CAMPOS DO JORDÃO

 Olá from Campos, my new area! And wow, can I just say I love it!! Seriously, it is beautiful!! Super different from my other area. Green everywhere, smaller town, in the "mountains" (its actually the highest point in all of Brazil), and considered cold haha. Well, cold for Brazil haha...amazing for me!!! 

My companion is Sister Enout from Riberão Preto brazil. She is amazing and we have a great time together. And we are living with two other sisters who are working in our area as well, Sister Algarte, from Londrina Brazil, and Sister Knudsen, from Bountiful Utah (who arrived fresh form the CTM). 

Our area covers a few cities, and all far away, so we will be doing more long distance traveling than normal. In fact, our area is not even a branch yet! It is a group of about 40-50ish people, in the process of becoming a branch. In fact, the chruch just started up again here 4 months ago, after 10 years of being gone. We don't have a chapel either; we meet in an office building of one member Vitor, above some stores. Super different, but really neat. The past two baptisms here had to be done in a little swimming pool haha. Goooood stuff. The members here are amazing, and all so excited and doing everything to help become a branch.

Transfers were pretty crazy haha. I traveled with Sister Algarte and Knudsen...it was about 5 hours total. And pretty hilarious because to catch our bus we had 3 minutes, and so imagine the three of us each with giant suitcases trying to run to make it in time. it was a miracle to say the least hahha. But, we arrived well, and our house is awesome (an major upgrade from my past house haha). 

And well, this first week was a bit crazy as well. Because after one day, Sister Algarte was sick (she wasn't feeling good this past week), and to keep things short, had to go the hospital and stay there this whole week becasue of a stomach infection. So, Sister Knudsen and I worked in the area while sister Enout stayed in the hospital with her. And haha,,well it was a bit tricky, but we managed. We both don't know the area, and there is no map here because it doesn't work to have a map...and I was also helping Sis. Knudsen with her training since she just arrived. Buuuut, all is well, and we got help form the members and a recent convert who is just the best! He is a legend because he quit smoking and drinking within one week, and got baptized soon after, and everyone knows him and talks about how awesome he is and how God changed his life. He is seriously the best. So he helped us out a lot finding everyones houses, and just has the most genuine testimony. 

Well, Sis. Algarte is still out and figuring out whats up with her health, and so we are now in a trio, Enout, Knudsen and me. Church on Sunday was super neat and different. I gave a talk (it was super last minute when i found out haha, but I managed). It was in a corridor of the office building, and we had about 50 people there!! Super awesome. 6 investigators came as well. And the members have a lunch together after once a month, so that was great too. 

And basically, I love it here! will continue to update with more details next week because I am short on time. 

But I am so happy and love love love the mission!

com amor, 

Sister Jeppson

My new companion- Sister Enout from Riberão Preto Brazil

Sister Knudsen

Greeeeen!!!! A bit of our area (will take more pics this week)

Our house 

Last Day with Sister Gomez

My "daughter"(Sister Gomez) and "granddaughter"(Sister Cámera that
 Sister Gomez is training now)

Last week in Ermelino Matarazzo

Olá!! 

Well, It was a great last week in Ermelino Matarazzo! I am being transferred!! woo! I am very excited, My new area is Campos do Jordão, way in the interior (more countryside). I leave for it tomorrow morning!! More details next week, but it is supposed to be super pretty with a ton of trees (woooo!!) It has been an amazing almost 7 months in Ermelino, and I have learned SO MUCH. But I am super excited to experience another area. 

Então, this week´s main items haha:

-We taught D, a reference that is interested and was looking at the church site. we answered his questions and were able to teach him. It was a cool lesson, even being on the sidewalk with a ton of noise and cars passing by.

-We were contacting near a park, and started talking with a women sitting on the park bench. Turned out it was her day off of work, and she had the whole day to do nothing. Sooo, we were able to teach her as well! It was awesome, and she loved that families can be together forever! She is married and has a one year old girl. Obviously I wont be able to see her now since i am being transferred, but we are excited to teach her. 

