Here Come Transfers!

Send letters to the mission home this week until we know if Austin gets transferred or not to:
Elder Austin Ipson
Ohio Columbus Mission
P.O. Box 939
Powell, OH  43065

From: Austin Ipson
Sent: Monday, September 26, 2011 8:47 AM

Yep, transfers are here once again!  I'm a nervous wreck.  Well that's an exaggeration, but that call is highly anticipated!  So, letters for the next little bit should be sent through the mission home/office.

Now as for Quick.  I totally forgot about him being that old!  I remember I got him 5th grade, Nov. 1st.  I just happened to do morning announcements for the school that day.  Why I remember those details.  I really don't know.  We figured that he was born somewhere around the 29th of August.  That way his birthday would line up!  So yeah, you can figure it out from there! 

BTW.  Last weeks subject line was just interpreting Tanner's Brian Regan stand up on grape snow cones.  The Bengals win over the Browns was just a little bit of Mission Pride.

So did my IPod and planner make it home?  Just want to make sure we don't have a South American Postal Service.

Now on to the good stuff.  What really happened out here in the Great Ohio Columbus Mission!

Yesterday we got Alma to church!  Woo!  Everything worked out so that we walked in with her to Sacrament meeting right as they were ending the hymn called to serve, and we sat down as the opening prayer was given.  Alma has been very anxious to be able to take the sacrament these past couple weeks, and she was devastated these past couple since she hasn't been able to come.  She commented about the procedure is little bit different. 

Overall I believed she liked church, and I think she was well taken care of when she went to Relief Society. Sister Sarmiento did a great job of welcoming her in!

This week had its ups and downs, but that has to be the highlight of it.  We've been working with Julio some more.  We are so close to teaching him everything.  All we have left is commandments!  Although we found out a little tidbit about Pamela.  She has a smoking problem.  So, once we can start teaching her again we have a new part of the iceberg to chisel out.

However it's looking like both Alma and Julio should be baptized the 8th of October.  Whether I'm here or not, I hope it happens!

I wish you all good luck at the Marathon this week, and hope your toe-nails don't fall out.  Remember Body Glide now means happy legs later!

Love you all, and don't forget to show that same love to my trumpet :D!

Para Siempre,

Elder A. Ipson

Uva! Me gusta uva, despues del juego!

The A string was almost there, when it all gave out.... :(

From: Austin Ipson, 12 Randolph Ct., Apt 102,
Fairfield, OH  45014-4383
Sent: Monday, September 19, 2011 8:56 AM

Well another week put down!  I just wonder what happened in it.  Every week we have our weekly planning (usually Friday), and we make plans to go see people, teach them certain things, to help them get ready for baptism.  This week we were hoping to see Julio two times this week.  The final count at the end of the week.... O!  You put your shoulder to the wheel, and sometimes you push yourself off!  Well just buckle down again this week to see what we can get done!

Alma is just trucking along.  We've had a few lessons with her.  The best part is she has been reading the Book of Mormon!  When she reads she reads aloud.  What she didn't know is that little Diego was listening to her read, and he can now tell the story of Nephi and his brothers!  Amazing no?  She still has her date accepted for the 8th of October, but she still doesn't feel ready.   We are eager to teach lesson three in Preach my Gospel, The Gospel of Jesus Christ, to help her feel more secure in this first covenant.

With General Conference coming around, I can barely believe I've been in the field for over 6 months! As a teenager I thought I would only be away from home for a week at a time.  But there you go more than six months!  As missionaries are we are excited for General Conference.  Not for the Winter After effects, or knowing that football is also going on. (Or that the Bengals beat the Browns cough cough) But we are truly excited to hear the prophet speak to us once again!  With this past Ensign that came out Eternal Marriage has really been hit hard, we imagine that the follow up will be the same.

I never realized on my mission how great of a blessing it was to be born into a Celestial Marriage.  Living in this Hispanic culture you experience a telestial way of thinking.  To be loved, and shown the right way as I've grown up has been such a blessing to me!  I didn't know how much I took that for granted when I was living in little Washington Utah.  It is a clear difference on what the atmosphere of a home can do for a family.

