The year commemoration of Hurricaine Sandy in Rockaways

Thank you for the emails and love, I sure do love you guys!         

Craziest thing happened today; today is the first day of my LAST TRANSFER!!! Also, sadly, it’s my last day in Plainview. The Lord has a special place for me somewhere else where there are new people to love and a new place to adore. Now I just have to wait till tomorrow to find out where that will be. Wherever it is I will love it. I haven’t yet served in Brooklyn or Staten Island. Who knows, maybe I will be back in Queens! Maybe I will get to speak Spanish again :)

It is hard to express my feelings about Long Island and the people that I have come to know and love here. In reality, I am trying really hard not to think about it because it is just so painful. I LOVE the YSA branch. I really will miss the entertaining ward councils, munch and mingle volleyball (I have gotten pretty good at playing in a skirt!) and the POWERFUL sacrament meetings and lessons. Most of all, I am grateful for all of the challenges that have come. The past 4 transfers have personally been probably the hardest 6 months of my life, but these challenges have just been opposition to the INCREDIBLE blessings and joys that have been out poured upon me. I still may feel really sick, but I have been surrounded by people I love, been filled with the spirit, and been able to do a work that I love with my entire soul. This area has become almost a Temple for me and I don’t think I will ever be the same because of it. 

 Do you want to know how I knew I was about to get transferred? This happened before president told me. Sis Mortensen had the stomach flu, and despite my diligent efforts to avoid it, I ended up with it, and was in bed for a few days! EVERY time I have been transferred, I get the stomach flu the week before....Don't want to know what will happen the week before I go home! When president released me as Sister Training Leader and told me I would be leaving. I laughed and told him I already knew that because I got "the bug." He laughed and told me to call him next time because it seems to be a pretty reliable indicator of whether or not I need to be transferred. Thankfully he follows the Spirit too :)

I learned an important lesson this week, the power of healing. We were able to go to the "Rockaways Rising" yesterday. All of us missionaries who could, traveled back down to the rockaway beach (BEAUTIFUL white sand beach btw), put back on the yellow vests and participated in an enormous human chain with the residents of the Rockaways. We all held hands and cheered, cried and celebrated the amazing resiliency of the people of the area. Yesterday marked the 1 year anniversary of Hurricane sandy. It was a sacred opportunity to be one of the missionaries who were here and participated in the clean-up. The streets were clean, unfogged cars lined the streets. People had beautiful lawns and children were outside playing where moldy, soaking piles of stuff used to lie.  Boys were playing basketball where army vehicles used to be parked. There were still eerie scars of boarded up houses, empty lots where a burnt houses used to be, and that unforgettable smell as you drive by certain places.  But if anything those scars stand as a testimony of the healing that has occurred here. We all came to the beach as strangers, but celebrated as friends. It was incredible, and I can’t thank my Heavenly Father for blessing me enough to come to know and love the people of that peninsula. 

 

Also, don’t pass out! But I decided not to hide my talent and love for singing anymore and sang a whole solo yesterday in church!  I sang Sweet Hour of Prayer. Sis Mortensen and I switched spots. I sang and she played the piano. I really didn't care how well it sounded, I just prayed that God would flood the chapel with his spirit and my voice could be a vehicle for that. He answered my prayer, it was powerful. After I sat down, I swore never again to hide my talent for singing under a bushel, even if other people's talents shine brighter! 

I love and miss you all! Keep up the great work chipper! 

Till next week,

Megan 

News story of the "Rockaways Rising":
http://pix11.com/2013/10/27/rockaway-residents-form-human-chain-to-show-solidarity-on-sandy-anniversary/#5DIpLpWxuP7deDXX.01

 

What you find when you de-junk an Elder's apartment

Hola family!!                                                                         

ALLIE CHIPMAN MIDDLE SCHOOL COLORADO XC STATE CHAMP SAY WHATT???????

Thanks for sending me those photos, article and video. Girl, you have a beautiful and powerful stride! I am soooo proud of you and so happy it all came together so beautifully. Way to be. You trusted in God despite your fear and circumstance and went for it. You really are my hero, thanks for your example. You really are going to whoop me into shape when I get back. Just please don't leave me to the coyotes!

