Chennai, December 2008

December 2, 2008

Hello Family! Everything is going really good here in Coimbatore.  The baptisms on Sunday went well Bro Raja and sis Nancy.  They are amazing and both have such strong testimonies.  We also set 4 others for baptism Dec. 21 so hopefully some will come through we will see how they do.  I really do get eaten alive by mosquitos here its not fun.  This weekend we traveled up to Chennai for zone conference.  It is much hotter there than here.  Chennai is so cool, very beautiful and a lot bigger.  We took an 8 hour train ride there but had beds so I slept the whole way and was the shortest 8 hour trip of my life.  I got to see elder Schellenberg because he is serving there so that was nice.  We got to talk and see how we were both doing.  A hurricane hit Chennai and so the missionaries there were proselyting in water up to their waists so pretty crazy.  He said they ate Thanksgiving dinner at an American family's house so I am jealous cause I only had rice.  That's all I ever eat is rice and curry but I am getting used to it.  I am like the only missionary from my batch that got a native companion.  The other elders have only eaten Indian food like 3 times since they have been here and I eat it about that many times in a day.  Zone conference was awesome and I learned so much.  I also gave my first healing blessing there.  I did the anointing and helped with the blessing.  After that, we went to the beach in Chennai and that was cool i took some pictures.  There are no seasons here just hot, hotter, and hottest.  It does not feel like December at all here.  Let me tell about the train ride home.  I got a stomach sickness this last week and that was not fun especially on the train.  Gross toilet and a bucket of water instead of toilet paper so not fun at all, but I made it and am doing much better now.  Drinking more water has helped.  I am learning how to make a lot of Indian food so maybe I can make some when I get home if I can find the ingredients.  I think I talk different now but not sure you will just have to tell me when we talk at Christmas.  I am safe though Mumbai is very northern and is a part of my mission but no missionaries there.  The Mission President said if we just follow the missionary handbook then we will be fine.  No need to worry.  I think that is about all everything is going well here.   I love you all so very much and you all are such a blessing to my life and such great support. Lots of love, Elder Jeppesen

November 25, 2008

How is everyone doing?  Disneyland must have been a blast.  Sometimes I feel like I'm at Disneyland with all the scenery and the wild bus drivers. I now know the meaning of a full bus.  It's nuts how many people cram into a bus.  This week was awesome!  We had 3 baptisms.  Sis Lily, Sis Beena and Bro Aadben, who I baptized.  They are a wonderful family and we have 2 more baptisms this week.  Bro Raja and Sis Nancy, who are both awesome.  We bike about 3 miles a day and walk about 10, so I'm always really tired.  There are so many people here and so easy to find people to talk to.  We get about 1-3 new investigators a day so lots of people and they are all so very nice way more nice than in the US.  My proselyting area is about the size of Provo so a lot of work to do.  My companion Elder Banavath is 26 years old and knows 4 languages and has already graduated from a university.  He is very smart and cooks all kinds of Indian food.  I have many pictures I want to send.  We have a really nice apartment and probably the nicest one in all of India.  It's nice.  We don't have toilet paper here.  You have a hose to spray with which is different but nice.  It is very hot here and very humid and I really sweat a lot.  I have gained about 4kgs since I have been in Coimbatore, which is about 9-10 pounds.  You should see the place I am emailing from, it is a little shack.  It is funny.  Everything is really different here.  It is hard to explain.  It rains a lot and I get soaked all the time but at least it is cool when it does rain.  We have zone conference on Monday and we are taking a train up to Chennai and we are supposed to be going to a really good vacation spot.  We eat a lot of weird things but mostly just a ton of rice and curry.  I have not seen any monkeys or elephants yet, but a lot of oxen,  dogs, and cockroaches. The fruit is really good here but i just missed mango season so that is sad.  My shirts are going to be brown by the end of my mission.  The people here all speak Tamil and its like going to Mexico and teaching in English.  It is really hard to find those kind of people. There are so many people and they always stop to listen.  We eat with our hands, just about every meal, which I am used to now.  I think I talk a little different now.  Also, they bobble their heads when they talk, so I'm starting to do that now.  It is funny.  Everything is going good and my testimony has grown so much since I have been out here.  More, and more, I know that the church is true and how it blesses individuals and their families.  I love you all so very much and thank you so much  for all your love and support.  Love you all so very much. Love, Elder Jeppesen

