Week 2 - Fairview B - Workout by J Cole

Another week down and it sounds like it is all good in the hood back home! It looked like Haddie's bday party was too much fun. I am super jealous I missed out. Beez and Brandon, my comp just died because he saw the pic of you guys in the soccer stadium, ps. he is currently wearing a Barcelona jersey as well haha.

As for the week for team Feliciana & Chipman aka Messi & Ronaldo it was a great one. We were able to get lots of work done and had lots of fun things going on. First, our week started with us heading out Ngculwini which is the farthest part of our area. We jumped on a kombie and took about a 45-minute ride out there. While we were out there we visited legit some of the strongest members I have ever met. First, we visited the Ntchali family and then we visited Sister Mamba, who was in an accident a while back and had one of her legs amputated. After walking around and taking some pictures we called it a day. The rest of the week was full of divisions because Zone Conference and the Assistants being down and staying with us. So first, I was able to walk with Elder Payne, one of my best friends on the mission, on Thursday. And then after Zone Conference I walked with my dude Elder Mataveis. Zone Conference was pretty dope and its always a great time being with President and Sister Koch and the other missionaries. We had a long day of learning and practices but it was all worth cause of the lunch and all I was able to learn. Also, on Saturday we were able to go to Thema's baptism (my old investigator from Ngwane Park) and it was another special day seeing how much the gospel can bless someone's life and bring them to making a special promise with the Lord. It was also super cool to watch Nkhosingiphile baptize another one of his sisters. I don’t have words to describe that guy.

One of the things I was able to learn this week at zone conference was kind of a formula that we need to have with our areas, districts and zones to have real growth. But to apply it a little bit better we can use this formula in our lives personally, in our families, in school or at work. What the formula all comes down to is that in our lives and with others we need to show "High Love" and have "High Expectations". When we have these two things we will be able to grow not just personally but help others grow as well. Just as the Savior, who is the greatest example of love that has ever lived. He had to do many things, such as clean the temple or teach His apostles the way to show His expectations for us. So for my message to all of you is to let us all remember the amount of love and the expectations that our Savior has for us and let us strive to show that same love to others in all that we do!

I hope everyone has a great next week especially with General Conference! To Barb, Colin, Dev, and Brody good luck with the marathon this weekend! I will be with you guys, not running, but watching from the sidelines in spirit hahaha (I’m out of shape lolz) But I already know that you guys are going to kill it! Also, Happy Birthday to Annie! Hope you have a great week and a great day!

Love you guys so much,

Sorry for the boring letter this week.

Elder Chipman

Pday/Bday Tacos at the Martins!

Part 2

Ngculweni aka Narnia

They weren't interested 

The Ngculweni Face

My life be like

Nkhosingiphile and Thema

FHE

Week 1 - Fairview B - 3005 by Childish Gambino

Ok well first I would just like to say thank you to everyone for all of the birthday wishes! It felt like a normal day out here in the field but I truly did feel all of the love that was being sent to the durty south haha.

This week was a great one with lots of changes and adjusting. After Transfer Monday, Elder Martins, Elder Smith, Elder Sharpe, Sister Ross and I had to take a trip to cross the border to renew our 90 day visas in Swaziland. We went to Namaacha which is a small district city on the Mozambique side, wait there for 30 minutes and then go back. Namaacha was dope! It looks like a Portuguese version of the Cove but all deserted. It was nice to speak Portuguese again with all the Mozambiques that we saw. And we got to enjoy little things from Mozambican Markets that we have been missing. On the way back there was some problems with Sister Ross' papers, so we had to wait to figure it all. After about 2 hours of just chilling in the car we went to hotel in Namaacha and had lunch. They were able to get everything resolved and so we headed back to Swazi after lunch. The best part of the trip tho came on the way back. The road that goes to the Namaacha border passes through a camp park and in the past weeks the missionaries have been seeing giraffes and elephants so we were pumped to see some animals. By almost at the end of the park we hadn’t seen any animals until Elder Smith with his eagle eyes spotted something so we pulled over what he had seen turned out to be LIONS!!! hahaha I didn’t take my camera with me so I don’t have any pics to send and I know "No Pics No Proof" so you guys probably thinking, "Yo why is you lying? Why you Mufasa?"  But it was dope to see lions and it made the trip worth it.

The next days were great as well! On Saturday I was woken up by the whole zone singing happy birthday with a dank cake provided by Elder Sharpe and some Nutella Cupcakes made by Elder Souza. Was able to read a letter from Elder Tucker. We had lunch at Galitos which I compare to the Swazi Molca.  Had a great day of lessons and found a lot of great people, plus got a visit from The Martins so the birthday was perfect.

As the weeks pass I am coming to have more and more of an appreciation of this perfect gospel and the good news that comes with it. That when we have faith, we repent, we are baptized and receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost and endure until the end that because of the perfect love of our Heavenly Father we will be saved and our families will be together forever. I am so grateful for this perfect plan, this perfect gospel and our perfect Savior, Jesus Christ. Because of His sacrifice for us He will "always be right by our side" and we will be with the ones with loves until "3005" aka eternity.

Love guys so much! Thank you again for all the bday wishes!

Elder Chipman

When everything falls and you need to hit the "Thinker" - Elder Feliciana

Saying what up to the school kids making sure they ain't drinking rum

CAKE FOR BREAKFAST

Look at the new area

Week 12 - Ngwane Park A - "Blame It On My Youth" - Brothers From Another

Dun-nuh-nuh Dun-nuh-nuh!

Coming in live from ESPN 8 The Ocho, we have transfer news!

