Life here is so different.

Hello family!                                                                                       September 24, 12

How are you all doing? I loved your emails, and actually at the Library here in Queens I can print your emails for free. So I will be writing you after I am done with this :) Oh and mom, I haven't gotten any fudge yet, I might just have to drop by the mission office and see if it is there!

Stephen, Congrats!!!!!!! That is AWESOME! I am proud of you and hope your really enjoy it. There are few cooler things on this earth than running a race with a BYU jersey:) (The only cooler thing that I know of is wearing a black name tag with our Savior's name on it).

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your prayers. I surely can feel them carry me along. Boy is it tough. I feel like at least once a day there is a moment where I think to myself, "What am I doing here? I didn't have to do this!" And then at the same time, everyday there is a much more powerful moment where I know and feel that there is no place I would rather be. Its quite the roller coaster in that sense.

I am glad you liked the pictures and that you were able to check the area out on google earth. Like I said I live just across the train tracks from the chapel. Life here is so different. Everyone walks everywhere here (I have never seen more podiatrist doctor offices in my life!). It is interesting when we do our "Street Sweeps" (We set up a table on a busy street and walk with/ stop/ talk /testify with people on the street as they pass by). We offer them free church DVDs (Finding faith in Christ, Lamb of God, Together forever and Restoration) and offer to bring it by their houses. The interesting thing is that when we stop and talk to people they are busily on their way somewhere. It is kind of like stopping people in their cars on their way to work. We call it "Fearlessing" We do it on the train (which we ride a lot), the bus, and to and from appointments. We usually give them a Mormon.org card or other pass along card. I am not so good at the whole "Having no fear" part of it, but I am getting better.

Our Mission president is an inspired man and very smart. He is really pushing these street sweeps and fearlessing (especially close to the chapels). In answer to your question Dad about the campaign we are told very strictly that we cannot participate in any political discussions, BUT our mission president wants to take advantage of the attention (especially in NYC where the media is centered) that the church is getting and get the name of the church out there. We do find actually quite a few investigators from fearlessing and street sweeps, and also we get the name of the church out there. People may not want to listen to our message, but at least they walk by the table and know that Mormons believe in Christ. We work really hard to keep the name of the Church out of politics.

Now, most of the people that we work with aren't US citizens and so aren't interested in politics anyway. We spent a lot of time in Corona this week which is very much Hispanic. I am, for the first time in my life, the only white person walking the streets and I really stand out. I did see one other white man yesterday. He was a construction worker who was talking to his supervisor on the phone and reporting that he couldn't do the work because of the language barrier and he couldn't get people to clear the streets ha-ha. The language is coming, still a challenge, but coming and at a miraculous rate. I now can understand most of the Spanish that I hear, the real challenge is communicating. It is coming.

The Miracles are unfolding and we are finding people to teach. We now have 2 investigators, and both were found through fearlessing. We have a few more that we are starting to teach as well. This work is so true, there is no way that 2 "foreigners" like us should find any one to listen to the message that we bear but there is. The converting power of the Book of Mormon is real. We went and visited a family that dropped the missionaries 7 months ago. The mother and son were home and the Book of Mormon was sitting on their living room table. We talked and found out that the 13 year old boy has read almost the entire Book of Mormon and knows that it is true. When we taught about Joseph Smith, he was finishing our sentences. The mother has been reading a little bit also. What a miracle! The problem is that their father will not let them go to church, and so we are praying!

Thank you again for all your love, support and prayers. I love you a lot and miss you terribly, but know that this is where I want and need to be :) I often find myself "talking" to you in my head and thinking about what advice you would give and what you would say, you help a lot :)

Love,

Hermana Chipman

Pictures from first week in NYC

Finally in NYC!

There are two letters here. This letter came in the mail today.  Megan wrote it on the day after she arrived. The next letter was written today and emailed home.

Hola Familia!                                                                          9/11/12

 

So I am here in NYC!  What an amazing place!  We got in at about 2 pm.  We flew into LaGuardia Airport (which we learned was the airport where that airplane ran into the birds and then landed in the Hudson).  We flew right past the skyline and my window view was PERFECT! I saw the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, Queens, and the whole 9 yards.  Anyway, that isn’t the important part.

