Thirty-first Week - February 23, 2015

What's up? 

Normal week here in Nicaragua, nothing much happened.  I got my package on Friday, thanks so much.  You guys are the best.

Anyways, I didn't get transferred, neither did Elder Page, so this will be our 3rd change together.  So I am still here in Ticuantepe!  I really liked the heart cards, one thing that stuck out to me was from my little homie Cole Ashworth.  "They will learn as much from you as you learn from them."  It's super true.  

This past week we went to Managua 3 times... We had stake conference this weekend and had to take our investigators all the way there.  It is way far away.  No one really wanted to go cause it is so far away, but oh well, the mission isn't always about having success.  If it were that way, we would never learn anything.

Also, today is a big day for me, 7 MONTHS!  WOW!  Time is going super fast!  I have learned a lot these first 7 months. 

I have a video called "Missionary Work and the Atonement."  It's amazing.  For Family Home Evening you guys need to watch it! 

 Missionary Work and the Atonement

(Click on the link above to read or watch or read the talk Elder Copeland is referring to.)

 

This week I want each of us to recognize a weakness that we have, and focus on this weakness for the week and how can we improve with this weakness that we have.  If we do that each week, we will develop many Christlike attributes and have a stronger testimony. Each day we need to strengthen our testimonies in every way.  Gain a better relationship with our Heavenly Father.  As we focus on what is important in life, we will see miracles and be much happier.  "When you live right, magic happens" -Austin Collie.

As far as work this week, it was normal:  Walking and walking and a little bit more walking. We didn't really find anyone super positive, but we are still working super hard!  I'm sorry I didn't have much today.  I'll try better next week.  But hope you all have a good week.  Love you so much and thanks for all the support you give me.  In my life i have learned that true happiness comes from giving and not receiving.  Helping other people makes us think of who we really are.  It's impossible to not become a better person by helping someone-- especially bringing the gospel in their lives.  Do something to help someone.  By Small and Simple things, great things are brought to pass.

Elder Copeland

(Elder Copeland added this picture with the explanation:  "We ate some iguana eggs from the big one in my right hand.")

 

Thirtieth Week - February 16, 2015

Well, there goes another transfer! 

WOW!  Every day is faster and faster.  I'm sure it's the same for you guys, also.  I want to say one thing!  On Tuesday, I went and worked in the area of the District leader, and we were just walking and saw a sign of a country club, so I said, "Let's walk over there and contact," so we walked over there and I saw a golf course for the first time in 7 months.  I literally almost shed a tear...

 

But this week was pretty good.  We had another baptism on Saturday!  We were extremely blessed to have as many baptisms as we had last transfer (5).  I have learned a lot about Alma 26:12 on my mission, "Yea I know that I am nothing, as to my strength I am weak, therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things, yea, behold many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever."  I love that scripture and its so true!

But to baptize the lady this past week was an adventure... We went to their house at 8:30 in the morning to pick them all up to take them to the chapel in Managua, but we walked in there and she had a ankle brace on and said she didn't want to do it cause her ankle hurt, but I wouldn't let her say no.  I told her we would bring a taxi directly in front of her house and take her right in front of the chapel so she didn't even really have to walk.  She kept saying, "No,"  and wouldn't let us give her a blessing.  Well, about 40 minutes more of arguing with her, she finally said, "Ok." 

So she was baptized, but then on Sunday she told us that she would go to the church herself, so I trusted her and we had to go bring other people to church.  So we got to church.  What do you know, she wasn't there... So we had to go all the way back to her house, and she said she didn't want to do it cause she had to cook for her mom.  I said, "No, come on."  We went and got another moto taxi right in front of her house so she would come, and she was confirmed.  Honestly, sometimes it's so annoying, but that's just a short version.  I can't even describe in words the story of it all. 

All of Friday-Sunday we were without water... That was miserable.  Being in the Nicaragua heat all day and coming in at night all sweaty and not being able to shower for a couple days was terrible!  Last night, I got so desperate that I went and asked a person for a bucket of water to shower hahaah... 

 

But last night we were just sitting in the 'shack' around 11 at night and I asked Elder Page if maybe the valve was turned off.  He said he didn't touch it, but he went outside to look, and sure enough someone went into our water thing and turned it all off... It was bogus!  I guess that's another thing I took for granted, water.  Try Nica heat, being a missionary, and sweating nonstop and to top it all off, no water for 3 days... Bush league!!  But it's all part of the experience:)

Other than that, nothing really happened this week, but we have transfers on Wednesday and I think I am leaving, but I don't find out for sure til tomorrow.  So you guys have to wait another week... But I love you guys.  Thanks for all the support and love. 

Challenges will come to you, but as you trust in God they will strengthen your faith.

