The Week of Weeks.

Library computer Nazis on the Prowl!

I may not have a computer for very much longer so i will try to make this brief.

We had a pretty good week this week, The highlight was Elder Dutson (in troy) and I were able to go on exchange. But we were bombarded with a sudden surprise when we heard A missionary had to go home because his Father was very sick... So Elder NEUS was sent to work in Troy until Saturday. We had A lot of fun in troy Reminiscing on the good days and talking to Ministers of church's and crazy people on the street. It was a good time. haha The work is going pretty well, still had many of our appointments cancel on us and one of our solid investigators dropped us but the work is what you make of it. And There were miracles. 

The ward spoiled us with dinner appointments this last week and one of them the Alexanders went down in history. Brother Alexander is a Dentist in Albany and was planning on picking us up and taking us to his place for dinner. But, by the time he got to troy.. A kidney stone hit. So we hop in the car and he is groaning and clenching in pain while driving 30 minutes to his place, trying to pass this stone. So in the midst of this pain he wails "ALWAYS DRINK WATER! if you don't you will get these. Promise me!"  We quickly responded we PROMISE! haha. Then inthe middle of the awkward drive i jokingly ask if he would like a traveling blessing and he says... Please.. THe i was like "oh okay"... so we proceed to annoint then I give him a blessing while he drove home.. It was.... Interesting.. But after the fact I think we were all pondering to ourselves, how great it is to have the authority to act in gods name with us at all times. So we finally get there and he lays himself on the garage floor and told us not to move him. So we ate! haha It was very good. We all go back safely and He ended up passing the stone!

I am so grateful for this restored gospel, and The miracles of the priesthood!

Our investigator Queen Esther from Ghuna finally came to church with her daughter!!!! Ah we were so excited. The ward did sucha great job of fellowshipping her! Her daughter loves and wants to go to all the mutual activities now! I love it!

Other than that it rained A LOT! This week and yes... We did get drenched. ANd another freakin car splashed me and ruined all my stuff! haha missionary work.

I hope you all have a great week! It will be what you make it to be:)

We have transfer callzzzz this week! We are super anxious! I will keep ya updated!

Love ya mmmmmmmBYE NOW!

ELder Jepsen

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P.s This is a picture of the Alexanders Pond! its amazing! we caught 3 fish!! :o

Planning...what's planning?

Happy belated Memorial day United States citizens! :)

Good news! its no longer freezing Btw!.... It's now terribly hot and Humid.. hahaha The irony..

Sorry my email is so late.. all the libraries were closed and i have been waiting for this creeper guy to stop watching "how to" videos on holes in socks...  So i can EMAIL!!! haha

Anyways... We had a crazy crazy week this past week. 

First, Everything we had planned had either fallen through or had to change due to spontaneous service opportunities. We helped a super nice lady with her yard work, Then help a couple move in, Elder Hutchenson said "wow i have never done so much service on my mission. i feel like a crippled old man" hahaha He is Hilarious! I work that guy so hard... I feel bad sometimes. But he is always willing to work its so great! The next step is just getting him to speak up more often! he is very quiet and shy, So we all try to get him out of his shell.

But whenever he goes to the "courts" in Troy he just opens up! he talks to everyone. I guess he is just a thug, who knows. Everyone who plays basketball there is Amazing! We usually play one game with them when we walk by. They call us CHURCH SHOES! haha 

We also had our service hour at the nursing home, We usually ride the bus because its too long of a walk, BUT we missed the bus due to watching a family of Asians fighting outside of a restaurant. So we walked.... and walked.... and WALKED! Then finally realized we weren't even walking in the right direction!! we walked 3 miles in the WRONG DIRECTION! haha so we had to walk another 3 miles to a bus stop to go home and it went the wrong way... hahahaha We quickly learned more about the bus system that day. 