November 28, 2008

Hey just writing a quick email.  There was a terrorist attack in Mumbai and many people were killed from bombings.  We were told not to proselyte yesterday and not to ride the buses and just be careful in all we do. President Nichols told us we could write a short email home telling our families we were o.k..   So just letting you know that I am fine and doing good.  Hope you had fun at Disneyland and I love you all so very much and you all are such a blessing to my life.  Tons of Love, Elder Jeppesen

PS i will send pictures of the baptism and other pics too

November 19, 2008

Hello Family!  Everything is going good here.  I am serving in a small village called Coimbatore.  The population is about 1.5 million and I think I am the only white person in all of Coimbatore so it is really weird. I was really having a hard time when I first got here and was really homesick.  I didn't really like the food and it was so different and I was not sure if I would be able to do this for the next 2 years.  But everything is getting better and now I am starting to love it.  The members here are all so amazing.  My companion is amazing too and he helps me so much and his name is Elder Banavath.  He is from Hyderabad, India. Everything is great here.  We have 3 baptisms this Sunday and then 2 next Sunday and then 4 or 5 in the next couple of weeks.  The work is truly amazing and the people are so much nicer here than in the US.  I have a lot of pictures to show you but I don't have time because we had to teach a lesson today.  Everything is just so amazing here and it gets really hot here sometimes.  Well I have to go I will write you even more next week and will send pictures.  Thank you so much for all your love and support.  I love you all so very much.  Love Elder Jeppesen

November 12, 2008

Hey, I have a couple more mins so I thought I would tell you a little more.  It  is not too hot outside right now, its like 70 degrees, so pretty nice.  The food is pretty spicy and really weird looking and you eat it on a banana leaf.  Really weird not being able to drink the water.  The flight was pretty long but I survived.  We landed at like 1am in the morning and only got to sleep for like an hour.  Still does not feel real that we are actually here.  You really have no idea what it is like.  The culture here is really weird and a lot different than the US.  The traffic is a lot like NYC but I think even more crazy.  I have not seen any elephants or monkeys but I have seen tons and tons of dogs everywhere.  I will find out where I am going tomorrow and have to take another flight.  There are no white people here and there are people everywhere!  There were 14 of us who traveled to India.  Its pretty humid but not too bad.  I have not seen too many mosquitoes which is good but i guess it depends on where you are.  There is a lot of poverty.  There are a lot of people who have weird jobs and a lot of beggars that come up to you and ask for money.  There are no street signs here so its really weird to get around.  I had a coconut with the milk and the meat and that was really weird.  Here in Bangalore we cannot really wear our name tags around unless we are in a big group and we usually take our ties off.  Its really hard to understand what a lot of the people are saying which will take some adjusting. Some places have toilet paper other places just have like a little hose.  i just had a meal that was like all you can eat on a banana leaf for like 75 rupees which is equivalent to $1.50 so its really cheap here.  The people here are all really nice even though they stare at you even more than the people in the states.  They are all very curious also so if you just start staring like at the sky like 200 of them will come and just stare with you.  It's really funny but the people here are just awesome.  Well everything is going well.  I think I will survive.  It really is a jungle here.  It's crazy.  I'll send pics.  Well I love you all!!  Hope you guys are all doing well.  It's amazing the way the church blesses peoples lives.  I have already seen it here.  Love you all so very, very much!!! Love, Elder Jeppesen

November 12, 2008

Hey just wanna say I made it alright.  I'm really tired.  Can't really tell you because I don't much time.  I will answer your questions next week.  You cannot even comprehend what it is like here.  CRAZY!!!  Anyway, I find out where I am going tomorrow.  I love you all and everything is awesome!!!  Love Elder Jeppesen.