Week 1 - May 29, 2020

 My First Email! 

Hey, yall!!

This is officially my first email of the mission!  This has been a crazy first few days of my MTC experience, but it has been amazing!

I was set apart as a full-time missionary on Tuesday night.  It was one of the coolest experiences of my life.  I felt the Spirit so strongly, and it really calmed all of my nerves as I officially started my mission.  It felt awesome to finally put that tag on and feel like a REAL missionary!

That night, my parents and my brothers decorated my room like the MTC.  They put the flags up that you would see in the courtyard of the MTC, and my mission flag, and a cute map where I could put a pin right in Pocatello!  It's super cool to see my room changed up a little bit, so it feels like I'm actually in the MTC!  I also put the flags of my friends' missions up on my bed so I could feel close to them as we all start preparing for missions!

I started the online MTC on Wednesday!  I got to meet my companion, Sister Brooks, and the rest of my district.  I have a district of all sisters, so my teachers like to call us the "Sistrict" haha.  My teachers are seriously so awesome though.  They make everything seem so easy when it is definitely not.  I am so excited to keep learning from them.  I even got to have Brother Macedone as one of my teachers (he served his mission in Dallas)!

 

Online MTC is a little crazy and totally new to lots of people.  So, here's my FAQ's on the online MTC!!

Do you have to follow the missionary schedule?

- YES! I get to wake up at 7:30 (6:30 MST), and start my day!  I start with 30 minutes of exercise, and then I take about an hour to shower and get ready for my day.  I have to be in Sunday dress every day, but I'm not complaining cause my dresses are super cute HAHA.  After that, I do an hour of personal study in the scriptures/preach my gospel, and then an hour of companion study over Zoom (which I haven't been able to do yet because my companion is moving and on lots of flights).  I then have a couple of hours for lunch, where I will study some more and eat something.  Then, my first class is at 2:45!  My classes are about 3 hours long each, but they are so insightful, the time goes by so fast! 

I break for dinner after that and come back for my second class at 6:30. I end my day usually with some board games with my family, and then its journal writing, and in bed by 11:30!  It's actually super nice to be on a schedule like that.

Do you have a companion?

- YES!  Sister Brooks is awesome.  She is super kind and insightful on the gospel.  We haven't been able to talk super much, but from the conversations we've had, she's super awesome.

How is your district?

- So cool.  The sisters in my district are already amazing missionaries and have taught me so much! None of them are actually going to my mission which is sad, cause I probably won't meet them in person ever, but they are definitely so cool to talk to and learn from. 

How is it not having social media?

- Honestly, not that hard.  I was scared that I was gonna feel like I was missing out on a lot, but I don't feel that at all.  My mind is totally focused on the Lord and my mission, that I don't feel the need for music, TV, or my phone.  It's awesome to not have those distractions!

Anyway, I would just like to leave you with a spiritual thought.  Matthew 16:25 reads, "for whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it."  This has given me a lot to think about as I start my mission.  It reminds me that while I am serving the Lord, none of this is about me.  It has everything to do with the people I serve and the Lord's plan.  We will not be successful in our endeavors when we focus on ourselves, but if we devote our lives to God's will, we will grow into the person that we need to be.  We will "find" exactly what we need to become the person we need to become.  Forget yourself and you will grow so much as a person!

I invite you all to find ways that you can serve this week.  There are lots of things we all can do to help change the world for the better, especially during this time of uncertainty and fear.  Remember that when "ye are in the service of your fellow man, ye are only in the service of your God."  Love others, and keep being a light in this world!!

Love yall!

Sister Copeland <3

check out the blog! www.sistersydneycopeland.blogspot.com

Beginning of At-Home Missionary Training Center - May 27, 2020

Again, because of the world-wide quarantine, all missionaries are being trained at home through instructors via Zoom rather than attend a Missionary Training Center.  In order to accommodate the maximum amount of learning during the next three weeks of training, Sister Copeland's family had set up a special MTC room in their home that would be much like a room she would attend under normal situations.  

Setting Apart as a Missionary - May 26, 2020

Sister Copeland was officially set apart as a missionary by President Kris Katseanes of the Frisco, Texas Stake on Tuesday, May 26, 2020.  This is the priesthood ordinance of giving authority to members called to labor in specific responsibilities.  It is done by those having the proper priesthood authority and by the laying on of hands.  

President Katseanes first talked to Sister Copeland about remembering that her call was to serve, not a call to a specific place.  She will be laboring in the Pocatello Idaho Mission or wherever she is needed.  He told her rather than thinking of this as a sacrifice to serve, think of all she would miss out if she didn't serve.

 She was given a beautiful blessing and many promises were made if she would devote this next year and a half to the Lord and be obedient in all her responsibilities. 

 The Spirit was so strong and there were many tears of happiness. 

 President Katseanes, along with Sister Copeland's family, minus her brother, Jaxon, who was with his cousins in Utah at this time.

   Her special missionary badge will be with her constantly for the next year and a half as she serves! 

Speaking at a Zoom Farewell - May 24th, 2020

On March 12, 2020, the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles announced that all public gatherings of Church members were temporarily suspended worldwide due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Therefore, all customary procedures for missionaries leaving had to change completely.  One of those changes was the way a Missionary Farewell was conducted.  The new approved way was for the missionary to speak from home by way of Zoom to members of the congregation, friends, and family.

On Sunday, May 24th, 2020, Sister Copeland did exactly this--she gave a powerful message of how she made her decision to serve a mission.  She talked about the life changing experience she and her family had when they hiked Mt. Timpanogos and almost suffered death because of a sudden weather change that caused hypothermia to her mother.  Sister Copeland knew the Lord, as well as special family angels, guided her down that mountain to save her mother and little brothers.  She felt such a powerful testimony of the Love of her Savior that day more than any other time.   
She, also, talked about how Alma was the only convert that Abinadi was able to convert before he was burned by the wicked King Noah in the Book of Mormon, but because of that one conversion, Alma converted thousands with the help of the Lord.  She hopes to find those who are ready to hear about the gospel in the Idaho Pocatello Mission and is so excited to get started in the work!

   

It truly was a marvelous talk from her heart and a beautiful testimony by Sister Copeland.  We all know she is going to make a wonderful missionary and servant of the Lord.