What a Guy!

Good morning everyone!

I hope all is well in Utah and wherever else you may be around the world! This week was a really good one for Elder Garcia and I! So let's get into it. 

First of all being a Zone Leader is a lot better then I thought it would be! I thought it would be a lot more stressful, but honestly it's not too bad. The difference is that as a district leader you have to run a district meeting everyweek, but as a Zone Leader we only have to run a Zone meeting once a month.  It's actually really cool because now you feel responsible for 20 other missionaries. More responsibility, but more opportunities to help other missionaries. I get to go on exchanges with all the Elders in our zone and help them strive to better in missionary work, but more importantly help them in their own personal conversion. 

So we met a guy this week named C******! He was just chilling outside a project building and we just started talking to him. We found out that he was in jail for 30 years! We asked him how he felt about it, and he said "Well I was only supposed to be there for 20 years but they just kept adding time, I missed my family of course, but I knew that God was going to take care of it so I just waited patiently and put it in his hands." His faith was incredible! It made me reevaluate my faith because sometimes I can complain that 2 years is a long time, but I haven't even been alive for 30 years!!! So it made me think how blessed I am to serve here and that two years is actually a really short time! So I got rebuked and I'm going to count my blessings more then my problems for now on. 

Also we have the coolest investigator ever!! His name is T*** and he is just as pure in heart as our recent convert L*******! He lives in the projects and his wife is very ill and not to mention he has 8 kids!! All he wants is a better life for his family. We have been teaching him for just over a month and he has already finished the Book of Mormon, read the whole gospel principles book, watched over 40 general conference talks, and is almost finished with the pearl of great price, and is on section 50 in the Doctrine and Covenants!! If that doesn't scream PURE I don't know what does. His testimony is so strong!! He already knows Joseph smith is a prophet and that the church is true!! He is going to just love general conference next.   

Also funny story about T*** to show how pure Is! He was taught the word of wisdom a few weeks ago so we were following up and he told us he wasn't having any problems with drinking or smoking, and then he said but I decided to add another thing to the word of wisdom. He said "We shouldn't participate in any sexual relationships until we are married." We said "perfect T*** that's exactly what we are going to talk about today and we taught the law of chastity. What a guy!

Last things! So this was the last week of Parkslope actually being a ward before it all gets dissolved next week! It was the perfect last week because they ended it with a primary program! It was so cute to see all the little kids singing and baring all their sweet simple testimonies. Not gonna lie I really did tear up. :') Then in Sunday school the teacher had a few members bear their testimonies about this ward, and both C******* and L******* bore their testimonies. It was so cool because they said things like they were happy that they finally found the truth and happiness that they are looking for, and how this building will always have a place in their hearts because it's where they got baptized. But they both said that they were sad that the ward is dissolving, but accepted that it was what God wanted. It was so cool to see their faith and trust in God. I got the spiritual prompting again that I am I found the people I'm here for. This was probably the best Sunday on my mission. 

It's been a great week full of new experiences and spiritual experiences. I am very happy with this new change and I'm grateful for the testimony I have gained so far on my mission. I love you all! Have a great week. 

Elder Jeppson

"Gotcha!"

Hello Family and friends, 

Sorry I didn't write last week it has been so so busy!! So I'll just give a few highlights of last week! 

Firstly we were able to see our investigators J*** and J*** Jr! They are the best! Jose is really struggling with work and providing for his family that he his so stressed out! So we showed him the video "good things to come". Basically it's Elder Holland talking about his financial trials and how he was worried about his family and how he was going to provide for them, but he because of patience and faithfulness to God, blessings did come his way. So it was exactly what Jose needed to hear at that time. He was in tears the whole time and he finally stayed true to his word and showed up to church the next day!! Wow it was a miracle. 

As you know we took L******* to the temple on Saturday! She was pulling my leg telling me she lost her temple recommend. She saw on my face that I was really worried so she finally told me she was kidding. But she did baptisms and she loved it! She said the spirit in the temple is very strong! After, she was walking down the slippery stairs from the baptismal font and pretended to slip and said "catch me". So we were freaking out cause she is a pretty large woman! She was then walking away and turned around to us and said "haha gotcha". She's such a jokester! But it was such a cool experience for her! We had 3 new members go to the temple for the first time that day! Also I'm going to send out a funny video that Elder Garcia made of L*******. 

