Week 10 - Ngwane Park A - It's Lit! by Kyle

Unlike Kyle I never had AP English so I hope I can keep my flow basic and try and keep my emails entertaining for ya’ll! But it sounds like the whole fam is good!  The shout out for this week’s email has got to go my boy @SammyP3 aka Sam Prince aka the most attractive person to come out the slums of the 801! Congrats on the mission call man! I cannot wait to talk about other people in Portuguese with you hahaha! I know you are going to love Brazil cause I already love Brazil and I have never been there! lolz

To go along with the subject song of the week this week was indeed lit. Swaziland is popping with people because of the Southern African Development Community Summit, the week long festivities of the Reed Dance, a giant wedding that we had at the church, and also baptisms. But all in all this week has been really chill and special.

First, on Sunday we had the baptism for Nompilo and Mfundi (Elder Nielsen and Elder Babu's investigator)! Things were not looking good going into Sunday because we were not able to get Nompilo's baptismal interview in because she started up her job at a lodge (hotel) and because of everything going on she was working crazy shifts. On Saturday, she started working at 3 PM and didn’t get off until 7 AM the next day, Sunday. Nothing but respect for the faith and desire of Nompilo to come straight to church right after that to be interviewed and baptized. Oh and she had to go back to work at 3 PM that same day. But, everything ran really smoothly for the baptism. Mfundi was baptized by Elder Goes because he wanted to be baptized by "Neymar” and Nompilo was baptized by her brother, Nkhosingiphile.  Who was baptized just a month ago. It was soo cool to see how these things have happened and the progression and the plan that the Lord has for us. Preach My Gospel says that our joy will dramatically increase as we are able to experience and participate in Priesthood Ordinances and I know that that is true! The joy of both Nompilo and Nkhosingihpile who had experienced and participated in a Priesthood Ordinance was so apparent and so bright. It is funny to see how all of that joy that they felt came through a simple conversation on the street with the father of Nkhosingphile just two months ago. To sum it all up, I will use the words of Mfundi (who is the Swazi version of Tum Tum) as he got out of the baptismal font, "That was NIIICE!!" hahahah

Other highlights were just setting up for the one nicest low scale weddings I have ever seen. Saturday, we had to help with the tents, tables and chairs and all of the decorations. S/O to Brody and Annie's wedding and the little help I actual did their setting things up because I was able to help improvise with Elder Baker and the Relief Society and it turned out dope. Swaziland weddings are a little bit more low key than Mozambique and a little bit more formal.

Well I think that it’s it for me this week! I hope you guys all have a great week! Keep it lit with the Spirit always!

Love,

Elder Chipman

Nompilo and Nkhosingiphile

Nompilo,  Nkhosingiphile and Thema

Mfundi and his family at the baptism

Set up for the wedding

"Too much drinks"

Wedding Crashing with Elder Tanner and Asanda

  

Week 9 - Ngwane Park A - "Hey guys... I got a new bag of Mike N Ikes.. You want some?"

"My peoples, are you with me, where you at? In the front, in the back killa bees on attack" -Method Man

So first, big ol S/O's to the fam aka the killa bees for the bday boxes! I got them a little early but it don’t matter!! Elder Baker and Elder Payne were in Mozambique over the weekend and were able to bring them down. So I got home Tuesday night to the boxes waiting for me in the apartment and all I can say is that I am soooo happy for my teams and me hahaha. Legit I loved seeing all of the hand written notes and drawings from everyone. The pictures got me too excited to mob Newport in a couple of years. The pants are perfect and I probably will not wear them until the day I come home. The socks... oooh the socks. That is Mother's intuition knowing that I needed some. The Jacks' shirt, I am wearing it right now so. The candy and beef jerky, how Swazi's say, "Yeeboo!" The sour patch and watermelons have already been thrown down. With the Mike N Ikes and jerky I had to control myself and save it for this week to enjoy. So just to finish this rant, Fam, I love you guys and I hope you all know that you are the best!

