April 24, 2016 Melbourne

Shui Ge

Ne Hoa! 

How is everybody?

I will jump right in to it. So my new companion is Elder Chen from China! He is 26 years old, (so yes, I am his "dad" and yet 8 years younger than him). He lived in Oregon for three years, studying at University of Oregon, so he is a Duck. (sorry Sister Callaway) That is where he met Mormon friends, met the missionaries, and got baptized, just about a year and a half ago. So now he is on a mission! I really admire his faith. He is the man. Elder Chen loves to be a missionary and he is a great companion. Not just because he makes amazing Chinese food.

So I am basically an Asian now. I love Asian food, Asian people, Asian everything. My new favorite food is Pho. That is a Vietnamese noodle soup. It is pronounced Fuh. It's delicious. I am learning some Chinese from Elder Chen. Ne Hoa. Wo Shu Elder Chappell. Wo se Shui Ge. (Hello. My name is Elder Chappell. I am a handsome man.)

Miracle Time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We have a baptism next week!!! How did that happen? One may ask. One would then be answered, A Miracle!! 

So Julian is a 20 year old super awesome man. He is from Australia, but grew up in Italy. He likes to work out and play basketball (semi-pro), and be super awesome. His mum was baptised 2 years ago and he has been drifting around the world ever since, meeting missionaries as he goes. He believes everything and is now ready for baptism! He is now going to stay here permanently. So we have been speed teaching him everything, because he really feels like the 30th is the right date for his baptism, so we have to teach all the lessons before then! But it's all review for him and he knows it enough to teach us. But he is the man. Miracle!!

We also have 2 more miracles, both of which are Korean. One is named Andrew. Some Chinese missionaries found him and referred him to us because he is not Chinese. We called him, and he sounded kind of sort of keen. Anyway, he missed an appointment and we kind of forgot about him. But one morning, we had 4 texts on our phone from him saying basically, "sorry I missed the appointment, I had work. But I really want to join your church. When can I meet with you guys?" So we set an appointment for that day, taught him, and now he is preparing for a baptism on May 21st! 

Allan is almost the same situation. Today he texted us and asked when we could meet. We set the appointment for Thursday though so I will tell you about that next week!

Everything is going great. All 5 companionships in my district have somebody being baptized in the next few weeks! So I am really excited. 

Ok I have been a failure at sending pictures, so it's a good thing we believe in forgiveness and second chances. This week I will be good! 

This is me being Chinese and eating dumplings.

This is me and Elder Higham eating Tim Tams on our last day together on our table that is way too tall and folds out of the wall.  Good times.

And me and Elder Chen being your new heroes.

April 17, 2016 Melbourne

Guess what? Tomorrow is transfers! We got the news last night...

I am staying! Yay! (I knew that would happen, but that's still awesome.) But Elder Higham is leaving. Nooooooooooo!!! He is a great missionary and I am lucky that I got to serve with him for a grand total of 3 weeks. They were a good 3 weeks.

My new companion will be.......drumroll......... I don't know yet! I am going to be training a new missionary!!! Yeah!!!!! I am so excited. I feel like a was not as good of a trainer as I wanted to be with Elder Seifert and Elder Ching, so I am really glad I can do it again and be better! So I will be the District Leader in the City! Woot! I am so excited for this coming transfer. I am still getting used to the area but I am sure it will be fine.

So this week we taught a girl named Yuki. Yuki is from Japan, and she is a student here. She is so awesome! This was our first lesson with her and we knew of one member in our ward that was also Japanese, so we invited him along. His name is Shun, and he is also a student. He was just baptized one month ago but he passes the sacrament every week and always wants to help us in lessons. He is the man! We also invited a Vietnamese member named Tom, because Tom is awesome and the more the merrier. So the lesson was perfect. It turns out Shun and Yuki already knew each other! Yuki's English is really good, but learning the gospel in a second language is hard for everyone, so anytime she didn't quite understand something, Shun explained in Japanese, and it was so awesome. Tom bore powerful testimony as we taught about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and we all felt the Spirit a lot! Yuki said the closing prayer and wants to come back on every day she has off of work! She felt it was too soon for baptism, but that's ok! Next time she will say yes. We are excited about her.

There's also a companionship of Sisters in this branch, and both of them are being transferred. So they have decided to give a couple of their investigators to the Elders because they are Men and it's easier for us to teach them. Their names are Julian, and Papo. But I don't know much about them yet. Details to come next week!

I am so excited to get my new companion and make him street contact all day every day!!! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

for real though.  Anyway, sorry for forgetting photo's the last two weeks. Here are some random City photos.
Sorry in a rush. I feel bad but only those photos this time... AAAH!
stress for transfers. But All is well.

 One random thing I have learned on my mission is that I never took advantage of temple square or the Salt Lake Temple or anything like that. So many members here have said it is their life long dream to go to the Salt Lake Temple or attend a session of conference or things like that. I hope you don't mind that I have told a few missionaries that after their missions if they want to visit Utah they could stay in our house :P

Love you Bye!

