Elder Jepsen - God gives me peace, balance and purpose

I love life as a missionary. There is so much to do and now after having been a missionary for almost nineteen months there is still so much to learn as I am just beginning to get some perspective on the true meaning of an infinite learning curve. As a District Leader I appreciate the efforts and hard work of missionaries in the district and benefit greatly from hearing their stories of both failures and success and I can relate, because all missionaries experience both ups and downs many times during their missions. They are good, experienced missionaries that I can rely on, trust to do their part and they make our district great. 

I have some good people to look up to in the Washington Spokane Mission. Our leaders are great and I have a great appreciation for our Mission President, he is truly amazing and I couldn't wish for any better. He's a good man and I support his leadership. 

 

We've had to do a lot of finding in our area this last little while, as many of the people we were teaching have turned us down. It's helpful and inspiring in times like this to remember that when one door closes, others often open. As long as we keep doing our part, God will help us find the people that seeks Him, that He has prepared for us to teach. 

We are here to teach and there is a lot of people seeking the peace and balance that God has to offer, although sometimes they might be unaware that what they are seeking comes from God. But, with preparation, prayer, God's help and an open heart, we will find them and help them find that peace and balance again. 

That's why I love what I do and why I find it rewarding, even on days where the obstacles seem to dominate my view. God gives me peace, balance and purpose and there is no greater moment than when I experience others make that same discovery for themselves. 

Elder Jepsen - It's a Good Thing!

Thank you for all your prayers. Know that my prayers are with you, always! I love you guys. 

This week we have been blessed with so much to do. The work is going well and it's been very humbling. We currently have a lot of people preparing for baptism and seeing people change, as they acquire the teachings of God and apply them in their lives, is like seeing miracle after miracle all around me. I love being a missionary, it's a privilege and very gratifying experience, it makes me want to be a better person, that I may be more for others. 

I love the gospel, for everything that it teaches me and so many others. Living by the altruistic principles taught throughout the scriptures and by the leaders in the church really helps avoid many of the pitfalls and difficulties in life. I have only lived a few years yet and my limited life experience doesn't give me as much to draw on but I see the principles that I aim to live by, changing people's lives and easing their trials. Feasting on the gospel is feasting on life itself. It's a good thing! 

Thank you, Mom and Dad! Thank you for raising me with the necessary principles to allow me the privilege, that I could prepare for and be a part of this great work. It's a truly magnificent experience. 

Love you, 
Elder Jepsen 

Elder Jepsen - I Am a Missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and I LOVE IT!

Our team has changed. I now work with Elder Omohundro and we both call Elder Taylor our trainer. Elder Omohundro is very eager to work, we get along great and I'm happy to serve with one who has so much experience to draw on.

It's been a difficult week, to be perfectly honest I've been struggling with taking over this new area but on the other hand some incredible miracles have happened.

It's a satisfying experience when we are allowed the blessing and experience it is to bring someone to church. As usual, they'll often be a little uneasy around a crowd of new faces but as they feel welcome and (if they have opened their hearts sufficiently,) feel the Spirit, they end up enjoying the experience.

An even greater experience is when we have another baptism to look forward to and it could seem that we soon might have that blessing as well and life is good!

It's a beautiful thing to have the privilege that I have, sharing the gospel, that God's love is available to everyone who honestly decides to seek Him, with an open heart. It moves me deeply that I am allowed this blessing in my life, to serve God and see His blessing become apparent to others as they too seek what God has to offer.

As missionaries we ask a lot. We are not offering a book, a membership in a social club or "Pudding of the Month Club." We ask that people reconsider their view of life itself, priorities and goals. We ask people to change, and it can be a challenge to consider as great a change, as a commitment to live according to God's directions can be.

The people we meet come in various levels of preparation for the gospel. For some it's an all new world of difference, and for others it's as if the introduction of the gospel is the only natural next step in succession of their preparatory steps to this particular moment in their lives. But, if facing it with an open heart and wanting to know, the gospel is an eyeopening experience unlike any other and it's truly great to help guide people in the discovery, that God lives and He really cares.

