Well, why don't you do it?

This was just before the transfer. This is our district. It Consists of The Pickerington 2nd Elders. Canal Winchester Elders, and the Lancaster Sisters. Our district stayed the same this transfer so this is still current.

From: Austin Ipson
Sent: Monday, July 30, 2012 9:21 AM

You know those weeks, were you have big plans.  You want to get a lot done, but....  It doesn't happen.  This was one of those weeks!  Do not worry, we still had a good week!

So to start off.....Elder Welch's family lives in Farmington Utah.  Fairly standerd Mormon living quarters, no?  The Lange family (No relation to Scott Lange) offered to take a package to Farmington, because they would be passing by Farmington.  To make a long story short they had a whole afternoon over at the Welchs' home.  We went over for dinner, and they Langes took plenty of photos of the Welch home.  The dog, living room, stuffed pheasant, climbing wall, garden etc.  I was getting bored, until they showed pictures of Bryce Canyon!  I was pouring over those Red Rocks.  I may have gotten a little trunky....  Shhh...  The funny part is they stayed in Hatch Ut. for a couple days!  They took a picture from Hatch looking back to Bryce Canyon.  What was in the picture?  The road that leads to Grandma and Grandpa Barney's house!  I didn't know it was possible, but a small road in the middle of Garfield County Utah made its appearance in Pickerington Ohio!

I made mention of how our speaker Brother Sheppard was a bit over-the-top with his Talk last Sunday.  I learned this week to not complain too loudly about the quality of speakers.  1. the quality dropped  2.  I was the literal reason for the quality drop.  You guessed it!  I spoke yesterday at sacrament meeting!  The topic was this.  Do you strive to keep the covenants you have made.  I will send home the outline I made.

A rough synopsis of the sermon I gave.  The Lord called the Laborer of the Vineyard to work.  Many came at different times.  All made the covenant to work until the end of the working day.  At the end each received a penny for the work.  In Jacob 5 we read about the work that goes into a vineyard.  The Lord in verses 70-72 promises us that we will find joy in our service.  This is also mentioned to us as we begin work at the temple.  Like these laborers we have promised to do our duties, and keep our covenants of baptism, temple, priesthood, etc.  As we magnify these things joy will be found in our service.  The key is that we are found exhausted at the end of the day to receive our penny.  That penny being Eternal Life (Doctrine and Covenants 14:7).  I exhort you today... To work for your Penny!

Love you all hope you have a great week!  Tell Aubrey some little gem of advice for me.  I don't know what has been said....  Oh, here's one...  Only buy generic if it's more affordable!  Yep there's my little gem of knowledge!  Hope she uses it well!

Para Siempre,

Elder Ipson
The Great Ohio Columbus Mission

Staying in Pickerington

From: Austin Ipson
Sent: Monday, July 23, 2012 9:08 AM

This is a week where can see that the Lord is preparing people to hear the Gospel! Last week we went to church, not expecting investigators to be at church.  They told us they had affairs to take care of but would be here the following week.  We go to church, and we get surprised!  It wasn't that one of our existing investigators was there, rather, there was a "new" one sitting in the pew!  Elder Welch bolted to the scene to meet him, and the woman he was with.  His name is Devin, and the Woman's name Kristal.  Kristal is a less-active coming back.  She’s had a hard time with past marital relationships and it has kept her from coming back to church.  Right now she is living with Devin, (out of Wed-lock) but she is doing a fantastic job of doing missionary work with Devin.  She has helped him read the Book of Mormon (to our knowledge) to 1 Nephi 13, and has helped him learn how to pray.  We also invited him to be baptized.  Come to find out he was a little put off by the challenge.  Not knowing why he needed to be baptized again.  Kristal later explained to him: to join any other church you would need to be baptized, as well as touching upon the Priesthood.  Her explaining it in such a simple way helped him know a little more in depth why, to be baptized.  Not a perfect knowledge, but little by little.  We are excited for them and hope we'll be able to help Kristal re-activate, and Devin to the ordinance of Baptism.

This past week we were able to see Ben and Amber at church.  We were thrilled!  Up until we found out the topics, and speakers at sacrament meeting.  The Ward has been going through the Temple Recommend Questions as topics for the Sunday Sermons. This week was "Do you associate with any organization that has beliefs contrary to that of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints?" (Roughly)  Odd question.  We didn't realize that one of the speakers was a Brother Sheppard.  An older man in the ward who was once a Bishop.  To make a long story short he talked about how a number of the witnesses of the Gold Plates apostatized and affiliated with other groups going against the church.  As well as emphasizing the word "Apostate".  Needless to say, we were gritting our teeth the whole time.  We hope and pray that they still desire to come to church the coming week.

