Plugging Along

From: Austin Ipson
Sent: Monday, July 25, 2011 9:32 AM

Well another week down, and I can barely believe I am behind the computer again!  This week Elder Gonzalez & I really hit the pavement hard.  We racked up a good 15 lessons.  Elder Whittingham had a hard time reaching this goal even before the trunky papers came.  So already the diligence has stepped itself up!  Our real pitfall is that we set-up return appointments, and nearly every single one we've set up has fallen through.  So our ability to conjure up new investigators has been rather weak.  However the Members love the Natives, and even though my Cuban companion was born in Anaheim, and raised in Miami, he passes off as a native.

Elder Gonzalez's story is interesting.  As I implied earlier he was born in California, and Moved to Miami and lived a Majority of his life there.  Living in North Cuba!  His mother is Cuban, and that's where the implied native comes in.  Now his story gets crazy when I tell you he lived the preluding 4 years to the mission, in Korea!  He has been everywhere!  He's even told us of a time he snuck into Tokyo.  He has a twin brother that is serving in the Chicago Mission right now  (He is a White Sox fan, so you can use the logistics to figure out his general area).  The funny thing is, that both were called to English speaking, but at some point moved to Spanish.

Elder Gonzalez has been all around the southern part of the mission.  He hasn't made his way past Columbus.  Although  he has had a variety in his areas.  From rural areas, to serving over the Rhine (Spelling?).  It's been fun to hear some of his stories of the mission.

Now, this week I was able to give my first two priesthood blessings.  Up to this point I've always anointed.  Both of them were two less actives.  The first one was Lorena.  I had never seen her up to this point in the mission.  We dropped by one day, and asked for a blessing, we said we'd come back the next day when her husband was home so we could do it inside.  Next day rolls around, and no husband, but she was adamant to receive on anyways.  She informed us of the birth she had given and a few of the ailments that had subdued her.  She hinted something about her husband, but not much.  However in the blessing that's what I felt to focus on.  That as she was an example, and strived to become like our Savior her marriage would be better.  She then related that she was having marital issues, and would like us to come back and teach her husband a small lesson, and get to know him!

My second blessing was my first in Spanish.  We got a call Friday morning. I was still tie-less at this point from Andrea' Batista. She was in tears as I answered the phone.  With the combined efforts of E. Gonzalez and I, we quickly found out she wanted a blessing.  We immediately went out to West Chester.  While I was driving I was still trying to figure out what was going on, because we were out of that apartment in a matter of 2 minutes.  Elder Ramsey and Ragan were trying to put two, and two together as to why we were leaving!  Anyways we arrived at Andrea's apartment and she hobbles in holding her stomach.  Her daughter Pamela right at her side doing everything she could to help her.  We sat her down and quickly anointed, and proceeded to the blessing.  I was the one to bless her.  As I did it I said things I didn't think to say.  It was a miracle I could have the inspiration to say the things I did.  It was difficult as well.  We are asked as missionaries not to use the form "Tu"  (it means you)  because it is very informal, but for blessings it is a need to talk this way.  It was difficult, but like Dad's scripture on "The Blanket" says open your mouth and it shall be filled.  I gagged a little bit on what I was filled with, but it was filled! 

Unfortunately she is still feeling a bit ill.  We plan to go see her tomorrow, see how she's doing, and start progressing with Julio, and Pamela.

The work hard, but you see so many miracles.  Just being able to hold the Priesthood is a miracle in itself.  I am deeply humbled every time I have the opportunity to use it.  I love you all, keep the commandments, and clean the kennel.

Para Siempre,

Elder A. Ipson

The Great Ohio Columbus Mission

P.S. Lo Siento.  No aye fotos hoy.

Received letter from Austin's new Mission President....

Question of the day: Did Uncle Dave serve in Mount Vernon?

From: Austin Ipson
Sent: Monday, July 18, 2011 9:03 AM

After the transfers I'm still here in Miami River Spanish 1!  I'm not to suprised about this, but the Spanish work has taken a big shake up.  Elder Klein was training his fourth, but he had to go home for surgery, and Elder Sealy went to become a Zone Leader.  Putting us down 2 Spanish Elders.  This past Transfer the mission had opened up another Spanish area in Dayton.  This consisted of Elder Gonzalez, and his trainee Elder Roach.  They were doing a good job up in Dayton, but circumstances persued and, their area was shut down after a transfer.  This was not due to lack of lessons, rather a matter of being needed elsewhere.  So with them being dissolved, Elder Klein was short a trainee, and picked up Elder Roach, and I picked up Elder Gonzalez!  Now the funny part is that Elder Gonzalez had been doing English work up to the point of training Elder Roach.  So he has been going through a change picking his Spanish back up.  Now Elder Gonzalez has a Cuban mother, and a Mexican father if I am not mistaken, but his Spanish has the fast paced Cubano sound.  It's not thick, but it's fast!  We have already hit the ground running.  though he has 15 months down, he has a greenie fire after serving in some areas that lacked a bit of missionary drive.  Already we searching out new people, and getting a game plan together to work with President Maya better than before!

