Week 31 - December 28, 2020

What a crazy week!  (Honestly, I say this every week, but it's God's work, what else is more wild and fun and interesting?!)

We had a great week here in Twin Falls!  I think my favorite phrase that I've used on my mission is, "If you would have told me a year ago that...." and then I finish it off with "...I would be doing ____________ in Idaho, speaking Swahili, I would have said you were crazy."   That's how I feel about my entire mission.  There's so many miracles I see everyday, and so many experiences I have that I could never have imagined!  If you're thinking about serving a mission:  Do it!  It's the hardest thing I've ever done, but the most worth it.  You learn more about yourself, God, and his plan for you than anywhere else.

~~~

Anyway, here's the highlights of this week! 

☆ mission conference:  This week on Wednesday we got to go to Burley for mission conference!  We watched Michael McLean's, "The Forgotten Carols" and I cried for the FIRST TIME on my mission... that's crazy.... anyway, we also got to sing for mission conference!  Me and Sister Hyde performed an original arrangement of "O Holy Night," and for the second time on my mission, someone told me I needed to produce an album (is it a sign?) haha.  We, also, made beds for homeless people out of grocery bags, and learned more about the Atonement of Jesus Christ!  Overall a great and fun day! 

☆ African food MENGI:  So many people fed us this week!  We had lunch with Fausta's family and they gave us chipsi (french fries), maharagwe (beans), mchele (rice), kuku (chicken), and nyama ya ng'ombe (beef).  It was good, but also just a lot of food.  And, right after that, we had dinner with a member from Kenya, who fed us chipati (African tortillas), boiled kale (which was SO GOOD), and kuku (chicken).  That meal was the best African food I've ever had.  Sooooo good! Anyway, good stuff. 

☆ Swahili:  My language is improving!  I spoke in church yesterday entirely in Swahili and I got some "amina"'s from the congregation which is a good sign haha.  Also, in our Swahili class, our teacher, the member from Kenya, said that I had the African accent!!!!!  That's really good news.  Anyway, I love the language and wanna speak it forever!

☆ CHURCH:  We got 14 PEOPLE to church this week!  It was so good.  We had an entire family of 8 come for the first time, and they loved it!  We were so happy they were there and they are slowly taking steps to be closer to God. 

☆ Christmas/Christmas Eve:  MERRY (late) CHRISTMAS! 🎄 I had the greatest day.  It's really special to have a holiday where your entire day is devoted to God.  I got to show my love for him by not focusing on myself, but others the ENTIRE DAY.  I decided that I like watching people open presents rather than opening them myself.  Anyway, a great day talking to family and feeling God's love!  

Sister Copeland's family in Texas on Christmas Day getting to talk to her.

On Christmas Eve, we had a huge get together where we played football with like 50 missionaries, and had breakfast, in which I cooked 90 SCRAMBLED EGGS (honestly wife me up haha).  It was SO MUCH FUN.  I love missionaries and Christmas. 

 

☆THE SCOOTER:  So, long story short, we had a gift exchange, and so I wrapped one normal gift, and then I also wrapped a gift that was made to look like a scooter, when in reality it was a troosp waffle.  Yes, I'm a creative genius and he was confused out of his MIND.  Classic.  Check out the pic below. 

~~~

Spiritual thought:  At mission conference, we talked about the Atonement of Jesus Christ and how it's like a gift card.  The gift card has been given to us, but it's of no use until we use it! And there's so much that we don't use!  He is able to comfort us, turn our weaknesses into strengths, forgive us, and one day, help us live again.  The Atonement was given to us freely, but all we need is to take advantage of it!  He suffered for us personally.  And the Atonement wasn't just Him dying for us, but His sacrifice in the Garden of Gethsemane as well, where he felt our pain, sadness, fear, grief, sins, and all the things that we would suffer in our lives, so much so that he bled from every pore.  He loves us, he knows us.  How are we reaching out to him?  Are YOU using the Atonement in as many ways as you can?

~~~

Wow!  What a long email!  But, a long email is proof of a productive and fun week serving the Lord! 

Like I say all the time, I love my mission, I love these people, and I love God. 

Keep being amazing! 

Nakupenda KABISA! 

na upendo, 

sister copeland ♡

Email me! ♡♡♡

Week 30 - December 21, 2020

 NENO LANGU! WIKI HII NI BORA ZAIDI.