 

I have met my mission president and his family and they are WONDERFUL! Yesterday was a pretty low key day.  We just went to the mission home for interviews, had a wonderful dinner & fireside, and then stayed the night.  The house is in Port Washington on Long Island.  Wow is it green and beautiful here.  I have never seen so many trees!  We are now just about to go to the transfer meeting to meet our trainers.  My mission president says that the trainers  that he has chosen for us sisters are the best of the best and that the Lord has been clear that those are the sisters we need.  Yesterday, after he met with us, he prayed sincerely and I know my trainer is who I need to be with.  The amazing thing about a mission is that we have to work for the spirit and as we do, we meet the people God wants us too.  I guess that is true in real life too.  After the transfer meeting I’ll get moved in and then we go to work.  How exciting!

 

I love you all and it was wonderful to talk to each of you--even if it was really short, early in the morning, and hard to hear.

 

I miss you and feel so strongly and grateful that this is where I need to be.  It is an exciting time to be serving here in the NY,NY mission!

 

Love,

Hermana Chipman

Second letter

 

 

Hello Family!                                                                       September 17, 2012

 

It is so crazy, but I am finally here and writing you from NYC!! This place is incredible and I like it a lot. It is SO different than anyplace I have been and feels like a foreign country at times. I love it!

My trainer is amazing. Her name is Hermana Simplicio and she is from Forteleza, Brazil. She is probably going to "Die" with me as her "kid" (Which is mission language for she will go home after she is done training me haha). We have a lot of fun together and I know we will see a lot of miracles together.

We definitely have our work cut out for us. We are actually opening a new area here in the Rego Park II Barrio (Spanish for ward). We are 2 of the 8 missionaries working within the ward boundaries. One of the other Hermanas, is Hermana Gray and she was a study buddy of mine in my Geology class sophomore year, small world.

Our area is full of contrasts. Where our apartment is, there are a lot of trees, pretty red brick houses and apartments and nice cars. We walk A LOT, and even in just 45 min of walking, I feel like we pass through 3 different countries. We have a predominately English and every other language but Spanish area. It is all apart of Queens, which is supposed to be one of the most diverse cities in the world. I have talked to a lot of people so far and have only met about 5 from the states, it's pretty awesome. I feel like the whole world lives in my area. Claire Ewing wrote me and said something profound, she said the beauty of NYC is not the landscape like CO, but all the different people. I have to agree

There is a Spanish area called corona that we have done some work in and our district is doing something new and different. We are now having a "shared area." It requires communication so we don't run it dry, but there is a large area which is essentially all Hispanic that we will all be working in. I am excited.

 

The language is coming...boy is it tough, but my trainer is very encouraging and the members seem impressed with my Spanish for only being here for a week. Now the challenge is actually using it, I haven't had too many opportunities yet, but I am studying hard and praying it will come.

The work is hard. Seeing how we opened an area, it took a while to get going and gather all the records from the other missionaries to get an area book going. We have been doing a lot of walking and a lot of talking and a lot of praying. Right now it hasn't been fruitful, but I know we are here for a purpose and that we will find people to teach.

So far in doing our work I have made some interesting observations. Children love us, dogs HATE us, parents are either annoyed or offended by us and pretty much the only people who seem interested are the drunken Latino men on the side of the street who constantly cat call us. This is how the work has been for the majority of the time thus far. But there have been just a few moments where I stopped this certain Latino lady who was pushing her children in both a stroller and a wheelchair who seemed to almost recognize us and showed a sincere and humble interest in listening. We found just a few people like that and I hope we get a chance to teach them this week. This work is a lot of grunge work, but there are miracles that seem to happen each day that make it all worth it.

It has amazed me how the Lord has been able to use me this past week with my poor language skills and inexperience. This past Saturday, Sister Martinez invited all 4 of us Sister missionaries over for dinner. She is a recent convert and is getting ready to go to the temple in November. She used to be in the other sister's area, but with the area switch she is now in ours and so we all went as part of a "hand off" if that makes any sense. Anyway, Sister Martinez invited 4 of her work friends over as well and wanted us to share a message with them. Two of them were college students (or just graduated). They are business students, like me, and fit the "cliché" young New York business professional. We shared with them and introduced to them the Book of Mormon. It came for my time to speak in my broken Spanish, but they said they all understood English for the most part and so invited me to say it in English. I don't remember what I said exactly, I just bore my testimony of the Book and shared with them Moroni's promise. I do remember what I felt and what they felt. It was the first time that I have seen the Holy Ghost reach and change people. As I testified I could feel the Holy Ghost touching their hearts through me and their countenances almost changed. I am grateful to be where I am and know that in that moment, God used what I could give. The two students said they were definitely going to look into it further. It was neat.

