3/18/13

I have my new address!!!
2040 Tennyson Ave NE #7
Massillon, OH 44646
The new apartment is nice! Two bedrooms, big living room, small kitchen and 1 bathroom. But it's still a lot better than our 1 bedroom apartment! So there is my trainer, Sis. Carlson, me, Sister O'Driscoll (who was in my district in the MTC), and her trainer, Sis. Yates. My trainer is so cute! She's this short, adorable blonde from Boise, ID. She is ALL about musical and theater. She is a lot of fun, awesome missionary. Sis. Yates was in the mission for about 10 months and then got really sick and had been home for 2 months and then came back the same time I got to the area. She has been sick again. She has asthma and has been having a really hard time breathing. She started getting sick like the second day we were here and hasn't been out teaching since. So it's been really hard on Sis. O'Driscoll, because she has been stuck in the apartment all day too not doing anything. So President called the other night and said that Sis. O'Driscoll and I should switch of with Sis. Carlson so that she could get some teaching experience. Which was fine with me! So the other day I stayed home and it was incredible! Sis. Yates is such a fantastic missionary. She taught me SO MUCH! and it wasn't like they were big, life changing things. I just asked her questions and she gave me tips and suggestions about things that worked well for her. She also taught me the Plan of Salvation like I have never heard it taught before! It was a revilatory experience. It was cool, she challenged me to read the Book of Mormon and circle all of Christ's names and then underline all of His attributes, that I might come closer to Him and truly know Him. So far it has been an amazing experience. I invite you all to do it, it's awesome!!!
So the Rohrer family is so great!!! They have all been sober from their various addictions and have also started paying tithing. Whatever we throw at them they eat it up! They always understand it and never have any problem doing it. They are such an amazing family! On the 24th we are taking them to Kirtland!!!!!!! I CAN NOT WAIT!!! It's going to be so amazing!!!
We have a few other investigators and less actives that we are teaching. None though are progressing like the Rohrers! It's really exciting.
Oh my goodness, the craziest thing happened last week! Last monday after I finished emailing you, we went and played Volleyball with the Elders in our district. it was a lot of fun, but I must have done something to my back because I could barely walk for the next few days. everywhere I sat I was in pain, I couldn't stand up straight, I couldn't get up off the floor. The only time I felt okay was when I was laying down, flat on my back. It was so terrible. Seriously thought I would have to stay home all day. Wednesday night we had coordination meeting with the ward auxillary leaders and afterward I asked for a blessing. It was really sweet, our ward mission leader, Bro. Roberts, is so fantastic. The next morning I woke up and felt amazing! The Lord had truly blessed me. It's still a little tense, but 100 times better than it was at the begining of the week!
Well I miss you guys and hope that everything is great back at home! I love you guys!!!

3/25/13

S
T

 

 

Sounds like you guys are busy! FUN! Yah the package got sent back. I went into the office the other day and I asked them if they maybe had a package for me. She saw my name and then felt so bad. Because we are under a corporate lease, they don't have all of our names down. So when it didn't have the apartment number and she couldn't find my name in their system she sent it back. I was so mad!!! But I tried not to make her feel bad. She called the post office and they said it was sent back a few days ago... So hopefully I get it back soon. and yes, I would like that quilt, but I don't need anything else. It is freezing here! we just got a TON of snow last night and it is so cold!

So Sis. Yates, the other trainer who has been sick, is going home today. we are heading up to Cleveland to the mission home this afternoon to drop her off. which means the rest of us will be in a triple up for a while. I'm a little worried about it. My trainer is AWESOME! but It was nice having 2 around that I could go to both with my questions and concerns. and everybody does things differently, so it's just going to be another adjustment... But I think it will be fun.

We took the Rohrer famiy up to Kirtland yesterday with a sister from the ward who is 20 and preparing for her mission! It was fantastic! They are so incredible. They loved it. The spirit was so strong and they can not wait for their baptism this Saturday! I can't wait for their baptism! They are also so excited to go to the temple in a year and do the work for their mom! Sam, the daughter, is so excited to get to be the proxy for her! I'm so excited for this family and the bright future that the gospel has blessed them with!

So Sis. Carlson and I had a neat experience this week. We are teaching a less active, Gary, and his wife, Debbie, who isn't a member. Gary was in a serious motorcycle accident a few months ago and broke almost every bone in his body. (mind you, he is in his 60's) so he is always in a lot of pain and because of that he's not able to stay at church all 3 hours and neither is Debbie. Debbie hasn't been progressing and so we were thinking about what is another approach we can take to help her to keep commitments. We thought about church attendance, but she hasn't been able to really go. So we were praying about it and I got an impression that we need to fast. So saturday afternoon and night we fasted and Sunday morning, that Gary and Debbie would stay all 3 hours and that it would be a revelatory experience. THEY STAYED ALL 3 HOURS!!! and after church Gary asked the Bishop for a blessing and it was crazy how strong the spirit was. and then the bishop started talking to him about getting to the temple and Gary said that he really wanted to! I hope that it had an impact on his wife. Just goes to show the power of fasting and prayer! It was great!