-When we went to a teaching appt for a girl, C, she was asleep. But, her boyfriend and cousin were there, and we were able to teach them talk with them a lot answering questions. It was a neat discussion, and the boyfriend has a lot of knowledge of the bible, and lots of questions. He really liked our message, and is studying more! And the cousin accepted a book of mormon as well. So, although we werent able to teach the girl we planned on teaching, we found two new people out it! 

-The little boy that is preparing to be baptized continues to be awesome. We are just waiting now for the approval of his grandma, who said in April he can be baptized. It is a bit tricky with his family situation, but his aunt and sister who are members as well, are excited for him. 

-Our investigator C returned to chruch again, with a new desire to learn and receive an answer. He has moving along with small and simple steps. 

-And on Sunday Sister Gomez and I gave talks, and I also played the piano haha. It was a last minute thing, but I managed . And I said my goodbyes to the wonderful people of the ward!! There are so many great peole here, and I will miss them for sure. But, on to a new chapter!

Oh! and crazy about the new announcement that we can call every week! Super exciting, and will be weird at first haha. But wow!! way cool. 

até proximo!

te amo,

Sister Jeppson

The stairway to heaven (haha one of the many hills/stairs we climb)

Making cookies for Family night

Irmã who made me a giant chocolate Easter egg because I won't
 be here for Easter haha. The sweetest!!

Irmã cleusa, irmão Silvio, geovanna, Caio (goodbye cake)

Caio..love this kid

Os Elderes

Bispo Luis

Irmã Cristiane e Irmão Genuine

Irmã Terezinha

irmã carla e irmão renato

Bea

Irmã Socorro e Irmão José

Irmã Creusa, Bea, Gabriel

The one and only Irmã Socorro making cake (my Brazilian Grandma)

Grafitti

Eating Pastel

The district (Elder Molina, Elder Sherrow, Sister Rocha, Sister Castillo, 

special appearance, Marie (ward member)

Coconut milk after the climb

Love the trees here 

Um pouco de frio...e doença

Olá! 

Well this week was great except for Sister Gomez getting sick for the majority of the week. We ate some food that was not very good, and probably expired...sooo it killed her stomach. It didn't have a huge impact on me except for the same day. But with Sis. G, it was bad. She was throwing up, and all that fun stuff, so by Friday we had to make a trip to the doctors, and she got medicine in her, which helped a bunch, She is pretty much back to normal now, but taking it easy on what she eats. 

But man, sometimes I don't ever think i will be totally accustomed to the food here. It is rough on the stomach at least one day each week haha. And just to give you a glimpse of what i had to eat on Sunday...three main courses (lasagna, meat, and chicken) with of course rice and salad. Luckily beans were not present at this meal. And then you throw on the cake and ice cream, and juice with that. But, it makes life just that much more exciting right? haha

Other things:

-I had divisions with Sister Rocha in São Miguel (an area close by). It went well and was fun except for getting DUMPED on all day. We just laughed at how we looked (like wet dogs), and kept at it. Just to give you another example of how crazy the weather is, it was a bit cold this week and rained a majority of the week. And its back to hot, hot hot again today. We were able to teach some neat lessons, with some people that had a ton of questions about the gospel. And I helped her with her English and learning how to sing some primary songs. Good stuff. 

We are teaching an 8 year old, who is the brother of his 17 year old sister who is returning to church. He is the sweetest, and just has a great testimony of the gospel. He has been going to chruch on and off for more than a year with his Aunt, but His Grandma wants him to be taught for at least a month now before getting baptized, so we are teaching him until then. 

And, well thats the main stuff that happened this week that I can remember haha. Até mais!

com amor, 

Sister Jeppson

São Paulo being pretty

Irmã Luana, Irmão Alex, Pedro

Irmã Creusa

Irmã Dina e Irmão Kill