"No unhallowed hand will stop the work from progressing"

April 30, 2012

Familia,

This week was pretty intreresting!! Elder shoun had a leadership
meeting so I was on exchanges with Elder Hansen, he has been out the
same length of time as me and is going to BAW as well. They don't do
that very often where they put two greenies together, but it went
really well!!  I felt completely comfortable!! I didn't understand
everything but about 80-85% probably. I kinda took the lead cause I
think elder Hansen is a little shy! Well anyways we found 9 new
investigators in 2 days!! That is really good! Then we taught a bunch
of lessons as well! I was in Columbia, which is where James. K Polk is
from. It is a biking area! So we rode bikes about 8 miles a day, not a
ton, but enough for me to be super sore!! HAHA
  Everything else has been going really well! Elder Shoun leaves in
only 2 more weeks! IT is crazy. I am not sure what will happen with me
then cause he will be leaving and everyone that can be training is
training and they get two new elders as well, so maybe I will be put
in a trio.
  This last few days they had this street festival in downtown Franklin
where about 150,000 people go so we just went around and people would
ask us questions and we would answer and talk to them.  There was this
one guy that was super ANTI, he was calling us out on this microphone
guy as we were walking by, then one time he stopped us and was saying
Joseph smith was in Hell and we were heading there as well. Right
after he said that like 10-15 people came over and was yelling at the
guy. None of them were members and they were all siding with us and
saying "Leave these missionaries along! At least they are honorable
people and help bring people to Christ and are nice! They don't tell
people they are wrong they just try to help people!" We didn't say
anything to the guy the whole time just kinda bore our testimonies and
it was really cool to see all the other people support us and help us
out! Everyone in this area really likes or at least respects the
missionaries. It is cool! Oh and the guy had a camera so he is
probably going to make a video of us and put us on some anti website.
.LOL
  The experience though just gave me a lot of love for the people of
the area, even the guy that was anting us. I wasn’t mad at him at all,
and just wished that his heart wasn't so hard. I was kind of worried
what would happen with the video, but I just remembered what Joseph
smith said, that no unhallowed hand will stop the work from
progressing and that is so true!!
  It is kinda funny cause everyone here uses the same anti stuff, but
none of it makes sense, lol. They say that in revelations it says "
you can't take or add anything to this book or ye shall be damned"
However chronologically revelations was written before half of the
other books, and it actually says the same thing in deutromney 4:2.
However we don't say that to the people because it just makes them
more angry. lol
  I hope that someday their hearts will be softened and they will
remember the missionaries, even when they were being yelled at, were
still calm and good guys.. A lot of the mission is just being friendly
with people and offering to help them. Then that way we are planting
seeds for the future.

Well love all of you! Hope all is well! Love Elder Eppich

"It is a fairytale, because it is perfect"

Hola Como Esta?

How is everything going for everyone there? That is awesome about Salt
Lake coming to film you and what not!! It is going to be like the
District for missionaries!! When does it come out?!? I have been
telling people out here to look for you in the videos, hahaha. haha I
hope you throughout my name sometime in those interviews! It sounded
like you had a really great experience!
  This week has flown by and it has been kinda crazy!! The highlight
was probably on Tuesday it was pouring rain and we decided to walk
that day, I personally thought it was a horrible Idea, but it turned
out for us and we had fun! So we were going to visit all of our
investigators and none of them were there or they didn't open the
door, lol So we saw a girl and her son get out of the car and we went
and talked to them. She said you were lucky to catch me I am normally
never home at this time but because of the rain her son's soccer
practice was cancelled! She said she had never talked to missionaries
so we taught her about the Book of Mormon and Eternal Families! The
whole time she was like " perfecto, esto es perfecto para mi" This is
perfect for me!  She said she loves reading and that she was going to
read and pray about it! Then she kept saying how weird it was to see
two white guys speaking perfect Spanish, lol pretty funny cause My
Spanish isn't that good, it is only good when I am talking about
Gospel stuff.. She then offered us some water and set up a return
appointment.
  Then as we were leaving she came running after us and said here is
an umbrella! So she is super sweet and we are really hoping that she
is ready to go!!
  So for celebrity news. HAHA I was showed where Keith Urban lives and
I saw Johnny Depp haha. Kinda cool.
   I don't have much other news because my companion was sick for two
days so I spent the days just reading and studying! I have been
reading Jesus The Christ! It is an awesome book! I have learned a ton
and have gained a ton of knowledge about the life and love of Christ!
It hasn't really strengthened my testimony!!
  This Gospel is true! We had a guy kind of trying to bash with us and
saying your gospel is a fairy tell it isn’t true!!  I realized it is a
fairytale because it is perfect it answers all of our needs and doubts
and I am so grateful to be a part of it and the opportunity I have to
share it with others!!!

