Tuesday, December 31, 2013

"The Church is True, I Know It.

Malaina Baptism
December 30, 2013

Familia,

Well what a week!!! It went really well!! It started off last Monday when we had the pday Navideno with all the mission. They informed me that because I am going to go to the temple in 3 weeks (before leaving mission) that I wasn't going to be able to participate, that I had to help the Elders. Then on Monday they informed me that I would be going with pte Carter to the temple and I would be in the locker room helping coordinate everything and help the 160 Elders go where they need to go. So I spent about 5 to 6 hours in the temple helping out everyone!! It was awesome, a great experience!!! Then I rode back with president and we had a good talk about life after the mission and he answered quite a few questions of mine!!!  I feel more sure of about what I'll do when I get home. Then on Tuesday we had a good day, we found a new family that is great, they went to church yesterday and loved it!!! That night we had an Asado. I easily ate 3 kilos of meat, that's probably why I got sick on Christmas Day, hahaha.
 Then we also had a baptism on Saturday, it was kinda hectic because the family had left for 6 days and we hadn't heard from them, but we were praying and praying, and felt like we should go visit their house, right as they got home!! We planned everything good and 2 days later Malaina Ramirez got baptized!! Her mom was in active and we have been helping them out and they have been going to church for a while!!! 
 We actually had a ton of great and crazy stories this past week, but I don't have time to share them all. The church is true, I know it. I know that the Lord lives and loves us!!! I know there is nothing else I'd rather do, than what I am doing!! I feel like I still have a ton of time left as a missionary, but i know that's not the case! I'm going to finish strong!! We should have 2 more baptisms the 11th of January!! The Lord is blessing us a ton!!! Take care everybody!! 

Love you! 

Elder Eppich

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

"I Know that the Lord Lives and Loves Us"

December 16, 2013

MERRY CHRISTMAS, well its not Christmas yet, but next Monday I will not be on, so i thought I'd wish all of you a very Merry Christmas!!! I won't be home for Christmas, but shortly I will be home, there is still lots of time to serve the Lord!!!
 We had a great week! On Friday we had a zone conference in Ramos Mejia. It was great! They made me bare my testimony because I am a pastor, or that I am leaving soon, so I bore my testimony and I started to cry like a baby.... It was pretty sad, but the spirit was super strong!!! 
 We had the baptisms on Saturday and it was a miracle!!!! Saturday I went to fill up the baptismal font to get everything ready and then I went back to check on it and it was empty. The water had ran out and there was no way to fill it up. We had 1 hr till the baptism. So me and my comp said a prayer and my comp, Elder Sanchez, asked if there was another church close by to call and do the baptism there. So I called the Elders that had the closest church about 20 blocks away, and they said ¨we are here in the church now, yea we will start filling it up", and then called me back and said, Elder umm the font is full already, we don't know why, but its a miracle, bring everyone over here for the baptism. So we saw a few miracles there, first of all that the Elders where there in the church and then that it was full of water for no reason. The Lord was definitely looking out for us!! I know this is the true church, I know that it can not be stopped from progressing!! I know that The lord lives and loves us, and I am so grateful to be his representative!! I hope all can remember the true meaning of Christmas!! love you all so much!!! 

Elder Eppich

Monday, December 9, 2013

"Training is the most important thing a Missionary can do"

December 9, 2013

Familia,

Well we had a great week!! And a super eventful week. We had the zone activity and it went really well! Haha I didn't participate too much in playing because my foot bothered me, but I threw everyone the football and played soccer. It's so funny throwing a football to a Latin, they just have a huge look of surprise on their faces like,"what, how did you do that?" haha
  Then on Tuesday we got a call saying that Elder Godoy and I were going to be training, and i was like, what??? That was a huge surprise for me! President two days before told me, "no elder you will finish your mission how you are now", what a sneaky guy! But I am totally OK with it because I love training, and I always wanted to finish the mission training. Training is the most important thing a missionary can do, and i want to make sure that my new comp can carry on all the things that I have learned as a missionary. I only have a month to do it, we have to work super hard!! 
  We had to go to capital on Friday to do the visa stuff for my companion. It went really well, we were only there for like 5 hours, haha.  Then on Saturday I was sick all day, but being me and not wanting to stay in the house, we went out to work..I  just had to be fairly close to the house, hahha.
  Then on Saturday the familia Perez Torre and the familia Ramirez went to church!!  So this Saturday Rosa and Sara are going to get baptized, as well as Gabriel 16, Ezekiel 11 and Maria 9. Then Gabriel is going to baptized with his parents and sister and Tia, at the end of this month and the beginning of the next month when the parents get married!! So things are going great!!! A ton of work!! i couldn't be happier!!! Time is flying by! 
 Yesterday we had the primary program and it just hit me that I was gonna be going home shortly and I started to cry, just a bunch of mixed feelings. But I try not to think about it!! I'll worry about it when the airplane gets here!! Things are going great!! Love you all!! 

Elder Eppich

Monday, December 2, 2013

"Today I am starting my last transfer as a Missionary"

December 2, 2013

Familia,

Well I am only going to be on the Internet for a little while because we are going to have a zone activity and have a BBQ and play soccer and football, but afterwards ill get on to write some more.

 But we had a great week this week! We are seeing a lot of investigators progress!! The familia PĂ©rez Torre is the family of 7 that is progressing really well, the parents are going to get married shortly, and the kids are going to be getting baptized shortly! They actually didn’t go to church on Sunday because the mom was sick and the dad had to do some stuff, but we are going to have a family home evening with them tonight and that should help them a lot!
 Then we have Rosa and Sara, they are the mom and a sister of a member, they have known the elders and the church for ever but never quite felt like getting baptized, but now they are positive they need to get baptized and are going to get baptized! They are progressing really well, they are super shy though, and it doesn’t help that I am kind of intimidating to the average Argentine for my size and booming voice, haha well at least that’s what they say.
 Then Lucas’ family is doing really well as well, they want to go to the temple so we are helping them become completely activated and on Sunday they are going to talk with The bishop to start making goals to get to the temple!!!
 Then we have a few other investigators that we found that seem like they are doing pretty good! The lord is really blessing us a ton right now!!!
  On Thursday we had a meeting with the stake president and President Carter, it went really well, normally the stake president here hasn’t gotten a long very well with missionary work, but on Thursday he was a new man! And so we are really excited about that!!!
 Then on Friday we had a meeting with president carter all day, it was really good, we learned a ton of great stuff to help the mission, and its really awesome to be able to see how inspired President Carter is and see the progress that we are making as a mission!!
  On a downwards note, the dad of an Elder in our zone died out of no where, and was really tough on the Elder, but it was a really strong testimony for me, talking to the Elder and seeing him being strong and really just wanting to share with everyone about Eternal families! That’s why we are here, to let everyone know that death isn’t the end of everything, if we don’t want it to be!! We can follow Jesus Christ now, and have our families forever!!!! What a great opportunity we have as missionaries to be able to testify of that 24/7!!!!  (Oh, mom, I never told you, but Elder Crowther's  mom also died recently, he is doing great though, he is such a great guy)

 I realized recently that today I am starting my last transfer as a missionary; it will be the best one yet I am sure!!! I will finish strong I promise, because I know that a ton of people are waiting for me right now!!! Love you all!! Elder Eppich
 oh yea HAPPY BIRTHDAY, I know its tomorrow, well unless something happened and I got confused, but I hope its tomorrow!!!! I love you!!!! Thanks for all you do for me mom! You’re the best!!! I'll be home for your next birthday!!! Hahaha