Navajo Code 5/27

Yaa Teeh!

Wow these weeks are just flying by!

       So on Monday for P-day we got to go to the knew bowling alley that just opened here. The only weird part was we had to stay in Proselyting clothes. So we were in shirts and ties and the sisters were in their skirts and stuff like that. Then we meet with N and O who are really excited about the gospel and they even went up and toured temple square a couple weeks ago.

       Tuesday I had the weirdest day of tracking... we actually knocked doors in a camping trailer area. That's weird to actually knock on the door of a camping trailer. We also got to meet with D & D again and with J. Then we got to meet with A who had some questions about the church and the traditions of her family. We got to talk about the priesthood and other stuff. It was some cool stuff!

       On Wednesday.... oh Wednesday. We went tracking and met L B who is an inactive member but for the past 40 years have lived up in West Jordan while her husband was working at the Bateman Dairy Farms! She remembers that her old Bishop was Bishop Bebee! Holy Cow! Talk about a personal connection! Also on Wednesday, we came home to get a drink and we found two of my letters, that I've been waiting for, hidden in the house by our wonderful new Zone Leaders. Oh and both of the letters were from girls. Ya I wasn't the happiest person at that time. Although, I was super excited to get those two pieces of mail. So if you've written me in the past 3 weeks and haven't gotten a letter back, that's why. You have a letter coming, I promise. :D We also got to meet with J and read the BOM and watch a conference talk with him. I love conference talks! Then we got to go visit Grandpa and Grandma H aka M & P, our recent converts, and talk about family history work and temples. They are so excited about family history work! And yes I do consider them my Grandparents now. :D

       Oh my... On Thursday we had the Assistants to the President up in Blanding with us so they could go on exchanges with the zone leaders. Well Elder Edwards and I got to do companionship studies with them. That has got to be one of the best studies EVER!!! We really had the spirit with us and were able to address the needs of the people we were role playing, practicing, for. Then we had District Meeting. Then Elder Edwards went down to Montezuma on exchanges so I had Elder Cook up here with me. And oh man did the wind really start to pick up! You couldn't see a quarter mile infront of you. That night we meet with the G's and the B's and read the BOM. Oh and I got 3 letter today, 2 of which were from the same people who I had found the letters from yesterday and the other was another girl!

       Friday we did our weekly planning and then we went and contacted some people. At dinner towards the end I wasn't feeling so good. So we left and went to our next appointment. Once our next appointment started I felt just fine. It's amazing what the Lord will bless you with if you are being obedient! We picked up one of our old investigators and talked about her concerns and question then we took her over to the church and gave her a quick church tour. That is a really neat thing to do! Then we met with J and read the BOM with him and invited him to church. He said he wanted to come back to church but he couldn't make it this week so he said he'd be there next week! :D

       Do you know what one of the most awesome feeling about being a missionary is? I'll tell you. On Saturday we helped G-pa and G-ma build their deck. They are so much fun to be around! Then we got to meet with L. We listened to the conversion story of Glenn Beck. If you haven't seen/ heard it YOU NEED TO!!! IT'S SO GOOD! After we finished listening to in it inspired L so much that he gave us ALL of his coffee so we could go throw it away for him. One of the coolest feeling is walking out of someone's house with all there coffee to go throw it away. Of course once we did we pulled out our hand sanitizer and cleaned our hands really good. :D Haha. We also met with D who is ready to be baptized and quite frankly ready to be a missionary. He just gets it! He really understands, and lives, the gospel! Then me met with L and set a baptism date with here even though we haven't meet with her for about a month! Things are just going great!

       During my personal study on Sunday I read Mosiah 19: 13 - 14. This is why I think girls that live the gospel are so much more awesome than me. That would take so much courage!!! I got to go down to White Mesa for church and we talked about Temples! Oh how I love Temples! I miss being able to go every week, all well I'm doing something equally or more important that that. :D So after the day was over we did our planning and Elder Edwards got a phone call telling us that Elder Cook had brought bed bugs into our house when he came up for exchanges so... we took our mattresses outside and put our bedding in the dryer and washed our clothes and slept on the couches in the front room. Oh good stuff!

