I am SO SUNBURNED

I GOT SO SUNBURNED THIS WEEK!

I used a ton of sunscreen but I'm still the same white boy that will probably never tan.

 

We had an AWESOME week this week. Fernando is one of the sons of Hermano Javier and Hermana Guadalupe, who now have callings in the young men and women, and HE DECIDED TO BE BAPTIZED. What was cool was we decided to pray and fast for him this week because we felt like we should, and surprisingly he came to us and told us he was ready. So sweet he´s awesome.

I have been thinking a lot about the trial of Abraham and his son this past week. How is it that the Lord could ask Abraham of such an arduous demand? Of course, we know it was a trial of Abraham´s faith but I think it was more than that. The perfect understanding our Heavenly Father has of his children, coupled with His perfect foreknowledge I´m confident He knew that of which Abraham would decide, obedience or disobedience. Sometimes the trials we go through, we experience to learn more about ourselves. I always like to share with investigators that Heavenly Father knows them better than they know themselves. Possibly Abraham needed to learn something about Abraham.

 

Growing up my brother, cousin and I always had the example of my cousin, Seany, to look up to. My uncle Sean and Seany set a mission statement, a constitution that outlines rules and a purpose of an action, for the Jeppesen family name. "Do what ya´ can." I have learned and accepted this as my motive in the mission. I didn't think a mission would be hard for the reasons that it is but I´m always reminded of "Do what ya´ can." 

Our experiences develop tolerance and understanding to help us grow. I'm learning what that actually means now.

Having the time of my LIFE!!

Las Cascadas!!!

This week was awesome!! I have a lot of pictures to share! 
This week we had to be back in our houses early for a few days because there is a new cartel in our area, Cartel Jalisco Nuevo Generación. In the are next to ours they threw grenades in a bus and it's getting dangerous. I have not felt unsafe yet, but now there are a ton of police around. My area is really safe because we don't have anything, only farm land. lol
We went to Acayucan to some waterfalls it was really fun I want to go back to swim after my mission. They were so pretty!
We had the baptism of Juanito and Daniel it was so awesome the spirit was strong because they're aunt and uncle are Hermano Javier and Guadalup who we just baptized recently.

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The last two weeks have been by far the most I have worked in the mission. 6:30am to 9:30pm straight. We have so many many people to visit and so many things to do it feels like non-stop.

Thursday I had divisions with Elder Jimenez because we had to do 5 baptismal interviews and had to go around our whole area. Thursday we took 40min to eat lunch and went back at it. I forgot my sunscreen and my sombrero and got sunnnnburntttt but it's alright I have Aloe.

We had zone conference and it was awesome. President Haws is the best. I am gonna miss him so much when we get a new president this year. I know how I'm always talking about how this is literally the land of the Book of Mormon. Based on University, Professional, and church studies they created this map of the Book of Mormon. Its the coolest thing. There's a reason this book has so much power here because its roots are here.

Found some guys from the MTC which was fun. 

A Hermana in our branch brought us tacos de cochinita and it was a miracle, probably one of my favorite foods.

The last photo is my generation in the mission; my dad, brothers, grandpa, and my great grandpa! Elder De Leon is my great grandpa he goes home this transfer and we were in Agua Dulce for a little bit together.

WHAT AN AWESOME WEEK!

WHAT AN AWESOME WEEK!

The work out here is booming and Elder Monteiro and I are working non stop it feels like. We were able to put 7 baptismal dates in this week! 

I got my new hat and a new belt and I look gooood. 

Took this picture with some goats this week (I don't know how to say goats in Spanish so I just use goats.) Elder Monteiro doesn't know either hahahha

Yesterday I was cutting wood with a family who we are teaching, and because it was dark we needed to get back to our house so I was trying to go fast and the hammer slipped and smashed my hand. It was dark and I couldn't see anything so I kept going. I walked in the light and saw my finger was not straight like it was supposed to be hahahha. We called President Haws and he advised it would be best to wait until today to check it out. So I put it back in place. It doesn't hurt anymore after I put it back in place, it just doesn't look normal. I can move it now before I couldn't so I am pretty sure I'm fine.

Put a band-aid on it and now we are ready to go. We can't afford to waste any time this week we have so much to do. 

We have our stake conference in Acayucan this weekend and I'm super excited to hear from President haws.

I've been really focusing on and studying the spirit of prayer. Specifically how we can improve our relationship with Heavenly Father. For me, it is difficult to explain the relationship I have with my Heavenly Father but I broke it down to three fold. As we work to better our relationship and understand the example of Jesus Christ we are able to act as hands or servants (Joshua 24:15) for the Lord. We take an interest in our father's life. As we pray and rely on Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we take courage in our trials, that he will lift us up as we are his friend (John 15). We Trust our Father.  One of the most important is we become sons and daughters (John 1:12)  of God when we work to repent and seek help through the atonement as he understands our trials better than we do. We ask our father for advice.

When my sister, brother and I were little my Dad always emphasized these three principals and as a natural consequence life will be easier and happier. I can say that my Dad is my friend, I am his son, and because I have trusted him, I can do anything he asks, even when I cannot see the final picture. On a much more grand spectrum, this applies to our Father in Heaven as well. 

- Elder Jeppesen