Now I ask if Dave had served in Mount Vernon the other day, because I ran into some just after the transfer meeting.  The name; Brandy Adams....  Hopefully this rings a bell.  We were in line at a Subway a couple blocks away from the temple, and I was just there minding my own business.  There were a few people there that were dressed fairly nice, so I just assumed that they had just gotten out of the Temple session that runs during the transfer meeting.  Brandy, who I didn't know yet looked at my badge, and said something to the effect of, "Elder Ipson, I haven't seen one of those for about.... X amount of years".  I knew where this was going immediately!  So I started to probe, and see what she knew.  She told me that an Elder Ipson had baptized her a while back and she still lives in Mount Vernon.  The funny part is the first name she remembered was "Danny".  She made a remark that at one point she wrote him.  I then gestured the name Dave, and she had a small reminiscing moment, before the crowd escorted her off.  So, all in a matter of minutes I encountered the work of Uncle Dave, and I am fairly sure that she was doing work in the temple.  Good work in The Ohio!

Now as for Elder Whittingham, he's home.  It was weird to think around two o'clock on Friday that he was seeing his family...  It kinda trunked me out.  Not too bad though!  Elder Gonzalez and I have a drive to go out and work.  Trunkiness can no longer play a part in this work.  In D&C 4 it lists of Attributes a Missionary should have.  Trunkiness is not one of them... However Godliness is....  I've got big shoes to fill...  I know that Elder Gonzalez & I are supposed to be together.  As we set goals for the month of August, we knew the numbers that we wrote down were people that are ready to hear the gospel.  So, we are out to find completely different areas.  Try and find new people.  We are excited to head out every day, whether we're on bikes or in the car! 

Now I mentioned Andrea Batista, and her children Julio, and Pamela.  I want so badly for them to come to church, and have the to kids baptized.  Could you please put their names in at the temple?

Thank you for all the love that you send me.  I love you all.  Oh and T when we come out here to tour the mission, we're taking a man trip to Blue Ash Chili.  You may have seen it on Diners Drive ins & Dives.  Good Stuff!

Love you all until next time!

Para Siempre,

Elder A. Ipson

The Great Ohio Columbus Mission

OOOH! The trunkiness!

My dream car. (Just need to weld in some new shock towers)

From: Austin Ipson
Sent: Monday, July 11, 2011 9:01 AM

Mi familia chula,

Elder Whittingham got the trunky papers.  All hope is lost until thursday! Help me!  Send me a new companion, AAAAAH! 

All of this being said I love Elder Whittingham.  I wish I could go another round of transfers with him, but he needs to go home!  So today we are sending him of right. (Since today is his last P-Day).  We are heading down to the Reds Clubhouse to go get decked out.  Expect my Debit funds to drop significantly.  I have a few reciepts that I haven't reported, but I will give you the damage report next week!

So we met our new mission president last week.  He has a completely different facade than President Jensen.  He "Chulado" Cafe Rio, but not too much.  He's hoping that he might get some shipped in for a zone conference sometime.  (There is a new one that just went up in Maryland).  Whenever I sent in a letter to Pres. Jensen I never got a response.  With this past letter, I recieved a meaningful recall.  So far he has a great first impression.  I can't wait to get to work with him!

The investigator pool is slowly filling up!  This past while we've been working with a less active se llama Andrea Batista. She is Dominican and Solidifies the fact that Dominicans are the best. (Mark it Elders Carlson and Taylor (or soon to be)) Latley she has realized the importance of her children being baptized, and we've had a good deal of support from her.  For example she brought 17 year old Pamela, and 8 year old Julio to church.  So many of the less-actives are willing to have there children baptized, but fail to see that going to church is a good prerequisite to being baptized.  So to see this parental support for these two is invigorating!  Both Andrea' and Pamela work an astronomical amount, but if we work we can help Pamela and Julio to baptism.  BTW: Yes, at this point Julio would be a member of record.  We actually set his bapt. date for the 27th of August, three days before his 9th birthday.  So I would like to have his bapt. not count when we call in our weekly numbers!

