A Heavenly Paradise

 Oh my, oh my, oh my. I can't tell you how many times I was just breathless this week. No, not because I'm mega out of shape, but because of the STUNNING sights all around me. 

Beautiful green fields for miles and miles.

Tall windmills with sheep and hay bales all around.

Beautiful coasts with a stunning view of the North Sea.

Cutest villages on the planet. All old stone and brick and totally English.

Bridges. Bridges. Bridges.

Packed lunches on the beach. Packed lunches by the castle. Packed lunches in the coolest library ever. We try and stay out all day, from 9-9 as best we can, so we find cool places to eat lunch:)

I've just been very, very happy being here.

 All the roads are tiny country lanes that get so narrow you suck in your breath everytime someone passes because English drivers have no sense of personal space, especially with no markings in the middle.

Our area is massive and we were finding in a village 4 mins from Scotland! We did indeed go see the border for Sister McComas haha. 

The accents are thick, one guy I just nodded and said yep, uh huh, because I swear he spoke a different language haha. But he didnt. Just the geordie accent thick and through.

Here's a quote that explains England to a T:

"If you don't like the weather in England, just wait five minutes."

We experience all four seasons in one day, everyday. I was going to start a vlog of all the times it rained this week, but I quickly realized it would take me too long to complie the 500+ videos and waste all my storage because there hasn't been a day it hasn't rained.

And yea! We have been finding a lot this week because we basically are starting brand new in this area. Not much too work with so we are going for it and having a great time meeting so many people!! We are getting to know our branch and the area and just having a good time:)

Also, I wrote an article for my branch newsletter and I thought I'd share it:) it's about experiences that made me want to serve a mission and what have ya:

Hello!!! I'm Sister Jeppson! Here is just a quick little introduction from me:) I am from Northern California, in a town right outside of Sacramento. I am the middle child of 7 and love spending all my free time outdoors with my family! I have been absolutely loving it here in Alnwick, having seen the most beautiful land all around me. And, most importantly, I am a missionary for my Saviour, Jesus Christ. I am so grateful that I am able to wear His name on my tag every single day. It has been the most challenging thing I have ever done, but also the biggest blessing in my life. 

There are a few key experiences that impacted my decision to serve a mission. I was born and raised in the church and am blessed by the great examples that my parents set for me and my siblings. But the first time the idea of a mission came to me was when I was about 12. My oldest brother had just started his mission, and it was so exciting to get his emails home every week. And for the next two years, I watched him grow and experience how the Atonement of Jesus Christ changed him. Then as he came home, shortly after, my older sister decided to serve a misson. Same thing happened to her. Then while she was out, my other brother started his mission! So from the time when I was 12, until I could go on a mission, I watched my three older siblings have these amazing experiences and truly gain a testimony of who Jesus Christ is in their lives. And those years, were the exact years that I was a teenager, trying to figure out who I am and what this life was all about. I saw that the biggest blessing my siblings had was being able to serve the Lord for a short time of their life and in doing so, they came to find out who they were as daughters and sons of a loving Heavenly Father. I knew that I wanted that experience for me and knew that a mission would do that.

The other experience was growing up with friends outside of the church. I loved being able to share the gospel with them and that made me so happy. I knew that my life wasn't easy, but I was happy. Only because of the gosel of Jesus Christ in my life. I feel so lucky and blessed to be able to know where I can find true joy and happiness, and I want to give everyone the same opportunity I have been given, to be happy, to experience joy in this life and the next. I have loved being able to be an instrument in His hands and I know without a doubt, that God's hands are in the little details. 

The hand of the Lord is all around us. "If you will ask in prayer to be shown where the hand of God intervened in your life that day...It will be made manifest to you. You will see that He is leading and guiding and lifting you, and that He knows you" (Elder Henry B. Eyring). This is true for me personally. I know that God truly has lead and guided me on my mission. He has allowed me to experience really challenging things in order to help me grow and to become who He needs me to become. He has allowed me to be in places at the right time and in the right moment that one of His children needed it most. He has filled my mind with things to say as I have taught and shared the truths of the gospel that mean so much to me. 

I have a testimony that He lives! Jesus Christ is our Redeemer, and because of Him, we are able to return to our Heavenly Father. God knows us all personally and individually and leads and guides us back to Him as we look to Christ. I have a testimony of our living prophet on the Earth today, President Russell M. Nelson. I have a testimony of the Book of Mormon, and the power that comes as we continually read and study the words given by God. I know that the greatest gift is the gift of the Holy Ghost, that enables us to hear His voice, to receive Jesus Christ. "God be thanked for the matchless gift of His Divine Son" (The Living Christ). In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 

Love,

Sis Jepp:)

Simonside Hill for pday! 

My district: Elder Patea, Elder Wittwer, Sister McComas, 

Sister Frampton, Sister Victor, me:)

We all had hoods or something on our heads because

 there were flies attacking us haha, so we covered our ears

Di Meo's pizza!!

Barter Books!! Second hand bookshop from an old train station

Original poster, yep:)

Beaches in Amble!!

