So, why a mission?

Well, this is it. I’m about to embark on an incredibly amazing, incredibly difficult 18-month journey. In just a few short hours I will be set apart as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After spending six weeks in the Missionary Training Center learning as much Spanish and teaching skills as possible, I’ll get on an airplane and fly to Argentina where I’ll spend the remainder of my mission. I will get two phone calls home a year, on Christmas and Mother’s Day. My only source of contact with my family and friends at home will be through letters and emails, which I’ll only be able to check once a week. The other six days I’ll spend knocking on doors, talking to people in the streets, visiting member and less-active families, serving others whenever possible, walking several miles a day, praying, studying, planning, celebrating, crying, pleading, singing, laughing, and rejoicing – all so I can share the precious message of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ with people I have never met and would never meet under any other circumstance. Now why in the world would I choose to do such a thing?

I thought this post would serve as a good prequel to the series of entries that will come throughout my mission, updated on my behalf by my wonderful mother. I want to share how I came to know that serving a mission was something that I really wanted to do, and more importantly, something that God wanted me to do.

A mission was never something that was expressly written into my plans. In high school it was a big maybe, like “Maybe if I’m not doing something else (read: married) when I’m 21 (the age for sister missionaries at the time – now it’s 19), I’ll go on a mission.” Then in college it turned into an “I don’t think so and I don’t think that’s what God wants for or needs from me anyway.” To be fair, I didn’t just come up with that on my own. A couple months before I turned 21, and right before the mission age was lowered to 19 for women, I started considering serving a mission. I still didn’t really want to go, but I resolved that if Heavenly Father wanted and needed me to serve, I would gladly go. This was during a time of enormous spiritual growth for me and I knew that I could share His Gospel with excitement, conviction, and love. Then one day during church I had a very distinct impression/thought that Heavenly Father had a different work for me to do and that I should not serve a mission at that time. I won’t pretend that I wasn’t relieved. I didn’t really want to go, and now I knew I didn’t have to go. My reasons for not wanting to go weren’t exactly the best. I feared missing out on some other opportunities (finishing my accounting degree, getting an internship/job with the Big Four, meeting Mr. Right), and I didn’t want to miss out on life in general here. I was really enjoying myself, my friendships, my schooling. I was relieved to be able to let the thought of a mission go.

Then a few months later it all seemed to make sense why I wasn’t meant to go. I was dating this boy. He was amazing; his family was amazing. I thought, “You know this might actually work out. It just fits so well.” Life was wonderful. Fast forward a year or so and we were engaged. I was over-the-moon happy. I could not believe how lucky and blessed I was.

A month later my world came crashing down. Our engagement was over. I was left wondering what in the world I should do now. I had lost everything that was so dear to me. The future looked so bleak. I just didn’t understand why I would feel so good about something for it not to work. Why did I keep moving forward so confidently with something that would ultimately end so painfully? I knew I had to figure something out because I was graduating in a couple months. I had accepted a job offer in Salt Lake, thinking I would be staying there while my husband finished school. I had done an internship in California so I thought about going back there. I had a lot of friends going there, which could make it easier and more fun. But I just couldn’t wrap my brain, or my heart, fully around the idea. Staying in Salt Lake didn’t feel any better, but that’s where I was headed if I didn’t figure something else out.

Shortly after breaking up, the thought of a mission popped into my head again. I didn’t really give it any merit though, because I realized I was in desperation mode. Going on a mission to escape from my problems was not a good reason to go. Nevertheless, I didn’t completely shove the idea from my mind. It was an option to consider, but one that would take a considerable amount of thought and prayer. Over the next few weeks I learned some very tender lessons from a loving Heavenly Father, which I actually wrote about in my previous post (click HERE to read those). These really set the stage for my decision to go. The most important thing I learned, for myself, was that I love my Heavenly Father and my Savior more than anything or anyone, and I wanted to do Their will for me. Like really, really, really wanted to. I realized that, for me, the best way to demonstrate my love and my willingness to follow the Savior was to give up 18 months of my life, hand myself completely over to Him, go where He wanted me to go, and focus completely on His work. I would give up my job, my friends, my family, and the pursuits I enjoy. I would give up my imagined, or maybe real, opportunities that I saw in the near future. But at this point, I knew that what I would be giving up was so unbelievably small compared to the blessings I and others would receive. Absolutely it would be worth the sacrifice.