Thank you also for sending me your testimonies and experiences of that miracle. I needed to hear it. Sometimes God isn't waiting to deliver us because he wants to punish us or wants us to suffer. He really is all about timing. And if I learned anything in my life its that God loves suspense and buzzer beaters. Maybe he likes it for the same reasons we do, but I think its more that its by His timing that we recognize who is behind it. Also we had stake conference this past week and the stake president, President Hardman said something that got me really thinking. He said that the spirit once taught him that, "Pain is the greatest schoolmaster." God is merciful not in the sense that he saves us pain, but only allows the amount we need to learn the lesson we need to learn. Once we learn it, he takes it away. It makes God's punishment a lot less menacing when you think about it like that.

Miracles this week? Can I count the ways!? First off, my head finally cleared, and I was able to drive into queens and back, and then to queens and back on Tuesday. Still feel pretty silly at times, but I have kind of always been like that. Maybe I am just feeling more like myself again :)

Poor Sister Mortensen was sick with the Stomach flu this week. I took the opportunity to finally finish cleaning out all the junk left over from years and years of missionaries more specifically elders. All the things I found were really interesting. Water guns, nerf guns, a full chess set, polaroid film, 2 year old easter candy, an entire set of world book encyclopedias (A-Z), a set of fancy kitchen knives in a briefcase, lots and lots of tennis balls, baseballs, ping pong balls, you name it. I quite enjoyed myself. Also it felt good to scrub down the place. The longer I am out hear, the more and more I realize how much I am like you Mom, especially in how I clean and like it clean. But its a miracle, our apartment is clean and almost completely dejunkified, and we have a coat closet that doesn't smell like man!

We had an amazing week of teaching too. And the miracles just unfolded in how they all took place. Just as I was about to cancel our appts on Wednesday night, Sister Owens (the Owens are one of best senior couples in my book!) , called us back and said she could stay with sister Mortensen in the apartment, and I went out on my own! haha not  quite, Liz an awesome member here picked me up and was my companion for the evening. Still was really weird not being with my companion, well I go on exchanges almost 3X a week, let me rephrase that. It was weird being the only missionary in the room. Especially when I was teaching, and I paused waiting for my companion to say something, and realized everyone was just looking at me haha. It was a wonderful night. The spirit was strong in both of the lessons that night. And it miraculously all worked out.

Also, I realized again something powerful during my second lesson that night. And it has been something I have been pondering on since. We were originally teaching a member who just hasn't been to church for a while, but we’re soon joined by another member who also had been struggling. There were also 3 other members sitting at the table. I knew we wanted to teach the Restoration of the gospel, but I prayed with my whole heart to know how to teach "the resto" in a way that the spirit could touch all of our hearts, because I knew it was something we had all heard a number of times. We started by focusing on prayer and our relationship with Heavenly Father and moved through the lesson from there. When we were discussing the Savior's life, ministry and atonement, I had the distinct impression to stop and focus on this point. I just asked both of the members we were teaching and the Elders quorum president to share their testimonies of the savior and what he means to them. The spirit filled the room as they testified of Jesus Christ and the role he has played in their lives. It then hit me again. The restoration of the gospel is ALL about the atonement. I even felt prompted to share the sad truth that so often as a missionary I feel I need to kind of rush through the beginning of the lesson, particularly the part about Jesus Christ's life, ministry and atonement (Especially if they are already Christian) so that we can get to the Joseph Smith story and teach about the Book of Mormon. BUT Jesus Christ and His atonement are what it is ALL about. Joseph Smith didn't go into a grove of trees just to find out which church was true to know how he should spend his Sunday mornings. He was a 14 year old  boy with the deep determination to return to God and he had the deep and burning question within his soul that we all wrestle with, "How do I gain salvation and get back home" He wanted to know which church he should join because he wanted to know HOW to apply the atonement (or suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ) and be saved. God the Father and His son Jesus Christ didn't only appear to him to answer his question (none of them) and call him as a prophet to restore their church. They appeared because they wanted to restore the knowledge, and authority and power to call upon the powers of heaven to apply the Atonement of Jesus Christ and Save the entire human family by doing so. Becoming and active and faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not an "end" in and of itself it is the means by which God has given us so that we can reach the greatest end, Eternal Life. I don't know if that makes sense, but it blew my mind. Simply put, Jesus Christ called the Prophet Joseph Smith, and through him restored His gospel in perfection, the way to make it back home with him and the father.

