J and J Chappell Mission Adventures

Saturday evening we had a missionary in Santa Cruz develop a serious health problem. Sunday he was stable enough to travel and late Sunday night I was off to Bolivia again on the 1 am flight I'm getting to know so well. This time the Elder's home was Utah. Going home.  President and Sister Spitale, mission leaders in Santa Cruz were so kind and gracious!  I served in Argentina with President Spitale's older brother, Ruben.  They are wonderful people! In Phoenix we had a 3 hour layover.  By the time we got to Phoenix, Elder was feeling pretty low. Not physical, he had remained stable during the trip, but emotionally. He did not want to be going home, he did not want to be in the US and he did not want to be speaking English. I didn’t know what to do for him. I offered a silent prayer and suggest we go get something to eat. As we were walking away, we met a young sister missionary, Sister from Arizona on her way to the MTC in Provo. She was traveling alone.  She...

Another Saturday P-Day adventure. This time to downtown Lima, near the ocean at Mirflores.  Early settlers to the area found a hill down by the ocean. It was used at times for a lookout but was never built upon.  Turns out it was the remnants of an ancient structure built about the time of Christ.  It is surrounded by city but is itself a preserved site that is now a historical area.  It was built of mud bricks, all man made. They made the bricks without using a form, just created each one by hand. They placed them with a small space in between such that when earthquakes would come, the mud brick walls had flexibility.  We finally saw a real Peruvian guanaco!  Well, it was in a pen, but we were happy to finally meet one of these Andian natives.  Just a few short blocks from our apartment in Lima is another ancient ruin. Like the one down town, it just looks like a dirt hill. But upon excavation it was shown to be the remnant of a ancient structure. Peo...

President and Sister Duce of the Lima East Mission This week I met with the medical director of one of the large clinics here in Lima. The morning of the visit I felt I should take a Book of Mormon with me. The thought giving the doctor a Book of Mormon gave me anxiety, but I wrote my testimony in the book and put it in my briefcase.  The visit went well, but I did not feel that I should give him the book. On the way back, the Uber driver was a kind, pleasant young father from Mexico. He told me of his Peruvian wife (a biology researcher) and their 2 small children. I offered him the Book of Mormon and he took it readily telling me he had friend that was a member of the Church.  It felt like the book was for him.  I don’t know how it will turn out (I did not get his name or phone number – rookie mistake!), but what a joy and blessing it is to be a missionary.                            ...

 Ceviche - a Peruvian Classic. Raw fish in a lemon juice preparation combined with a few other sides. Quiche - and a Inka Cola!  Yummy.  Inca Cola is a unique Peruvian soft drink with its own taste.  This seafood and rice dish was awesome. Eating out is an adventure in so many ways!  The presentation of the food is always so interesting. An evening treat at Roll and Roll, the nearby ice cream and crepes cafe.  Lots of really tasty meat dishes. This mixed meat dish was served on its own small grill.         It's a good thing we walk a lot around here!  I think we've eaten out more in the last 2 months than we have in the last 10 years.  A wonderful entre is usually around $10.  This yummy meal for 2 with drinks? Less than $25.  

  Lima has a population of over 11 million and is home to one third of the population of Peru. It sits along the coastal plane between the Pacific Ocean and the foothills of the Andes. Miraflores with ocean views, tall modern buildings, and green hills and parks is one of the nicest parts of the city.    Walking through this mall not far from where we live in La Molina, it feels more like San Diego than Lima!  The food court was an interesting mix of mostly American fast food mixed with a few local brands.  La Molina is at the base of the Andes foothills on the other side of the city from Miraflors. It is also a very nice part of the city.  On our morning walk in La Molina. We feel safe here. Like all of Latin America, most people live behind high walls with sharp wire or glass on top, barred entries and multiple locks. (We go through 3 locked barriers in order to get into our home). There are parts of the city to avoid, but overall, Lima has the feel of a ...