Our wraps for lunch:)

Lil crab:)

Stunning views

Cows at Alnwick:)

This is Berwick-Upon-Tweed. It is five minutes from Scotland!!

Scotland border!!

Frolicking through these fields, fulfilled all my dreams

MLC at the Clares!! All the sisters:) Sister Clare, Wight, Wade, Kingston, me, Mccomas, Lucas, Tait, Ogden

Park run!!

Banished to the NORTH

 Hiya everyone!!!

Coming at you live, from.......duh duh duh.........THE NORTH!!! and when I say the North, I mean, the farthest up north area in the mission!! I am in Alnwick! I have the biggest area in the mission, it goes up to Scotland! And it is a tiny tiny little branch! So lots of big changes!!!

Here's some fun things up here:

-It is freezing up here, hasn't stopped raining, I havent really seen the sun at all

-new vocab: Minging, definition? gross, nasty. Example: Eating a veggie burger, Is that minging? Yes, yes it is.

-the dual carriageway (basically the freeway), has no on and off ramps. and you can cross them! So you can zoom into the middle part, trying not to get hit by the cars flying at 75mph towards you. And then once in the middle, you try and gun it without any ramps to get up to the speed of traffic without getting hit by the said 75 mph cars coming

-I am living in a flat in Ashington because there are none in my area, so we commute everyday to work:)

-There are over 70 castles in my area, including the famous ones, Alnwick castle, Bamburgh, and Warkworth

-Alnwick is pronounced Annick, the "l" and "w" are silent haha

-I am in a branch of 60 members total, 45 of them are active, which is amazing! But only 30 showed up on Sunday. We don't have a church, we meet in an office building on an industrial estate. And the lease is up next month and we might not be able to renew it, so pray we find somewhere to meet.

-There are members that are 2 hours from me, right by the Scotland border, so yea, big area.

-our first meal that we were fed here was fishpie and bread n butter pudding. It was actually way good. Fishpie is like this casserole dish with mash, gnocchi, and fish/seafood. And bread n butter pudding is exactly what it sounds like. Remember, pudding is dessert, not actuallly pudding.

But yea!!! here's the happenings of the week:

- My last couple of days in Beverley were the sweetest!! 

-We got a referral on Monday and visited her on Tuesday and it was the sweetest lesson ever!! She is a mom of 6 kids, all under the age of 13, and her husband left her and she is just really struggling with everything. She has been C of E (Church of England), her whole life but lately has been feeling a need for a deeper connection. Then our ads have been pulling up on her Facebook so she decided God was telling her something and that was when she reached out! She was so so sweet and open and came to church and wants to meet!! So it was so sweet and sad to leave!

-taught Kevin and Daniel for the last time and they were the best lessons! We taught Kevin all about the commandments and he was so happy and willing!! He wants to be baptized at the end of September:) And Daniel's lesson was so sweet too!! It was sad to say bye, but I am so happy I got to be a part of their journey!

-said goodbye to my Beverley family. These people have really become family here and I am so sad to leave them, but happy for the next adventure:)

-Friday was transfer day! It was a LOT of driving, and I am still the only driver, so that is tiring. But yep, all the way up North we went!! It is SO PRETTY up here!!! I just love it.

-Saturday Morning we went to the park run at Alnwick Castle!! We cheered people on and it was so cool!! We will do it everyday saturday morning at 9 to build connections in the community:)

I will cut short this very long email aha, but I just want to share how sweet it is to be a missionary!!! I learned and grew so much in my time in Beverley and saw some of the most faithful members I have ever met there!! 

I am not sure if you remember the fast that the Beverley ward did in April, but for the whole month, someone in the ward was fasting each day to find five new families, and to help bring 5 families back that haven't been to church in a while. It was the sweetest, and I just know that without a doubt that it will happen. Because since that fast, we have had 1 family come back to church, 3 people who want to be baptized, 2 families that we are starting to meet with and teach, and so many more tiny miracles! And this is just the beginning! And I have served in Beverley for 6 months, but it is because of the faith of the members and how much they do, that God is bringing and showing forth these miracles. It is my testimony and witness that miracles work according to our faith in God, and that as we "cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed." (D&C 123:17). I am so grateful to have been an instrument in God's hand in Beverley, and to see His arm truly being revealed!

Love you all!

Love,

Sis Jepp:)

Last day finding in the rain in Beverley!!

I LOVE SISTER WIGHT

Saying goodbye!!

outside the Beverley Chapel!!

Here's a lil insight of my wall that I do in all my flats:)

Here's the Flag of all the missionaries that have lived in the Beverley Flat:)

My sweet trainees!!! Sister Flake and Sister De Guzman!!

Squad: Sister Wade, Sister Ogden, Sister Wight, Sister McComas, Sister Olsen, me! Everyone's been comps with each other here haha, that's why we all took the picture

My old comp and my new comp!!
SISTER WIGHT AND SISTER MCCOMAS!!

First meal in the flat, trynna get all the leftover food
 the Sister before us left haha

The park run!!!

Our chapel:)