9-30-13 Eliza goes to Scott's Baptism in Utah, we celebrate in VA!

DAD MOM RYAN RACHELLE LIZA EMMADONG and my beloved friends

 

Hello. Scott Gilgy is BAPTIZED!!!! Oodallaley! At long last, our dear friend and brother has entered into the covenant of baptism with the Savior. I ran around the house with joy in his behalf. Oh how I love Scott!! What a happy day! And LIZA, you were there!! My beloved Liza. Sister Borland's family made it too. What a dream. Of course, we went to McDonald's to celebrate at the very hour the baptism began. Though he was miles away, Mountain time, it felt as though we were there. It was wonderful. With our Father in Heaven, we rejoiced - for surely His heart was brim with joy for His son. Quite the adventure communicating with both missionaries and bishops in Utah and Washington state to get everything worked out.

 

Dad - I love your new calling! Seeing that this YSA ward you're in is AWESOME and does crazy things all the time, I feel as though I can relate well with your missionaries that serve there. This week, our ward also went on a retreat; they ventured up to Maryland for three days - having sacrament meeting at the campsite. They had so much fun :) As for those of us who stayed in Virginia, we gathered together to have sacrament meeting, though our numbers were few in number. Because Bishop Leonard could count on us missionaries being in attendance, he asked that we join him in speaking. The Spirit was so powerful. And we had with us our dear friend Tracey. Her eyes were wide and bright throughout the entire meeting. She was beaming with joy! Because of the lack in numbers, we only had one combined class after sacrament meeting, Gospel Doctrine, before we adjourned. Normally, we take our friends to the Gospel Essentials class because the content taught is much more basic and fundamental. But surely God was in the details. He carried the words of the teacher to her heart and mind with great light. Indeed, she was taught from on high. We later had a lesson with her and she expressed her amazement. She loved every moment of church. With awe, she told us of the powerful feelings of peace, joy, and enlightenment she experienced. The Spirit had taught her that she needed to be more diligent and determined in finding out the truth, just as the Saints were diligent in building the Salt Lake City Temple. She was beaming! How wondrous and sweet to witness her conversion unto the Lord. I thank Him for the sacred opportunity.

 

General Relief Society meeting was fantastic!! I love the prophet. Oh how we praise and thank our God for a prophet, to guide us in these latter days. And the Relief Society presidency surely are called and set apart by God, for their words were carried forth by His Spirit. We are a covenant people. It was love that motivated Jesus to keep His covenant to atone for the sins of the world. It was love that motivated the Father to keep His covenant to allow His Son to endure such pain. God was motivated by love, the question is - are we? Thank you Mom and Dad for continually keeping your sacred promises with the Lord in the small and simple acts you do. Thank you Emma, Liza, Rachelle, and Ryan. All that you do and all that you are, I thank  our Lord.

 

I'm so happy you got to meet Sister Crockett Mom. I love her with all my heart! And I love YOU with all my heart. I've been soo very blessed. You'll love Sister Borland too. I feel like I'm running around with you all the time Emma dong. It's great! I love you so much. I LOVE MY MISSION! I am amazed at how much God loves me.

LOVE SISTER JEPPSEN

 

Sister Borland and me and Scott's baptism.

Eliza and Scott at his baptism in Utah.

This is the darling Chunyu :)

 Tracey!

9-16-13 YSA's are Going to Love you Dad! Nationals Game/ Scott's baptism in Utah!

DAD MOM RYAN RACHELLE LIZA EMMA

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!! I love you so so dearly.

It sounds as though this has been quite an exciting week for all of us! Talk about miracles. God is so good. I thank Him for opening our eyes that we might more fully see His great omnipotent hand. How wondrous! I'm so excited to meet the Caruso's and the YSAs. So many miracles. Dad, the YSA ward is going to LOVE you. You are sooo great dad. I am so blessed and so privileged to be your daughter. I love you with all my heart!

The Washington Nationals baseball game felt like a dream. It was so much fun! The usher is definitely going to be baptized in no time haha. 500 missionaries just loved her to pieces. Barbara. Such a good woman. She has been so perfectly prepared by the Master!  