Well, that's about all I have time to write. I love you all and am so grateful for your prayers. It's definitely a culture shock, but God is with me. Thank you so much for your package mom, it truly made my week :). As far as mail goes, I actually won't be in my apt for too much longer because they are looking for an apartment for just Hermana Simplicio and I. Just keep sending it all to the mission office. The office is in my ward building and we find ourselves there almost every other day and so I have actually been able to get some mail while we are there.

Keep running fast! Congrats Allie, that is awesome! And Stephen, this is from experience, you can never tell your "spot" on the team by how they treat you. It is pretty cut throat, and almost the whole time I was on the team I felt like I was bugging people, I later found out that that is kind of just part of being on the team. Just keep trying and being kind. It will work out, it always does!

Love you all and miss you! God Bless!

Hermana Chipman

Last letter from the MTC :)

Hey family!

 

Sorry this email is getting out later, Sis Mortensen had some appointments she had to go to this morning.

 

I got all your letters last night and they all made me really happy and miss you a lot! They also made me excited to call this monday! This email isn't as entertaining, it is more of a housekeeping one. But I will try to type fast so I can get to the good stuff :)

 

Though now that I think about it, this is the good stuff! I leave the MTC in 5 DAYS!! We have to report to the MTC travel office this Monday September 10th by 3am (killer!) and then here is some of my flight info:

 

I am flying out of SLC at 5:56am, then landing in DENVER 7:27am (seriously, I know haha)

Then I fly out of DENVER at 8:34am and arrive at the Laguardia airport in NY at 2:09pm (It will be really weird and hard to not get to see you in Denver, it will be a strange short stop home).

 

Entonces, (there really isn't a good enough english translation but it is like so/then haha) I will be calling you sometime between 4:30am and 5:15am, and then around 7:45am. I can talk to you as long as we want as long as I get on my flight, also I have to wait in line to use the calling card (which I bought today for $5). I am really sorry it is so early, but that is all the time I got. Also, I guess leaving messages takes a ton of minutes, and so I think I will just keep calling till someone picks up (so also please turn your cell phones all the way up so I get to talk to you). I understand it is super early and so Dear Elder me if this works. Also Stephen, I can call you but I need your phone number! So please don't forget to send me it. I think I am going to try to call home when I am in SLC and then Stephen for the brief time in Denver and maybe home again. I have no idea and I don't know how many missionaries need to use the pay phones.

 

Also, Don't Dear Elder me anything after thrusday night because we don't get dear elder's on Saturday and we don't get mail after 2pm on Saturday.

 

Wow, 5 min for more of the fun stuff.

 

1st thank you SO much for the suprise package!! I wrote you more about it, but it literally made a rough week awesome. Also thanks for sending me the pictures! Good times :) and I love the pics of you guys climbing the 14er (I need to climb one of those when I get home). You all look great :)

 

I guess there isn't much time to tell any stories. I am getting really excited about going into the field. The Lord is merciful to all of us. I am learning the powerful lesson that I haven't quite grasped before and its that life isn't about doing things perfectly, its all about repenting and changing. It's all about turning our hearts to Jesus Christ, that is what repentance is. It's all about doing the best we can with what we have and the best we can do is repent. I am still plenty nervous but I know that through repentance, God can make weak things strong unto me and Heaven will surround me. I know it is the same for everyone of God's children.

 

Love you!!! Talk to you soon!

 

Love,

Megan

Fire Alarm during the Morning Shower :-o

Hello family!! Como le va? (How is it going?)                                   Aug. 29, 12

 

Thank you so much for the awesome package and the letters!! I got the package slip on Monday night and retrieved my package yesterday morning. It was awesome! Thank you for the necklaces and earrings!!! I chose the pink one and gave the other to Sis Mortensen like you said and she LOVES them. She is actually wearing them right now as she is ferociously typing next to me ( email is a rat race here). I immediately put on mine yesterday and it made me feel very loved all day, so thank you. Also thanks for filling me in on everything. Stephen, it is so weird knowing that you moved to Provo a week ago and I didn't hear anything about it till I got Dad's letter on Mon, and Mom's letter last night. Way to be 3rd in the Dating contest! What can I say, my little bro is a dating king and he has only been a BYU student for 3 days :p.

