Week 78 - January 21, 2019

Well, to start off, thanks for all of the birthday wishes that you guys wrote me. They honestly meant a lot. 

After writing you guys on Monday, we went to visit some investigators and when we got there they had a cake waiting for me.  Honestly, one of the best birthday gifts that I have ever received... 

This week we had interviews with President, and they were awesome. We talked a lot about the future and what is going to happen in my last four changes. Got me super excited for the future!

As well, this week we had the baptism of Indy!!  Indy was honestly super excited for his baptism and was so prepared. He told us that all he wants to do now is be a missionary.  He was a good example and a reminder to his family when he got baptized.  His family has been struggling to be happy after the death of their mom.  It made me happy to see all of them together smiling and happy!!  Such a great day.

Other than that, it was a pretty rough week for us.  We have been looking for new investigators basically the whole week and didn't really get anything.  But, nothing to complain about.  We're doing great here and have some solid investigators as of right now!  As well, this week I was able to go on divisions with Elder Quitnero (Columbia).  He is super cool!  I hope one day we can be companions.  We had a super good day.  We were able to teach Familia Ipiales Rojas and help them understand the Sabbath day a little better.  It was honestly a super cool lesson.  The husband, Jose, told us that he was Catholic, and we started asking him a bunch of questions.  All of a sudden, his heart changed and he started understanding everything that we were teaching.  He was became super interested in what we were sharing and later did the prayer to finish the lesson.  The Spirit was so strong. 

As well, we had changes this week, and I will be staying here another change!!  I'm super excited to stay here another six weeks.  We have a lot of potential here for this next change!! I'll be receiving a new companion, Elder Vidal.  I'm super excited!  I don't really know him super well.  I just know that he is from Peru.  He seems like a super good guy.  I'm going to miss Elder Fernandez, though.  He is without doubt one of my best companions so far.  Should be a good next six weeks!:)  Elder Copeland

Week 77 - January 14, 2018

Hello, Fam,

Well, I guess I'm 20... Super weird to think that another birthday has already passed by... Even weirder to think that I'm not a teenager anymore... But everything is going good here.  It was a good week here to be a missionary.

One of the miracles that we had this week was on Monday. We were looking for old investigators that the old missionaries had taught before, and we were praying to see which of these people needed to hear our message again. The name Margarita Rojas stuck out to us a lot, so we went to her house on Monday to go and teach her.  We passed by and visited her and her three kids.  Her husband was not there, but it turns out that she's a member of the church, but her kids and her husband are not. The kids are beyond interested and want to be baptized, but the problem is, is that her husband is super Catholic and won't let his kids be baptized.  But she told us a story that her husband about a week before we got to her house, the husband got super drunk and did some things that he should not have done and that he felt super bad and that he needed God again in his life.  So Magarita told us to come back another day to visit her husband.  We went back on Thursday, and he told us that he is ready to change and he wants his kids to have the Gospel!!  It was such a miracle how we found them!  I know that God has a plan for them and that he sent us there for a reason!

As well, our investigator, Indy, was able to have his baptismal interview and will have his baptism this next coming week. The best news is that it is very likely he will do the baptism of his son.  It would be a boost of help for him and his family. We are super excited for them and for the blessings that they need as a family, especially after all of the afflictions that they have had in the past couple months.

This week we, also, received a reference that lives soooo far away, so we called him and he told us that he wanted us to go and visit him.  He told us that he would like us to pass by and visit his family.  But wow, he lived so far away... It was an hour away in bus and honestly is was 100% farm land--just basically corn fields and pigs haha.  But we got to the house and we able to teach them about the Book of Mormon in a very simple way because of their lack of Spanish (they speak Kichwa.)  But it was amazing to see how a family with nothing can be so happy.  I think that is one of the biggest lessons that I've learned in the mission.  I love these people and their faith.

This week we, as well, visited one of our investigators, Jakeline.  We knew that the biggest problem that she has had is that no one else in her family are members so she felt like she needed a lot more help.  So we did a family night with her and a member that was in the same situation about five years ago.  It was perfect!  We were able to get the support that she needed, and she came to church as well.  She, also, accepted a new baptismal date.  The Lord has blessed us a lot this week, and we have been able to see the blessings that we have needed!

Love you all, have a great week!  Love, Elder Copeland

Fotos

More pigs

Week 76 - January 7, 2019

Hello, Fam,

Well, another week here.  We were able to see some miracles here in the mission.  Also, we were able to see President and Hermana Murphy in Mission Council.  I love being able to see them.  They always get me excited to go back to my sector and work even harder.  We were able to learn a lot about setting goals and unity--two super important lessons that will bless me here in the mission also after the mission.  But, honestly, not the craziest week, but everything is good here.

New Year's 2019

This week we had a miracle.  One of our investigators with a date disappeared out of no where, and we were super sad about it.  But this week we found him, and it turns out that he has been reading the Book of Mormon a ton.  In one week he read until 1 Nephi 11... He told us how he felt about his reading and he says that he knows that the Book of Mormon is true!!  So amazing!  If you just read it you will know.  After, we taught him some of the commandments, hoping that he would not have a problem with any of them, and it turns out that one of his friends had already taught him all of the commandments, so he already knew everything and he was already living the commandments for a couple weeks!  I don't know how he is so prepared, but he is excited for his baptism in a couple weeks!!!

We are teaching this little kid that wants to get baptized, as well.  His name is Indy.  He is honestly just a cool little guy. His mom passed away two months ago, and he is still sad about it, but it has been a lot harder for his dad.  This week, we taught Lesson Two with them, and it was soo amazing to see the joy they had when we reminded them that their mom is waiting for them and that she loves them so much. Honestly, it was a good testimony builder for me to know that the Plan of Salvation is truly a plan of happiness.

As well, we had a family home evening with a young couple that we are teaching, Ruben and Veronica!  It was honestly super good.  We were able to go with some members that are awesome and help a lot in the mission work.  We were able to share about obedience and how it can bless us.  The family night helped us a lot with Ruben and Veronica.  Later on, they were able to go to church.  We are hoping that it will be a blessing to help them get married in the future and later baptized.

This week I was reading the Old Testament in Deuteronomy, and it says in Chapter 11:26-28, "Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; a blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day: and a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God..."  I think that it is interesting that Moses says here that we can either look at the commandments as a blessing or a curse.  It just depends what we do with them.  I'm so thankful for the commandments that the Lord has given so that we can be blessed.

Love you all so much.  Thanks for all of your prayers. 

Love, Elder Copeland

Fotos

 The Waiki life (Indigenous shoes)

A pic with our group