Let me tell you.  Being out of quarantine is a freeing feeling. Amazing. 

We got out of quarantine on Thursday, and we have had a great few days! 

Happy sisters out of quarantine!😊

Here's the highlights!!

☆ dumpster diving and my Gucci bag- ok.  Now, don't make judgement until this story is over. On Saturday, we went to a doctor's office and helped move their furniture.  They were selling the office, and they offered to give the furniture to refugees in need!  So we were able to deliver tons of chairs and furniture to these people who barely have anything in their homes!  We had an extra couch so even me and Sister Hyde got a couch haha.  Anyway, while we were there, they had a large dumpster.  It was filled with everything they don't want anymore.  So naturally, one of the Elders climbed into the dumpster and started looking around.  He was like, "There's straight up FINDS in here!" 

So my comp jumped in.  I didn't dare, but I stood on the side haha.  Here's a list of the best things they found:  fancy Italian sparkling water, a cork board, a toaster, a dinosaur toy, a motivational poster, ketchup bottle, mustard, vials of sterile water, pipettes, three Bibles, a shoulder rest, biohazard stickers, and my favorite.... A GUCCI PURSE.  Sister Hyde at one point yelled, "Kamata" (catch) and threw a purse at me. When I caught it I noticed that it was a Gucci purse!  I did a mini-fashion show showing how I was gonna pull up at mission conference next week with my Gucci bag.  (I'm not actually gonna use it, but I kept it for the mems.)  Haha.  We also kept the biohazard stickers and they now randomly appear on missionary cars, missionary apartments, and even missionaries themselves!  It's a lot of fun.  

Also, don't worry.  It wasn't actually a dirty trash can.  Just a pile of unused office supplies.  I'm not THAT desperate. 

☆ auditioning for America's Got Talent? - so, in church yesterday, me and Sister Hyde sang for the Christmas program!  Elder Pitcher (the master piano player) told us that his piano teacher from home wrote an original Christmas song, so we sang it in church!  It was so pretty ngl.  We had a lot of fun with it!  But, after church a man came up to us and started talking about how he loved what we sang.  He said he owns a recording studio and wants to produce an album with us!  We kinda laughed and he said, "You think I'm joking."  We could then tell he wasn't haha.  So, one of these days we're producing an album?  He also told me specifically that he has seen a lot of talent, and if I wanted, he could take me really far the in the music industry.  I was blown away.  He said, "If you want, I'll record your stuff and send it in to AGT, Howie is gonna love it."  I kinda laughed and again he said, "You think I'm kidding," and I said that I'm kinda busy with something at the moment and pointed to my tag.  He seemed adamant though.  Who knows!  At least maybe I can record a couple songs for posterity.  Haha!  I'll keep y'all updated. 

☆ being Santa Claus- the members here are amazing and got together a bunch of gifts for refugees, so we spent an entire day delivering lots of clothes, food, toys, and gift cards to TONS of families.  It was so fun to see the light in their eyes when we pulled up with more clothes than I've ever owned in my life.  It was so good to serve.  We even went over to one of their houses the next day, and she was fully decked out in the clothes we gave them.  So sweet.  One of my favorite moments was a lady named Vestina came up to me and yelled, "My friend!  Thank you! Yay!" in broken English and jumped up and down and gave me a hug.  So sweet!

☆ reaching all over the U.S.- because we speak Swahili, we've had lots of missionaries reach out to help them teach refugees in other states!  It's been awesome to call in and meet lots of new refugees and help them learn the gospel in a way they understand!  It's super cool to also have an impact on so many different places.  Missionary work goes on everywhere!!!  It can't be stopped! 