I appreciate that both of you Mom and Dad, and my brothers Paul and Lee all served missions. Now it's my turn and I am glad to be here, it's a GREAT blessing. I am a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and love what I do!

I hope you have a great week. You're in my prayers and I'm grateful for everything you have done and do.

Love,
Elder Jepsen

Elder Jepsen: Sharing the Gospel

Well, I was transferred and just like my last area my new area is awesome! We are in what is known as the "Temple Zone," meaning we're fairly close to the Spokane Temple. The area has a lot of great families and the Church is strong here. 

We're surrounded by forested hills and decided for a nature hike today, when we had a little time for it. I'd send you pictures but I forgot my camera but if can imagine really beautiful and awesome nature, you've got the picture. 

Our area covers two whole congregations and we get 1100 miles of travel allocated each month. My companion is great just like past companions were, he's 23 and from Arizona. He's dedicated and focused on our task here and I'm sure I'll learn a lot from him. I'm grateful to be here, the gospel is wonderful and a mission is great! I love sharing the gospel! 

One of my favorites, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf once said: 
“May I invite you to rise to the great potential within you. But don’t reach beyond your capacity. Don’t set goals beyond your capacity to achieve. Don’t feel guilty or dwell on thoughts of failure. Don’t compare yourself with others. Do the best you can, and the Lord will provide the rest. Have faith and confidence in Him, and you will see miracles happen in your life and the lives of your loved ones. The virtue of your own life will be a light to those who sit in darkness, because you are a living witness of the fulness of the gospel (see D&C 45:28). Wherever you have been planted on this beautiful but often troubled earth of ours, you can be the one to “succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees” (D&C 81:5).” 

I can't think of a better way of saying it but they are certainly words well worth following, just like Elder Uchtdorf is great example behind the words. 

I like what a mission does for me and I like what my mission does for others, once again I'm grateful to be here. I Love you Mom and Dad! 

Love, 

Elder Jepsen

Elder Jepsen - Visiting the Washington Spokane Temple

Our prep-day was changed because of Memorial Day, this gave us an opportunity to attend the Spokane Temple and I was once again reminded how much I enjoy the Temple. It's a fairly new temple. Plans for the Washington Spokane Temple were announced in 1998.  


Temples are always beautiful buildings in each their own unique way. Exteriors as well as interiors are such as one would expect for a House of the Lord. But, I think the real beauty is in the transformation that follows the adherence to the teachings and ordinances performed there. 


The welcoming and all-embracing peace I experience in the Temple is unlike any other experience I have ever had. I feel closer to God while there but I can't spend every day in the Temple, or I wouldn't have time to practice and share the very teachings that makes the House of the Lord a blessing. A good visit to the Temple will renew my focus and lift me spiritually but I must live it and share it, and that has it's own rewards. 


The missionary work here began in 1854 with four Elders that came to the area and began sharing the gospel and the last available numbers show 257.710 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in 503 congregations for Washington State.


We are quite blessed as missionaries that the Lord has chosen to trust us with teaching quite a few good people at the moment, I find it encouraging to see people progress and change as the gospel opens up to them. We currently have three baptisms scheduled and are hoping to schedule two more this week. I am grateful to be a part of it and I will let you know as it all develops. 


The Washington Spokane Mission is about to experience a change of leadership as President and Sister Palmer soon finish their missions (three years). Our new Mission President couple will be President and Sister Mullen and I am sure they'll be just as great as President and Sister Palmer. 


Love you all, 
Elder Jepsen 

Mother's Day 2012 with Elder Jepsen

We were blessed to visit with our Elder Jepsen online from Moses Lake, Washington on Mother's Day. Visiting our second son and his wife after attending church, we sat together in front of his computer (that has since died) and our first son and his wife was online from Copenhagen, providing the online pantomime entertainment while everyone else was doing the talking. 


