July 18, 2017 Frankston

Well, this is it. The last email of the mish. It sure doesn't feel like it. It does not feel like I will be on a plane home a week from now. It doesn't feel like I will ever really leave Australia, that I will ever stop being a missionary. Everyone asks how I feel about finishing my mission. I never know how to answer. I feel excited, I feel sad, but most of all I just feel like it's not real, I am just dreaming, and soon I'll wake up and I'll still have a year to go on my mission.

What have I learned on my mission? I have learned a lot. (Aussies say 'learnt', not learned, so you could say I've learnt heaps). I have learned that when you think only about yourself, you struggle, but if you lose yourself in the service of others, you succeed. I learned that anything worthwhile in this life takes effort, or pain, or some sort of cost. My mission was hard. I had so many hard times. But I wouldn't trade it for anything. I think it is the most valuable decision I have ever made. I have learned that God visits his children in their afflictions. In my times of need and in my investigators' times of need, He has answered our prayers. I have learned that the Book of Mormon is absolutely God's word. I have had my testimony challenged again and again. I have had it shaken. But I cannot deny the feelings I have had as I have read the Book of Mormon. I know it is true.

I feel like Ammon felt after his mission. I have been so blessed by God.

"Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel." Alma 26:16

I am amazed at the great power and mercy and long-suffering God has towards all of us. Here is something that happened yesterday that puts me in awe. We went to go and visit a woman named Nikki. We met her on our first day in Frankston, almost 3 months ago. We didn't know who to see, so what did we do? We knocked a few doors. We just walked around for a little while then felt strongly that we needed to knock on a particular street. She was the last door on the first street we ever knocked in this area. She told us that it was a really bad time but we could try again later. So we tried again the next week, and it was another bad time. We thought she probably just wasn't interested, so we didn't try her again until 4 days ago. AGAIN, she told us it was a bad time, and we could come back on Tuesday. So we went back, and... MIRACLE TIME!!!!!!!!!!!

She shared with us everything. She is a single Mum with one 4 year old daughter, taking on the world with her. She was always a Christian. She always had faith in God and relied on Him for everything. Then a few years ago something awful happened, and she felt God had abandoned her. She told Him that she wanted nothing to do with Him anymore. And since then, she avoided anything having to do with God. Then after some years, her heart started to change. She actually began to pray again, but as she did, she felt so guilty about what she had said to her Father in Heaven, that she wasn't sure if she should keep praying. Then, we knocked on her door. She said that when we did, her first thought was to slam the door shut, but something constrained her. She told us to come back. Then after 2-3 months, when we spoke to her again yesterday, and she told us all of this. "I wanted to talk to you guys because... well... I don't know why. But I feel like I need to." We testified to her with all of our hearts that God does love her. He never abandoned her. He led us to her street, and He told her to let us come back.

I know God loves every one of His children. I know He is always reaching out to us. I know He was watching over Nikki all of that time, and He is watching over every one of us.

"But behold, my beloved brethren, I came into the Land Down Under with the intent that perhaps I might save some few of the Aussies. Now when my heart was depressed, and I was about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted me, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Aussies, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success. And now behold, I have come, and been forth amongst them; and I have been patient in my sufferings, and I have suffered every privation; yea, I have traveled from house to house, relying upon the mercies of the world—not upon the mercies of the world alone but upon the mercies of God. And I have entered into their houses and taught them, and I have taught them in their streets; yea, and I have taught them upon their hills; and I have also entered into the Outback and taught them; and I have been cast out, and mocked, and spit upon, and smote upon my cheek; and through the power and wisdom of God I have been delivered again. And I have suffered all manner of afflictions, and all this, that perhaps I might be the means of saving some soul; and I supposed that my joy would be full if perhaps I could be the means of saving some. Now behold, I can look forth and see the fruits of my labors; and are they few? I say unto you, Nay, they are many." Alma 26:26-31 ...sort of (Calvin 26:26-31)

And I make an end of my writing upon these emails, which writing has been small, with few photographs; and to the reader I bid farewell, hoping that many of my brethren may read my words. Brethren, adieu.

Final Pictures from the Mission

These are the final pictures that I found on the Mission group from Facebook.  I think they were from his final MLC where he shared his departing testimony.  I believe the small group is the missionaries who will be going home at the time Calvin does.

July 11, 2017 Frankston

Hello everybody.

This week was another blur. I am struggling to even think of what happened this week.

Let's see. We were invited to the MLC so I could give a departing testimony, which was weird. I have seen so many Elders and Sisters give those testimonies, and I never thought about it being me one day. But that happened. There was a massive youth basketball competition on Saturday. It was awesome. Stakes compete against each other and and some of them drove for hours to get to it! I was invited to be on the Missionary team, which was really fun.  The Basketball was awesome! It was meant to be 3 on 3 but it became 5 on 5. I swear every member of the church in Melbourne was there. The missionaries just played against each other as kind of half time entertainment, and then we were the official scorekeepers for the youth games. I was the top scorer 😎 Then on Sunday there was a connected fireside, which had President Vidmar: Our Olympic Gold and Silver Medalist Mission President, Some really cool guy who is a catholic, and played Australian Rules Football,. and Elder Smiler, a fellow missionary (back row, second from the left in the photo) who played for New Zealand's national team. (In the game I threw an off the backboard alley-oop to him and he dunked it at the buzzer. It was pretty sweet.) It was a cool fireside.

