Boohumbug



Thanks for the Boo-Berry!
(Notice the Elder on the left with 2 spoons!...and are they really eating from a pool table?)
Missionary apartment lighting isn't the best, but you can get the 'jist of it!

 From: Austin Ipson
Sent: Monday, October 31, 2011 1:32 PM

I apologize for the tardiness of this letter.  Halloween calls for a little bit different of protocol.  We started out today by doing service at the Pantaleon's house.  To combat the complexity of trick-r-treaters going out at night, missionaries have been asked to take the 2 final hours of the day they would use, to move it to service hours in the morning.  So that's what we did.  Rake the leaves in the trailer park of the Pantaleon!

With the change of the season, has come a big change in the Branch.  I don't know if I've said anything, but this cute little branch is losing 3 big families.  All holding priesthood callings...  The Branch has been concerned about this, and the outcome.  During the one of the stake meetings this past week Pres. Nilsen made a Cameo, and much was said about our little branch.  There was talk of combining with the Lakeside park branch, merging with Miami River, or the East Cherry unit.  Even stocking the branch with transplant "Gringos" was considered, however none of these ideas pulled through.  The decision was made by President Rockwood to keep the branch going.  For this to happen the branch would have to pull off a feat.  They are going to be under survey these next couple of months to see what happens.

After this meeting Pres. Nilsen gave all of us a call during companionship study, we put it on speakerphone to hear.  He told us what is going to be done here, and it will take a lot of work to pull off.  He also gave us guidance to coordinate a meeting with President Rockwood.  That's exactly what we did.  Yesterday we had our meeting with Pres. Rockwood.  He explained that he is ready to move forward with this.  The very fact that there were four missionaries sent to the branch at this time, registered with him.  We planned through a few things.  We are hoping to get a 40-day fast put together with the Spanish Speakers in the stake.  There will be missionary activities (parties) every two weeks to boost missionary work.  To top this all off, on the 13th of November there will be a special broadcast from the Conference Center just for Latinos!  President Rockwood compared what is going on, to Apollo 13.  A severe situation, but will be one of the greatest miracles.  I'm truly excited to be here, and see what the Lord as promised to this branch!

With all of that said, we are ready to buckle down, and go to work.  Word is at this point, that the Elders may become counselors to President Avila.  Elder Homewood has already been roped in to be a ward Clerk!  At this point if there is a name to put into the temple, it would be Andrew Avila and his family.  He is invested in this branch, and I hope he has every fiber of support possible!  (Why he doesn't have counselors now:  One of them past away, and another is moving to Arkansas for business opportunities.)

There is a lot that is going down right now, and in my interview, even before the stake meetings President Nilsen amply reassured me.

Thank you for your love, support, and Boo Berry!

Boohumbug,

Elder A. Ipson
The Great Ohio Columbus Mission

P.S.S.  The move should happen, this week!  You should be getting a Florence KY address next week!

Why is there a Dodge parked, where there should be a good GM product?

From: Austin Ipson, Fort Mitchell KY
Sent: Monday, October 24, 2011 8:59 AM

Crazy week!  Definitely one to remember!

This week one of our investigators named Nio (Knee-Oh) called us and told us that she was getting evicted from her apartment.  Kind of odd that I prefaced the situation this way...  It had been a couple of weeks since we had made contact with her.  We had only taught her the Restoration, but she seemed interested with that first lesson we had with her.  We called off and on, to no response for two weeks straight.  Finally, during weekly planning we gave her another try, lo and behold she picked up!  She told us she had read the section we had given her, but was getting evicted.  She had a place set-up to live, so the least we could do is offer to help move her stuff.  Good thing I was son-of-a truck driver/ Elders Quorum President!  We went over and loaded up her stuff into the cute little U-haul, and muddled down to Independece KY.  (Just a side note we had to take "Turkeyfoot Road" to get there. Bienvenidos a Kentucky!)  The unload went smoother than we thought it would... When we got to the town-home she was going to live in, there was still furniture....  She was actually going to be moving into the town-home of her ex-husband, and he would be picking up a studio apartment.  Well as it turns out the husband left a note, saying he'd left, and to take all of the furniture!  Nio didn't know what to think, just cry.  We  don't know why things happened the way they did, but we will be heading back Tuesday to go see her.

If you happen to be a Bengals fan you are in luck!  Fenene one of the Defensive Linemen is a member of the Highland Heights Ward.  His wife who has been a long time investigator got baptized!  It was a simple service for this well to do family, but more beautiful than one can imagine!  You could see a stark difference, just with there Vehicles.  Fenene drove in with a Chevy that more resembled a Kenworth than a Silverado.  It, was huge...  However with that difference you could see the spirit work in it's small simple means.

The story of Fenene was interesting.  He grew up a member in American Samoa.  He'd played football in high school, but he never claimed to be that good. His parents sent him off to the Mainland to get and education, and send home money to help them.  That's what he did.  He got picked up at a Jr. College to play football, because his grades weren't UCLA worthy.  He worked as a bouncer, and a factory worker, trying to get his crazy life in place to help himself, and his family back home.

