Sorta-kinda-almost Irish Pride! :D

The snow is gone! The Rain has stopped, and Spring has begun! :D

Hey ya'll!

The world is turning green! Speaking of green... Happy St. Patrick's Day!!! :D

To celebrate, I wore a green tie, and.... That's about it. ;P (See picture below)

The flooding stopped, it washed away a few roads, and everything is incredibly muddy, BUT, everyone is okay! (As far as I know...)

Me and Elder H--- have figured things out for the most part, and St. Maries is booming once again! We've been working hard, and we will continue to do so! 

R---, our new investigator, has been really interested in our church, and she is doing an awesome job! The ward is very supportive, and they are truly missionary minded! There were some ups and downs, but we have done our best to overcome all of our challenges, and we're improving every day!

Me and Elder H--- actually have a lot of similar interests, and we have to make sure we don't stay up later than 10:30 talking at night.

Overall, it's been a great week, and I'm so glad to hear from everyone who has written me!

Thanks for everything, and talk to you all next week!


Love,
-Elder Keppner

From the mom: 

If you'd like to write Elder Keppner, I know he'd LOVE to get some mail from his friends and family! 

Elder Brennan Keppner

325 Main St.
St Maries, ID 83861

I lose a friend, and gain a new one...

Elder M---'s "Goodbye face"

Hey ya'll!

Things have been CRAZY this week!

It started with me and Elder M--- setting some lofty goals, and we were doing a good job of reaching them, when suddenly, on Tuesday at 8:30pm me and Elder M--- got a call. We were sitting in our car with our recent convert S---. We had just got back into town, and into cell phone service. We saw that we had two voicemails. As we listened to the first one, we kinda sat there in disbelief.

Elder M--- packing, and telling the families in the ward that he's leaving.

"Elder M---, this is the Assistants to the President. Due to some unforeseen circumstances, you are being transferred to Spokane Valley, and you will be serving with Elder F--- (my MTC companion). You will leave tomorrow morning at 11:00am at the Stake Center (an hour and a half away from St. Maries)."

We sat there for a minute stunned. Transfers had just happened LAST WEEK, and we had made plans for the new transfer together. We then listened to it again, and then listened to the second one.

"Hey Elder Keppner, this is Elder H---. I've been assigned to serve with you in St. Maries, and I'm looking forward to getting to know you, and our new area."

Elder H--- ! :D

It turns out, that emergency transfers erupted all over the mission, and only two zones weren't effected. So, we dropped S--- off at home, packed Elder M---'s bags, and headed out the next morning. He left on the Transfer Bus, and my new companion Elder H--- got off. It was so fast and crazy, I was in shock for a couple of days. I didn't know the area that well, and suddenly, I had to try and tell Elder H--- where everyone and everything was, and how to get there. But, Elder H--- has been really kind and patient, and we've already figured things out. Elder H--- is an awesome Elder from Orem Utah, and he actually is good friends with Elder H---! (My MTC companion!) He's quiet, and he is really rooted in the Gospel. I'm so excited to work with him!

We also have a new investigator! Her name is R---, she's eighteen, and on Saturday we invited her to Church. She said that she might come, and so we didn't think she'd show up. But low and behold, she came to Church the next day! She enjoyed Church, and after that we had a Church Tour with her. Afterwards, we taught the Restoration, and she said that she was interested in being baptized into the Church. We are being a bit cautious (we don't want her to get converted to US, so we're trying to make sure that she really is joining for the right reasons), but a lot of the Ward Members know who she is, and so she is getting a lot of support from our awesome ward.

S--- and M--- have stopped smoking, and drinking coffee this last week completely, and now M--- is working towards baptism! We are so excited for them!

Here in St. Maries, it went from 12-22 degrees to 50-59 degrees, and it's raining like crazy! St. Maries is starting to flood, and the rain isn't supposed to stop for another couple of weeks! So, things are getting pretty exciting around here, as we watch the river and lake start to overflow... :/

Anyway, I love and miss you all, and I'm so happy to be here on my mission!

-Elder Keppner

Not much time, but awesome all the same.

My new bedroom decor.

This mission is the best!

The snow is coming down in HEAPS, and there's so much of it now, that when it melts, they're predicting that it's going to flood, so, that's fun. :/


Anyway, St. Maries has had A LOT of success recently! Me and Elder M--- have worked our rear ends off, and a lot of good has come because of it! We love it here, and we work very well together!

I told you Elder M--- and I are working hard.

 We recently committed M--- to Baptism! She's working hard to overcome her Word of Wisdom issues, and we know that she can do it! Thank you so much to those who have written me! I haven't gotten any letters this week, but I had quite a few emails, so, that works out just fine!

I'm the last one awake on our roadtrip with a ward family!

Cutest kids this side of Mount Baldy!

I wanted to mention, that with transfers, there are now a lot of new Elders and Sisters here in our Zone, and it's been awesome to get to know them all!


I love serving a mission!!! :D

-Elder Keppner

Transfers!!!

S--- getting a marked Book of Mormon for his birthday from us missionaries.

So, this last week was AMAZING! We had two weddings, and two baptisms.

Me and S--- right before he got married/baptized.

S--- and A--- (the newest members of our ward. :D ) were baptized right after their wedding, and were confirmed this Sunday! It has been such a miracle to see just how far S--- and A--- have come! When we first came over, A--- wouldn't even look at us, and S--- was only slightly curious, and after more than a month of teaching, fellowshipping and testifying, they have made the decision to follow Christ, and be baptized.

As far as transfers go...

...

...

...

*Drum roll*

...

...

...

Awesome Elders!

I'm staying in St. Maries! With Elder M---!

Elder Keppner selfie: Looks like the snow has melted!

To be honest, I'd kinda been praying that it would be that way, and I'm so glad that it was! These people are the best, and I'm so glad that I get to stay for another transfer! I'm sending a bunch of pictures, because I don't have much time to write today. :(

Love you all! And I can't wait to hear from you all!

This Church is truly Christ's Church, and I am so blessed to be a part of this work.

God bless,
-Elder Keppner