I am slowly but surly learning more names of the AWESOME members in our ward. They are so great they feed us and tell us such great stories! haha I find the best question to ask is What is the craziest thing you ever saw on your mission? Never fails to amuse me! haha

The work here has abruptly ceased for some crazy reason! all our investigators are just no where to be found so we Tract and talk to people almost all day everyday!  But almost always after an appointment falls through. Things have been just crazy lately, One of our Zone leaders Elder Gemienart Became very sick overnight, So Elder Lords the other ZL asked us to go on exchange with them Because they had things that needed to be done that day. So elder hutchenson so Eagerly volunteered himself to be a Zone leader for a day! haha OH was I so happy he did that! haha once i heard what they had to do all day i definitely counted my blessings. They had to move all these things into all the sisters apartments and do all these training's, while I stayed in their super nice apartment and took a nice Jacuzzi bath and played mini golf. Hahaha it was .. uh.. ineffective haha

On memorial day our stake had a HUGE BBQ with an amazing turnout! We had burgers, investigators, slips and falls it was great! we all got super sun-burnt! 

I definitely learned that, even if things don't go according to plans, It happened for a reason. You might not ever know why god put you in the path of a lady who smells like dead cats, but he does it for a reason! and the best thing to do is to put your faith in him and listen to the spirit and just let it guide ya!:)

I hope you all have an amazing week! and start enjoying this summer!

And I promise i will post more pictures next week.. totes forgot my camera...

:)

Love Elder NY Jepsen

Ch ch ch ch CHANGES!

HEY! everyone, I hope you all had an amazing Mothers day!:) 

For me it was a PERFECT way to end such a crazy week by seeing My Mom and Dad and my sister. It was so great to hear their voices and see their faces. 

..they are still there so that's good.. haha We had A lot to talk about because this last week many things happened.

We had our Branch BBQ that we put a lot of time and effort into, and it turned out just Great! we had many many people show up and have a good time and share stories about Family History. It also boosted our numbers on Sunday so that was good too haha.

On Saturday Elder Neus and I Helped try to find Hypodermic needles in the parks up here with the Chamber of commerce (which was crazy btw) Then we helped this really nice lady with here big time yard work and changed her views of Mormons, YES! But after that we got a call from our Zone Leaders.... 

They told us the changes that are happening around the Mission and..... that I am being transferred to... North Albany. I think Cohoes to be more exact.. haha. It IS A Brand NEW walk area. I was in Shock! I am now going from the Smallest branch in the Mission to the biggest ward in the mission. It is definitely going to be different than the north country. I will be serving with an Elder Hutchenson. I am going to miss Elder Neus! It never felt like work when we were companions it always just felt like Chillin with your best friend. I'll miss that studly son of a gun! haha

It is sad to have to leave all the people I have grown to love and care for and all the weird back woods things I see up here but, I know I have been called there for a reason. And that is where the lord needs me:)

SO in memory of my Massena, where I was "Born" this email will probably be shorter than usual so i can just post pictures of the fun I've had the last 6 months!

Thank you ALL so much for all the love and support you give me! I promise i will always keep you Updated for the next 3/4 of my mission!:)

Love always the Northerner at heart....

Elder Jepsen

Keep NY NORMAL! (it's going to be a bumper sticker soon, just watch)

We work hard...

Splits with Elder Adam- They really bonded

Double DIPPED!

Deb's Baptism 

Hey You's Guy's!

Well We had a typical crazy/weird week! haha 

No joke...Every appointment we had this last week fell through or bailed... It was just one of those weeks I guess. And it just happened to be the week I went on exchange with my District leader. hahaha But, No worries! I hunted them ALL down and either had a lesson with them or Rescheduled with them. (it all happened for a reason though) We can't take no for an answer. It's their Eternal salvation!:) 

Besides that we saw a good share of really weird stuff, like we usually do. And it has been raining ALL THE TIME! It is constantly cloudy and somber here. Even when it rains we are  out walking and trying to help people. I think I kind of got Elder Neus sick by walking in all that rain.... He was out for the count all day Wednesday! But eventually he became better and we  went back to poundin the pavement.

