J and J Chappell Mission Adventures

  We went on a three day adventure to the high Peruvian Andes.  We visited the Parque Nacional Huascaran in the Cordillera Blanca where there are 20 peaks over 20,000 feet in elevation.  It was an 8 hour bus ride from Lima to Huaraz.  We traveled up the coast then back through the mountains. As we moved up the mountains, the barren coastal desert changed to something more like the deserts of the American Southwest. Cactus, brush, some trees; farms and green wherever there was irrigation.  Breaking out on top at 14000 feet, it looked a lot like back home in southcentral Utah.  Rolling hills of dry grass and brush with snow covered peaks in the distance. But here the peaks were near 20,000 feet and the snow is actually glaciers.  We followed a river running parallel to the big mountains down to Huaraz, a city of about 125,000 people situated at about 10,000 feet elevation.  From our Hotel room we could look north toward Huascaran, the highest peak i...

  The call came in late in the evening from the mission president and his wife. The elder had fallen 32 feet down a skylight corridor landing in a 2 feet x 3 feet tiled cement basin. He was awake and breathing and an ambulance was on it's way.  The elder being in a city far from Lima, there wasn't much Julie and I could do other than get on our knees and pray for the well being of this young disciple of Christ.  He was taken to a local hospital where after he full series of xrays and CT scanning, no broken bones or serious injuries were found. He had a scalp laceration that was repaired and he was kept for observation, but miraculously, he had not serious injuries.  D and C 84: 88: I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up. This week I believe the angels of our Savior were there with Elder, to bear him up. Our Savior loves His missionaries.  ...

Elder and Sister Averett, Elder and Sister Welker, Elder and Sister Chappell.  The Main Plaza in downtown Lima with missionary friends.  Through a series of “coincidences” I met Dr. on a plane while escorting a missionary back to the United States.   A young family practice doctor who had served a mission in Spain, I told him of the big need for more Spanish speaking doctors as service missionaries.   We had a wonderful conversation and he expressed an interest in serving. Missionary Medical in Salt Lake contacted him and he soon accepted an invitation to serve as a remote mission health advisor for a Spanish speaking mission. I was excited that he would be serving with us. Almost all of the missions in our area have told us they would like a mission health advisor. Dr. informed me this week he would be serving with President Doxey in Chile, in the South America South Area. While disappointed he would not be serving with us in the South America Northwest, I had the...

  We visited the Barranco area along the southern end of Lima this Saturday with Elder and Sister Welker from Spring City, Utah. It was a beautiful spring day and there were many people out enjoying the lovely warm weather. The flowers are blooming and the sun was shining.   We visited the lovely Plaza of Barranco. Like all cities in Latin America, at the center of the city is a plaza with a Catholic cathedral or church.  These churches as beautiful expressions of architecture and many years of hard work.  Many of these structures are hundreds of years old.  The cathedral here in Barranco did not appear to be in the best of repair.  Another old church nearby was in a state of disrepair. It made me feel sad. The Catholic Church, for better or for worse, has been an integral part of the culture of Latin America for centuries. I hope that part of their culture is not lost.  Here is a classic Latin vista: The lovely plaza, a statue of the Virgin Mary,...

  Heavenly Father is more interested in my  growth  as a disciple of Jesus Christ than He is with my  comfort .... the call of our day—disciples who dig deep to find the strength to keep pulling when called to walk through the wilderness, disciples with convictions that have been revealed to us by God, followers of Jesus who are joyful and wholehearted in our own personal journey of discipleship.  (Sister Craig, October Conference  2022) Nothing quite like General Conference while serving as a full time missionary!  Sister Chappell and I were touched by Sister Craig's comments in Conference; that our Heavenly Father is more interested in our growth as disciples of Christ than in our personal comfort.  Sometimes we feel uncomfortable, but through it all, we see ourselves, and our family, coming closer to Christ.  We feel extremely blessed to be serving the Lord.                   ...

One of the blessings of being in Lima is our proximity to the temple and the opportunity of attending regularly. This week the temple seemed especially beautiful with its white stone construction, perfectly manicured lawns and lovely flowers.  Its beauty was only surpassed by the beauty of the people around it both inside and out. A new groom and bride had just exited the temple surrounded by friends and family, a youth group was taking pictures at the temple doors, small groups were quietly visiting. Smiles, love and happiness were everywhere.  Inside the workers welcomed us warmly and kindly provided any assistance needed.  We enjoyed the sweet peace of our time in the temple and our hearts were filled with love as we left.  Walking away I thought, “temples are truly a kind gift to His children from a loving Heavenly Father”.  The Quito Temple will be dedicated in November. The Lima Los Olivos Temple isn’t far behind.  Temples have been announced for Cusc...