Monday, July 27, 2015

Fifty-third Week - July 27, 2015


Let the down slope begin . . .

Officially I have completed one year in the mission and I am now starting the down slope.  It's insane!  But, also, on that one year mark day, I spent the whole day on the toilet, so it wasn't too great... 

But all in all, it was a pretty solid week, super crazy, super hot, and super worth it!  We had a baptism this past week, Hazzel.  It was awesome!   She's super cool and now her brother and mom are progressing really well and love the church.  This past week, we spent a lot of time doing baptism interviews and visiting the other companionships' investigators trying to help them out.



So Frederick's mom and sister got baptized on Saturday, so awesome!  i got to talk to them today.  They are so awesome!  Frederick is just getting ready to start his mission papers and is teaching the Melchizedec Priesthood Class.  He's a super smart kid.  So happy for them and to have been able to be a part of their conversion process.
 

 

This past week, I read a conference talk called, "Dare to Stand Alone," by Pres. Monson.  It was awesome.  Some parts that I like that I hope you do, too.  It talks a lot about the priesthood.  We may at times find ourselves surrounded by others and yet standing in the minority or even standing alone concerning what is acceptable and what is not.  Do we have the moral courage to stand firm for our beliefs, even if by so we must stand alone?  As holders of the priesthood of God, it is essential that we are able to face with courage whatever challenge comes our way. 
(To read or listen to this talk by President Monson, click on the link above.)
I have noticed here on my mission with some converts and members that they are all good until a challenge comes and then they just collapse and never come back to church again.  We can't do that!  "In all ages, prophets have looked down through the corridors of time to our day.  Billions of the deceased and those yet to be born have their eyes on US.  Make no mistake about it.  You are a marked generation... For nearly six thousand years, God has held you in reserve to make your appearance in the final days before the second coming of the Lord.  Some individuals will fall away, but the kingdom of God will remain intact to welcome the return of its Head even Jesus Christ.  While this generation will be comparable in the wickedness to the days of Noah, when the Lord cleansed the earth by flood, there is a major difference this time; it is that God has saved for the final inning some of His strongest children, who will help bear off the kingdom triumphantly. -Ezra Taft Benson 

Our responsibility is to be worthy of all the glorious blessings our Father in Heaven has in store for us.
Dare to be a Mormon, 
Dare to stand alone.
Dare to have a purpose firm,
Dare to make it known.
But in reality we are never alone when we stand with our Father in Heaven.  Romanos 8:31

Love you all,

Elder Copeland

Monday, July 20, 2015

Fifty-second Week - July 20, 2015


Well, on Thursday I will hit one year... 

Can't believe it!  Time has gone by extremely fast, and I can't imagine how fast year two will go... I have a long ways to go in all aspects of my life, but I'm giving it my all.

This past week we had a multizona in Managua.  We got to watch Meet the Mormons.  I kinda fell asleep cause I am honestly dead at all times.  But for the parts I did see, it was pretty good.  I saw the SLC airport.  That was cool.  We did a bunch of baptism interviews and visiting of all other investigators from my district.

In my pictures, there is the one of the giant spider.  We got into our house on Thursday, and I went to get a drink and out of the corner of my eye, I saw something black move.  I looked over and saw that, honestly the biggest spider I have ever seen in my life and even worse, it was in my house!  
 


The other picture is of the lake.  We went over there and played soccer today.  Itss a really ugly lake, but the island in the middle supposedly is incredible.
Hazzel should be getting baptized this week. She's awesome.  She brought her mom to church on Sunday and she loved it.  We will see what happens with her.  We are getting ready to go to her house.  We have quite a few other really positive people that are almost ready for baptism.  The blessings and miracles continue to come. 

We are so blessed to have this gospel in our lives, and it is making me into a better person. I love this gospel.  I love my mission and I love you guys.  Thanks for all the support and love.  I will TRY to have a more detailed e-mail next week.  Sorry, I've just been really busy with my area and ten other missionaries to deal with.

Love you,

Elder Copeland

Monday, July 13, 2015

Fifty-first Week - July 13, 2015


The weeks are just getting faster and faster. 

This week was pretty good.  We  spent a lot of time out of the area helping all the other missionaries and doing some baptism interviews.  The district is kinda struggling right now, so we had to go and help them out.

I'm starting to recognize little small miracles that happen everyday--from making a person smile to finding one of God's prepared children.  A lot of the times all we do is recognize the big miracles like Dad and the story of Maria.  But I now am realizing that those don't happen everyday, so I've started to focus in on what happens during the day, and the days are just filled with miracles and blessings that I haven't ever recognized.  But really every day is a blessing itself that brings miracles.

It's crazy to think, but we are Gods in the embryo.  Just think about that... Life has three different estates, pre-mortal, mortal and immortal.  We all kept our First Estate and now we are in our Second Estate (mortal).  If we keep our mortal estate, eternal life awaits us.  We go through numerous experiences here in the earth life "to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them."  We have mortal bodies so we know that we passed the First Estate.  In our First Estate (pre-mortal), we had spirits and we went through a long period of growth and development and training and all passed it successfully, We were all admitted to the earth.  One definite purpose of our spirits coming to the earth was to obtain a physical body.  This body was to be subject to ALL weakness, temptations, frailties, and limitations of mortality, and was to face the challenge to overcome self.  While we lack recollection of our pre-mortal life, before coming to this earth ALL of us understood our purpose of being here.  On earth, if we prove worthy... we eventually can have exaltation in God's kingdom.  This is a little part of my book that I am reading.  The church is actually super cool and very interesting.  And more than anything, it gives us hope. 