Such interesting places to visit!   Saturday is our P-day and we have had some great adventures.  Our trip to Caral was awesome!  This is the oldest known city building culture in the Americas dating back about 5000 years. It predates the Egyptian Pyramids and is competition for the oldest culture in the world. The coast of Peru is one of the world's most arid places. The cool ocean creates clouds and fog, but the warm land heats the air and the water never condenses into rain. But along the many rivers that flow out of the Andes are wonderful agricultural areas that date back thousands of years.  Caral is one of those.  Our thanks to Elder Holmes for creating video.  We also visited Aspero, a fishing village near the ocean that was part of the Caral culture.   We also visited Vichama, another Caral city by the ocean.  Vichama had art work suggesting a famine with starvation. It is thought famine may have led to the end of the Caral cult...

Elder needed a medical escort back to his home in the Dominican Republic. Julie served her mission there and joined me on the trip. It was a bit pricey for just an overnight in Punta Cana (the Church pays for me to escort, but we pay for Julie to come) but it was a great trip and money well spent.  The sun rise over the ocean was beautiful. The warm air and warm water was a welcome change from gray Lima.  One night was just not enough. We definitely need to put a week's vacation in the Dominican Republic on our bucket list! Our Elder traveled well. We delivered him safely to his family.   

  While in Paracas the stake president from the local Pisco Stake noticed us and invited us to a cultural event celebrating Peru at the stake center in Pisco later that afternoon (part of the Peru Independence Day celebrations coming up that week).   We were treated to a marvelous program of youth dancing dressed in various traditional cloths. They were beautiful, vibrant and happy.   I was so impressed with these youth and the leaders that could make it all happen. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is wonderful!   The Church in Peru is in great hands now and will be in the future!

  We had another great P-Day activity with our senior missionary friends.  With no foreign or senior missionaries in Peru since the onset of the pandemic in early 2020, almost all of us senior missionaries arrived within just a few weeks of each other. Elder and Sister Howes, from Australia, have been great at putting together P-Day adventures such as this great day trip to the coast about 3 hours south of Lima. The Candelabro.  This large, ancient drawing on the side of a large hill along the shore is almost 200 yards in height and thought to be 2500 years old. No one knows for sure it's significance. Some think it was a figure for ancient fisherman.  This coastal desert is so dry and has so little weather that this work of ancient art formed by trenching in the hillside, is still very well preserved.                              We still haven't seen any llamas or alpacas, but we did se...

  My heart went out to this young man.  He had always wanted to serve a mission and had always been the strong one in a family with challenges.  I’m sure coming home several months early created a complex mix of emotions.  But despite it all, as we traveled he was consistently kind and caring about my comfort and how I was doing.  As the plane descended into his home airport, I offered a silent prayer that the Spirit would be with me and all of us as we met his family at the airport.  As I did so, I felt the impression “I’ve never left, I’ve been with you all along”. I thought of the calm feeling I had had throughout the travel, despite the travel challenges and delays that had kept us in Santa Cruz for an extra day.  It was a reassurance and testimony that we’re not doing this alone.                                     ...

 My first trip to help a missionary come home was to Santa Cruz, Bolivia, just a few days after arriving in Lima. The flight to Santa Cruz always leaves at 1 am in the morning arriving about 430 am in Bolivia. Working all night again. Just like the old days delivering babies! Santa Cruz is a lovely, modern city - the largest city in Bolivia. The Church is strong here. A temple has been announced for Santa Cruz.  Due to a series of  "fortuitous" events I was able to meet and tour the Clinica Fioanini with Dr. Fioanini, the current owner and director, and grandson of the original Dr. Fioanini.  He was very kind and gracious. He is a trauma surgeon and trained in the United States. The Clinica Fioanini frequently cares for our missionaries. It is considered the best hospital in Bolivia. After the visit, Dr. Fioanini gave me his cell phone number and told me to contact him anytime with any questions about the care of our missionaries in Bolivia. It is so clear to see the...

