1-14-13 IHOP Man = Steven!!!!

DAD MOM RYAN RASH LIZA EMMA and my wonderful friends

Every Saturday morning, we go to iHop with Brother Stark. Every Saturday morning, we are seated by the same man, tall, white and socially awkward in the wonderfullest of ways. Every Saturday morning, he takes us to the same booth, up on the upper level in the back corner. One afternoon, we saw him, walking by McDonalds (yes, McDonalds) on his way home from work. We were so excited and expressed our desire to find and teach him. And oh how incredible is our Father in Heaven! Of course He was listening to us, and of course, He was already in the works. So a few days later, we get a call from darling Sister Heiner who told us about a homeless woman named Hope who used to be a member of our ward. Hope had called Sister Heiner, informing her that she was back in Centreville and that she is now living with her boyfriend, Steven, who is not a member and who is interested in learning. So, we made our way over to his apartment, and IHOP MAN opens the door!! IHOP MAN = STEVEN!! Heavenly Father is so great! I love Him with all my heart.

I am so humbled by this calling, to represent our perfect, kind, and compassionate Lord and Savior. I represent Jesus Christ. The living Son of the living God. He is perfect; He is loving and patient, gentle and warm; He is brilliant, He is radiant; He is the life and light of the world; He is my dearest Friend, my Advocate and Redeemer. He lived His life, ministering to the sick and afflicted, comforting those who are struggling and weak. I am so imperfect, so fallen. How often I betray Him, forsake Him, and forget Him. Oh how forever grateful am I for his great and atoning sacrifice, that I can change by His grace. I love Him. Though I am weak, by His grace - I am strong.

I love these videos!!!

http://www.mormonchannel.org/biblevideos?v=1971667015001

Peter is doing great! I love him so much. And we're now teaching this beautiful and incredible woman, named Dagmar (aka Dagi) Johnson. She is from Germany and her husband just passed away (at 52 years old) 6 months ago. She is great. I am so grateful for the opportunity to love her, to serve her, to learn with her, and to be the hand of my Savior in lifting her. I absolutely adore her. I am so honored to call her my friend.

We were at McDonalds when I discovered that my wallet was LOST! It had been a few days since I had last used it, so we did our best to search for it and to retrace our steps. The license, the gift cards and the debit cards were not of great concern, but my ministral certificate and my airplane ticket to DC were!!  We had no success though and carried on with the work. Oh how I love our Father. He hears me! The next morning, I felt a distinct impression that I needed to cancel my credit and debit cards. I didn't want to, but I decided to do it cheerfully and willingly. So I changed my desires, and I told Sister Evans - "Let's cancel my cards!! :D" haha. So we went to the apartment office to get my account number, and canceled my cards. As soon as I did, in walks one of the three Nephites (one of the apartment janitors). He took one look at me, then his face lit up and he ran away. A minute later, he came in carrying my wallet, beaming ear to ear. I love my Father and I love my Savior! After a trial of my faith, I received my witness. I received my wallet! Sister Evans and I had ruled out the apartment office and had I not followed the prompting to cancel my cards, we would not have been there, right when he was there, to find it!!!  I love my lame trials!! I am so grateful for them! Sister Evans is enduring through so much, her mother terminally ill, her family support lacking. Her trials are incredible and difficult. While I, on the other hand, lost my wallet haha. I am so grateful for my lame trials!!  

Heavenly Father answers prayers: Its been 50-60 degrees all week :)

LOVE SISTER JULIA JEPPSEN

Sis Evans and Sis Jeppsen

the Ashburn Zone

 Zone conference was incredible! Centreville Zone

1-7-13 I Love the Book of Mormon

DAD MOM RYCHIN RACHELLE LIZA EMMDONG and my beloved friends

Rachelle!! You're a nurse/FULL TIME dental hygienist!! How great and kind and generous is our Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son. I thank Him for His love. And Liza, you are so cool. Riding your scooter to school!??!!!? I love you! You're great. ASHBOYS TURNED IN HER PAPERS!???! YAY!! WOOHOO! I'm so excited.

