March update

OKAY  So, this week was pretty good!  We got transfer news and I am staying in Dilkon for 7 more weeks! (usually when you're the trainer its for 12 weeks so we knew he'd be staying) 

 I am afraid it will be my last so I want to make the best of this time.   I have set some pretty difficult goals for myself but I am confident that we can reach them. This week was nice it was about 70 every day except yesterday it was super windy and it snowed...?! So that was weird but it was nice to get some precipitation.   I really miss all the Washington rain haha and the dark grey clouds. 

  This week we had a cool experience we went to go try to teach some one we had met at the bball courts and we saw his dad and a friend of his dad working on something outside.   So we tried to help him.   Upon walking up we said  “Hey, how's it going is there anything we can do to help?”  and he said "NO I don't have time for God.... "  We shrugged that comment off and said “okay when would be a good time?”   and he said "probably never." So we left and I have thought a lot about that comment "I don't have time for God..." here is the answer that has been playing in my mind since then.   “You don't have time for God but he took the time to make you and to make a world for you, to provide you with every divine opportunity to excel and to become like him but you don't have the respect to give him  or just a fraction of your time the same time that in all seriousness is his time ?”   .. I get kinda upset when I think about it but yeah. I really hope all of you ARE making time for God how you do that is up to you but the best way I can think of is to ask God what he wants and then to do that.  

Anyway, this week was a lot of fun we met some new people that are very promising future members of the church. my ponderize scripture is mosiah 24:14-15

 14 And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.

 15 And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.

 I love these go didn't take away there burdens but he made them stronger that they did become light "that they could bear up their burdens with ease..." then they where happy and thanked him and continued through until the lord delivered them out of bondage. we all go through things that hold a lesson that we must learn and until we get help from god to make it manageable enough to take a look at the bigger picture we wont learn what we need to so seek help from god he will help you.

 I love you all and hope ya’ll have a great week-Chase

Feb update

Wow that's all awesome about the house! Ian should try some Navajo phrases for his shirts.   I’ll think of some and send them next week.  There are some cool ones I can already think of.  This week was hard but so rewarding. It started off with an exchange. I was in Winslow with the district leader. I learned a ton from him and the other set of elders in Winslow. While tracting in Winslow some senior (old 60s and up) missionary pulled up and started taking pictures of us doing missionary stuff.   That was cool they will be on the church website in about a month they said!   so yeah maybe....next Ensign cover??? Then I got back to Dilkon. Thursday and Friday we only got to teach one person it was rough but we just kept trying and trying. I believe it was a test because on Saturday and Sunday we got a reward.   On Saturday we found a new investigator who we both feel will get baptized.   He is awesome and the spirit was there. Then on Sunday a lady showed up at the church and long story short her fiance said he is ready to get baptized and she wants us to start teaching him and to help him get baptized.  So yeah, that is definitely the work of the Lord and a diligent church members example.  I hope you are all a good example to those around you.

My ponderize scripture is in Mosiah 3:19 its a good one .  It talks about how we all have natural things, desires, problems etc. that we need to overcome to be like God and to be with God.

  Its getting warm here I love it and just got a hair cut today so now I have some funny tan lines on my head hahah

 Well love you all and see ya'll later.

Valentine's Day

Fun Picture from a stranger.  He needs a haircut. 

Monday: 2/8

Wow this week was much better!   Fasting and prayer took a role fore sure.   We were able to stay busy and it was a good busy not just pointless busy. We did a lot of tracting.  Which of course makes fore some pretty funny story's. I wont share them all but, my companion did get bit by a dog haha! He is  okay though it didn't break skin so that's good.   Now he will never turn you back to the rez dogs . We talked with a lot of people and met people of all walks of life. In one neighborhood of about 20-30 houses we met, old, young, widows, disabled, mean, nice, weird, needy , loving, excepting, searching, confused, depressed, and people who don't speak English.   It was very interesting and really made me think I didn't know my neighbors very well.  I suppose all who read this are in the same boat. There are people that not only need the gospel but are ready for it in your own neighborhood as well as people who need lots of other help.  So help them &  care a little more.  There was a lot of success that we had this week.  Including some people who stopped contact with us & now started letting us meet with them again. My knowledge and experience is growing a lot and I am much better than I was 2 weeks ago or even last week. Still no where adequate in my opinion but Ill keep trying. 

I do need a haircut. I will try to get one next time.   

My ponderize scripture is Moroni 9:6 Its a great one that helped me and will continue to help me through my life. I could type it up but I want you all to look it up and highlight it in you own book of Mormon. If you don't have one just use lds.org its easy. Anyway,  I love you all and I'd say it in Navajo but its hard to spell and I'm already bad enough at spelling in English so yeah. 

