I'm happy here and I love being a missionary.

¡Hola Amigos! ¿Todo Piola?                                                              

It’s been an amazing week with its ups and its downs. We are still teaching Rodrigo and have had a lot of progress with him. He is excited to be baptized this Thursday, and it’s amazing to see him grow! We had a little trouble though this week, because he has to receive written authorization from his parents. It didn´t help that he was telling them that he was going to get baptized and then leave for two years to be a missionary somewhere. Understandably his parents refused to let him be baptized thinking we were going to just pick him up and shift him off to a foreign mission. We visited his parents today and explained a little bit more about what is happening and how we baptize and basic beliefs. They are a lot more relaxed about and will talk as a family tomorrow. Let’s just pray that it will all work out.

As far as office life goes, it’s the start of a new transfer and we are busy with materials, lists, records, and all sorts of fun stuff! In the end though, its fun! We continue to experiment on new foods to cook. This week’s menu consisted of homemade noodles, hot dogs, and pancakes. The failure of the week was when we tried to make syrup and cooked it for too long. When we ate it, it was like sticky cement and so we will have to try that again!

As far as my life goes, I´m tired, but that´s just part of being a missionary. It’s been a little rough because I learned that Pablo, my recent convert from San Francisco, is inactive due to the lack of understanding he had about the gospel. It was our fault for not teaching him well enough and confirming him too early. I was thinking about it, about converts and how we know when they are ready, and I thought about the story of the building of the Salt Lake Temple. Brigham Young put so much into that building, and when he found out that the cornerstones were cracked, it probably broke his heart. I love the movie “Mountain of the Lord” during this part because you see the pain that Brigham feels, realizing he will never see the completed structure in this life, but like the movie portrays he picks himself up, and says that they need to start again. I think that I tried too hard to build a temple on a cracked foundation. Waiting would’ve ensured the fact that I would never see him baptized, but he would’ve been more ready, but I refused to look at the signs that he wasn’t ready and now I need to repent for messing up like that. It also teaches me what to look for in future investigators, and I still have hope that Pablo will come back and be a faithful member, but we just need to repair the foundation a little.

We had a great ward activity today. Someone just said that they wanted to cook everyone choripan and so we all got together and ate sausage and played soccer. It was pretty fun!

Thanks for sending the milesplit article, I sometimes feel like I get forgotten in the world of running because, well, I´m not exactly running right now, but it’s little articles like that that remind me that I was fast at one point, and I could be again :)  Allie is rocking it! That picture is amazing! She looks like a stud. I’ve shown it to those who might understand around here. Ya,  I brag about her a bit, but what older brother wouldn´t right?

I don´t have too much time to write today. Sorry! Thanks for sending me my drivers license extension because I was going to write you about that soon.  Sooooo, can I ask for some more money? Sorry. My running shoes are destroyed and smell like dead dogs. Plus I´m starting to get shin splints because they are a little worn out. Sorry, I hate asking for more money, but they are pretty bad.

I hope all is well with everyone at home. We really do have a Savior who loves us and wants what’s best from us, even if we have to be toughened up a little bit. If we are doing what’s right, everything will be for our benefit. If we aren´t doing what’s right, we can change and repent, and learn from our mistakes. Isn´t it great that we can never stray too far off the path, that we can always grab the hand that is always extended to us, repent, and return to where we belong. Christ is our literal Savior, and will help us, but we need to reach out and grab his hand.

Anyway, I miss you a lot, but I am happy here, and I love being here as a missionary. We are working hard, and doing the best we can to be obedient! I do look forward to home though, but the time is passing too quickly. Every month passes by like a dream. 

I love you all, Have a good week!

Elder Chipman