Oh my column!!!

Well hello there family-a.  

Good week. No time. typical missionary stuff. It's cool to hear about Jeppson's in other parts of Europe though. What luck!

Basically the work continues over here.  We're still in the looking and finding process, just as always.  We do have some good people that look like they will be investigating the church though.  O sea, investigators.  investigatores.  Pick the correct one.  Yup.  One of them had listened in the past, but now he's married to his girlfriend and she's pregnant and he's worried about being a good dad and all that stuff that comes along with starting a family.  Hopefully he'll realize how much the church can help him do it well.  Yeah. So... cool! What else? A lot of our investigators have been busy with new jobs/school starting and whatnot.  It looks like Ernesto might be able to come to church this week. That'll be cool.  Hopefully the Spirit can get in there and wedge open that heart of his.  We'll see.

All is well with the Merriman. We actually have less time than normal to do proselyting work because the church has this 12 week training program that has us stay in an hour extra everyday and go over a lot of the basic missionary mtc stuff again.  It's cool. I loike it a lot.  loike wasn't a typo like all the other ones above it.  

Today for p-day we did an inland adventure instead of the coast and went up to Teide.  It's the mountain I went to April 28th-ish of 2011. Remember that? Well we went up today and actually took the cable car up and everything. It went well. Good day with a fun drive through windy forest roads.  The beach last week, the forest/mountains this week. It's like a mini continent!  Pray for investigators, snow, and the NHL. Ay ay ay I am already out of time...

I love you all like a missionary loves when people listen to him.  Keep up the work back home.

-Elder Jeppson

Makin hair grow on a bullfrog

Reppin' the lone star.  Betcha didn't see that one comin', did ya?

Elder Jeppson & Elder Merriman

The adventure I've come to call the mission continues off the coast of Africa over here.  I'll start with today just to mix things up.  Today we did what could be called the boomerang.  We threw ourselves down the south coast of the island, stopped at the cliffs that were in "Princess Bride" They're called Los gigantes. I'll see if you can translate that one on your own. It's a toughie.  It was really sweet.  Then we experienced this crazy effect called "going home on the north coast".  It was essentially that, we went home on the north coast.  So basically we did a giant loop of the entire island.  It was definitely pretty cool.  We saw the cliffs, went to a cool lookout by a town called Masca.  Beautiful.  Simply beautiful.  Then we stopped in Icod de los vinos and saw this really really old tree that is apparently pretty cool.  Just seemed like a tree to me, call me crazy.  El Drago Milenario. Look it up if you're that interested.  Now we're back up here in La Laguna.  it was quite a fun little adventure.  The north of the island is way more pretty than the south half. that's for sure.  

As far as the work goes we have been getting things rolling here a bit more in La Laguna.  Our best prospect right now is a colombiana.  The Santa Cruz elders had started teaching her right before we got here. But she lives up here in La Laguna so we have since taken over the teaching.  She is really trying to learn English too haha.  But she has had a lot of learning the bible as she has grown up so that's a big help when it comes to explaining things.  She knows her stuff better than most.  

Speaking of people that know their stuff well, we had a cool experience with Ernesto this past week.  He is the one that likes to "talk" about the bible.  He wasn't really liking the idea of having Joseph Smith as a prophet or having the Book of Mormon.  The lessons were way too long and didn't feel the Spirit during them.  but on Monday we had a lesson with him that started out the same, but I did my absolute best to control my tone and almost talk in like a bored voice haha. Something quiet and controlled, sabéis? it totally changed everything.  I felt the spirit bearing testimony of the Savior that day more strong than I can almost remember in any other moment of the mission.  I love talking about the Atonement and testifying of our Savior, but this time was just different. I think he felt it too, cause he accepted the Book of Mormon and said he would come to church in two weeks (of course he can't this week..).  It was really cool though.  Just a nice reminder of what the mission is all about, ya know? It's about sharing the gospel.

That's about I've got for ya this week.  I gave a talk on Sunday. It went well. I honestly think I prefer to give talks on the gospel in Spanish now instead of English. Crazy how that works. I also remembered Chad's birthday on the 6th.  I didn't necessarily throw a party, but I hope he knows I love him from the Canary Islands too.  Welp... Love you all I suppose. Thanks for all your support.  Eat a bowl of Cocoa (or Fruity, if your name is Tim) Pebbles for me. Unless you're on a mission in a remote (to cocoa pebbles) country. In which case, the wait continues....

