Elder Calvin Hal Chappell: July 2015

Hey everyone!

So they let us email one extra time to let families know when we'll be flying,seeing as I already told you... I guess I'll just update you on the week I've had!

So Elder Taylor, my district leader and buddy, called on me to say a prayer during a meeting, but he called me Brother Chappell instead of Elder Chappell. I then proceeded to say, in my best impersonation of Crush from Finding Nemo, "whoa, Brother Chappell is my father. the name's Elder!" Haha shout out to Rachel F, my Disney quote buddy!

I love teaching role play investigators. Our investigator Carlos is getting baptized!! woot! except it's just role play.. but it's awesome anyway! Elder Porter and I were asked to give a lesson in priesthood meeting today on baptism. It was great! I love learning by teaching. D&C 50:22! I think that's the right verse.. if that doesn't make any sense in context.. just apply it to yourself anyway!

So last night when we all got in bed, we just got talking, and people fell asleep one by one, but Elder Wiser and I ended up just staying up way too late talking and sharing basically our life stories with each other! I really hope we are companions because we are like already best friends. He's the man.

So I am hearing that the Kennewick Washington mission is like a baptism gold mine. But I don't really care. I just hope I get to see one person change their lives for the better by coming closer to Christ. If that is through baptism, that's awesome! If not, that's fine too! I just know that this gospel can change everything and I want to help that happen for everyone.

K love you all! I'll be flying out at 10:50 on Tuesday morning!

Keep those baptismal covenants and always remember Jesus Christ.

Elder Chappell

Hey everyone!

I am loving the MTC!!

My comp is Elder Porter, and he is from Morgan Utah and he's a total farm boy and he is way cool. Our room (A.K.A. our flat) has six missionaries going to Melbourne! We all love each other and are super tight. My district is awesome too. We spend like ... hours a day in a tiny little classroom that we call the prison cell, so we got to know each other really well really fast! I'm gonna miss these elders and sisters (half of them are going to Toronto).

So my flat is me and Elder Porter, then the new zone leaders, Elder Wiser and Elder Albrechtson (all-brick-sin), and Elder Bennion and Elder Wheeler. I hope I get to be companions with all of these elders! ...but I know that's not realistic.

So we don't know if our visas are gonna come before they kick us out of here... but I'm gonna check again today! If it's here then I'll send a letter home letting everyone know.

So the best thing about the mtc is the spirit here. I feel so much closer to the Lord than ever before. As Elder Wiser says, Jesus is the man! Everybody, go read Mosiah 2. King Benjamin basically tells his people that God has given us so much, that we can never repay Him. And all He asks us for is to keep His commandments. and if we spend all of our lives serving Him and keeping the commandments, we still won't repay Him. and then He'll just bless us more making us more in debt! So always remember what you owe to Heavenly Father and to Jesus Christ. We must never stop serving them.

Anyway, MTC food is good, but I'm being healthy and I might actually be losing weight, cause I don't get to eat constantly all day, weird how that works huh?

I got a package from the Eddy's, (thanks so much! the Elders all say you work magic with those cookies), and a package from Rachel, Rachel, Rachael, Kathryn, Ashlyn, and Keagan. (thanks so much for that one too! The other elders would thank you, but I didn't share. hehehe) But you guys are awesome! One of the happiest times is when my district leader comes and gives me my mail! I've gotten two letters from mom :) So if you love me, send me some dear elders k? use that dear elder website (dearelder.com). ( Elder Calvin Chappell Unit 111, AST_MEL, JUL27) They come the same day. I want mail! Take advantage of it while I'm at the mtc!

I'm leaving next Monday, either to Australia if I get my visa, or to wherever they reassign me! I had an awesome opportunity to give Sister Esplin in my district a blessing. She was really sick and she said the night before she had had a random thought pop into her head of me giving her a blessing, so she felt I needed to be the one to give it. It is so awesome to give them. I open my mouth having no idea what I'm gonna say, and the words just come. The priesthood is amazing. All the elders in my district, plus the branch president had our hands on her head for the blessing. Elder Taylor, my DL annointed her with the oil.

We were able to hear a talk from Elder Bednar that he gave in the mtc a few years ago called the character of Christ. It was the most amazing talk I've ever heard. No exaggeration. It made me want to be so much better. And it made me love my Savior even more. I don't know if it's available outside the mtc though. You can check if you want! If not, next week I can say more about it and what he said.

Here in the MTC I have seen maybe Elders from my past life: Elders Sandberg, Atterton, Hendricks, Stott, Tebbs, Green, Himes, Waters, ect.

Love you all! I miss everyone so much. But I am really not homesick at all. I will see you all in two years :) Just don't forget about me!

Elder Chappell

So... I just got a reassignment! Kennwick Washington mission! I'll be there until my visa arrives so who knows how long! All of the other Australia Elders and Sisters got their visas except for me and one sister, Sister Johnson. So that will be exciting! I am actually totally happy about this. I get two missions! woot!

K, now I have to go again. Love you all!

So our flat, left to right, Elder Bennion the pianist extraordinaire. Elder Wheeler, cracking jokes all day long. Elder Albrechtson, future prophet. Elder Wiser, small man, spiritual giant, looks like Justin Beiber. Me, Elder Porter, the man, the myth, the legend.