Ok. Here's the plan friends. I'm going to do my hardest to find a happy medium. Sermon + parable. In effort to be more like our dear Savior, I will find a balance!! Though I will fall short many a time. Thank you for your patience. You all are wonderful.

Have you guys watched any of the Bible Life of Jesus Christ videos on mormon.org yet? Elder Gronning is so inspired and put them all on a DVD, in chronological order and so generously made us a copy. We all watched it together for companionship study at our apartment office building movie theater. It was AWESOME!! These videos are so beautiful. I love our dear Savior. Jesus Christ surely is the Son of God. He created the heavens and the earth. He is the author of our salvation. I love Him and am so honored and privileged to be His servant, to represent the Creator, the Savior, the Redeemer of all mankind. "How great is our calling!" (Missionary Handbook). It truly is so humbling to think that He is trusting me with His greatest work, that by allowing me to be His instrument - He is changing and refining me, even as He. Its marvelous, its remarkable, that He has so mercifully left this earth, that we might have the opportunity to live in faith, that we might have the opportunity to take part in His work, bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of others, and in doing so, we are allowing Him to do the very same for ourselves. "I thank him who did everything perfectly for sharing his precious work with those of us who then do it so imperfectly" (Elder Neal A Maxwell)

So President Riggs asked that we make the effort to go on full exchanges (aka splits) each week with the members. Which means, Sister Evans goes with a member and I go with another and we divide and conquer. So, we did just that on Saturday - and it was MIRACULOUS!! As we prayed who should go with which member, I felt strongly that I needed to be with Sister Heiner, and Sister Evans with Sister Garfield. Both of our planned appointments fell through, but Sister Garfield felt inspired to check on a member where they had a powerful experience, allowing the mother to bare her testimony of the Book of Mormon and the Savior to her wavering son. Sister Heiner had been prayerfully considering her neighbors (MaryJane and Ron) for the last few weeks and as we prayed to Father, she felt we should knock on their door. We did.. but no one answered. So we kinda went around the block, but no one was home. Then we saw that someone was outside MaryJane's house, walking the dog. It was their son, Kyle, who is in college. Dear Sister Heiner, the cutest most sweet and tender and loving grandmotherly woman with the softest and gentlest voice, invited him to learn more of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. He said he was atheist and that studying at this science university convinced him that there couldn't be a God. We had an in incredible talk with him, the Spirit was so powerful. We read different scriptures (Alma 22,32) with him and encouraged him to kneel down and pray to Him, to ask Him if He was there. We ended up setting up a time to return, and just as we were returning to the car, Mary Jane and Ron pulled up and were absolutely delightful. She was excited for us to come back and wrote our appointment in her planner! I love our dear Father in Heaven. This is His work and His glory.

I love the Book of Mormon. It surely does testify of our Savior Jesus Christ and through living as it teaches, one can truly become as He, and enjoy all the blessings and everlasting joy our Father in Heaven so dearly wants us to behold.  Said in one of the boldest testimonies of this precious record, Elder Holland said, "I testify that one cannot come to full faith in this latter-day work—and thereby find the fullest measure of peace and comfort in these, our times—until he or she embraces the divinity of the Book of Mormon and the Lord Jesus Christ, of whom it testifies." It means nothing unless it becomes apart of us. Lawrence E Corbridge said "None of this makes much difference unless it gets inside of you. All of this is only marks on pieces of paper bound together in leather; It has no intrinsic value, unless it BECOMES you. The purpose and essential blessing of life is to be changed, to become more like the Lord, to realize the full measure of your divine potential." And there is NO better way than through the Book of Mormon, through the restored gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Part of my resolutions for this year is to know, love, live, and utilize the Book of Mormon in every teaching opportunity I am blessed with. I've already grown so much!

With all my heart, I love each and every one of you. Thank you for your love, support, and example.