Love you all!
Elder Eppich
Tennessee Nashville Mission
105 Westpark Drive Suite 190
Brentwood, TN 37027-5010

From Tennessee

April 16, 2012

Hola Familia y amigos!

La Obra esta moviendo! La Ultima Semana al conferencia de estaca
(stake?) solomiente tenemos tres miembros assitir la iglesia:( Pero
Ayer tenemos 20 con 3 investegadores!  We were pretty excited! But we
could have had a lot more there, so hopefully this week we can get a lot
more again! That would be really good!! We have had a couple tough
days this week, a few of our appointments fell through, a few
different times, so we are still really close to baptism with a few
different People!! Elder Shoun says we always have a few slow days
before the Miracles start happening so I am thinking we are going to
have a huge week this week!!
 I will tell you a little bit more about the area. We actually cover a
stake, because there are not a ton of Spanish members, so we have lots
of areas to cover. We don't receive many referrals, but this last week
we met with a lot of the English members and they trust us now and
they are all starting to jump on the wagon and want to help as much as
they can!! We get fed a majority of Dinners here, so I haven't had to
cook for myself too much besides breakfast and lunch, that is easy,
lol.
 Haha so I have experienced a majority of the stereotypes of the south
I would say, lol. We have been invited to a Bible study; we didn't
know it was a study until after they fed us, lol. Then we were going
tracting and we saw a Group of African American Hermanos playing
basketball and we asked if we could play. They looked a little
hesitant at first to let a couple white guys in white shirts and ties
play ball with them, lol. But it was only on like a 9 or 9.5 rim and I
was throwing it down in my church clothes and they were like “Man
whoever said white guys can’t jump doesn’t know anything!"Hahah They
didn't know much about the church so we shared a bit with them and
they said they would like to go to church with us this up coming week
so we will see! Then yesterday we went to this Grace Chapel church. I
guess one of the finding methods here is to go to different churches
and talk to the members of the churches and their pastors and share
our beliefs and get to know theirs. It is so sad seeing people just
looking and looking for the truth and they try to do the best they can
with what they have, they just don't have all of the truth:(
  I am really loving the people here. Elder Shoun My trainer, Spanish
speaking as week, served here a year ago, so we have been visiting the
members and investigators he had then that have kind of dropped off
the map. They are all really nice and love the missionaries! They are
from all parts of South America and they really like us and love my
name even though they can't say it. LOL
 My companion is from Portland Oregon he leaves in like 4 weeks!

 His family is coming out to pick him up on the 15th of May!!
  How is everything going at home?   How is Nate doing?

Travis Butcher? What mission is Stockton going
to? I have some really good buddies in Nicaragua.  How is sports, and
school going? Planning for all these weddings? Crazy how many weddings
there are going to be! The house is looking awesome!!!
  Let me know if you hear any news on the visas.  Love all of ya!! Take care!!
The Church is true
The Book is blue
and Moroni is on the ball.... Haha I hope this makes sense to y'all
  Love, Elder Eppich

Como Estan? from Nashville Tennessee

4-9-12

Como Estan? Or should I say hey ya’ll.

