Viva Argentinaaaaaa!

Lab!!! So many dog friends

Hola fam! Happy Thanksgiving week (right???)!!!! I hope you all are doing something fun! But of course you are, because we always have the best parties! :)

I officially turn TWO today in the mission! I can't believe it's already been two months. But at the same time it feels like an eternity. Time is so weird here. I realized the mission is like the first years of our lives, and once you turn 18 they kick you back into the real world to fend for yourself! Guess I still got awhile though. ;) 

The Spanish is still... coming. But I´m understanding MUCH more! Like 80 percent now. :D It's still hard thinking in Spanish but sometimes I dream in Spanish. That's a good sign, right??

Yeah, I ate that WHOLE tomato piece Grandpa ... still not a fan, haha

So I thought I'd write a bit about the Argentine cuisine. A typical meal consists of meat, bread, and potatoes, but they have TONS of different types of potatoes. Super yummy. Sometimes we have pizza or pasta too. And they put mayo and salt on basically everything. You learn to love it, haha. For dessert we eat lots of dulce de leche, helado, and some divine pastries. Oh yum. Don't worry, I'm eating pretty well here. And we need it because we walk and walk and walk some more. :) The big meal here is lunch, which we usually eat with a member. Then dinner is either really small or we don't eat anything at all because we are STILL full from lunch. Seriously. Like everyday, haha.

Just look at all that food! And our amigo Damian, haha

The lightning storms here are incredible, btw. We had a couple this past week. God's fireworks are def the best.  :)

Cute lil´convert Brian bought us a whole cake! YUM! :D

This week we found an investigator named Facundo. He works for a circus and he has a trampoline and trapeze bars IN HIS HOUSE!!!! It's sweet. He's super open to learning more and he really is interested in knowing if this is true.

Bus surfing... told ya, pro

I really love studying and teaching this Gospel. The more I do it, the more I know it is true. God's plan for us is incredible. The way to the greatest happiness and joy in this life and the life to come is right before us. We just have to choose to walk the path.

I LOVE YOU!!! Times a gazillion. Eat lots of turkey and potatoes for me! :)

Love, love, love,

Hna Chipman

Well hi there, can I share a message with you?!?

Week of Esfuerzos!!

Visiting the playa last prep day!

A big HOLA to all my favorite people in the whole wide world! Seriously, I hope you all know how much I love and adore you. I have been so blessed with the people in my life. MUAH! I hope you are all happy and healthy and getting all pumped for the holiday season! :D  Christmas stuff is appearing in the stores here, which is kinda weird because it´s also summer here... Haha, welcome to the southern half of the world! 

I'm still adjusting to life here. It's definitely different than I´m used to but I'm getting the hang of things. Slowly but surely. For example, our washing machine is broken so I got to learn this week how to wash all my clothes by hand. :) Yahoo! It really is the little things in life. Count your many blessings every single day because there are a TON of them (like working washing machines ;)).

Hola playa :D

Classic jump shot. Presh.

Seinfeld in Argentina! Thought of you daddy-o when I saw this!

Also, I´m getting REALLY good at bus surfing. My wakeboarding/wakesurfing skills are coming in handy here. I'm gonna be a pro by the time I come home!

So this week we did something called Esfuerzos. Every day this week all the missionaries in our zone worked in one area of the zone to find people. Our zone leaders said we found over 200 new investigators! We got some work to do now! :D

We also had zone conference on Tuesday. Presidente and Hna Parreño are just the best. Seriously. People say you actually get called to the mission with the mission president that you need. I believe it. They are incredible, so loving, and supportive. They are taking good care of me!! In the conference we talked a lot about working more with members, not only to find and baptize people but also to retain and reactivate people. The members' help is SO essential in this work!!!

Speaking of the members, the members here are also incredible. They are SO strong and you can just feel the love that they have for the Gospel and for other people. I still can´t speak or understand very well, but I can feel their love. I´m excited to work with them in this great work. There is a woman named Dorisu and she´s probably the poorest woman in the ward, but she LOVES to help the missionaries. She comes out with us. She feeds us some of the most delicious food. She sacrifices so much to help us. I just love her. And the youth here are incredible. We´ve gone out with several young women/young adults that just love missionary work. They love this Gospel and are so firm. Wow. They blow me away.

Well, there´s the report for the week. I love you all, to the moon and back. Really, my heart just overflows with love and gratitude when I think of all the love and support I have from home. :)

Abrazos y besitos!!

Hna Chipman

Welcome to our cute casita!

Gourmet chefs making some tortas fritas. Yum!

Photobombed. :) Gracias elderes

The other week where I have no idea what´s going on!

HOLA DESDE ARGENTINA!!!!!

Holy cow, there is a montón de things that I want to share with you all, but very little time. Don´t worry, though, I´ll pick the best things!! :D

Celebrating my last night in Provo with some Popcorn!! Lani, I thought of you MUCHO!!!

First, if you want to send me a little note, I definitely recommend sending an email (emily.chipman@myldsmail.net). DearElder works, but it takes A LOT longer and sending letters back is much harder.