Everything was a little confusing as almost everybody had a lot of questions for Elder Jepsen to answer and it would be difficult if not impossible to recount the event. In the end Elder Jepsen had mostly listened to a lot of simultaneously asked questions and we were out of time. But, Elder Jepsen is well and enjoying his mission.


To briefly explain who we all are: As Elder Jepsen's parents, we both served missions many years ago. When we met, I was planning to go on a mission and my yet to be wife was considering to prepare for a mission. With the natural bias that comes with a romantic interest I strongly encouraged her to also go on a mission, selfishly convinced that my chances would disappear if she was left to date, while I served a mission (I of course also thought that both she and others would benefit from her service). I must have been convincing, because she beat me to it and left for mission before I did and served as Sister Kirk in the Canada Halifax Mission. A few months later I too was called and served in the Canada Toronto Mission, as the first Elder Jepsen of our family. 


Our daughter went on a mini-mission that through a few extensions ended up lasting four months, which she thoroughly enjoyed. 


When the time came for our first son to serve, he prepared and was called to serve in the England London South Mission. After his return home he later married an American that served a mission in the Brazil Curitiba Mission and they currently live in Copenhagen, Denmark. 


Our second son began preparing and was called to serve in the Minnesota Minneapolis Mission but served the first four months as a missionary in Denmark Copenhagen Mission, due to a delayed visa. After his return he married a Spanish girl from Barcelona and they now live in Esbjerg, Denmark. 


After preparing for his mission, our third and last son was called to serve in the Spokane Washington Mission. Much like his brother, he also was blessed to spend the first four months of his mission in the Denmark Copenhagen Mission, due to a delayed visa. 


The occasion was Mother's Day and what could make a Mother happier and be greater tribute, than being surrounded by her children on Mother's Day? Completing the picture, our daughter called later and they also had a nice talk. It was a happy day and a good day to be a Mother of four wonderful children.


I feel richly blessed to have found such a gem of a woman to be the Mother of our children. Instead of personal luxury, travel to interesting locations or an all consuming career, she chose to give birth to and raise our children up to be good people. My good wife and the Mother of our children has sacrificed all her best years, the prime of her life, "The Bucket List" or "All the things you must do before you die" to be a Mother and raise children. All over the world, Mothers have for generations put their children first through most of their life. 


While unnamed in the great books of history, Mothers are the unsung heroes of all time. They go mostly unnoticed because of the many demands to being a good Mother. 


I can't imagine a greater feat with more lasting effect than true Motherhood. It can't be replicated, substituted or ignored without consequences, you can't outsource motherhood and you can't raise children as you would raise free-range chickens. It takes real time and real heart. But, a Mother doesn't think of all those things, she raises her children because she listens to her heart, telling her to do so. 


We all have mothers but those of us raised by a Mother and those of us blessed with Mother's for our children, have a lot to be grateful for. Let's give thanks to God and all honor the Mothers in our lives on every Mother's Day, every day!

Elder Jepsen - Test the Word of God and You Will Find it True

Sunset view of Moses Lake.

Thank you so much for being consistent and patient in writing me. I am very sorry that I have not been able to email you with regularity or very much at all but please understand that it's not always in my hands. Admittedly, I haven't been great at writing and I am sorry, because I really miss you and love you both. 

Last week we were moving and we now live with a very sweet member family. They cut our hair and ask that in return we  work extra hard and it's quite a good arrangement, because we keep busy and I'm exhausted at the end of each day. 

Wild cacti in Moses Lake.

Moses Lake is very different from what I am familiar with, it's really a desert and unlike Denmark where the trick is to restrict excessive growth in your garden, people's lawns die here if they don't water them and cactus grows naturally! 


People began settling the area of Moses Lake, Washington in 1880 and it was initially named Neppel after a German town. With an estimated population of 301 people, Neppel was in 1938 named Moses Lake after the Indian Chief Moses that was leader of the Sinkiuse tribe from 1859 to 1899. 


