7/7/14

This was a crazy week - emotions were a little high. But it was good! We got a lot done and were super busy!

Monday we just kind of hung out and got things done around the apartment that we needed to. It was nice. I got a 15 minute nap - it was great!

 

Tuesday was hilarious. There was this lady, Charlie, that we contacted last week. She has been to Kirtland a ton and was familiar with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. While we were talking to her we told her about the Utah Valley Children's Choir that was going to be performing at our building and she seemed like it was something she wanted to do. She gave us her address and so we stopped by on Tuesday. She came out of her house all in an uproar! She didn't realize that we are also called the "Mormons" and said there was no way she could ever be a Mormon. it was kind of funny to watch. We said that the reason we stopped by was to just see if she was still interested in coming to the concert that night. She calmed down a little bit but was still in a huff. She started talking about how she had this stuff that she had to get done and her son was at jury duty and she wouldn't have time to do anything. So we offered to help out. She said no because she couldn't pay us. But we told her we wouldn't accept it even if she did have money. So she softened a little bit and told we could come back when we changed into service clothes and help mow her lawn. So we came back and boy did she put us to work. She had us out there with a pair of scissors edging that lawn!!!!! She kept us working right up to the minute we had to leave. CRAZY LADY! But it was cool to see how offering to serve someone changes them and makes them more open to you. We're going to try and stop by again this week and see how things are going. We also stopped by a less active, Bro. Leathers. He owns a limo business so he was never able to go to church because he was always working on the weekends. but when we stopped by he told us that he had "received a revelation" and sold his business all in 2 days, sold all of his cars and everything. It was really crazy to hear that he had done it, never thought that was possible! So we stopped by to see if he and his nonmember mother who lives with him wanted to go to the children's choir concert that night. He said he really wanted to but it was going to be hard because he had to pick someone up at the airport at a certain time. He said he was going to try. So we went to the concert to save seats. The concert by the way was FANTASTIC! you should look them up on Youtube and hear them sing. WAY GOOD!!! Probably one of the highlights of my mission. So we get there and we're enjoying it and we don't see Bro. Leathers anywhere. We looked all around the chapel and we couldn't find him. So we get home and see that we have a text message from him saying that he was able to make it, but had to leave early and that he LOVED it! We were so happy! It was totally a miracle! It was awesome! We were really happy becuase that was the first time he's been in a church in YEARS! and the spirit was SUPER strong so it was just good all around!

 

Wednesday was interesting. I had my final interview with P. Vellinga. Let's just say it wasn't easy. We talked a lot about my plans after the mission, school, marriage, work. It was really funny, we talked about the STL arch for about 10 minutes. He's never been and wanted to know what it's like. cracked me up. another funny thing: He asked me if I knew the name of my husband. I told him no. He said, "really? you don't know yet?" and i was like, no. He said, "I do." and i was like what?!?!!?!!? you do? and he said, "yah, his name is honey!" hahaha! He totally got me, I thought he had received divine revelation about who I was supposed to marry. hahahahaha! I love P. Vellinga, he's so incredible. It was really good to get some guidance and counsel from him, he's so inspired. It was really hard though to hear him talk about my mission ending. It reminded me of Pres. Uchtdorf's talk about how we really struggle with endings because we are eternal beings who will never end. The good thing is my calling as a missionary never really ends. But somehow that doesn't seem to take away the sting of taking off my name tag.

 

Thursday we had Zone Training Meeting. That was really good! One of our zone leaders was my MTC district leader, so it's good to be around friends. There are a lot of elders in the zone that I am friends with so it was fun to get see them one last time. We won't be together as a zone again before I leave. We had some members that have already been in the ward move into our area. They are so so so fun! We love them, totally my new favorite people! The both graduated from BYUI and loved it too. It was fun to be around some fun people!

 

Friday we did some service for a member who is directing the community theatre. We painted her set pieces. It was fun! I love doing service! You can physically see the fruits of your labor, which in missionary work often isn't the case. So we were really busy with that and then we had dinner with the sweet Jambas. They want to meet you guys when you come out. So we might have to make a stop there. Grandma will love them!

