LEADER SHIP TRAINING!

We’re “FALL” en in LOVE!

Yes, we have “Fall”en in love!  Every day we see missionaries who have “fall”en in love with missionary work.  We are getting caught up in the happy cycle of loving what we do and doing what we love!  MISSIONARY WORK.  It is a pure joy!

Autumn is a beautiful time of year to “Fall” in love with this great work and be”leaf” it that the effort put here in the garden state of New Jersey has been tremendous.  Our missionaries are working very hard. They plan their work and work their plan to see miracles happen. A young 17 year old girl named Sophie is just one of them.  She belongs to a Ballet Dance Company and noticed one of the girls on her team is always happy.  She asks of course why she is so happy and the girl opens her mouth and expresses her beliefs to interested Sophie.  Sophie gets on Mormon.Org and finds out more and that you can request missionaries.  She tells her Catholic Mother and Jewish Father that she wants the Mormon missionaries to come and teach her about the LDS church.  Her parents were of course not very thrilled with the request.  She gets a Book of Mormon and had already read a third of it before the missionaries even come.  She loves it.  After meeting with the missionaries and going to church she asks her parents if she can be baptized.  Of course they say no and tell her she has to wait until she is 18. She finishes the Book of Mormon and continues to plead.  Her father thinks she has fallen in love with the people and not the religion so he took her to another ward to see if she still feels the same way. Her family went with her and we received a text from her that said she loved it and felt the same way with this ward as she did the other ward.  Now isn’t that the way it should be all over the world as we go to sacrament meeting?  Our missionaries were praying that it would be a good meeting! Thank heavens it was.  We had some investigators come to a testimony meeting several months ago and many of the testimonies were about travel etc and not the gospel which was sad for the investigators and for the missionaries.     

Two of our sister missionaries were walking down the street and watched a man walk past them.  One of the sisters said to herself, “Oh, I should have opened my mouth and said something.” She turned around to look at him and she saw him looking at her.  They were just starring at each other. He approached her and said “Do you have something to tell me?”  Amazing that he felt prompted as well and yes, she did have something to share with him.  Can you be “Leaf” these stories.  We have several a day which help us to continue to “Fall” in love with the work of saving souls. 

We just finished “another” stake conference.  We call the missionaries up to stand in front of the pulpit.  We also have the senior missionaries too so we can put a plug in for them as well.  When you see the missionaries come down the aisles to the front everyone becomes emotional.  You can just feel the power as they are bonded together as a great army of righteousness.  It reminds us of the scripture in Luke 24:32 “And they said one to another, did not our heart burn within us, while He talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the scriptures?”  Everyone’s hearts seem to burn as we talked about the missionaries and testimonies of opening your heart to open your mouth so we can share the gospel. Many a member cried watching these wonderful missionaries stand before them.  I speak as the missionaries come up and everyone was so touched today it was hard to talk.  Jon, of course, can get everyone excited about missionary work.  We didn’t even need a rest song after he spoke because he gets the congregation worked up.  No one sleeps when he talks!  You can be “leaf” that! People think he was a Baptist Minister convert the way he talks from the pulpit. It was fun.  The missionaries were happy and we hope the members will now go out and help them.

We had leadership training with all the new missionaries who have come to New Jersey since January.  It was a couple of long days starting at 8 am and finishing at 4 pm.  There was a lot of teaching, training, role plays, music and lots of food of course.  Being with the missionaries is always the best part.

We have finally been able to start our mission tour of the apartments.  It is very interesting to see where these missionaries live throughout the state.  Happily, most of the apartments are clean, tidy and there is a good feeling present which is what we are looking for.  There are a few, mind you, that need a swift kick in the pants to clean up and remember the scripture from D&C 88:119 to have an apartment of glory, an apartment of order, an apartment of God…but you better be “leaf” we are working on it.

Our monthly focus for September was two fold:  First, planning.  President Jeppson laughs at Sister Jeppson because he told her he has never seen anyone plan like she does.  She has taken to heart from Preach My Gospel pg. 146: Goals reflect the desires of our hearts and our vision of what we can accomplish.  Through goals and plans, our hopes are transformed into action.  She is already planning for Christmas Conference and then when she said, “hmmmm, I’ve been thinking about next summer’s activity: he said. “I don’t be “leaf”it!!!! He thinks she is in love with planning!!!! Well, maybe it’s a sickness but we hope our missionaries catch it! Second, To always remember Him! May we all continue to “Fall” in love with the Savior everyday and with missionary work. Open your heart and it WILL help you to open your mouth. Help those missionaries find people to teach on the home front.  We know you can do it!  You better be “leaf” it! May you always remember HIM in all you do.  Have a beautiful autumn season. We love and miss you dearly, Dad and Mom, Jon and Bonnie, President and Sister Jeppson