And lastly we had transfer calls today!! So I found out that I'm staying here in Parkslope!! But the catch is that I am now companions with Elder Garcia and I'm going to be a Zone Leader. I was quite shocked when I got this call from president! I asked president if he was sure that he got the right guy and he said yes, and that he had the strongest spiritual prompting about it. He is such an amazing man! He can take away your fears really quick and make you feel so good about yourself. Not going to lie I'm still nervous about it, but I prayed about it and got a confirmation that this is where I need to be right now. So I'm excited for the opportunities I will have to grow spiritually but also to help other missionaries! 

The sad part about all of this though is I have to leave cute Elder Shepherd!! All his weird comments and quirkiness has really grown on me these last 3 months. It has been so cool to see him grow and truly change! I'm glad I had the opportunity to train him! I really love the kid. But change is good! I can't wait to be with Elder Garcia! He actually graduated from Herriman with my sister Lindsey and cousin Kolby! He's a super cool, funny, down to earth kid from Hawaii. I love those Pollys! We are going to have a great time! 

So that's it for the week! Thanks for all the support and prayers! I'm going to need them! Also shout out to the BEST mom ever! It's her birthday today so treat her nice. Love you all

Elder Jeppson

New Experiences and Inspiring Moments

Hello Everyone, Brade here!

Wow this week was crazy! Didn't get to much done with investigators but wow it was busy!

So first of all we were told that the ward I am working in is getting dissolved into 3 other wards. So we called President Reynolds asking him what we should do about all of this and he told us to come this office the next day because he needs our help making new zone boundaries. So Elder Parrish (tall guy), Elder Garica (short brown guy), The Shepherd and I all went. 

During this meeting president Reynolds was the cutest little thing. He was so stressed out because he has so much on his plate. He even said "this is stupid, let's just leave it the same! It's a lot easier that way". It was adorable because he has the cutest little voice and it's hard to picture him mad. He later then backed it up by saying "if missionary work was easy, then everybody could do it". Wise words of PR himself. 

He said that whole mission is going to need to step up because there are gonna be some members and investigators who aren't gonna want to travel an hour to get to their new church building. He has such strong testimony. I love that man! So this week our focus has been on getting in contact with every single member in our ward. Elder Shepherd and I made over 300 phone calls in the last week and did so may home visits. Oh, not to mention, there's 600 people we need to reach out to that are supposedly members. Fun stuff

So here's a fun story for y'all! Elder Shepherd and I were walking back to the train station one day and this Muslim guy starts shouting at us to come talk to him. So we go over there he asks a little bit about our beliefs and then ask if we know about Muslims. We said not much, then he asked if we wanted a Quran! I said yes so he goes and gets one and comes back and then asks us we want to go into the Mosque. So we went in and took off our shoes, we went done stairs and saw all these men washing their feet, hands, faces, etc.. Getting ready to worship. We then watched over 100 men do their prayer ceremony to Allah! It was so cool! They are some humble people. They put their noses all the way to the ground when they pray. It's the real deal! It's sad because in New York they have a really bad rep because of the extreme terrorists. But they are some of the nicest people! I think it's so cool that in New York I can experience all different cultures. Wow I'm so blessed to serve here!

Last story of the week! So J** is leaving for Boot camp tomorrow. I'm pretty sad! I came out on a mission expecting to change people's lives, but no I was wrong, in turn J** changed mine! I was not expecting to come this close to an investigator. His story is so Inspiring! I know he isn't baptized yet but he his truly becoming converted to God. So I'll tell the story again. 

J** grew up in Africa! His father abused is mom and they lived in very poor circumstances. There was one point that him, his mom, and sister all got kidnapped and were put through a lot of trials. They escaped, and then moved to New York. Now J** grew up in the projects. Not the best place to be raised. He got into drugs, into violence, gangs and all that crazy stuff! He got to a point in life were he felt he didn't have a purpose and was going to take his own life. There was one day he was thinking about what he was going to do and he said a voice came to him saying "I'm hear". It was the first time he ever felt like God exists. That motivated him to change. He put himself in a program that showed him how to get over his past and live a successful life. He started to be happy again and then a month later after he got out of his program we ran into him. We started teaching him and his mom. They came to church and started to read the Book of Mormon and are now hooked. He is gonna have to wait to get baptized until he gets back from boot camp but he gets it! And now we are here and he is one of my best friends! I love J** and I'm gonna miss him! It's so cool that he is going to serve our country and bring his light through out the world. So far he is the miracle of my mission.

So that was my week! Full of new experiences and inspiring moments. Thanks for listening. Until next time.

Much love,

Elder Jeppson