I love you all and miss you! Cant believe I will be seeing you in 7 weeks! I am trying not to think too much about it. And thanks Allie, I am glad I will have your help with my social skills when I get back, but I think you have always worried about me in that regard haha. Too bad you can't come with me to my first Sunday back at BYU!

 

Also I hope you are loving Budge, Argentina Elder Chipman. I will pray you have an amazing birthday, and that you can find yourself a good argentine steak!

A wonderful & entertaining week

Today at 11:09 AM

Hello! 

Fall is here and the leaves are beginning to change. Nothing too dramatic yet, but I am really excited! The smaller trees have almost all changed, but the big ones are still tall and green. I have never been around so many trees in all my life, I can only imagine the mess the leaves will leave! Oh well, I think I now understand how people actually jump into leaf piles. They live in a place like this! And Dad, you asked about how often I get to see the ocean. It depends, sometimes more than others. It is quite a treat when it happens. There was a Less-active who lived in an apt right near the water in Port Washington. We never did find her, but we never minded paying the place a visit :) 

What a wonderful and entertaining week. I started taking this new medication to help me sleep, and it has made me quite punch happy. My companion and district have been thoroughly entertained. Mostly, I now just speak my mind more than I used to....oh dear. My body is getting used to it, but I still say the silliest things. They don't mention that side effect on the bottle!! It also knocks me out...all. day. long. But all missionaries are tired, so maybe I have just been out for 15 months. 

 Even though I have been really sick this week, we were able to get a lot done. And I learned something else last night. The worst part about being sick, especially as a missionary is all the things you cant do and all the work that is left undone, that usually wouldn't be a problem for you. Its been quite the challenge to balance keeping our enormous area going, manage mission leadership responsibilities, try to exchange with 13 sister companionships during the transfer, meet their needs, try to get healthy and climb out of a hole. Its also hard when how I feel can be so unpredictable and debilitating. Its not even frustration at not being able to do all of these things perfectly (I let that go a long time ago), its just simply not being able to do it. Its hard not to feel that it wouldn't be better if someone else came in  to replace me so as to not let so much go undone. I was praying to Heavenly Father, and voicing all of my concerns when that familiar voice entered very powerfully into my heart and said, "I want your all, and I don't care how much that is." I was then overwhelmed with this feeling of peace and acceptance from my loving Father, and a reminder of all we were able to accomplish this week, and the strength he has given me. My prayer than changed to thank my Heavenly Father and all He is permitting me to do. Also, it all started to make sense. I thought of the widow's mite and how she gave greater than they all, because she gave her all. I thought about the covenants or promises that we make at baptism and in the temple. We promise to give our all. I thought about the scripture in The Book of Mormon that says, We are saved by grace after all we can do. Christ gave his all so that our all will be enough. Enough for what? All that the Father has. Grace makes ALL the difference! I know I can't balance everything and everyone's needs here, but if my all, is all he requires, than I am doing a pretty good job :) 

Also, so many miracles. We found 2 new investigators this week. And were able to teach 3 lessons, which is pretty good! One of the lessons was when I was in the Doctor's office. My asthma doctor is this  beautiful fiery Persian Jewish woman from the Bronx. However stressful Dr appts can be, I like going to her and she is taking good care of me. Over the course of my visits, we have been able to have some neat discussions as she is examining my nose, ears and throat. Kind of funny to be teaching someone about prophets as they are looking straight up your nose, but God's thoughts are mysterious :) anyway. Sis Mortensen was in the lobby making calls, while I went to see the Doc. About 5-10min later she came in and said, "What's the call? Did you find anything?" The doctor smiled sheepishly and said, "Not yet" To which I smiled and said, "We are actually talking about Joseph Smith, we haven't gotten to the nose stuff yet." It was neat, and taught me that there is no specified way or time to share the gospel :)

