It's strange to be ending my mission

Well how´s it going? 05/04/15

We had a pretty interesting week. It's been busy with lots of meetings and exchanges and honestly, not a whole lot of lessons. But miracles still happened. We are adding a soccer court to the church and because of it, the church hired a few security guards to watch the materials to make sure nobody tries to steal them. On Friday, at a ward lunch, the members invited the guard on duty to participate. Then on Sunday they invited him to participate in the meetings. It was good to see the members so excited to share the gospel, but it really hit me when this same security guard made a comment in Gospel Principles class. He said that he loved what he was learning, and he loved being around the members and he felt a really good spirit here. He is planning to keep on coming, even after the job is done. This just shows that there are a lot of people interested and all they need is an invitation.

With that, the cold is finally coming in. Yesterday night we had to make a nice soup and turn on the furnace full blast. It also has caused every missionary to get the sniffles, but I guess that´s just part of it.

I have some busy weeks ahead of me.  Every day we have a lot to do, with not so many visits and lessons, but lots of exchanges and meetings. On Sunday we have a baptism for a boy named Josué! Next Thursday we get a capital tour, next Friday we go to the Temple, and on Sunday the 17th, they are broadcasting the dedication of the Cordoba Temple to all stake centers. There is no sacrament meeting that day so everyone can enjoy it!

This past week I have been thinking a lot about my mission, because I know it's coming quickly to an end. I felt worried that I haven´t done enough, and so I decided to fast and ask the Lord about what he thinks of my service. Last night, my comp got sick so we finished a little early so he could sleep a bit more. As he slept,  I was able to read through my journals from my mission. During my first year I wrote every day, but during my second year not so much :) In spite of that I was able to read and remember how I felt and I could see how far I  have come, and more importantly, I could see the Lord's hand in everything that has happened in between. I look back at the beginning and I remember the hard times and how the Lord helped me in my first area. I could also see His hand in my first days in the offices.  He was there through all the changes and lessons that I've learned. Let’s just say that by the end of my hour of reading, I felt comfortable and happy.

It’s really a strange feeling to only have two weeks left, but a good feeling. I already see some blessings from my mission and what I have learned. What a blessing it is to be missionary, and a member of this church! It’s really hard to describe how I feel, because I am really excited, but then I feel really nostalgic and sad about leaving Argentina. I don't really know what to expect when I get home, and I don't know if I really understand what it means to go home. I do expect a lot of changes as well as a lot of blessings . I also expect a lot of disappointments and adjustments.  I’ll admit that I´m getting a little tired of all the anticipation with all the missionaries talking about the fact that I'm going home. I feel a lot of how I did before I left the mission. There was a lot of speculation and nothing was certain. Luckily, I know these last two weeks are going to be really quick because we have lots to do!

So yes, I am enjoying my service, I´m working hard, I get up on time, study, and work all day. I enjoy lessons and nothing beats the feeling when someone that we are teaching walks into the church on Sunday morning. But I'm also ready to be with you guys again. If that makes any sense.

I´m also looking forward to summer! It has actually gotten cold, and I'm ready to go back to the sun. I´ve always liked the heat more anyway :)

I love you all! I love the Lord! I love his Church!

Have a good week!

Elder Chipman