So my family and friends, I have gotten picked up on a Free Agent signing to serve in the area of Fairvew B. I will be serving with Elder Feliciana, who is from Santa Catarina, Brazil! I am honestly so excited to be serving with him. We were joking two transfers ago that we would be comps one day but we never thought it would actually happen haha. The kid is too funny and a great missionary so I am super excited. Also the Fairvew Branch is popping because all of the work the missionaries have been doing there. I will be moving houses, but I will be just moving downstairs to the bottom apartment. I have some big shoes to fill so let’s see how it happens when it does (Kyle voice). But with transfers we have a ton of missionaries leaving our zone and going back to Mozambique which is super sad and I am sad to be leaving Ngwane Park and all the things we got going there but I know that Elder Souza will keep doing his thang over there.

This past week, with everyone stressed about transfers, it turned out to still be a great one and filled with lots of service. On Thursday, all the missionaries in the branch headed out to help the Kunene family move, that just got baptized last week move (They got kicked out of their house cause their neighbor doesn’t like the missionaries) But it was really fun to help them move and a good time being with them cause they one of the coolest families ever. So after sweating, lifting, and fighting cockroaches and spiders we got them all moved. On Saturday we had our branches, "Mormon Helping Hands" it was planned on the fly so we didn’t think they would be a big turnout but it turned into being a great activity with all the missionaries, the members and the Martins. We helped clean up trash and spiffy up an area here in Swazi. Service honestly brings such a special spirit. Service has the power to soften the hardest hearts and the stiffest necks and lets others feel of Heavenly Father's love.

And lastly, I will be hitting the big 2 0 this week and all I can say that it has been a ride hahaha. Thank you to the fam and all the friends who have stuck with me for this long. I know I was a strange baby, who would smack my head against the ground and I know that I was kinda of a tool throughout my adolescence (probably still am) but you guys have made the biggest impact in my life through all the love and support no matter what. It’s been a good 20 years "rolling with the troops, breaking all the rules, and blaming it on my youth".

Have such a great week, miss and love all of you!

Love,

Elder Chipman   

Elder Souza baked muffins for Donald's (investigator) birthday.

Saying goodbye to my favorite Indian who would hook it up with free cokes.

Dobex and Son's Moving Company, Swazi Edition

Elder Tanner and I being strong guys and lifting a fridge.

Saying goodbye to my friends at the butchery haha

Letters from Russia shoutouts to Elder Tucker

Week 11 - Ngwane Park A - "Supposed To Be" – Omarion

Happy Labor Day, almost Brazilian Independence Day and Swaziland Independence! It sounds like it was a great week for every one back full of football, Comicon and Shrimpboils. Thats niiiice! hahaha I hope everyone is adjusting well with school and everything starting. Keep grinding to those who are running the marathon coming up! And Beez and Brandon I am uber jealous of your guys' Spain trip coming up.

So this past week in Ngwane Park was nothing but Chillbo Baggins. It started out on Monday after a fun P-Day coming up to the Martins waiting for us with a surprise... They had just gotten back from a trip to South Africa over the weekend and were dope enough to get McDonalds for all the missionaries! Ohhh my goodness I have never enjoyed a Big Mac more in my life and it was perfect coming of the week of my year mark. To celebrate the big ol' year mark in the mission we hit up Ezulwini with the Martins and ate lunch at Ocean Basket. On Tuesday I also received my half way package... Thank you guys so much for all the treats and everything! Then on Thursday night, Elder Tanner, Goes, Souza and I headed to our 1st Counselor's house and had a family night with him. We taught him how to make corndogs and chowed. So as for food this week we ate goood.

But with this transfer coming to a close, it was been really cool to see how much the two branches in Manzini have grown these past weeks. The Ngwane Park Branch especially, has been noticing the growth and all of the new faces that have been coming and I think everyone has got the excitement about missionary work that we have been trying to spark. And a lot of the excitement comes from Nkhosingiphile. I know you guys are probably tired of hearing about him by now but the dude is too legit to quit. His sister Thema, who he brought to Nompilo's baptism, had now been to church twice and has a baptismal date for the 24th of September. Nkhosingiphile also brought one of his best friends to church (Lungelo). We taught him last night and he understood the Restoration perfectly. Also two weeks ago, on a division with Elder Nielsen, we found a Mozambican family that was super nice and receptive (Rodriquez and Fatima). Elder Souza and I returned the next day (Saturday) and then they showed up on Sunday. We were able to teach them twice this past week and they came to church again. They have loved church and the people there. And in addition to all of that we had two Sacrament meetings that were full of confirmations sooo on the Lord's side its "Team us we ain’t worried about you" (directed at Satan hahaha)

So it has been over a year since I have left and seen all of you. It has been a year full of trials, struggles, and hard times. I have never felt more inadequate in my life and never have I ever been so far away from home. But with all of that... It has also been a year of blessings, miracles, and memories. I have never felt more of the Lord's help in my life and never have I ever felt closer to all of you because of the prayers, love and support you guys are always sending me. All I can say is that this past year I have come to know better my Heavenly Father and the love the He has for all of us. I have come to know as well that there are sooo many other things that I could be doing with my life at this point but I know that I am exactly "where I’m supposed to be". The biggest thing I have learned though is that it isn’t about me (Alma 26:12) it never is about us. It is always about others!

Peace, Love and Blessings

Beats, Rhymes and Life

See you in one year,

Elder Chipman

The king himself, Elder Martins

"Alo?!"

Yay for Packages!

Guys just guess what day it was

"Choked on a jelly bean" - Tum Tum

Half way lunch with Elder & Sister Martins, Elder Smith, Owens & Sharpe

Corn-dogs with Mpilo

More Corn-dogs with Mpilo

And even More Corn-dogs with Mpilo