What sealed this desire though was actually a funeral I attended. Her sons told stories of the faith this woman exhibited, including serving a mission. I knew that her daughter-in-law had served one as well, and her granddaughter, a friend of mine, was out serving at the time. What a legacy of missionary work there is in that family. I decided right there that that kind of legacy is something I want in my own family.

The burning desire was there, and the following Sunday I met with the Bishop and started my mission papers. I still hadn’t received any sort of confirmation that this was what God wanted me to do, but I made my decision and moved forward with it. During the process of filling out my papers I came to know, without a doubt, that I had made the right decision. This was exactly what God wanted me to do. The joy, peace, and excitement were undeniable. I could not wait to be on a mission. I could not wait to be teaching, serving, and loving those people. When I received my mission call to the Argentina Bahía Blanca Mission I again knew that this was exactly where the Lord needed me. Can you tell I’m just a little thrilled to be doing this?

I still don't understand why everything had to happen the way it happened. Maybe it was the best way Heavenly Father could instill in me a desire to serve a mission. Maybe this boy needed to learn something and I was the one Heavenly Father needed to help him grow. I really don't know the answer. But that really doesn't matter. What I do know is that going on a mission is the right path for me to take right now. I believe it is what Heavenly Father wanted for me all along, and through His loving guidance it has become what I too want for myself.

In answer to the question posed at the beginning, I chose to go on a mission because I love God and His Son, Jesus Christ. I love the plan of salvation They have prepared for us to return and live with Them again. I want to spend every day for 18 months sharing that message with others, in a place where God needs me to share that message. I know my call was divinely inspired. It is no chance that I am going to Bahía Blanca, Argentina. The Lord knows that I will grow the most there, as well as do the most good there. This is His work, and I am privileged and honored to be a part of it. I am in no way suggesting that those who choose not to serve missions love God any less than I do. A mission is a very individualized choice. Everyone’s plan is different, but the goal of all our plans is the same – to become like our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, our Savior, so that we can live with Them again, and enjoy the kind of lives that They do. I testify that They live and that They love each and every one of us, with a love that cannot be fully comprehended. You are a child of a loving Heavenly Father. You are His work and His glory. You matter to Him.

Con mucho amor,

Hermana Chipman

Happiness: Part Two

A little over a year ago I wrote a post about the things I’ve learned about happiness and about how following God’s path for me is the source of my greatest happiness. If you’d like to refresh yourself on this little life lesson of mine (or if you want to read it for the first time!), click HERE.

Recently, Heavenly Father has given me the opportunity to learn some more about happiness and I would like to share some of what I’ve learned. I realize that this post is quite a bit more personal than most of my other posts, but I’m sure there are others who have similar thoughts and feelings. My hope is that this will benefit someone else, in some way.

My single greatest desire is to be married and have a family. There is literally nothing I want more than that. No job. No career. No status or title. No possession or experience. I want to be a wife and a mother. I don't care if I am never well known to the world. I want to quietly serve my entire life in what I think are the most important roles I could ever have. I believe that's one of the biggest reasons we are here – to have families. So sometimes I just can't fathom why that is so difficult for me to reach. I see many of my friends get married and start having families. Why did it seem so easy for some of them? All they really wanted was to be married and have a family and they got that, seemingly with little struggle. So why can't I have it too? I'm graduating in just over a month, and I couldn't manage to find a husband among the thousands of people in the five years I was at BYU. What the heck?

Those are some of the things I've thought about in the past few weeks. But Heavenly Father has tenderly and lovingly humbled me and answered some of those questions for me, teaching me some very important lessons.

First, I need to have more faith in His plan for me. He has a plan of happiness for me. He sees the end from the beginning. He knows what will bring me the most long-term joy, and what will bring me long-term sorrow. He knows where I can do the most good and what will help me grow and progress the most in this life.

Second, not only does He know the what of my happiness and progress, but probably more importantly He knows the timing. Timing is something I struggle with A LOT. I definitely have my own little timetable of when I think things should happen. I think I know when good timing is so I try really hard to make that timing work, and it's usually when it fits neatly into my plans. But He knows better and can see more clearly than I can. My patriarchal blessing tells me that I will be a wife and a mother in this life. Interestingly though, it tells me that these are callings I will receive. We don't choose the timing of our callings (with the possible exception of a mission). They come from the Lord, when He needs us to fill those roles that we are called to. He knows the best timing for us and others.