LOVE SISTER JULIA JEPPSEN

 New Years Eve - WE WATCHED BRAVE!!! IT was AWESOME!! I made me cry, thinking about my momma! I love you Mom 

Sister Heiner :)

12-31-12 Skype/Facetime/ichat/etc= God given gift to man and missionary

DAD MOM RY RASH LIZA DONG and my dear friends

I LOVE YOU ALL! Christmas was absolutely wonderful. I cannot even begin to describe how overcome with joy and love Sister Evans and I were. Thank you. I will never forget this Christmas. What a marvelous gift of friends and family that Heavenly Father has blessed me with, He has so graciously blessed me with so very much more than I could ever deserve. It was perfect. And I am so grateful for the Christmas miracles He allowed us to be apart of in sharing His love to those in need. I will always cherish 

FAMILY! YOU ARE SOO BEAUTIFUL! Skype/Facetime/ichat/etc = God given gift to man and missionary. I love you with ALL my heart, might, mind, and strength, with ALL the energy of my soul. I wish I could better describe and show just how much I love you. Love is not had unless we truly live the way we feel. Words are not enough, but it is our thoughts, our motives, our actions, and our deeds that demonstrate the pure love of Jesus Christ. 

Ok. I have been called to repentance! I guess I get too devotionalesk-like and tell too few a stories. The great Brother Fajardo referred to my letters as "epistles" because of the length and content haha. 

A story: We had Sister Emord with us to teach our investigator Ben, but he wasn't home. So we brought her with us to go see another investigator Ken - whom we felt prompted to plan for as back up the night before. Ken's been way busy with work during the Christmas season, so we've only seen him for brief visits, delivering cookies and stopping by, never being able to set up an appointment with him. To our surprise, but surely to Heavenly Father's design, Ken's brother answered the door. He told us Ken was on his way home from picking up Chinese for dinner and that he and some more of the extended family were visiting for a few days. So... we asked if we could come in to wait for him! haha. We visited with them and got to know them, a lovely family from Massachusetts, until Ken arrived. It was so perfect. We set up a time with him to come back, and later had an incredible lesson with him. I love our Father in Heaven. Glory and honor is His! 

Lexi and Trevor are off to the MTC! I love them. I'm so excited for them. This work is truly the work of God, Almighty and His Son, our Savior and Redeemer. Oh what miracles are ahead of them. 

LOVE SISTER JULIA JEPPSEN

Christmas!!!! 

Face-timing the Fambly

12-24-12 Christ's Selfless Character, His Love always had Action!

DAD MOM RYAN RACHELLE LIZA EMMDONG, my beloved family and friends.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!! WOOHOOO!! I cannot explain just how wonderful this Christmas has been. I am blessed far greater than I will ever deserve. And I am forever grateful. Oh how incredible are each of the people Sister Evans and I are so privileged to know, to learn from, to serve beside, and to grow with. The Belyeas, the Garfields, the Knuttis, the Headricks, the Emords, the Starks, dear Peter and Von, Erica and Laura, Ben and Terrance. And to have the love and support of each of you. My dear friends. I love you truly. I thank Him for blessing me with your friendship, your love and your example. I deserve hell! But look how great and marvelous are my blessings, my friends, my dear family. I love you. So so very much! 

Through our dear mission president, Heavenly Father opened my eyes more fully to Christ's perfect and selfless character. How saddened and how brokenhearted was Jesus upon hearing that His dear cousin and trusted friend, John the Baptist was beheaded (Matthew 14). John, his loyal and faithful disciple, his family and kin, whom as a baby, lept in Elisabeth's womb when Christ came near to him, even as an unborn babe; John, whom was His chosen messenger to go before Him and prepare the way, whom Jesus said: "Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist." When Jesus heard of his death, he departed by ship to be alone, to mourn the murder of his beloved friend. Can you imagine - if your dearest friend was killed in your behalf, how heavy your heart would be and how you would so desperately need to be alone, to pray and be comforted by Heavenly Father. But, when Jesus saw a multitude of people following Him, he was "moved with compassion toward them" and instead of leaving them that he might be alone, he spend the day, healing their sick, comforting them. The apostles, knowing of the great pain he felt for the loss of his dear cousin, and seeing that the people were becoming hungry, saw that it was a perfect opportunity for them to break away so that Christ could be alone. I could imagine them saying, "Master, it's been a long day. The people are growing hungry, so why don't we send them away that they might return to the village to buy some food, and then you will be able to go to be alone, for you have suffered a great loss today, Lord." But Jesus said, "They need not depart, give ye them to eat." And there he preformed yet another incredible miracle, feeding the multitude of five thousand with only five loaves and two fishes. It wasn't until the multitude was filled did he depart into the mountains to pray by Himself. Our perfect and merciful Savior sought to bless and lift others, even in his time of mourning. How often do we put our own needs and wants first, whether we might be ignoring the needs of others or perhaps too self-absorbed to even notice? The compassion and love that Christ felt never went without action. He acted upon the love that He felt. The pure love of Christ is not charity unless it be put to action. 