Finally it came mission time.  He went home to begin to prepare for the mission, until life threw a crazy turn at him.  Coach Meyers from the University of Utah went all of the way to Samoa a to throw a deal at him.  Brother Fenene said he had one of the hardest decisions ever.  It didn't help that his mom said, "Mission", and his dad said, "Go play Football, God knows our circumstances".  To make the decision harder the dad was a 1st Counselor in the Bishopric. 

Well he chose Football.  He didn't tell us why he made that decision, the regrets, or the joy, but he commenced to tell me about how family, how he now has a brother who will be able to serve a mission. His story was quite remarkable.  I now see NFL players in the a different light.  Especially when he made the comment "Ben" (Rothesberger) is hard to take down!

This week has been great!  Just hope we can keep plugging away!  As for my birthday, I'm stumped as to what I want.  I will get the birthday order by Halloween! (That way I can actually look forward to Halloween).

Love you all and have a good week,

Para Siempre,

Elder A. Ipson

The Great Ohio Columbus Mission

The Fruits of Labor

From: Austin Ipson
Sent: Monday, October 17, 2011 9:06 AM

Alright, for this email open the picture first.  That is Alma on the left.  Now imagine her in white.  That's right, she got baptized!

I honestly don't know what to type this time...  I didn't get to see her baptism, but knowing that she got baptized means so much to me.

How it all worked out, is that the Miami River Branch was having their annual Noche de Latina, their event of presenting one thing or another from each of the Latino Countries in the Branch to try and bring in Investigators.  Just before that, was Alma's baptism.  We scrambled for a ride to Fairfield.  We finally got one.  Abraham, one of the youth in the word elected to take us up there, in hope of getting free food!  We all piled into his Cavalier (All 4 Missionaries, and Abraham) and took I-71 up to Fairfield.  I kept checking my watch, and we kept running out of time...  The baptism started at 5, but we got there around 5:30.  Soon enough to see people filed back in from the font room to the Relief Society Room.  My heart sunk a little, but it satisfied me to know that I was there.

By teaching Hispanics you'd think you'd be reaping in "Success".  That is not the Case in Ohio, but to sit there and see the one person you've ever worked with to walk into a room, clean from sin.  Makes you appreciate so many things all at once.  The opportunity to teach them.  Experiences with them.  The sweat and bike repairs to go and see them.  Not to mention the tender mercies that over come you when you see step into the waters of baptism.

I never knew what 9 months away from home could do for one person.  I understand more fully what our Heavenly father wants us to do in this life.  To bring to pass the immortality and Eternal Life of others.  Words can't describe, what I'm even trying to say.  Rather, I am perplexed about everything.  The time I've been out, that my birthday is next month, and that I actually get to ask for something for my birthday!  More than that, what is my missionary purpose.  Every day I wonder to myself  why I am I in the Mission I am in.  The area I am in, with the companion I'm with. 

I'm sorry if this is just a scatterbrained e-mail.  Finally seeing someone I've come to love go to the waters of baptism, has me a little shaken up.

It's difficult at times to be a missionary, but I know, I am, doing God's work.  Why he calls me, a 19 year old boy, to talk to some 50 year old in Nararit Mexico, I haven't the slightest clue, but he wouldn't have it any other way.  I am called of God to declare his message.  The Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ, and the Atonement of Christ.  As I've taught these two things, I have come to know their validity.  These words of God I'm proud to bear.  At times nervous to share, but willing to give to those will act on his words!  I know things things to be true for myself.

Thank you so much for all of your support.  Letters every week truly do help.  By the time Friday comes around I could use a letter, and there usually is one!  As for my birthday... No idea... I'm going to have to sleep on that...  I do believe there were some copies of Jesus the Christ in the Italian Leather at the Distubution center...

Love you all, and have a good week,

Para Siempre,

Elder A. Ipson
The Great Ohio Columbus Mission

The Sovereign Nation of Kentucky

Cristina's Baptism Day
Elder Wheadon - Cristina - Kaitlyn - Elder Ipson

From: Austin Ipson, Fort Mitchell, KY
Sent: Monday, October 10, 2011 9:20 AM

Kentucky, wow....

So, guess what happens my first week here in Kentucky!?  I get a baptism!  Yeah, I kind-of robbed the cradle on this one, but this doesn't mean I didn't have my stress getting this baptism set up!  Everything was crunched up to the last minute to get set up.  We were making the program 3 hours away from the baptism, and filling the font 2 hours away!  To top things off the hot water heater needs to rest every five minutes to build up more hot water.  With these variables going on the stars were aligning for a "memorable" baptism.  So with those two hours of filling the font we were trying to do everything else to get ready for the baptism.  Hoping that the font would be filled on time.  We were running hysterically turning water on, setting up chairs, turning off the water, copying programs, turning on the water, throwing refreshments together, turning of the water, realizing there was twenty minutes left, turning the water back on, and hurrying up and waiting.  When 1 P.M. the time of the baptism came around the fount could hold a baptism.  Comfortable by any means, no, but it could be done!

