Week 90 - April 24, 2023

Short email this week, but this week was a lot better than the last one.  Knowing the area better makes such a difference of being guided on what to do.  With not much to do in this area, it's good to be guided by the Spirit in where we should be and who needs help.

We started teaching an 11-year-old boy who loves to just hang around us and spend literally all day doing what we're doing. His mom is Catholic, but he came to church with us yesterday too and stayed all day long haha.  He's a cool kid.  He's had a pretty traumatic life seeing his father be killed and losing three of his siblings.  So, when we taught the Plan of Salvation he was so happy.  He kept saying, "Seguro??"   Which means like, "You're for sure?"  It was cool being able to do the exact thing that motivated me to come on a mission, teach people that one day they can return to live with their families forever through The Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Every time we teach it, it puts into perspective how lucky we are as members to have these truths in our lives and to know that we can achieve these things through our actions here on earth.  The kid's name is Kevin, and we hope to get his mom to church soon so that she too can know of these things that bring us so much peace and happiness.  

Yesterday we had a lightning storm and so the light and water went out. And the mom actually invited us over for dinner and told us that we had to be quiet because her neighbors would get mad at her if she knew that she was having us over. It was so nice to get to know her better and talk with her!

This week we had 14 at church, double from last week.  With everyone living so remotely, and pretty far, it's been tough for them to come.  But just seeing them make the effort when they can makes me want to tell them over and over how blessed they will be for their effort.

Still a lot of rejection from a lot that we meet, including less actives.  But we are still doing our best to help those in need, and those that are ready to hear our message.  Not too long left, so giving it my all until the end! 

 Love and miss you all!

    - Elder Copeland

Week 89 - April 17, 2023

What's up, everyone!  It's been a long week here.  Lots of moving around and figuring things out while getting to know members and plan out the transfer. 

Said goodbye this Tuesday to some of my favorite members in the mission in Toto.  It's never easy leaving an area where you grow close to the people that you spend time with learning and growing in the gospel.  Especially when you want so bad the best for them, and they want the best for you.

Wednesday was transfers and got with my new companion.  It's still only his 3rd transfer and so he's still learning a lot about how to do missionary work.  Hopefully I'll be able to help him and teach him as much as I can from what I've learned in my lengthy time here. 

We got to Santa Ana which is one of the two areas that we cover.  Santa Ana is a remote area but has a strong ward with over 80 people weekly, while Tunayac is an even more remote area that's a struggling group with about 10 each week.  So, we are planning to spend the majority of our time in Tunayac to grow the people here as best as we can.  Getting back to Momos was a weird feeling.  After this transfer, I will have spent 14 months just in this Zone.  It's crazy.  A lot of the new missionaries were asking me how they go to their aldeas (areas) and I was able to tell them how from experience in every single one. 

 

  

The rest of the week was meeting members, visiting as many people as my comp knows, and planning how we are going to find new people.  My comp who was here before unfortunately hasn't had much success either and so we have 0 investigators, which means lots of searching for new people and rejection, which is what we've been doing.  Tunayac reminds me a lot of Panca and how remote it is.  It's very difficult to get into someone's house and start teaching.  Just a lot of service and rejection.  Going from the middle of Toto to one of the most remote areas hasn't been easy, and I've been reminded of how different a mission it is here in Momos. 

    

This Sunday me and my comp woke up early to go bring some investigators to church.  After we had walked ~30 mins, we got to a house on the side of the mountain, and they told us that they didn't want us to visit them anymore, as they had joined a different church that gives them money.  Interesting.  But that's just how It's been going so far.  Lots of rejection and seems like there is not anyone that wants to hear us.  I've been used to this with all of the time I've spent in areas like this, but with this now being my last transfer, I want to use the knowledge that I've learned so much to help other people.  I know I just have to keep trying and trying my best to serve and invite. 

   

This Sunday as well we had five people come to church--one of them being from the high council.  As y'all can tell, we don't have much to work with and are pretty much starting from 0.  I know I have a big challenge in front of me to get as much as I can done before I finish to help grow this area and bring more people to the knowledge that I have.  I'm going to keep trying my best and pushing through to the end. I want to finish here saying that I did everything that I could to invite others to come unto Christ.  It's not going to be easy, but that's why I came on a mission.

   

The one good thing that happened this week was that Susi in Toto got baptized!!!  When my last comp texted me that she had been baptized, it was a much-needed reminder that what I'm doing is worth it, and that I'm helping other people make necessary covenants so that they can live forever with their families and their Savior, Jesus Christ.  I'm so happy for Susi and to see her grow within the church for forever.  I'm so grateful that I was able to meet and teach her, so that she can have these same blessings that I know are better than anything else that we can receive in this life.  Hopefully I'll be able to find someone here in this area where I can do the same for them.  I'm going to try my best!