Thursday, all of the people being trained and their trainers went to a training meeting in Kirtland. It was awesome to get to see my old companion and all of the people I came out of the MTC with! It was also awesome becuase we got to take a tour of the historic sites. It's so neat to be in that place! THey show a short film about the 8 years that the saints were here for and at the very beginning they have a list of names of all the saints that lived here, sacrificed here, and served here and President said that we are adding our names to that list. In D&C 38:32 it says "Ye should go to the Ohio;... and there you shall be endowed with power from on high." It's just so neat that I have been given those same instructions from the Lord that Joseph Smith did. and I know that the Lord has truly blessed me with an added measure of power, because there is now way I can do any of this on my own, no way.

I have also heard that Joseph Smith himself has a hand in picking the missionaries that will serve in this area. It's so awesome to learn about this place and to be here and learn about our history and how it effects us now. 64 of the sections in the D&C were received here. It's just awesome! I hope that we all get the chance to visit here and see it!
The weeks are starting to go by faster and faster - Finally! I passed my 1 month mark last week and I feel like I have been gone for at least 3 months! But things are speeding up, which is nice.

I'm still loving it out here and I'm enjoying it all! I hope all is well back home!

Love you guys! Miss you all!!!

 

First pics from Cleveland

3/11/13 Arrives in Cleveland

So it has been crazy these past couple days!!!! Tuesday we FINALLY got to Cleveland and were able to have dinner at the Stake Center at 7:30 that night. Then we all had to split up becuase there were 29 of us, they had to figure out where to put everyone. I got to stay at the mission home with my companion in the General Authority room, it was pretty fancy. Wednesday we had some training with the Assistants and were interviewed by Pres. and Sister Vallinga. They are so wonderful! I really like them a lot! Thursday we got up early and all headed to Kirtland. It was pretty awesome! We went to the Temple and got to read some of the visions and stuff from D&C as we were sitting right where it all happened. Then we went down to the Knewl K Whitney store and up in the top room, where they had the School of the Prophets we all knelt down and dedicated our missions to the Lord. It was an incredible experience, very special. After that we all went downstairs and President handed out our area assignments and gave us pictures of our new companions! As we were walking out of the store, pres came up to me and another sister that i was with in the mtc and said that there was a surprise for us, we were going to be in a trio together!!!! it was awesome! I was so happy that i was going to have someone familiar with me! so then we went to the stake center in Kirtlad for the transfer meeting and got to meet out new comps. as we were talking with Sis. Carlson, my new companion, pres comes up with another surprise. He had a new comp for sis. O'Driscoll, who I was in the MTC with. She was going to be trained by Sis. Yates who was home on medical leave and would be coming back! So now there are four of us living in a 1 bedroom apartment until Thursday when we move to a 2 bedroom.

So i have to tell you guys about this family that we are teaching! THEY ARE GOLDEN!!! there is Rick, the dad, Brandon who is 20, and Samantha who is 18. All of Rick's extended family are members and have always been there for them when they needed stuff. the Rohrer family lost their wife/mother on Jan. 4 and the church stepped in to help. Rick thought that after all the church has done, they should probably let the missionaries come over. Rick was really mad at the Lord and they were all really in a dark place. The sisters taught them the plan of salvation and everything changed. They are completely different people. When I went over to meet them for the first time the spirit was so strong in their home, their faith it incredible. we just gave them the Word of Wisdom last night and Rick has committed to stop smoking, he had already started that on his own!, and Brandon committed to stop drinking coffee, which he had already decided was bad for him and he knew he hda to stop. THey came to church yesterday and had an awesome time! Sam is planning on going back for mutual wed night and wants to go to girl's camp and youth conference! IT's so fantastic to see the gospel work in people's lives like this! they have a baptismal date set for March 30!

There is this less active family, the Morrisons, who had us over for my firt dinner! They are so awesome!!!! Margie is so crafty and fun, reminds me a lot of Maggie. Her daughters are 20 and 18 and the 20 year old is planning on going on a mission! they were sealed in the temple but went innactive about 8 years ago because of things going on in the ward. but we are trying to get them back to the temple! They are so fun!!!

There are a few more investigators and less active that we have been seeing, the work is progressing.

the area here is nteresting. Massillon, OH is the name of my area. There are a lot of poorer areas and more rundown homes here. the ward has a lot of elderly people in it. But the people here are amazing, they are so wonderful and kind and welcoming.

It's been tough for a few days. my Companion's previous companion, Sis. Bell, was fantastic and everyone in the area loves her. so when we go over to people's houses all they talk about is how sad they are to not have bell anymore and how they miss her and how fantastic she was. And my comp is really stressed about training and the area being split. So its weird, i feel like the members don't like me because I replaced Sis. Bell, and I don't know if my comp is stressed because of me. but having nights liek we have had with the Rohrers and other investigators make it a lot better and remind me what I am supposed to be focusing on. those nights make it all worth it.

