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!

The week where things just got real...

Hola Presidente!

¡Otra semana ya se fue! I can't believe how fast the time is flying now. And I'm sure it only gets faster. This week has been really great!! I feel like I'm learning and progressing and applying what I've learned, definitely not perfectly, but I can recognize that it is happening. I look forward to teaching lessons and practicing what we have learned. I especially look forward to practicing how to follow the Spirit in the lessons. I feel like I am being much more conscious of His direction. I try to listen more and not be afraid to say what comes into my mind. He is the real teacher after all, and He definitely knows best. I also feel like Hna Kroska and I are teaching very well together. We're both trusting each other to be sincere in what we're teaching and to follow the Spirit. It's AWESOME!

Something that Brother Glazier said in our leadership training on Sunday really stuck out to me. He talked about how scripture study is one of the best ways to learn how the Spirit speaks to me. This is something I REALLY want to understand better so I can better follow my Savior and do what He would have me do. I really look forward to study every day so I can be practicing and learning that!

I love being able to feel the Spirit so much here. I truly do know that this is the work of our Savior. I know this is exactly where He wants me to be and that He is SO happy I am here! And that gives me so much peace, no matter what happens during the day. I know I am doing what is right, and because of that He will be there to help me the whole way.

MISSIONARY WORK IS THE BEST!!

I sure do appreciate all you and your wife, and your counselors and their wives, do for us. We are SO SO blessed!!!

¡Muchísimas gracias! ¡Nos vemos muy pronto!

Birthday pic!!

Alright errybody,

Presents!!

First of all, thank you all SO MUCH for the love this week!! I loved all the notes and the sweet little packages. I just felt so loved. It was great. :) Now I've officially started my golden year - WAHOO! And I get to spend all of it on my mission!! It really will be the best year of my life. :D

More presents!! Muchas gracias a todos!!

So, the MTC decided to celebrate my birthday by having us move up to main campus. Happy birthday to me! Actually it was really nice. We had basically the whole morning to move and get organized. At west campus we were living in apartments and Hna Kroska and I had a whole apartment to ourselves. Now we're living in dorms.

Sad to be leaving our west campus paradise

There are supposed to be six girls to a room but we got lucky and there are only four of us. We're with two other Hermanas that came to the MTC the same day as we did. Living in dorms is definitely... interesting, haha. I miss having my own shower, but it's cool. We can all belt out Disney songs together in our little cubicles! :) It's fun living with the Hermanas that we do. And it's only for ten days - I think I'll survive. ;) Plus I should be really grateful because I don't know what the housing will be like in Argentina. We really are SO blessed here!!! Count your blessings!

Zona before they all left. :( But now we have new lil missionaries. :)

I guess our new class is pretty cool too.

Another new thing this past week - we got surprised with TWO new districts! We thought we weren't getting any new missionaries until this week, but we got a total of 17 new missionaries in our zone on Wednesday. AHHH, SO FUN!! There are nine new Hermanas and eight Elders. They are precious. And so legit. This zone seems to just get all the super strong, prepared missionaries. Baptizing the world, that's what we'll do. ;) And most of them are going to Argentina, with a couple going to Ecuador and one to Bolivia.

Now besides all that big news, the real big news of the week...  TRAVEL PLANS!!! 

PLANES DE VIAJE!!!

Holy, moly this is really happening. We report to the travel office at 6am this coming Monday (LESS THAN A WEEK :O!!). Our flight leaves Salt Lake at like 11:15 and we fly to Georgia. Then our flight from Georgia leaves at 7pm or something for Buenos Aires and we get in Tuesday morning at 8am or so. I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am. I really will miss the MTC. I love my district and my zone. These people are amazing, BUT so are the people in Argentina and I can't wait to go help change some lives with this incredible, wonderful, amazing Gospel!!!

On top of all that, this past week was really good for Hna Kroska and I. I feel like we had a teaching breakthrough. We've been really focusing on making the lessons we teach apply to the needs of our investigators and it's been SO helpful. We had some of our best lessons with Miguel and Jared. Miguel is still praying and Jared is coming to church!! They are feeling more peace and happiness as they change their lives to do what their Heavenly Father wants them to do. Amazing!!! The Gospel really does bring deep, lasting happiness. It heals broken hearts. It heals broken homes. It heals broken lives. And if life is good, it makes it even better. I testify that these things are TRUE!! I've experienced it in my own life and watched it happen in the lives of others, and I get to experience that over and over for the next 17 months! :D (I can't believe one month is already gone!!!)

