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!

5/19/14

It sounds like a fun week back in O Town! I love hearing about what's going on there.

 

It has been a CRAZY week here as well. Holy Cow! It is non stop! There has been a little drama, but what else would you expect when there are 6 sisters living in an apartment together. One sister has an infection on her foot and isn't taking very hygenical steps to reduse the likelihood of spreading it to the rest of us so we had to have a little "come to Jesus meeting" over that. Things haven't really improved much... So we'll have to readdress things here in a bit. But it shouldn't be too bad.

 

Yesterday was SO CHAOTIC! Oh man! So the Cleveland Marathon was yesterday and they closed down Lake Rd. The road we live on is Lake Rd. So we had no way of getting out of our apartment building in the morning for church. And we aren't the only missionaries living in this apartment complex. How many missionaries live here you ask? 19. THERE ARE 19 MISSIONARIES HERE THAT HAD NO WAY OF GETTING TO CHURCH SUNDAY MORNING! hahahahahahaha! It was hilariously crazy. So funny! We were running around like chickens with our heads cut off trying to find rides for people to come pick us up down the street a few blocks. We got it all figured out, thank goodness. But there were a few sisters that are in the other ward that weren't able to make it to their Sacrament meeting and one of them was supposed to talk... She got out of that this week! It was so funny. I wish you all could have been there to see it. And it is Sis. Martin and Sis. Olsen, the senior sisters who work in the office, it was their last Sunday here in the mission. Boy what a way to go out. haha!  Saturday we did about 5 hours of service. We helped one of the other sisters investigators dad move out of their house. They're getting a divorce... So we packed him up, loaded up a Uhaul, followed them to downtown Cleveland, and moved him into an apartment on the 5th floor. It was quite the event. Lots of furniture and boxes. But it was fun. We got to see Cleveland, which as a Sister probably won't ever happen again. They don't send sisters downtown ever. But it feels like I'm just right back in downtown St. Louis. It's so funny. I think next week we're planning on hopping on a bus and heading downtown to do some site seeing on preparation day. I'm excited for that, should be lots of fun. We also helped a lady with her basement, it got flooded because of all the rain. So we were bleaching everything. It was an extremely long day but a lot of fun! I also kind of was attacked by a dog yesterday! We were stopping by a referral from the Akron elders and we couldn't even get up to the door. there was a big dog on a leash that wouldn't let us get past him. He was nice but wouldnt stop jumping on me. He was biting me but like play biting me so it didn't hurt very much, but I had scratches all over my arms from him jumping up. It was hilarious. Sis. Hawkins and I were both laughing so hard at the situation. We had to just get back in the car and leave. We'll have to try and stop by again another time. "mission aborted". haha! It was a good memory that's for sure.

 

We have an investigator, Angie, who is making A TON of progress! We haven't even started the lessons yet and she already wants to be baptized and said she was thinking about a mission! She loves young women's and church and is just soaking everythign up! She's been reading the Book of Mormon every day and loves it! We have another appointment with her tomorrow so I'm excited to see where she's at. We have another investigator, Sienna, who is 16 but can't get baptized till she's 18. But she goes to seminary, comes to church and mutual every week, she's basically already a member, just needs to get dunked. But she gave a talk in church yesterday about seminary and it was so awesome! She's so solid! I'm excited to see what happens. Her mom was at church so hopefully she'll give Sienna permission to get baptized sooner. We'll see...

 

Things are great. Life is great. The weather is great. the mission is great. Companion's great. I hear St. Marys is great. (65 people to church and Bro. Felver set a date to baptize his daughter on MAY 31ST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) Everything is just great!

 

Something that we've been studying this last week in preparation for Elder Holland ON WEDNESDAY! is miracles. I was reading in the Bible dictionary about them this morning and I thought it was interesting how it said that Miracles are the natural result of the Messiah’s presence among men. How cool! Miracles still happen because His presence is still here. I know that! I have seen it so much while I've been here. I know that the Savior lives and His hand is so involve in our lives constantly. I know He leads and guides this church and that we are here to do His work and to be His servants until the work is finished. Let's all go to work!

 

I love you all and hope you guys have a great week and a good Family Home Evening tonight!!!!!

-Sis. Chapman

05/12/14

This has been one great week! So much has been going on and we are so crazy busy! I love it!

We made a ton of cookies to take to members and investigators for mother's day. People are always more likely to answer the door or respond to your phone calls if you have treats! (missionary tip #1)

So we had a lot of luck handing those out! It was good, we got a lot of lessons with that this week.

