Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Elder Jepsen - Opening Our Hearts to the Spirit

This will probably be my last email before I leave for the US. Soon I'll be in the Provo Utah Missionary Training Center (MTC). Although I feel like I've learned a lot already I know I have a long way to go. I have a firm belief in God and I enjoy reading the scriptures but I have a lot to learn about being a missionary and I'm so very much looking forward to the next step in my experience

The single biggest thing I have learned is that ultimately I need to not get in the way of people experiencing the whisperings of the Spirit for themselves. I can tell them about it, I can share my experiences of learning from or through the Spirit or I can ask people to read about it but they all have to choose and open their hearts to the Spirit. Anyone who decides to humble themselves  before God by accepting Jesus the Christ as their mediator and Savior and seeking the directions of Holy Ghost in their lives are already well on their way to find the peace and balance in their lives that I try to teach through the gospel. It's not us the missionaries, who are teaching these people but rather the Spirit. I suppose our task is more to facilitate. 

It's been an unusual situation to serve as a missionary here in Aalborg where years ago my sister served a mini-mission that turned into so much more than a mini-mission before she was done. I hope she's not drowning in books and studies these days and has enough time to still take a little time out for herself with her birthday coming up. Back then we didn't know many people anywhere in Denmark having all just arrived to the country. I now know many of the other youths in the church here and it's a strange feeling suddenly being a missionary with all my friends around. It actually seems that I have an unusually large concentration of friends here in Aalborg.

It has been very strange to whitewash yet another area (we call it a whitewash when two missionaries are moved into an area at the same time). Like all the other missionaries in this mission, Elder Harms has been to the MTC, I haven't but we've both been in the field for the same time and somehow that raises the expectations to me a little. I now have to carry my share of responsibilities, occasionally take the lead and there is a great deal to be learned from that experience. I am however, enjoying it very much. 

We are not the only Elders in Aalborg and that makes everything a little easier, as we sometimes split off and work with other Elders here. They know their way around town a little more and that's a lot of help as neither Elder Harms or I know much about the area.

Being all new in the area, we don't have anyone to teach yet but that should soon change. We have met with many good people and there is lots of good potential for teaching.

Being on a mission and teaching the gospel is a great experience and I am grateful to be here. If you had not made the choices to open your hearts to Spirit in your lives and given me a direction and an example to follow, my situation might have been quite different at this point and I might have been without this experience. Instead, I have the example of you and my sister and brothers to follow. Thank you. 

Love you,
Elder Jepsen

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