I love you all, so dearly. I hope you are all happy and healthy! I am here, so don't worry too much about me. ;) The flu shot and On-Guard are keeping the colds away!

Con mucho, mucho amor,

Hna Chipman

Jamba!!! Yum. We were allowed to walk
down to Brigham's Landing for some real

world food on our prep days. :)

Our lovely new view at Main Campus

My momma MADE this!! I LOVE it!! So talented. :)
(mom's note: I have to laugh because yes, I made the scarf, but technically, I made her, too!) haha

The week where they put me in charge of something (what were they thinking?? ;))

Hola Presidente!

This past week was a little challenging, but I feel like Sunday was just what I needed. My interview with President Glazier helped so much. I'm convinced we have the best Branch Presidency ever!! I'm realizing now, more than ever, how much I need the Savior and His guidance through the Holy Ghost. Because this is His work it CANNOT be done without Him. I'm so used to doing things on my own and having the abilities, more or less, to do what I need. But this is completely beyond me. President Glazier encouraged me to study prayer with the intent of internalizing and understanding better the phrase "Ask, and ye shall receive." I feel like prayer has been called to my attention a lot in the past few days. It is such a simple thing that I think it is often overlooked, yet it is SO vital, not only in this work but in our everyday lives. I am trying to incorporate prayer much more throughout my day. I know through prayer I can come nearer to God and learn to trust Him more, which will help me in relying on the Spirit during planning, studying, and teaching.

I am also very grateful for the opportunity to serve as the Sister Training Leader. I had been praying for the Lord to help me be humble and love others and I know this was an answer to my prayers! I look forward to helping and loving the sisters in our zone.

I feel like the MTC has really helped reconfirm my testimony that Jesus Christ is my Savior and that this is His Gospel. I don't feel like I've had very many "Aha!" moments yet (Character of Christ was definitely one of those, though), but I've had a TON of "reminder" moments, probably at least once a day. I love that. The scriptures mention the word remember a lot, and sometimes that's really difficult. But when we are surrounded with the Spirit all day - in our classes, in our studies, in our lessons, in the devotionals - we are provided with so many opportunities to remember and practice the things we learn. I love this Gospel and my Savior with all my heart. I am trying to do my best to follow Him in all that I do and say.

Thank you Presidente!! Hasta pronto!!

Pretty fall!! I love West Campus!

Holy moly, I'm already half way done with the MTC. Say what?????! Actually, more than half way done. We'll leave in just over two weeks!! Next Friday we get our flight plans and we'll find out whether our visas cleared or not. If not, we'll be assigned to a mission in the states to visa wait until it does clear. Half our zone is leaving on Monday. :( Their time has come. We're gonna miss them! And we don't get new missionaries in our zone on Wednesday so it'll just be 10 of us for over a week.

Like I said in my letter above, I've been asked to be the Sister Training Leader for the next few weeks. Basically, I just work with the all the sisters in my zone to make sure they are doing ok with the language, their companionship, anything really. It's been really great. I love getting to know the sisters better. We have some amazing sisters and we're definitely gonna miss the ones leaving on Monday!

So much knowledge!! But it makes me so HAPPY! :D

This past week was FABULOUS (I write the Branch Pres on Tuesdays here so the week before was a bit challenging)! Wednesday was probably the best day I've had at the MTC so far. The lessons went so well. The Spirit was definitely there. Lots of miracles happened. Miguel PRAYED WITH US!! Oh, it was so great. I wish I could describe what that felt like. SO powerful.

I started really studying prayer this week and it has been so good. I feel like I've tried to utilize it more throughout the day. It really is such a simple thing, which is probably why it can be so easily forgotten, but it is so powerful. Whenever I'm frustrated, I stop and say a prayer. Whenever I can't figure out what to do or teach, say a prayer. Whenever I'm just overflowing with happiness or gratitude, say a prayer. Heavenly Father wants to know what's going on in our lives! I mean, He already does, but He wants to hear it from us! And sometimes He is just waiting until we ask to give us a blessing. Here's your compromiso (commitment) for the week - say more prayers!! :D

Hno Brown told us that whenever we're having a bad day we need to strike a power stance and smile at ourselves in the mirror for 1 minute. This is my power stance. :)

So in last Sunday's devotional we had the head of the church media department, or something like that, come speak to us and he showed us a sneak peak of a video coming out after Thanksgiving. :O It's gonna be AMAZING! :) Did any of you see the #BecauseofHim Easter video? It's a short little 3 minute video about the Savior. I tear up every time I watch it. WATCH IT if you haven't. Then be prepared for an equally amazing video coming soon. It's so fun to watch the Gospel flood the earth!!