Sister Belyea taught an incredible lesson in church about the people foreordained to bring the Savior into the world. Heavenly Father prepared perfectly those who would be receiving His Only Begotten Son, l the Savior and Redeemer of the world. Nothing was done by chance. If you were to pick someone to raise your son, wouldn't you choose someone faithful and righteous, patient and loving, someone who was a good teacher and who lived the gospel. The Father sent His Son to whom He trusted. How incredible and remarkable are each of these people, privileged and chosen to welcome Christ to the earth - Zacharias and Elisabeth, Mary and Joseph, John, the shepherd, the wisemen, Simeon. Each are remarkable and it has been such a wonderful and enlightening experience to study each of these people.

Oh the things we can learn from them!! Here's something that really touched my heart and filled my vision about just one attribute of the woman chosen to be the mother of Jesus Christ. Luke 2:19 reads: "But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart." Unless we ponder and reflect the things we experience, we will not keep them. They will be lost and forgotten. Elder Holland said, "None of us could have imagined such a few short months ago, the miracles we have seen and the divinity we have enjoyed. We have talked with, prayed with, and labored with the very Son of God Himself. We have walked with Him and wept with Him" Unless we look back and see the miracles, unless we ponder in our hearts the divinity we have enjoyed - we will not keep them. They will be lost. And may we not forget those "seemingly small, sometimes overlooked" miracles that we experience day be day. President Monson said that we have "countless experiences... [that] were not necessarily those one would consider extraordinary.. [that even] at the time they transpired... [they] often seemed unremarkable and even ordinary... yet in retrospect (as he pondered and reflected0 they enriched and blessed lives - not the least of which was my own." Does the Lord have to shake me loudly in order for me to see His hand? Must His love and His power be made manifest dramatically in order for me to recognize it? Are my eyes so out of focus and my ears so out of tune that I cannot see not hear His voice? If our eye is out of focus, we will not be able to see the abounding miracles. We may only recognize the big miracles placed directly in front of us; and even then, we may not even see those. But if our eye is single to the glory of God, our view is clear and we will see His hand in EVERY aspect of our lives. Let us remember, reflect, and keep the miracles, the divinity, and the precious gifts He has so graciously given us... Let us repent! I love repentance!!!! I am so excited and grateful that we can change.

My dear Lexi, I love you. Ryan and Heffrie, welcome home. Melniff, Chloe, Alyssa, Ethan, Bret, my dear ward family, ALL of you, my friends, I love you. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!! Christ, our Lord, our Savior and King, He lives!!

LOVE SISTER JULIA JEPPSEN

Elder Gronning (our amazing district leader) hosting a lovely white elephant/secret santa gift exchange for our district meeting

Yay for Christmas!!

The wonderful Laura Chenette - who's heart is so big and mind so inquisitive, and Sister Belyea - scholar of the scriptures and boldness comparable to Elder Holland

Von Christiansen :) I love him

Our very well-gifted Christmas tree. Thank you all SOO very much!! I wish I could give to you as you so generously have given to me. I deserve hell! But our merciful Father has given us each so much. Oh how he blesses us, and how he has so graciously blessed me with friends and family as you. Thank you. I am forever grateful for your friendship.

12-17-12 Christmas Conference! I love Jesus Christ!

