Letter---January 13th, 2014

Things are going fantastic over here in Missouri! We had to move our baptismal date for the Van Winkle family to this Saturday because last Saturday the girls were with their father. 

I also have the privilege of going to this way old town called Weston! It's a small town that has antique stuff to buy and it's just super fun to walk down main street! All the houses there are over 100 years old! They have many cute bed and breakfasts and all the people there are just nice people! We went walking down main street one day and talked to many different people that were there and we handed out all of our Mormon.org card that we had with our name and number on the back! So we will see how that works out very soon :D Hopefully we get some calls. 

Brother Johnson has been progressing slowly as we teach him more about the gospel information. He is really slow with this stuff but he is really getting there and who knows we may have another baptism very soon! I can't wait! 

Well I don't have many other stories yet. It's been a lot of walking and talking to members trying to find referrals. So don't forget to be a member missionary at home that way the missionaries in your area wont be in my same boat. But it's still fun to go and talk to random people. I had one lady who got upset with us though because our church doesn't believe in the trinity. I never thought someone would actually want to believe in that but apparently she wanted that to be a part of our religion. Then there was once a time when I went and knocked on the door of someones house and there was a nun in the house! We were really confused and we just testified of our church you know, but it was so hard because there was a nun!!! The things that happen on a mission! Like I ate home cooked rabbit and I've been fed by 3 members who actually kill their own food and skin it and prepare it! That has been some interesting stuff! I even get home made beef jerky! Wooo food! 

Well I hope everything is going beautifully back in the wonderful land of Utah! Don't forget how wonderful it is to be a Mormon. Being surrounded by so many of  them you may think you're just like everyone else but you really are unique! Every member is unique and has a different conversion story! Some may be born in the religion but it isn't till they turned 20 that they had a true testimony of the church. Others have a missionary teach them, and others they just know it from the very moment they began church. Everyone is unique in their own conversion! And it doesn't matter how we got to the church or when, what matters is that we are there and we stand for our faith with others backing us up with their own testimony. That's the power of being apart of this church. Everyone will back you up. It's one big happy family and I am so thankful to be a part of it! The Lord has a perfect church here on the earth with the power of the priesthood truly restored but we have to remember he didn't call perfect people to serve in the church. And that's the best part because that stops us from judging others. When we realize we all have imperfections that we are all striving to perfect. A lot of my investigators get upset or sad because they aren't as perfect as the members of the ward. But when members turn around and explain that not only a few years ago they were in the same place, it really helps investigators find that strength they need! It's such a wonderful process to watch happen. Also another wonderful thing to watch happen is just the joy people being to have when they realize the truths of this church! Very often members will have us over for dinner and they will invite their non member friends to come eat too, we will then teach a short message after dinner, and then that's when we see that magic happen. The spirit touches their hearts and they just begin to have a brightness about them. It's so wonderful! 

Love,
Sister Jeppsen

Letter---December 30, 2013

Well things are going great. I live in a big town called Platte City! Everything Is like a mansion! But luckily the people are extremely nice here and I get to go inside and see what the inside of these mansions look like ;). 

 

There are a ton of people here to teach, the problem is getting into their houses. One of the biggest things we need is member missionaries. The more that the members invited their friends over for dinner and have us over, the better it is for these people to hear the gospel. They are able to speak to us freely and not to mention we have a member there with us so not only are we bearing our testimony about the gospel but their friends are too. That's how we get a lot of our new investigators. 

 

We currently have a family of 5 who are on date to get baptized January 11th!! I am so excited for them and I know that they will make it to the day. We were teaching them lesson 2, the plan of salvation. And the part about families being together forever just really struck them! They knew that it was true and they knew they wanted their family to be together forever. When we asked Sister Vanwinkle (That's the familys name) if she and her husband would be baptized, she said yes. Then we looked at her husband who was grinning from ear to ear!! We asked him what was on his mind and his reply was "I have known this church was true from the moment you sisters walked in. I just was waiting for my wife to understand it so we could go through it all together." It was such a miracle not to mention she stopped smoking that day we invited her! So in church she was so excited to show us her patch she went and bought to help her live the word of wisdom fully. The entire Vanwinkle family is so supportive of each other and each day they are growing closer and closer together! 

 

So another investigator that I have, his name is Deverne Johnson. He is such a kind man who just wants to make sure everyone is comfortable in his house. His wife is a member and she's been married to him for 40 years. It wasn't til now that he began to study anything of this church. He even had two children who went on missions and asked him to read the Book of Mormon. It wasn't till us, the sister missionaries came to his door and told him to start reading that he now began. He reads an hour a day and if he forgets he decided this himself, if he forgets, he reads for 2 hours! How cool is that!? He still is struggling with understanding and recognizing the spirit. But with constant prayers for him I think he will begin to feel it stronger and stronger. He just is a little bit stubborn in that sense. He loves music though and I know he feels the spirit when we sing together at his house. I even had the privilege of playing their piano! They love Yanni and so I played one song for them and they were so happy, not to mention I was so happy to just be able to play Yanni!!! Well these are my investigators so far! But we are working on finding more. We go to a lot of members houses and less actives and we teach them our lessons for practice and as they gain trust with us, they have been referring us to more of their friends. 

 

 Missionary work is great! And the members of this ward here in Platte City are wonderful! Just remember that you can be a missionary from home! That is the biggest thing I'm learning out here. We need more people who are willing to be missionaries from their own house. Being a missionary with a badge is great, but being a missionary from your own personal house is the best thing ever. The missionaries will love you more too if you become a member missionary. So keep striving to lead by example from your own homes. You'll receive the same blessing a missionary in the field receives if you truly try to be a member missionary.