Moses Lake has since grown to a population of more than 20,000 people. The airport here has a main runway that's 4,100 m long, covers 19 km², is the largest airport in the entire US and began as a World War 2 training center. 

Elder Taylor (he's the one to the left).

Elder Taylor and I are now serving in three congregations as they just divided one into two. We're serving in the 4th, 7th and the 10th congregation, totaling more than a thousand people. The people here are great and we are not just searching for people to teach, we are also teaching and I love it. 


I am grateful to be here, serving as a missionary. I love you, and I'll show it by continuing to be a worthy priesthood holder and by doing my best as your son and as an Elder, called by God to serve a mission. 

We share a good message that brings out the best in people and can be of benefit to all who choose to hear it and act on it. Adhering to God's teachings brings peace and balance, even when the world around us isn't at peace or in balance. Test the word of God and you will find it true. God's words to us can easily stand testing and I wish more people would have the courage and commitment to do so. 

I'm running out of time again. I am sorry but the library only allows you a short time and it's all we have. I love you and wish I could write for hours about my experiences as a missionary. 

Love, 


Elder Jepsen 

Elder Jepsen and Elder Taylor in Moses Lake, Washington

Elder Jepsen and Elder Taylor. 

Elder Jepsen is currently serving in Moses Lake, Washington. A brother in the local congregation was kind enough to send us a picture of Elder Jepsen with his Arizona companion, Elder Taylor and from the looks of it, they are both doing well. 


The big smiles on their faces could have something to do with having just finished a good dinner at a members home, a known and proven way to bring a smile to a missionary's face (together with an opportunity or referral to teach and share their message).


A missionary schedule is hectic and leaves very little time to get into trouble. Sometimes the schedule doesn't even leave enough time to write home but we'll let you know more as soon, as we find out more.


In the meantime, we continue to pray that all our missionaries around the world are safe and well.

Elder Jepsen - Seek God in Honest Prayer, Faith and an Open Heart

I've been assigned to work with Elder Taylor, a great missionary from Yuma, Arizona, where heat is found in abundance. Elder Taylor finds it pretty cold up here compared to his home state, whereas for me--well, I'm dying in the heat already. I find it quite warm here compared to Denmark but I'm sure I'll adjust to the new climate. A fellow missionary kindly donated a short sleeved shirt for me to use, which has helped. Coming from Denmark I had never seen the need and didn't own a single short sleeved white shirt.


We had a great week. We haven't been able to find very many people to teach but I thoroughly enjoy being able to focus all of my attention on serving the Lord as a missionary.


I have been preparing to go on a mission for a very long time. It took me a while to save up enough to go on a mission, it's worth a lot to me to be here and I am grateful that I can serve. There is a lot of good people in our area. If I can just find those prepared to hear our message, read the Bible and The Book of Mormon, seek God in honest prayer, faith and an open heart--well, He would hear their prayer and what more could I ask? If people would only do those few things, we would not be able to build chapels fast enough. But, the fact that it takes time and effort to find these good people will help me put things in perspective, help remind me of their worth to God and how highly the Lord regards the people that He lets us find and teach. 


I think if people could see the potential that God sees in them, they would be confident, happy and successful, a lot less people would be doubting themselves, their abilities and worth. Stress, anxiety and depressions would be greatly reduced and more people would find peace in the atonement of Jesus Christ. 


Not a lot is required from us to make God a part of our lives. When we draw nearer to God, the fine whisperings of His Spirit isn't drowned out as easily by all the other things we have going on in  our lives. To draw nearer to God we must search the scriptures prayerfully and honestly approach our Heavenly Father in faith and humility. Seeking a better understanding of what God has in mind for us, will help clarify our priorities in life and make it easier for us to make those big important choices in life. 