DAD MOM RYAN SHELLY LIZA EMMA and my dear lovely friends

Its crazy to think that Heffrie and Ryan are returning home this week.. or they may have already returned!! I have no idea! CRAZY! Tell them I love them. I can only imagine how incredible their reunion will be with each of you, but at the same time - how difficult it must be for them to leave. My heart aches at the thought of returning home. There is nowhere else I would rather be but here.

Has Lexi left?! Oh my dearest Lexi. I love her! I am so excited. And I'm sure Heavenly Father is too. He knows perfectly the miracles He will be able to perform through her, the hearts He will be able to touch because of who she is and all that she willingly gives to Him. I'm.. soo.. HAPPAY! 

This week, our entire mission came together for a Christmas conference. After having a fun talent show, a beautiful devotional and testimony meeting, and a delicious lunch, I had the precious opportunity to follow President and Sister Riggs around, carrying their boxes full of Christmas gifts, as they delivered a present to each missionary. It was remarkable to see my dear president, as a true representative of our Savior, Jesus Christ, as he went one by one to each of us, his children. One by one he embraced them, he let them see and feel the love he has for each of them. I felt as one of the apostles, amazed and in awe of His great and unconditional love for us individually. He let each missionary experience and feel of their importance and great worth, to experience for themselves the love he and our Father in Heaven has for them. I saw as he took each missionary into his arms, knowing each by name. To every one he told them "I love you." Never once was it mundane or insincere, but to each, he sincerely meant it. After having visited with each missionary, he turned to me and held my hand in his and expressed his love and appreciation. He genuinely cares and knows each one of us, and today I surely did see my Savior in his countenance and did feel of His love- for me and for each of the missionaries. It was as though I had experienced a tiny glimpse of Christ's coming to the ancient Americas in 3 Nephi 11. I will always treasure that moment. 

We received an incredible talk by Elder Neal A Maxwell entitled "Jesus of Nazareth, Savior and King" and it has been so very enlightening to slowly study each word and paragraph. I love Jesus Christ. My understanding of Him and all that He has done for us is so small, but I am grateful for what I have felt, what I have learned, and what I know of Him and His perfect character. I look forward to the lifetime we have and the eternities beyond that of which we have to grow in our knowledge and our understanding, and to become even as He through His grace and mercy. 

Sister Evans is absolutely incredible. I am so happy, so very blessed to have her as my companion. To learn with and from her. Transfers are this week which is so strange because we were just barely reunited. Regardless, we are still seeing bounteous miracles and I never cease to be amazed of His great love and power. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

LOVE SISTER JULIA JEPPSEN

Sister Evans and I reunited!

Christmas Conference with the whole mission!!!

President and Sister Riggs

12-11-12 DESIRE to do the Lord's will!!!

DAD MOM RYAN RACHELLE CINDYLOOWHO DONG and my other fellow disciples

Why hello! MELISSA WHAT?!?!?! AHHHH!!! I wanna meet him! Someone, tell him to write me a letter! Marriage trumps mission if God tells you so.  

One of Peter's biggest concerns is prayer. And in studying and reflecting upon prayer, I have come to feel such gratitude for the relationship I have been able to develop with by Beloved Father in Heaven. I love Him. I feel so close to Him and to His Son, my Savior. President Monson said, "Not a day has gone by that I have not communicated with my Father in Heaven through prayer. It is a relationship I cherish - one I would literally be lost without. If you do not now have such a relationship with your Father in Heaven, I urge you to work toward that goal. As you do so, you will be entitled to His inspiration and guidance in your life." I am so grateful that I can continue in learning more about Him, in coming to truly know Him and love Him, and in striving to become more like Him through the incredible and "sacred privilege" of prayer. Oh how great is our Father in Heaven! What an honor it is that we can talk to Him. And what's most humbling of all, He, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, the Almighty God, He who governs the universe and the stars, He, the Omnipotent, Omniscient One, He is listening. And He listens with the all encompassing love of a perfect and loving parent. "Compared to God, man is nothing; yet we are everything to God" (Dieter F. Uchtdorf).