Hahaha I love this place!!! Tennessee is awesome!!! The family needs to
come here sometime they would love it!! It is a lot like Seattle
because it is so Green! Yet it is a lot warmer! It has been about 77
everyday since I have been here!! We landed in a pretty good storm it
was so cool! It was just like all the songs talking about landing in
Nashville and it being raining and what not!!! I guess it rains and
storms a few times a week so I am definitely looking forward to
that!!! So we get there and the AP's and the Mission president and his
wife are there waiting for us! They all come and give us big hugs and
welcome us to the Mission! They were so excited for all of us to be
there! However within 1 minute they had us going to work! They told us
well your still missionaries get talking! So while we were waiting I
talked to a man about the gospel! And he was a super good guy and said
he like the church and I bore my testimony to him and explained why I
was serving and then I left him a mormon.org card and he said he would
check it out. He wasn't interested in meeting with missionaries at the
moment but would be shortly probably!!!
But the mission was super excited to receive us, because They had had
to shut down the Spanish missions earlier that Monday because the
other visa waiters left, but now they were able to open up 4 new areas
again!!!! They took us to the Mission Home and then fed us a homemade
meal!!! It was crazy! I haven't had real food for 3 months! And sister
Mckee is an awesome cook!!!! So we ate, and then had our interviews with
the president, and then we had a testimony meeting!! It was so much
fun! Then after that they answered all of our questions about the
mission and showed us a slideshow of the mission!! It was really cool
because it showed how diverse this area is and there is a lot of work
to be done!! We read the Vision of the South by President Kimball, it
is so sweet! You should definitely read it! Then the Spanish elders
all have a vision of getting a Spanish stake down here!! They have 5
units they need 7! So were going to get that done! Hopefully before I
leave! LOL
  We then went to bed and I slept so good because I woke up at about 4 am
that day because my companion had to leave so early!! And I didn't
sleep that night because I was so excited to finally be getting to a
real place! HAHAH The next morning they made us a nice breakfast and
then took us to the Transfer meeting.
 There I found out I would be serving with an Elder Shoun from
Portland Oregon! In Franklin, which is just a suburb of Nashville!, we
would be covering a stake because there isn't a ton of Spanish
members, but we are going to change that! Elder shoun leaves in May so
he is excited and wants to end on a high note in the mission so we
already have a few goals!!
  Oh ya, we were white washed, which means that we were going into an
area that neither of us were the transfer before...so we had no idea
what was going on in the area, so we spent the first day visiting the
Spanish members and then tracting in between visits. We also visited a
couple inactive families and they are going to start coming back they
said!! We also found a couple new investigators that are pretty
sweet!!!
  We also have a few investigators that are pretty close to baptism, I
am hoping by the end of the week we will have 4-5 baptismal dates!
That’s my goal at least!!!
  We have been fed a ton! The members love the elders and love to feed
us! Then the other elders think it is funny to tell the members the
new guy wants more so they make me eat so much!! HAHAHAH I am going to
gain weight for sure!!! HAHA
  Yesterday was an awesome Easter! In my personal study I was studying
a lot about the Atonement and I have such a love for the Atonement and
the opportunity that we all have to become clean of our sins and live
with our families again in the presence of God and Christ! I could
not help but be in an awesome mood because this gospel is so true and
I love it!! I hope I can take advantage of every opportunity and talk
with everyone!!!
 My Spanish is doing pretty good! My companion thinks I know quite a
bit, lol. If one person is talking I can follow the conversation
pretty well, but as soon as they have the Spanish soap operas on and
then two people start talking, I am absolutely hosed! HAHAHA oh well
it will come I am sure!!
  How is everything going at home for everyone? Work, sports, school,
graduation, wedding, and everything else?
  Oh if you want to send letters, I guess it is best to send it to the
mission home and then they forward it to us. You will have to check on
the internet the address, we are the Tennessee Nashville mission.
 I am right next to one of the richest neighborhoods in the World!
Like top 5!!! The houses are huge and beautiful!! We hear a lot about
the country celebrities and supposedly Taylor Swift and Carrie
Underwood have taken a few lessons, and they both love the
missionaries, but aren’t currently taking the lessons. Elder Shoun on
one of our P-days is going to show me all of their houses, and on a
Sunday we will visit other churches and talk to the members and the
preachers. I guess there is one church that all the celebrities go to.
LOL

  I am loving it here! Hope all is going well at home!!!!

