You are called to serve...

Hiya, you alright?

Hope all is well with everyone this fine day:) This week was really good!! A lot of stuff happened and to be honest it FLEW by, which is great. But let's get into it:

-for pday this week, we went bowling! I took 3rd place, not bad not bad, and Sis Kingston unfortunately lost and had to drink a raw egg...hahah

- we had a stake missionary service project at the PCP, the local community center. We pruned for an hour and a half straight. It was actually way fun, but then for the rest of the week I couldn't look at any tree or bush and not want to prune it haha

-had a really good district council where we talked about how we can walk in the light of Christ's love. Something that stood out to me was that every single human on this Earth has the light of Christ in them. We just need to bring our likeness and light of Christ out so that others can see. Cool thought.

-played spoons with one of my favorite families and yea, i haven't lost my touch haha

-had three really cool lessons this week! and guess what, all three of them were with people we found off of Facebook!! It's cool because we wouldn't have been able to meet them any other way, but God gave us these amazing tools to use for good, and we have seen so many miracles from using technology for good!

-English class was super good!! It's really sad because Huseyin and Burcu are moving in two weeks and Rachel is also moving so this coming week will be our last one with everyone!! They have become some of my closest friends:)

-we got fed by members every single day this week, which was a TON, but so fun. I really have grown so close to all the members here. This is the last week of the transfer and I have almost been in this area for 6 months. I have no idea what is going to happen, but I will probably move and when I do, tears will be shed. This sweet ward has become my family. 

-went to Trish and Kate's house and had tea with them, and helped them clean their house. We gotta go back again, we didn't really even scratch the surface haha. But it was so cute because Kate gave us all flowers to thank us:)

This week, it has been one year since I got my call to Leeds, England mission!! I can't believe how fast it is gone and I am so grateful for all the many wonderful experiences and opportunities I have had in the past year. One thing that I think I have learned is how important it is to align ourselves to the will of God. The talk about the currant bush comes to mind. 

A gardener, President Brown, one day went out to prune his currant bush. After he cut it all down, basically to the stump, he said it felt like the bush was looking at him and saying,

“How could you do this to me? I was making such wonderful growth. … And now you have cut me down. Every plant in the garden will look down on me. … How could you do this to me? I thought you were the gardener here.” 

President Brown replied, “Look, little currant bush, I am the gardener here, and I know what I want you to be. I didn’t intend you to be a fruit tree or a shade tree. I want you to be a currant bush, and someday, little currant bush, when you are laden with fruit, you are going to say, ‘Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for loving me enough to cut me down.’”

I have felt like this has happened a lot in the past year. Things have happened where it has felt like I have been cut down time and time again. And sometimes I want to think like that bush and just ask, ''How could you do this to me?'', but then I am reminded of God's infinite love and grace for me and for all of us. He is the Master Gardener. He knows the potential we have to become and He is shaping us and helping us become the people He wants to become. 

So today I say thank you, Mr. Gardener, for loving me enough to cut me down. 

I love my Heavenly Father and my Savior Jesus Christ so much!! And I am so grateful to be on a mission helping others come unto Christ.

Love,

Sis. Jepp:)

Flowers from Kate 

Mandalorian, came out of nowhere I tell ya 

Debbi Davey!! Love her so much! 

The Waite family!! love them so much :) 

Bowling 

Trish and Kate

Driving Academy 

Sister Flake was burning up in the car cause the heater was on, so she was
cooling off on the glass haha, but I thought it looked like she was being kidnapped. 

Catholic Church in memoriam of Joan of Arc 

Cute little alley way in town center 

District finding in Durham!! Sister Lucas was on exchanges with
 Sister Kingston which was fun! 

If you don't laugh , you'll cry, so just laugh

 Hiya everyone!!!!

Ya know that feeling when you are standing on top of a cliff and there's a really strong wind that is like holding you up? Well that is exactly what I walked through all week haha. It made for some hilarious times. One of the nights it was up to 30mph!!! Craziness.

Anyways, the title is a quote that is pure genius from our friend Sonny. He was referring to when frustrating things happen and this is how you get through them. Laugh, cause if you don't you'll cry, so laugh. Good advice.

This week was way good though! Here's the highlights:

- went to Durham on Monday for pday and it was so fun! Small world moment: ill keep it short. We walked into a burrito shop and this guy walked in behind us and totally sounded american. So we get to talking and yea he's from granite bay and loved like 10 mins from my home in loomis. He graduated from granite bay in 2017, so he's a lil older than me but we knew some of the same people. Crazy small world that collided in this burrito shop in Durham, England.

