25 December 2017

Week #70


And His name shall be Wonderful


Merry Christmas! I hope all is going well all across the world on this special day! cant believe today is actually christmas.... Feels like we just had christmas! hahaha yesterday it snowed about 3 feet of fresh pow, so me and the boys this morning had to go out and shove..... JUST KIDDING!! but the dang Sahara desert is killing tarkwa with its dust! so some how we had a sandy christmas and it was not white but like a brown orange?? ahhahah ghana is special so we get cool christmass! hahahahah 

well as i think about what i can share about the savior on his "birthday" (thats another discussion) i would like to share about what i know about the single most important moment in the history of mankind, that is His Atonement and what it has done for me. 

something got my mind running a few weeks ago when i hear a comment during institute, now most people and even missionaries teach that the atonement of jesus christ started with his suffering in Gethsemane and ended with Resurrection on the third day, which is absolutely TRUE! but i dont think our savior would ever go through such pain and agony with out a reason why and even how as WE humans would benefit from his priceless sacrifice.

i believe that the words and teachings of Christ are Part of our Savior Jesus Christ Atonement. His words are the treasure map to access his atonement, he has given us common men to use his sacrifice in our lives so that we too may also eternal life. yes the sealing of the atonement is his death. but christ words, teachings, stories, parables, are the way that we can use it. 


ive learned to cherish the words of christ. we on this earth have soooo little of all of the words that christ spoke BUT we do for sure have enough! the atonement is REAL! but it only works if we study for ourselves and find how to access such a gift from our God. i love the christmas season, even though in ghana i dont feel like its acutally christmas hahahha its still fun to celebrate and remember such a miracle our christ was to us. 


I LOVE YOU ALL. i am so grateful for my family! as i just talked to them i know that they are in gods hands and they are my backbone, without them i am nothing and i am grateful of the knowledge of eternal family. Let us all share our knowledge of our savior even after christmas has come and gone, i mean who wouldnt want christmas 365 days a year!!!?? hahahaha


much love as always


elder jeppson


1.president bought piutau and i some FUFU soooo nice!! hahaha
2.Trainers follow up in Cape Coast!
3. well.........this is traffic in ghana... no one is moving btw for about 10 minutes, like a bad jigsaw puzzle gone wrong. hahahah 7 hour tro to tarkwa............yummy
4. me trying to get festive hahah
5. baptisms on xmas eve!! soooo perfect!
6. HAHAHAHAHAH carols night was soooo funny! fat ghana momis singing christmas songs in fante is just tooooo good
7.SLAYER!! hahaha just boys playing a nice nerf war on christmas morning
8. made some breakfast burritos for xmas breakfast!! 












18 December 2017

Week #69

well hahahhah idk actually


honestly this week was just too fast or somehow sooo long im just getting more confused as I sit here and think about it hahahah

nevertheless, I think elder piutau and I had a good week. I finished up my exchanges with the district and we said good bye to elder bills..... man that guys is a legend! (he'll be in eagle on jan 18) hahahah

really got nothing much to say. xmas season is not an easy time in Ghana to get new people to come to church cause bro............. THE PARTIES THESE CHURCHES THROW........... but we are doing our best to help people know the truth and join us for another great sacrament meeting on xmas eve instead of a free concert for like 4 hours. HAHAHA

ill write a better email next week but I just want everyone to know that Ghana has started its hammatahn and guys.................. if the sun keeps it up im gonna have to bye some new shirts from having to wash the BLACKNESS off my collars.......... those things are getting sooo weak and are hangin on by like a thread! hahahh mission is sooo fun. those little experiences are just priceless!

alright!! till next time, enjoy a wonderful Christmas holiday. nothing beats this time of the year.

love you all!!

elder jeppson

1. ohhh the stuggle of a camera man is also in Ghana! hahah
2. piutau chllin while im in my favorite room regretting my lunch, breakfast, snack, ect hahahah