I love Scott G. Scott is my dear bug boy friend who I taught while serving in Centreville last summer. Having struggled with setting a firm date for baptism in the past, his heart has been changed, his fears dissolved, and his faith in Jesus Christ firm. My heart rejoices as I behold this mighty change. Scott has left behind a world of sin and is actively causing his baptism to happen. He wants it. He has received a witness from the living God of the truth and divinity of the restoration of Christ's gospel.  But once again, the time of his bug boy business here in the east coast is coming to a close. He is flying out to Utah for 10 days before returning home to Washington State. There he will be baptized this Saturday!!! Woohoo!! He has a whole slew of LDS friends who live there, all of which are happy and excited for this glorious and sacred event. The baptism is going to be in Saratoga Springs, just minutes away from Liza! Liza - YOU MUST GO!!!! I'm soo happy! This is going to be great. I'll send you all the details so you make it there.

Dayana is also getting baptized this weekend! Hooray! It was the greatest moment when she and Chunyu, another darling girl we are teaching (from China), recognized one another at Jeff's baptism. It was so cute. Quite marvelous to have investigators fellowshipping investigators. Turns out that they lived on the same hall at GMU last year. We had a powerful lesson about our Father's beautiful plan for us, His children. He provided the escape from physical and spiritual death; he sent His Son. We need Jesus Christ. We need Him. I love this life! Every moment is a gift from Him. I love Him.

LOVE SISTER JEPPSEN

Sister Borland and Sister Jeppsen at the Nationals Game

Sister Stones

President Riggs of the DC South Mission and President Cooke of the DC North Mission

Chunyu and Mackenzie

Dayana :)

9-23-13 "Launching Leaders" Class And the Ritchies Are So Empowering!!

DAD MOM RYAN RASH LIZA EMMA and my dear friends

 

Great week! Dayana T is baptized and fully converted unto the Lord. I thank our Father in Heaven for the privilege to witness and be part of this unfolding miracle. Nghia, our recent convert, baptized her. And Chunyu, our darling investigator from China, said the closing prayer. It was beautiful. Dayana is remarkable. With Bishop Leonard, the stake Relief Society President, and many others, we marvel at Dayana's incredible faith. She must have developed the gift of leadership in our premortal home, for she already has been the means of doing much good in the community at only 19 years of age. And now that she has made this sacred covenant with God, I can only imagine but a part of the great work the Lord will perform through her hands.

 

Have I ever mentioned Elder and Sister Ritchie before? They are sooo great. (AND they knew Grandpa Jeppsen). They've served as mission president in Africa and multiple missions throughout the world in teaching a 'Launching Leaders' class of which I am at a loss of words to describe how empowering it is.

 

Oh how I thank our Father in Heaven for the commandments! For every commandment, if we live it long enough, we develop an attribute of Christ. We would never become great missionaries if we never did the things great missionaries do. We would never become like Him if we didn't do the things He does. That is the very purpose and design of His holy commandments. He wants us to return home to Him, so through Christ, He has provided the way. I love the commandments and I love  helping our brothers and sisters live them, that they might become incrementally more like Him with every small act of obedience.

 

I love going on exchanges with the sisters. This week, I had the opportunity to serve with Sister Randquist in Mt Vernon for a blessed 24 hours. She was baptized precisely 1 year and 1 month ago. It was so much fun. Through Sister Borland and I, the Lord has ever so persistently been encouraging all our recent converts to serve missions, and being with Sister Randquist made it that much more of a reality. I loved it. I love her.

 

Scott's baptism was moved to this upcoming Friday in Utah. 7 pm :) Liza, you're going yes? Irvin has been assigned to make sure you have some sort of transportation there. It's going to be great!

 

LOVE SISTER JEPPSEN

The Ritchie's

Dayana's baptism!

I love her!

P.S.  This is a cool article that is about Julia's area, before she arrived, and about the Ritchies teaching the "Launching Leaders" that she loves! What a small world... Las Vegas and Virginia!!!!   

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765638411/Miss-Nevada-Teen-2010-now-serving-Mormon-mission-shares-LDS-conversion-story.html?pg=all

 

9-9-13 Yeah YSA Wards! Look for Us Missionaries at the Nationals Baseball Game Friday

DAD MOM RYAN RASHELLE LIZA EMMA and my dear friends

Its almost Dad's birthday!! Hooray! I'm so excited :D AND you are in the YSA Bishopric now!! YES!!! Young Single Adult wards are of lasting worth. I thank and praise our God for such a divine opportunity for our family! I'm so happy.