-helped out at the food bank sorted cans for a couple hours!! It was very therapeutic, organising and stacking and what not

-had interviews with our mission president and his wife!! Best people ever. Love them.

-went on exchanges with Sister Richards!!! She is my favorite and we just had the best day ever

-blew up SO many balloons for Brother Webbs 70th birthday party that was at the  church

-went to his 70th birthday party, woot woot!!

-I'm learning BSL at the moment, and I signed the sacrament prayers for a deaf couple in our ward, Tracy and James

-ok more about Tracy and James. So James was baptized about 25 years ago, but they disbanded the deaf program in the UK for some reason and he was kind of lost through it all and couldn't communicate. But he reached out to the other sisters in the past month and wanted to come back to church with his wife!! And this is how you know God is so good, because one of the women in our ward is a BSL interpreter for her work and served a BSL mission too. And there's two other women in the ward that sort of know it. So that has been a huge blessing!! 

His wife isn't a member but wants to get baptized soon!! It's so exciting. What's so amazing about this all is that they are the happiest, most outgoing couple ever. They try and say hi to everyone and teach everyone BSL. And so many members have wanted to talk to then that they are now starting a BSL class for the ward to teach them! Oh how I love Tracy and James!!!

- a lot of you might remember that I go to the Maple Lodge Care Home a lot haha. And we visit our sweet member Mary Jane there who is in fact, an angel on this earth. So is the sweetest soul who loves and cares so deeply for everyone. This past week she has been really sick and we don't know if she will make it much longer. All 4 of us sisters went to go visit her on Wednesday and it was the sweetest experience. Funny enough, she also was a BSL interpreter long ago, so we learned a child's prayer and sang and signed it to her. The spirit was so strong and we all just had tears streaming down our faces. Heaven really was close by in that room. I love Mary Jane and I love that I've been able to get so close to her and learn so much from her.

It's been a good week and I love it here!!! 

Love, 

Sis Jepp:)

There were like 7 rainbows this week!  This was the best one. 

Pics with our squad!!

So this is the bday guy, with the guitar glasses, and James! 

This is Tracy!! She wanted to wear my tag haha

Harry wrote a book.  That's all. 

70th Birthday party!! 

Me and Sister Richards matching Durham University sweatshirts!! 

Durham Cathedral again! 

Me and Sister Richards! James in the background haha 

Raining, Running, and Really Long Conversations

 Hiya everyone!!

As they say over here, this week it was chucking it down! Rain every single day. But it was a good week! 

You know that song, ''Pioneer children sang as they walked, and walked, and walked, and walked, and walked...etc''. That's what I felt like this week haha. A lot of our plans fell through so we mostly just walked around and found all week long. But it was awesome!! We talked to a TON of people!

Here's the highlights:

-went to Richmond Castle, the Richmond falls, Easby Abbey, and Brymor Farms on Monday for pday which was so fun!! Some of my favorite places I have been so far:)

- English class was so fun!! It was just me, sis Flake and Husein and Burcu, but we just had a really good time. We genuinely have become really good friends and I am going to be so sad to leave them the most! 

-Cool miracle! We were walking down this cool street with a bunch of lanterns overhead, and found the shop that made these lanterns. Turned out they are actually plant pressed lampshades! But anyways, I was thinking we should go in and talk to the person working there, so we did, and we had the coolest conversation!! This probably 30 year old woman was just baptized into a Christian church just a year before and has been just learning about everything. And the day before she was watching a video about two missionaries talking to another guy about Joseph Smith! and then we walked in that day! We had a really good conversation with her and she was super interested because she had to look up on Google what her church even believed, and thought is this really the right one if I have to look up what we even stand for? So yea, pretty cool. She wanted a Book of Mormon and two of our pamphlets:)

-lots of really good interactions with the nicest people!!

-went to visit our dear friend Doreen. She is the sweetest ever. And we were stuck there for 2 hours. I would like to see someone successfully, get in and out of her house in less than an hour. It can not be done. She is a chatter box. even when we stood up to leave we stood for another 15 mins because she had another story for us haha

-BEST THING EVER. It is going to sound super lame to everyone else I'm sure but it was heaven to me. So here, all across the UK, there are what's called park runs. And every saturday at 9:00am there's a 5k run in most big parks here. And it is all volunteer based!! So you sign up online, get a barcode and can run in any park run across the UK, every Saturday! And its this point system online, and you try to beat your time from before. It is amazing. 

So, we wanted to go volunteer and help! Because I can't convince my comp to run it with me...yet haha. But anyways, we start walking to the park at about 8:30, and it is POURING RAIN. My comp is like, it's not going to happen, it's raining!! But obviously I know that runners love the rain and that it won't stop them, so we continued the 30 min walk there haha. My comp hated me that morning haha, but secretly she had fun. Anywho....as we get closer to the park, sure enough there's all these runners warming up. I had no idea how happy seeing runners could actually make me!  I was so excited haha.

