Hey, everyone! Hit 1 year in Guatemala this week! Pretty crazy now to look back at my journal entries from a year ago and see how long it's been since I first got here.
This week was super good. We focused more this week on teaching people we've contacted and really going through who has real interest to start progressing. We had a couple great lessons, but also a couple where the investigators just talked for hours about how they know their church is true... super fun.
One of the best experiences ever happened this week. So, for the past two transfers or so, I've really wanted to feel the Spirit more in teaching and just in general. So, I've fasted and prayed a lot to be able to feel it guiding me more. I've been able to feel it and see it guiding me, but I just wanted more of it and for me to recognize it more as well. So, last Sunday for fast Sunday, I fasted that I would be able to see or feel the Spirit strongly at some point during the week. So, this Saturday, our last cita of the week, we had a family home evening with the Branch President's family, his parents and one other Hermana. So, we started sharing about how acting with faith, not knowing perfectly of things to come, will guide us to where we need to be and do. And we went around the room for some of them to share their experiences on how praying with faith and moving forward has brought them miracles and blessings. Afterwards, I was the last one to share, and I started sharing about Cannon and how through that difficult time, during and after his life, my family pressed forward in the church, the temple, prayers, and faith. And how after a lot of time of challenges, and not knowing of what was to come, we finally received a miracle with my baby sister, Brenly. But as I started talking, I felt the Spirit so strongly that I couldn't talk for like three minutes. I felt as if all of the feelings of the Holy Ghost that I had been wanting to feel, was dumped on me all at once. I was sobbing haha. But it was amazing. I love talking about Cannon and so I usually don't start crying when I do, but this time as soon as I started, I just stopped and was taken over so strongly. There is no better feeling than from the Spirit. I talked more about how I feel so lucky to be serving a mission alongside my brother on the other side of the veil, and how he's my hero for his example to me. It was a family home evening I'll never forget.
Baby Brenly
I've looked back at when I got here a year ago and the difference in myself from then until now, and I am so grateful for how much I've grown and changed in my testimony and as a person. I know my old self would be shocked to see me now and how much more I know from the scriptures and how much stronger my testimony is. I'm so excited to see where it is when I'm home.
I miss and love you all!
- Elder Copeland
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