We have a less active that we teach Bro. Parrino, who is a little on the autistic side. He is really smart though. But he was telling us that we're protected as sister missionaries so that bad people don't hurt us and how we have a shield over us so that people can't "reallly see" us is how he put it... It got realllll awkward.... realllllll fast. haha! I love Ohio. 

 

We also have some awesome investigators! Sienna and Hailey are 16 and 14 and are the grandaughters of a member. Sienna is pretty solid, comes every week and is really active. She's just waiting on her mom's permission to get baptized which probably won't happen, so she's going to have to wait till she's 18.... But she's great! We have another investigator Angelica, who is so great! She has come to church 2 times and is coming to Young Women's on Wed and we haven't even taught her an actual lesson yet! SHE'S SO SOLID! and Sienna is awesome fellowship for her! It's really cool! 

On Thursday Ralph and Pam Hildebrand from Massillon came up and took Sis. Hawkins and I out to lunch! It was so so so fun to see them again! I have missed them a lot! It was weird to see someone from Massillon again! I am excited to go back. From what I hear things there are kind of falling apart. So that wasn't the best news, but they are doing good. 

 

Mothers day was so so so wonderful!!!! IT was so great to get to see everyone and talk to you guys! And getting to hear Rex's voice was the best. I am just so proud of that kid. He is such a stud! I love him so much! I loved hearing Hay and Mike too!!!!! That was so crazy for me! I can't believe how big they are. INSANE! I'm excited to get to spend time with them so they actually know who I am. AH!!!!! So fun! 

 

We skyped at the Jamba's. They are this sweet sweet sweet older couple who moved out here in August and are so lonely. They moved to be closer to their son and he doesn't really want them here. They don't have a car and they can't really get around on their own so they just stay in their apartment all day. So we thought skyping at their house would be good for them. They seemed to enjoy it. 

Well nothing else has really been going on. We've got a crazy busy day so it should be fun. I hope you guys all have a good week. I miss you all so much! But it was so good to see you all. now I can't wait to get to hug you all! 

 

LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sis. Chapman

05/05/14

Wow has it been one crazy week! I went from the biggest area in the mission where there was NO civilazation to Lakewood West IN CLEVELAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is a tiny area right on the lake! I love it here so so so so so much! It is gorgeous. Huge houses EVERYWHERE instead of the trailor parks and farms I was used to in St. Marys. It has been a VERY busy week and I'm still not even unpacked. hahaha! But it is so great! there are 6 of us living in an apartment together right down the hallway from all of the mission office Sisters. It is really crazy trying to all get ready in the morning, but we make it work. In the morning for excersize we run to the pier and then spend some time out on the rocks and dock. I LOVE IT! It reminds me of home. It so beautiful to watch the sun come up and you can see the Cleveland sky line from the pier. I love it! I absolutely love my new companion, Sis. Hawkins! She is so great! She is 6 feet tall, very quiet, so funny, from Utah, and just awesome! She is exactly what I need right now. Most of my companions in the past have been very bold, in your face, intense, which is fine! They were wonderful! But after leaving St. Marys being so hard for me it is nice to have someone who is quiet and just nice. I really like her. 

 

I am living with Sis. Gardner who I lived with in Massillon, and her companion is Sis. Gannon who was in my district in St. Marys for a while. We also live with Sis. Mitchell who I have been on exchanges with and her companion Sis. Byers who is recently new to the mission. So we have a lot of fun. I really like it here and I feel like this is where I need to be. The Lord is so aware of us and knows us so well. It is such a blessing to be here! This was Sis. Dahle's first area, so she's pretty excited to hear that I'm serving here!

The only way to describe the past week would be fun. We've just had so much fun. I've met some pretty interesting people here. There is this one less active lady that we teach that loves anything that is an animal or insect or something like that. she's got tons of plants all over her apartment and she has these HUGE ants that crawl all over everything. it was so gross.... Then we went to another less active's apartment who made me a little uncomfortable. He owns a lemozine service and so he is very friendly and touchy. I didn't like that. He shook my hand a bit too long... They fed us this awful thing called Easter Cheese. All it is is milk and egg cooked and then strained and formed into a ball. .... not pleasent. But they loved it. We also have met a few active members who are nice and welcoming. Church was interesting yesterday. I'm used to the branch where the most people we've had is 53 and then I came here and we have a huge ward where I'm pretty sure the primary is the same size as the whole branch. So it was different. And they weren't as welcoming and friendly as the branch was, so that was kind of sad. But they have a lot more to do than the branch members do.

 

Not much else to report yet. Sorry I don't have any pictures yet, we've been too busy this week. But I'll make sure and get some to you next week!!!

 

I hope everyone has a good week! Love you all!!!
Sis. Chapman