We also found another new investigator.  Chris.  We found him through our own efforts.  When we knocked the door he exclaimed, "Mormons, I've been waiting for ya!"  He ushered us over to his porch chairs, and started asking questions.  What is the Book of Mormon?  Why do people think you aren't Christians?  What do you think about...?  I love it when they have questions, especially when they are willing to listen to your answers!  We'll be seeing him tomorrow to teach him the Restoration.  

The work is good and Members are great.  Elder Welch and I are ready to go to work this transfer. Why?  The mission has a goal of getting 50 baptisms both in the months of July and August.  If these goals are met President Nilsen has promised the missionaries here a trip to the Columbus Crew game in September.  From what we can understand it will be for the 2nd annual Mormon Night, and the Missionaries will be out on the field for halftime.  Fortunately we have high hopes for August and hope we can help the mission fulfill its goals.  We will do all in our power to make it happen!

I hope all is well on the Homefront.  Tanner is causing too much trouble this summer vacation.  Leighton, I hope you are staying out of jail.  The things that happen when you're close to Tropic.  Hope all is well, & remember... Stay out of the tub of frosting.  Mom will find out!

Para Siempre,
Elder Ipson
The Great Ohio Columbus Mission


Just trying out the toothpaste.  Rest assured Mom, I brush those teeth!

Surprise! It's transfer week!

P.S. Just trying out the toothpaste. Rest assured Mom! I brush those teeth!  (We sent some new toothpaste in our latest care package along with deoderant, floss, etc. and Leighton's famous no-bake cookies.  He always likes his Sister's cookies!)

From: Austin Ipson
Sent: Monday, July 16, 2012 9:31 AM

The transfer has come up again.  Tomorrow I will be getting that infamous call from the District Leader.  If I will go, or if I will stay!  To be honest I don't know what's going to happen to me.  I hear that there might be a stir in the Spanish Zone. Or I may just stay here in Pickerington 2nd.  Whatever happens, it'll happen, and I keep on... keepin' on!

That past week was a good week.  We were able to see Ben and Amber again!  Before we had our lesson with them on Friday, they were able to do a FHE with the Trowbridge family.  The Trowbridges invited some other less-actives and members to come to FHE.  From what it sounds like everyone there had a blast!  It's funny the influence it had.  When we went back for our lesson; we were about to talk to them about what happens at our church services, and they piped in... "Oh we already know! We learned about that at Family Home Evening with the Trowbridges!"  That's five brownie points for the members!  They are keeping their reading commitments still.  I am impressed by their zeal in reading!  They have a thorough knowledge of whatever it is when we come back.  It is quite impressive!  I just hope they start applying them to themselves.  They are great at studying; now application needs to be taught.

A funny story I failed to tell...

The week that it was 105 here in Ohio we had some A/C issues.  Nothing Radical.  To preface this Elder Welch likes the apartment to be rather cold.  So the A/C is constantly pumping air to meet his needs.  There aren't ceiling fans in the states of Ohio and Kentucky.  Someone must've passed a bill, and made them illegal here...  Anywho this A/C unit had been pumping cold air into the apartment to keep us happy.  Little by little the temperature would go up, and not be able to keep up with Elder Welch's demand!  Finally I decide to pop the filter cover, and the unit cover to see if there was anything obvious we could fix.  There was.  The "Radiator" (Compressor?) was frozen over!  Literally!  There wasn't any air flowing through the system, and the only cold air we were getting was from this block of ice!  For some reason we had a blow-dryer.  I didn't ask questions as to why we had it, but we started de-icing our A/C unit!  It took us a good while to get it defrosted, but we learned a valuable lesson.  Use the "auto" setting, not the "on" setting.

Sorry I don't have some insight to my coming fate, but I'm sure you all can survive 'till next week to find out!

Para Siempre,

Elder Ipson
The Great Ohio Columbus Mission

Humid and Hot

From: Austin Ipson
Sent: Monday, July 09, 2012 9:18 AM

I'm sure you watched the forecast for Columbus go straight up this past week.  Right?  Well this Missionary noticed!  You realize just how feeble you are to the weather when you are on a bike!  Humidity is the killer though.  I'm sure you it's above 100 at home, but you at least get a few moments before you start sweating.  There were a few times when I walked out at the noon-day heat, with complete fear!  Water is supposed to be on the ground, not in the air!