As for the rest of the week besides getting hit into Heaven with boxes, was really good! Nathi, Luyanda, and Ayanda were confirmed and received the Holy Ghost yesterday. we are now working more and more with Orlando and Precious to get them married and baptized as well. Orlando is heading to Mozambique this week to get a document there to state that he has not been married before. So after this week we will start getting more plans in the work for the wedding. This past week we started teaching the grandmother, aunts and cousins of soon to be missionary in our branch, whose name is Nathi as well. But, we were able to start teaching them and at first they didn’t know much about the church. They only knew that their daughter/sister (Nathi's Mom) would always invite them to come and how the Church has changed Nathi and his little brother Caesar. So after one of the smoothest flowing Restoration lessons on Saturday... they all came to church on Sunday. And guess who was speaking? Their grandson/nephew/cousin, Nathi! How perfectly dope is that?? Also this past week were able to keep preparing Nomphilo for her baptism this Sunday. It has been super cool to see her excise her faith and doing her best to read the Book of Mormon! She doesn’t really understand a lot of the words but she is still reading every day and you can just see that the Lord is helping her understand the stories and feel the spirit.

So for a spiritual thought I am going to stay on the subject of Nomphilo and the love that Heavenly Father has for each and every one of us. So, Nomphilo lives/works in the giant apartment lots that are in our area. This past week, Elder Souza and I finished knocking every single door in this area. In this community there are 73 blocks of apartments with 8 houses each. So after knocking 584 doors we only have 1 investigator. And at first I thought, well that was kind of a waste but then Elder Souza dropped some wisdom on me. He said, "how cool is it that the Lord sent us here just to find 1 person among all of these people?" This took me back for a second and made me think about D&C 18:10,15. V.10 "Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of the Lord." V.15 "And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!" So the Lord sent two missionaries, in a new area, in a span of 9 weeks to knock 584 doors, to be rejected, accepted and rejected again, just to find one soul. God loves us! He is sending us His love in different ways each day! I cannot even imagine His joy when we recognize all that He does for us and end up on top. Yahoo for the Gospel! Yahoo for blessings! Never forget that you personally, no matter what you have done, and the person next to you, no matter what they have done, are special in the sight of the Lord.

So good luck to everyone that is going back to school! To quote my idol, Billy Madison, "I got my lunch pack packed, I got my boots tied tight, I hope I don’t get in a fight, ohhh back to school!" I hope you all have a great week! Love and miss you all!

"Representing the GZA, Abbot, RZA, Shaquan, Inspectah Deck

Dirty Ol' gettin low with his flow"

Love,

Elder Chipman (Elder Ol' Dirty)

Drowning in love from America.

Bruuuuh

Just doing some hood rat things with my friends. 

The Manzini Zone is famous at Me & U BBQ. 

Week 8 - Ngwane Park A - We followed Geography and not the Spirit

Alright so this week’s email is going to be a little bit shorter just because a couple of us might have gotten lost in an Animal Reserve today but yooo its all good!! haha

This week was pretty great. The highlight for sure was the baptisms of Nathi and Luyanda yesterday! It was nice that we had the meeting after church. There was lots of support from the branch there for them. But the best was just hearing their testimonies and the little girl, Ayanda testimony, who was baptized as well.

Elder Souza and I are still doing great. Living it up and finding as much as we possibly can!

The hike and the animal reserve today was super dope! I hope that the photos make up for this lame email. haha

It sounds like everyone is doing great! Wrenly, you look so tough in that cast! I hope you feel better! Good luck to all the kiddies starting school in the upcoming weeks annnnnd SPORTS ARE BACK! Shoutout and good luck to all of the teams this year! (Skyline, East and West)

Love you guys so much! Have a great week!

Love

Elder Chipman

Nathi, Luyanda, and Ayanda

The Hungule Family

This was like half way-haha

"Yeah...it's really a zebra!"

Worth it

Very Selfie Worthy

G.O.A.T. (Greatests Of All Time) the Martins!

Lion King Pt. Elder Taco Tanner and Elder Mr. Price and I

Part 2

Week 7 - Ngwane Park A - "They were riding the Vapor in reverse." -Stoney, Encino Man

Alright just like ODB I will be taking you back to 79 aka last week with this email haha.