11 December 2017

Week #68

growth and change


last monday we got on a tro and took a good 2 hour ride to TADI! hahahh we spent the night in the senior couples house. we watched the Christmas devotional with a side of popcorn!! the music finnally made me feel like its actually christmas time hahahha and the best BEST part of the night. GOT TO SLEEP IN AC!!  man the way we cranked that thing on cold!! all of us somehow got sick and it was soooooo cold it was unbearable!! felt bad for elder massaquoi (from Sierra Leon) coughed the WHOLE night! hahahha but we had to enjoy the AC while we had it!! hahahahah oh we are soooo dumb sometimes! lol the next day we went on another tro (2 more hours) to CAPE for the xmas devo for tarkwa zone!! it was soooo great! love our zone and inspired mission president! drove all the way home 6 hours in a tiny car on ghana roads............. YEEEEEEEAAAAH BAABBBBBBBBBY, we died

the highlight of the week was i got to go on exchange with elder Bills!! been almost a year since we went on our last exchange wayyy back in assin fosu! soooo cool how much we both have grown in the gospel and our way of teaching in just 1 year!! im sad to see elder bills go home this Wednesday, especially cause he'll be in Eagle in january!! but i truly have seen a powerful man finish his mission strong and complete submerse himself in the work of the lord. i am striving to be like him and finish strong!! BUT MAN the way that guy can speak the Fante! makes me look like a kid! soooo cool! wish him all the best and his someday future wife! ahahahhaha

funny story had like fufu like 2 or 3 times this week given to us by members, but one of them was a massive fufu dinner with palmnut soup, now for the 4 of us it was relatively small, but the MEAT!! it was tooo much!!! like 6 fishes (2 different types) cow skin, they call it goat fish but i think it was just goat, and then cow knee...... yes COW KNEE's!! hahaha the funny thing is all of the meat is preety good, (cow skin makes me gag small but its normal lol) but the cow knees are absolutely DISGUSTING!! and none of us could eat the 2 big ones he gave us so we do what all missionaries do when they cant eat it........ find a place to hide it! hahahah

i guzled my water sashay down and then we stuffed it into the bag and asked our brother for more fufu, he was stoked and went to the kitchen and got us more. while he was in the kitchen i ran out the door and chucked that sashay with the knees in it SOOOO FAR!! i swear it had to be like 50 yards!! hahahah quickly came back and sat down for MORE FUFU!! hahaha man the way i was full but it was sooooo funny!!!

gotta love these people! they truly are the happiest people in the world! 

love you all

elder jeppson

1-2 us at the xmas devotional in CAPE!! enjoyin the spirit of our leaders and even got to watch the polar express!!! 
3.  the legend bills and i! 
4. ohhhh elder piutau. chilin in primary room cause for some reason they are the only class in our whole church that has AC.......... i know im confused my self why they get it.... hahahahha






04 December 2017

Week #67

Exchanges!


I went on a couple of exchanges with some of my district members this week and i thought id be somehow teaching them but man the way they taught me different ways of teaching styles and examples i love it! and to add to that elder piutau and i were able to get 9 NEW invetagators this week........ SOOO much we hope we can meet with all of them this week haha the work is moving and so is time... kind of weird how that works.

one of these brand new investagators taught me something and made me look at the role of the holy ghost a little different. this man that we met and taught was named Joanna, 35 year old man that lives, works, sleeps, and eats inside this little 2nd hand clothing shop thats part of the old train station here in tarkwa

what ive come to realize that everyone knows a part of the truth of the everlasting gospel and even if its not 100 percent correct they know there God in a small small way. everyone comes from some church, hears some man preaching on the streets, or a radio broadcast, ect. and off what they hear becomes part of there view or opinion of who god really is.