Well, now for a spiritual thought!  I gave a training to some other missionaries this week on prayer and faith.  I'll always remember a certain lesson my mom taught me one year when I was a youth.  She told me that when I have fear, I need to give my faith and will over to God 100%.  When I give 100%, and it has to be 100%, fear has no more room in our hearts.  I related this to prayer.  Our prayers to God have power.  One of my favorite things was said by Al Carraway, a speaker and writer.  She said that every time she prays, she starts by asking God for help with her prayer.  Through the guidance of the Spirit, she would often ask for things she didn't think she needed, but then she would be blessed with them.  God often has many blessings in store for us, and we need to ask for them.  But, how do we know what those are?  Ask for the Spirit to guide your prayers!  I've been trying to do this and it works great!  It's amazing how God can open our eyes when we ask them to be opened, and we put 100% of our faith in Him.  Our prayers have power and will be answered if we believe they will and they align with God's plan.  So, my challenge to you is to make every prayer a spiritual experience.  Don't just pray to check off a box.  You are talking to GOD.  The supreme creator of the universe and our Heavenly Father.  Talk with sincerity and realness of heart.  It's a powerful and life changing practice.  And then, write down when you receive answers to prayers and act on those things.  See what happens:) 

Anyway, sorry for the long email this week!  So much happened in the short three days I was free.  Love you all and thanks for tuning in to my weekly message. 

KRISMASI NJEMA!

MERRY CHRISTMAS! 

Na upendo,

Sister Copeland ♡

Mwanga ya krismasi! 💡🎄

Week 29 - December 14, 2020

 I'm currently still in quarantine.... 😔

So, since we talked last, here's what has happened:

- I was tested for Corona (again) because apparently the first one was possibly wrong (the first one was negative, haven't gotten the 2nd test back)

-I haven't left my house except to get Dutch Bros chocolate milk, which is straight from heaven.

 

- I taught the first lesson (the Restoration) entirely in Swahili by myself! 

- I rediscovered my love for the scriptures and went ALL IN.

 

- watched The Chosen!!!  It's a show about Christ's life.  It's beautiful!

 

- it SNOWED!  LIKE FOR REAL.

It was this light at nearly 10:00 p.m.!

 

- we saw an owl out our window!

- our mission was picked to try out a pilot program for the church!  Pretty cool!  It's about keeping new members engaged and active! 

- I played LOTS of solitaire...

- we cleaned the ENTIRE APARTMENT.

 

- went to a new section of the canyon I hadn't been to! Beautiful.

It looks like a lot, but I am DYING to get back out there and work!!!!  I love these people so much and want to visit them.  I love this gospel, I love my mission, and I can't believe I've been out as long as I have.  Today (Sunday) marks 200 days since I started!  Crazy!  I can't wait to get out of quarantine and bring people closer to Christ. 

☆☆☆

Spiritual thought:

I've been reading lots of scriptures (if I'm saying lots that means LOTS because normally we study two hours a day) and I just love them.  There's so much beauty in the words of God.  One scripture that popped out to me while reading was 2 Nephi 22:2.  It says this:

   

   "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid; for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also has become my salvation."

I just think that's beautiful.  Because Christ lived for us and died for us, we can trust him.  He is our salvation.  He knows what's best for us.  He knows exactly what we need and what we don't need.  TRUST HIM.  Before my mission, I found myself often pleading for things in prayer.  Things I thought I needed.  Sometimes it worked out, sometimes it didn't.  Now, I've changed my prayers.  Instead of asking for something and being worried I won't get it, I pray that I may have the strength that no matter what happens, I will continue to have faith and I will be ok.  I know that as we change our mindset, and instead of trying create our own image of what we need, we try and align our will to God's, things will always work out in the end. TRUST GOD.  Align your will to God's, and then go with the flow.  As a person that loves to be in control of things, I've learned (and made it a motto on the mish), that I can't control everything.  I need to let Jesus take the wheel (haha) and GO WITH THE FLOW.  It's all a part of our trust for Him.  I invite you to evaluate your trust in God.  Do you trust Him enough to give 100% over to him?  What can you do to strengthen your trust?  I'd love to hear your answers:)

So, I guess that's it.  GOD IS SO GOOD.  Never forget it. 🚫🧢

I love you all.  I love my mission.  I love God. 

With love,

Sister Copeland ♡

Pictures:

1. 200 days in! (ANZA means start:))🙌

2. Nice quote I found:) God is greater than all the fears you may have. 🌟

3. Beautiful picture of Christ❤

4. Cute little Christmas photo!

5.  So excited to receive my family Christmas card!

Week 28 - December 7, 2020

Well.  Like I said before, it is inevitable.  We officially have Corona. 

For real.  Not just quarantined because we came in contact, quarantined because we are infected. 

