Wassup, yall.
It's been a crazy last two weeks. I'm a father! I got my brand-new comp this week and it's been wild. I'm also staying in Chicorral for another transfer, so this will be my 3rd here, which I'm super happy about.
Last week, I had my last week with probably my favorite companion so far with Elder Aguilar from Nicaragua. It was so hard to say goodbye to him and say goodbye to members with him. But he's still in Momos Zone and is a district leader now like me, so we are still seeing each other here and there. Actually, both of my other companions are district leaders here in Momos. So, I keep saying that I taught them everything they know to be DLs lol.
My new Greenie is Elder Andrus from Utah. He was 1 of 19 new missionaries to come in. And next transfer we get 25 more. So, I'm really pushing my kid to learn Spanish as quick as possible and also how to be a missionary, so that he can be a senior comp asap, which is what my mission president has asked the trainers to do. So, I sat him down on his first day and asked him how hard he wanted me to push him and help him with his Spanish. And he said as much as I can... So, I've been really tough with him on his pronunciation and grammar and he's being a champ about taking it. We study for 4+ hours a day and practice practice practice everything. Then we go out and use it. It's been super tiring but so rewarding already. Both he and I gave a talk yesterday in the branch (poor guy, first week and already speaking) and his went super well for his first week. He definitely has better Spanish than I did when I first got here. So, I know that me pushing him is helping. I wish someone would have been tougher with me so that I would have gotten it faster, but I did alright ;).
Our Mission President has been really pushing for Elders to learn more Kiche in the mission. And so, he had me share my experience on learning it to the mission at Zone Conf, and then also sent my Kiche book to the mission as well for the new gringos to start learning. It's pretty cool to know that the book that I made can make a huge impact on the culture of the mission and connecting with more people through Kiche. My comp has already picked up more words than most other missionaries know haha.
Being with my new comp, I've spent a lot of time reflecting and thinking about when it was my first week in the mission, and when I had no idea what was going on either. To look back and see how far I've come and the missionary I am now since then is amazing. My life has completely changed. My testimony, the love for these people, and my relationship with my Heavenly Father. When I'm teaching the lessons and helping my comp memorize certain scriptures and phrases, I think back to when my trainer did the same thing to me, and I think about how if my old self at that time could see me now, teaching the same things to a new missionary, how I would be so shocked and wouldn't believe it. I told my comp that these first couple of weeks will probably be the hardest of your life so far, but I promise down the road you'll look back and be thankful for them, so just enjoy it. Because I remember when I couldn't understand a word, and members would just look at me and laugh because I couldn't respond. But the lessons I learned and the pressure it put on me to learn as fast as I did, helped me to become the missionary I am today. There's no growth until it becomes difficult.
Have done a lot of thinking and I know all of the blessings that I have been given are from Heavenly Father. I love my mission and everything that comes with it. I can't wait to see how much mi hijo grows and learns this transfer, and I hope I can do the best at helping him.
Amazing story this week. So, our branch president's father (about 75 years old) has been very sick lately. He, also, can't speak for very long or hear very well. But after church yesterday, our branch president told me that Izacharias (his name) wanted to talk with me. So, we sat down with him, and he gathered the strength, and he told us about his life and how he was converted to the church and served as the branch president for a long time before his son was called after his mission. He told the story of how he used to drink a lot, but one night he was passed out on the side of the road looking up at the stars and prayed to God about where he was in his life and what he needed to do to change it. The next day his son was born, which is our branch president now. And Izacharias told us that his son being born the next day, was a message that he needed to raise his son correctly, because he hadn't with his older ones. Later he found the missionaries, was baptized, served in the branch, stake, then back as president. And now his son, his family, his best friend and his family are all members. And their wives have all served missions, too. All because Hno Izacharias asked for direction from God and wanted to change. The amount of people that Izacharias has brought unto Jesus Christ and to the church now is one of the best stories I've ever heard. He has one of the strongest testimonies of anyone I know in Guatemala. We then gave him and his wife a blessing and talked with them a little longer. But just to listen to the history and testimony of him was so special. He was crying and I knew he was hurting, but the Spirit was so strong. He was saying that God seems to always have a trial for him and his health, but he knows that Heavenly Father never gives us trials that are too hard to get over.
I know that these are the types of moments that make the mission so worth it. I love these people and for the opportunity that I have to learn from them and serve them. I could not be any happier to be where I am, doing what I'm doing.
Love you and miss you all!
Also ended bulking and started cutting, so wait for pictures in 3 months when I'm skinny again👍 195->175
- Elder Copeland
Pic of the Week
Poor Elder Andrus--he was bitten by a spider and had an allergic reaction to it. He is doing better now.
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