I'm so grateful to be a missionary

Hola!                                                                          

It’s been a week of miracles. It’s been a hard week in regards to numbers. We started out the week with 3 progressing investigators, and ended with zero. Juan Carlos had to go back to Columbia (hopefully he will be back in a month), Erady has become really hard to get a hold of and sadly has been really sick again, and we weren't able to even contact Tito this week. It’s a bummer, but we are in good spirits and are enjoying the nice weather, flowers and wonderful people in Flushing. One of the greatest blessings of striving to be obedient and is that no matter the outcome of the week, I know the Lord is pleased with us. And because we love each other and strive to serve each other, we are able to still have fun, even when it gets hard... I also know that one short week is so small in comparison to the grander picture.

I feel like so often I get bogged down in trying to figure out the end from the beginning when in reality only God knows that. It is so funny how I can be so slow to trust in Him and His timing when He is the only one who knows how it will all play out and loves me and wants my success more than anyone else. I know that my Redeemer Lives and sometimes, at the end of the hard day, that's all I got, but I know that is enough. I am so grateful to be a missionary and in a lot of ways His angel to lift, strengthen and love His children.

I love you all and I hope you are having fun together. Enjoy the temple Chipper! I get to go tomorrow and I am SOOO Excited!!

Also thanks for the cookies mom, my companions are still raving about them :)

I love you all! Sorry for the quick note!

I can't think of anything better that I could be doing right now than serving a mission.

Hello Family!!                                                                         April 22,13

Wow what a week! 1st the Boston Bombing. It's hard to be in NYC and not here about these things (even in an area where no one speaks any English). How tragic and sick. My companions and I were getting gyros and it was all over the TV, pretty surreal. But it made me that much more motivated to keep this work moving. For truly only through Christ can such things be made whole and this world needs His gospel and it was comforting to realize that there really isn't anything better that I could be doing right now.

Last Monday was AMAZING :). We had a zone activity and played ultimate frisbee. First time I had touched a frisbee in months. I was so happy and it felt so good to run around in the sun. I am grateful for opportunities to still do that, it put me in a good mood for the rest of the week. Then later, we had our area dedicated for the hastening of the work by our district leader. As we were going out to proselyte I had the thought to go visit one of our investigators. We knocked on her door, and there wasn't an answer, but we found stairs right near the door that went straight to the roof. And there weren't any "keep out" signs. We climbed and the view was breathtaking. We could see all of flushing, queens and Brooklyn and the Manhattan skyline. All right at sunset. It was a miracle because we were trying to think of a proper place to have such a dedication. I had said a prayer that morning to find one, and the Lord led us to one. We called the Elders, they were nearby, and by the power of the restored priesthood of God, dedicated our area. It was a beautiful blessing, fitting for the setting. And we all felt a very sacred spirit and presence. It was amazing to offer a greater perspective of 1st where we are, in the mazes of concrete towers, we easily forget about that other part of the city and 2nd of the work we are doing here. I know He lives and is leading and guiding us. It truly elevated my perspective.

I have learned (again) this week about the power of The Book of Mormon. One of our investigators, Juan Carlos, experienced a tragedy in his family this past week. His Aunt died of Cancer on Tuesday. In his struggle, he realized he didn't know what happens after birth, and his mind was worried. He turned to The Book of Mormon to see what it says about death and was led to Alma 40. In this chapter, the prophet Alma teaches His son what an Angel had revealed to him about the resurrection of the dead. His troubled heart was calmed, and the words brought him a lot of comfort. He told us about his aunt's death at the beginning of our lesson with Him. We all felt we needed to go to Alma 40, and just as I was about to direct the group to go there, He told all of us that he wanted to show us what he found in Alma 40! So often I feel we get caught up in needing to prove the Book of Mormon to be true, and the longer I am here, the more I realize it stands on its own. It is true and I invite anyone reading this to read it and know it for yourself.

I love you all! Have a good one!

Spring in NY is Beautiful!

Hola Familia! Como Esta?                                                                  April 15, 2013

What a week! I don't even know where to start. I guess 1st, is that New York Spring is beautiful! ALL the trees have just popped into bloom (I now know what they mean by a "popcorn" tree!) Funny story, a couple weeks ago, before the flowers started blooming, there were some pansies in a flower bed. I pointed and shouted excitedly "Pansies!" and my companion looked around bewildered and said "who?!" ha-ha (or should I say jaja in espanol :) )

So many miracles. We have now made a goal to contact and invited 10 people to church every day. Amazing how many people we have met, and just how incredible they are. We had been fearlessing (that's what we call it here) before, but it was without much direction. Now, as we are united in this goal, God is leading our feet, guiding people to us, and we are having a lot of fun with it. It is hard to describe the love that I feel for them, especially how many of them I have only spoken to for a few brief moments (about all you get here in NYC). Amazing how God loves us each individually. I know he loves them, I can feel it as I talk to them, and I can feel that they have a true desire to love and serve God. It also is amazing how true the scripture, "Perfect love casteth out all fear." As I grow in charity for the people in the streets, on the trains, at the park etc. I am not as afraid to talk to them. It is because my motive changes. It isn't about whether or not they want to listen, it's about the fact that they are a child of God, as my president says, "our eternal siblings" and deserve to know that someone cares enough about them to smile and share with them. Now I would be a complete hypocrite if I said this is how I approach it all the time, because I still at times get scared and keep walking without saying anything and what not. But I do know that missionary work is a natural consequence of love.