April 10, 2016 Melbourne

This week went by in the blink of an eye. Pretty much all day every
day was spent out street contacting. I love it! At first it was scary
for me, and after an hour or so, I would want to go do something else,
but now I could just do it all day. Honestly I love it!

So I can't remember if I told yous about Debbie last week. She is a
fifteen year old girl that we talked to, invited back to the church,
gave her a church tour, and taught with a member in the space of about
one hour. She loves it and wants to be baptized. Since then she has
come to church, come to two activities, and now hangs out with one of
the members almost everyday. One day we came to the branch and she was
there. We hadn't invited her for a lesson or anything. She was just
there talking with the members! She is awesome.
MIRACLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The bad news

She is moving tomorrow. But it's ok cause we will tell the other
missionaries in her area about her and she will still be taught and
baptized. I am just selfish and want to do it myself. But that's ok!

We haven't been able to meet with anybody this week other than
members. Our investigators are only students and they all have mid
terms this week so no time! Next week we will have heaps of lessons.

MIRACLE TIME!!!!!!!!!!!

I was in front of the state library doing my thing, talking to
everyone, and while I was talking o somebody, a guy came close to us,
stood patiently waiting for the conversation to finish. It eventually
did, and then I said Hi! The man said to me, "Tell me about Mormons. I
am a huge fan of Lindsay Sterling, and she always talks about being a
Mormon, so I want to know what it's about!" I was only able to talk to
him for a few minutes, but he wants to know everything! I gave him a
Book of Mormon, and exchanged numbers. No appointment but we will call
him today. His name is William and he is the best!

Angel asked her parents about baptism, they said she needs to know
more and be sure first. So that's good! We will teach her more, and
the Holy Ghost will help her be sure! Yay!

We are working super hard. Every spare second is spent talking to
people. I have never worked this hard in my mission! It is the best.

Conference was awesome!!! I loved President Eyring's talk about how to
receive revelation. I also loved President Nelson's talk in Priesthood
session.

So in our branch there is one less active young man. There is one little boy, the
branch mission leader's son, named Nico, and he is my best friend. Our
poor young women's leader has nobody to teach. And she reminds us
everyday that we need to find young women!  

Most of the branch is recent converts so I know we can find
more people to join! The problem is, there aren't many families in the
city. Mostly just commuters and students. Our branch is mostly in the
18-25 year old range, with a few more mature.

I love yous all!

Elder Calvin Chappell

(This picture is not from Calvin but it is of the library where they talk to people )

April 3, 2016 Melbourne

Hello everybody! How ya going?

I got transferred again.

April Fools I didn't.


Life is really really really good here in Melbourne. I love this area.
So to give some info on our branch, In the city there are two
branches. Melbourne first (chinese) and Melbourne second (english). We
share a building, meaning one floor of an office highrise building.
Anytime you go inside "the branch" you will always find missionaries
in different rooms teaching investigators. There are many activities
in the branch every week. FHE on mondays, free english classes on
thursdays and Saturdays, and game nights on Fridays. Heaps and heaps
of people come to all of it.

Most of the 2nd branch is recent converts. It is really cool to see
the sacrament being blessed and passed by only men/young men who were
baptised in the last few months. This branch is like a little slice of
Zion. Everybody is so happy and nice and amazing. Everyone performs
their callings so well.

To explain the subject line, there is a sister in our branch, Sister
Huong Mei from Malaysia, who is just so amazing and so funny. She
brings friends to church all of the time. Yesterday she brought a
young man named Perry, and introduced him to us in a very loud and
proud voice in front of everyone, just like this. "here, dis my
invettigata. You teach, he baptize. You're welcome." Haha she is so
great.

So a regular day, we do our studies, go to the city, carry a bag full
of supplies, go to the state library, set the bags down, and just talk
to people. It is very very busy in front of the library so there are
always people to talk to. So many. At first it was pretty hard for me
to do it, but it's amazing how quickly I have gotten good at it! I
love to talk so I just chat with people, and move the conversation to
the gospel. It is really fun! I carry in my hand one Book of Mormon
and one of each of the pamphlets, and just give them out to everyone.
Then I go get more from my bag. We talk to so many people each day. So
many.

Often we can talk with someone, and when we see that they are
interested, we tell them about the branch, and invite them to walk
with us to it. Then we walk (just about five minutes) and go give them
a chapel tour. It is amazing. We have so many investigators already!

Most of the people taught in the city are students at Melbourne Uni or
RMIT, the two big Universities here. (in this country, college means
high school, so you don't say college, you say Uni). Young people just
seem to be much more open. They are usually always keen to chat and
then when they hear the amazing message we share and feel the Spirit
testify to them, we teach them and everybody is happy! I am so excited
for this area.

Please pray for Angel. She is our investigator from Indonesia. She
wants to be baptised, but her parents are Buddhist and she wants them
to support her, so she needs to ask them for permission, but she is
too scared to ask. So she needs prayers.

Well I think that's all for this week. Sorry for the lack of Pictures.
Next week I promise!

Love yous all Bye!
Elder Calvin Chappell