 

Well, its crazy, but in a week and a half, I will be in NYC!!!! I get my travel plans tomorrow!!!!!! (I forget that people actually leave the MTC haha). I won't get to call you like Seth did though, because I have a p-day after I get my travel plans, but I do get to call you at the airport. I will send you more info in the letter I will write you today :)

 

Funny story....At 6:40am on Monday morning, our residence hall was buzzing as usual with all of us sisters getting showered and ready the day (which begins at 7). All of the sudden, my roommate (who btw knows the Carneys (sp?) her name is Sister Hansen and she is from Littleton!) comes in, grabs a towel and warns us that the fire alarm is going to go off because someone burnt something in the microwave. My companion and I go out to inspect and indeed the whole floor was full of smoke and the fire alarm went off. We, knowing the cause, grab our tags and go down the stairs to exit the building. The problem was that all of the showers were of course full, and so we had a hord of sister missionaries in towels exiting the building into the MTC campus. What a nightmare! Haha! Luckily a lot of sisters who were clothed had towels in their hair that they donated and so they were well covered. Also luckily our building is on the edge of campus so there weren't very many elders around. We also formed a circle around the sisters like a bunch of yaks. Oh it was pretty hilarious. I guess the whole thing started when this sweet Asian sister microwaved some corn. The floor still smells like smoke, but at least we have a great story from it!

 

I am so blessed and happy. The people here are incredible and I love them very much. We are like a big family. Sis Mortensen and I are 2 of 4 sisters in our entire branch now. When I go to leadership meetings, I am the only sister in the meetings which is definitely different than I am used to haha. All the elders in my zone are incredibly sweet and respectful towards us.  Their mothers have definitely taught them well.

I am very, VERY, nervous about entering the field in just over a week. I feel like I don't know any Spanish and that NYC will be very different than anything I have ever known. At the same time, I couldn't be more excited. I will soon be ACTUALLY doing what I have been talking about doing for the past 7 months. I know that Jesus Christ lives and that this is His kingdom upon the earth. I know that the covenants necessary for salvation have been restored through the prophet Joseph Smith. I also know with all my soul that the work I am engaged in is real and the most important work on this earth, the very work of God, the salvation of souls. I am scared out of my mind to enter the field, but I have faith and am very much humbled by my calling, which if you think about it is the most powerful combination on this earth for it is through our faith and humility that God works His mighty miracles and commands the very heavens to shake for our good. I have faith; I know I can do it.

I love you all!

Hermana Chipman

 

PS Amigos: some of you I haven’t had the chance to write, can you dear elder me your new addresses if you have moved since writing me? Thanks!

PPS Chipper and Allie, I want to hear from you if you get a chance. Also chip, I have a letter for you, what's your address?

PPPS Mom, can you send that package to NYC? Can you believe it is that time?

I'm feeling much better :)

NOTE TO READERS: Megan called home on Saturday. She got the stomach flu and missed class for two days and so the MTC sent her to a doctor (I guess that is MTC policy). She ended up in the emergency room because it was a weekend and appendicitis was suspected. Everything was fine, but she got to call home for 7 minutes to explain the future emergency room bill that would be coming home :- /

Hola!!                                                                                                              8/25/12

Thank you so much for your letters and prayers. They have sure meant a lot. I also am guessing this is a much anticipated email seeing how the last time I talked to you was a 7 min phone call explaining that I had been in the emergency room all morning but for you not to worry. It was wonderful talking to you and hearing your voices! Made me realize how much I miss you.

Yes, I am feeling much better thanks. The real battle has been the fact that couldn't eat very much at all (thankfully I am beginning to be able to return to my normal diet) and so I now know what my newly discovered hypoglycemia feels like. Its definitely been a rough past week, but I have been able to stay in good spirits. The Lord truly is always there to comfort us, and I don't know if I have ever felt the comfort and supporting hand of the Lord like I have this past week. I also have again experienced the true power of prayer and the priesthood and that the Lord does take care of His missionaries. On Saturday night, I was feeling really weak from not eating hardly anything for a few days. In my prayers, I prayed that I would somehow be able to keep going and have the energy I needed to go to my meetings on Sunday and to carry out all the responsibilities of a missionary, and prayed that I could somehow find some "flu food" to eat throughout the day. I told Him if I had the right food, I could do it. The next morning in Sacrament meeting, one of the branch presidency's wives received a distinct prompting that she needed to go get me some "flu food" (bananas, soda crackers etc.). During the hour between Sacrament meeting and Relief society (we don't have Sunday School here) She went to the only grocery store that was open on Sunday in Provo and picked some up for me. It was truly an answer to my prayer and even though I haven't felt well, I have been able to attend all of my meetings classes, and have been able to snack on the food whenever I need it. A true blessing. I know that our prayers are heard and answered, and as you said in your letter Dad, it is most often answered through other people.