  We flew from Salt Lake to Atlanta.  We took the all night fight from Atlanta to Lima arriving just about daylight.  A crew of happy faces from the Area office greeted us as we exited the airport and soon we were on our way to the Temple where we were to stay in patron housing until our apartment was ready. As we drove across Lima, through some rough appearing neighborhoods, I flashed back to my experiences as a young missionary in Argentina and the difficult circumstances of poverty in which the people and the missionaries lived. As I did I had a sinking feeling of, "What have we gotten ourselves into?"  My brother, Greg, also served in Argentina and when I mentioned to him my misgivings, he reminded me that as we get to know the people and love them, the surrounding will become less distracting. I thought back to those two years as a young missionary. Two wonderful years that I would not have missed for anything! Yes, it is the people, and sharing the Gospel of Je...

 Our flight for Peru was scheduled for July 7, but a week before I told Julie, "It will be a miracle if we're on that plane Thursday!"  We were thrilled to have Andrew, Rebekka and the grandkids move in with us the last of June as their home in Richfield underwent some last minutes repairs.  But our hearts sunk as they all showed up with coughs and colds. We could not travel with any cold-type symptoms, and the chance of us not catching what the whole family had?  About zero! We counted the days down, no cold symptoms. Cameron and Katie and Carlie's dog Lika all came to visit. We're still feeling well.  July 6, we received a surprise visit from Brian and Quincey - they were on their way to Las Vegas to be married. Shocked, but still well.  COVID tests negative. We're leaving the next day and we're still feeling well. Bags are packed. Goodbye's are done. A beautiful sunset farewell.    Rebekka and the kids took us to the airport and saw us off....

Every year around the 4th of July, we join my siblings and their families for a summer camp at Tub Flat on the east side of Thousand Lake Mountain.  I think Heaven must be something like camping on Tub Flat.  Each family gathers with children and grandchildren but we are part of a larger group connected by birth, marriage, love and Christ.  The beautiful mountain, spectacular desert views, cool breezes, happy laughter of children, the smells of Dutch Oven dinners, mountain golf, corn hole, camp fires and gathering together in love.    Andrew and Rebekka and the kids. They moved from California back to Utah just one week before we left on our mission. They were hard to leave.                                                   The cool mountain but warmed by a jacket, camp fire and love .     ...

Elder and Sister Olson,whom we replaced,  and Elder and Sister Kunz, who completed there service the first of July, served their whole 18 months from their homes in Utah and Idaho.  When we entered the MTC on February 7, we planned to be on our way to Peru by the end of the month. Surely by mid-March.  We'll never see May!  June.....   Maybe we'll just serve from home? After nearly 5 months of service, our visas finally arrived!

The uncertainty of awaiting visas was uncomfortable, but we enjoyed our time at home.  The South America Northwest Area medical team getting together at the Holmes' residence in Sandy, Utah. Sister Chappell and I, S. Holmes, E. Holmes, John Olson, Carol Olsen, S. Baxter, S. Kunz, E. Kunz, S. Ricks, and E. Ricks.  (What a treat to work with such wonderful people!)   Spending time with family near our home in Lyman.  Yellowstone with Brian, Quincey, and kids.

  In late March I had an Elder diagnosed with Dengue Fever.  Dengue is a viral infection spread by mosquitos and found throughout our Area.  Most people who get the infection have only mild symptoms.  Some get quite ill, and of those, some progress to Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever that untreated is deadly.  I had first encounter with Dengue in March.  Each week we send a report to Elder William Jackson of the Seventy in which we report on the missionaries we are following and helping the mission leaders manage.  Elder Jackson is over Missionary Health and every week he reads and responds to over 40 reports from area medical advisors from all over the work.  As part of that report, he asks us to share a spiritual experience we've had that week.  The following is my spiritual experience for the week:   This past week we have been very involved with helping Elder R. with his Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever. I had been in daily contact with his mis...

While awaiting our visas, we worked from home. It's amazing what you can do these days with cell phones, WhatsApp and Zoom! We watched winter, turn to spring, turn to summer working from the study, looking out over the valley.  Julie enjoyed riding her bicycle to Loa to get groceries.  We did not have a set schedule. Just had to make sure we had cell service so that we could be there for the mission leaders and missionaries.                    We enjoyed trips to the temple. We joined mother at a wedding at the Draper Temple                                Amazing the places you can get cell service these days!