SPRING!!!...oh, wait.

First off let me just say, I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO EXCITED FOR SPRING IN MY LIFE!! The winter up here has been brutal. Today Massena broke record after record on this "beautiful Spring morning" when it hit a Classic -12 Degrees. We are so ready for this snow to be gone let me tell ya! haha 

But other than that, this last week was a good week! We finally moved into our new apartment. It's super nice not having 4 missionaries in a 1 bedroom apartment, it got pretty crazy haha. 
The work up here is going really well too! We have been teaching this family we met at the Methodist dinner we volunteer at. They are sweet! They have been through so much, and they are beginning to realize how much this gospel will bless their lives. Just last night, the whole family committed to baptism!! We are sooo stoked for them! Elder Neus and I try as  hard as we can to relate to these people to better understand them and discern their needs. We are seeing results! The area is really changing, things are happening up here in the "Narth" (so the natives call it).

This past week has just been a classic one! The harder we work, the more blessings that come from it! Just a regular week up here in Good ole Massena! Nothing to crazy. Besides the terrible weather. It snowed 5 inches on the first day of spring. If that's not Irony i don't know what is! haha

We also have Transfer calls coming up here on Saturday. Elder Neus and I are pretty confident we are not going anywhere, SO keep your fingers crossed! haha We love it up here.

I hope you all have a Ultra mega super Awesome week! 

And soak up all the sun you can for me! :)

Much love,

Elder Jepsen

P.s I finally bought my new camera so i will post more pictures i promise!

TRANSFERS.......

This past week has just been a blur! So much has happened. 

We had a really crazy week full of random service opportunities, and A LOT of traveling. We tried many potentials this week but to no avail... But there's always next week. A lot of our appointments fell through...but not many of our Dinner appointments which is good! haha 

We also had the opportunity to travel down to Potsdam many times this week. Potsdam is where the zone leaders live, it is a fairly big town. Mostly because Clarkson University and State university of New York is there. We play basketball there, We also had our Zone meeting there on Friday. It was a great meeting! But since transfer calls were the next day President wirthlin kind of spilled the beans and told most of the missionaries where they were going. Turns out Elder Mecham is going to Elmira to be a zone leader (Never would have guessed that one) and Elder Nouse is coming up here to Massena with me. I am actually really excited to take over the area up here. Things seem like they have been in a stand still since Elder Mecham has been here. But president is taking a so called "leap of faith" with elder nouse and I since we are such new missionaries. He feels we can jump start this area AND I AM SO DOWN! haha I'm ready!

But anyway, after our meeting we had our Valentines day party. Which we ended up having to cancel because of the terrible weather... It was tough  because all of us had put so much into this party and tried to reach out to so many many people, AND EVERYONE WAS SO EXCITED... but everything happens for a reason. Oh well!

Then on Saturday, The downtown Massena elders had a Baptism in Potsdam for one of their investigators. It went really well. It was such a good baptism. (they showed the Brandon Flowers I'm a Mormon video i was super happy) Then after the baptism  we went to her fathers Funeral. He had died earlier that week and it put us all in a weird mood BUT SHE STILL WENT THROUGH WITH THE BAPTISM! i was so proud of her. It must have been so hard. That was a very interesting day. Really made me think... You cant help but to think  about the plan of salvation when art a funeral. The Deacon from the Catholic church really bothered me... He didnt really make it special he just did the prayers and whatnot... AND HE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW HIM! ah! we all just wanted to get up and teach the plan of salvation haha

 I digress...

But that Sunday we had a great turnout! Mostly because we had a potluck afterwards...but they were there! haha But most of our Sunday and Monday consisted of Elder Mecham saying goodbye to people and packing. Wednesday is our Transfers, its going to be weird not being with Elder Mecham now but that's just the mission life i guess. I've learned a lot from him. Honestly, mostly how to not do things but i learned from it, But i learned from it that all that matters.

I have a really good feeling about this next transfer and i am super excited! 

I hope you all have a great week!

Love always

Elder Jepsen

p.s I've received word that i never post pictures anymore sooooo GET READY! haha

The First picture is me holding a newborn KID named Solo. (like han solo) he was so cute

The second picture is of our district.
 I am banished to the back and Elder Mecham is the one in the middle pulling the face haha

Good ole Massena

Family and friends,
We had an over all good week up here in the Arctic! haha Yes... it's still cold ha. The week started out slow, No one wanted to leave their houses, let alone answer their doors. Everyone up here is "nesting" as they say, till it starts to warm up again! But as the week went on we had some really great lessons with our investigators! as well as some potentials. We have contacted many less active members WHICH IS AWESOME! we are inviting everyone out to our Valentines party this Friday. We are super excited to see who turns up. Or who we have to pick up (no one has a car...)