 

Also, funny story, on Saturday night, I told my companion that I was excited for Sunday because it is a day with a lot of down time so I could spend most the day in bed if I still needed too, and still go my meetings. Well, before our 8am Sacrament meeting, I got the assignment of coordinating sister in the zone, which means that I had meetings all day long. The Lord truly strengthens us. I could have totally taken another sick day if I needed, but the miracle was that I didn't need to. It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes that is to the effect of "A lot of the work in this church is done by people who don't feel well."

 

Last night was one of the most powerful parts of my MTC experience. An apostle came and spoke to us, Neil L Anderson. It was President Monsen's Birthday and so he talked a lot about him and what he would say if he were here. He then bore powerful testimony of the Savior. I got great seats (yay for singing in the choir!) and it was an unforgettable experience to be so close to a witness of Jesus Christ bearing powerful testimony of Him. I testify the there are apostles and prophets today and that they bear true witness of the Savior. I also know that Jesus Christ lives and that this work that I am engaged in is divine. It is each of our duty's in this life to become deeply converted to Him and His gospel and help others do so!

 

Oops, I am over time. I love you all! Good Luck with getting Chipper moved out and moved into BYU. Stephen, I am so proud and excited for you!! (I have trouble sitting still just thinking of you at the Y). It truly has become a home for me and I know it will to you too. Just remember to have fun, care for others, and try to make friends with everyone. Also mom and dad told me about the team. THAT IS AWESOME!!! Good luck with the tryouts, you will be awesome. Run fast and enjoy running with some of the fastest athletes in the country!!! (Also tell my friends Taylor Farnsworth and Nate Fletcher hi for me :) )

Love,

Megan

Hola Familia! Como le van?                                                                          

(I was told I need to include translations...that means how is it going :) )                                                                                                    

This week has been another powerful week in the MTC. This has probably been one of the rougher weeks, and at the same time, I feel it has been the most powerful. This week has been a week of opposition and testing, but I have learned that such testing is always followed by great blessings. I have personally experienced the reality that the adversary often attacks right before and after great spiritual moments. I am beginning to just expect that before a fireside, going to the temple, teaching a powerful lesson, or other great spiritual experience, I feel icky. One night, I was confused about how I could feel so discouraged and disheartened one moment, and then so spiritually full and joyful the next. As I was falling asleep, a thought popped into my mind, "Take it as a compliment, the adversary wants to take you out because he feels threatened by you." It is so funny how I have known that all my life and yet as a missionary, I am learning it at a much deeper level. I am also learning the power of our covenants in these hours of distress. One of my teachers shared with us a scripture in D&C 35: 24: "Keep all the commandments and covenants by which ye are bound; and I will cause the heavens to shake for your good and Satan shall tremble." I love this. Living righteously does not guarantee the absence of temptation and sorrow, but the deliverance from it as we trust in God. I really am happier then I have ever been, and I know it is because I am forced to rely on and trust in God more than I have ever had to. Being a missionary is so awesome :)

The MTC is pretty much the same day in and day out. Really the only thing that has changed since I have gotten here is myself. Thus, it is amazing what we missionaries find entertaining (I find it proof that we are all going slightly insane haha). On Friday evening, we were in our 5th hour of class for the day and pretty beat. As I have mentioned before, our classroom is on the 5th floor, and our room has a window with a beautiful view of Y Mountain and Spanish Fork. All of the sudden, a big brush just appeared on the window (they were washing it) and it startled all of us (my companion and another elder gave out a yelp....see I am not the only jumpy person in this world haha). We all laughed and then like a trance all watched the brush clean the window.....we were all in a good minute of trance...like it was the coolest and most entertaining thing that we have seen since we have been here (which it probably was). Our teacher gave us all 30 more seconds to watch it. It was pretty hilarious, especially seeing how we all even talked about it with the other districts. Their windows also got cleaned and it turns out that they were all startled and entertained by it also, some elders even took out their cameras to take pictures of it. I am cracking up as I am writing about this.

The MTC is a wonderful place, and I am getting excited to go to NYC (4 more weeks!!!). I am so grateful for all of your prayers, I really do feel them. Spanish is really hard, but it is slowly coming. This gospel is true and this reality is sinking deeper and deeper into my heart each and every day, especially when I teach it in Spanish. There is no way I could do this alone and it is a huge comfort to know that I will never have to.

Also, I got all your letters last night, and it was wonderful to hear from you!! I love you and miss you dearly. I will send you letters later today!

Love,

Hermana Chipman