"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 Pérez 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

"Keep Moving Forward and Not be Distracted"

Cabrera Family

November 25, 2013

Familia, 

Well we had a really good week!! Yesterday we had the baptism of Lucas Cabrera!! His family was inactive for 10 plus years. Then his grandma came back and she brought him. We started helping him and his family and then yesterday he got baptized!! It was a great service, super spiritual!! Even though he was just a little kid of 11 years, it was great seeing the family at church!!

 Well, things are still going great, the Lord is blessing us a ton. We have quite a few investigators at this moment, and we want to keep looking for more so that we never run out of things to do!! This past week I spent in a different area, Paso del Rey, with Elder Hansen. He came to the mission with me and we were in the same district in Tennessee, he is a great guy!! 

 We have a family of 7 that has gone to the church two Sundays in a row; we are trying to help them get married so all of them can get baptized this month!!!

 Sorry I don’t have much time right now, but I love you all a ton, and I know this church is true!!!

 I hope all can read Elder Dube and Elder Uchtdorfs talks, they are great!! We always have to keep moving forward and not be distracted!! That’s how I am going to finish the mission!!! 

Love ya!! Elder Eppich

"This is Real Life"

Happy Birthday 21st Elder Eppich

November 18, 2013

Familiar,

What a great week that we had here in ARGENTINA!! I hope you are all enjoying the cold, because it is SUPER HOT down here in Argentina, but that is ok, I don’t really mind!!! I have definitely got used to not having air conditioning and the climate here in Argentina. I actually really like it, most of the time. I think that I am going to finish my mission washing all my clothes by hand so that I can make the most of my time here. I’ll be super grateful for a washing machine when I get home!!! Haha

Well, we found a ton of great people this last week and are working with a ton with a lot of investigators!! This week we were able to see 12 people make it to church!!!

A new family of 6 that we found went and they loved it!!!

So on Saturday we had a great day!!! At 5 o clock we woke up and took a taxi to the offices because my comp and I got called to do the ushering for all of the 840 missionaries. I saw a ton of missionaries I knew from the other missions. It was crazy to hear that the missionaries from the other missions that got here with us,  go home in a couple of weeks because of the age change. Luckily for me, our mission didn’t get changed!!!

So we got to hear from Elder Gonzales and Soars and their wives, they are from the 70, and then we got to hear from Elder Holland and his wife!!

They all did incredible! I loved it so much!! They talked about all our potential as missionaries and how we are the most loved and prayed for people in ALL the world, it is so true!! Elder Holland talked how we have to understand that all of what the Lord has for us is at our hands we just have to have the faith to use it and to be converted enough!! He talked about how we can never go back to REAL LIFE like everyone says about the life after the mission. He said, THIS IS REAL LIFE and that he doesn’t want us to ever fall away. It is the hardest thing for him to see, when missionaries fall away!!

Then he said why the mission is so hard. He said the reason it is so hard is because salvation isn’t a cheap experience. If it was hard for the Lord it has to be hard for us!! That is why life is hard, so that we can become like the Lord and do what he wants us to do, and that is why we have trials in our lives!!! I loved that part a ton!!!

It was a great meeting, and a great birthday!!! Thanks everyone that wished me happy birthday!! I love all of you a ton and hope that all is going good!!! Elder Eppich!! Nos vemos pronto!!!

 

Elder Holland coming to Argentina BAW

November 11, 2013 Guess what the mission is giving me for my birthday on the 16th of November? Elder Holland!!!! On the 16th, Elder Holland is going to be speaking to all the missions in Buenos Aires!!! I am super excited, that sounds like a pretty awesome birthday if you ask me!!! Well things are going great for us here in Moreno. We are seeing a lot of progress in the area and in the ward. The ward really is excited to work with us, and excited to leave and do visits with us! Couldn’t ask for more as a missionary! This week we had a tough time trying to find Daniel. He has been sick, and when we found him, he told us he didn’t like the stake conference, because he didn’t understand anything. He didn’t go to church on Sunday, because he was ´sick ´hopefully he was really sick, and didn’t just not want to go. The family Andino went to church, at least the parents did and their daughter of 6. I am not sure if I ever told you about them or not, but they are awesome. We found them about a month and a half ago, and we taught them a lot, and something always happened and they never made it to church. They are 6, Guillermo, Soledad, Rocco, Lumilda, Brisa, and Nico. They are great, and they are married, they have been passing through a ton of problems lately, and just trying to move forward, but they haven’t been able to. But then they went to the stake conference, and didn’t understand anything, but agreed to go again this last Sunday, and they really liked it a lot!! We have a family from the church that is helping us with them, they are the Familia Frattoni. We have been trying to get them to help us, and then we finally had a day that worked for all of us, and it went great, they became great friends, and I am sure they will be baptized because they have great friends in the church to be with them at all times!! Then we also have another pareja, or couple that aren’t married, yet, we are trying to help them get married in December. They are great, Martin and Vanessa. Vanessa always liked the church, but Martin was just a jokester and made cruel comments all the time. But he went to church one time, and read and prayed and the Lord started blessing him a ton, and so now he is changing like crazy, and can’t wait to go to church,get married, and get baptized! We also found a lot of drunken people this last week; it really is sad how much people drink down here. I mean tons of people make their living from going around and recycling all the beer bottles, and wine boxes and bottles. They all like to drink to help them get out of their problems. Whenever we find someone drunk, we always tell them we can help them and they are really excited to stop and to be able to start over again. The gospel and the atonement really are the universal cures to any problem, member or non member. I hope all can apply it every day of their lives!! Also, I have been thinking a lot about the divine potential that all of us have as children of God, we are entitled to all the father has, if we are faithful to the promises we have made! There is nothing we cannot do, if we rely on the Lord to help us! I have gained such a strong testimony of that, I know the Lord hears our prayers, and that he answers them as well!! Well things are going great, time is flying by, I can’t believe that 22 months ago I walked in to the MTC, seems like yesterday! Hope all is going well! Thanks for the Birthday wishes. I have a feeling Elder Holland will make a shout out for me, hahaha love ya'll!!