Well, love you guys lots bye.- Chase

Ps - didn't get a chance to get to the post office today. So I'll be going on Wednesday the 10th. 

Hardest week so far

That's sooooo awesome about dads new job!  I am so happy for you guys!  Those trees blocking the mountains in the picture you sent are what make me the most jealous haha . This week has been really sad, hard, tiring, mind numbing, cold. hot, challenging, and windy. Elder Bjork  (my new companion) is awesome he is so ready. He pushes me to work harder which is great because I asked him to haha! But really he is a good dude and is studying his tail off to become a better missionary and I really respect that because I have to do that to. He is also pretty ripped and a very good dancer apparently so that's neat. 

   Anyway, this week was tough driving a truck after driving an electric car and not driving at all for 5 months. Plus, I had to take over the area and train a new missionary, so yeah it was rough. Wednesday was terrible and Thursday wasn't much better but thing got better the more earnestly I prayed and the harder I worked. We just started knocking on doors that we felt like we should and walked around and talked to people.  We picked up 4 new investigators and one of them is very interested. They even gave us donuts and let us right in. It may have been because it was 29 degrees and we didn't have jackets on hahahah but hey whatever works I guess. We have met lots of new people and have made some solid goals for the upcoming week and weeks to come. I have struggled more this week thanprobably any other in my mission but,  at the same time it has been one of the best in lots of ways. I have grown in so many ways mentally, spiritually and maybe physically. 

This week was weird weather hot Monday and Tuesday then super cold Wednesday and Thursday and cold and windy Friday Saturdays and Sunday. Also,  l talked to an old white guy for two hours in the cold wind but it was well worth it. He helped build the Snowflake temple and he told us a ton of miracles that blew my mind and touched my heart. So that was awesome. Just found out by snooping on my companions computer that Sister Fortin was in his MTC district so that was cool. Anyway, I love you all and hope you have a good week and read the scriptures.

 

Transfers & training

Nice letter from Chase's mission president today. 

January post 2

Wow it sounds like every thing is going good at home.  I will be mailing you guys a package on Thursday.  Hopefully you will get it some time next week.  So, you already found out from President Palmer that I am training.  I am really sad to see Elder Tollefson go but I’ll probably see him sometime.  We both have a lot of mission left still. I don't know who I am training yet but I’ll meet him on Tuesday.  Then I get to drive back from Farmington for my first time driving in 4 plus months.  Its over a four hour drive. Im so nervous about it all but it will be good.   A lot of growth is going to happen for me and this place and I am excited for that. 

 

Well time is very limited my so I've got to go but love you all and want to say thanks to who ever reads these emails.

 

 

January update

We got a sweet voice mail from the stake President in Chase's area. I texted him to say thank you 

So these are the questions I asked Chase in his last letter. 

Mission stuff?  What are your days like?
Favorite thing of mission so far?
Least favorite thing?
Favorite new food?
Least fav new food:

His answers.....

Hey guys!

So my favorite new food is probably Navajo burgers. They’re basically a normal hamburger but cooked over an open fire and no buns instead its fry bread. My least favorite new food is pickles in a slushy. Not a fan at all! My least favorite thing is that we can’t haul wood or water around in our truck for people because that would make it a lot easier to help people but I get the rule it protects us and the truck.  Still a little inconvenient. Our daily schedules are wake up at 6:00 I lay there for about 5-10 min then go work out until 7:00 then get ready for the day eat, shower, etc. Then study to 8:00 to 10:00 then go out and try to find people that are home and like us that will listen to our message and do service for them. Then we come home at 9:30pm and plan for the next day then pass out. We also have an hour for lunch and an hour for dinner somewhere in the mix usually we have them. hope that answers the Questions.

  Dilkon is doing good.  Transfers are this weekend so I’m really nervous.   I have a feeling I might train but super nervous but willing to do whatever Mission president asks me to do. Just as long as I don't leave Dilkon haha. We were supposed to have a baptism on Saturday the 23 but he never came to church and wont respond to our calls or texts. So we are kinda super sad for him and hope he reaches out to us when he is ready. We might get to help some one put up solar panels on their Hogan.  Which is super exiting. Its warming up here already it is in the mid 50s and then down to the low 30s.  We actually walked like 3 miles the other day it was nice I only threw a few rocks at dogs. A cute little puppy tried to follow us home it was sad. We went on some epic hikes on Monday. I saw a coyote. It was pretty fun. Ill send pictures next week I forgot my camera at home so I can’t download the pictures.  

Well,  I love you all  talk to ya later.- Chase

 Fun Picts of some people with Chase and his comp.