We also have Transfer call this week! Every area in the mission is pretty much expecting changes! Elder Mecham has been here for 5 transfers so he's getting pretty confident he's leaving. he keeps saying "when i leave...." haha it's going to bite him in the butt i know it! The zone leaders asked me if i was ready to take over Massena... So we'll see what happens.

Things are beginning to pick up here in Massena! I was on exchange with Elder Black (a past zone leader in Syracuse) He taught me a lot about companionships and always striving to work just a little harder. Lately I've been having to push elder Mecham just a little harder. He's in a point in his mission where being lazy is becoming a little more prevalent.... But i'll get him over it! haha

Other than that everything is going great! although It seems everyone is going through their seasonal depression up here in the north country, WHY CAN"T THEY JUST MAN UP? AH! i digress...

I just love it out here! NY stubbornness and all! haha

I hope you all have a great week! and remember the lords hand in your lives.

Love always

-Elder Jepsen

P.s this picture is me standing on the FROZEN St. Lawrence river.... it was pretty much legit.

F E B R U A R Y . . .

Dear Family and friends,

This past week started out great, We had a great many things planned for the week. But oh how the tables turned... haha But more on that later! 

So we began our week on exchange with the Zone Leaders in Potsdam. I went down to Potsdam with Elder Lamb (a great missionary) we contacted a lot of former investigators in the outlining areas. We came across a former in an awesome Colonial house by the river and she let us right in! buuuuut... she did not hesitate in letting us know her beliefs... This... sadly led into a Bible Bash! MY FIRST! She was definitely very knowledgeable. She had scriptures memorized left and right! BUT she based almost her whole beliefs out of Leviticus and Ephesians. So you could say she was pretty stubborn with her beliefs... We were trying not to bash with her at all, I kept my peace and bore my testimony of the Truthfulness of the Book of Mormon as much as i could. And so was elder Lamb, Until she told us our faith was foolish... then  Elder lamb lost it, and the bashing commenced. To make a long story short we ended with a testimony and she said she loved us and wanted us to come back better prepared... SO that was an experience haha

After our awesome exchange in Potsdam I woke up with a weird sore throught... But i payed no attention to it. As the day drug on it slowly became worse... But instead of resting and kicking it in the butt, I stayed out and continued to work. That was a mistake. So you might be able to guess how we spent the remainder of the week... I was told by the mission presidents wife i wasn't to leave our apartment, until i turned around. After a couple days of rest and weird dreams I STILL DIDN'T FEEL ANY BETTER! it was getting worse...
 So this Sunday, (Still very sick)  they banished me to the corner so i wouldn't shake anyone's hand, or pass the sacrament and infect the entire branch with my sickness. 

We later found out that our chorister would never show up, so i was volunteered to lead the music. This tall, lurpy deathly ill missionary, who could barely lift his arm, let alone carry a note lead the music! hahaha it was a ...Interesting experience.. I almost past out a couple times from getting up to fast and i kept forgetting where i was! Elder Mecham had to keep fighting himself to not record me conducting the music! haha 

But i woke up this morning feeling like a hundred bucks! I'm so grateful and excited! ...so that's good 

So this past week as definitely been a learning/ humbling experience for me. I'm so grateful for elder Mecham and his patience with me, as well as his constant loyalty. He is the best.

Thanks to all of you for all of your love and support!

I hope you all STAY HEALTHY and have a great week!

Love always

 -Elder Jepsen

Natives and Snow Storms

This past week in Massena has been a great one!! One i think i will always remember.

I will just go through my whole week for ya.

So to start out the week we went on Exchange with the Malone Elders (which is always awesome). Elder Bloomfield came to Massena here with me, and we went and saw this crazy Native guy who LOVES elder Bloomfeild because he's from Arizona and they have this weird "bond". So we stayed at his home for a while and he thought it was such a good night he lit up his Smudge pot (a little native American pot with a hole in the top that burns cedar cones) and he held our hands and Prayed to the creator. Saying how much he loved us and wanted us to come over in the morning for lunch. Well the next day we received a text from him saying he was in the Hospital... He had apparently left the smudge pot on as well as a pan on the stove over night. And it smoked up his entire apartment and he couldn't breath. So we saw him and ran some errands for him. Ooh man, never a dull moment with that guy that's for sure haha

We exchanged back on Wednesday, At Zone Conference. Which was amazing! the over theme was faith. Both the assistants taught us, as well as the president. One of the assistants Elder Tanner, He is hilarious and a fun guy to be around! it might be because he's from Alaska... but anyways he told us everything That happened to his father this past october. His father was with his son and his brother flying in Alaska. And something happened and the plane went down so at the last minute his father turned his side into the ground and he was killed. But his son and his brother lived. This all happened on Elder Tanners mission. And he never went home. HE knew that this is where he was needed. HE is such a great example to us all. I'm grateful for his example.