It's so easy and yet it is so hard for so many people, because it all comes down to making choices. I wish I could help more people find the Lord and see a way though life, just like it has helped me but I have to find them first and they have to stand still long enough to listen and hear the quiet whisper of the Holy Spirit! So many people are busy doing what they think is required and expected of them, that I think they forget their actual needs. 


I pray that I can become a teaching missionary, spending the short time of a mission on building memories with people who honestly are seeking to make God a part of their lives. But, I am certain that as we continue to do our best, the Lord will bless us in our search when we are ready.


Love you,
Elder Jepsen

Elder Jepsen - At the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah

From the left at the Copenhagen International Airport: Returned Missionary and oldest brother Paul, Elder Jepsen, Returned Missionary (Paul's wife) and now Elder Jepsen's sister, Brittany. 

It's only a few weeks ago that my US visa was approved and I left from the Copenhagen Airport for the Missionary Training Center (MTC). Although I officially already was a missionary and my journey from Copenhagen to Provo, Utah basically was a really long transfer, I still had the benefit of a send-off with good friends and family at the airport. My good brother Paul and his wonderful wife Brittany who I call my sister, not "Sister-in-law" as it somehow seems to me like less than a sister. Brittany treats me like a brother and I am blessed to have her as a sister. 


Paul and Brittany unselfishly gave me a place to stay for a portion of the time, when I had to work in Copenhagen to save up for my mission. After being called and set apart as a missionary but still waiting for my US visa to be completed, I managed to serve as a missionary in that same area where Paul and Brittany live and once again be in the same congregation that I had attended while staying with them. I count that little experience as a bonus blessing on top of all the other blessing I have already experienced on  my mission.


Arriving safely at the MTC and trying to learn as much as possible in as short a time as possible has made for some very hectic few weeks but paying attention now can seriously help me later. The MTC is an amazing and effectively run place, each Wednesday several hundred missionaries arrive and they're leaving just as fast, off to their missions. It all happens faster than one could imagine but never at a rate as to diminish the experience. I love it here but soon I must go on to what I have really been preparing for all along, the  mission I was called to do!


A mission only lasts a mere two years and it's my best chance for showing the Lord my appreciation for the many blessings He's allowed me through the gospel. By sharing the message of hope that has helped me in so many areas of life already, I'm taking my own understanding of that same gospel to a whole new level and while the primary focus of a mission is to serve God and our fellow beings, I continually seem to benefit more than anybody.


President Gordon B Hinckley stated that: 
"If you serve a mission faithfully and well, you will be a better husband, you will be a better father, you will be a better student, a better worker in your chosen vocation. Love is of the essence of this missionary work. Selflessness is of its very nature. Self-discipline is its requirement. Prayer opens its reservoir of power. 


It's overwhelming how my own efforts in serving the Lord has an effect similar to that of a boomerang but in a multiplied force. I get back more than I give but this is not to suggest that missionary work is effortless, that it's not hard work and that I don't get tired. To serve a mission  according to your own conscience is without a doubt hard work but well worth it.


Elder Russell M. Nelson said, referring to the Doctrine & Covenants, 63:33 :
"As the work expands at a rate that many have described as "unbelievable," we should recall a remarkable admonition given by the Lord through the Prophet Joseph Smith on 11 September 1831 to the elders of the Church assembled at the Morley Farm near Kirtland, Ohio. There the Master simply said: "Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great." 


Because of my US visa delays I am already a few months into my mission, yet it's only just beginning as I'll soon be to heading for Washington.


Love you all,


Elder Jepsen

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

Elder Jepsen Goes to Sonderborg

Esbjerg is located to the far West. Copenhagen (København) is in the far East, showing the entire width of Denmark, if you don't count The Faroe Islands and Greenland. Sonderborg (Sønderborg) is in the lower left quarter of the map.

Regrettably, we don't have a weekly note from Elder Jepsen to share with you this week. 

A mission is a labor of love, faith and service to God and we are grateful to once again have a son on a mission. We appreciate when we hear from him and continue to remain grateful, even on the days when we don't hear from him. 