Elder Eppich

"Faith really can move moutains, but not if we sit and wait for it to happen"

Elder Eppich and Elder Midgat, Moreno Zone

November 4, 2013 Well, sorry I don’t have much time this week. Like every week, we have a ton of things that we have to do… so much for a P-day, but it’s ok!! Things are going great here in our area. We are teaching a ton of people and exercising faith. Faith is something real, and something that works miracles. I cannot begin to tell all of the wonderful experiences I have been able to experience because of faith of investigators, converts, members and missionaries. Faith really can move mountains, but not if we just sit still and wait for it to happen. We have to go out and work to make these miracles happen. It doesn’t matter where we are, how much time we have in the mission, or who our companion is. We all have the same calling and power. If we depend on the Lord and have faith in him, he truly will work miracles in every area of our lives. We finally got the family Andino to go to church. It was stake conference and they liked it a lot! We also have a 55 yr old man named Daniel Benitez, he is awesome. He has gone to church now twice and loves it. He got his answer on Thursday. We were teaching about repentance and he just started smiling and said, “wow, I feel like I have never felt in my life. What is this feeling? is this my answer?” It was incredible. He will be getting baptized on the 23rd with a few other people. We have a possibility of 7 people that will be getting baptized on the 23rd of November. I’m doing great and I am loving the mission. Thanks for all the support. Love you all!! Elder Eppich

Elder Eppich and Elder Midgat, looking quite GQ :)

"Craziest Week of My Life"

Special ZL meeting. 54 visa waiters came in last transfer

October 29, 2013 Familia, Well this week has been one of the craziest of my life! Lots of divisions (54 visa waiters arrived last week) and lots of emergency transfers in our zone; it’s crazy how hard Satan is working to stop the work from progressing here in the mission. In the mission, we are having more success than any other time in the history of the mission, and at this time, Satan has never worked harder to make us be disobedient, it truly is so sad. I really hope that we can figure things out and help everyone be exactly obedient!! So I have a new companion, he is Elder Godoy from Chile. He has about 14 months I think. We have been comps for about half an hour, so I don’t know much about him, hahaha. However, we are going to work our tails off to help all Come unto Christ!! Wilber, Nilson, and gabby all got baptized!! It went so good!! The spirit was so stinking strong, it was incredible. There was good support, and the members were really super excited, so that was really awesome!! They are going to be great members. They always say, when we can we go and work with you Elders. Haha they want to be missionaries so bad. I’ll try to send pictures if I have time!! Haha Oh I did divisions this week in la Perlita!! It was a great experience, we had a meta to find a lot of new investigators, and we were looking all day and didn’t have a ton of success, but at 850 the Lord led us to an awesome family!! It was incredible! The Lord always blesses us after we have done all we can do!! I saw Jackie and Brisa!! They are doing so good, they were crying so much when they saw me, and I’ll send some pictures!! I can’t believe how fast time is flying by....We are almost to November, it’s almost by birthday!! I made some awesome spicy salsa, kinda like pico de gallo, but it’s a lot better, Haha I think. Well love you all, hope all is going good, Elder Eppich

"Study EVERYDAY and follow the Spirit"

October 21, 2013 Well this past week was a good one as well, about like every other week, jaja, we are still seeing a ton of miracles! We have really been focusing on always giving everything we can to the Lord and just letting him guide us, as we have been doing that, the Lord really has blessed us a ton!! Wilbur, Nilson, and Gaby are doing great and are really excited for their baptisms on Saturday!!! The ward really likes them as well so hopefully that will get the members really excited to start giving some references to us! Hope you are all giving references to the missionaries up there!! We found some really cool people this week. A couple of families that are excited to go to church. They didn’t go to church unfortunately yesterday because it was raining pretty hard and it was Mother´s Day here in Argentina, so it was very hard to get all the people to go to church! We were able to get Wilbur and his family to church. They are doing great, and Wilbur really wants to serve a mission. He will serve in a year hopefully!! So this week we will be receiving 40 new missionaries in the mission! And we have transfers next week. I am not sure if that will affect us or not! We will see!! This week I really was loving how important our personal scripture study is, if we don’t study the scriptures every day, we really lose the spirit and we are not able to be led by the spirit, which is the best thing we can do, so I invite all of you to study, EVERY DAY, and follow the spirit!! Love ya'll!!! Elder Eppich