        So that was my beawesome week! Well until next time, Hagonet! (Has anyone figured out what that means yet? If you think you know what it means write me and tell me what you think it means. :D )

Elder Chipman

Bed Bugged Mattresses

 Bowling on P-Day

The Dust storm

 Some cool stone work in our area

Tron does exist

Navajo Code 5/20

Yaa Teeh!

       Talk about a legit week! I had my first baptism this week, actually I had my first 6! :D

       So on Monday we went up to Monticello, they have a golf course there and so we went to the driving range and had a hay day because none of us except for Elder Sobczeck knows how to golf. Then we came back and changed and headed down to White Mesa. We met with Z and went over the Restoration again. Then we meet with our legit new investigator, D. He is a sports player and is really soaking up everything we are telling him. We also got to meet with B.

       Tuesday was a little different because Pres and Sis Batt came up to do interviews with our zone so we had zone meeting on Tuesday instead of Thursday. That went really well, we talked and learned a lot about Faith and always having a good attitude! :D Then I went on an exchange with Elder Cook down to Montezuma Creek. We taught some lessons and our last one, which was also our dinner appointment, right before we left one of the females there complimented me on how I was acting and how I was presenting myself as a missionary. In my head I was thinking, "Don't thank me thank the two people who are responsible for it, my super legitly be-awesome mom and dad!"

       On Wednesday morning I did my first ever P90X work out. Interesting but I like the MMA fighter in Blanding better. :) After we got done with exchanges we had the opportunity to go to an appointment to find some new investigators. We went to a members house and there we meet N, D and D. N is living in apartment of the house and D and D, funny enough they actually have the same name, are foreign exchange students from Sweden and Norway/ Venezuela. So we walked in and we were talking to N and he asked who we were so we said Elder Chipman and Elder Edwards. He's like, "Wow, you guys have the same first name! That's crazy!" I had to hold my breath so I wouldn't burst out laughing. So we explained it to him that it's just a title we have. So he said, "You guys are like the CIA, you don't tell people your first name!" So we had a lesson. N is very knowledgeable about the Bible and believes in God and D and D are TOTALLY Atheist. It was an interesting lesson to say the least. So when we were getting ready to leave N asked if we could tell him our first names and so we did and then when we were leaving he said "Thank you for coming Bryson." Oh man that was weird being called by my first name again. Haha. Then we got to go fill out some baptism record forms for the 4 kids we've been teaching and as we were doing that I saw on the wall of their home that the dad was a Marine! Oh man did I get excited. He had some cool stuff!

       Thursday we met with D and D again and talked about God and faith. It was a really powerful lesson. At lunch we went and got Subway, I used my gift card :D , and then we went to a park because the sisters wanted to have a picnic. So after we finished eating I brought out the Frisbee and we were throwing it around, I was actually practicing bowling with it and so I threw it and it went the wrong direction. I was heading towards a park table instead of Elder Barns. Well it hit the table and bounced of it and went straight to Elder Barns. I... FREAKED... OUT!!! IT WAS LEGIT! We got to watch the John Tanner Video with D. Who is that video powerful. If you haven't watched it, WATCH IT! Then we went to the G's and B's and at the B's I picked up my new TV! See pictures below. :D They gave it to me cause they don't want it. I was going to pay for it but they said they just wanted to give it to me. :D

       Friday we met with our investigator B who is coming up on her baptism date of June 1. She is doing just great! She is reading, praying, and coming to church! Then we went down to M & P's and helped them put in a deck for their new house. While we were leaving we stopped to talk to them before we got in the truck. P was standing about 2 feet from me and we were talking about how excited we were for them to be baptized the next day and so smiled and turned to give me a hug. Ya... I felt really bad because she doesn't hug very many people. Interesting stuff. :) But I love them both to death!

       Saturday glorious Saturday. After we woke up we changed and headed over to the church to fill up the font! We had studies at the church. It was pretty cool. I read Mosiah 3: 13. That was a cool scripture because it really applied to me. Then we had M & P's baptism. We then went to a B-day party for a sister/ cousin of T, D, N, and D. So we went there and they gave us navajo taco's to eat and sat us down right by the TV facing the TV. And guess what they had in... The Avengers. Oh that was painful. :) So we finished eating and went outside and played with the kids. Later that night we had T, D, N, and D's baptism. I got to be the chorister and I also gave a talk on the Holy Ghost. That was cool.