 

Saturday we did a lot of yard work and more painting. we had some good lessons with some less actives too.

 

Sunday was a really good Sacrament meeting. The testimonies were great. In RS we had a lesson on the Temple. Made me SO SO SO homesick for the Temple. I can't wait to get to go soon! 

Today we are going to Cleveland to West Side Market for the last time and then we are meeting up with some other missionaries in the area to play volley ball. shoudl be a lot of fun!

i've been thinking lately about how things mean differently to me since being out here. Like the Sacrament is something TOTALLY different to me now then it was before. I will never again go another Sunday without taking the Sacrament. Another thing that has changed for me is the significance of Kirtland. I never realized how critical Kirtland is for the Church today. Without the things in Kirtland we wouldn't have half of the D&C. We wouldn't know as many details about the Plan of Salvation as we do, we wouldn't have the Word of Wisdom, we wouldn't have had the Kirtland Temple and the amazing things that happened there. Christ has been here! He has visited the saints in Kirtland. the Spirit of Kirtland is alive and you can feel it. The day we as missionaries come to Ohio before we meet our trainers, P. Vellinga takes us to Kirtland to the room of the school of the prophets (where the WofW was received and where Christ appeared) and we kneel there and dedicate the next 18-24 months of our lives to the Lord. Then the day before we leave, the 23rd, we go back to that room, kneel again and give the Lord an accounting of the past 18-24 months of our lives. That room will forever be sacred to me for more than the reasons it's sacred to everyone else. Kirtland has forever changed my life. The Lord had a scourge prepared for the people of Kirtland, but a prophet has told us it has been lifted and now it is being built up again. That is why the missionaries of the Ohio Cleveland Mission are called here is to build up Kirtland, to build up the waste places of Zion and prepare a righteous people to meet the Lord. Zion is being redeemed. I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY HERE! I'm so grateful for this time I've had to serve here and to just be immersed in the spirit all the time. I'm going to come home and convince as many people as I can to serve a mission. BEST EXPERIENCE EVER OF MY LIFE SO FAR! 

 

I love and miss you all. See you soon

6/30/14

So this week was CRAZY! But lots of good stuff going on!

Monday last week was SO AWESOME!!!! When you guys come out I'm going to take you downtown and show you the courthouse and what the seniors are doing down there and then show you CLEVELAND!!! You're going to love it!

 

Okay so we have 2 new investigators! Rachael, she's the one who referred herself that wanted to learn more about the church because she's got a friend on a mission. and her friend Katie came too, she knows someone on a mission too! they're both 20 and super cute! So we went to Rachael's house and met them and then they both started firing all of these questions at us like "what do you do in your spare time? (haha! Like we have spare time) what is your favorite part about being a missionary? what do you believe?" so we got to answer a ton of questions about missionary life and then we taught them about the restoration. It was so awesome! They thought it was super interesting. They're both catholic and thought that the Prophet was really cool, they said it seemed more personal than the pope. They also really liked forever families. They loved that members of the church are truly dedicated to it, that it's our lifestyle not a religion. They wished more Catholics would do that. They overall really liked meeting with us and want to meet again. they want to come to church, they even want to hang out with us on one of our preparation days! they think we're cool or something. Those poor girls....

 

