Hello dear family!
Wow it breaks my heart to hear
about your departure chipper, but I am SO thrilled we are now in this
together. 2 years this week I get to see you :) and I can't wait to hear
all about the in between.
Wow this week has
been.....eventful. Now I know of 2 things that trigger my asthma, running too
much and marijuana! Seeing where I served in Queens ,
we came in plenty contact with the stuff. It was gross, but we just crossed the
street, ran back to the elevator, or walked quickly and were free. But when we
came home on Monday night, our entire pad (or apartment) was full of marijuana
smoke and other Indian smells/ incense/ and whatever else. My lungs wouldn't
have it. We ended up having to quickly pack our bags and flee to president's
house. It is just all so crazy. They are trying to break the lease, but the
landlord wants proof that it is marijuana and that it is bad enough to cause an
asthma reaction.....grrrr. Thankfully, President and his wife have been super
kind and gracious to let us bunk at their home while everything gets figured
out. Poor president and his wife. It's been funny because we have packed our
bags each day thinking we would be able to "return home" and we keep
coming back running. Honestly if there is anything to trigger my asthma, at
least it’s something that I can avoid living in. So that has been the adventure
of the week. Also, it’s good for me to learn that it is okay to let other
people take care of me (all my past roommates are probably laughing as they
read this). As much as I enjoy taking care of myself, and not involving others
into my problems, I am realizing too much of that is pride. It is good to be
self reliant, but it is not good to try to resist the help that God sends me because
I don't want to be seen as "weak." I know that God sends us Angels to
bear us up and take care of us, seen and unseen, known and unknown to us. I
think too often we resist their aide, at least I do, and so I am trying to work
on that, and I guess you can say this is another splendid opportunity to do so.
Oh and just so you aren't worried, I am healthy and okay and
upping my inhalers. Just might never be able to move to India
Bummer about something like that
is that it cuts into a lot of "prime time" or missionary work time. This
is VALUBLE as a missionary, especially as a leader, because so much time is
taken up in other responsibilities. But despite all of that, God sent Sister
Neilsen and I amazing miracles and we had an AWESOME week. We got to report our
1st numbers of the transfer! yay!
First off, the conference was wonderful. All the sisters
loved it, and we all cried as we sang the As Sisters of Zion at the end. (Yes
for the record, I cried as well). I can't tell you how much it means to me to
be a Sister Missionary right here, right now, and serving with these sisters
and it was so good to be with everyone. Sister Calderwood gave an incredible
lesson on studying our patriarchal blessings. She talked about so often she
gets a little overwhelmed by all the things the Lord tells her to do and be in
hers. But she taught us to read our blessings and to look for the qualities
that our Heavenly Father sees in us, and that He gives us such tasks because he
knows and sees that we are able to fulfill them all of them. (You reading this
Elder Chipman? That means you were called and set apart from the world to serve
The Lord Jesus Christ, because He knows what you are capable of :) ). At the
end of the conference, President shared with us that he was prompted to have
each of us pray very specifically, "Lead us to the Pure in Heart,
including families" and that we must say it in every prayer we utter. We
have strived to fulfill that charge and each time I have said it, I feel power.
We have been promised that there are 1000s of families on this Island who are prepared and ready to accept the gospel.
And I know this will help us find them.
I will finish with a sacred
experience we had this past Tuesday night. We were near Lynbrook
looking up a YSA (who wasn't there). We ended up parking just about half
a block away from this YSA's house. We got into the car, and just as we were
getting the GPS ready and the car started, I felt particularly drawn to the
house that we parked in front of. It was after 8 o'clock (which is pretty late
to knock here on the island) and we could have easily left, justifying that we
needed to get to Freeport Long
Island home and her son was finishing up his ice cream at the
kitchen table. We sat in the living room and talked a little about what was
going on in her life. I then felt prompted to and did tell her that I felt
drawn to her house and felt that she needed heaven's help and that we were sent
here to give that help. At that she broke down crying and opened up to us and
shared what she needed and the burdens she was carrying. After that, the three
of us knelt down on her living room floor, and I was invited to be the voice of
the blessing. At that moment, I felt the spirit shoot through me and fill the
room, and I felt the direct attention of our loving Heavenly Father as I
pleaded with him as His servant in behalf of this good family. At the close of
the prayer, peace filled the room, and she laughed because I had touched on
issues that she had failed to mention to us earlier. After we got up, we shared
tearful hugs, and exchanged information. We left a restoration pamphlet and
bore short testimonies on how we knew this gospel would bless her life. At that
we left. We receive so many promptings everyday, and it makes me wonder what
would happen if we would trust in God and follow them. Our Heavenly Father
Lives and knows and is keenly aware of each of his daughters, and his sons.
There is so much pain and anguish in this city and in this world, and Satan is
screaming so loud that it is often times difficult to hear. But our Heavenly
Father hears our pleas, and his miracles are only a prayer away.
I love you all, and miss you
too. This gospel is true and changing me. I am so grateful to be a missionary
and have that special opportunity to serve my God in this capacity. This work
is true, and angels are real. And as we seek the Lord, and follow His
promptings he will lead and guide us to be his angels and send His love to His
children.
Love,
Hermana Chipman
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