The Mantel of Fatherhood...a.k.a: Training :)

So this week has been so long that it was short. That doesn't make sense but it is the only way I can describe it haha. It has been a pretty eventful week so I'll get right down to it! 

Progress:

This week was slower on lessons because of weird time period between coming into the land and getting settled that new missionaries had. The main thing though is that C* is still on date to be baptized:) She is a stud!! Just a all around someone you would want to be around. She is an example to me for sure :)

She will be baptized for sure but her brother wants to come and she wants him to be there so we are just lettlng her figure that out. We are  making sure to be sensitive that it is her baptism and not ours and that we need to let her feel comfortable that we are here to help but that she can make it her day:) But she is doing great!

Sidenote* She was my first lesson that I was to take over as a trainer and it also happened to be very very intense!  I was on the wire to make sure I was being sensitive to everything and even just understanding the Danish. It can be a little frustrating sometime because I really want to be able to answer things but I don't have a full grip on the language yet... but sådan er det!

Language:

It is over 9000! (the few people who get that can laugh;) ) But I'm progressing exponentially now because its all on me to be the one to communicate for us to function in this Danish culture haha. When My new comp (ill get to him in a sec) can't say anything else or doesnt understand, it falls to me to take over. The best part... I can :) I'm very greatful for the gift of tongues because I have been speaking like a champ when I don't think I otherwise would be :) Fun thing though, on Saturday I basically spoke danish the entire day because we woke up and went to go play soccer with some members, then we hurried back to get ready and grab a bite before going to the church to set up for a baptism for a boy in the ward, then we had an eating appointment and then contacting:) So it really showed how much I didnt know I knew because I made it through pretty well:)

My "søn" :) :

He is called Elder Cody Jensen and he is from Oconomowoc Wisconsin. He is a way chill guy! He is very determined to learn danish and go out and serve. He is actually a year older than me and did a year at BYUI so thats fun. He is very good to just go with whatever which I appreciate because there are some missionaries who won't do that. So we have gotten along pretty great and have actually been really busy this past week:) He uses a ton of his free time getting down danish grammar and vocab and is super happy to be here so we have been having a good time! We kinda just train each other because he askes tons of questions that alot of times i am not to certain on so we look things up together haha. Good stuff!!

Here is a little week overview with highlights:

Mandag:

See last entry for the goodbye sadness.... But that night me and Elder Jensen ( a different one who is a HOMIE :) ) and Elder Gardiner (my Mtc comp) were all in a trio and it was nuts. I've never seen more energy in one place and it was so much fun! That energy was what found a very positive potential named I*. She is about 24 and is a student in Odense:) We had a fantastic 30 minute convo with her and she took a Book of Mormon and we bore some strong testimony to her and she could tell that there was something different there (The Spirit was pretty strong:) ) But she said she wants to meet with us and come to the YSA activity on Tuesdays so we will see what comes :) But afterward you would have been amused to watch three 18 year olds with their hearts "filled with joy" let their happiness out across the gå gade at 8:45pm on a monday.... Good Stuff:)

Tirsday: 

Me and Elder Gardiner Were together all day and we really only did bike repairs, visited Vo Long, and Went to CUV. Vo Long has taken to ginving us Cookies and juice now so he is just as happy as ever:) We get to read the Book of Mormon with him to help with pronunciation so its awesome:)

Onsdag:

We got up early to go to KBH befroe we got our new trainees and went to go see the Kristus Statue and the heart of København. Then we took all the new missionaries out to go try contacting:) It was so fun! I can't beleive that was me almost 4 months ago that I was in that spot:) Good times! We then went to the stake center to eat pizza and then get right down to it. We had a short training and then got our new companions! So much fun:)

Torsdag:

We had District meeting followed by district lunch followed by 2 hours of service which turned into dinner, followed by an hour lesson with C* followed by små kage aften.... Way busy day:) Good first day for Elder Jensen though!