The rest of the week we saw many less- actives and taught a couple lessons. Its been going really well. we still volunteer at the Methodist church and wash dishes there! They love us! they always give us a TON of food. They are all so nice. But after that Elder mecham caught a bug and got really sick so we had to wrestle with that for a couple days, on top of his ankle! But he is pulling through. I really look up to him and his example. He hit his year mark on Thursday and Elder Peterson hit his ^ month mark on the same day! So we celebrated by going to McDonalds and Burning a shirt and a tie! (as is the missionary Tradition).

 So this last week has definitely been a better week for all of us! 

OH! besides all the terrible weather! It is So COLD! the day we went to Zone conference it was -30 Degrees!. elder Peterson got Frostbite on his ear it was that cold!... he didn't want to wear a hat... Now he does ( i think he learned his lesson) haha 

It has been snowing on and off all week! dipping below zero everyday! AH! ....its gettin old....

So it's still cold,

The people are still crazy,

I'm still learning, 

And i STILL LOVE IT HERE!

I hope you all have an amazing week! And are always striving to strengthen your faith!

 

Love always, Elder Jepsen

This Week was a Very Adventurous One!

Well, This last week in Massena was a GREAT one! We have been staying pretty busy up here in the North Country. A lot has happened in just one week sooooo here we go!

First off, The week started out BITTER cold. Like below -25!!  so cold! This first part of the week I was on Exchange with Elder Peterson. He is one of the downtown Elders, And we walked all over town visiting members and investigators IN that cold! haha ...that was fun. It was a great learning experience for me. I learned a lot about teaching, and how long it usually takes to walk across town on mounds of ice. I'm beginning to realize how much easier it is to talk to people now and gain relationships with them. I just love the people here in Massena. I just only wish they could see there potential, many of the people here just kind of settle for what they have and become what others say they are. Most of the houses up here are actually Apartments within the house. There is a lot of poverty here. So not a lot of people work up here...they just all smoke... I JUST WANT THEM TO SEE THEIR POTENTIAL! ah anyways...

After our exchange we had our Branch New years eve party! That went very well. We had many members as well as 10 Non members there. We played games and got to know one another better. It was a great success. 

On New years day they split the area of Massena, and we as drive elders, picked up a new area! So we are so excited! it was an answer to our prayers. With that area we have more members to work with as well as Less-actives. We also picked up 2 NEW INVESTIGATORS after working the area!! They are both Veterans and we couldnt be more ecstatic! Oh that same day, we were making our way down to Potsdam for District meeting. And we looked behind us and we were being pulled over by a state trooper! so we pulled over and he gave us a big ole ticket for our registration! haha That was the first time Elder Mecham had ever been pulled over, as well as his first ticket. HE was so mad! haha it was kind of nice not being the one being pulled over for a change... haha..... So that mishap created a lot of havoc for rest of the week. But we got it all straightened out... kinda.. 

But anyway, The remainder of the week was Awesome, we had a lesson with one of our new investigators he was struggling with gaining faith. So I shared Alma ch:32:21 with him. It reads; "And now as I said concerning faith—^afaith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye ^bhope for things which are ^cnot seen, which are true.";  Then I bore probably the strongest testimony I have ever given in my life.  But I have never felt the spirit so strong in my entire life then I had in that smoke filled room. My faith in the gospel grew 10 fold that night. I will never forget that night.
 

Then after that lesson we went home to our apartment. When we walked into the building, we noticed a really nasty smell. And as we got closer to the apartment it got stronger. When we opened the door, a wave of unbelievable stench burst out! OF SEWAGE AND DEATH! it smelt sooooooo bad. So we called the office and the told us to check all the traps in the pipes and dump water down them and to plunge everything ( as seen in the picture below). They later found out that it was the apartment below us that was being renovated, The sewage pipe had backed up and sat there for weeks and the smell just emanated into our apartment. So we put tons of car fresheners all over the apartment and all over our coats! it was so bad.. haha We ended up having to crash at the other elders apartment!  That was a great experience haha

After that fiasco we went to church and had our Fast and testimony meeting which went super well. I think everyone bore there testimony! I had to share my experience i had with faith the other day and shared a personal experience along with it! I LOVE bearing my testimony! it never gets old. I just wish i could have done it more back home. But that will come in time ;)

This week was a very adventurous one! I love every second and every minute of being a missionary. I wouldn't trade it for anything. 

