COUSIN!!! (ELDER TREVOR MONTGOMERY!!) He's here!! He's in DC!!
OODALALLEY!! Hooray!! He is so great. We had a joint zone conference
with Ashburn and Centreville. When I walked into the room, Trevor
called my name and I dropped everything and ran to him. We can hug
family :) President was amused. We sat with each other and did all of
our practice teaching together. He is incredible, so humble and so
eager to serve. I'm grateful for his example of accessing the power of
the Atonement. He has been healed, he is being enabled, and he will be
exalted, for he has put his life into the Savior's hands. I love our
Father. I love His Son, our Redeemer.
"All that I have I desire to give you - not only my wealth, but also
my position and standing among men. That which I HAVE I can easily
give you, but that which i AM you must obtain for yourself" (Elder
Oaks, The Challenge to Become). The gospel of Jesus Christ is not
simply about doing, its about becoming. I'm humbled to watch Sister
Bell emulate my example, to see her copy the things that I do. Its
humbling and makes me think of our Savior. How grateful I am for His
love and His perfect example. I have Him to thank for any good that I
am. Thanks be to God! Because of Him, I will never be the person I
once was. Because of Him, I can become incrementally more like Him the
moment I choose to change and repent. From her responses to rejection,
her attitude on rules, to the way she communes with Heavenly Father, I
have been humbled that He would grant me this privilege and sacred
responsibility of bringing Sister Bell into the mission field. I love
her. And I have been so far from perfect. I've had to humbly admit my
wrongs and together work to change to live according to His will. With
hands outstretched he calls, "Follow thou me." He is "the way, the
truth, and the light." His example is perfect, His love is endless. We
must do as He has done. Follow His example. And then may we lay claim
on all the blessings available for us. May we become even as He.
I'm so very excited to tell you about the Holmes. I absolutely adore
them. Sweet Sister Holmes. She has been inactive since her teenage
years and has stayed far from the church. With her previous husband,
she went from church to church, never satisfied. Only weeks ago, she
started to come back to our church with the invitation from her
mother. Overcoming different trials in her life, she accepted the
invitation. She is overcome with joy and gratitude each time she
describes the way she has felt as she's returned back into the fold.
She and I have grown to be very close as we've sat with one another
and learned together in the three nourishing hours of church each week.
She truly is thirsting and hungering after the nourishment only Jesus
Christ can provide. She is an incredible example of sincere desire and
real intent. She is immersing herself in the scriptures, in the Book
of Mormon. And she's living all that she learns. She's learning the
gospel, she's living it, and she's becoming like Him little by little.
Well she so deeply wants to prepare herself to go to the temple, and
she longs to have her nonmember husband join her there to be
sealed for eternity by our Heavenly Father's power. So we had an
incredible day at the visitors center with the Holmes. They are
incredible! The moment we got in the car, they were asking questions
and we were teaching and testifying of the precious truths that our
Father has revealed to us. It was simply marvelous. Her husband is awesome
and has such a firm faith in Jesus Christ. The Book of Mormon, the
Restored truths, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will
ring clear to his heart if he sincerely and humbly reads and asks our
Father in Heaven. He will answer. He has promised. And God never
breaks His promises.
LOVE SISTER JULIA JEPPSEN
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| Sister Bell! |
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| Cousin :) He's here! I love him so very much. |
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| I adore the Holmes. |
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