Thank you for all the support that you send me.  Especially pictures of massive King Salmon!  It's fun to tell that old fish tale!  If you could, I'd love to have some more pictures of the family, I've exhausted the ones that I have....  Also I've been posting pictures of my companions in my journals.  Could you also send the one of me and Elder Gonzalez?

Thank you so much for all of your prayers, letters, and love!  I love each of you individually!

Para Siempre,

Elder A. Ipson
The Great Ohio Columbus Mission

85 and Gordon is lookin' fine!

Photo from Washington City (home).....this is where Austin worked before his mission.  We were driving home on Sunday this week and we had just had a rainstorm with LOTS of lightening.  Saw this beautiful rainbow and had to stop to take a quick photo with the blurry Blackberry.

From: Austin Ipson, Fairfield, OH
Sent: Monday, September 12, 2011 9:07 AM

  

I got T's bit of good news!  It's nice to hear that Wonder Boy is back at it! :D  I loved the picture of the Community Center.  It looks at lot better when it rains at home!  It's been raining here for the past couple of days, and it always seems to rain harder when I grab the bike.... Hmmm...

  

So that's where we begin the rain.  Elder Homewood and I were on the bikes Wednesday.  And it was raining cats and dogs.  Yeah, I'm pretty sure Quik at one point was in the storm with us!  We were fortunate that Elder Ramsey and Gonzalez left us off a little bit closer, but we still had a good uphill bike.  Not to mention the flat tire I got halfway up the hill!  I don't know what it is, but rain just causes more problems than it fixes.. For Missionaries at least!  After the good half an hour of being pummeled by "Quiks" falling out of the sky Elder Homewood  and I went to our lesson with the Batistas.  We got to teach Julio the Plan of Salvation.  We watered it down to you need to be good, repent, listen to your mom, and then you can be with her forever in the Celestial Kingdom.  Afterwards I was pumped!  With his Baptism coming at the end of the week everything seemed to be falling into place.    Unfortunately we didn't see them for our next visit, and they didn't make it to church. It's been hard getting this family there, but it's going to happen!

The story with Alma just keeps taking more interesting turns.  We've taught around three lessons with her; get her a ride to a lawyer to get some advice, and another to her court hearing.  Getting all of this coordinated with her was stressful, especially when these two events were during work hours.  With the trip to the lawyer we were able to get a ride from my favorite Guatemalan Juan Santos.  As for the ride to the court we couldn't find a ride, so we gave our wallets a sorry hug, and shelled out $30 for a cab.  With all of this going down she trusts us.  I hope we can take that trust and put it in the Book of Mormon.  She has been reading a bit of it, but we hope that she has a solid testimony of it before her baptism on the 8th of October.

The other Elders also had their Baptism Thursday for Isaac Howell.  He is the son of Sister Valdez.  The crazy part of this whole situation, Isaac doesn't speak a lick of Spanish.  It's interesting he is going to a Spanish Branch, and especially interesting that his service was in English, and there were Hispanics that don't really know English supporting him.  I thought it was great!  I was able to give a talk about the Holy Ghost before Isaac was baptized by Brother Krueger.  Isaac was later confirmed a member by Elder Ramsey in sacrament meeting yesterday. 

This past week we hit the midpoint of the transfer.  I wonder how much time I still have left in this area, but whatever the Lord wants me to do I will do!

  

I love you all so much!  Thank you for the peanut butter, y papa ya tu sabes que dijo la tarjeta!  Les amo, ye les vaya bien esta semana especialmente con El Lotoja! 

Para Siempre,

Elder A. Ipson

The Great Ohio Columbus Mission

  

P.S. Temple clothes.  I'm good. Companion.... Said he's good..  So we'll see if I'll need anything else later.

P.S.S. Thank you for sending that hoodie.  When it's cold before bed, suit coats don't always cut it!

P.S.S.S.  Is this Uke. a myth?  It still hasn't made it to the "Nasty Natty", but I will keep waiting for it.