Fredag:

Bike problems.... don't want to focus on negative things though ;)

Lørdag:

See language section

Søndag:

We got extra sleep!!! i love daylight savings time! That was the first time on the mish that i was just a little tired ;) haha. But it was a great day! We had church and I got to bless the sacrament in danish and I totally nailed it so I was pretty pleased:) Then we went and had a lunch/dinner eating appointment with the ward mission leader and that night did some fun contacting where we found a girl named Poula who is pretty interested! The work moves forward:)

Other:

I recommend two talks:

1) Remember Lots wife by Jefferey R Holland

2) Truly Good without guile by Micael T Ringwood

well....i recommend more but just start with those two ;)

Also any missionary or future missionary reading this, read "The 4th missionary" by Lawrence E Corbridge:) It will change your attitude:) 

I even got the link for ya:

https://www.google.dk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CDoQFjAEahUKEwjEqNDv99_IAhXF_iwKHQ4yCzs&url=https%3A%2F%2Fannathemissionary.files.wordpress.com%2F2013%2F06%2Flawrence-corbridge-the-fourth-missionary.pdf&usg=AFQjCNGohxR5q-LcRpHLdehFsE7LO1vmiQ

Also, The wonder kitchen lives on and it produced the first ever banana pancake bread so it does produce good stuff every once in a while ;)

Have an incredible week alle sammen! Be the kind of person your mom hopes you are :)

MKH,

Ældste Jeppson

President and Sister O'Bryant, Elder Cody Jensen from Oconomowoc Wisconsin (3rd Companion), Elder Jeppson 

The Whole new crew! 

The Domkirke where the Kristus statue is. 

Peter

Paul

Elder & Sister Turpin, Sister & President O'Bryant, Elder Jeppson, Elder Poff, Elder Jensen, Elder Amos, Sister Missionaries 

A solid Kobenhavn snapshot

Elder Gardiner, Elder Jacob Jensen, and me- The legend of the Perfect trio....

The District Elders and Elder Turpin

The Wonder Kitchen lives on- Banana Pancake Bread

Transfers, Training, and Harry Potter- "What a week"

Honestly this may have been the busiest week of the mission.... I'm going to go through this time by day because it has been so packed!!

Monday: We took an essential pday on this day so that we could attend the Harry Potter festival on friday (ill get to that :) ) That basically means we took a much shorter pday and worked more. It was your typical missionary day:)

Tuesday: I forgot to bring my journal and i honestly cannot remember tuesday for the life of me.... sorry :) But it was a good day let me assure you:)

Wednesday: I have some things to say about Wednesday:) So first off we all hopped on a train to Frederacia (On the Mainland of Jylland) We had a zone training there which was absolutely smashing. The main theme was on stress and how we break out of stress cycles so that we could focus and it was amazing! Then we had a really fun thing happen.... President got up and announced he would just do transfers then and there a day early in front of everyone! 

Annnd guess what, Im staying in Odense! Im so happy about that:) This Place is really so amazing:) Oh yea... I'm also training a brand new elder so that will be something fantastic in my life:) Im actually way excited to train! especially since Odense is such a good place to do it. We will se what happens but the Lord will qualify who he calls so I'm happy :) 

That also means I get to do Christmas in the third largest city in Denmark:)

Wendesday night was something alltogether unexpected.... So we went to our friend T* and he opened the door of the upgang. So We walk up to his door and he opens it, we walk in and sit down, and hey whats that on the table.... 

Weeelllll..... it was an empty bag of drugs and a tool to use the drugs. I wont go into specific but lets just say the spirit was not there, and that he was not there either.... to the point where he was so belligerent that he didnt remember what we were there for haha. So he basically told us 5 minutes into the lesson that Elder Gifford just decided to try and go on with, that he should tell us just how much drugs he used 10 minutes before we got it there.... Soooo we left haha

So long story short... we had to drop him. But kids don't do drugs, they mess you up big time!

Thursday: Sorry I can't exactly remember that either..... but missionary stuff;) Actually, a family took us out to eat at an all you can eat restaurant and lets just say that place probably has a picture of me because of how much sushi I went through.... No regrets:)

Friday: Definitley remember this day..... So We went to the Harry Potter Festival today. Its a huge annual thing they do here and it was so fun! Everyone gets so into it and all the kids run around casting spells at you:) I got in a duel with a very heavy 8 year old who kept casting the killing curse willy nilly. Who does that? Lets just say, slytherin never wins :) 

But it was way sweet because we played quidditch! I thought it would be a little lame at first, but just imagine when rugby meets hockey meets tag meets basketball with a broom between you legs. Just all out chaos with a very small amount of actual stratedgy. haha:) So much Fun :)