Playing in the leaves!

This next week we're moving back to the main campus. It'll be nice to not have to take the buses to get things we need at main campus. They're shutting down west campus and turning our housing/classrooms back into student housing. No more big exercise bubbles. :( They've been working on making more space up at main campus so they don't need the west campus space anymore. It was super nice while it lasted!! We'll only be there for like 10 days though. I think we can handle it. ;)

Alright mi querida familia y queridos amigos. Nos amo MUCHO!!! Say your prayers!!

Love,

Hna Chipman

The week where I realized I'm still in Provo...

Hi there Presidente!

What a great week/weekend it was. Conference is always so wonderful. There is always something that really hits home. For me it was Elder Scott's talk about how to exercise our faith. Sometimes it's hard to remember that exercising faith really is very simple. We exercise our faith by doing the little things that our Savior has asked us to do. When we do those things sincerely and with hope that they will help us, we will receive the strength we need and the understanding we are seeking. It's not that I forget to do those little things, but sometimes I forget the "why" of doing them and the POWER they have. I'm trying to better remember that when I pray, read my scriptures, and go to the temple (and tucking that away for FHE when I get home :)). I also really loved Elder Godoy's talk. It helped me just reconfirm once more that this is where I need to be. Serving a mission is DEFINITELY going to help me receive the blessings spoken of in my patriarchal blessing - and that makes me SO excited!! Those won't come all at once, but I know that over time I will be able to look back and see the progress.

Thanks for everything President! We are so blessed to have you!

Our district at the temple!!

Holaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! How are all my favorite people doing??

I decided to start including the emails I write to our Branch President every week. Just another peek into things that go on here! I promise this email won't be a novel like the last one. :)

Just like I mentioned above, wasn't conference just WONDERFUL!? Oh, I loved it. And Sunday was definitely the best for me. I found so much guidance and many answers to prayers as I listened to the words of the prophets. As a missionary, I get to testify everyday that I know we have a living prophet on earth in our day, and in this past conference I felt that knowledge confirmed once again. I KNOW that Thomas S. Monson is called of God to be the prophet on the earth today, who leads and guides Christ's church. I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is in reality led by Jesus Christ Himself and that He directs President Monson to do what He would do if He were here on the earth today. I know that absolute truth exists. There is a right and a wrong. There is a right way back to our Heavenly Father, and He has given us the truth so that we can return to Him. He continually guides His people through His prophet. I know that Joseph Smith was called to be the first prophet in our time and was called to restore the truth to the earth once more. Once again, the way back Home is known in its fullness. I love that I get to share this wonderful, JOYFUL message with people!! :D

We got a new investigator this week! His name is Miguel. He doesn't believe in God, but he has some Mormon roommates and he is curious why they are so happy in their lives, even though they don't seek after or do those things that people our age normally do to find happiness. He's a tough investigator, but it's good practice (our teachers role play investigators for us, typically people that they know from elsewhere).

There are also people that the MTC pays to come walk around and talk to the missionaries here. Some of them are members, role playing nonmembers. Others are actually nonmembers. Hna Kroska and I started talking to this man and his wife, named Jose and Hely. They are from Guatemala. CUTEST people. Oh my gosh, I love them so much. They moved to California two days after they got married. Didn't speak any English. Holy cow, I can't even imagine. They are awesome though! We've talked with them twice now and we have another appointment with them on Tuesday!!

So living at the MTC is definitely an interesting experience. Most of the time, I don't even realize I'm in Provo. Several times now, I've looked up at the mountains and realized, "Oh yeah, that's Mt Timp. Oh right, I'm still in Provo." It seriously feels like an entirely different world here. Also, there's this fun thing called the mission time warp. All you RMs know exactly what I'm talking about. The days feel like weeks, but the weeks feel like days. Really though, that's a perfectly accurate description. It's the weirdest thing. Days feel like they last forever, but it feels like just yesterday I was sitting here typing my last email to you! I've got to cherish the time while I can.

Ok, time to wrap it up! I've talked your ears off once again. Sorry, not sorry! ;) I LOVE YOU!! I'm so grateful to have you as my family!!

Love,

Hna Chipman

Some hermanas in our zone.

Some more hermanas in our zone! We're so cute. Selfie Saturday! ;)

The week where we cried in a lesson, and it was PERFECT!!

Hey there fam bam!!

First, I just have to say, you guys are da BEST!!! Thank you for humoring my shameless begging for letters. It was so fun to get those and read them throughout the week.