It was a pretty normal week here for Elder Souza and I. Lots of long days and lots of walking. But the greatest thing is that even when you feel like you aren't seeing much success for the work you are putting in the Lord always blesses you. Elder Souza and I were a little down this week on the number of new lessons that we had marked with people that they just totally bailed on us but we were able to make the most of the lessons that we had.

On Sunday, we had a great turnout at church. Orlando, Precious and their 3 little boys (investigators) came to church which is the first time that they have all came in a couple of weeks. We will be baptizing their 2 oldest sons, Nahti and Luck this Sunday which we're super excited about. They have for the last transfer been walking to church by themselves with their 6-year-old brother, dressed in old baggie suits and white shirts, they are the greatest! We will be working with Orlando and Precious to help them progress, get married and baptize here soon as well! We also had Nkhosinigphile bring his sister and brother to church as well. If you look up the word, "boss" in the dictionary you will find a photo of Nkhosingiphile haha. We were a little sad that our other investigator, Donald, didn’t come to church and so we will have to move his baptismal date as well. But the work is coming, people are coming closer to our Savior and we are living the dream preaching this gospel.

Just two small experiences this week that I would like to share that I have come to see as some of the greatest parts of serving the Lord. The first is how the Lord is truly preparing people to hear and accept this gospel! We see it every day and it is a miracle. I cannot even count how many people we have contacted that already have a Book of Mormon or have already received visits from the missionaries or maybe even attended to the church in the 90's. A couple weeks back we were knocking apartments and a girl (Nomphilo) opened the door and told us that she just worked there and that the owners were not home. After asking a little bit more about her, she told us she actually grew up coming to the church and her parents are part of the Fairview Branch and for some reason was never baptized. Last week we brought Nkhosingiphile with us to teach her and it just so happens that they (Nkhonsingiphile and Nomphilo) are brother and sister... like what??? We taught her the Book of Mormon and it was such a great lesson. We are now planning on baptizing Nomphilo, here in a couple of weeks.

The second of the many blessings that comes from missionary work are the relationships you develop with people. In this case with recent converts. On Saturday, we went to the church so that Elder Souza could teach Nkhosingiphile some piano. After that and helping with cleaning the church all 3 of us headed to KFC to grub. So from walking and teaching lessons earlier in the week, to eating KFC, and then to Sunday seeing him in white shirt and tie, blessing the sacrament for the first time was pretty dope! It is amazing what this Gospel can do in the lives of the people that embrace it. Nkhosingiphile, who first was very skeptical about the church and especially about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon, is doing all that he can to live this gospel and is seeing the blessings.

Missionary work is dope. This Gospel is true. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love us. Facts on facts on facts.

Miss you all and I hope everyone has a great week!

Love from the 76,

Elder Chipman

Brother Mbuso and Sister Dthombi with their new addition Linda. 

Helping the Matsembulas wash some clothes

Washing clothes or a foot massage?

"It looks like we are in the teens...somewhere" - Ghostbusters

Brown Toppers bring out my Kyle Mooney

Week 6 - Ngwane Park A - Sweatpants by Childish Gambino

What is up to my people around the world?? It sounds like everyone had a great week full of hikes, vacays and snowcones. Quick shout outs; Happy Birthday to Heidi! Happy 1-year anniversary to Brody and Annie on Saturday! It is crazy how fast time has gone, it feels like last week we were all partying to Bell Biv Devoe's poison at the Capital on yall's wedding night hahah.

This week was a pretty good week to end a really great first transfer in Swazi and with Elder Souza. The news has already been sent out and we will be staying together in Ngwane Park A for a second transfer. Which I am pumped for cause Swazi is about to blow this transfer! And our zone is all really close and so it has and will continue on being a great time.

Highlights of the week; We had district conference this past week.  President and Sister Koch were in Swaziland for the weekend with the AP's and the missionaries that were leaving. It worked out good cause I got to say one last goodbye to my dude Elder Openshaw who is dipping! For district conference we had Elder Khumbulani Mdletshe from the Seventy and his wife as well. It was great weekend full of great trainings, talks and experiences.