According to a reliable source, Elder Jepsen will be been transferred to Sonderborg (see the above map) as of January 17th. But, soon the US visa will be processed and another transfer is coming up.

Please, look for future updates to be posted on the blog. We'll pass them on as soon as we receive them.

Elder Jepsen: Mission Entry 104 - This is it--I am on a Mission!

I am on a mission and this is the best Christmas present I could wish for. But, there is another and not quite so common potential in Christmas presents:  When my family fist came to Denmark, I was very young and my parents had spent a lot of money on airfares and freight for us to come here. We didn't have much and this was the year when Christmas presents took on a whole new meaning to us all. Dad came up with a plan, shared it with us and we all agreed that it was a good thing. We were celebrating Christmas and all presents were to be to the Saviour, just like the wise men brought their presents to Jesus. Dad proceeded to give us examples of what kind of presents our Savior might appreciate. My sister suggested that all secretly bring a straw and place it in a little basket, representing the crib where Jesus would lay every time we had given our Lord Jesus a present that we thought would please Him. Throughout the month of December we all saw this crib slowly fill with straw and when it was time for Christmas it was as full as it could be. It was our best Christmas ever and by time Christmas came around, Dad had fashioned a special letter as if it came from Jesus, thanking us all for the many gifts and that He was very grateful that we had spent this Christmas thinking of Him, by serving His brothers and sisters. In return we received a small little porcelain platter marking the year, so that we would all remember Him and this Christmas, always.


This year I am the recipient of my personal gift from the Saviour and I couldn't be any happier. I am actually on a mission and I have looked forward to this time for as long as I remember. Because of US-visa problems I am still here in Denmark, no more than a half an hour from where I used to work and live but I am a real missionary on a real mission. A mission anywhere is still a mission and eventually "Elder Jepsen goes to Washington."


Although my trip to the mission field consisted of hopping on a local bus for a couple of blocks--I still feel plagued by jet-lag and have felt a constant need for sleep since the first day here. On the upside, I have no problem falling asleep at the end of the day. Starting a mission is hectic, demanding and hard work. This is why you didn't hear from me last week, sorry.

It's now fifteen days since I was set apart as an Elder, my trainer's name is Elder Tolman and I really enjoy working with him. We were both moved here to Frederiksberg at the same time and we're both new to this area. I love being a missionary and thanks to the Lord and Elder Tolman I already feel like I have been doing this all my life.

We are in the Frederiksberg area and congregation, the Mission office is in our area and we share an apartment and area with the Assistants to the President. We also have a married missionary couple in the area and two Sister missionaries.


Because we are close to both the mission office and the Temple, there is always a lot happening here and with the population density so high in our area, there is always lots of people to meet and teach. We have been spending much of our time teaching people in the streets and knocking on doors.


Yesterday, I had my first real teaching appointment. It actually came as a surprise to me when we were invited inside but it was very pleasant surprise. They were very friendly people, there was a welcoming and pleasant Spirit there and we taught them about the Book of Mormon. I am looking forward to meeting with these people again. I so enjoy being a missionary and I can hardly wait for tomorrow, next week, next month and next year--this is all I had hoped for it to be. I am happy and grateful to be here and be a part of this mission.

It's not easy to begin an area where we both have moved in on the same day. Fortunately, Elder Tolman has experience in being a good missionary and that's a good place to start.

I hope you are all doing well and  may you all have a Merry Christmas!

Elder Jepsen

Elder Jepsen - Mission Entry 103: I Too Am Going On a Mission!

I was supposed to be in Provo, Utah, getting ready to enter the Missionary Training Center in preparation to serve my mission. That was the plan but these are the facts: I am not in the MTC, I am not in Provo, Utah and I am not even in the States. 


I am getting ready to go and get set apart to serve in the Copenhagen Denmark Mission, where I did much of my growing up. The processing of my visa was delayed, just like it happened to my brother Lee but I will be off for the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah at a later date. 


