Also! Our good friend Augustine received the Aaronic Priesthood yesterday! I met Gus a few months back on an exchange while my companion-for-the-day and I were looking up his sister from one of our YSA lists. Gus is an amazing guy with a lot of faith. Just over a year ago, he suffered a catastrophic stroke in his brain stem that left him un-operable and as he says it he was "on his way out." He was in and out of a comatose state. At that time, he had been less-active since moved to NY, almost a decade before he reached out to the church from his hospital bed. As he would tell you, he begged God to be able to live and promised Him that he would dedicate his life to Him and to learning His word and being active in his church if he were given that 2nd chance. He was. Miraculously, Gus was eventually able to leave the hospital and move back home. Only problem was that he couldn't afford in-house care or rehab therapy and there was a problem with his insurance. Essentially what happened is that he learned to rehab himself through youtube and taught himself to walk again, talk again, and look people in the eye. He really is a walking miracle. He is still recovering, and making incredible progress. He really is one of the happiest people I know. When we met him, He had been going to to the family ward in Huntington for a couple weeks, we invited him to the Singles Branch and He has been coming ever since. We have been helping him prepare to receive the priesthood and to receive a temple recommend. And this week it happened! He had about 3 interviews with the branch president that fell through this past week, (oh the joys of opposition), but yesterday Elder Owens, one of the Senior missionaries (him and his wife teach institute) conferred the Aaronic Priesthood upon him. The spirit was so strong, and Sister Mortensen and I are so grateful to be apart of that miracle. I know that this priesthood will change and bless him and his family. Gus is so good, and we are excited to go with him to the temple next week! It will be his first time!
I love you all, and hope that you are happy and well. I hope you (Mom and Dad) have a fun and safe trip and if anything it will be fun to think of you only 7hrs away :).
Allie, keep up the amazing work!!! Will you run with me and get me back into shape when I get back? (...don't know which one scares me more, Dad's running prison, or Allie's?.....) I will be honored to get to run with the District Champ :)....and you won it at Larkspur too!
And last but not least, keep going Elder Chipman. You are right about missionary work taking a lot of patience. Sometimes the only answer is to take a deep breath, say a little prayer, and just believe and have faith it will all work out. Also remember, Jesus Christ lives and that He suffered and died for everything we have done wrong and failed to do. What does that mean? That means that as long as we apply and internalize the Doctrine of Christ (Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Endure to the End), and do our best, there is nothing that we can do or fail to do to keep someone or ourselves from entering into the kingdom. All God has ever had to work with is imperfect people, and he is perfect at doing it. And through His perfect plan, it will all come down to each person's agency, whether they want to live with God or not. Simple as that. So keep it up, keep your head up, and trust in God. Most of the good you will ever do on your mission or in your life will be unrecognizable to you, but God sees it and is so grateful for it, and so are so many others!.....so just remember that and have faith that it is there, even when you don't see it.
Have a good one!
Love,
Hermana Chipman
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