as we asked joanna about who God is and eventually we asked, "Joanna to you who is the Holy spirit??" he paused for a moment i assume to collect his words into english, he humbly replies, " the holy spirit is the one who remembered all the words that jesus christ said when he was on the earth and when we need answers or help the holy spirit will tell us what to do and remind us of those words jesus said when he walked this earth. "

i was in amazement and awe, never in my life i have thought of the holy ghost like that and its soooo true what brother joanna has said. that holy spirit was THERE with christ as he spoke to the disiples. he remembers EVERTHING christ spoke and when we asked the father questions he grants the spirit to give us a small portion of Chirsts words and for all we know that simple answer could change the way we are and how we act. so grateful for Joannas words, i love how i learn when im teaching. it makes teaching sooo much more enjoyable! hahaha

also got the opportunity to conduct 3 baptismal interview this week for my first time ever! what a treat that was. one of them a 10 year old Innocent little boy made me tear up and get very emotional, as i asked him about the law of chastity he told me how he as a small little boy was gonna live that commandent that god gave him. his answers were sooo sincere and real, he talked about having happy thoughts and remebering that hes gonna have a family one day and he needs to prepare for it.

God speaks even to the smallest among all his children. so glad i get to witness his work and his glory as he teaches his children how they can return to his presence, lives are changes and the knowledge of His light becomes sooo real its impossible to hide.

God bless you all! have a great, loving, grateful week. some are in the dark, while you are in the light, offer a hand and help and bring someone into the fold of christ.

love

elder jeppson

1-2. sister phylis, one of our most progressing investagators, shes sooo sweet and loves the temples!
3-4. CHAPPLE CLEANING AND TOILETS! haah
5. BUSY BUSY SATURDAY!!!!!!!








27 November 2017

Week #66

Defending a book


well this week was a fast one and we were expecting a few people at church but naaaaa hahahah satan is working tooo hard on our investigators i guess, so we are gonna have to send in the Calvary AKA THE BOOK OF MORMON! the ultimate book of defense. 

for some reason this week everyone we have been running into seems to be a Jehovah witness.... now if you know anything about them they like even have a different bible so even using the bible to back up your testimony about this gospel is just useless. but something elder Piutau and I are trying to imply in our proselyting is when questions come from people we meet we try and answer it using the Book of Mormon! 

hahah you might ask your self how can you answer a question lets say about adam or eve, or of the life of jesus christ of even a question about the people of Israel. how on earth are you gonna use the book of mormon to answer a question like that!?! its something that elder nash did and i saw the effect of using the book of mormon to answer questions. when you use the bible to prove or show your point of doctrine your nearly trying to Convince someone of the truth. BUT when you use the book of mormon to answer not just the average questions but even the soul searching questions you are Converting someone to the gospel.

i know its not going to be easy but i know the only way to defend this truth unto the power of conversion is through that book. the challenges are endless, but the potential of lives changed are endless. i challenge all of you to study that book so that when friends, family, co-workers, ect. come asking those curious questions theyve always wanted to ask, YOU can defend the faith and help the people you love so dear know the Fullness of the Everlasting Gospel. 

I LOVE YOU ALL SOO MUCH. my prayers and blessing be upon you all. thanks for the support!

elder jeppson

ps. like 28 days till xmas but like who the heck is counting...........................heheheheh

1.THANKSGIVING FEAST..... hahahha somehow
2. The young women had there program on sunday and all these wonderful beautiful girls did such a great job and its fun to watch there testimonys grow! 
3.......................HAHAHAH oh elder Piutau is sooo tired of fetching water from the well so when it rains he just enjoys it and takes a nice rain shower hahahahahh




20 November 2017

Week #65

Hot then Rain then Back to Hot then more RAIN


Tarkwa is just such a cool area! elder piutau just had such a fun week. we see anything weather it be a shop or a person or a cool shirt! we stop and talk to litterly EVERYONE!! we had a greet week with many new investagators and still trying to scope out this massive area! missionary work is not jut fun but its the chillest! that doest make sense but when you just love what you do life seems sooooo simple. teaching.talking.learning.sleep.repeat. (PLUS FOOD) hahahahah

well funny story: after a lonnnng day elder Piutau and i were walking from the University in our area. and it had been raining all day but i mean who cares its just some rain but all the pot holes on the road were covered and as we were walking in the dark back to the house along the highway a big olllllllle semitruck drove by and hit the pot hole FULLLL OF MUD and water!! hahah yea we got soaked it was halarious! but the cool thing is that a taxi driver saw the whole thing and immediatly pulled over and said,''GET IN OR I WONT GO TO CHURCH!" hahah we were like what the heck who on earth says that!? so we got in and found out just that day the ZL's in another area in the next town had GC'd him and gave him a pamphlet. he said you guys are men of God and i need to do some service so thats why he stopped and took us to town for free!