We found one of the marshals and went and stood by her on the corner to mark the race and cheer people on! IT WAS SO FUN!!!!! There were between 100-200 runners and we, well I, cheered so loudly and was so excited! All the runners shouted to us as they were running, thank you! best cheerleaders!! we love you!. it was so fun. And the marshal we were with, Catherine, we became good friends with!!

So yea it was just amazing. I wasn't even running, I was standing on the side, in the pouring rain, watching all these people run this 5k. Sounds pathetic to everyone else I am sure, but it made my week so that's all that matters, right?

Last MIRACLE that I have to share. So, on August 20th, we met this guy. Dave. Just an fyi (if you ever go to England, and you don't know a guys name, take a random guess of Dave, Stephen, Brian or John and you are 9 times out of 10 gonna get it right). 

Anywhoooo, so we were just walking by and asked if he was interested and he said he was busy but to come back next Saturday. So on the 27th we went back and his girlfriend kicked us out in a mean way so we didn't ever go back.

Then on Dec 11th, I got a message from a dave. And he was like he you might not remember me, but my girlfriend kicked you out and I actually wanted to hear about your beliefs and learn more. And I was shocked!!! So we arranged a time to meet, and because of work and the holidays, we didn't meet until Sunday, January 8th.

And this was the most genuine lesson I've ever had!! He has had a really hard past couple of years and went down a dark road and was really struggling. But he has four kids and he was like well what happens to them if I'm gone. So he pulled himself back out and has been really searching and trying to find a better way so he can be there for his kids. It was heartbreaking but also so neat because he feels like he has found it with us! He asked so many questions and is so excited to read the Book of Mormon and meet with us again! So please keep him in your prayers! Miracles!!

So that was my week:) I love it here! I love being a missionary! And I love Jesus Christ!

Love,

Sis. Jepp:)

Sisters Call!! Top left: Sister Richards & Kingston, Sister Sousa and Lucas, Sister Hritz and Crook, Sister Flake and I. Bottom left: Sister Zhang and Giannai, Sister Archibald, Sister Wight and Tjussen, Sister Tait and Olsen. Lots of Sisters from all over the world. Spain, Italy, China, Belgium, Norway and America :) 

East Abbey 

Me and Sister Olsen!  She is from Norway and I LOVE her! 

Richmond waterfall!! Left to right: Elder Veal, Me, Sister Richards, Sister Flake,
Sister Kingston, Elder Oldham 

Me and Sister Flake in Hurworth! 

Yummiest ice cream came from these cows haha 

Me and Sister Richards at the Abbey 

Mango ice cream Lollies :) 

East Abbey 

Sunset at Brymor farms!! 

Sketchy house, no we didn't knock it - don't worry 

I have a new title...

 Hiya everyone!!!

I know you are all wondering what my new title is so I guess I will tell you! I am now an Aunt!! Woot woot!!! I am so so so excited!! To the cutest baby there ever was! So there is that news...

Oh also, Happy New Years!!! Woah that past year completely flew by but also crawled by at times haha. But mostly flew:)

Here's the highlights of my week:

-pday was Boxing Day, which is a holiday here that basically was way back in Victorian times, servants would be allowed to box up what they had and go back to their families. So yea, or something like that haha

-climbed a on of hills this week, and I mean A TON

-heart attacked lot of people this week, which was hilarious. Most people have glass doors so you have to bend down, sneak up and put hearts everywhere without being caught

-oh yea, I have been a missionary for 7 months now! CRAZY stuff

-helped the residents at the care home make soup, and not chop their fingers off

-visited a lot of the older people this week and spent like 2 hours at each one, not on purpose, believe me, but old people in England DO NOT stop talking. I think I said like five words at each visit aha, and you would say oh we have to go and they would say oh ok, and continue. hilarious though ahha.

To be honest, this week was kind of a hard week. Nothing bad happened, it was just sadder haha. I was missing home, especially after seeing everyone holding the cutest new addition to the family, and I couldn't be there. That was sad. And I just felt defeated with some of the things going on.

