Week 94 - May 22, 2023

Second to last email, y'all!  It's going to be a good one, too.  This week I went on divisions, back to my first ever area in the mish, Panca!  I can't even describe to you guys how crazy it was to be back after over 600 days since being there.  I got to say goodbye to all of the people I've met and have stayed in contact with since leaving and it was so special.  I'll never forget how these people took me in once I first got here and how they treated me when I was just a brand-new missionary that couldn't say a single word in Spanish it felt like.  When I got here, the dad of everyone in the Branch had just passed away less than two weeks earlier, so they were in need of some support and help. 

 

Looking back, I know that it was inspired for us as missionaries to re-open that area and be there for all of the people of Panca.  I've made some of the best relationships of my whole mission there in Panca, so saying goodbye was not easy at all.  We went to go say goodbye to a mom and her son that was only four years old when I was here, so I was so surprised when we walked up to the house and he had remembered me!  His name is Israel, and he's the sweetest kid.  He's now 6 years old, which is crazy.  But after I had given him a hug and said goodbye, he came running down the dirt road after us to give me one of his toys that he wanted me to have before we left.  It was the sweetest thing.  He told me that one day he's going to be a missionary, too, just like me.  It was so cool.  Experiences like that make the mission so worth it. Love that kid.

But the hardest part was saying bye to "my mom in the mission" and visiting her tiny little house one last time.  She had taken such good care of me when I first got there, washing my clothes, making our food, and always having us over when we wanted to.  She is the best.  But it was emotional hearing her say, with tears in her eyes, how thankful she was for me and how she loves me as if I was one of her own kids.  It was so powerful.  She wanted me to make sure I told my mom, thank you for letting me come down here and share me with them for some time.  It was amazing.  As I was leaving, she gave me this amazing diamond looking key-chain thing with Jesus Christ in the center.  She said she had been given it by the church for being a seminary teacher for over five years! And she had been holding onto it to give to me before I left back home.  How special is that.  I'll put a picture of it below. 

Getting up early and leaving Panca on the back of the flete for the last time with a plaque on was sad.  As I was thinking of how many times I had done that, and how that time was the last one. 

I'm so grateful for all the people I've been able to meet and serve while being here, and for every single experience that I've had that has changed my testimony, life, and mission in some way.  It's going to be sad leaving these people in 11 days but thinking back to all of these experiences makes me so happy and grateful for it all.  I wouldn't trade it for anything.

 

It's getting more and more real every day that I'll be home soon, so this week I'm going to be out and with the people to just take it all in and do as much as I can until I'm done.  I know I'll miss it here soon.

 

I got my flight plans this week and will be flying into SLC at 4:30 pm on June 2nd, for whoever can make it.  Only one more email you guys!  Love you all and see you guys soon! 

      - Elder Copeland

Week 93 - May 15, 2023

 First off, HAPPY MOTHERS DAY, MOM!!!  I hope yesterday was an amazing day!  You've supported me so much throughout my mission and helped me to become the person I am today.  I wouldn't be about to complete my mission without you.  I love you, Mom!!

This week I got to go on divisions in one of my areas here in Momos, in Chicorral.  It's the area that held meetings in the house of the Branch President because they don't have a chapel to do them in.  When I was there, every week we pushed as hard as we could to get as many people as we could to church to raise the attendance, so that the Area Seventy would approve the construction of a chapel for the area.  After leaving, I've heard here and there about the area and the progression towards a chapel.  Even a baptism they had of a boy we started teaching before I left, which was made happened by my hijo in the mission, (missionary I trained) Elder Andrus!

But going back this week and getting to see all the amazing members that I love, they told me that A CHAPEL HAS BEEN CONFIRMED!  And construction should start the beginning of next year!!  It made me feel so good I couldn't even describe it. Thinking about when I opened the area about a year ago, the three transfers I spent there and the people I worked to teach and serve, was all part of the plan and process to get to where it is now.  I'm so grateful and extremely happy for the people of Chicorral that soon will be able to have church meetings in a real church building and get to feel of the presence of the Holy Ghost inside it.  Seeing things like that happen because of the faith of the members and missionary work, makes the mission 110% worth it.  So amazing and exciting.

Saturday and yesterday was Stake Conference here in Momos.  It was so good!  We had an Area Seventy there, Elder Gonzales.  In his talk, he said that in his "Seventy" meeting with Russell M Nelson, The Prophet wanted all of the Seventy members to tell everyone that they meet, that He loves them. That the Prophet loves them.  Every one of them.  You could feel how badly Elder Gonzales wanted to make it felt, how much The Prophet means to him, and how amazing of a person he is.  He shared some cool experiences that touched me as well. 

I got to see so many old faces that I've met throughout my time in Momos, too.  It was awesome.  Seeing them still strong in the church and making the effort to be at Stake Conference means so much.  I got to say goodbye to all of them because I probably won't see them again before I leave.  It all worked out perfectly.

There have been a million thoughts in my head this week about me being home in less than three weeks, my testimony,  the things I've learned, how much I've changed, and being the best missionary I can be until the moment they take off my plaque.  But something I learned this week is that Heavenly Father is in the details.  He is aware of us and our feelings.  He is always in control and will guide us in all that we do.  I'm so grateful for the mission and for the amazing people I've had the opportunity to meet and serve. Eighteen days until I have to say bye to them all.

 Love you guys! 

 - Elder Copeland

Week 91 and 92 - May 1 and 8, 2023

Not too many of these left.  But another good week in the middle of nowhere!

Lately we've had literally 0 success teaching lessons, so now we've hit the point of just serving as many people as we can. What we've been doing is going to every single house we can find and just asking if they need any work done.  Like chopping wood, hauling wood up the mountain, getting water from the well, anything we can find.  

Most people still won't let us help them, but here and there we get to do some service.  This week we were helping an old member lady chop wood and cut down some trees, and her axe had broken and so I used my 14-month experience in Momos and put it back together using other pieces of wood to lodge the head of the axe and the handle together so it was stuck on there.  I was pretty proud of myself and know that there was no way I could have done that two years ago lol.  I didn't even know how to swing it then.  But now I literally put back together an axe and spent like an hour and a half cutting wood for her.  It was cool.

Been really starting to think about how soon it is until I come home and all the things I've learned since I started.  I really can't put into words how much I've changed and have grown through all the experiences I've been able to have.  Overall, I'm just so extremely grateful for the gospel in my life and how much it's impacted me and those around me.  There's no place in the world that could have been better for me than here in Guatemala for the past 22 months, as difficult and long as it's felt at times.  

I'm so grateful for the mission and the amazing people I've met.  Actually, this week we have stake conference coming up, which means I'll be able to see all of the members that I've met in all four of my areas here in Momos, which I'm super excited about. 

     

The days are flying by and can't wait to see y'all soon!  25 days left.

   - Elder Copeland