This week. Hooo! A lot of big changes happened in our
mission. With all the new missionaries, particularly sisters, the Lord has had
us form a whole new zone in our mission. Our mission, for a long time, has been
split up into 9 zones, and in this past transfer meeting, president formed a
new zone 10! There are now multiple sister companionships in each of the zones
as well! Except in Bushwick Brooklyn, there is still only 1. President
Calderwood also promised us that we are apart of something big, particularly on
this island. The spirit was so strong, and especially after that broadcast, I
know that it is the Lord's will to Explode his work in all parts of the
world, and particularly here. It is neat and powerful to be apart of something
so much bigger than ourselves.
I also now officially have an English
nametag. I still wear my "Hermana" tag when I get the opportunity to
speak Espanola (and feel I will always be a Hermana). Some of the Spanish
elders in my zone were teasing me for making the switch ha-ha, but I really am
grateful for the sacred opportunity to preach the gospel to my own people who
are my age and in my own language.
Scary thing happened this week. So remember how we again
switched our apartments with the Elders? This week we attacked and cleaned the
place. It was pretty horrid ha-ha, when our District Leader heard we were
switching "pads" with him, he said, "What?" There has
to be another way! Sisters can't live here!" And he was right, we couldn't!
So we took a day and cleaned it. (Let’s just say the Microwave was ooozing gook
for a good 10min!!!) How grateful I am for a loving mother who taught me how to
really clean a house. It now looks spectacular and miraculously didn't take
that long (It helps that we opened our cleaning with a prayer :), prayer always
works!!) We also de-junked the place, there was so much trash!! When our
landlord heard of what we were doing, he was very happy and in his thick Russian
accent chanted, "Lower rent! Lower rent!" ha-ha. When our District
Leader came back to the apartment with the other Elders to dedicate our
apartment, they were in awe! It is nice to now live in such a clean apartment. It
was amazing to feel how the more we cleaned, the more of the spirit we could feel
enter the place. Now I better understand why you keep such a clean house mom
:).
Dad, you posed a very
interesting question in your email. One I have been thinking a lot
about...probably too much knowing me, and how much I like to think. But my year
mark is coming up (next Thursday) and so it has triggered a lot of reflection
of my service for the past year. You asked how I feel about it. It's a hard
question. In terms of baptisms, I haven't had any, and in terms of numbers, I
haven't produced very much. Which I would be lying if I didn't say that that is
really hard for me. But I also feel like I am running a race, and you know how
before you runs a race, you usually have specific splits, checkpoints and goals
you want to hit? And then when you start running, sometimes those splits,
checkpoints and goals just don't happen, even within the first mile, or even
lap? And you have a choice. You can "give up" mentally, and beat
yourself up for the rest of the race for not hitting those goals (been guilty of
that..even on the mission and I don't recommend it), OR you can adapt and
change those checkpoints and goals and still make what you can out of it,
possibly even better than you first imagined. That's kind of where I feel I am
at. I have not hit my "splits" or very many of my goals, but I know I
have given all I know how to give, and somehow it’s going to be enough. Do I
wish I had more "to show" for what I have been through and
experienced for the past year? yes I do, but that hasn't been my lot, and so I
am that "choice" part of the race, and am choosing to just accept
where I am at, and make the best I can out of it. I also feel that the Lord has
a different " race course" designed for each of us. Some of us have
hilly courses, some are through the mud, some with road signs in a different
language ha-ha. Some are on a track, with lots of cheerleaders, and some are in
a solitary forest. The Lord even puts us at different altitudes and in
different weather conditions (including hurricanes :) ). Whatever our course,
there is a real temptation to compare successes as a missionary, but I am
learning that comparing 2 missionaries' successes is like comparing 5k times
b/w a hilly course in CO and one at a track here on Long Island....its
ridiculous and can't be done. There are several missionaries in my mission who
baptize and reactivate a lot in this mission, and I am grateful for that,
because it raises all of our vision for what is possible. If you can't already
tell, it’s been really hard on me this past week to realize that so much time
has already passed, and I feel so little has been done. But then again I am
reminded of how many people Christ was able to feed with 2 loaves and some
small fishes. Sometimes I think I get preoccupied with how small my contribution
is, rather than focusing on my Savior and what he has been able to do with that
contribution. I love him, and realize and remember that the reason I came on a
mission was much more than feeling like I needed too. We all remember that
crisis when I realized the Lord would be pleased with me and had a work for me
if I stayed. I came in the hope that I could be a blessing to the people of New York
Also, number wise there may not
be much to show for it. But I know there is a light in my eyes from the
testimony that I have of my Savior Jesus Christ, a parts of my heart that have
been and continue to be healed and changed by His atoning sacrifice. I have
calluses on my knees from crying to the Lord on my knees, and not very
much sole left on my shoes from all of the walking. I have strong arms and
hands from all the service in hurricane sandy, and a love for the people here
that continues to grow. I am now pretty fluent in Spanish (for which I thank
the Lord). I have a mouth that has been used as his mouthpiece as answer many
people's prayers. And I have gained the trust of my mission president, other
missionaries, members, and the Lord from being exactly obedient. So I guess to
answer your question Dad, How do I feel about my service? I don't quite know,
except for the fact I am just grateful for the miracle my mission has
been and is, and that I know the best is yet to be :)
Sorry to get all Sappy, it has
really been on my mind all week, so it is good to get it out :) I may not see
that fruit yet, but I know without a doubt that the restoration of the Gospel
of Jesus Christ is true. Joseph Smith in reality saw the Father and the Son,
Jesus Christ in the grove of trees, and through him, Jesus Christ restored his
church on the Earth. The Doctrine of Christ is the pathway back to our Heavenly
Father, and the Atonement is the ONLY way we can get there!
I love you all and miss you!
Have a happy 4th!
Love,
Sis Megan Chipman
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