On Thursday, I went on a division with Elder Payne in his area and it was super fun to work with him. Elder Souza was able to hold his own in our area with Elder Baker. I swear that divisions bring miracles in missionary work. Elder Souza and Elder Baker were able to find and teach some great families. They taught the Tsabedze family and set a baptism date for them and their oldest daughter on the 20th of August. They also taught a woman that we found knocking doors, whose family is all members, and set a date with her as well for the 20th. It just happens that she is really good friends with our Branch President, Elders Quorum President and recent convert, Nkhosingiphile... so like the Lord is preparing people  Also a tender mercy from yesterday a drunk guy giving us a 1 liter of coke cause we, in his words, "have the good word" haha deciding if we should contact him or not he disappeared into the darkness of Mobene Flats singing Gospel Music.

President Koch shared a story during the Saturday session of district conference that I would like to share really quick: So there once was a very rich master, that over many of years had earned a fortune. This master had a servant that had been faithful to him for over 30 years. One day the master turned to his servant and told that he wanted to build a mansion for his best friend. He told the servant to use all the money that he needed to buy the top class materials and top class workers. A little envious of this "best friend" of the master and him thinking, "Hey I have been faithful for 30+ years to this master why doesn’t he give me a mansion?" So the servant went out and instead of buying the top class materials he bought 2nd or 3rd class, that still looked good but would not last very long. And instead of hiring top class workers, he hired cheap workers that could make that house look nice but not be very good. Then after all the building was done and the mansion that looked good was finished, the servant returned to his master to give him the key. When the master was given the key he instantly gave it right back to the servant and said, "The mansion is yours, thank you for your faithful service and thank you for being a great friend."

I did my best to retell the story as well as President Koch but probably failed because he is incredible but I love the morale of the story and how it applies to the gospel and our lives. We are blessed by our Lord, our Master, with the work and service that we put in. If we do not do all that we can that the Lord has asked us to do, we cannot expect all the blessings that He has promised us. Just like Donald Glover aka Childish Gambino said, "Yeah you got some silverware, but really are you eating though? Are you eating though? Breakfast, lunch and dinner is for beginners, you ain’t even know." A weird parallel but it’s true, we have been blessed with all of our strengths, and all of the tools we need to bless our lives and more importantly the lives of others. Are we doing all that we can? And what is so great is that because of Jesus Christ we can change if we are not and start doing so.

I love all of you guys and hope you have a great week!

Love,

Elder Chipman

ps. Just remember that Friskers don’t make noise when they start up tho... (Another reference to Gambino) haha

The Trillest Zone

Get Chips or Die
Trying at  50's Kitchen

Getting some chicken dust with Elder Payne

Only 20 Rand for Chicken, Pop (Chima) and Salad.....Safe to say it's the bomb. 

Week 5 - Ngwane Park A - "Smaller Shovel, Smaller Hole" - Zig Zag

                                                                                                                      

Yeeeeeboooooo! (Which means yes in Siswati)

It sounds like the crew is doing good! Super jelly of all the 24th festivities that are going especially the shrimp boil. It's fine though cause I know that no one is going to touch my shrimp eating record haha. More shout outs for Breandon on having a boy!!

SO, Elder Souza and I had another great week. It started out with some motivation which is always nice. In our zone meeting, Elder Baker and Elder Payne mapped out the plan right now for Swaziland and the work we got to put in to get a stake here by the end of the year and yo... it’s possible and yo... it’s going to happen! Swaziland is special place to be right now with tiny and big miracles happening every day for every missionary. One of the miracles we had this week was a lesson we had with Sandra and all of her kids. We called her out of the blue while we were in their area and they said to come by at 6 so kind of preparing on the fly we decided to teach the Plan of Salvation. When we started teaching we asked if they have ever asked one of the 3 questions that the Plan of Salvation answers. Where did we come from, why are we here, and where are we going? We started from youngest to oldest with the kids and all of them answered, "Where are we going after this life." Lastly, the question reached Sandra and her looking at her children, feeling the spirit, started to cry a little and answered the same way. We were able to focus a lot on their questions and how families can be together forever through temples. I am honestly so grateful for the knowledge that I have about the Plan of Salvation that gives me so much peace and hope. And also for temples and the power that was restored by Elijah through Joseph Smith to seal our families together for eternity.