We had a very interesting experience the other night. We went down to the pier to do some contacting and we met this really awesome lady! Get this!!!!!!: Her husband was an egyptologist (he's passed away) and is the man that taught Hugh Nibly how to read hyrogliphics and he authenticated the papyrus scrolls that are now the Pearl of Great Price!!! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?!?!!? So awesome! But then it got realllllll bad. Her sister and her sister's friend came up and starting talking to us. Her friend, Tom, is an awful man. He starting bashing us for believing that we can become like our Heavenly Father and then told us that he was praying for our souls, that we would come to know Jesus sometime in our lives. That's the short version of what happened... We handled it really well. Except for when he told us we're not Christians, i mumbled under my breath, "well that's offensive" but he didn't hear me. haha! He was an interesting individual. He mentioned this man who is meeting with missionaries and told us that he is helping that man become Christian again.... So after that awful encounter we went home and told the other sisters who serve in the other ward and the man that Tom named is the man that they are meeting with! He is an active member, just in a nursing home. Apparently Tom is banned from seeing this man, that he is a threat to his safety! Tom has been trying to convince this sweet man that the church isn't true and that he should get up in a testimony meeting and publicly declare the church is false. It was really eerie finding all of this out. It was crazy because the sisters thought that this man in the nursing home was just having a dementia moment, but it's all true! So scary! They are going to talk to some people and see what they can do to help their member. Ah! As awful as that experience was Tom was someone we needed to meet it turns out.

So we lost connection with our awesome investigator Shawn... It was really sad. his phone got shut off and we didn't know where he lives. but the member that we brought with us to teach him said that Shawn told him he lived on 219th. So decided that we were going to find him on Saturday! So we drove down to 219th and realized we had no hope of finding him. 219th is HUGE! there was no way were going to be able to tract it in one day. So we thought about it and realized we knew 2 things about Shawn: he's italian and lives with his grandmother. So we started looking for houses that looked like an Italian or an old lady lived there. no luck.... So we prayed. We decided to go to the library and ask for a phone book. we looked up all of the Triscari's we could find in the area. None of them were even close... We were so stuck! We decided to go back to where he was living about 3 weeks ago when we first met him to see if the friends he was living with knew where he moved to or knew his grandma's name so we could look her up. So we go over to the house and knock on the door. For a while no one came, but then a miracle happened. SHAWN OPENED THE DOOR!!!!!!!!!!!! I was so shocked and surprised and didn't know what was happening that I just blurted out, "Shawn! WE FOUND YOU!" It was a little embarrassing.... But we had all just witnessed a miracle! It was HUGE! So we were able to set up a time to come back and see him Tuesday! I am so excited! He's so golden.

We had a great week. Lots of good things are happening.

I love you and miss you all so much!

See you soon

Sis. Chapman

6/23/14

This week was a long one. We had what looked like was going to be a great week with appointments and lessons and new investigators all set up and then EVERYONE decided to cancel on us... So we weren't as successful as we had hoped, but it was still a good week!

We had an AWESOME lesson with our new investigator Shawn! We taught him about the restoration and Joseph Smith and asked him what he thought and he said, "It just feels right. I believe it." !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's what we like to hear!!!! So that went really well! We got him a ride set up for church and everything and were so excited for him to be there and then his phone got shut off and we lost contact and now we don't know what's going on.... So hopefully we'll be able to get back in touch with him soon. He was so solid and he definitely needs this right now. Say lots of prayers for Shawn everyone!!!!

 

Other than that our week has been kind of uneventful... Not too much is going on right now. But this next week is going to a good one! We have some good things set up with some potential investigators. Tonight we're actually seeing one that I'm really excited about! She referred herself and asked that we stop by and meet with her. So it should be good!

 

Today we are going to the Court House! I'm excited because it's where the records preservation senior couples work and we are going to go see what all they do and how they do it. Then Sis. Brumfield (one of the seniors) is going to take us on a tour of the old historical buildings in that part of Cleveland. I'm stoked! It should be a lot of fun. I think that would be something Grandma would really enjoy to see too when you guys come out! 

 

Yesterday I did receive a blessing from P. Vellinga. That was AWESOME! It was just kind of to help me as I'm freaking out about only having a month left. What I'm worried the most about is keeping the spirit that I feel as a full time missionary with me when I leave and don't have this calling anymore. It terrifies me to think about what it's going to feel like to be released. My prayer is that I won't feel any difference. P. Vellinga's blessing definitely helped. Brought a lot of peace. 

Sorry this is super short... there just hasn't been a ton going on. 

