go over she turns on the radioJ.
Well this past week not much happened. We had zone conference. It was OK. It was on the area book. It was kinda boring. It was more for the new missionaries. I guess it’s always good to refresh the skills. We drive down to Halifax tomorrow. That will be sweet. Me and Searle are going to visit Maurice. It will be really cool to see him again. I’m excited for the food. It’s always so good. It’s the best home cookin we get out here. Well not much to tell you all but I love you guys so much. Your all so great.
Love Mitch

Letter sent October 24, 2008

Hello. Well Tracy rocks. She is so cool. I bet that was a pretty big surprise. We were sitting at her house & I said it half joking half serious that she should call you & she didJ. It was good to talk to you (Mom and Brie). I wanted to talk to everyone but I couldn’t run up her bill. It was kinda sad when my comp called & was talking to his mom. He found out she had blood clots in her lungs – it sucked.
So Tracy is so funny though. She would fit in perfect with the fam. She is so sarcastic. She has such a rock solid testimony too. It’s so cool to see it. She is sweet.
Well this last week we helped build a shed for a member & went out to this members farm. Tracy took us. See she is the bomb & her son Nathan is so funny too. He is a stud. Anyway on the way back we took out a raccoon. She swerved out of the way & ended up swerving right into it haha. It was so funny. Then 5 minutes later we hit one that had already got ran over. It was so freakin funny.
I talked to Elder Searle today & me & him are going to go see Maurice when we go to zone leader council. It will be good & fun to see Searle again. Most of the zone leaders are letter of the law.
Well I love you all this much (he drew a picture of the world with him at the top and his arms around the whole thing!)
Have a good week.
Love Mitch

Emails sent October 22, 2008

so it was good talking to you too. so maurice was the one that killed his dad. i dont know my ring size i think thats what it was but im not sure. so missionaries go through the temple one last time on thursday then we have to spend the night at the mission home then i can get picked up friday in the morning. 10 days sounds good ill start to plan as best i can you will most likly have to fly in wednesday then drive here that day so i was hoping we could be back by the 2nd sunday in august so i could go to zachs homecoming. were working on finding people hopefully that answers all your questions.
that will be nice for when i call (I told him Tonya and Brad will be here for Christmas) i will only have to call you guys and not them. i still will have to call all my buddies haha. so ill send home thing next week as far as where we should go
your football moms dinner sounds a little weird (I told him about Witch-a-palooza)but whatever. can you believe only 2 months and its christmas :)
(I asked him if he knew that Zach’s homecoming would be the 2nd week in August.) no but we would get home the same week and the first week back would be fast sunday and the 2nd is normal so thats just a guess im not for sure
send the package to me here at this address
tell jeff sorry i heard about BYU
ok well i wont be on next week so could you pass that on ill be at ZL council.
yes and yes (Zone conference is in Halifax and his comp is also a zone leader)
sounds good i got to go i love you so much tell everyone i wont be on next week thanks for everything
i love you too ill email you next week have a good one and yes it answered the question about energy drinks (I sent him the quote from Elder Scott’s talk in priesthood.)

Letter sent October 16, 2008

Hey guys. How’s everything? Well I’m all settled in New Glasgow and things are going pretty good. I was wrong about my comp being an ex-marine he still is one and might go to Iraq again in December. So the fact that it’s again means he has already been there. So we were talkin about it the other day and I had to ask him if he had ever killed a man. Guess what. He hasn’t. he said he would of but his sergt told him to stand down. Pretty crazy. He is a pretty cool kid. He is from Washington and loves cars. So that’s all I can think of to tell you. So we got double transferred in and that sucks. We both have no clue where we are going.
This past week was pretty sweet. Me and Gilmour and Wilkinson stayed up all night talking. I was so tired the next day. it was fun though.
We have zone leader council on the 29-30. I get to see Searle which will be sweet. He is a stud.
Anyway I love you all so much. You all rock. I’m so lucky to have a family like you guys. All the best.
Love Mitch

Letter sent October 15, 2008

(I couldn't tell for sure what day this was sent because the postmark was unreadable! I'm just guessing it's around that date.)
Hey family whats up? Well as you know I’m getting transferred to New Glasgow. It should be pretty good – another area that struggles to baptize but what can you do. So this past week was pretty good. We had a 3rd missionary with us for most of it so that was sweet and he was in the MTC with Benny. So it will be nice to have some change. Hard to leave Newfoundland. I spent 7 months up here on the rock.
Any who – conference was pretty sweet. I loved Elder Wirthlin’s talk and Elder Hales. They were both sweet. So mom you said they said something about energy drinks when I never heard it.
We went to a pentacostal church and holy crap we stood up for like 45 minutes. It was like stand up sit down turn around jump up and down pump your fist. I was excited cause it was going to be a break but it was a good workout. But at the end the priest was like anyone who hasn’t been saved come up now and accept Jesus as your savior and was staring at us the whole time. I was so mad. I was like ya I already have. But any way love you all. Have a great week.
Love Mitch
(He also included a little warning card that said: TOBACCO USE CAN MAKE YOU IMPOTENT. He wrote on the back of the card: #1 reason I don’t smoke haha)

