Time is just going faster and
faster!
This week was good. Last Tuesday I had an experience that I'll never
forget. Right before we left our house for the day, I had a strong feeling to
put my English scriptures in my backpack, and on this day I was companions with Elder Hartley from Idaho. We have been out the same time. So I put my English
scriptures in my backpack and just went on with my day.
(Elder Copeland in front of the Volcano Mumbacho which is much bigger than it appears because of the clouds.)
Around 5, we were just
walking and from a distance, I saw a couple of people sitting outside their house and had a strong feeling to go over there. As we got close, I saw a guy with
tattoos everywhere including some teardrop tattoos. I told Elder Hartley that
this was probably a bad idea, but we were already too close to not say
anything. So I started talking to them, and the guy spoke English and lives in Canada with his wife and daughter. He told us literally everything about his
life. His life has been different. He got into all criminal stuff and stuff
like that. He said that he doesn't feel God loves him anymore and that he's been
praying for angels to come and save him from his terrible life. He said that we
are those angels. He could tell how happy we were, and he asked how he could be
happy and that he wanted to be a part of our church, and a bunch of stuff
happened that I can't put into words. I was in awe.
We went back the next day, and he told me that he wrote me a poem. He told me it and wow!! it was amazing. It was in Spanish, but wow! He has experienced all the worldly things and found
out that it doesn't make you happy. He told us that he wanted to come to both
church services with us on Sunday, but when it came to Sunday, we went to pick
him up at 8:30 and he was at work. Then for the afternoon reunion, we couldn't
find him. I was so disappointed. Then we went back later that night and he was
'busy' and couldn't talk... I was devastated! I hope everything is still good with
him. I need to get a copy of the poem so you guys can see it and also a picture
so you can see this guy. And he's only 28! I'll try to get a picture this week.
Also, Tuesday I got my packages! Thank you so much. I am so blessed to have an amazing family. I have been
living off that stuff this past week. A few times this week, we were out til
10pm finishing our goals.... but I can truly say that I am happy. There's nothing more I like to do than make others happy. And being out on a mission is
so freaking hard, but I love it! And I'm not even good at Spanish. I can't imagine
how happy and different I'll be when I get home. I have gained a true love for
the scriptures and just keep wanting to learn and study them.
On Saturday, we
had a baptism of Naomi.
Also, we went to the house of Frederick, and I told him
that he has a testimony of the Book of Mormon, and that he just needs to act on
his faith and be baptized. Hess a really smart kid and says that he wants to
know everything before he is baptized. So I related it to him like hiking a mountain. You can't just get to the top instantly. You have to climb up little by little
one step at a time. I told him right now he's on a plateau, and the next step to
get closer to the top is to be baptized, and to get to the top of the mountain
is a whole lifetime journey.
Then Sunday, during sacrament, we went to get Iovan, one of our investigators, so we walked to the market and he wasn't
there. So we walked all the way to his house to get him, then all the way back to
the church. By the time we got back, sacrament was just ending. We were
about to walk in the building and a car pulled up with an American family. The lady told me that she had a package for me. So thanks to her and thank you
mom! We really do live in a small world. So really, that's how my week was.
A favorite quote: "Sometimes we become the
lightning rod, and we must 'take the heat' for holding fast to God's standards
and doing his work. I testify that we need not be afraid if we are grounded in
his doctrine. We may experience misunderstanding, criticism, and even false
accusation, but we are never alone. Our Savior was 'despised and rejected of
men.' It is our sacred privilege to stand with him!"
I hope you're all doing well. I can't
imagine that it is getting cold there cause here it's just getting hotter and
hotter.......
Love you.
THE ATTITUDE IS THE DIFFERENCE
Elder Copeland
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