Our P-days are mondays! I can not wait to go shopping! Since Wed we have just been eating the food that was already here in the apt and i am starving!!!! lol! So I can't wait for that!

I miss you guys! I need you to send me pictures of the family so I can put them up and show people! I also need cd's of "inspirational music" it can be hymns, or anything missionary appropriate. JUST SEND ME MUSIC!!!

Tell everyone hi for me! I'm sorry I wasn't able to call, my card ran out of minutes and I didn't have enough time between flights. I was so sad! I wanted to talk to everyone so bad!!!! I'm so sorry! but mother's day is just around the corner!

I hope Haleigh and Michael are doing better! and I hope Cory and Steph can get through it.

I'm excited to hear about Harm! That's awesome that she's coming home and for rex! Tell that kid Hi for me! I need his address so I can write him!

I love you guys so much and I can't wait to talk to you guys again soon!

When we move to our new apt. i will send you our address!

3/1/13

A lot has happened since I last emailed! Sis Dahle and I have been having AWESOME success with our investigator Dyana! She had denied our invitation to pray twice, so we were trying to think of another way we could get her to feel the love of her Heavenly Father. So we invited her to read the Book of Mormon! AND SHE DID!!!! It was so amazing! We love her so much! We are meeting with her again tomorrow night and are going to invite her to baptism! We can't wait!
Saturday night was a rough night for pretty much our whole district. We all were having a hard time understanding how to teach by soley relying on the spirit. It was a new experience and a lot of us were getting frustrated. My companion and I had a breakdown and just had to take a break for a while. But then once that happened everything changed! It was a really neat experience.
Sunday night we had a devotional with the guy who is in charge of the missionary department. He was really funny and what he talked about was really comforting. For a few days I had been feeling like I wasn't supposed to be here and that I wouldn't be able to do this. But he talked about how the adversary is working on at all times to try and make us not want to be apart of this work. It was definitely what I needed to hear!
Then Tuesday night we had a devotional with Elder Ballard! It was really cool to hear from one of the apostles! He talked about how even though we feel inadequite, that we all know what the gospel is! Most of us have been raised on it and that we shouldn't doubt the knowledge that we already have. It was really neat. He also talked about how the best missionaries are the ones who know who the Savior is and have a close relationship with Him.
I've been getting mail from Maggie almost everyday! It's been so awesome! She's been sending talks on missionary work or lists of things I should have, it's been so sweet having her letters! The Jorgensen's have also been writing me, they are so sweet! I got a letter from Sis. Reichelt the other day too! I feel so supported by so many people back home!
Well how is everyone doing?!?!?!?! How are Cory and Steph and the kids??? How is Rex???? How was Hawaii???? How are Sarah and Grandma??? You guys have to keep me updated!!!! I really want to hear from you guys!

Well I guess there's not much else to say...
Have a good weekend! love you guys!
Sis. Chapman

MTC Pictures 3/1/13

2/23/13

From:	Rachel Chapman (rachel.chapman@myldsmail.net)You moved this message to its current location.
Sent:	Sat 2/23/13 5:51 PM
To:	chapman_don@hotmail.com; darchapman@hotmail.com

Hey family!!!! So I get 30 minutes to email you and I want to make the most of this time!

the MTC has been good! The food is great, all the people are wonderful. I love my Companion, Sis. Dahle! She is so wonderful! We are so alike and perfect for eachother! I am learning a lot, things are going so fast! I am so tired all the time! I love my District, most of us are going to Cleveland but there are 4 elders who are going to Denver North. It has been a lot of fun getting to know all of them and becoming closer.

Its interesting because the first few days here, I was feeling the spirit and was having a great time, but I kept doubting whether I was really supposed to be here or not, it was a weird feeling and I can't quite explain it. But yesterday my comp and I taught our first "investigator" and things totally changed. Having an experience of teaching someone how their Heavenly Father loves them and is someone who wants them to be happy made me realize how I have the opportunity to change peoples' lives, and that that's what the gospel does! It was incredible and I can't wai to teach her again later on today!

It's been really interesting seeing how almost everything I have learned in my social work classes at school has come in handy in teaching the gospel! It's so wonderful to see how the Lord is directing our lives and leading us to where we need to be!

How has Hawaii been?!?!?! I hope you guys are having a great time and are enjoying the warm weather! It's snowing here right now and I am so jealous! Tell Sarah and Rex and Grandma Hi for me!!!!!

I miss you guys so much! Can't wait to hear from you!

Love you!

Sis. Chapman

P.S. I will be leaving here early March 5th and will get a chance to call from the Airport. I have a layover in Minneapolis at 10:30 (I don't know what time zone that is) for an hour so we will probably be able to call then. I don't know how you guys want to coordinate that but I really want to be able to talk to you both! So let me know!

love you guys so much!!!!!!