  

Happy hermana with some mail. :)

But I've since realized something super important about the mish. I knew this in my head going into the mission, but now I can really feel it in my heart and that makes ALL the difference. This mission is NOT about me. It's not about me feeling successful. It's not about me having the kind of mission I think I should. It's not about me teaching the kinds of lessons I think I should or speaking Spanish the way I think I should. Those are good desires. I want to be able to help people come to their Savior. But it's not about me bringing people to the Savior in the way I think I should. It's about bringing them unto the Savior in the way Christ and Heavenly Father want me to, because They KNOW these people, way more than I will ever come to know them. They will give me exactly what I need to help the people I am meant to help, in Their own time and in Their own way, because They truly do know best. So, I guess my point is, thank you so much for your love and support and prayers, whether those are expressed in writing or not. I truly do feel supported and loved.

If I could ask another favor though, my compy Hna. Kroska hasn't been getting a lot of mail. I know it would just make her day if she could get a bunch of letters encouraging her and letting her know that you are praying for her. DearElder.com would be a perfect way to do that. Her name is Hermana Clara Kroska. Her departure date is NOV 03 and her Unit number is also 804. Send good thoughts her way!!! :)

Bahia Blanca, here we come.

General Conference!

Ok, now to what the heck has been going on here. First, General Conference while at the MTC is the BEST THING EVER!!! You're not only getting great revelation and inspiration for yourself,  but for your investigators as well. It's incredible. I can't wait for tomorrow too!!

So last Sunday night we had a devotional (devotionals here are the best - we have them Tuesday and Sunday nights) and then afterward we get to pick a movie or a talk to watch. All the new missionaries are told they should watch The Character of Christ their first Sunday here because it will change their lives. It's an MTC devotional given on Christmas like 5 years ago by Elder Bednar. They were right. Changed my life. It's the message that helped me feel that the mission isn't about me. It's all about how the character of Christ is to turn outward, in every situation, thinking of others before Himself. That is also the nature of true conversion. One is truly converted, or one has truly become as the Savior, when their character has become such that they turn outward and think of others first. Instead of focusing on our desires and what we want, no matter how good or righteous those desires are, we turn outward and think of what we can do for someone else. And the amazing thing is when we do turn outward and stop focusing on what we want, what we do want naturally comes to us. We must lose our lives in order to find them. If you want to be kinder, or more humble, or more loving, or more grateful, or more whatever, stop focusing on the fact that you want that and start thinking about other people. You'll find that in the process of doing that, you will become kinder, more humble, more loving, more grateful, etc. That concept is absolutely beautiful. I'm going to watch that talk one more time before I leave FOR SURE.

I love being a missionary!!!

I'm also really learning to trust the Savior again. I feel like I've learned to trust Him when I am enduring something difficult, but now I need to trust Him to help me DO things I can't do on my own. For example, this week we had a lesson with Jared and we had prepared for this lesson the morning of. Then right before the lesson my mind just went blank. Weirdest feeling ever. I really could not think of anything, other than I knew we shouldn't teach him what we prepared, but I had no idea what else to prepare and I was TERRIFIED.  What were we going to do? We wanted to be prepared and try, but I could not think of a single thing. So bizzare. So we went down to the lesson with nothing prepared and trusted and prayed that we would be guided in what to say. We just started talking to him and we were asking him about prayer and stuff and then all of a sudden I was crying. I wanted SO BADLY for him to feel his Heavenly Father's love and know that he was loved in spite of his mistakes and "failings", but I felt like I couldn't do that. I started telling him about how I felt like I was failing because I couldn't think before our lesson so I couldn't prepare anything, but how I knew in spite of all that that God loved me. And then Hna Kroska bore her testimony and invited him to pray right there to ask if God loved him. He offered the most beautiful, sincere prayer I've ever heard in my life. He was crying. I was sobbing. God knows exactly what His children need to help them feel His love. Apparently my gift of weeping was exactly what was needed in this situation. I'm so grateful for His guidance, and my testimony was strengthened that this really is His work and He really is in charge. He is going to help me do the specific things He needs me to do. Also, even though these investigators aren't "real", the feelings and the Spirit in the lesson are. It's incredible. Going into these role plays I thought "There's no way I'll be able to take this seriously. It isn't real." So wrong. You really start to care for these people in a real way and you want to help them more than anything. So cool.

On a lighter note, in another lesson with Jared we had our first funny word mess-up or whatever you want to call it. He was telling us about how he got paid $20 to eat three cookies in the food lab on campus. The word for cookie in Spanish is galleta. Hna Kroska thought he was saying gallina, which means a whole, live chicken in Spanish. So she thought he had eaten three whole chickens that day and was SUPER confused. We got a good laugh out of that later.