Fortunately for us Hispanic members run on "Hispanic Mormon Standard Time".  Thus giving us 20 more minutes until the baptism actually started.  With this luck we kept the font filling with water.  After twenty minutes the font room was full of people ready to see the baptism of Cristina.  However there was a problem...  Cristina wasn't there....  She had spent the night up in Fairfield with her Sister Angela and was coming down for the baptism when they got lost in the freeway system of Cincinnati.  (If there's anything I have a hatred for it's any road in Cincinnati.  Next to that it's the $10 dollar parking you get swindled into.)  So we were another 40 minutes till the start of the Baptism.  A detail I forgot is that Hermano Wilson, an old Army Colonel was there to baptize Cristina.  (He was my last ward Mission Leader)  I had a hard time telling him that she was going to be late, especially when he needed to be to work by three.

You thought the stars were aligned for disaster, but to top it off,  the level of the water in the font started to go down!  So here's this full room of people waiting for a baptism, a half full font, a stern Army man, and two hay-wire missionaries trying to coordinate this all!  Insanity!

Finally Cristina came, and quickly got dressed, and took her seat.  The font finished filling and was Luke-warm.  And the baptism played out perfectly!  There truly was no flaw to the actual baptism.  There was a great Spirit, and I hope Cristina's husband Luiz felt it.  We have been working hard to get him on-date.  He keeps all of the Commandments, pays his tithing, but he wants to know for a surety he is ready.  He just doesn't know that he is...  If you could, could you please put Luiz Servin's name in the temple.  That would be glorious!

Life here in this branch is crazy.  We are a small branch, we are barely big enough to fill the Relief Society Room. (That's where we meet for Sacrament)  To top it all off 3 solid families are picking up and heading out to Texas!  We going to try and brace ourselves for this by hitting up the Prospective Elders and try and fill the Priesthood spots that will be left vacant.  It'll be crazy, but the Lord is on our side!

Love you all, and hope you have recovered from the Marathon!

Para Siempre,


Elder A. Ipson
The Great Ohio Columbus Mission

Welcome to Kentucky!

Here is the Address:
(I just don't know how long I'll be here.)
2224 Grace Ave. Apt.1
Fort Mitchell, KY 41017-2040

From: Austin Ipson
Sent: Monday, October 03, 2011 9:10 AM
Subject: Welcome to Kentucky

Never thought that I'd be in Kentucky did ya'?  Well that's where we got shot into!  It's crazy how it all worked out.  We were all waiting for calls Tuesday night, and Elder Ballard our old Zone Leader gave Elder Ramsey the call.  He toyed with us for a second, knowing that something big was going down.  Then the beans spilled.  All four in the 4-pad were getting doubled-out!  So, you are probably wondering, "what did they do to need to get quadrupled out".  I'm still figuring that out... 

It was a mad dash to get everything figured out.  Rides, clean apartment.  What's going, what's getting thrown out, which members to see before we head out.  It was an all out mess!  Fortunately Elder Gonzalez knew a few Jeff Gordon fans, and we all piled into a  Mitsubishi Eclipse, and had a nauseating ride to Columbus.  We threw our stuff to the side, and stumbled into the transfer meeting. 

It was a big transfer;  All over the place people were doubled out and in!  As mission gossip goes people heard about our "quad-out"  so we were rather notorious.  I still don't know what for...  The transfer took a while, and it wasn't until the end I knew my fate.  I was called Designated Driver, and Senior Companion to be with.................. Elder Wheadon! 

I am Elder Wheadon's "Greenie-Breaker"  he just got finished training with Elder Luna.  (If you look at the last transfer Photo he is to my left)  Elder Luna was another Elder Klein Trainee, and Elder Luna is a sweet missionary.  I can see a lot of Luna traits in Elder Wheadon, and a bit of Klein garnished here and there!

Elder Wheadon is from Layton Ut.  He's pretty sick with a soccerball.  So, Spanish work is Ideal for him!  He was the Kicker for his High School Football team, and he also played on his High School Soccer team.  His has a contagiously charismatic personality, which is going to be great because of our new circumstances.

How this all worked out, is that Elder Ramsey and his Trainee, also came down to Kentucky.  So the area is now split between the two Companionships.  Our areas are split by the "275" (interstate), and Elder Wheadon and I take the south side, while Elder Ramsey and Homewood take the North.  How it worked out Elder Wheadon and I have the car ('08 Malibu) and the other Elders are on bikes, but to sweeten the deal for them the Cincinnati bus system stretches into Northern Kentucky.  Right now we are all in one apartment.  Elder Wheadon and I are sleeping on Air Mattresses, and hoping to get a new apartment figured out for our area.

Big changes this transfer! It's crazy!  (Deep Breath)

Good job to all running the marathon! Especially for Super Poob for doing it 10 times!  I can't say "my dad can beat up your dad", but I can say my dad can run a marathon... 10 times!  (Not including Boston)  I love you all, and don't forget the stuff you learned at Conference!

Para Siempre,

Elder A. Ipson

The Great Ohio Columbus Mission...... In Kentucky.....

P.S. You should be getting a package with stuff I couldn't fit.  The Jersey is for T, The glass is for all of you.  And, I think you'll all get a kick out of the "Brown Book".

Sorry I don't have photos this week, but presents make things better right!?