I look up to the many missionaries I have met through my youth. I have observed their unselfish service, they're great examples to me and I have a lot to live up to! I must admit that I am a little stressed about now going to be one myself but for now I am off to serve a mission and that's what matters to me. By the time you read this, I'll be a missionary serving somewhere in Denmark and I can use all the prayers I can get.


It may seem anticlimactic to some but what makes a mission great is not about new places and experiences, adventure and travel to distant countries and cultures. It's about service to God and service to your fellowman. The Book of Mormon has stated it much clearer than I can in Mosiah 2:17:


"When Ye Are in the Service
 of Your Fellow Beings Ye Are Only in the 
Service of Your God"


I am excited to go on a mission and regardless of where this might be in the world it's still a mission, because this is not about me. This is about helping others find strength and peace in God as I have. This is about making God accessible to others and God matters to everyone, everywhere. People everywhere can benefit from the peace in our hearts that come with the Lord's blessings. David A. Bednar, An apostle of the Lord stated God's gifts to include strength, protection, assurances, guidance, loving kindnesses, support and spiritual gifts which we receive from, because of and through the Lord Jesus Christ. Here at the time of year when many thoughts and activities are focused on Christmas are those not gifts worth receiving?


I believe that God is the same today as he was yesterday or a thousand years ago. Ergo, it's important to me to be be a member of a church of the same organizational structure that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth. I believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly and I also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.


My Mom and Dad both served full-time missions and Stake missions, my sister served a long mini-mission and both my brothers served full-time missions. I appreciate their examples as I look up to my family but I am not going on a mission just because they did. I chose to prepare for and go on a mission because I want to and because I believe it's my responsibility to share what I have been given. Yet I could not just go on a mission on my own accord. To be a missionary, preach the gospel  and administer the ordinances of the gospel I had to be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority.


I was called and next I will be set apart by those in authority to do so. I chose to accept this challenge and go on a mission because I believe in God, the Eternal Father, in His Son, Jesus Christ and in the Holy Ghost. I believe that we all are responsible for our choices in life, good and bad but that God's mercy allows us access to His peace, redemption and forgiveness. I believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.


We can find forgiveness, strength, peace and redemption in God. The terms, principles and ordinances of His gospel are not at all difficult: First, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost and that's what I'll be teaching on my mission.

Elder Jepsen - Thank you God for blessing my son, his new wife and our family

He's home, he's released and he's happily married but I came across this comment in the blog and it warmed my heart all over again. I can't help being reminded that it really was all worth it and how great a feeling it is when others feel the same way. Missionary work is truly a great blessing to our youth and all the rest of us!


Jan 14th 2011, a comment was made a comment on "Minnesota Minneapolis Mission Update" that I think gives credit not only to Elder Jepsen and the Spirit in missionary work but also the many people behind the scenes making it all possible. Thank you to all of you, I hope and pray that Elder Jepsen earned his place in the mission field:

I just returned from my mission in Minneapolis. I was in the MTC with Elder Jepsen, I think I met him his first day there. I only served near him once in the field though, the transfer he trained an Elder from Finland. He's an extraordinary missionary, well respected, loved by his fellow missionaries and by the people of Minnesota. Thanks so much for sending him on a mission. He was a great example to me.
- Martha Harper (returned Sister missionary from the Minnesota Minneapolis Mission)


Thank you to all of you many wonderful people that made it possible that my sons could go on a mission. Thank you for support and thank you for being there. Thank you to Mission President and Sister Howell, thank you to the many missionaries of the Minnesota Minneapolis Mission, thank you to the wonderful members of the Minnesota Minneapolis Mission, thank you to all the people writing and supporting him while out there without whom it would not have possible, thank you to friends and family everywhere and thank you God for blessing our son with faith and spiritual knowledge, thank you God for letting our son be instrumental in helping people's lives find faith and strength in you as Elder Jepsen has done so many times before, thank you God for keeping and returning him back home safely, thank you God for blessing my son, his new wife and our family, these are the things that matter most. Thank you!
  