-Elder Jeppson

A lagoon, sunsets, and a cool ocean breeze...

Kickin' it old school in the Canary Islands.  Awww yeah!

We stayed on our own island this week.  It was cool.  Tenerife.  Lanzarote still holds that special place in my heart, but I'm definitely thinking Tenerife is a lot more beautiful.  We've pretty much got to get around the whole island in the past week.  On Friday I got to do an interview for baptism in Los Cristianos. I was actually in San Isidro.  But we got to drive down the whole coast (did I tell you we have a car in this area too? If not, we have a car in this area too) and see that side.  We also are in charge of Puerto de la Cruz on the west side of the island.  We have been over there about 3 times and it is another beautiful drive with a cliff down to the ocean on one side and a beautiful view of Teide on the other side. Teide is the highest point in all of Spain.  So we see sea level and the highest point in all of Spain at the same time.  It's pretty cool.

I can tell you a little more about La Laguna as well now that this week I actually have a little bit of time.  La Laguna is a city up a ways from the ocean.  I heard it was the first city established on the island, that might be a myth though.  It's above the island's capital, Santa Cruz.  We actually go down there every now and then for district meetings and whatnot.  It's a branch here that has about 50-60 people that attend.  We have our own chapel. The only one in all the islands.  Yup.  Elder Merriman and I get along amazingly well. It's like we're almost the same person sometimes.  I even got him to drop the theta and become a Barça fan.  hahaha I don't know if you would call that training or corruption, but we're doing well.

Since we're opening the area, it's been a LOT of talking to people in the street.  It's weird going from Barrio 2 where we didn't really have that much time to street contact to now having all day long to do it.  It's nice, and sometimes long, but things are starting to pick up now.  We have one investigator that Elder Woodbury had been teaching, and a Columbian that we found on the street.  There our only like legit 2 investigators for now.  We've got some potentials set up for this afternoon and basically we're just doing what we can do find people to teach.  I believe that we're going to start some activities like English Classes and whatnot to see if we can get the members involved too.  I don't think I'm qualified to teach them these days though, half the words that I use these days are spanglish. Buah. Don't make fun of me when you see me next.

I don't know what else to say. Are my emails seeming shorter and shorter these days? Welp, sorry.  I hope they're still interesting.  If you've made it to the point of reading this I guess I haven't lost you completely. So that's cool. Thanks.

Welp, it's quite a blessing to be over here serving the Lord. I don't know how I have gotten so lucky to be here serving him in this place at this time, but the only option I really see is to keep working hard and show that I'm amazingly grateful for all the experiences I have had up ´til now in my mission.  I know this church is true.  The more I learn about it and the more questions and doubts people ask us the more and more I realize that it just all makes sense.  We are children of God.  He loves us.  He has a plan for us.  Obey and serve and receive the blessings.  Learn the lessons that need to be learned.  Life is good.  I love you all.

-Elder Jeppson

The stakes are high, the water's rough...I'M ON A BOAT

Elder Woodbury & Elder Jeppson

Well hello family. 

Well, it's been quite a week.  I got out of Madrid on Thursday.  My companion was not able to come with me because he had not got his residency card yet and we did not want to have to send him back again.  So he waited until able to get his card. I just worked with Elder Woodbury in Santa Cruz de Tenerife for a couple of days.  Our comps weren't supposed to be able to get their cards until Monday.  Buah!  But, they got them on Friday! That's like a miracle on it's own.  So that was cool.  Saturday I got Elder Merriman down here by my side.  We got everything set up in the piso and that was about all we had time for that day.  Sunday we went to church and it was really cool to see how excited the members all are to have missionaries again.  I basically just have a mind full of members names and faces and buah.  Craziness.  But other than that, it's been a pretty slow week.  There are a couple of people that could end up being investigators.  It's a long story.