I hope your lives are full of adventures and spiritual experiences this week! 

Oh and resolutions! Mine is to read the Entire Bible! cover to cover! I'm so pumped!

I hope all is well back home!

Love always,

Elder Jepsen

Merry Christmas!! From New York!!

Elder Jepsen's official Christmas card

I can't Believe its already Christmas time! It's so amazing how fast time flies out here! This past week has been a crazy one! Really busy and full of INSANE WEATHER!!

 We started out with our Zone training meeting on Tuesday. That was great. President Wirthlin interviwed us all and addressed what he wanted us to focus on this time of year. This time of year being Christmas that is, We are trying to focus on centering Christ in Christmas and tieing that into the Restoration. We have been trying really hard throughout the zone and we are seeing great results! Anyways after the meeting we went on an exchange with the Malone Elders.And I got to go to Malone with Elder Bloomfield. And it was amazing! i was only there for 2 days and i grew to love the people of Malone so much! we were super busy and i met a lot of great people! I learned a lot from Elder Bloomfield. It was so much fun!

 After that exchange I was home for about an hour, when the zone leaders called us and told us they were on their way to do a suprise exchange. (since my companion is a district leader, i guess they can do that haha) So i had about 5 minutes to plan the next 2 days so that was a great learning experience! Elder Gielman is the ZL i was on exchange with and he is awesome. He taught me so much about planning and tracting. We tracted an entire day and an entire neighbor hood, which was extremely humbling because, of all the houses we went to we had the door shut in our faces but one. The very last one. A super nice older guy, who only let us in because he recognized me from the volunteer work i had been doing for the Methodist dinner so that was amazing! After all that, We drove down to Potsdam to exchange back, but the weather was so bad we had to spend the night with the Zone leaders.

The Next couple days, the weather worsened. We had to cancel appointment after appointment because we couldn't get anywhere! at First we heard that it was a little snow storm, then the freezing rain came and froze everything! It took me a while to comprehend freezing rain... haha it was so foreign to me. But anyway, we made it to all our Service work appointments and delivered toys and food to many families, which was the neatest experience. We had a Less active give us a bunch of toys and clothes to give away. so we wrapped them up and gave them to a progressing family we have been teaching. They were so grateful. We just love that Family!

Eventually all the freezing rain got out of hand and froze everything so St. Lawrence county was put under a state of emergency And no cars were allowed on the roads at anytime.  All the businesses were closed for 2 days! Even Church was canceled. So We were out walking around to visit members homes on Sunday, And when we finally made the 4.5 mile walk to their homes they told us, it was even Illegal to walk on the roads in a state of emergency! WE COULD'NT EVEN WALK! so they pretty much kept us hostage in their houses until all the cops were gone. So after that we had to sneak all the way back home, dodging the police and wait out the Storm. This has been by far, One of the Most interesting weeks i have had yet!

I'm so grateful to be up here in Massena at this time of year. Christmas time brings the Best out of everyone! All we need to do is focus on the true meaning of Christmas! Yes, being selfless and giving and receiving presents is what we look forward to, But what we really need to remember, is Christmas is a time of remembrance! not just in The Nativity or Christ's birth but also his Ministry and his example! Through Him we can achieve ETERNAL HAPPINESS! You think you're happy at Christmas? Imagine being that happy all the time. Through Christ we can! I just hope we all remember that!

I truly Hope All of you have a wonderful and meaningful Christmas this year!

I love all of you.

P.S. This is a picture elder Mecham took of me after had walked 5 miles in freezing rain. Everything on me was frozen! we had to wait until my coat was unthawed to take it off! Haha MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Elder Jepsen

" So i wear that beard everyday in personal study! i love it! you cant even comprehend! (ill send a pic)"You think he's excited? Best. Sister. Ever. 

Great (cold) Dayzz in Massena

 This week was a Great week in Massena! This week went by so fast! 
A pretty big blizzard came up this way and Dusted the area with over a foot and a half of snow. A lot like Utah snow, Very powdery. But its so cold here when the snow comes down it just stays as ice! It's usually in the single digits OR LOWER. Very cold. But Things are starting to look up for the Massena Branch up here!

We have been going around doing all the service we can up here, and i think people are slowly beginning to notice. People are beginning to ask us questions and how long we are here, its great! We are constantly shoveling walks, baking stuff and helping at soup kitchens. The Methodist church up here puts on this huge, food drive for the needy up here so we help alot with that. The Methodists also like us alot because we aren't afraid to work, or sing for them. Elder Tollefson and I are in their choir and we had our first ...concert... recital...thing? At a Nursing home on Saturday so that was great!