Saturday: This was a way sweet day! We did some "Blitz splits," which means you put a ton of missionaries in one area for a day and get tons of potentials! We ended up giving out 18 Books of Mormon and getting a bunch of potential for the Svendborg Elders:) I had a way good experience with Elder Poff while we were on splits down there:

We went to knock some doors, and we walked for an hour to get out to where we had to knock. So you can imagine thats pretty long to walk, and it was, but we still had yet to knock. We were a little tired and didn't have the best attitudes, but then I had the impression to pray to know where to knock. So we did guess what, the second door we knocked on was the one! It was a giant house that looked like it would be the least likely to have sucess with. The lady that answered said, "good thing you came right now, because I'm not home during the week, come in"

Well... we did:) We ended up having an hour lesson and the spirit was very strong :)  We  invited her to read the Book of Mormon and she was just so positive about it all:)

Sunday: The last day of my companionship with Elder Gifford:) And it was a really sweet day! I gave a talk in church and was surprised to not butcher it! Blessing one. Then our district sang "Saviour Redeemer of my Soul" in Danish And the spirit was so strong!! Blessing 2. Then we continued to have a great day all day and blessing three goes like this. On the very last contact of the very last day of Elder Giffords mission, we contact someone who wants to learn more:) so we switched info and now we will be meetng with her soon :) The church is so true:)

Well that was as much as i could jam in in my short time haha:) But This week has been such a great testimony building this week! Ive been on a high note this past week and it keeps going :) I know without a doubt this is the Church of Jesus Christ, and I know my Father in Heaven knows it, and I cannot deny it :)

Ha, en rigtig hyggligt uge! Jeg håber i finde en nye måde til at hjælpe velsige andre mennisers liv:)

MKH,

Ældste Jeppson

Me casting spells with Dumbledore:) Diagonalle Lamer! (thats the stupify spell in Danish haha)

Playing Quiditch

Our Awesome Zone!

A TON of pastry we got for doing service #blessed

A typical foutain in Odense

Me on the shoulders of H.C. Andersen 

Elder Jensen (so awesome), Me (no comment:) ), Elder Brindley (central Utah boy part one) Elder Gifford (central Utah boy Part two) 

Part 1- Vietnamese Karaoke, The Haka, and Super Cakes, Part 2- "We're Famous"

Heyyo I gotta get going on this because I spent too much time reading and looking at pictures from you lovely people so I’ll get to it:

Progress:

This week we found a new friend named E*. He moved down from Aarhus last year and the missionaries lost contact with him until us. We rode out to meet him and we had a pretty good lesson but he wasn’t super positive about wanting to commit to anything. We invited him to pray about the Book of Mormon and if it was true because he was thinking he should just take our word for it. Wellll... he didn’t listen to well because we started off by telling him that he could receive answers from Heavenly Father, so . . . we will see what happens. Great guy for sure! Has a huge red beard, he’s in his thirties and spends a lot of time playing World of Warcraft.  lol.

Vo Long is just a champ. Need I say more? :) This week he told us he was sergeant over 17 men in the Vietnam war and that he could fire a cannon 18 km accurately (that’s is insane!). We had a little Hjem-Aften (literally a home evening) where an older lady in the ward had a get together for those who are new in the ward so they could become more incorporated. We got the privilege of escorting Long out to her house and I must say, he can HAUL for a 65 year old man who has been through war :)

C* was in states this week because her brother got in a bad accident and passed. It’s been pretty rough on her and hard right now so we aren’t doing anything at the moment. We decided to just give her space and let the awesome YSA comfort her and help her because they are close in a way that we can’t really be with her.

So our boy M* from last week totally quit smoking cigarettes like a champ. We go and just check up with him on how he is doing and share scriptures with him because he has been taught the lessons before and I don’t want to just pound him with lessons just because we are missionaries. We are just being his friends and talking about doctrinal stuff he has questions on but for now that’s where we are at. 