Other highlights of the week; Brother Mbuso and Sister Dthombi had their baby! We dug a garbage hole for the Matsengua family and it was maybe one of the hardest things I have done on my mission. I was quoting Holes the entire time haha. It rained. Finally, the homie Monuwabiso got baptized!!! Monuwa is the son of Sister Matsembula.  We were able to start teaching him while we retaught the lessons to Sister Matsembula and her daughter Nandipa. It was a great baptism service with lots of support from the branch and the missionaries because everyone and their dogs love the Matsembulas. We also celebrated Elder Baker, Elder Wayttene and Elder Nielson hitting their year mark mixed with Elder Baker's bday so that was chill.

We are heading into the last week of the transfer so next week we will have some transfer news. I have a feeling I will be posting up another one with Elder Souza in Ngwane Park which I am so game for. I hope you all have a great week and Happy Pioneers Day! S/O to the Pioneers!

Love y'all, Miss y’all

Peace, Love and Blessings

Beats, Rhymes, and Life

Elder Chipman

         

Squad Pic

Tell them college coaches I am working out like Tim Tebow,
just trying to get a college scholarship (haha)                  

"5 feet deep, 5 feet in diameter, your shovel is your measuring stick"--
Mr. Sir

Monuwasbiso's baptism!!!

Pink and Blue--Hurris & Gig

Swazi got me feeling like I am in Seattle

Week 4 - Ngwane Park A - Thank you Kyle Mooney for Teaching Me How to Bake

*Ham horn noise x3* Ye ye ye!!!!

What is good party people? Before I get into it just got to say a big ol' CONGRATS to Beez and Brandon!!! I am going to be mad jealous of Scony Jr. listening to MF Doom and Liquid Swords every night falling asleep haha. But for reals congrats you guys! Second, the slip n' slide looked super fun! I hope Evie had a great bday party!

This week wasn’t too busy which was kind of nice. Elder Souza and I have been knocking apartments like crazy to find some new families. Let’s just say from apartment blocks 36 through 60, the Good News wasn’t selling like hot cakes haha. But no worries they are still about 40 left we need to knock.

This week in church Nkhosingiphile got ordained as a priest and Elder Souza ordained him and it was a really cool experience because I don’t think I could have done something like that, as on the spot as it was, in my first transfer. Also after church we were able to meet and talk with President and Sister Koch's family which was way cool. Sorry that I looked/was super awkward in the video they sent to you, I felt like Ricky Bobby getting interviewed for the first time.

The coolest part of the week tho happened on Thursday night. As a branch and missionaries we gathered at the Matsembula's house to celebrate Nandipa's birthday and also to be with them cause of the passing of their grandmother on Wednesday night. We watched the Restoration movie and something stood out to me. When it shows the transition from teenage Joseph Smith to young adult Joseph, finding and translating the plates the narrator says, "You may know the truth of something by the blessings that flow." At the moment I thought how incredible it was that we were gathered all together, coming from all over the world; US, Brazil, Zimbabwe and Swaziland to mourn with those that mourn and comfort those that stand in the need of comfort. All because of a young boy had a vision. But it was because of that vision, his calling, and the love of our Savior, Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father that we have the greatest blessing of all the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. Through which we can be saved, sealed to our families for eternity, and return to be with our Heavenly Father again. I am so grateful for that young boy, Joseph Smith and his faith. I know that this church is true and I know that because of the blessing that flow from it.

I also had the chance to look over the General Conferences talks from this past April for the first time. I loved everything that I read. Last conference was bomb to say the least.  With it being July we are at the perfect time to review the counsel from our prophet, apostles and other church leaders to guide and protect us until October when we will hear from them again!

I love all of you guys so much! I hope you all know that I truly can feel your prayers help me throughout the days! I hope you guys have a great week!

Love,   

Elder Chipman

The Martins are cooler than Miles Davis for bringing us Doughnuts!

Krispy

Kremes

Too Krispy!!

Nandipas Birthday

I love the Matsembulas!

Eating "Real" African food with Elder Babu. 

Elder Tanner and I with the Branch Joker, Brother Harrison. 

Breakfast Burritos with homemade tortillas an Elder Ol Dirty specialty.