About two weeks ago, we were just walking in the streets, and we walked past a house and I got a pretty big impression to contact it, but I ignored the prompting and kept walking. About an hour later, that house couldn't leave my mind.  So we went back and these people are incredible--especially the daughter, Hazel  (15).  She accepted to be baptized the first visit and has gone to church two weeks straight.  Well, no more time.  I'll tell the story next week.
 
Love you all and enjoy your week in the AC..

Elder Copahland (That's how Nicas say my name.)

 (Elder Copeland has a new friend!)

 


 (The view from Elder Copeland's house.)




Monday, July 6, 2015

Fiftieth Week - July 6, 2015


I hope you all enjoyed your 4th of July! 

Mine was a little different than yours, but it was a super good day.  This past week was really good!  Don't really like writing anymore, but we had a baptism on Saturday.  Edy, who is 26, and a super humble guy.  After he got confirmed on Sunday, he bore his testimony in sacrament meeting.  So awesome!!! 




 Do you guys remember Frederick from Granada?  Well, his mom, dad and sister are getting baptized on the 18th!!!  I'm so excited for them!  I remember the first night that I contacted them in Granada.   

 Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.
 And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls.

I remember every night I told my companion that I was going to contact the rich house, but I never did it.  Like 2 weeks later, I just decided to contact the house.  We gave Frederick a Book of Mormon and he read all of 1 Nephi in one day.  He was baptized two months later.  I remember the night before I left Granada, I bore my testimony to Frederick's mom and sister and told them that they would get baptized here soon.  I could just see something special in them.  Long story short, they are all getting baptized on the 18th.  I'm so excited!  I'm sorry I will write a better story about it next week.  I just don't have time.

But I don't have any more time.  I hope you all enjoy your week and keep choosing the right. The Lord truly does bless us.

 Elder Copeland

Forty-ninth Week - June 29, 2015


Well, there goes June... JULY!!!


This week was quite a crazy week.  I have a new companion, Elder Jensen from Logan.  He has one less change than I do.  We have been working crazy hard this past week.  Also, there are now 12 missionaries in my district, it's giant!!!  Six Elders and six Sisters.  So, we had to find a house for the new sisters and at the moment the two new elders are living in my house.  So, it's been crazy with 12 missionaries in my district and trying to get everyone all situated.  I can't believe that I am in my 3rd change in Rivas!  I've really liked this place a lot (but it is brutally hot).  We will see how much longer I am here.

(At a baptism, they didn't have a knife to cut the cake, so Elder Copeland improvised and used a Plan of Salvation pamphlet.  It worked!)
We found some pretty solid people this past week.  We will see how they progress this week.  But I just got back from Jinotepe for a baptismal interview, so I'm sorry I can't write anymore today.  I hope you all enjoy your week.  Remember to serve people, even something little.  Just do it!   You'll recognize the differencia in your lives.  Because we have been given much we too must give.


This is my new district. Distrito Rivas!

Elder Copeland

Forty-eighth Week - June 22, 2015


Family,

Well, I'm sure you all remember when Lloyd gets robbed by a sweet old lady on a motorized cart.  Ya, well on Saturday night, I was at the church filling up the baptismal font for a baptism, and I went to go and sit on the grass to wait for it to fill up.  Mientras that time, two little 6-year-old girls came up to me and started doing what little kids do.  Turns out during that time one of them took my phone out of my shirt pocket and hid it and were even smart enough to turn it off so I couldn't find it.  Kinda embarrassing that i got jipped by two 6 year olds, but crap happens here in Nicaragua.  Haha... Kinda sad that they are learning to steal at that age, but whatever.


(Elder Copeland wrote:  "The two suspects who stole my phone.  So cute on the outside but so ...... on  the in.")

Also, tomorrow I hit 11 months!  Wow!  Last month before I have a year!!  WOW.  Changes are on Wednesday.  I can't believe how fast that change went!!!   I find out what happens tomorrow, but who knows how since I have no phone.  Oh well, I'll find a way.  I'll get a new phone on Wednesday.



Nothing special happened this week, kinda tough week looking for new people.  We ended up finding a couple, but we will see how they end up doing.  No special stories this week, sorry.



But yesterday was Father's day, so Happy Father's day, Dad.  Your'e one incredible dad, and I am beyond blessed to have you as my dad.  You've been a great example to me for my whole life in every aspect, and hope one day I can become like you.  From day one, you have been there for me, and I will be forever in your debt.  I have always respected my parents, but out here on the mission I have gained a true love and respect for my parents and all that I have been provided in my life.  I found a quote that I really like to send to you dad.

"My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person.  He believed in me." -you have always believed in me in everything I do, for example golf.  I owe my success in golf to you for you believing in me, simple as that.

We have had countless memories that I will never forget, and countless more to go.  Love you, Dad.  Thanks for everything.



Hope you all have a good week.  I'll let you know next week what happens with changes



Love you all,


Elder Copeland

 (Elder Copeland with an even larger lizard on his nose than last week's lizard!)
 (Elder Copeland's lunch on Friday.)