Oh, hey, just getting on a plane (not to Spain this time ;))

BUENO, so a week ago I was sitting on an airplane bound for Argentina. That feels like a year ago, en serio. I thought my first half week in the MTC was long. This has definitely felt longer. But it´s also a much bigger change, so it´s all good! We spent two days traveling to Bahía Blanca, where the mission home and office are. We flew into Buenos Aires from the states and then we took a van to another airport where we waited for like six or seven hours to take another airplane to Bahía. That flight was only about an hour. But I sat next to this woman who lived in a little city close to Bahía and we talked the WHOLE TIME about my mission. She was super intersted in learning more about what we believed and I was able to answer a ton of her questions. I also "just happened" (yeah, definitely was NOT an accident) to have a Book of Mormon in my purse. I had decided to move it from my carry-on to my purse because it just fit better in there and I wanted to unload some of the weight in my carry-on. Well, that was perfect. She wants to read it and she gave me her address so if I´m ever in her town, I can stop by her house. I need to pass that on to the missionaries in her area... Seriously, this is the Lord´s work. He is def in charge here and He puts people in our path who are ready to hear and accept this message. SO COOL.

My first friend! I have a feeling there will be lots of dog friends...

Missed our bus...

So, my first day here, Wednesday really, we had our transfer meeting and we got our trainer companions. Her name is Hna. Pinnock. She is so great. I couldn´t have asked for a better trainer. This is her last transfer so she´s really excited to do all she can before she goes home. Everyone thinks we´re really sisters because we look so alike. It´s funny. Literally everyone asks us that. Anyway, after that meeting we had some time before we were supposed to take a bus to the area we´ll be working in so we went out to do some contacting. Well, we were so excited about talking to people that we ended up missing our bus. Oops, haha.  The next bus didn´t leave until 10:30pm so we had even more time and we took a taxi to one of her old areas. Now picture this, two Americans just walking down the street having a good old time and of course, it starts pouring rain. So now we're running through the rain looking for cover, trying to keep our cards and books dry. All I could think was "Yup, now I´m really a missionary." :)  We decided to pray for someone who would let us in and who we could teach. After that, the first door we knocked on let us in! Milagro. Heavenly Father was watching out for us FOR SURE. Fun first day. :)

Just knocking on some doors!
(actually, we don´t really knock doors here)

I´m working in a little (or big, yeah big) city called Mar del Plata. Google some pictures if you want to see what it looks like! It reminds me a little of Spain, but I definitely feel like I´m in a very different place than anywhere I´ve ever been. It´s pretty neat actually.

Ok, the last thing I want to share is something I learned this week. I was reading in Mosiah 4:5-8 and my call letter as well and these thoughts just started flowing. I was wondering why I am here in Argentina and this was the answer I received.

"I have certainly come to a sense of my nothingness and my worthless and fallen state here. I CANNOT do this on my own and thank goodness that´s not what Heavenly Father is asking me to do. In my call letter it says that I must serve with all my heart, might, and strength. It does not say mind, which I think is interesting. This doesn´t mean that my mind should be elsewhere, that I don´t have to focus, or try and learn this language, or study the Gospel. All my mind should be here. But to me this means that I don´t have to KNOW everything. I don´t have to have all the answers. I just need to put my heart into it, and my might and my strength. I doesn´t say put God´s might and strength into it. Just mine. And I am weak, but I´ve got something to give, even if it is small. God will give the rest and He is mighty! I have come to a knowledge of the goodness of God, His matchless power, His patience, and His long-suffering (He has been VERY long-suffering with me). I have come to a knowledge of this wonderful, incredible Atonement, which has strengthened and healed me countless times. Now I must put my trust in the Lord, be diligent in keeping His commandments (be exactly obedient!), and continue in faith even unto the end of this mission (for now - the rest of my life after). Then shall I receive salvation. Then shall I receive greater blessings and more happiness than I have yet experienced, just like my call letter says. I have to believe that this is true. It was given to me by a prophet of God. Just think, if I can live up to this, and try to see if it happens by testing it out, my testimony of prophets and my conversion to the Gospel of Christ will sky rocket. I know we have a prophet on the earth, but then I will REALLY KNOW that He is a prophet. I will know that the promises of Christ are SURE as given by Him and His prophets. I want this!! I want my testimony and my conversion to be even more sure. I want to glow with testimony and confidence in my Savior. That´s the kind of wife I want to be. That´s the kind of mother I want to be. This is HARD. Countless times this week I´ve thought a lot about coming home. But just think what I can become through this refiner´s fire. I can come to know and trust my Savior even more. This is why I am in Argentina, where I can´t understand or speak the language, where I essentially know nothing, where I can´t do this of myself. Heavenly Father is trying to make something of me, and I am going to let Him, because I KNOW that´s who I want to be and I know it will be worth it. I will provide my heart, might, and strength. He will provide His love, His might, and His strength."

Hermanas!!!

