Hey, everyone. This week has been great and one of the busiest ever. It started on Tuesday when our mission President told us that if we could get a full chapel this Sunday, that he thinks we can get the go-ahead to build a chapel in Chicorral!!! So, this week we literally visited and invited every single person in la Carpeta (area book) and had lots of family home evenings with members to invite them to bring people as well. Every less active, every contact, every member. Everyone we invited.
I wanted to make sure that I did everything in my power to bring as many people to church as possible. Even if they chose not to, knowing that I did my part to invite and bring them to church is all I can do as a missionary. So, on Saturday night as I was writing in my journal, I really felt that I worked as hard as I possible could to try and get as many people as possible to church. The whole week we were outside of the house from 12-7 and rarely had a chance to take a breath. It was a good feeling knowing I did my part. Now it was just on them to decide for themselves if they would accept what we offered them.
Unfortunately, an elderly person died Sunday morning, who was neighbors with two of the member families. And it's ritual here for all the neighbors and people that knew the person well, to go help with the body and console the family. So, we were missing about 14 people at church. But we still had 42 people come, which filled up our little chapel.
We had over 15 investigators and people come, that we had invited throughout the week! It was awesome to see all the people we reached out to, show up and learn a little bit more about what we know is true. It made me think how just in this short week, I was able to do exactly what the mission is all about. Work hard, invite people to learn, and then teach them what is so important to us. The Lord definitely blessed us to touch the hearts of people and feel the importance of what we were trying to teach them.
This upcoming week, Elder Guifra from the Seventy, will be coming to our mission to have a conference. But our mission President wants to show him our meeting room here in Chicorral and the land that the church has for a chapel, and depending on what Elder Guifra says, he could give us the go-ahead to start the process of putting a chapel here. So, lots of prayers please that everything will go well and the chapel can get approved. I think it would be so cool that me and my companions here would be responsible for the construction of a church. It has been our goal since I opened this area almost four months ago. To be able to say that I was a part of that process would be so special to me because of how much I love these people.
After church yesterday and a lunch we had with everyone that came, me and my comp stuck around to thank the families who hosted for their hosting. And I just felt like I was a part of a family here with the members and was another one of their kids. I love Chicorral and its people. I love being able to help grow the testimonies of the people, and for them to help me grow mine. I hope I serve here for the rest of my mission haha.
But I love you all. My comp literally only speaks in metaphors and movie quotes, so that's another reason I've tried to be out of the house all day ;). But it's fun.
- Elder Copeland
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