Jordan's New Jersey Mission Blog: Guess What? . . . . . . . Christmas!

Me, President and Sister Jeppson

December 30, 2013

First of all I just want to thank everyone for all the cards, goodies, and presents you sent. It meant so much to me to receive them and just be reminded me how much I am cared for and loved. You made this Christmas the best one yet. This Christmas I was given the gift of the Savior and have truly partaken of the love he has for me. Our theme for the zone is "Always Remember Him." Remembering that helped me realize how much my Savior remembers me. I have come to find out on my mission that though the Lord has sent me out here to bless others, I have been more blessed that I can possibly imagine. Just like the sons of Mosiah, I have been given the opportunity to share the gospel "And how blessed are they! For they did publish peace; they did publish good tidings of good; and they did declare unto the people that the Lord reigneth” (Mosiah 27:37). Thank you all for the support that you have given me in giving me the opportunity to do the Lord's work.

Christmas was a grand, unique experience that I will never forget. We had a fabulous dinner with Sister Santamaria’s family (which only consisted of one man in about the twelve people that were there). The first course was soup, ravioli, and a lot more food. Everyone was so kind and kept giving us more food and gifts. It was an incredible day filled with sharing a beautiful message about our Savior.

The temple was incredible! We had a fantastic time walking the streets of Manhattan. It was so wonderful to experience the temple again. This is the third temple I have been in. It was amazing and uplifting although I almost fell asleep because it relaxed me so much. Afterwards I had my first New York hot dog. We also experienced a sidewalk traffic jam. That was fun. A few of the elders got lost. We saw Carnegie Hall and Julliard. It was so much fun.

Christmas Miracle

During my Christmas party President and Sister Jeppson allowed us to put a Christmas wish upon their door. I wished that I could make a difference this Christmas. The miracle happened on my birthday. We had the opportunity to go over to the Mata's house and share a Christmas message with nonmembers and members. It was a little bit tricky because most of the messages were given in Spanish, so everything had to be translated for us. After the message had been shared one of the ladies came up to me and in Spanish expressed to me how she had felt a connection to me and would like to see me again. I knew she felt the spirit. That was better than every gift I had received.

Sister Rogers