In other news, Jared - aka Hermano Brown - is now officially our teacher. But we'll keeping teaching Jared and we'll start teaching Miguel (Hno Hammond) next week. I really love both my teachers. They definitely have super different styles, but I really enjoy both. I'm always so excited for class everyday, and I really enjoy teaching our "investigators". I love applying the insights and things we learn and just learning in general. Basically, I just love it here. I feel like I'm growing so much and it hasn't even been two weeks yet. It's amazing!!!

Sorry for the novel! There's just SO MUCH!!!! :D

Chao for now!! I love you!

Hna Chipman

Inside one of the bubbles... especially for Candice. :)

This one is especially for Elder Vavricka's momma. :D

The week where no one has any idea what is going on...

Hola familia and amigos!!!

I'm a missionary, what up

Well, I've officially been here for a little over three days now. Really? Three days - that's it?!? It feels like I've been here FOREVER. I'm sure all my RM friends will get a good laugh out of that, because they know exactly what I'm talking about. Did I even have another life before I got here? Is this even real?

Ok, before I go any further, I just have to say I'm a little disappointed here. I've been here three days, and I have no mail and just two emails... Come on guys, I KNOW you can do better than that!!! ;) But, seriously...

While I'm here in the MTC, dearelder.com is the best way to write me (my unit is 804 and my departure date is NOV 03 :D). It's free AND I get the letter really quickly. I don't have to wait until preparation day (our teacher is really trying to get us to avoid saying P-day) to get those letters. Our district leader checks our mail twice a day and I can take those letters home with me to read over and over and over. Maybe this sounds really selfish asking for all these notes, but I can't even BEGIN to tell you how nice a little note of encouragement is. Because, believe it or not, this is really hard. Like the hardest thing I've ever done. It is so so awesome and it's just going to continue getting even more awesome, but it is so so hard and will continue being hard the whole time I am serving. In the words of Elder Holland, "missionary work is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience." I didn't really have any expectations coming in, since I had no idea what to expect, but it is harder than I ever imagined.

Ok, enough with the heavy stuff. I'll tell you a little bit about what it's like here. So I live on the West Campus (formerly Raintree and Wyview student housing). I live in Wyview and have class in Raintree. It's a little weird/funny to me. I used to use Raintree's pool all the time. It was my favorite pool!! Now there is no pool. No swimming for missionaries!! All the Spanish missionaries live on the West Campus. In about four weeks though, they are moving everyone back to the main campus (where you dropped me off, mom and dad). So I get a practice transfer I guess!

My cute compy and I

My companion's name is Hermana Kroska. She's 19 and from Minnesota. Oh my gosh, my entire zone are BABIES!! They are so young! The Sister Training Leader is my age and graduated from BYU this April too. Everyone else is like 18 or 19. Totes adorbs. I'm like a little grandma, haha. Anyway, back to my companion. She's such a sweetheart. We were definitely meant to be compys. If one of us is having a hard time, the other one is able to lift up the other. It's great. This will be a great companionship.

Compy and I :)

I'm in the intermediate Spanish class. My teacher, Brother Hammond - who is so great, BTW - said I could probably test into the advanced class and leave in 12 days... yeah, better not (said with an Australian accent). One, I think my mother would have a heart attack if she knew I were leaving that soon. Two, I need A LOT of practice. Like a lot a lot. Especially with this whole teaching thing. Yikes. We taught our first lesson yesterday to Jared (pronounced Har-ed). He's not really an investigator, but he portrays an investigator that he knows. He's actually our second teacher, but we're not supposed to know that yet. Our zone leader told us, and we accidentally discovered it in our online materials. Oops, haha. Anyway, I spent half the lesson wanting to laugh because it was going so terribly and I spent the other half wanting to cry because it was going so terribly! I keep telling myself it was only our first lesson and it can only get better from there, and it will. It's a little discouraging, but I really can't expect to be this great missionary from the get-go. I've got to put in the time and just keep trying. I can't wait to actually share a successful missionary story with you guys!!!

Ok, time is short. We get an hour on Saturdays to email. Everyone says your first week in the MTC is the slowest/hardest. After that you get into a normal routine and aren't running everywhere wondering what in the world you are doing (hence the title of this email). And time starts to fly. So hold on tight.

I love you all!! Muchos besitos!

Love,

Hermana Chipman

My cute little district... Elders Vavricka and Lyman, and Hna Kroska

"Silly" district pic

Normal district pic

El templo!! (I had her stand on the tall part)

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