Elder Mecham and I have been Meeting with an awesome investigator Family that live way out in the country, They are a Farm family and we love them. They are catching onto the gospel slowly but surely. We have been teaching them alot  about Heavenly father and the plan of salvation and its going really well! They love to hunt and be self reliant so they are pretty legit when it comes to life haha. I have been going on Many exchanges lately, with the Zone leaders as well as the downtown elders. While i was tracting with a zone leader in Brasher we were knocking on doors in negative degree weather and we got a couple potentials so we are super excited about that! I was also on another split with the downtown elders, and we were teaching this really interesting guy, (who's super nice and always makes us cookies) He asked me alot of questions and i asked him alot of questions. And he told me he was Pegan. But he believes in Jesus, but he believes he was a warlock.... Then he started to tell me he believes in the wolf spirit and how he has many spell books and he asked if i could use a spell. Haha so that was interesting. I mostly just tied History into the gospel and how the Mormons never burned witches and that kind of Shut him up. You cant disprove History haha but other than that everything's going great up here I love it.

This last sunday, because of the weather we only had about 10 people show up to sacrament meeting. The missionaries and the 5 oldest members in Massena! Even the old and decrepit came! I thought these people would be used to this new york weather now but... Oh well... All we can do is try to influence them, and try to pull them out of the lazy habits.
I'm so grateful for my testimony of this gospel, And for the greater knowledge ive acquired because of it. And i wouldn't give that up for anything in this world. And i never will. I love this gospel and this season. To be reminded of christs  birth and of his example. So that we may apply it to our live and give thanks for what he has given us. I'm so grateful to be up here in Massena and to Serve the lord.

Anyways again I hope all is well back home. And you all are doing well!

Love always

Elder Jepsen

Massena, the Backwoods of New York

Well, The first "official week" in Messena went great! kind of slow but great!

Elder Mecham and I have been trying really hard to catch up with the Less actives in the North country. We do really well with hunting them down and talking to them! the new trick is finding ways to re-teach them the Discussions ha. 

Through this week i have slowly but surely gotten used to the COLD!!! ...granted it warmed up to 50 and melted the snow but im getting there!
Lately the downtown Messena Elders and elder mecham and I have been doing all we can to reach out to the people of Messena, by helping all the churches in the area with service projects and meals as well as helping out with the Boys and Girls club! We were also invited to come sing in the Northern New york Methodist Choir. Elder Tollefson (the oldest missionary) thought it would be a great way to meet more people, so he and I made our way to the giant church they have in Downtown Messena. It was Very interesting! But Naturally they loved our "great Mormon Boy Voices"...(more like amazing Mormon Men Voices) they want us to sing to the Nursing homes with them, and later to their congregation... ha so we'll see how that goes...
We have also had the pleasure of putting on Church socials, to start bringing back Less active Members. We are starting to see great success, so we are super excited. The best of which was last night, we had a get together Before the Christmas devotional (which was amazing by the way, Go watch it!) we made cookies and cider for many people. And what better way to end the night, then By a Christmas devotional given by the church! I also had the pleasure of giving a talk in church this last sunday, It was great, there isn't too many people in the branch, so it wasn't as nerve racking as giving a talk in front of 200 people back at home! haha but it went well i talked about missionary work. As well as member missionary work. I told the the story of how i was bit by a black widow... then somehow tied it into missionary work. I don't know how, but all i know is i made people cry/feel the spirit so that's all that matters!
So as i've been up here in the North Country I've come to a realization that people are very interesting up here... They are very stubborn and they cling to the old ways. There are a lot of ... interesting.. *cough cough crazy* people up this way. (it must be all the snow) We met with a man name John Sterling, He is a peculiar man. We tried to teach him a discussion but he never let us get a word in. He LOVES to talk, especially how he claims he see's Jesus and Satan fighting and going at it in the woods behind his house. And thats how the lightning is created haha He's a character.
I also came to learn that there are alot of dear here, But they are much smaller than our Utah dear. and much more dumb... They always run into the road. So the natives here make a sport out of it and try to kill them with theyre cars. That way they can pick them up and have Venison for dinner. GREAT FUN...? witnessed that the other night.. haha
I love the people up here! they are so grumpy, stubborn, dirty and smelly, It's amazing how funny they are! I love it!
But other than that everything is going very well! just remember to Pray for missionaries, cause they definitely need it. And also, pray for the Messena Branch. We need to become a ward already!!!
I hope everyone is doing great and everything back home is great!
Love you all
Elder Jepsen

" And The view from our front door. over that road is the St. Lawrence River, The Canada."