P.S.S.S.S.  Oh yeah stamps...  I'M PRETTY GOOD!  Haven't sent out too many letters as of late.  So I have a nice little stash of stamps.

Just a little late no?

From: Austin Ipson
Sent: Tuesday, September 06, 2011 1:50 PM

Well here it is.  Tuesday afternoon and I'm finally getting the word rattled off.  To start off this week was nuts!  We fell right into a person who has been prepared to hear our message!

The experience starts last Tuesday.  We were heading over to a less-active named Angela.  Nothing seemed out of the ordinary up until the point we started translating for a friend that happened to be there.  She had some papers for a court case that had been filed against her from her ex-husband.  The lady we were translating for is named Alma.  The problem she is up against is that her husband is filing for custody of her children. Now this is where it gets sticky.  The hearing is this Friday. Yup.  Quick right?  The next twist to the story is that her kids fear going and being with the dad.  We had a later visit and the older of the two started crying just when other people were talking about it.

The situation is tough that's for sure, but President Maya has really pulled through with this situation.  He has a lawyer lined up to talk to her, and an interpreter as well.

Now with the politics of this miracle aside she has been extremely receptive to our message!  Our first visit when we were translating the papers Elder Gonzalez gave her a blessing of counsel.  Afterwards Alma was in tears.  We set up a time to teach her individually, and went back Thursday.  This time we got to meet her kids.  Diego of 9 years old, and Yisiri of 8.  We were able to teach the Restoration, and they all accepted a Book of Mormon.  We even got little Diego to pray!  In fact it's kind of funny; at one point Diego said he wanted to be a Christan!  Well good thing the Mormons found him.  Right?

We had another appointment Saturday a little more in depth on the Book of Mormon.  Alma understands what it is, but Diego still calls it a Bible! 

Most Saturdays the Branch has an activity where we have a Noche de Hogar (Family home Evening) where we have a short lesson and play volleyball.  Alma and her kids were so excited to go.  We had it all lined up that President Maya would pick them up and take them to the church, but of course there has to be a catch right?  President Maya called and told us his truck was out of gas!  Frantically we called up the 2nd Counselor to help us out.  Brother Carmany got it worked out and Alma and her family were able to make it to the Noche de Hogar.

It was amazing to give that short lesson, and introduce those kids to the church.  Even more so to give Alma a tour of the Chapel.  We are positive she felt the spirit, because she came to church the next day!  She couldn't make Sacrament meeting, but she did make "Gospel Blasphemy" with Hermano Mejia.  The reason is our church starts at 12, and that was the same time where custody changes.

We get to see Alma today, and hope to go more in Depth on the Plan of Salvation, and Eternal Family Principles.  All-in-all the Lord has blessed us with someone truly prepared to hear the gospel, but with all of this stuff going on I know we are going to need their names being prayed for. 

We are still working with the Batistas.  Pamela seems to have disappeared on us, and she may take a bit longer.  However Julio is making progess.  Teaching him is like trying to tackle a football, but if all goes well she should be Baptized next Saturday!

The Lord has truly blessed Elder Gonzalez and I in Miami River Spanish 1.  As well as Elder Ramsey and Homewood.  This Thursday they should have a baptism.  The work is beginning to roll in these areas!

I'm glad to see that my room is being put to good use!  Fill it to the brim for all I care!  Just as long as My Black Trumpet and my Goggles aren't harmed I'll be happy!  Love you all have a great week!

Para Siempre,

Elder A. Ipson

The Great Ohio Columbus Mission

P.S.  yes I did get the Prescription

P.S.S.  For clothes I have everything I need.  There are only things that I want.... I would love the fleece state championship jacket that I have in the closet.  As for shoes, the soles are holding up fine.  They have a bit more life left.  However my shoes never really developed a place were my feet just "sink-in".  We talked about Orthodics before I left but it never happened.  I was goofing around with a Dr. Scholls Orthodic machine and found that their 440 A (I believe) was the right fit.  This is just something I "want"  not something I need.

P.S.S.S.  I will get a flu shot, but I don't know the cost...

P.S.S.S.S. Thank you Mom! :)