August 19, 2014 Como Debe Ser

Hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey I had to write today due to an occupied ciber yesterday. But anyway...

Last week, I was able to do divisions with the ZLs. I was with Elder Gates from St. George. We're really good friends so it was a dang pleasure working with him. He's a baseball god, as well. We bought a big dinner of sandwiches and empanadas. Dropped some bills, but all in the name of #Divisions2k14. But other than that, we found some people who were soooo down to come to church and they ended up coming on Sunday. It was bitter-sweet because we're having trouble finding prepared people in our area but then we start working in their area and BOOM! make the magic happen. Oh well. My name will be on the teaching record. :)

We had MULTI-ZONE CONFERENCE! It was so boss. I got to see some of my loved ones from Clorinda and Fontana. Elder Vera, my last comp. in Fontana, just baptized four of the kids that we found in the colony. That was suuuper awesome to hear. Apparently they're having a lot of success in the area which I'm stoked about. It's nice to be able to see some of the fruits, you know? Also, at la conferencia multi-zona, they always give awards. I won "El Elder mas fachero" which means stylish, basically. Which is weird because I'm out here just getting pwned left and right by Argentina, but hey. But overall it was just weird, mainly because I made it really awkward. Like tucking the front of my sweater into my suit pants and doing my normal thing.

What else...P. Franco and Hermana Franco gave great trainings. I really do love them so much. Realest President ever. Straight rockin' a Michael Kors suit, man. But yeah, it was a good time. Real good.

Then Sunday rolled around. Everyone got ready, made themselves look nice, popped in their Sunday teeth and off they went. And guess what? WE FINALLY HAD INVESTIGATORS IN THE CHURCH! TWO! Pedro Piedrabuena (Goodrock) and Milagros. And it WAS a milagro! I was so happy. We've been working really hard and trying to improve our obedience...just the basics. Just trying to really focus in on the work and help our brothers and sisters here. Pedro is lookin' at enrollment for Get Dunked So Hard University, so we'll see where that goes. Milagros is 9 and is part of a less-active family. We're helping them come back to the Church and trying to help Milagros get baptized. It'll be waaay sweet. Anyway, we're happy. This is also the last week of the transfer, so we're just going to go wild and do everything we can to get them in the church again.

One other funny thing is that some people wear colored undershirts to church. So you have this nice white shirt giving off a soft neon-orange glow. Or neon-green. It's really funny haha.

But yeah, that's where we're at. Out here, we strugglin', we bumpin', we grindin', 2k14.

Pretty much have to shave every single day and it makes me want to cry. The only good thing is that the mustache game will be SO raw when I get back, holy smokes. #StacheWatch2k15

Anyway, I have to get going here but I just want to tell you all that I love you and pray for you! I know that this Gospel is true and I never thought I'd be in the position that I'm in today. It's really weird being a 20-year-old kid and giving people life-changing advice. But that's the power of the Gospel. This Gospel changes people and I know that through obedience to the Gospel, we will be happier than ever and that we will have eternal families. My testimony is that I know that the Gospel has changed me and will continue to do so. I have seen and experienced the difference between living the Gospel and just completely disregarding it. I know what I need to do to have joy in my life forever and I never want to take a different route. How great is it that if we know the Gospel is true, we never have to look for other ways to find happiness in this life! I love you all and wish you all the best. Those that are going back to school, that's a bummer. Lolz. Just playin'. I love you like a love song. <33333333333

I am Alec Sipple, son of Scott Sipple. Captain of the armies of Formosa, defender of the faith, servant of our Lord.

Godspeed, my bretheren.



Me and Elder Gates going ham sandwich on some food

Me, some Oreos, and the Francos!














My dogs in Formosa. Elders Perez, White, Naumann, Gates, and Sipple














Gettin' serious..except for Elder Gates. Always happy.

August 11, 2014

Well, another week, am I right? Hit the ninth month, so weird. So cute, though.
I can't seem to avoid stepping in poop everywhere I go. Call yaboii "Poop Shoes" because seriously, I ALWAYS have poop on my shoes. Hate it.

Couple stories. We found a guy who maaaaaay have been a prophet in disguise. The following quote from this man will blow your mind. He was this old guy who had glasses that appeared to be made out of bullet-proof glass. SO thick. So we were trying to talk to him and he just kept interrupting us with his mind-blowing wisdom. He dropped the followed knowledge bomb on us: "I know a lot of things about the Bible. Almost everything. Jesus Christ said, 'I mistook myself...I am going to kill everyone who doesn't observe my prayer.'" WHAT?! Did NOT know that that was in the Bible. Haha it was a good time with our prophet friend.