Another miracle and a story to prove the power of member missionary work. We went out to Terryville to exchange with both of the sister companionships serving there. We met the sisters at the chapel after a baptism. I took the two trainers and stayed in Terryville, and Sis Mortensen took the trainees back to Plainview. Our Ward mission leader was kind and offered to take us out to eat while we had correlation. On the way there, He called and asked if I would invite the other 3 sisters too. As I went to do so, I realized I had BOTH of our phones (we have 2) and as I asked the other sisters which one of them left their phone with the others...neither had. "fantastic!" I thought haha, we had 4 phones for three sisters, and no way of getting a hold of the others. Thankfully they didn't get too far down the road before they realized they had no way of calling anyone. Somehow they found some elders who let them use the phone to call the mission leader. Anyway, we went to Five Guys and made quite a scene with 1 young man paying for 6 young woman who were all dressed up and had tags and addressed each other as sister. The owner took notice and asked our correlator where we were from. Joe was talking to him for a while. When he came back to the table, the owner asked if we wanted anything else and that it would be on him! He also said, to let him know when we ever came in because he wanted to make sure we ate for free. As he walked a way, Sis Mortensen asked him, "What did you say to him?" and Joe, our ward mission leader said simply, "We just talked about the gospel." Not 5min later the kid who wrung up our order came up to our table and said, "The owner said you all are Mormon, and I don't know very much about your church and want to learn. I love learning about different religions." Then handing us a piece of paper with his information on it said, "Here is my name and number I would love to learn more." Right then and there Joe got his address and set up an appt with him. We will meet with him tomorrow :). Amazing thing about it all, is that we missionaries just came in and stuffed our faces with delicious burgers. Joe is a return missionary and still does a great job at sharing what he knows to be true. In fact after our friend walked away, he said under his breath, "I still got it." It is fun to realize that just because I may be going home soon, doesn't mean I have to stop being a missionary. The world needs this gospel, and the Lord needs his missionaries and members to only be willing to open their mouths.

I love you all! Good Luck Allie! I read that milesplit article, look at you all famous. You are going to do great! Just try to relax and give yourself a break. I am praying for you! And chipper, hope you enjoyed your first week in Argentina! Have you eaten steak yet? Argentinians eat a lot of really yummy steak :) You will probably feel at home. 

I learned again, my weaknesses do not define me, or even my success

Hampton Bay's duck

Taking our good friend to the temple for the first time

Howdy family!                                                                      

Wow what a week! Lots of neat people, lots of lessons learned, and many many miracles :) So funny how now it is so hard to remember it all now that I am writing you but I will do my best.

It was an amazing week to be a missionary. We had Presidents Interviews, Mission Leadership Council, and General Conference. It was about as exciting as Christmas! 

 It was a spiritually powerful week and an opportunity for a lot of self reflection. And a lesson I learned this week, that BLEW my mind. Probably shouldn't of, but I guess it’s about time that I learned it. As Elder Richard G. Scott said yesterday in General Conference. The Lord is a God of Justice and Mercy. He will punish our rebellions, and extend mercy towards our weaknesses. I realized something powerful. I seem to have it in my head that I need to be punished for my rebellions and my weaknesses and that is how I am to learn. Through gritting my teeth, enduring and getting through it. No pain no gain. But then during his talk, I realized that the Savior Heals and Strengthens through Mercy, Love and Forgiveness. So why should I think that I can somehow become better by beating up on and focusing on my weaknesses? Weaknesses are only overcome through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, or in other words, his grace and mercy. That is why God gave us weaknesses, so we could enjoy his mercy and learn to overcome through him. 

Also, Heaven is trying to tell me something. It was incredible to have my president's interview. And I learned again, my weaknesses do not define me, or even my success. I went in there thinking of all the different things I could and needed to change, but just came to find that President fully trusted me and that he wanted me to see how incredibly successful of a mission I had. I felt the spirit and knew it was true, but found it hard to believe as I thought of all the people I failed to talk to, days I failed to do this that or the other....blah blah blah.  Heaven sensed it wasn't sneaking in and so prompted a past companion to seek me out and try to talk to me. She sat me down and shared with me how successful I have been and how we had grown together. I was so grateful to her and her willingness to follow the spirit. And also grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who is long-suffering to get through my thick head what success really is.  I have learned that success in God's eyes is not the absence of weakness, or even what we accomplish. It is trying to live worthy of the spirit, to love people, to be happy and better ourselves despite the opposition we face. God doesn't want us only to be successful, but feel it too. What does success mean to us if we do not enjoy it? No wonder I am so high strung and stressed all the time, I have had skewed ways of seeing it. Makes me so grateful for repentance and being able to change my perspective on things. 

We also got to talk to a lot of people this week from all over. Vietnam, Mexico, Brooklyn, Jamaica, Gianna, and Poland to. Even in the Island, there is strong diversity. Still neat to be able to preach the gospel to every nation. 

We are now off to go bowling with the other missionaries in our zone. This should be interesting! I love you!!