       Sunday at church we got to confirm all 6 people in the same meeting cause they are all in the same ward. I personally got to confirm T. That was a really neat experience. After church we met with D and D again and watched "Finding Faith in Christ". That was good then we talked about faith.

       So ya it's been a pretty Legit week! Well until next time! Hagonet!

Elder Chipman

A sign in Monezuma Creek

My new TV.

M & P's baptism.

From left to right. T, N, D, and D.

Navajo Code 5/13

Yaa Teeh!

   So I don't have much time today so I'm going to make this one fast.

       On Monday we just stayed in Blanding and hung out at the church. Then we went down to White Mesa and I tracked out almost one whole side of it because most of my appointments cancelled.

       Tuesday we got to meet with B who is really progressing towards baptism! :) We also met with B who isn't doing so well, he's not really keeping his commitments but hopefully he can pull it together! Then we visited with J and we got to watch him shoot some prairie dogs. Oh man... good stuff!

       Wednesday we got to meet with E and F who both are not really interested but are still willing to talk with us, so that a good sign. That night the 8th ward invited us over so I could teach them how to play Ultimate! Oh how I love that game!!! I even got a few battle scares, hahaha! Then we got to go and watch the John Tanner video with M & P. They are getting baptized this saturday!!!!!

       Thursday we started our new finding idea of a sports night. It went well for the first time. We had about 20 people show up, on mormon standard time lol :), and about 5 of them were non-members. That day when we went tracking this dog started following us and we had to spray it with a hose to make it go away except, it didn't go away so we just ran in the house and shut the door. Then later that night Elder Edwards got to play tennis with a kid that was going to state.

       On Friday we got to start teaching Q who is a senior in high school and wants to join the United States Marine Corps! Yes! Let's just say he and I got along just great. :D Then we got to go visit one of our less actives and we read the BOM with them. They have this 48 inch flat screen tv that needs a new projector bulb so they were going to give it to charity. So I asked if I could by it and the just gave it to me!!!! AWESOMENESS!!!

      Saturday we met with H, T, D, N, and D who are all getting baptized this saturday!!! (Except for H cause she is only 6.) So yes we have 6 baptisms on saturday, we are EXCITED!!!! :D Then we went to White Mesa and all our appointments fell through so we came back early. On the way back Elder Edwards had a really strong impression to go back. So we turned around and when we got back I felt that we need to go visit O. She was one of our appointments that wasn't there before but when we came back she had just pulled in. We talked for a little bit and found out that she had just gotten back from touring temple square in SLC! She and her family are wanting to join the church! Listening to the spirit is amazing! :D :D

       Sunday we had church and our stake meetings dinners and then we got to call home. Good stuff. After our stake meetings we hid a dead snake on the sisters car and freaked them out! They were so scared. Lol. I got a video of it and will send it home when i get the chance.

      So that's my week. It's been some good stuff! Hagonet!

Elder Chipman

Navajo Code 5/6

Yaa Teeh!!!!!!!

     These mission weeks go by so fast! It's CRAZY! I'm having a ball down here!

       So, Monday we stayed in B-town and just chilled. We played Curses :D and played a cool tennis ball game, I took a video of it and I'll send it home when I get the chance. We also got to play tennis with 2 teenagers and for never really playing before I think I did pretty well. :) We also got mail for the first time in about a week and a half! I was reading my letters when we were traveling down to White Mesa and when we stopped I was finishing up the game Jessica sent me. Well we had to get out of the truck and right when I opened the door... yep a big gust of wind came. Let just say this, if you want to know how fast a missionary can run give him a letter, preferably from a girl, and have the wind blow it away. :D Oh, fun stuff. But no worries this time I beat the wind! Mwhahaha! We also committed someone to baptism in White Mesa! It's great! I also got a picture with me holding a german sheppard puppy. You should've heard the mother in the back ground... oh man, I'm  glad that she was chained up.

