Week 15 - November 8, 2021

Wow.  Unbelievable busy week. 

I won't be able to cover all of it, as much as I want to tell you guys everything.

Monday, took our suitcases with us to Momos, and then we stayed in San Francisco El Alto with Zone Leaders because there weren't cars back to either of our areas.

Tuesday, we went to Momos because my comp needed the second dose of Covid.  We ended up waiting five hours for him to get it.  He never got it.  So President said that we needed to go Xequemeya the next day to get it.  So we went back to Canquixaja that night, with our suitcases, because we were going to go to Panca after the vaccine, but it never happened.

Wednesday, wow.  There weren't any Fletes from Canquixajá to Xequemeya, so we walked . . with our suitcases, my 45 pound suitcase, from Canquixajá to Xequemeya.  Literally, from one mountain to another, on a dirt/ loose rock road, with a 45 pound suitcase.  I had to haul it up the Xequemeya mountain.  I was dripping sweat. Something I'll never forget.  That will be my go to story when I'm a grandpa, that I had to carry a suitcase from one mountain to another while the kids in the future have everything easy.  But afterwards, we paid a guy to take us to Panca, because we were sick of hauling our suitcases around for four days straight.

Thursday, woke up to a call from Zone Leaders saying that we had to go back to San Francisco because we would go with them the next day to the Temple.  That whole day we had splits and worked all day long.  Taught three lessons and found kids that haven't been baptized yet. 

Friday, we went to the Temple in Xela.  It was amazing.  The Spirit was so strong the whole time.  Got some cool pictures, too.

After we came back to Panca, had a great lesson with a Hermana that we are hoping to get a baptism date from soon.  Her husband is a member but active about 50 percent of the time.  So we are trying to strengthen them while also baptizing the wife. 

Saturday, we had the missionary devotional with Elder Gong.  He talked about temples right after we had just gone through the day before.  It was cool to hear him say the name of our mission and our zones.  Since I've amped up reading the scriptures since becoming a missionary, my testimony for prophets and apostles has grown so much.  I think it is so cool that we have prophets and apostles to lead and guide us during these times, just the same as the prophets in the scriptures during those times.  It would be so scary to not have these leaders today to help us stay along the path and give us direction through the revelation they receive.  I'm so thankful for that knowledge that I have and the comfort that it brings me.

 Also, found a scorpion as we were putting our trash in the garbage.  It almost got me.

Sunday, gave my testimony again in church.  I think that's number 4 now because there aren't many people who want and are able to talk during sacrament meeting.  My Spanish is great now.  Not able to understand everything and every word, but giving talks and lessons I can do almost no problem now.  I'm very thankful how much I've improved over the past two months.  Yesterday we also had a lesson with a 7-year-old girl who is the daughter of the president of the branch.  The President wants us to teach her because she is going to be baptized in a couple weeks.  But her older siblings have told me that she likes me, so whenever I see her or wave at her she gets super, super nervous.  So during the lesson, she was so nervous and didn't want to say much haha.  But it went well, we gave her, her first Book of Mormon.  It was cool.

Everything is going great and enjoying how hard these days are.  I know they are shaping me and making me a better missionary.  Hopefully, soon we will have a baptism here in this area that has not had one in two years.  We are close! 

Elder Copeland

Week 14 - November 1, 2021

Recently, I've had some feedback on the creativeness of my titles.  I'll say this again, in the next 50 years I'll be able to look back and know exactly when each email was written.  It may seem boring now, but I will be thankful in the future.

Pero, Fuimos a Canquixajá esta semana y estamos aquí ahora.  It's cool having two areas.  A lot more people to find and manage, which keeps us busy.