Elder Jeppson and Elder Merriman

The cool thing from this past week is that we just barely got back from Gran Canaria!  We had a zone leader council on Monday and then had what is now called basically a zone meeting instead of district meeting. Long story short, we went to Gran Canaria to have a 2 hour meeting about the things President Jackson wanted the mission to know.  Since travelling is such a big deal here we decided to do it the night before P-day and stay over for P-day as well.  So we had P-day there today! That's why this email is so late. Sorry! But that's pretty much all I really have time for.  So just know that we went to the Sand Dunes, went go-karting, and played some wicked volleyball.  Not bad for a day's work, eh?  But now we're back. More stories to come next week.

Love you all!

-Elder Jepson, but with two p's

Love is spelt T-I-M-E

I believe "spelled" and "spelt" are both equally acceptalbe in today's modern language of English, whereas acceptalbe is a typo.  Forgive me if I'm young.  

I'm still in Madrid.  But I'm with a straight up gangsta!  It's been a rather eventful week. I'll try and sum it all up in a bit of time that I have here in a beautiful locutorio.  On Wednesday night I went out with élder Ashworth to visit the Ovards.  Hermana Ovard has been a little overworked lately and I thought they might appreciate a normal visit from the younger missionaries.  It was a really spiritual experience and it made me realize that I could have done that a lot more frequently while I was serving in Alcobendas.  Funny how sometimes the people we can help are so close to us and therefore overlooked.  I felt really good about that visit though.

Got fallar-ed on Thursday by Monica, which kind of worried us since she had her fecha baptismal for Sunday.  But we found two really good people during that time. One was from Honduras.  I'm fairly sure she'll get baptized ;) Just like all these great people we find in our spare moments on the mission hahaha.  But seriously, she was sitting on a bench waiting for a job interview so we taught her a little bit and prayed that the interview would go well and she got the job.  So now she'll probably be too busy to meet with the missionaries.  I'm hoping Elder Ashworth keeps me up to date.

The baptism went well on Saturday. Claudia, the 15 year old Romanian got baptized.  She had a LOT of non-member family members that were there to support her.  That was cool to see. It looks like her mom will also be able to make a trip to the baptismal font within a couple of months.  It's cool to see how they can all support each other and help each other progress and improve.  That's the purpose of families I guess.  We support each other and love each other no matter what happens.  Some of us even get lucky enough to have two dope families.  Awww yeah!

Monica also got baptized on Sunday.  It was a real cool experience.  We were a little worried because she had not been able to meet with us a couple of times at the last second this past week, but we met with her on Saturday and everything was still fine she had just had a couple of out of the ordinary situations involving a Romanians. Ay ay ay los rumanos.... President Kent F. Richards of the Seventy was there.  I baptized her.  As she was under I saw her hair floating on top of the stupid water. Nothing I could do. So I had to do it again. After the service Elder Richards told me "Bien hecho élder! But you can only count it once!" hahaha punk.  I really like him.  It was cool to have him be there at a baptismal service.

The last couple of days have just been a little busy with all the transfers and whatnot.  We picked up élder Wilson on Monday and I was with the AP's all day.  We even got to eat with the missionaries that were going home.  Élder Tyndale will be missed.  Crazy that he is going home now.  Life is just on fast-forward mode it feels like.  On Tuesday I got my new companion: Elder Merriman. He's way awesome. He plays hockey. Was raised in Colorado. He's even an Avs fan.  Like, what the heck? Where was this companion my whole mission? Nobody else has even known what a puck is.  He can talk to me about Ray Bourque winning the cup his last season before retiring, ya know? Buah. You probably don't know. And that's the beauty! So he doesn't have his residency card yet, but he can get it real soon. So he has to stick around here in Madrid until then.  Meanwhile, I'm going to fly out tomorrow and work with elder....Woodbury! for a bit.  We always find our way back to each other, don't we?  So that's where the adventures will start off next week. To be continued....

I have a lot of cool pictures from this past week, but the computer I'm on is super lame.  So I guess you'll have to wait until.. A long time to see them.  I'll see what I can do next week. Welp.  Keep it real back home.  I hope you all know I love you. I hope you are all going to church and reading your scriptures. I know it's so cliché for an élder to say that.  But like, I guess we really learn out here how important it is. I love this work. I love being a part of it. I love that it never makes sense, and yet it all makes so much beautiful sense.  Ya know what I mean? If not, discover it.  It'll leave you feeling full.

I love you all. Sois los mejores.  