Video from Ximena and Lee's Wedding

Our wonderful daughter-law Brittany just sent me a beautiful tear-jerker of of a video from when the New Jepsen couple were exiting the Copenhagen Denmark Temple after the completion of their sealing ordinance.

I truly enjoyed this video and if you have been following his mails when he was still Elder Jepsen only a few months back, I can only recommend that you watch it. The great photography and excellent editing combined with and absolutely perfect soundtrack tells the story well. I was moved!



Ximana becomes a Jepsen: Ximena and Lee's Wedding Day from Brittany Watson on Vimeo.


A have also included a little reminder to help us all remember the blessings of the temple:

Elder Jepsen - Elder Jepsen is Going on a Mission

Elder Lee Jepsen came home off his mission March 31st 2011 and was released as planned!


Lee went to the the Copenhagen Temple and married a sweet Spanish girl on Canada Day 2011, also known as July 1st.


Now, everything is about to change. Another Elder Jepsen received his calling to serve on a mission. Lee's other brother Eric just received his calling today and is planning to be checking into the Provo MTC on his Canadian Grandmother's birthday, also known as December 6th (2011). In retrospect, it now takes a little longer for a US visa to be precessed than it did in the past and we experienced a delay in Elder Jepsen's plans. The date of departure for the US was postponed, giving Elder Jepsen an opportunity to serve a portion of his mission in the Denmark Copenhagen Mission before going entering the MTC.


Eric will be serving in the Washington Spokane Mission (the State in the US closest to his Canadian birthplace--British Columbia, Canada). 


As the green area on the map indicates, this mission covers portions of Washington, Idaho, Montana and a small corner of British Columbia, Canada.

Spokane Washington Temple, erected 1999

The Washington Spokane Mission includes the following Stakes:

Coeur D'Alene Idaho
Colville Washington
Ephrata Washington
Hayden Lake Idaho
Lewiston Idaho
Moscow Idaho University
Moses Lake Washington
Othello Washington
Moscow Idaho
Sandpoint Idaho
Spokane Washington
Spokane Washington East
Spokane Washington North
Spokane Washington Valley
Spokane Washington West
Wenatchee Washington

President and Sister Palmer

The Washington Spokane Mission President S. Mark Palmer and Sister Jacqueline Ann Wood Palmer, of the Barton Creek Ward in the Austin Texas Oak Hills Stake, began their mission back in 2009 and will be serving until 2012.


Brother Palmer was Born in Te Puke, New Zealand and has in the past served as a stake president and counselor, bishop and counselor, high councilor, high priest group leader and missionary in the New Zealand Wellington Mission.


Sister Palmer was born in Rochdale, England and has in the past served as a counselor in a ward Relief Society presidency, ward Young Women president, ward Relief Society teacher, seminary teacher and missionary in the Spain Barcelona Mission. 

Lee Jepsen & Ximena Peredo Married Today on CANADA DAY!

We are pleased 

(well, thrilled actually) 

to announce the 

marriage of our son 

Lee Jepsen 

and 

Ximena Peredo 

today,

July 1st 2011 at 1:30 PM 

local Danish time.

The marriage took place at a temple of 

The Church of Jesus Christ 

of 

Latter-Day Saints 

located in Copenhagen, Denmark. 

We wish to thank you all for the attention at our sons wedding and following receptions in Esbjerg, Denmark and Barcelona, Spain. 

All messages and greetings sent to the blog will be forwarded to Lee and Ximena ASAP. They send their greetings to you all, thanking you for your patient support, friendship, and kinship (XL greetings)!

Lee's brother (Eric) is currently waiting to hear what the latest news about his upcoming mission might be. The applicable papers are submitted and we might know further details already a couple of weeks from now. Updates will follow on the blog.