But something really neat happened. On Saturday night, we met with this woman who hasn't been to church in years. She let us in and proceeded to tell us in the first 3 seconds of us being in there that she was completely inactive and she wasn't coming to church. Then, for the next 2 hours, we sat in this tiny flat, with concrete floors, 4 cats crawling all over us, listening to this sweet, yet very head strong woman tell us her entire life story. Basically, to keep everything private and short, she has been through hell and is really hurting. And she is really defensive about the things she has learned and come to know through everything she has been through. She feels judged and unloved and alone. And as I sat there, I just felt completely helpless. I didn't know what to say or do to help her, I would try and say something, but it seemed as if she didn't believe anything I said. So, we mostly just listened. And at the end, she let me pray. I just said a simple pray and after she asked me, ''Do I feel anything when i pray?" And told me about how she wants to pray but she gets down on her knees and has nothing to say. She feels as if God has abandoned her and there's nothing to say. I was able to help her and testify that I know that God does love her and wants her to reach out to Him. She wants us to come back and to teach her more and to visit with her.

The thing that was so neat, was after walking away from her door I just wanted to cry. I have never felt more love and compassion for anyone as much as I did for her. I know that God let me see her just as He sees her. I know that God has been there for her and cares for her so deeply, and has given me this opportunity to help her see that. To help her find out for herself. Even if nothing else happens, if she never comes to church again or anything, all I want her to feel is that she does have a Heavenly Father that loves her so much and that she is not alone. 

That is what God wants us to know and feel. That is what God wants me to do here. Not to baptize thousands, or get as many people as I can to listen to me. He wants me to help others find Him, to find His Son. To help others know that He is there and that He does love us. To help others experience the joy of the gospel of Jesus Christ. To help others come unto Him.

Love, 

Sis Jepp:)

KFC for the win this past pday 

Richmond!!!

Part 787692 of Sister Flake sleeping on the bus :) 

Trying out the new beanies President and Sister Claire gave us for Christmas.

Found a tepee in the primary room haha 

This is the closest I will be to holding a baby on my mission, channeling my inner aunt.  This is Alexie and her baby doll she brings to church every week :) 

A Christ Centered Christmas

 This week has been phenomenal. Not necessarily because of the ways you would think. Everyone has been so kind to us and we have had a lot of fun ways to celebrate this week, but the reason that it has been so amazing is because I have truly felt Christ's love for me and for everyone this season.

   I am so grateful for my Savior! If there is only one thing that people remember about me, the one thing that I would want them to know is that I absolutely love my Savior Jesus Christ and I know that He is our Redeemer, Our dearest Friend, our Advocate, our Deliverer. I know that He lives. I know that He died for me and atoned for my sins and for all of us. I have felt His presence. I have felt His arms around me. I am full of gratitude towards Him. He truly is my Light, my Hope, my Life. In Him, there is all peace. In Him, there is all happiness. He has sacrificed everything for me, and now, I am trying my hardest to sacrifice this tiny time of my life for Him. I won't be able to ever repay Him, but I will try. He has my heart, my might, my mind, and my strength. I am nothing without Him. And I love Him. 

   My two favorite scriptures at the moment, or at least two that represent how I feel are, 2 Nephi 22:2, ''Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid; for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he has also become my salvation.'' and, Psalms 28:7, ''The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.''

   The common theme between both of these is that Jesus Christ is my strength. He is my why. And with my song I will praise Him forever. I have had a lot of opportunities to sing this christmas. More than I ever had before. And I am talking hours. Practices, carol services, caroling in the city, at care homes, for sacrament meeting, every single day. And I know I am not the best singer but I have absolutely LOVED singing. Why? Because I feel the Spirit so strongly as we have sung these hymns of praise, all centered around my Savior. And I have been able to really praise Jesus Christ this christmas season through song. It has been a wonderful time and I have enjoyed every single second of visiting, teaching, and helping others feel loved here in England.

   I think it is only fitting that I leave it at that this week, as it truly has been a Christ centered Christmas for me and that is all there is to it:)

   ''God be thanked for the matchless gift of His Divine Son.''

Love,

Sis. Jepp:)

Matching PJ's mom sent me :) 

One In front of a fake tree! 

Christmas Pj's my mom Sent me to match the fam! 

Wreath making with Dave and the district!! It took us each like an hour and a half to make these. 

this was mine! All really foliage with a moss/hay base.  It was legit!! 

Sister Flake, me, Sister Lucas, Sister Sousa 

Really pretty hike we did! 

Baby Castle with the district! 

One in front of a real tree! 

Sister Richards

Sister Kingston

Sister Flake

Our church building 

There was ice all around the waterfall of course 

My one day with Sister Lucas 

Sarah and Lottie had us over for a Christmas Eve breakfast! 

Being evacuated from our flat on Christmas night because someone broke the fire alarm haha, we only had to stand outside for like 15 minutes.  Then the alarm went off for about an hour, during calling my family haha. oh well. 

Nativity with the Nolans! 

Christmas Package!!! 

Christmas dinner with the Nolans!! 

Meeting Lorenzo Golden Jeppson!!