there are still some wonderful people in this world who still see that god blesses his children even from the slightest things that we do to serve and help those around us! also want to thank the ZL's cause with out there constant efforts that man probly would of never picked us up. because of there effort a man was blessed and us after we were just soaked got a nice ride  back to town! God has his ways, they might be weird or strange, but who knows maybe one day that man could be a bishop, idk but all those little seeds planted but US as latter day saints will one day blossom into a beautiful Lilly!

another great week ahead! loved the pics of the temple dedication! god has granted the tresure valley with another temple, lets make it count and use it!! WORK WORK WORK till the work is finished!! love you all god bless!

elder jeppson

1-6: TONGANS CAN EAT!! WHOLE COW! hhahahah
7.the legend and i
8. rice ball and palm nut soup with a side of smoked fish. one of my favvvvs


 





13 November 2017

Week #64

Malo e Lelei


TARKWA!! my new area is sooo cool, and ohhhh my goodness it is HUGE! i cant believe how cool our area is. tarkwa is a BIG mining town in ghana! so its pretty dusty but i thought it was gonna be a bush... THIS PLACE A CITY! its actually a way nice area! and my companion and Second son is elder Piutau! from tonga! hes got a great sense of humor and loves the work. we are excited to get to know tarkwa together! hahha

well it wasnt an easy saying goodbye to nkanfoa, the apparment, the companion, the members, it was all just too unreal amazing. but all good things come to an end sometime so that we can start a new chapter. the 4.5 hour tro tro ride to tarkwa from cape is not the fun at alllll! hahaha and the first night we got there water and power were both out. they have fixed the power but for the past almost week now everymorning and night we go and fetch water from the well outside our house to bath....OHHHH GHANA! its sooo dope to be a missionary here. doing things you never thought youd have to do! lol

we had district conference down in takaradi on sunday so it was great to see soooo many members of this district get together with the idea of in the next few years to create a stake here in Tarkwa! I LOVE SEEING THE WORK GROW!

well nothing really to say more, excited for another week ahead full of good times with a tongan! hahah love you all!

elder jeppson

no pics........... card reader is not working hahahah


(updated 14-Nov with pictures)
-the family lineage!! hahaha getting big
-tarkwa and its massiveness!
-good ole boncu and okru stew

 

06 November 2017

Week #63

Words of Appreciation


this week was AWESOME!

first off, i have been called to Train AGAIN and also elder mease has been called to train!! sooo proud of that guy for how far he has come, he is ready to train. i am confident! and also i will be whitewash training, opening a new area, and being a district leader..... YEA ITS GONNA BE ONE CRAZZZZY RIDE! hahahah so im preety sad im gonna be leaving my city, Cape Coast! but im excited for the new journey!

i cant describe how grateful i am for the lords annointed servents. this week we had elder nash of the africa west area presidentcy come and instruct our mission for 5 hours.... Blessing upon blessings as that man opened up his life and laid it all on the table. he sees the future of our mission and he wants us to get there. hes wants us to elevate! i loved every word of his instruction. as a young missionary himself in south america he told us how hot he says it was. so he just straight up said, " youve been called to ghana, embrace and love the heat, its what you been called to do." BAAABOOOOOM! man i loved that so much for some reason.

elder Nashs relationship of the savior is something i envy to be like. his appreciation for jesus christ can not be written. he knows his savior and he encourages all of us to do the same. study his words and get to know him. For about 2 hours of him there we got to ask him any doctrinal sound question, that man answered EVERY question using the Book of Mormon..... it was sooo cool the way he related every question to some story in the book of mormon. i strive to be that conversant with the scriptures but i know the only way to be like that is to study them. and study and study till i can never forget them. We in the ghana cape coast mission was given such an honor to hear from one of the lords servants.

the rest of the week was great and busy learning from our investagators and trying to resolve there questions. we had 2 investagtors again walk all the way from a nearby village to church. man i love the faith of those that have found the truth, its a miracle in the process!