Third, while my great desire to be a wife and mother is a righteous, worthy, and important one, it should not be my greatest desire. My greatest desire should be to serve the Lord in whatever capacity He needs me to right now. My greatest desire should be to follow His will and do His work, no matter where that takes me. I'm sure there are many who may look at that desire and think, "Wow, that's pretty selfish of God. He just wants us to do what He wants, not what we want. We don't get any say in this at all. What kind of life is that, just doing whatever God's whim is? That's so unfair." You know, I've thought those things too, and they make a good argument. It kind of does seem unfair. But Satan is a very cunning and convincing liar. What he fails to mention, is God's perfect, pure love for us. He is motivated only by love. God doesn't ask us to do His will simply to use us and make us do things. He asks us to do His will because He wants us to experience the joy and happiness available to us and He knows exactly how each of us, individually, can experience that. If my greatest desire is to always do the Lord's will, then I will experience the happiness I desire, because He knows how to give that to me.

I know that my Savior knows me, personally, and He knows my individual path of happiness. I know that He loves me more than I can even comprehend. How do I know that? Because He made the ultimate sacrifice on my behalf. He suffered all the pain and sorrow I would ever experience in this life, all so that He could pave the way of happiness for me, and then guide me along it. He will never steer me wrong. I know the same is true for you.

Life Lessons: Happiness

Oh yikes. I was thinking back on everything that happened this past semester and thought: shoot, I’d have to write 20 posts just to cover it all. And that’s just not going to happen people. I’ll admit I kind of forgot about updating y’all on my life’s crazy adventures. I also have to admit that I’m not really sad about that. I was too busy just enjoying life to write about it. And you know, I think that’s a pretty darn good reason. Thanks for understanding. :)

As the title suggests, I learned a lot about happiness this semester, and it’s been the most wonderful life lesson I’ve learned so far. Seriously, these past four months have been the best months of my life. I have been blessed with some of the most amazing friendships; I finally have purpose and direction in my life; I’m in the number one Masters of Accounting program in the United States; I signed an internship offer with Ernst & Young in San Jose; and I’ve met one incredible man and his equally incredible family. I don’t mention all these things to brag about the blessings in my life. Instead, I want to show how blessed and joyful and happy your life is when you allow God to be part it. That’s not to say I haven’t had my fair share of trials and challenges. Let’s be honest, sometimes life just sucks. But knowing the Savior and understanding His Atonement gives you a whole new perspective on the purpose of those challenges and empowers you to endure them with a smile on your face. I promise you, even when you’re facing challenges in your life you can be happy.

Why? Because that’s what the Gospel is all about. It’s the pathway of happiness through this life. From my own experience I know that is true. I look back on my life (as short as it’s been so far, I know) and the times when I have veered from the Gospel path I have been considerably less happy. For two years I didn’t know what my purpose was. I felt lost and generally alone. There was no motivation to better myself. For two years I pushed God out of my life. Sure, I went through the motions and put on appearances for the sake of others, but not because I really felt it in my heart or even believed it in my mind. I wasn’t a bad person. I didn’t seek out bad things. But I wasn’t letting God or the Savior be part of my life either and I wasn’t happy.

Steering back onto the Gospel path, allowing the Savior to heal those wounds, and not fighting God’s path for me anymore has brought inexplicable joy back into my life. That, my friends, is the secret to happiness. No matter what comes your way, you can sail through the good and the bad with joy in your heart. God’s path, His Gospel, His plan of happiness is how you will find happiness both in this life and the life after. What is His path? What is the purpose of His path? What is the end goal? Nothing short of perfection. His path is one of ultimate perfection. It’s the way to become like Him and our Savior, Jesus Christ. And the best part about it? We don’t walk that path alone. We can’t walk that path alone. Both God and Christ are right there on either side of each of us, helping us reach the perfection and state of happiness they desire for every one of us. It’s a life-long pursuit, even an after-life pursuit, and one that brings purpose, direction, and happiness to my life as I develop personal relationships with God and my Savior.

To sum up: happiness is not an end goal in itself, but a natural by-product of a much greater end goal. As I strive to follow His path, I’ve found that happiness naturally follows. We aren’t meant to know all things in this life. Sometimes I find myself asking why, because I can’t see the end from the beginning. Sometimes it takes a great amount of faith to walk that path, but I am putting my faith in Someone who never fails. Things always work out.

This post went a completely different direction than I originally intended (think: long post about what I did this semester, rather than what I learned), but as I looked back and reflected on this semester, and this entire year, this is what I thought about. Like I said, it’s the most wonderful lesson of my life so far, and I look forward to learning and progressing toward even greater happiness that is to come.