Stuff:

So this week we ate at a Vietnamese member’s house. She LOVES  missionaries!! She insists we call her mom and loves to feed us! She made us tons and tons of Vietnamese food! We ate cow heart and liver and tons of way crazy stuff! But the funniest part was we sang Vietnamese karaoke to this one song in Vietnamese around 5 times! Very catchy;) 

This week at the joint ward harvest festival there was a talent show.... and needless to say, the 8 elders of Fyn wowed the audience:) We did the Haka (the crazy awesome rugby dance/chant) Elder Amos (our brit) taught us how because he played a lot of rugby in England before the mission :) It was such a fun experience and the whole place went nuts (no big deal..... )

So on Wednesday we watched the last session of general conference because of the time difference and we were asleep on Sunday when it showed. So the Turpins had us all over for dinner and then we all brought dessert and watched it.

And in honor of Elder Gifford going home we made a cake and this is how it went:

1) Make a sugar cookie base. Cover with Nutella.

2) Make a chocolate no bake layer. Put on top of last step.

3)Make meyers choalte death brownies (that stuff is insane). Put on last step and cover with creme cheese frosting.

4) crush oreos over that

5) put a sugar cookie cap on :)

6) the rest of the frosting

And that is what came to be known as operation diabetes:) It took about 2 kilos of sugar, 1 and a half kilo of butter, and around 20 eggs:)

It was legend.... wait for it.... dary :) haha

Misc:

My thoughts are kinda scattered in this email but here are some other things,

I finally bought some rain fenders so my butt won’t get so wet every time (you’ll see... )

We rode about 100 miles total this week we figure . . . I’m just a bit sore :)

Sorry that this was super discombobulated but we got so busy this last week and I can’t even remember right now haha.

Have a great week!! 

Ældste Jeppson

Elder Jeppson and Elder Amos (My favorite Brit)

"Operation Diabetes"

Everyday before Bike Fenders

Danish Skies are pretty  much the best

Me in my After hours best

We are Famous :  Elder Jeppson and Elder Gifford were in the Danish Newspaper.  Here is the article translated roughly from Danish.

Young Mormon: I help people to feel God's love- Wednesday, October 7, 2015, 10:35(Two young Mormons. Photo by Rasmus Kej)(Two young Mormons. Photo by Rasmus Valentin Kej)Carson Gifford is a Mormon and missionary from Utah. By helping others motivated him to spread a religious message. In October, he travels back to the US for two years.By Rasmus Valentin Kej"Would you like to start, or shall I?""You may well take the first," replies Brandon Jeppson softly to Carson Giffords questions."What do you think about religion and God?" No answer. Two women ignore the question from the Mormons and passes them.Carson Gifford try the next. A young woman. She seems to have an interest in religion.After a minute writes Carson Gifford her contact details down and gives her a business card.20-year-old Carson Gifford is a Mormon and missionary. In 2013, he left his family in Utah in the United States to spread his religion in Denmark. The way he does it is to talk to people on the street or knock on doors. Right now it's Brandon Jeppson 18 years old from California, he enlists members. But he changes his partner every six weeks. And in October, he travels back to the US again after missionary in Denmark just over two years.Darkness has fallen in Kongensgade in Odense. Not many people are left. The two young men passing by groups and turning instead to people who are alone. Like the two women, there is not any in the pedestrian area which will accept the Mormon church business card.Carson black jakkesætssko enter periodically in small puddles, today's rain has left. His hands rest quietly in the pockets of his gray suit pants. Outside of his blazer, he wears a black wind-breaker. On the left side of the chest sits a sign with the name "Elder Gifford". The jacket is zipped down a bit, so a tie and a white shirt with a high collar can be seen. And on Carson's shoulders hangs a gray-green backpack. His short, blond hair is driven to one side."It's like when you've seen a good movie. You want to show it to everyone, "explains Carson after that there is a man who has said no to their business cards. He is backed by Brandon, who says it can be hard, but they love their work.When Carson missionary work in Taastrup he helped an alcoholic. The man came out of his addiction and into the Mormon church. That's what makes Carson happy and motivates him in faith - he helps people closer to God and out of problems.After buzzing around town stops the two Mormons a man at the Fish Market. Kenneth Boel Mejnert says he is very interested in the Mormon faith. Kenneth is at the end of the 50s."I've been in Utah," states Kenneth stuck while he grand gestures talks about his travel in the United States. A broad smile spreads on Carson's lips as Kenneth adding that he actually visited a Mormon temple in Utah. He ranks Kenneth a business card that appreciative applause Carson on the shoulder and want good evening."It was a good conversation," says Carson. "I help people to feel God's love."