Monday, we had P day in Momos.  But as we were trying to go back to Panca, it was 18 Qs for each person on a viaje to Panca because there weren't any fletes.  But for some reason, my companion thought it would be better to take a flete to a town that's three mountains over because it was only four Quetzales to there.  And then take a Tuk-Tuk to the town that is one mountain over and then walk the rest.  Well, the Tuk-Tuk ride ended up being 10 Qs each.  So, in total it was 14 Qs to take a flete, then a Tuk-Tuk, and then walk for 30 mins for 4 Quetzales less. . . Which is equal to about 70 cents. When the viaje would have taken, only us, right up to the gate of the church for 18 Qs.  Also, the flete we were on to the other town, probably 20 people were in the back of this truck, no joke.  And there wasn't any room to put my feet on the bed of the truck. So, I had to hold on to the rails while hanging off, one foot on top off the side of the truck bed, and one foot on the back bumper for an hour.  Whenever another truck would pass, I would have to pull myself as close to the truck as possible because there was no room between the two cars because the dirt roads are so tight.  Also, we lost about two hours because of that choice.  But, I'll never forget that ride.

Tuesday, fuimos a Canquixaja.  Studied, contacted and visited.  Pretty much how every normal day goes. 

Wednesday, there was a K'iche' class on Zoom for our mission.  I love K'iche'.  I've learned so much just from hearing it all the time.  When we contact, I start and say all the phrases and words I can, and then my comp does the rest.  Each time I say a little more.  I can pretty much do a full contact, but after that not much.  Now I also can give a 1-2 minute testimony in Quiche también.  It's so cool how the language is structured, and I want to keep learning it. 

Thursday, was really cool.  When we went to contact in the valley of Canquixaja.  There were these two guys lying in the shade by this soccer field.  And it looked like they were asleep, but I had an impression to talk to them.  So I woke them up by saying "buenas tardes" like normal.  Long story short, we did service for them by hoeing the ground around the soccer field for an hour.  But during that, we learned that one of the guys has been baptized and wants his daughter to be baptized as well, even though they are less active.  So we set up times to meet and teach, so that was cool.  He had to go to the capital this week, but hopefully when we start teaching him and his family, they will come to church again.

Friday . . . So some Elders in our Zone needed to get the second dose for Covid.  But my comp didn't have his Vax card and we didn't know when we would have to go to Momos to do that.  So we WALKED from Canquixajá to Panca, had lunch with a member family and and walked all the way back after getting the Vax card.  

Then, the second we get back in the apartment, Zone Leaders texted us and said we aren't going until Monday.  So we walked for three hours when we could have gone the next day in a truck.  I still do not like that walk from Panca to Canquixajá.  Found a snake, so that made it a little better.

Saturday, was pretty normal as well.  We had a great lesson with a member family about the Plan of Salvation because this week is the week of the dead here.

Sunday, we were able to go to our first Sacrament meeting here in Canquixaja.  It was all in K'iche'.  Todo.  Ronojel. Everything.  There are a lot more members here even though the chapel is way smaller, but it was awesome to see so many members in this town in the middle of nowhere.  It shows how the gospel is for everybody no matter who you are or where you're from.  The rama is very strong here.

Estoy muy agradecido estar aquí en estas pueblas con la gente aquí. Yo se esta obra es para traer personas hasta Jesucristo. Estoy muy agradecido por las bendiciones del evangelio en mi vida y por los sentimientos que he tenido cuando estoy siendo las manos del Señor. 

K'iche': Wetam Jesucristo K'asalik. Wetam wa' tyoxja kolik utz wenak, y ri ch'abal re ri Ral Ku'al' re Ajaw es sik'. Wetam re wuj re ri mormón es sik'. Kin'Kolik Koj'bal en ri tzi' re ka' prophetas. Wa' es nu K'alajisanem. Maltiosh por Ix Saq k' aslemal wachalal.

English:  I know Jesus Christ lives.  I know this church has good people, and the gospel of the son of God is true.  I know the Book of Mormon is true.  I have faith in the words of our prophets.  This is my testimony.  Thank you for your time, brothers and sisters.

 Sounds a lot cooler in K'iche'.

Love all the emails and updates from you guy's lives.  Love you all!

- Elder Copeland