With this fantastic heat guess what we did most of the week?  Knock doors!  You'd think I would've sweated off a few pounds....  We found some new potential.  And hope to have lessons with them this week.

The Highlight of Elder Welch's week was on Saturday.  He got to have his life-long dream fulfilled.  He got to eat Chicken feet.  Or in the words of Napoleon dynamite "Chicken Talons' ("Do chickens have large talons?")  Brother Clyde served his mission in the Dominican Republic.  He's a decent cook when it comes to Dominican food.  Elder Welch asked about the craziest thing he's eaten down there.  The answer ranged from cow stomach, to chicken feet.  Elder Welch chose chicken feet!  How they were prepared; boiled in a broth for 15 minutes, and deep-fried (floured) until Golden Brown.  I’d say it's a great "Fear Factor" Challenge.  They don't taste too bad.  They’re just a ton of work to eat.  So T, once your mouth is better, go to the Mexican store, get some Chicken feet and go sell those at Ernies!  Eh? Eh?

We were able to see Ben and Amber last week.  In our first encounter we talked about the Book of Mormon.  Ben was confused as we talked about it.  He thought we were referring to the lost 10 tribes.  It took some talking it out to help him understand that it was a family that left Jerusalem x amount of years ago.  It wasn't heated but, there was some frustration getting it figured out. 

We came back the next time and went over their reading.  They recited to us 3 Nephi 11.  Even noting how the savior gave Nephi the authority to baptize.  Amber was able to give us a synopsis of the Testimonies of Joseph Smith, and the 3 and 8 witnesses.  Whew!  Talk about comprehension!  They are fairly tied to their Apostolic Church.  So that'll be the kicker...  on the bright side, one of our members Sister Trowbridge invited them to FHE tonight.  We can't drag people to church... but members can!

This week was a good one.  Hot, but good!  Hope you all are well, and aren't too bored of summer!

Para Siempre,
Elder Ipson
The Great Ohio Columbus Mission

It wasn't the server this time...

P.S. this is a tree damaged by storm #1

From: Austin Ipson
Sent: Tuesday, July 03, 2012 9:21 AM

Yes it's Tuesday.  No it wasn't the server's fault.  This time you can blame Ohio weather!

This past week we have gotten some crazy storms that have rolled in.  They were some fast moving storms that came from Indiana.  These storms touch down in a matter of a half hour, produce tornado speed winds, dump a few inches of rain, and shoot some lightning bolts around then leave after 2 hours.  I call them party crashers!

Short as they are they are powerful!  What happened further north was a tree fell onto a power line, then into a freeway, and caused a 30 car pile-up. (I don't know the whole story...)  We've heard reports that half of the city (Whether it be Columbus or Pickerington) is without power, and it won't be on until Friday.

There were two storms that hit.  The first was on Friday.  We were finishing our weekly planning when we saw the storm hit.  We were apprehensive of leaving because of the lightning.  We went to talk to one of our neighbors across the way for a weather report.  Right as we knocked her door the tornado force winds kicked in!  We scampered back to our apartment for refuge.  We watched the heavens open up and pour, and the skies get ready for the 4th of July!

The second storm was on Sunday.  We had just been dropped off to an appointment. It was fairly clear.  The man we were about to go visit shoo'd us off because he didn't want us caught in the storm.  We thought to ourselves "what storm?"  We chugged along on foot, trying to see people.  Then the storm started to roll in.  Remembering the last one we made our way back inside. I don't recommend being outside when there are tornado force winds unless you like a good resistance work-out!

This week we were able to find some new investigators.  Ben and Amber.  Ben knows the Bible fairly well.  When we taught about the Book of Mormon he was asking about Levitical Law, and how there were prophets in the Americas.  We taught by the Spirit, and he accepted the challenge to read the book of Mormon.  We’ll be seeing him later today.

We are doing well here in Pic 2.  I am on the bike, but my weight keeps creeping up.  I more frequently eat with members here, and they believe in dessert!  So, instead of my usual 195, I waver around 200.  I’m probably going to need to invest in some slim-fast....

Life is Good, and America is great!

Hope you all have an amazing 4th of July!

Para Siempre,

Elder A. Ipson
The Great Ohio Columbus Mission