I love you all and miss you A TON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

6/16/14

Yesterday was really hard. I was doing fine, not having a hard time at all until Sis. Kawa started giving her talk in Sacrament meeting. She and her family are the ones who lived in St. Louis for a few years. They are moving this week to Utah so it was her goodbye talk coupled with Father's day. So she was talking about how she was going to miss everyone and all the memories they've made and then started talking about families and her dad and all the things they've done together yadda yadda yadda. And all of a sudden I COMPLETELY LOST IT. I have no idea what was going on yesterday. I think because it's getting so close I am missing you guys more and more and it's getting really hard to not think about seeing you in a few weeks and then I miss you EVEN MORE and it's just getting super duper hard. It definitely surprised me. Hopefully I can get it together soon. I think I'm freaking out my companion. haha!

 

Other than that things are going really well!

 

DAD IS IN THE BISHOPRIC!!!!!!!!!! So awesome! He is great! I can't wait to hear about you getting called into the relief society presidency or some stake auxiliary...  hahaha! it's totally going to happen. That's what you get for having 2 kids on a mission. :)

 

I am so glad you guys are having fun on the Lake! That will be a blast! i'm so jealous! We can see people out on lake erie all the time and it makes me miss it so much! But I have to say it is going to be THE WEIRDEST THING putting on a swimsuit again and actually getting in the water.... too weird.

 

So what kind of treatment is this that Sarah is doing? is it like some kind of radiology or a laser or is like a pill. there are some people here who's granddaughter is really struggling with something that sounds like Sarah and they would like to know what it is too!

I love you so so so so much! I hope you're having a good day!

6/10/14

Sorry!!! I forgot to tell you this week was a transfer week and that we wouldn't be emailing until today.

Wow it has been an interesting week. We were dropped by 3 investigators this week... bummer... But we have been meeting a lot of really cool people. We've been seeing a lot of miracles. It's been really exciting and totally a testimony building experience. It's been so interesting to see how the Lord works! We're walking around trying to find this investigator and then we run into other people instead who are interested. HAPPENED TWICE this week! So fun! I love being able to see how you are led by the spirit to do things or say things or go places. It's awesome. We were having a lesson with a less active, Bro. Parrino, this week. We had planned to teach the first half of the plan of salvation and the spirit totally took over. We ended up talking about the Word of Wisdom instead and committed him to stop smoking and drinking coffee. It was awesome! I love feeling like I'm an instrument in His hands. It's the best!

 

It's also been kind of a hard week for me personally. Things here are winding down and I've got so many people writing me about how they'll see me soon and it's all just starting to catch up with me. Sister Gardner lives with me and she is going home the same time that I am and we've been able to talk about what we're feeling which has been really helpful because she's going through some of the same things I am. It's hard not too feel like going home is a step down from where I am right now. I am not the same person I was when I left home and I don't really intend on going back either. Which is terrifying... I don't really know why but it is. Elder Holland said something really interesting to me when he came. He talked about how missionaries say that they're going back to "real life" when they leave the mission. (I've totally said that) and he said that that is backward. that THIS is real life, "the way the truth and the life" is the gospel, is missionary work. I'm leaving real life. Sis. Gardner siad something that hadn't quite hit me yet, "In 6 weeks we won't be missionaries anymore". PEOPLE CAN'T SAY THINGS LIKE THAT TO ME RIGHT NOW!!!! That was a really hard realization... One I'm not quite ready to accept yet. So I'm not going to. This transfer isn't my last. I'm never really released from being a missionary right?

In better news: I got a letter from Sis. Bakker in St. Marys that truly brought me to my knees in gratitude. Dane Felver baptized his daughter Heather on the 31st. She sent me the baptismal program and a picture of them all together. The Lord has been so good to that family and that branch. They had 75 people at church last week. That is DOUBLE what it was when I got there. DOUBLE!!!! I don't think I can ever love something like I love St. Marys. The Lord definitely knew what He was doing when He sent me there. Changed my life forever. I'm so excited for you guys to get to see it. Hopefully you'll be able to feel the spirit there. 