Holy Smokes.....It's October

Well I feel cheated by time once again but it is Monday.... craaaaazy soup. But I did manage to use some of the time before it sped by so here comes the snippets of once again.... a pretty dang fantastic week:

Progress:

So we did a tonnn of service this week so we didnt have a ton of lessons but the ones we did have were quality nonetheless. C* Is doing great but we had to move her baptismal date back to the 31st because her brother got in an accident so she is going to the states to go and be with him and her mom. But she is doing great and loves the gospel:) Its hard for me to teach her sometimes because I feel like she is already so engrained in the ward here and with the young adults haha. Its great though :)

Vo Long is still mobbing decently hard and loving it all. We are trying to keep him busy in the church doing family history work and stuff and make sure he isn't forgotten about. But as long as I'm in Odense I got his back:)

T* didn't really pull through this week for a lesson so we will have one this next week. I'm not really sure what to expect but I'm pretty optimistic:) 

We have two new investigators that we have lessons with next week so that will be fun. We don't know a ton about them right now but I''ll tell you whats what next time:)

Service:

SO we did a ton of it this week so let me give you a little taste of what some strapping young missionaries do in Denmark for service;) 

SO on Tuesday we had two different service projects that took basically all day. The first one we went and worked in this older lady's garden and mowed her lawn and stuff. Pretty normal right? 

Well the next one gets more fun:) We helped a lady who is less active cut down trees;) That was a puzzle to solve because if we cut them wrong we would send them crashing down on her fence or her glass greenhouse. So we did some pretty quick work of the smaller trees but we experienced a little more trouble with the last one. It was the tallest and the thickest (probably thicker than around than my waistline.... and thats getting a little thick ;) haha ) But we ended up using a rope and a pitch fork to make sure it didnt fall on anything:) (I wont tell you how because the methods were not the most safe or orthodox...) But afterward we checked off our lumberjack merit badge requirements and then basically got force fed koldskål...... 

The 2nd part to this service stroy took place on Wednesday. We helped some people in our ward move out. I must say they had a lot of stuff but it wasnt' anything new on the moving part. Shout out to my dad for teaching me how to move pianos in and out because it wasn't a problem:)

 After about 4 hours of that we got called in to do some heavy manual labor. It was way fun because we got some overalls to wear and stuff and for some reason the whole thing felt like a small farm feel in the 60s haha. But we helped put up a giant steel barn frame and our Bishop was doing some arc welding and stuff but basically it was way fun:)

Other good stuff:

I got asked to give a training on contacting and how to show our love through contacting and it was way fun! I thought of a ton of ways that I've seen other missionaries contact and stuff to help mix it up. Some of them include:

1) english contacts (they think its fun to speak english with us)

2) asking about pastries;)

3)Asking if they'll answer a question while I'm using a voice recorder to record them (they think its more official)

Good stuff though:)

Conference:

So we watched Saturday morning live on Saturday night at 6. Then on Sunday we watched preisthood session at 11 and then Saturday afternoon at 2 and then we watched Sunday morning live at 6. :) Then on wednesday we will go finish it up at the Turpins (the senior couple in odense who are AWESOME) 

My favorite line was by Eldere Stevenson, "The lord will qualify who he calls"

Waayyy powerful!! For anyone who doesn't feel worthy or good enough, read this until your eyes fall out because its way true!

Fun:

Did some sweet chalk contacting this week with the whole district and it was such a blast! There are some good pics we got but its fun to see what peoples reactions are to a bunch of mormons coloring on the ground with chalk #nevergrowup

Now a word from elder Gifford:

"Peanut Butter"

And thats it from our sponsor folks. Stay tuned for the next episode as our heroes press forward on their quest. ;)

--

Ældste  Jeppson

Elder Jeppson- a much better flip picture:)

They sell small cloud shoes here

Wu tang Ghost (where you at Nate and Ben)

Chalk Contacting

#Lifeincolor

Teaching Elder Gifford to feel good vibes 

We won the cleanest apartment award :)

Couch Models - Elder Gifford, Elder Poff, ?, Elder Jeppson