We are so excited for this next transfer!  I've gotten a new vision as to what this work is.  When you come out as a cute little greenie you don't really know what it is your doing.  After you've had some time to think about it; it rests on your shoulders what this work is.  Yes we are to prepare the people we teach for baptism, but our purpose in Preach my Gospel says otherwise.  The last sentance is "to endure to the end" (Hopefully that's the right translation).  Enduring to the end means going to the temple.  Not just getting a calling and doing "stuff".  As I've been thinking of my purpose, bapt. has so much more meaning.  It's not just a number you can tote around after your mission.  It the people that you helped get that essential ordinance to prepare for the Temple.  Not just baptism, but the gift of the Holy Ghost.  Without it, it would be close to impossible to be worthy to enter the temple.  And thus we see, those that keep the commandments, and obtain a testimony of the Holy Ghost, will prepare themselves for the blessings from on high!

I love you all, and can't wait to tell you who's my next chaparito!

Para Siempre,

Elder A. Ipson
The Great Ohio Columbus Mission

P.S. Never, ever, ever do a count down with my mail, e-mails. This has destroyed Elder Whittingham.  Please preserve my sanity!

Week six.... Two more weeks to go!

Elder Z. Ipson gets dirt paths, I get railroads.

This transfer is flying!  People have told me how they've dreaded 7 week transfers.  This one hasn't been too bad.  Even though things have been really slow, we are starting to pick up some work.  For a while I've been dragging my heels.  It was one of those times where people didn't seem to want to talk to us.  That being said my faith has been restored with a less-active who wants her 17-year old daughter and 9 year old son to be baptized.  The just moved from one part of our area to another part of our area.  The good thing about this is that she is closer!  Making it quite a bit easier to go see her.  It was great to see Andrea (The Less Active) change as we read about 3 Nephi 11.  She asked us a few questions about authority of the Priesthood, and she was fairly methodical.  Normally she will talk your ear off, but this time when she said something it was thought out.  We are going to see as soon as possible to make sure she is fine in her new apartment, and find out when we can teach Pamela and Julio.  (They are Dominicans.  Tell Scott and Trent they are the best!  'ta heavy <----- tell them that too!)

This week we had another great experience.  It's interesting to pick up investigators that have investigated the church before.  This is what happened this week.  We've been working in a set of trailers, and we've been talking to a Mexican by the name of Fransisco.  He has had some of Preach My Gospel's "questions of the soul".  So we've had a few good talks with him, but never a real lesson.  Just the other day we sat down and had a real lesson.  At the first we found out that his wife Myra had been meeting with Sister Missionaries (Missioneras) when they lived in Kentucky.  So she knew some of the protocol of how missionaries gave lessons.  The lesson plugged along as we talked about the establishment of the Savior's Church and moved on to the Restoration.  It fell upon me to share the 1st Vision, and I did so as best as I could.  We let the silence set in, and talked about what that vision meant.  We then asked them how they felt as we shared those glorious words.  Fransisco answered in a way that I won't ever forget.  He related to us that as I was sharing those words, the picture that Elder Whittingham was holding (of the 1st vision) seemed to portray the words of the first vision as I said them.  Elder Whittingham very boldly stated that it was the Holy Ghost he was feeling.  With this lesson Fransisco has gotten an experience to begin his testimony of this work.  I hope it only continues to grow.

We have also picked up another solid investigator this week.  It is President Maya's nephew.  Hector is a 19 year old and has been studying in Monterrey for the past two years.  He is unsure what is plans are, but he will be heading back to Mexico in a couple of weeks.  Time is not on our side here, and Hector lives just across the street from our area boundaries, so he really is Elders Ragan & Ramsey's.  They haven't found time to go and see him, so Elder Whittingham and I may steal him.... :P.....  He is very intelligent, and spiritually awake.  He knows the way to know this church is the true church is through studying and praying about the Book of Mormon.  He comes to church and is already an example with the demeanor that he has.  If he were to become a member I could see him easily becoming a bishop down the road.

Work is picking up.  Right as Elder Whittingham is winding down.  10 Days left for him, but he and I are going to work hard so that this next transfer will be a good one!

 
I must thank you for the Apple Betty.  It makes me laugh though.  We had Carne Asada yesterday with some Guatemalans  (Happy 4th of July!) and we broke out the Apple Betty.  I only saw him eat a couple of bites of it!  Hispanics do not eat nearly as sweet as we do.  As docile as that was, I think we need to tone down our baking skills for the Hispanics!

I love you all, and (presumptuously) I know you love me, but just because you're in Chicago that doesn't give you reason to come to Ohio, or even tell me you were here. That's just not Kosher!

Para Siempre, 

Elder A. Ipson
The Great Ohio Columbus Mission