 

Also so many prayers have been answered this week when I heard that Sarah and Grandma were both doing better. HALLELUJAH!!!! Seriously though. So grateful that the Lord is aware of us. I hope that they continue to get better. How is Rex doing? He said that he was in the hospital again. Has the mission president or his wife called you guys? Is he getting better?

 

I hope that things go well for everyone this week!!! I love and miss you all so so so so much!!!!!

6/2/14

It has been another busy week here in Ohio! But a really beautiful one!

Wednesday it was Sis. Jamba's birthday so we went over and took her a card. My companion, Sis. Hawkins, got a balloon animal set thing in a package a while ago so she made Sis. Jamba a balloon hat. It looked ridiculous, we both agreed, but we didn't have much else to give her. So we went with it. She LOVED it and was so happy we came over. We took a pic, so don't worry, you'll all get to see it too! haha!

Thursday we were crazy busy with lessons. Between Thursday and Saturday we taught 14 lessons! It was awesome! For this area that was fantastic! We were pretty happy.

 

Our investigators for the most part are all doing well. Marga, the one who's German, is good. She's so adorable. She said that when ever she has a question about something she just opens the Book of Mormon and finds an answer. It was really cool! Jack Stewart is doing well. He's in this softball league that's for people 60 and older (he's 74) and his team is called "the huff n puffers"! hahahaha! So cute. He also participates in a Scottish Dance Camp every summer down in North Carolina. This guy is a hoot. haha! He used to be a investment person that did a lot of research and helped people make good choices of what to invest in before he retired. He's cool. Mirta and her daughter Angie are avoiding us and are cancelling appointments. We're not quite sure what's going on there. Hopfeully we can see them soon. We're going to try and stop by tonight to see what's going on. We're so confused. Angie was talking about wanting to get baptized and everything! We think the mom is putting a hold on things. We're not sure why though.... Hopefully we'll figure it all out tonight!

Something strange was going on last week. For some reason a lot of the old people we see decided to flash us a lot... It was so awful!!!!! I don't know what it was... I felt like at least once a day someone wanted to show us a tan line or they forgot to pull their pants up after going to the bathroom or they didn't realize their shirt was unbuttoned. IT WAS TERRIBLE!!!!! So awkward as a normal person not to mention a missionary... Hopefully this week people will be able to stay fully clothed.

Sorry this one is so short. There's not a ton of exciting stuff to report. Things are great, doing really good! Just really busy. 

 

Today we are going downtown to the west side market! There is a family here that used to live in St. Louis and they told us that it's a lot like Sulard but not as 3rd world. haha! That cracked me up! So true! So it should be a lot of fun. They have this incredible crepe place and a great middle eastern place. they have tons of produce and fresh meats and homemade pastas. So I'm really excited! IT should be a ton of fun! I'll make sure to take lots of pics for you!

 

The weather has been absolutely gorgeous this last week! We've been going down to the pier to do some contacting at sunset - BEAUTIFUL!!!! Perfect temperature. Until today. it's 80 and SUPER DUPER humid right on the lake. yay for humidity! It's my favorite....

 

Being a missionary is the best. I'm so grateful that I did this. I think about what I would be doing back home or at school if I wouldn't have come. I would probably be graduated by now, I would be having so much fun with Emma, I would be living up the summer in STL, I would be dancing at Wild Country with Lindsay, my life would be so fantastic! But I will never regret coming on a mission. My life may have been fantastic, but my life will be infinitely more fantastic now. The things I have learned here and the experiences I've had are priceless and I wouldn't trad them for anything, nothing. Learning what it means to be a disciple of Christ has forever changed me. My life will now be so different, so so so different. I recommend that EVERYONE serves a mission! haha! It's the most fun thing I think I've ever done. I remember when I was about to leave I had a small panic attack and asked Trevor, "Just tell me it's going to be fun! Tell me I'm going to enjoy it!" He reassured me that it would be a great experience. Then I got out here and was like, "He totally lied to me!" haha! Everyone said it would go by fast and that time would speed and I called them all liars! haha! But none of them were lying. After I got adjusted this became SO FUN! and the time started going by too quickly. I had a dream the other night about when I get released and have to take my nametag off. SOBBING ENSUED!!!! I can't even think about that happening right now. Which I'm so grateful for because I don't have to for a long time! Every moment counts and I have a lot of moments left. I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!!!