-Elder Jeppson

Clip my wings, but I'll still fly!

August 15th.  That means August 10th AND August 12th already happened. So HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADS!!!  Hahahaha...

No parties thrown over here though. Sorry! I did remember them though, so you were remembered at least. It's been a pretty average last week.  Some crazy days full of adventures running from place to place and two baptismal interviews for investigators.  And other days of just normal phone calls and business side of the mission. 

I'll start with the big news: I'm being transferred.  I will be serving in La Laguna on Tenerife in the Canary Islands.  It is an area that has been closed my entire mission, but while President Jackson was visiting there he felt the need for it to be opened.  I will be training an elder.  Elder Merriman.  He is from Orem, Utah.  It should be pretty dope.  I don't know a lot more than that.  So I'll be training, opening an area and also a zone leader.  Not a lot of ways to keep me busier than that still.  I'm real excited.  I think it'll be good to feel the ocean breeze on my face again :) Transfers will be next week.  I'm sure that will be quite a fiasco. I'll explain it next Monday though.

This past week Claudia and Monica both passed their interviews.  I wouldn't say they were flawless, but the lack of communication was overcome and everything turned out well in the end hahaha. I'll leave it at that and let you picture lots of worried people and no need to worry.  I'm still convinced lack of communication is the cause of 90 percent of problems.  But Claudia is the 15 year old from Romania and Monica is from Ecuador and around 45 or 50 ish.  Claudia is scheduled for Saturday and Monica will be on Sunday.  It will be a good way to go out of Barrio 2.  It's been a crazy ride both times I have served in this ward.

Something really cool that I came across in this past week was the conference issue from November of 2009.  I flipped through some of the talks and there were certain ones that jumped out and me and all had to do with questions that I had had in my prayers earlier and even led to more questions and desires to learn.  I love seeing how much of a pattern there is and how the Lord can guide us where he wants us when he wants us there.  Even some of the pictures in the issue jumped out at me.  Crazy! 

So other than that we have just been getting transfers ready, picking up colombianos from train stations, teaching lessons and living the missionary life.  I'm very grateful for all the things I'm learning over here.  I'm VERY grateful for the letters and packages I'm still receiving every now and then too. Thanks friends.  Thanks family. If you are still faithful, here's a temporary address until we get a piso in La Laguna:

Elder Jekkson

C/ Prosperidad 32, 2-A

Santa Cruz de Tenerife 38006

España

Tots units fem força

-elder Jeppson

Favada. ´Nuff Said.

Well.  You look quite nice this morning.  Don't haircuts just look amazing? I just got my haircut too!

 

Anyways... Hello! Today is Wednesday.  Last Wednesday, we caught a train to Gijón.  Ever heard of that city? Of course you have! I talked about it a lot cause I love it.  What don't I love? the 5.5 hour train ride that it takes to get there.  But I'll take it.  It went really well. On Thursday we played soccer on a real field.  Turf. I hate the rubber in my shoes after, but once again. I'll take it. Cause playing on turf is sick!  I even bought some sweet football shoes.  They'll be my normal person shoes in November. You'll love them.  During the afternoon we had visits in Gijón. Who did I visit? Duh! The Dominican family and Pedro! Only Zoraida was home for the Dominicans, but I still loved seeing her.  Pedro was doing great it seems. A little bit sad because of his recent breakup, but hey, stuff happens. 

 

The zone conference went well. And that's it.  We've officially made it around to all of them and now we're done.  And it's great.  It was a real good experience to get out and see all the missionaries and I feel like what we taught was good for the mission.  I got to see Carmelo again as well because we asked him to be in charge of the food after the conference. I have definitely been blessed with good people in my life on the mission.  Before it too I suppose. We'll see if I keep getting lucky afterwards.

Real quick.  We have also seen a lot of progress in an investigator named Monica this past week.  you can TOTALLY tell when people actually read and apply themselves. It is SHOCKING how obvious it is. You can totally see it in their forma de ser.

What else has happened in the past week?  Not a lot to be honest. I'm pretty short on time as well.  So I guess instead of making up a bunch of stuff I just will finish the email.  Thanks for all the support and love. I know I say it every week, and if I don't then sorry! I mean to. Sabed que os quiero!

-Elder Jekkson