I love the Braddock ward. My heart is full to the brim with joy to serve and love these people. I will try to draw out for you a few of the priceless moments we experience at church: Jeff dressed in his pressed Sunday best, hair slicked back and glasses on top his nose. Dayana encircled by friends, inviting people to attend her baptism. Marcela and Allison together at church for the very first time, enveloped by their good friend Kim. Scott freshly rolled out of bed and into his jeans, waltzing in to the meeting minutes late. Ryan bringing Anderson and Rafael to church, a newly formed friendship flourishing. Nghia reading from the words of the living Apostles as a spiritual thought at the beginning of class. Isaiah, present and content - grateful to be keeping the Sabbath Day holy. Brian teaching and engaging the class in Gospel Essentials - hair surprisingly contained. Ayumi, ever observant to the needs of those around her. Bishop Leonard lovingly empowering those he ministers to with his infinite words of wisdom. I cherish these moments. I love this ward. I love these people. I love my mission.

I adore Sister Borland. We have shared so many precious and sacred moments together. I cannot even begin to express a portion of how I feel. How divine are these companionships! Sister Rozsa, Meier, Carter,  Evans, Smith, Bell, Crockett, and now Sister Borland. Surely they were prepared and designed by our loving Father and Savior in our premortal home.

Oh ya! Guess what our mission is doing for the end of our 40 day fast  -- We are going to the Washington Nationals Baseball game on Friday!!! Woohoo!! Virginia has an annual "Day of Service" where basically everyone serves everyone. And we are attending the baseball game to kick off the season of service. You guys have to record it and look for us! We'll be the giant group of missionaries. It'll be hard to miss us. Both the DC South and DC North missions will be there.

LOVE SISTER JEPPSEN

Fellow servants

 Jimena!! She is such a miracle.

9-2-13 Melissa Stewart Look Alike! Jeff's Miraculous Baptism Clothes!

DAD MOM RYAN RACHELLE LIZA EMMA and my beloved friends

I am so happy for the Carusos!  I'm excited to meet them and love them one day too!

We are still doing 12 exchanges a transfer, but with the increase of sisters - we're up to 8 companionships that we care for! Its incredible, and so sacred. I truly cherish each exchange. What a privilege it is to serve, love, and learn with these good good sisters. 

Our dear friend and brother Jeff is baptized! It has been such an adventure. 

Let me explain. So because of Jeff's largeness is stature, we were in search for a baptismal suit that would fit him. He told us he was a size 50 and none of the buildings had pants even close to his size - so we called the temple and asked if we could borrow some of their white clothing. We weren't allowed to loan out any of their clothing, but God so graciously inspired a good soul to bring a size 50 pant to the distribution center moments after we called. We miraculously purchased them and brought them to Jeff to try on.. but it turns out he's more accurately a size 60. The next morning I was with Sister Roper on an exchange and the Lord expanded my understanding of the Creation. We are heirs of a Creator and we are learning to be like Him. Our Heavenly Father so mercifully provided us with a pair of size 50 pants, and He did so in the most creative of ways. And then He gave us the opportunity to develop in our creativity - just as He did the Brother of Jared in the Book of Mormon. We found a white dress, a needle and some thread and began sewing away! Oh, to develop in creativity! I was doing so well until I found that I had sewed my skirt to the fabric haha. We finished our makeshift pant extension, complete with safety pins, and brought it to Jeff to try on... again to no avail. Time was running short and after collaborating with both President Riggs and Bishop Leonard, we discovered it is a requirement that Jeff wear white. So, white he would wear. I love Jeff so very much. He is important to our Father in Heaven and Savior Jesus Christ, he is of infinite value and worth. We would find some white clothes for him.  Sister Borland and I were privileged to feel and experience such a love for him as we worked to provide the white clothing required for his baptism. The Lord, in His mercy, inspired us to turn to the Cromptons who were guided to find a 3XL jumpsuit. We brought it to Jeff and to our rejoicing, it fit!! Though it wouldn't zip over his chest, it was sufficient and he slipped a white shirt to top it off. It was perfect. I thank our kind Father in Heaven for letting me stand in the place of our Savior for His beloved son Jeff.  Jeff was so pleased!  Jesus is fighting for us. He continually is working to provide us with opportunities to accept Him and to become more like Him. 

I love you each so dearly. I rejoice in His mercy for sending me to you. 

LOVE SISTER JEPPSEN

 

 Sister Henry is related to Melissa Stewart and Sister Schramm is Melissa's exact look-alike! I LOVED it! 

 Such a miraculous lesson. It was Anderson's first lesson as a ward missionary and it is was very

 Jeff's Baptism!!

 Dayana is such a miracle :)