Work.

Hello everyone!! Hope everyone has had a good week. It sure was an interesting week in San Benito! My area is pretty barren and desolate but our pension is right next to some really tall transmission power lines. These power lines can be seen from just about anywhere in our area. One day the wind was particulary rough, about 40 miles an hour. We had worked our way through our area and had ended up quite a ways from our house. After a long day of walking against the wind my body was so tired. As we prepared to leave the family´s house that we had been visiting, I knew we had a long way ahead of us back to our house. As we started out, fighting against the wind, in the distance I could see the power lines and knew that was where I wanted to end up. After I looked at the power lines, I looked down at my feet and watched my legs and my feet fight against the wind, step by step. As I focused on watching and working to move my feet, step by step, I didn´t realize how much closer I had gotten to the power lines and to my house by just taking it step by step and working. 

Eventually, step by step, I got home that night. As I thought about this I thought about how it relates to life. In life, we pick many goals but never reach them. Why? I believe it´s because we stare at the power lines and not our working feet. We should pick our goals, set our focus and then look at your feet and go to work. Step by step, no matter how hard the wind is pushing against you. if you keep going, eventually you´ll reach your goal. If I had just focused on the power lines that night, I would have never have gotten home. I had to work for it! The same applies in our life. Goals are great but they require action. As Henry David Thoreau once said, "In the long run, people hit only what they are aiming at. Therefore... they had better aim at something high." We should set our goals high and then WORK for them. President Thomas S. Monson has a saying "Work Will Win When Wishy-Washy Wishing Won´t". No matter how hard I wished I was just back at my house that night, to get there I had to work. The same goes for our goals. We can wish all we want but only work will get us there.  Alma 29:15 says, "Behold, they have labored exceedingly, and have brought forth much fruit; and how great shall be their reward!" Alma and his brothers didn´t get this succcess by wishing something would happen, they worked for it! I hope that we can all find success in this life by finding what is our transmission line and then look at our feet and work.

 I have come to love the work as a missionary. Now this doesn´t mean there isn´t times when Elder Jeppson isn´t tired of constantly being rejected at every house or discouraged because the work is slow in my area. But the feeling at the end of the day to know that I gave the Lord my all that day is priceless. "Even so Faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone" James 2:17. Going to church, holding a calling, serving a mission, these are all putting works with our faith. I wish I had cool stories to share with you all about some amazing conversion story or teaching someone but the work is extremely slow in my area. This doesn´t stop us from working though! Maybe next week I´ll have a cool story like that. But that will only happen if I work!

 I want to bear my testimony to all of those who read this that I know The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the true chruch on the earth today.  It posseses the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ visited a humble farm boy name Joseph Smith and called him as a Prophet. Just as I know Joseph Smith was a Prophet I know that Thomas S. Monson is a true and living Prophet today. I could not imagine what my life would be like without this Gospel. I am so humbled by all of the great people that I have been blessed with in my life. Thank you to everyone who prays for me and supports me while I try my best to be a humble servant of the Lord. 

I close with one of my favorite scriptures, Alma 29:9, "I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy." 

-Elder Jeppson

Lovely San Benito

His favorite treat "like a moon pie but so much better!"

11/11/13 Letter

Well another week down in Argentina! Sorry I wasn´t able to write last week, never enough time! This week it has turned off cold. We were walking down the road to go visit some families this past week and all the sudden a huge hail storm started. Thank goodness I had on a big coat because it was so cold but the hail pelting me in the face wasn´t too fun.. Luckily it only lasted for about 10 minutes and then just stopped. The weather here is crazy! The wind is constantly 20 miles an hour or more. I guess that´s just how it is down here in the end of the world! 

There are dogs EVERYWHERE here and most are pretty chill but every now and then some are crazy. This week we were walking to an appointment and all the sudden this huge pit bull tore out at full speed at me. My hands were in my pocket and by mere luck I had my hand on my dog dazzer so I pulled it out real quick and pressed the button and it stopped him in his tracks, my heart was racing though haha it´s always an adventure! 

The work has been a bit slow here. Satan works in many small ways to keep people from listening to our message. At times it can be quite frustrating a missionary but one of the greatest gifts Heavenly has given us is the gift of agency and we are able to use it however we like. There´s a talk called the The Fourth Missionary and it talks about how our will is the object in this world that Heavenly Father does not have and whenever we give Him our will, the blessings will be endless. 

I testify that this is the true Gospel of Jesus Christ and at times it is difficult, at times it is not convenient and some Sunday´s sure it would be more fun to just stay home than to go to Church but when we make those sacrifices, we will be rewarded. I am so grateful for the Gospel and all that it has given me in my life. I am so grateful to be able to serve a mission. Let me tell you all, a mission is tough! I knew it would be hard but nothing like this, it is so tough! But I have the greatest help that I could ever have, Heavenly Father. When times are tough, if we turn to Him, it will all be okay! Thank you everyone so much for all of the prayers and support that you all give to me. I am so humbled at the great people that Heavenly Father has placed in my life. Have a good week everyone! 

His pensión.

Waiting for the bus

Delicious pastries