Elder Copeland

 Elder Copeland showed the pictures of the kids they took to church last week.  He said, "These are only some of the kids at the house.  Yesterday we watched the movie, 'The Testaments' with them.  They're awesome."

 

 "We bought this baseball for all the kids in one of the families that we are teaching if they went to church.  So I decided to put this on the ball for them."

Twenty-ninth Week - February 9, 2015

Well, there goes another week just like that! 

Sorry, not much time today... But this week was a good week.  We had another baptism. Celfida, she is the grandma of the two kids that were baptized like 2 weeks ago.  When I first met her, she would barley talk, but she's came along way to be baptized. 

On Thursday, we had a Multi-zone Conference and Elder Duncan of the area 70 was there.  It was awesome.  

Here in Nica it is getting hotter and hotter every single day, it's miserable.  Also, this week we didn't have water in the night, so I was lucky enough to shower with the bucket this whole week...:) The water to shower is so absolutely freezing, I have never hated showering so bad in my life, but it's all part of the experience.

(An unspecified spider!)

(Elder Copeland found this little guy, plus this beautiful waterfall on their hike today.)

Baptizing here in my area is always an adventure.  We took like 10 people on the buses with us, so you have to worry about everyone which is kinda stressful.  Then on the way back, we went to the bus stop, and we were waiting for a bus to go the market so we could get on another bus to go back to Ticuantepe.  Most of the buses are card only buses which sucks cause I don't have a card, but a lady had one but had no money, so Elder Page and I ran to a gas station, and they didn't have a place to put money on it, ran to another little store, same thing.. So we ran back to the bus stop and waited another 30 minutes for a bus to finally come.  It's such a hassle to baptize in this area, but we got it done.  We have another baptism this Saturday, also, Flor.  She's the daughter of Celfida.  It's awesome, almost everyone is members in this house now.  We are working with the rest to be baptized. 

Also, this I believe is my last week in this area... everyone is telling me that I am going to leave, so we will see what happens.  But this is the last week of this transfer, so I won't find out for sure til the 17th.  I love this area and the people.  I don't want to leave...

But anyways, sorry it's really short today.  We were busy today.  Hope you all have a good week.

Much love from Nicarauga,

Elder Copeland

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 (Elder Copeland's Mission President's wife sent this sweet e-mail showing how happy he was to get a package.  It just happened to be the one in which the Copeland Family Calendar was inside!  I wish we could have seen his face then!  He was really looking forward to getting it!  Missionaries love packages!)

From the Mission President's Wife:

A picture is worth a thousand words!

This is one happy Elder!  Elder Copeland is a great missionary.  He loves his mission and it shows.

Here he is on Thursday with his companion, Elder Page, picking up a package.

Enjoy!

Hermana Russell

 

Twenty-eighth Week - February 2, 2015

Wow, it's already February... 

Time is flying, but I still have a long ways to grow spiritually and personally.  We went to Managua as a district to eat at McDonalds today, so I don't have much time--sorry. 

But this week was super good.  Just a little brief review.  

The highlight of my week, Thursday, we were just 'hiking' through the forest and came upon a house with a few ladies and a million kids, so I said, "Might as well contact this house."  So, short story, we set a baptism date with the 3 moms for the 28th! 

So, to motivate all them to go to church, I bought them a baseball and told them after church we would play baseball with them.  So on Sunday (my area is huge), we had to bring a family to church in an area called San Pedro (way far from everywhere).  We get there and they didn't want to go to church cause they were too tired... so I just said, "Whatever," and went to this other place where all these people were.  We told them we would pick them up at 8:30 for church but showed up at 9... they were all waiting for us to bring them to church! One of the moms told me, "We told the kids that we didn't think you were coming to pick us up, so we should just go to our church," but the kids all told them, "NO, THEY'RE COMING!" Haah so awesome. 

So we took 10 of them to church!!!!  I got my record of 13 investigators at church, so great. So the 3 moms aren't married and all drink coffee just like every other person here... So we have to marry them and everything.  But I really think they will be baptized.  They have great questions and loved the church. 

So after church we played baseball with them for a while.  It was awesome.  We went in some little field, and I bought them a ball because before they used a sock and their bat is just a wooden stick.  But it was soooo fun!  I love them so much!  It really is the SMALL and SIMPLE things that make the difference. 

 (Elder Copeland with the wooden stick the children used for a bat and the ball he bought them to use instead of a sock.)

 (Elder Copeland says this was their winning team!) 

I have learned so much and have much more to learn.  But the church is true, a mission is difficult but the best thing in the world.  If you're having a bad day, just think how blessed we truly are to have what we have.  These people have absolutely nothing! 

 

(This is the home of one of their investigators.)


Elder Copeland said,

"This is a mototaxi that we ride in everyday.  This was last pday."

 

 (The mountains--taken on Elder Copeland's last p-day.)

Love you all, sorry that it was short today.

Elder Copeland