Emails from October 15, 2008

hey everyone im on. love you all so much miss you so much. its going pretty good with my comp. the area is really rough there. no one has come to church thats an investigator in over 4 months and thats just coming to church. but we should have success - there are some sweet new people we are going to be working with.
my new area is pretty sweet - i like it. the members are cool there is one she is the funniest lady. she is from england her name is tracy. she is so funny and she has such a strong testimony and has only been a member for like 10 months or something like that. i really hope dad is ok and i really hope sean is doing good.
i have to be going soon tell everyone i love them so much - your the greatest family
(Note from Barb - I added the punctuation just so you could know where the sentences begin and end!)

Transferred - October 8, 2008

Mitch emailed today to tell us:
hey im getting transfered to new glasgow. i fly out saturday into halifax and well go to the mission office so that will be nice. i am a little bummed about going there - its a tough area. its in between halifax and glace bay. my comp is ok - he was a marine. send everything to my address i just gave you.
His new address is:
Elder Mitchell Clarine
168 Grant St. #26
New Glasgow, N.S. B2H 3Y5

Letter sent October 3, 2008

Letter sent October 3, 2008: (written like we got it!)
Hey guys what up? Well things are going better I think its just cause I see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Well some business first – the BYU season tickets sound awesomeJ. As for the hunting trip I can’t wait. I saw some ducks the other day and I swear they were like taunting me. If I only had my gun! I was reading Dan’s letter about the trip and it made me want to go so bad. Hopefully all that stuff and school and everything will match up perfect so I can go hunting.
The BYU games are for sure – I wouldn’t miss that for a thing. GO COUGARS!
So really not much to exciting happened this past week. I did burn some Michigan stuff – that was pretty sweet. I’ll send pictures of it.
That’s pretty crazy that one of the elders in the ward his brother served up here. Small world. Well I really can’t think. Wait, this past week something pretty funny/crazy happened. The elders in St. John’s - there in the same branch as us. One of there investigators is going to prison for robbing a C-store with a meat cleaver. How freakin weird is that. I’m sure your wondering why she did it. well someone put 5 hits of extasy in something and she ended up taking it. Other than that not much new. Can you guys call Sean and tell him I say hi and get the letter that I’m going to write and get it to him. I love that kid and haven’t heard from him. I love all my boys. Seriously, they are the bomb. I miss them. I was thinkin the other day I have known Ben Gerun forever – 14 years. That’s freakin nuts. But I love the Bros and you guys. Have a great week.
Much love - Mitch

Miscellaneous Pictures

I still got it :) For real though they celebrated me in Newfoundland haha

St. John's (note: this is a picture, not a postcard)

Me and the Pelkeys

Me with 2 Newfoundland dogs

It's weird that more people go to there church. You would think it would be easy to find people when there church says this

Letter sent October 1, 2008

Hey guys, what’s up?
I was reading Zach’s email about how “tough” his mission is cause they only commit 3 people to baptism. Ya I haven’t done that in about 6 months. I taught the 2nd lesson for the first time since Corner Brook. This has been a tough area but so is the mission.
Well I don’t think much is new. It was pretty funny – we helped Bro Green this past week and he was talking about Fred his dog. He said “whenever I come home he goes right ape s#@%”. I almost died laughing it was so funny.
Well I love you all - have a great week.
Love Mitch
PS How badly do you want to come to Newfoundland? It’s an 8 hour ferry ride each way. How long do you guys want to stay out here? Other than PEI where do you want to go? How long do you want to spend in Boston? Where are we flyin out of and where are you flyin in?

Pictures from Gros Morne National Park

So this is where you hike up!

Gros Morne Mountain

Gros Morne Mountain

Gros Morne Mountain

Ten Mile Pond

The 2 caribou we saw we were like 50 yards away!

Letter sent September 25, 2008

Hey guys! So I was thinkin about it the other day that since Brian went to the Twins/Yankees game for pretty cheap we should do something like that when I get home. I was thinkin instead of Twins/Yankees we could do – I don’t know . . . – Ohio State vs USC at the Horseshoe:) Let me know what you guys think. That would be so sweet. I would go nuts the whole game – GO BUCKEYES! Speakin of college football I heard BYU is tearin it up. There is a member who gives me an update on the Buckeyes, BYU, and the Minnesota Vikings every time we go over. He only does after I ask him to though:)
Well I love you all so much. You guys rock. I love you all so much and am so grateful for all you do for me. love you – have a good week.
Love Mitch
PS – For Christmas please get me stuff I’ll use when I get home (like a ticket to the OSU vs USC game)! Thanks for everything.