 

Love you guys! have a great week!

-Sis. Chapman

5/27/14

MOM!!!! Thank you so much for the package! It was AWESOME!!!! Loved them! Thank you!

 

I am so sad to hear about Grandma! I hope she's doing better now. I'll be keeping her and Sarah in my prayers. Sarah sent me a pick of her Cafe Rio borrito trying to rub it in my face. I responded, "first you total my car and now this..." haha! But I told her I loved her. I hope she's having a good time in Provo with the family and at EFY.

 

It has been a crazy week! Last Monday we went out for lunch at this AWESOME place called "the Melt" it has these insane grilled chees sandwiches that are to die for! It was a lot of fun. Tuesday was Zone Conference which was so awesome! I love zone conferences, getting to see President and Sister Vellinga is always so fun! It was my last zone conference though, so that was kind of sad. Sister Olsen and Martin from the office went home this weekend so they called them up and all the other missionaries whose last zone conference it was and they sang God Be With You Till We Meet Again to us. It was awful... We were all crying. I hated it because I still have 2 months left! I'm not going home yet! We'll meet again tomorrow.... But it was a good way to say goodbye to Sis. Olsen and Martin.

 

Wednesday was ELDER HOLLAND DAY! It was SO INCREDIBLE! He walked into the room and said, "I want to shake all of your hands" and so we all filed through and got to shake Elder Holland, Elder Hallstrom (From the presidency of the 70) and Elder Seldon (area authority)'s hands. It was so fantastic. Elder Holland said, "This is a good mission. I can tell because we've just interviewed each of you individually as we shook  your hands and looked into your eyes." AHHH!!! It was awesome! They all complimented us on our spirit and our preparation. I loved that they could tell we are a good, obedient mission! Elder Holland talked a lot about our personal conversion and that we can't go home and not live up to the title of "return missionary", we don't have the right to desicrate that title he said. It was so powerful. He told us that he thinks about his mission every day of his life, that it's become the template of his life. I hope that I will be able to say that about my mission. He also told us that he prays for the 2nd coming to happen every night. He says there are too many tears, too many troubles, too much evil in the world. He wants it to stop. But he said in order for that to happen we have to get to work, we have to hasten our work so that the Lord's can  be hastened. He also talked about our teaching. He said that each of us has power and authority as a missionary, but that we don't use either as much as we need to. He told us that we often don't get return appointments because we don't use our power and authority to astonish them. So that was his instruction, "go out and astonish someone today!" It was pretty cool to be taught by an Apostle! SOOOO COOOOL!!!! I loved every minute of it. He is so powerful and so in tune with the spirit and SO FUNNY! He told us that if we came home and went inactive that "Clint Eastwood would be baby talk" compared to what he would do to us! hahaha! It was great. Very inspiring and motivating for me to make sure when I come home I never forget what I have learned and felt and been apart of here and that I never go back to who I was before. It was incredible.

 

The rest of the week was good. Nothing too exciting to report... The weather here is so beautiful! I love that it's getting nice because it's making it so much easier to go contacting. We go to the pier that's right across the street from us and are able to talk to so many people! And there's a really awesome park/beach down the road too that's great! It's so beautiful here. I can't wait for you to see it when you come out! It's going to be so fun!

 

Monday was a lot of fun. We didn't do too much, just relaxed. Because it was memorial day everything was closed. but next week we're planning on going downtown Cleveland and checking out the markets and the fun stuff to do! SO EXCITED! It will be a lot of fun!

 

Well I hope that you guys are all doing well and that everyone is healthy and happy! I can't wait to see pics of the boat ride! Because I know you took pictures, right mom?

I love you!