 

Love, Becca

Merry Christmas!

Mission President Letter---December 19, 2013

Dear Brother and Sister Jeppsen,

It was a pleasure to greet your daughter, Sister Rebecca Michelle Jeppsen, upon her arrival in the Missouri Independence Mission. The enthusiasm and humility of new missionaries adds greatly to the work.

We wish to express our gratitude for your willingness to permit Sister Jeppsen to serve the Lord as a Missionary. We know that many blessings will be realized by you and her as she fulfills this sacred responsibility.

Your missionary will appreciate a weekly letter from home. It can be a valuable source of strength as you communicate your encouragement and love. She is counseled to write home only once a week. The nature of missionary work is so demanding that time does not permit more frequent communication. Distraction can become a barrier to her spirituality and to the work. Please encourage friends to be thoughtful in this regard.

We also ask that telephone calls, both to and from the missionary, be limited to Christmas and Mother's Day. These calls are specifically for the parents of the missionary and should be brief. Please contact the Mission Office or the General Church Office, in emergency situations and we will relay the message. Please refrain from sharing troubling concerns from home as this frustrates the missionary and makes her feel powerless to solve the concerns.

I will meet with Sister Jeppsen on frequent intervals. Zone and District Leaders will see and work with her also. We will do everything we can to help her be successful in this sacred calling.

Sister Keyes and I express our appreciation for the privilege of working with Sister Jeppsen in the tremendous responsibility of being an ambassador of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. May the blessings of the Lord be with you.

Sincerely, Your Brother
Donald J. Keyes, President
Missouri Independence Mission

Letter from Elder Behymer (In her MTC District)

Dear Jeppsen Family-

It has been pretty awesome having Sister Jeppsen here in the district! We all love her and the wonderful spirit she brings!

Sister Jeppsen is really energetic, outgoing and friendly. I have loved hearing her testimony and seeing the love she has for the gospel.

Sister Jeppsen will make a wonderful missionary and will bless the lives of many in Independence. I am so grateful to have had a chance to know her.

Dear Brother and Sister Jeppsen-

Thank you for raising such an amazing daughter of God. I know the Lord is proud of the missionary you have sent and the work she is doing.

Sister Jeppsen loves each one of you and cares very deeply for all of you. She loves to talk about and share her love for her family and I can see the joy in her eyes as she talks about her family.

Thank-You!
Elder Nathan Nephi Behymer

Letter to Sister Jeppsen from MTC Presidency

Sister Rebecca Michelle Jeppsen

December 4, 2013

Dear Sister Jeppsen

Congratulations on your assignment to serve as Sister Training Leader. Through your example of Christ-like living and appropriate missionary behavior, you will be an inspiration and role model for the sisters in your branch.

May you be guided by the spirit in your stewardship as you reach out to those who may need your attention and love.

Your Branch President has assigned you through inspiration. We know you will be blessed as you follow the counsel and direction he provides.

May the Lord’s blessings be with you in this assignment and throughout your mission. Please refer to your missionary leader guidebook for specific responsibilities.

Sincerely,
Lon B. Nally
President

Letter---December 12, 2013

Hey There Family-

So everything is going well here in Provo. As cold as it is, I don't really have time to feel the temp. I go from one building right into the next. It's been great you know? I got made into a Sister Training Leader which is equivalent to a zone leader. There is 16 in our zone and all of which are going to Independence Missouri December 18th. Our flight is at 9:05 so we have to be awake at 4:05 to go to the train station and trek our way over there. Well funny story for you my companion Sister Buckhave and I were walking to lunch on Saturday when an Elder named Elder Thanye decided to be so nice and old two doors open for us. As he did this, his hand slipped and the door slammed into Sister Buckhave's face. It so funny we all laughed and he apologized greatly then proceeded to ask for our emails. What has this world turned into? We are moving back in time from asking someone for their number to asking someone for their email ;). 

Well my district is amazing I thought you ought to know. We have 5 Elders and 4 Sisters (counting me) and it's just amazing how quickly we all have bonded! I don't have favorites but if I did, Elder Nelson would be my favorite guy and Sister Buckhave my favorite girl ;). Well Elder Garrick and I also have been talking about the movie Frozen because we both got to see it before we left and no one else has. So we are teaching a girl named Sarah for our TRC. She is a non-member and is going to go to BYU! So she came to us to learn more about our church. And just as fate would have it, she has committed to wanting to be baptized! Sadly Sister Buckhave and I wont be here when she does.. But January 4th is what the aim is for! I love the MTC it's such a wonderful experience here. And believe it or not you feel the spirit here 24/7! The church really knows what they are doing! 

 Well Sunday we had a Devotional which was way amazing to watch and also Tuesday we had a Devotional also where Quentin L. Cook spoke to us about being loving missionaries. That seems to be the theme here. And I really like that theme because it's simple and real easy to follow. Well I don't know what else to say, just a ton of fun stuff is happening. Like 4 square for gym time has become a pretty big deal for a few of a missionaries ;) and really it's just a fun time here. As we learn more about the gospel with each other (The District) we just bond more and more, it'll be sad when we all have to leave next Wednesday. But we all agreed to stay in touch. 

Well I love you lots and hope everything is well back in Brigham City! 

 P.S. Sometimes I forget there is a world outside of the MTC... I forgot there was such thing as a Walmart or even Texas Roadhouse.