IM AN UNCLE!! hahahah congrats kenz and andy on there new babies! love you all and my prayers and blessing be upon you for your help and love you all show me! i miss you all


elder jeppson

1.pizza with the boys to celebrate mease training!
2.late nights by the beach...so pretty
3-6. having to say goodbye to the best ward ever...not an easy goodbye
7. its an art to watch these guys fish.... pretty cool!








30 October 2017

Week #62

Cape Coast, Nkanfoa


well this next week could be my last week in Cape, transfer news is saturday....

nothing to report this week. had about 50 people say they were coming to church and about 2 came so it was a solid 5% as usual hahah went on a few exchanges with the elders in my district and life is just always sooo sweet.

missionary sunday was yesterday and i was able to give a talk on how we are all growning together in the church. told them about jethro, moses father in law and how he told moses what he should teach the people. a humble servant such as moses himself hearkend to the words of jethro because he sustained his leaders. gotta love the stories in the old testament. My reading in jesus th Christ has been nothing but a dream. i missed learning about the saviors life and what a perfect time to do it cause guess whats in like 9 weeks..............CHRISTMAS! hahah my goal is to finish the 700 page book before that hahahhah LETS EAT

nothing else to say besides ive learned to love talking to people about what missionaries do. people might not care about our message, (YET) but they are sooo concerend why 2 obunis are walking around all day in this hot sun telling people about christ. so its a blast to explain our purpose and why we are here and why we even came on mission and left the great land of "America" hahah its a seed waiting to grow. as people see what we are willing to go through to help others they will want to learn more and eventually know the truth for themselves.

we walk and talk cause we love.

HAVE A GOOD WEEK! happy halloween, mease and i are thinking of dressing up as muslims and trick or treating president hahahahh elder nash of the 70 will be at there house on halloween night so were having second thoughts but i think it would be kind of funny! hahah we will have to flip a coin i guess.... HAHAHAHAH love you all!

elder jeppson

1.our water filter after like 3 hours of use.... water is yummy\
2. just some coconut and CAPE BEACHES



23 October 2017

Week #61

soaking, nothing better!


Brother dadzie! the man was finnally baptized on saturday! i thought about the last 3 months on how many times i had taught dadzie and how big of a change i have seen in that mans life. hes gonna be one strong leader in the church in a few years here in nkanfoa! So funny we were filling up the faunt and we didnt know why it wasnt filling. were sooo stupid! hahahahah the plug wasnt in........ and here the best part once we put the plug in we went and proslyted while it was filling........ yea we forgot about it.... hahahahh after we bought some rice were were driving by the chapple and we see just this river of water coming out of the gate. i was like STOP!!!! hahahahha good thing the faunt is out doors. ohhhhhh mission. sometimes you just gotta laugh on the stupid things you do!

well we had our boy emmauell (hes like 55 btw) lol come all the way from Edu-Krom some bush village past nkanfoa come to church! bishop was SO LIT about it! hahah he wants to start a group out there sooo bad. so we will see what happends but were soooo excited! also a recent convert before i came has gone less active and she finnaly came back to church! speaking of church....yikes! as fun as it was to see the chapple packed to the BRIM like seats in the hallways! halfway through this, not to be rude, beyond awful talk by the high coucliman, guy litterly read every verse in D and C that even metions the priesthood hahahha THE POWER WENT OUT!! yea ghana.... no fans..... lots of people..... put ya to sleep talk..... I love it. 

hahahahah well that ghana for you and you just learn to appreciate it! i started jesus the christ again! plan to finish it before xmas. so we will see. that a lot of pages in just 10 weeks. but that book.... yea you wanna know jesus a little better ( alot) read that book!

well nothing much else to say. the gospel is true, people can change through the will and power of god. the book of mormon, yea its still true hahah well i love you all! god bless you

elder jeppson

Pics -- just some goood ole fun.. baptisms, chicken killing, amas husbans builidng there house.... with MUD hahahah i love ghana so much