       On Tuesday we got to meet with M again. He's doing so well! He's reading and he following through with all of the commitments we are giving him! I'm so sad that he moved down to Anneth on Friday! But I guess those Elders need good people to teach too. :) We also got to meet with the kids; H, T, D, N, and D. We taught a really short lesson and then we played tag with them. Fun stuff! I miss playing tag. Then we got to go eat with J. That dude is so sticking funny, I just love meeting with him. And he's reading actively too! Love it love it! Then we went on splits and I got to teach B. He's coming along and will hopefully have a set baptism date!

       Wednesday during studies I was reading in 2 Nephi chapter 10. For me verses 11 - 13 were really powerful. Especially coming from a military background. After studies we meet with a new investigator! B is an older Navajo women with one of the best spirits that I've felt. She is already living the gospel standards and can't wait to be baptized! We also got to meet with M again and teach him some more stuff about the gospel. He is progressing so well! That night our Ward Mission Leader fed us. When we were leaving, one of his baby goats got out of the pen and started following us around. Yes Dustin I got a picture of it. It was funny case we had to put it back in the pen and run to the truck and drive off before it came back out and tried to follow us again. We had to do this about 3 times before it was successful. Then we got to meet with M & P and taught them commandments. They are already living most of them so we are so excited for them!

       On Thursday we had Zone Training with our new Zone Leaders. We talked about finding because they gave us a new goal for the next 4 weeks. So from the last four weeks they want us to triple our finding in the next four weeks. So for us, in the last four weeks we got 13 new investigators so they want us to find 39 new investigators in then next four weeks. This is going to be awesome!!!! Oh btw we found out this week that we are getting 2 more sets of missionaries in our zone, one will go to Bluff and the other will be in Blanding. So we'll have 8 missionaries in Blanding alone, WOW!!! We really got some work to do apparently. :D So after Zone Training we went to get lunch from Patio. Guess who was there... A WHOLE BATTALION OF NATIONAL GUARDSMEN!!!! Ya I stayed there for about 5 minutes then I grabbed Elder Edwards and said we're leaving and going to Subway before I lose it. Haha, so we went to Subway and I got to use my gift card. We got to read the BOM with some less actives after that. For dinner we went to the B's. We had dinner and my love of Ultimate came up and they said they had some frisbee's they didn't want so they said I could have them! And one of them... IS BIGGER THAN MY FACE!!! AWESOME!!!! Then we met with M & P again and talked about their baptism that is coming up on the 18th. Then we got to watch the "Restoration" with them. I have never felt the spirit so strong before while watching that movie. I know that Joseph Smith is a true prophet and he did see God the Father and Jesus Christ. I'm so happy that I get to share this message with my brothers and sisters so that they may feel the same happiness I have felt.

       Friday during studies I first heard about John Tanner. Wow, what an amazing man. If you haven't heard of him you should look him up. After studies we met with M for the last time before he moved. If it's that had to leave a person then every time I get transferred, I'm doomed. We taught the kids about fasting and played tag with them again. Then we got to read the BOM with a couple families.

       Saturday we met with B again, she is doing so well! Then we got to got down to M & P and talked with them. We gave M a blessing to help him quit smoking. I really like having the opportunity to give blessings.Then we got to go down to White Mesa.... :D I have now been chased by dogs. :D Before anyone freaks out yes I'm fine. My companion decide to start messing with them. Ya that was fun stuff. All our appointments cancelled so we got to knock doors the entire time we were there and we got 8 potential investigators! As we were walking around and we got to talk to the one real Police Officer down there. He was in the Navy for 5 years as a member of and EOD team. Dang, that is legit. EOD is good, dang good. When I told him that I'm a Marine he said, "This should look familiar then." and pointed to his M4 laying next to him in his vehicle. Oh man, that made me want to shoot again. He had a nice one too.

       Sunday I got to go down to White Mesa for sacrament meeting then come back so I could teach all of the youth in the 8th ward. I walked in late and found that there was 50 youth waiting on me. Ya that was fun stuff but the lesson went really well. I taught about receiving personal revelation. After church we had Stake Correlation Meeting and then dinner. And we got to watch the Testaments with B & S. Good Stuff!

      Another FANTASTIC week! Thanks for all the support! If some one could get me the email address for Justin Cook it would be greatly appreciated! Hagonet!

Elder Chipman

Me and the puppy. :D

Me and the goat. :D

THE BIG FRISBEE!!! :D