    

   Love you all!

 - Elder Copeland 

Week 88 - April 10, 2023

Hey, everyone!!  It's been a super good week!  Easter here in Toto is crazy.  They decorate everything and close all the stores.  They literally re-enact the last days of Jesus and pretend carry his cross and be crucified... so apostate.  But at least they believe in him.

We got everything set up and ready for our investigator, Susy, to be baptized this Sunday!!!!  Super excited for her and her returned missionary boyfriend that are probably going to be married in the temple down the road!!

 

This morning got transfer news... going back to Momos!!!!!  I'm going to another remote area that's a branch out in the mountains and trees.  I'm super excited to die in an area that represents over half of my mission (9 transfers now).  It will be great.  Sad that I won't be here for Susy's baptism, but I know it will all go well.

It's always tough leaving an area.  These last two days I'll be saying bye to the members that have been some of the best of my whole mission.  Hopefully I'll be able to come back and visit them one day. 

This past week I finished my goal of reading all of "Jesus the Christ," in one transfer.  It was amazing.  I learned so much about Jesus Christ, his disciples, and his doctrine.  He really died for us and made it possible for us to return to live with him again.  It's such a blessing to know of our Heavenly Father's plan to be able to overcome this world and be perfected like He was.  Love you all and will let y'all know how Momos is!!

     

     - Elder Copeland

Week 86 and 87 - April 3, 2023

Yo!  This week was super good!  The "County" of Totonicapan was protesting the government for a law that they passed, so we couldn't leave our house for two days.  But it's resolved now haha.  But this week as a mission we were able to go through the temple and it was so good.  Every time I'm able to go through, I learn something new and am able to understand better the importance of temples.  The next time I go through will be my last day In Xela before going home...

Conference this week was amazing as always, as well!  I took notes on every single talk and could give what I liked about each one.  But every conference that I've listened to as a missionary, I've always searched for the theme or the main message that our church leaders want us to incorporate better in our lives.  I thought there were two main ones.

 

First being, that Jesus Christ is the center of all.  Anytime we need guidance, help, comfort, peace, light, happiness, direction, example, joy, energy, or anything else that we may need in our lives, we can turn to him.  I felt like a lot of the speakers spoke about finding relief and joy in Christ.  That when we come unto him, he can help us through any problem or feeling that we need at any given time.  And that he will always be there for us, no matter how imperfect or far away we may be. 

Second, getting rid of contention and having charity for others. The prophet spoke very strongly on the manner that we should be using our words and actions when we interact with others. That if it is not in a way that Jesus himself would act, then it is not needed.  I remember in my very first transfer here in Guat. Week 3, I gave a talk on the Finland and Russian members which was a talk by Elder Renlund.  On how the Finland members had to let their, at the time enemy Russians, through their temple, so that they could return back to Russia safely.  It took so much charity for the Finland people to let the Russian saints enter into the temple for the first time before they did. Even while their countries were not allies.  The talks we were able to hear this weekend reminded me a lot of that talk, and how we as members need to be examples to the rest of the world on how to treat people.  And that we can "literally change the world, one interaction at a time," said President Nelson.

 

Along with many other impressions and messages from the speakers, I really enjoyed this general conference, and get more and more excited for it every six months.  I've been on a spiritual high this whole week.  I invite you all to re-listen to some of the talks and search for what it is you can do better to be more Christ-like or to become closer to him in your personal lives. 

Just last night after the last session, we visited a less active member with the former bishop who took us in his car.  And we found that this Hermana had not been coming to church because her daughter had recently joined the Catholic church. And so she decided instead of breaking up her family, to just start going to church with her daughter in the Catholic church. She told us for a while how she has been battling in her mind on what to do and to what church she needs to attend.  Even though she knows the The Church of Jesus Christ is true, she just doesn't want to cause problems within her family.  She was crying and was obviously confused on what to do.  But I was able to share a quote with her that I had heard from one of the speakers on how we can be guided to make decisions when we trust in the Lord.  I promised her that if she prays with real intent, that her Heavenly Father will guide her to know what she needs to do and be given the strength to do it.  It was a powerful cita.  I felt so grateful to be able to have heard the messages of this conference, and immediately after, been able to share those messages with those who need it.  I know that we have a living Prophet on the earth today along with 12 living Apostles.  That they are guided by the one who leads His church, Jesus Christ.  I feel so blessed to be a missionary and have the knowledge of this gospel to help other people find happiness and peace. 

Grateful for you all!  Happy Easter!  It's always a big deal here so should be fun.

      - Elder Copeland