On Monday last week, we went to the store as usual.  We bought these new organic chips, and when we got in the car Sister Hyde tried them.  She said, "These are terrible.  They have no taste!"  I tried one and they definitely had taste.  It was at that moment we realized.  Oh no.  So, we tested everything.  She grabbed an onion and bit it.  Nothing.  She grabbed a bagel and bit it.  Nothing.  We thought maybe she was going crazy.  So, we went to the church and did normal P-day stuff (I know, dumb).  We then talked to smarter people and they told us to quarantine.  So we did.  We got Sister Hyde tested the next day and it came back positive the day after that.  So, we've been in quarantine all week. 

Now, I am showing symptoms, so I got tested this morning. Our quarantine has officially started over.  Sooooo..... that's fun. 

The members we live with also have Covid, so we did church together and I got to hold their bearded dragons!

The necessity of quarantine:  Dutch Bros chocolate milk

Not much to talk about for this week because we've been stuck inside.  The only thing that we did this week was for Light the World.  We cleaned the Elders' entire apartment! They had Covid like 4 weeks ago, so it was ok for us to be in there.  We cleaned everything and when they got home later, they said that their jaws dropped.  It was fun!  We love serving. 

Also, one night, ALL OF TWIN FALLS POWER WENT OUT. Two entire zip codes worth!  It was wild.  We sat around a candle cause we didn't have heat either, but luckily right before we went to bed, the power came on.  It was an adventure!

I have had time to study this week which is good!  I started the Book of Mormon over for the 4th time on my mission!  Every time I read it is amazing.  I invite you all to read it with me!  I mark one thing the whole time I read.  I've done mentions of Christ, commandments, blessings, and now I am marking references to the Atonement.  I started this week and I will be finishing the 13th of January.  If you want, do it with me!!! 

Love you all so so much.  If you want to talk to me, I'm literally free all day and would love a message haha. 

Have a great week!  And don't forget to Light the World! 

♡,

Sister Copeland 

Week 27 - November 30, 2020

 What's up everyone! ♡

This week was weird.  The first half was slow, but the second half was fast?  I don't know. 

I HIT 6 MONTHS THIS WEEK!  I can NOT believe it has been that long!  It's gone by so fast and now I've only got a year left. CRAZY! 

This week was also Thanksgiving, and let me tell you, Thanksgiving as a missionary is different.  It's crazy.  We were not allowed to eat at the people's houses, so anyone who offered to feed us, we said yes, and took food home.  So, 7 dinners later, and we now have food for weeks.  We are so thankful because now we don't have to cook, and the food is delicious! 

This week, I also went on exchanges and had a chance to be in Kimberly!  We hung Christmas lights for a family and it was a blast.  While we were there, we saw this large box.  We decided to borrow it and prank the elders.  CLASSIC.  We were going to wrap it and be in it, but we didn't want to have to sit in the box that long.  So instead, we decided to put 6 live chickens in it, and wrote "Happy Thanksgiving" on top, and then just left the box of chickens in their apartment!  It was so funny.  They were pretty angry, but it was worth it. 

Another fun thing is you probably saw my music video on Facebook!  We have no clue if its gonna be in the Christmas Devotional yet, but it is on Facebook now!  It was so much fun to film!  You should check it out and share it:)  (Go to Idaho Pocatello Mission, then to the video "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel." 

Funny story:  We went to go visit Jeanvier, and we were talking about how Christ's church back then should be the same as now!  We started to share the scripture that says,  "God is the same yesterday, today, and..." and Jeanvier jumps in and says, "AND WEDNESDAY!"  We jus)t burst out laughing.  He is so so so funny haha. 

Spiritual thought:  I wanted to talk to you about how important receiving personal revelation is.  I am so grateful for the whisperings of the Spirit.  God wants to guide you, and wants to be there to whisper in your ear.  We just need to be willing to listen!  I challenge you to figure out how you hear the Spirit and start keeping a revelation journal.  Write down spiritual experiences and even the smallest whispers from the Spirit.  It's cool to see how much God guides us! 

Anyway, I love you all and I'm grateful for all of you!  This Thanksgiving I was reminded of all the amazing people I have in my life.  I love you all and your support and prayers mean the world to me!  Have a great week! 

Kwa heri na upendo,

Sister Copeland ♡

Picture of the Week

 Batina or Sister Copeland?