Those were the highlights of the week. The rest of the time we spent knock knock knock on everyone's doors. (hey, hey, heyeeyayayee)

That's all folks!

Next week I'll do a great email. Probably. But Hey! Look at me I am sending a photo. I think it's been months since I last did that, so be thankful.

Love you!

Elder Chappell

July 6, 2017 Frankston

Hello world!

This week has been another fast one. I think they are getting progressively faster. Every day when we get to our dinner appointment we are asked how are day has been, and every day we answer that it has been fast.

Not too much news from the area this week. We did begin teaching a part member family. He is a member, and she is not. She is from the Philippines, and they just got married last week! We are excited about them cause there seems to be awesome potential with them.

Other than that, it has just been super fast! You may be wondering why the title of my email is "dear John'd". No it wasn't a girl. It was Gordon Hayward. He left the Utah Jazz!! Noooooooooooooo! He almost waited the full two years for me, but it was just too long for him, and he saw the beautiful Boston Celtics walking by and left me for them. How could he. Oh well. I wish him the best. What ever will make him the happiest...sigh... Dear John'd with 3 weeks left.

Anyway, that's all for now! Next week I will finally be back to a Wednesday email, so Tuesday for you guys!

Till then.

Elder Chappell

Oh one more cool thing. The Stakes in Melbourne have been having youth 3 on 3 basketball competitions and now they are having the big one this Saturday. It has been run kind of by the missionaries and so they have gotten the 6 best basketball players in the mission to form two teams and compete against the youth, so I have been chosen! So this Saturday I'll be ballin all morning! It's gonna be fun. Pretty casual, but fun. Kind of like our church ball back home. But the young men have done really well at inviting their non member friends so that will be a good missionary opportunity!  One of our zone leaders is gonna be playing too. He actually played for the Australian National under 20's team.

June 26, 2017 Frankston

Well, this week has been awesome. 

Roger was baptized this week, Sorry I don't have photo's cause I left my camera in the car during the baptism, but another Elder took photos, so I should be able to send them next week. But anyway, Roger is 71 and in a wheelchair, so that was a big question mark for us, how are we gonna get him baptized? It all worked out smoothly though! He stood up and walked, with a lot of support down into the font. My companion and I, with another member in the ward were in the font with him. The member did the baptism, but we helped him back up and out. It was awesome!

Other than that, it's been a great week. Our bishop has told us about a couple of part member families that we are hoping to start working with soon. So we are excited for the future. 

I love you all!

Elder Chappell

June 20, 2017 Frankston

Hello everybody!

This week has been another fast one! The days are just shooting by like hours. We did a lot of finding, and it has been a struggle lately. We are working with the members heaps, and doing our own finding heaps, but so far neither have yielded many results. We aren't getting discouraged about it though, we know the investigators will come. Sometimes it is after the trial of faith!

We had a really great Zone Conference yesterday. What I got out of it is that in order to grow, we need to step outside of our comfort zone. I remember being told that in the MTC. "There is no growth in a comfort zone, and there is no comfort in a growth zone." That was reiterated to me yesterday. In the mission field, we may have times where we start to feel comfortable because it's not new anymore, but we need to always continue to stretch ourselves, so that we can continue to grow! We are never good enough!

Roger will be getting baptized this Saturday. We are super excited. KEEEEEEEEEEEEN. Roger is awesome. We are so happy.

But... the one new investigator we started teaching this week.... was awesome! So his name is Liam. He is 18, and works at KFC. My companion and I happen to really enjoy KFC, so that may or may not have been the place where we originally met Liam. We probably saw him a good 5 times when he was working at KFC, before he randomly showed up at church on Sunday! The reason is that there is also a member working there who he happens to be dating. When we went there, she would wave and say hi to us, and then he started to ask her questions about who we are and things like that, which got them to a religious discussion which led to him coming to church! He has now been twice, and then we organized an appointment and taught him yesterday. He is cool!


Happy Fathers Day! Thank you Dad for everything you do. I know I am so blessed to have a father like you.

Have a great week everyone!

Elder Chappell

June 15, 2017 Frankston

Well good eventide everyone. This week has been really fast, even though the work is going a bit slow. Go figure. We are really trying to find new people to teach and have found one or two, but not much real progression happening. Mostly we are just teaching old people! Honestly we spent more time with people over 80 this week than with any other age group! It was great.

Roger is still awesome. He is doing great! We are excited for his baptism.

Sorry I have to cut it super short today, but maybe this way everyone who normally skims the email will actually read it! Ha!

Shout out to Big Joe Eddy for finishing his mission. He is a legend and I love him. What a guy.

Love you all!

Elder Calvin Chappell