I hope you all know how much I love you all. I can´t even express in words that love. I miss you more than I can say, but I know you are in good Hands. And so am I. Until next week mi querida familia!!

Con mucho amor,

Hna Chipman

Hna Pinnock and I, yup we´re twins :)

She made it! (an update from mom)

Best laid plans and all - I sent Emily a pre-paid calling card to use in the airport(s) this past Monday, but for whatever reason, it didn't work.  She even had the other missionaries try it, but to no avail.  I think they had their own cards, too, but no luck, so a few random, kind souls let them use their cell phones to call home from the Atlanta airport.  She sounded great and super excited!  Not so much looking forward to the overnight flight to Buenos Aires, but eager to put her training in action to spread the Gospel.  I had hoped to hear something Tuesday morning that they had arrived safely, even if it wasn't directly from her, but I had to go with "no news is good news" since I heard nothing until this morning in the form-letter-esque email below:

Dear Family.

We would like to inform you that your Daughter, Sister Chipman , has arrived safe and sound here in the Argentina Bahia Blanca Mission and she is excited to help more people to come unto Christ, being baptized, confirmed to endure to the end. Righ. At this moment he is traveling to his new area and on Monday she will be able to write you and tell you how he is doing.

Best regards

Misión Argentina Bahía Blanca 

Los Asistentes-"Por amor a Sión , no callaré"

I'll take it, though, and can hardly wait to hear about her first week there on Monday!  :-)

Bahía  Blanca Mission President Parreño, Emily, Sister Parreño

Hasta la vista America!

Wow, President, this is my last email to you!! Sad, but exciting, but also sad! I'm really really grateful to have been a part of this zone. Seriously, SO blessed. I've felt like I could learn and grow so much here - and I definitely have! Thank you for your encouragement and counsel. It has really helped me.

I feel like this past week Hna Kroska and I had a breakthrough in teaching. It was awesome! We learned how to better focus on the need of the investigator and then apply that need to the doctrine we were teaching. Our investigators made a lot of progress! I've also seen the power that bearing simple, sincere testimonies can have. In the past I've felt like testimonies were more like my "opinion" and didn't carry a whole lot of weight, but I've been reminded over and over this past week that I am not the one doing the converting. I don't have to PROVE anything to our investigators. I just need to teach pure, simple doctrine, invite the Spirit, and help them feel loved. The Spirit is the real teacher and He will do the convincing by His power.

In relation to my role, I thought of a great analogy in class last night. Sometimes we are the ones planting the seeds. Maybe the seeds are planted with a smile, a kind word or deed, or a simple lesson. Sometimes we are the ones helping them grow. God prepares His children to receive the fullness of His Gospel in many ways and we may help with that. Then sometimes we are the ones harvesting. We get there when they are prepared to receive the fullness and we help them take those steps. ALL those roles are equally important in helping someone come unto Christ. No effort is ever a waste, because each effort is either planting, preparing, or harvesting. We should take advantage of every opportunity to interact with others because we will be doing one of those three things. This is the Lord's work, and He will get it done. While here I've learned so much about the importance of trusting Him and I've come to trust Him even more. I know this is His work. It would not be possible to do what we do if it wasn't His work. I LOVE being a part of it.

Gracias Presidente! Nos vemos esta noche!

Well hey there mi querida familia!

President said we could email for just a few minutes Saturday night since we'll be traveling on our prep day this week and we won't have another prep day until next Monday. I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M LEAVING IN T-MINUS 34 HOURS.... Really, it does not feel like I'm leaving yet. The MTC has just flown by, but it has been SO great. I have learned so so so much, and I feel so much closer to my Savior. I am so incredibly PUMPED for missionary work!! I could not be doing anything better with my life right now and it is so comforting knowing that this is exactly where Heavenly Father wants me. I know I can do this, because I know He is behind me, in front of me, and all around me.

We had this fun little in-field orientation day yesterday. We focused a ton on getting the members involved in missionary work, and I've learned how CRUCIAL it is to have members involved. This work is so much more successful with their help. If you pray about it and think about who you could share the Gospel with, I promise a name will come to mind. Find the missionaries, get to know them, share that name with them, and then HELP THEM!! Go with them to lessons. Invite your friends to church. Bear your testimony about how this Gospel fills your life with so much LIGHT and JOY!! Because I know it does!! I can't even tell you how much I love being a missionary. :D I calculated the other day that the sisters only get 13 transfers (6-week periods) in their missions. One of those is now over. I only have 12 left!! I'm definitely going to make the most of the time I have, because it will be over before I know it.

I hope you all had a fun Halloween!! We all dressed up as missionaries. Weird. There must be something in the water that makes us all have the same idea or something. :P Thank you SO SO much for all your love and prayers and support. You mean the world to me!!!

OS AMO MUCHO!!! Talk to you from Argentina next!!! :D

Con amor,

Hna Chipman

I'm a "Missionary in Training" for Halloween :)

Foto con Hermano Brown!

Foto con Hermano Hammond! ADIOS MAESTROS!!!! Y gracias por todo!