I love and miss you! Good luck with finals chipper, and I hope you feel better Allie!

"Whoa! Three white girls in Flushing!" said the garbage man.

Hello family!

Hope you enjoyed conference as much as I did! Wasn't it incredible? It was also kind of cool to realize that I am adding a bucket of water to that wave of missionaries, and contributed my piece of the 300,000 hrs of service after hurricane sandy. I hope you did get to go Stephen! Going to conference really is a neat experience. I know that there are living prophets and apostles in the earth today. Amazing how their words, the word of God, can sweep the whole earth and fill each individual soul at the exact same time.

It is finally warming up! Today, I didn't even have to wear tights! (This is a feat, its been really cold still). There also are flowers that are budding up here and there. Just the other day, there was the tiniest bunch of purple flowers on the side of the sidewalk. I stopped my two companions and we just looked at it. It was tiny, but so beautiful, and wonderful to see some sign of life in this concrete Jungle.

Quick funny story: So we are now a threesome of white girls. Sis Powell and I already stuck out being 2 white girls walking around flushing, and now there are three of us. We were just talking and joking about what a strange sight we were, when out of the blue, a garbage truck drove by with the passenger exclaiming "WHOA!!! THREE WHITE GIRLS IN FLUSHING!!!". It was pretty priceless.

So yes, I do have a new companion. Her name is Sis Dean from Sacramento California. She is 19 years old and goes to BYU-I. She speaks 5 languages (Japanese, Russian, English, Sign Language and now Spanish). She has a fiery testimony and isn't afraid to talk to people. Both of my companions are "new" but I am having trouble keeping up with them. They are so good.

We had a great lesson with one of our investigators yesterday. Juan Carlos (from Columbia) ran straight from his work at McDonalds to catch the end of the 1st session of conference (The Prophet, Pres Monson's talk). He loved it, and stuck around afterward to talk to the members and have the lesson. We had been praying and working to have a lesson with Juan Carlos and the branch president, President Perez, and it fell right into place. It was powerful, and he agreed to change his work so that he could come to church and be baptized. Afterwards Juan Carlos told us how he was honored that we would set up such an appointment with the branch president, and how we knew he (Juan Carlos) would come. We hoped Juan Carlos would be there, but I know it was nothing less than straight from our loving Heavenly Father.

I Love and miss you! May God bless you!

Hermana Chipman

 

 

There are so many new missionaries, I'm training two!

Dear Family,

It looks like you all had an awesome vacation! I didn't know my parents were so fun! He-he jk jk You always know how to have a good time, and so I am glad you took advantage of the time you had together.

And the pictures of the wedding were beautiful. Send my congrats to the happy couple :) Everyone looks very happy and grateful.

Hmmm this week, has been pretty crazy. I feel like that after 8 companions (2 English), 2 areas, 4 apartments, a hurricane and training, my mission would start to level out to somewhat of a routine at least before my 9 month mark......nope! Remember how I told you that there were more new sisters coming than who are available to train? The Lord has called me to be a trainer again. I will be staying in Flushing and continuing to train Sis Powell (we are excited to stay together!) and then a brand new missionary will be joining in on the fun. I don't know quite what to expect with a training trio, but I know it will work out. However crazy everything has been, I know that like life, my mission has been and will continue to be catered to exactly what I need, and even more importantly what the people here need. I am learning that is what the atonement (or sacrifice) of Jesus Christ is all about, He came, lived, suffered and died so that He could know how to "succor His people" (Alma 7:11-12) according to their infirmities and needs. As we trust in Him, we find the peace in knowing that no matter what is ahead, however good or bad, it is for our good and catered to fit and shape us to be worthy of His presence in this life and in the life to come.

Just a note, please keep Sis Powell and her family in your prayers. Her uncle (Mom's brother) Just past away from cancer this past Tuesday and I know it has been devastating for them. Really interesting how being through similar tragedies, it has really allowed me to empathize with her and her family. I don't understand perfectly, but I do feel for them especially for her. Makes me think of how the Savior must feel as he watches us struggle with our hardships that he took upon himself in the Garden. I know He understands perfectly, what greater love can there be?

Funny story: You know you are in the middle of your mission when.....The mail box is right in front of our apt door, and one day the mail man said, "Hi sister Powell! and I don't know your name.” “You don't get enough mail.." ha-ha-ha. I still get enough, no worries, just funny!

Again, sorry so short. this silly computer is cutting me short. But know that I love you and praying for you! I miss you a lot too!

Good Luck with your callings! In the words of a living prophet, "When we are on the Lord's errand, we are entitled to His help" (Pres Monson).

Megan