Then there is this lady. This woman is the friend of some of the converts of Elder Delgado. We go by to teach their mom and get her to come to church and what not and every single dang time that we are getting somewhere with her, this woman comes in and just DESTROYS the lesson. Holy smokes. One time, she interrupted a lesson to tell us that she doesn't read the Bible, but she reads a lot of books. Also, one Christmas, she saw an angel fall out of the sky, sit down and take a rest, then fly away. Then she later clarified that it was one of Santa Claus' angels and that she saw him fly away and join the rest of the angels supposedly "pulling Santa's sleigh." After that clarification it made a lot more sense to me...she had been tripping on acid during Christmas. Anyway, it really is like every single time that we have a baller lesson, she comes in and just starts talking and talking and talking. It's incredible. It's like clock-work. This time she interrupted a lesson about the Book of Mormon and its importance to tell us she believes in reincarnation. We were really happy to hear it! Haha gotta love the people, am I right?

We arrived to one lesson and this guy who had been drinking a bit started telling me the history of my country and how we are all evil. He is a little bitter about the Falklands War with the British. He said that everyone in the US is British and that we are all "chorros" or thiefs, basically. He later added "not to offend you," which made it alright haha. But needless to say, I told him I loved his country and we hit 'em with a little Leviticus 19:18.

There is this lady of about 55 years who really likes me. She's married and has a little quiosco where she sells churros and other postres. Anyway, she always thinks that we don't have anything in the US haha. Like with everything she gives me she asks, "But you guys don't have this in your country, right?" She even did it with pancakes and I was like, "If only you even KNEW what we do with pancakes back in the US of A. GBA." She was technically making crepes, but oh well. She gave me a really difficult glass of water the other day. I arrived and asked if she could do me a favor and give me a cup of water because we were out of water in the pension. She told me that I shouldn't ask for a favor when it's just a cup of water. She said it is her duty as my sister in the Gospel of Christ and then went on to give me tons of examples in order to help me understand the difference between a favor and just asking for something because it's someone's duty. A lot of them were related to women and asking my friends to lend me their wife. Then a girl who was very scantily-clad came up to the store and became involved in the examples. SOOOO uncomfortable because I had this 55-year-old-desert-making-married woman and some other girls flirting with me and calling me a desert. Ahhhhh I just wanted a glass of water. Most difficult glass of water in my life. Her husband just eyed me down with his triangular mustache the whole time. It was bad.

We had zone meeting after the ZLs had their meeting with P. Franco. He changed a lot of things that have to do with our numbers and goals of excellence and what not. We are REALLY working with members now. Still can't play soccer, so I might cry. But that's okay. The people that live below us have a sweet guitar so I play it sometimes. I'm happy. But yeah, P. Franco comin' in and doin' work! I'm way stoked about the changes. It's a little harder now (a lot harder) but I think that we are going to see a lot of improvement.

We found this lady who was straight up PREPARED. Which was nice because we see a lot of rejection here. She is our only hope right now haha. She was Catholic, but she told us that worshipping all of the Saints and the Virgin just didn't seem right because they aren't God or Jesus. That was boss. She just understood everything which is really rare here haha. I was soooo stoked. We were throwing inspired questions at her left and right and she was just shooting them with such accuracy. Didn't come to church hahaha buuuuuuuut we found her on Saturday so it's okay. We're going to get her this week.

Gosh, I just can't get over the singing here. In the Priesthood class, we were singing a hymn and we just had a straight up unintentional round going on haha. It was sooooo bad.

But yeeeeeaaaaahhhhhhhhhh, lost of fun this week. Just have to make the best of the hard times and smile. Look for the good in everything, you know? We still really don't have anyone progressing, but were bringing less-active and inactive members to church so that's awesome. I'm just happy to be here and I know that blessings come after trials, so we just have to keep working and putting our faith in the Lord. Anyway, I love you all to dang death and I hope that you all accomplish your dreams this week. "Si no me pica, NO ME GUSTA!" - Member of the ward who served her mission in Tijuana. She was talking about spicy food, but that has become our motto here in Lujan. Love you. Paz, bendiciones, y una buena torta frita.

Love,
Poop Shoes

Sipple, Chuy, Delgado, Ulloa

Getting really Asian with some bamboo

Teaching some sweet, sweet Plan de Salvación

Riding to church in the truck! I've got Patrocinio next to me and the dude is a real life Oompa Loompa. Seriously. He's like a little ball with legs. His wife, too! So awesome.