Love, Elder Eppich

Separated Geographically, but Spiritually Close

April 4, 2012

 

Family,

How is everything going? How is the cabin? I bet it is really fun!
This week was awesome!!!! Conference was awesome!!! I will talk about
that a little bit more later!!! Well I am not sure if Kaitlan told you
or not, but we are getting reassigned tonight or tomorrow!! Crazy huh?
I think they are tired of us bugging them so they are just going to
send us out and they don't know how long it will be until we get our
visas it could be like a day in the new places and then they will send
us to Argentina. I am hoping for Dallas or Denver South! Anywhere
where we have people from our ward serving would be really cool! I am
really excited I told them they can send me wherever as long as I am
on the other side of the fence!! Hahaha the MTC isn't bad or anything,
I am just ready to put to work all that I have learned!!!
  I didn't fall asleep once during conference and I watched all 5
sessions! Who else can say that? HAHAHA It is so hard to choose a
favorite because all of them were so good to tell ya the truth! I
liked all the apostles, Priesthood session was probably one of the
best ones I have ever watched! It was really cool learning about our
responsibility and what not! I also really liked the talks that all
talked about the Family! There is a quote that I liked " Separated
geographically, but spiritually close! This couldn't be more true!
Because even though I will be like 7000 miles away I can still feel
the blessings and the prayers that are being offered in my behalf!! I
couldn't help but think how lucky I am to share this message with my
investigators they will be so excited to hear how their families can be
together forever!!
  I liked all of President Uchtdorfs and Bednar and Monson and
Eyrings. lol pretty much every talk. It was cool everyone that spoke
that wasn't an apostle I have heard speak at the MTC!!! I really liked
David F. Evans! He is an awesome speaker! I have heard him twice here.
I like his talk a lot and especially the part where it said, "Members
it is your responsibility to write the missionaries" HAHAHAH Jk
  Then that night we had a fireside with Vai s...... I don't know how
to spell it. but he was the first Polynesian football player to
receive a scholarship to BYU! He talked about his mission and his
experience in the NFL and his current sports broadcaster. He said
everything good in his life has been because of his mission! I am
excited because I know that is true!! He told us one of his
investigator’s story and now that investigator has a family that was
raised in the church and I can't wait for that opportunity! It will be
so awesome!!!!
 Sorry if my grammar and stuff isn't very good, it has been hard to
write in English when I am used to Spanish!!!
  So how is track going for Kade and Karigan and the team in general? Is
there any surprises this year? Everyone doing pretty well? Kade and
karigan enjoying it? Shayne, kort, kaitlan, and David should all be
finishing up here pretty soon ya? That’s awesome I bet they are really
excited! How is the MCAT prep going?  Oh on a side note, I still
haven’t' gained any weight... lol I have stopped playing basketball now
though, I go lift now.  Oh my neck and head are doing well! They sent
me to a physical therapist and they did a bunch of stuff my neck
mobility was about half of what is should be I guess and it is doing
way better!!
  Well I am doing awesome and I am excited to serve!! This Sunday is
Easter so everyone please keep the Savior and his Atonement in our
minds!! It is through him we can live together forever and become
clean from our sins!! I know this church is true, with everything that
I am. The Book of Mormon is the word of God and we can know the truths
of the Gospel through it, and if we follow the teachings we will be
able to return and live with our families again!!!!


Who went to the cabin with you?
HAZ LO JUSTO

Elder Eppich