Being out here in the same area for almost 6 months is beginning to take its toll. Lately I had been feeling really burned out and tired. Everyone keeps giving me grief about how I am being transferred and leaving Massena... Which doesn't help! haha But I am so grateful to be able to be here for that long! I have met people I never would have met. And created friendships that will last a lifetime. I have helped change this area to help further the work here. I have been able to do things I never thought I would be doing! I have learned so much here!

I really started thinking about that Saturday at the Baptism. And Let me tell ya, it will be a memory I will never forget! 

In the beginning it was so stressful. We get to the chapel and look at the water and it is SUPER dirty and FREEZING COLD! So we finally clean it out, and we get a call and our Pianist canceled at the last minute! So we had to find a piano player.... we didn't.... haha Elder Duckworth had to and he hadn't played in years! 

Then when I was Baptizing Debbie I said her Maiden name and not her Other name.... UGH! haha super Embarrasing. I was so Nervous i Spaced out! I couldn't remember anything I said! it was all just a big BLUR! haha Soooo... She had to be "double dipped". And ooooh did people love teasing me about it. hahaha 

But it all worked out and it was amazing! There were so many people there, I was so happy. The spirit was definitely there.

You watch these people grow as you first meet them, then you teach them and become so close and finally help them enter into the waters of Baptism. It is such an amazing feeling!

The confirmation is the Icing on the cake! Elder Neus confirmed her a member and Did such an amazing job. That sacrament meeting was probably the Best fast and testimony meeting I have been to yet on my mission. 

This next week we have our Transfer calls. I am very very anxious to hear what is going to happen up here.
OH AND MOTHERS DAY!! We get to finally call and skype our families! I am so excited.

I hope you all have an amazing week! And always try to go out of your way to say "hello" or introduce yourself to people in your ward. FELLOWSHIP is soooooo key in the church and helps out the missionaries a TON!!!

Love ya all! Happy cinco de mayo......

"keep NY ....normal...." haha

-Elder Jepsen

P.s The Baptism pic!! That's Deb in the middle. And "mother neus" haha

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!

TRIO!!!

By far one of the most interesting weeks of my mission! But a great one! 

The day of transfers i worked with elder black in Downtown massena. We discussed the area...and our companions.. haha. This month we are most likely moving downtown and the Other Massena elder are moving across the river on the other side of massena. Then we will most likely be doing a car share, so we split the area and made many MANY pros and cons lists haha. Later that night Elder Neus and Elder Davis came up to massena!

Elder Neus is just the best! We get along really well, he is not afraid to work and already LOVES the area! he is just what massena needs! So after showing elder Neus the ropes we were out tracting on Friday when we get a call from elder black saying he needs to go to the hospital. Then after we take him to the urgent care, then the Hospital we find out the he has walking Pneumonia.... That was a surprise. So president wirthlin came up and took E. Black to the mission home so he can Sack out and hopefully get better so they can send him up her again!

SO now Elder Neus and Elder Davis and I are now in a TRIO! ...Which is super different... haha everything takes just a little longer now but its still really fun! hah Teaching is now a little different but we do well. We keep getting stuck in door ways but we'll get over that soon as well haha. Elder Davis is a very Obedient and Diligent Missionary. He used to be a zone leader In Rome before he came here. He keeps us both in line. 

It is really different leading the Area here since no one else has knowledge of massena. It's kind of like training! haha it was a little hard at first because they kept forgetting where we were and who we just saw but i was patient with them and they are now getting the hang of it!

I have a really good feeling things are going to turn around out here! We have new missionaries that are much more obedient than the last, they have an outside view of things which is just what we need! I know that if we just put our faith in the lord and strive to be perfectly obedient we will see ourselves and this area Progress!!

Thank you all for your love a support! I hope all of you have a great week! 

Much Love from Massena

-Elder Jepsen

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

MTC Bound

Today Elder Jepsen officially entered the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah! We are so proud of him and his decision to devote two years of his life to serve the Lord and the people in the Utica mission. We know that as he proceeds forth in this work that he will learn and grow in many capacities and be able to help many along the way. We love you Elder Jepsen. See you in two!

Drop-off! Bittersweet!

Photo Cred: Paul Jepsen

Last family photo for two years!