Elder Packer (President Packer's son) and his lovely wife and companion spoke to our mission yesterday! And guess what! He remembers Grandpa Jeppsen :) He laughed and said he loved him and that he was their doctor for years. Oh how I wish I could describe just how powerful the Spirit was as they spoke. One of the many things I learned that I feel so prompted to write has to do with always keeping our hearts and minds open to the Spirit. Though we close our prayers, we should "pray unto the Lord [our] God continually" (Alma 62:21). We must never close our hearts and our minds to the Lord, but we must keep the channels open. We must learn the language of the Spirit and hear, understand, remember, act, and become as the signals come. 

I love Lexi. I am so grateful to be blessed by my Father in Heaven with such wonderful friends and family who are so close to Him and so active in following the direction He gives them through the power of the Holy Ghost. She sent me an incredible talk by Lawrence E Corbridge (entitled "The Fourth Missionary") of which was I am so thankful for. Everyone, READ IT! Its a gazillion glorious pages, of scriptures expounded. He said, "You can't be happy if you don't WANT to do the things that lead to happiness, even if you do those very things." 

Upon pondering about where I would be if I were not here serving a mission, I felt absolutely horrid. There is no other place I would rather be than here, no other work I would rather be doing. I want to do the Lord's will. Tho often I forget and become prideful, selfish, and foolish - I am so grateful for the power of the Atonement. I can change and I can align my will with the Lord's. 

Elder Bednar said, "..Our rather routine emphasis on GOING misses the mark. The issue is not going to church, the issue is worshiping and renewing covenants as we attend church. The issue is not going to or through the temple, rather the issue is having in our hearts the spirit, the covenants, and the ordinances of the Lord's house. The issue is not going on a mission, rather the issue is becoming a missionary and serving throughout our entire life with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength. It is possible for a young man to go on a mission and not become a missionary, and this is not what the Lord requires or what the church needs." 

This applies with everything we do, with everything that the Lords asks of us. Just to go and do is not enough. But we must do so with all of our mind, with all of our might and strength, and with all of our heart. If we do not desire to be doing the Lord's will, though we still do it, it will profit us nothing.

Miracles? Of course! Heavenly Father is a God of miracles! So the evening before in nightly planning, I felt that we should go visit Afifa and Hebba after conference. But Sister Evans reminded me that we hadn't yet planned our study time. But after conference, I felt again that we needed to go check on Afifa and Hebba - so we started for their home. We saw this man out walking his dog and tho it was far from Afifa's place, we parked and hopped out to talk to him. We walked with him and through us, Heavenly Father was able to give dear Roger hope and comfort. And along the way to his home, Roger stopped to talk to his neighbor Erica - who is this adorable Brazilian mother of which we asked if we could come back after walking with Roger and she kindly agreed. Not only will we have the opportunity to teach Roger, but we were welcomed into Erica's home and had an INCREDIBLE and POWERFUL lesson! I love our dear Father in Heaven. This is His work and His glory, and I am so forever grateful to be apart of it. 

LOVE SISTER JULIA JEPPSEN 

12-3-12 Don't we love miracles in our life!

DAD MOM RYAN SHELLY ELIZA DONG and guests/beloved ones

Hello! 

Does anyone in my family even read these emails? 

Hi mom and dad, you seem to be the only ones reading my emails!!   :) lol Just kidding

Miracle with member revelation! Dear Sister Knutti has been such an incredible help these past few transfers. When we first popped the question (Q: What revelation have you received on how we can help you?) many many weeks ago, she felt she needed to make as much time as possible to come teach with us. And surely God could trust her with this revelation, for she really intended to do whatever it was He would say. As she has come out with us countless times, we continued to encourage her to seek revelation. And again, Heavenly Father gave unto her as she asked, for He knew that she would receive. He trusts her. How great! This time she felt we needed to visit her neighbors down the street, the Rodriguez family. Oh how prepared are they! The mother expressed having felt something was missing in her life, that something was incomplete. And the daughters have been flat out frustrated with their church and were seeking to find the right one. Heavenly Father is wonderful. This family is absolutely incredible! I love them.

Though there are many more miracles I could write.. "if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written" (John 21:25)  Don't we love miracles in our life!!!! 

"That'll do donkey. that'll do" - Shrek

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

LOVE SISTER JULIA JEPPSEN