Week 5 - June 29, 2020

HABARI!

This week was CRAZY! 

First off, I'm so grateful to be exactly where I am.  The people I'm with and the refugees I get to teach and love are seriously AMAZING!  A lot happened this week so I'll break it down as much as I can.

 My Swahili district!

First off, on Tuesday, as we were getting ready, we got a knock on our door.  It was the Swahili Elders telling us they had a surprise.  We walked out to the driveway to their car and they opened the back as Elder Pitcher yelled, "Feast your eyes on THIS!"  They opened the trunk and it was FILLED TO THE BRIM with loaves of bread.  HAHA.  it was an insane sight.  But, a couple times a month we get bread from the refugee center and deliver it to people.  It's so fun because we get to see all the refugees we have ever come in contact with, not just the ones we are teaching.  We walked around and sang songs in Swahili for them and gave them bread.  It was so fun!

 BREAD (that's maybe 40% of it)

The next day, on Wednesday, we did basically the same thing but with a ton more people. 

Thursday was our weekly planning day.  We take a couple hours to go through every single person we know and plan for them and how they can progress, talk about our goals, and all that fun stuff.  We then accidentally fell asleep after weekly planning for like 30 minutes, and then woke up and decided to go to Sips, a place kinda like Sodalicious.  I was so excited when I saw they had gluten-free sugar cookies because I haven't had a sugar cookie in sooooooo long.  It was delicious. 

We then finished off that day by attending a soccer game for one of the girls we teach, Furaha.  It was a super fun game and she played well!  

 

We hung out with her sisters on the side, and they all did my hair.  Every time we go over to see them they get super interested in my hair haha.  So they played with it a ton.  We then played at a park that had some really cool stuff for the kids.  It was so fun!

Friday was the worst day of this week.  Haha.  It started out super normal with visits and everything.  Near the end of the day, we visited Mwaibola and Sofia and Betina.  We were nervous because earlier in the week she was super mad at us because we couldn't understand her.  So we went in and said hi very cautiously.  She was cooking dinner and seemed super happy to see us, and all was good!  

We then helped her cook dinner.  She wanted us to stay and eat.  I noticed that the food she made was not gluten free, but I was so scared to offend her so I ate a little and just tried to please her.  It also threw me off a ton because they don't use silverware.  We ate with our hands and it was kinda crazy.  It wasn't really finger food either.  

Sofia painting my nails.

The girls had just painted my nails, so I had to be careful haha.  

Me and Betina

She served us this thing called "fufu" which is literally playdough.  It was crazy.  I felt ok most of the night but right as I went to bed, it hit me.  I was throwing up and hurting most of that night.  Not fun...

Anyway, Saturday we took it easy.  We had a challenge in our Zone to see how many times we could get rejected (forcing us to talk to tons of people), and we got rejected 4 out of like 8 times haha.  We also had a baptism for this kid named Bikeyombe.  He is so precious and giggled and said, "Let's gooooo," as he came out of the water.  It was so cute.  I said the closing prayer entirely in Swahili:)

Sunday was AMAZING!  We had another baptism for a girl named Krishella.  She is Nepali and was so nervous, but she did it.  Because we don't have church yet, anyone we teach on Sunday counts as Sacrament meeting attendance.  We taught 10 LESSONS!  It was so fun.  Good week!

My spiritual thought for this week comes from the story of Alma the Younger.  His whole experience and change of heart from being a man who wanted to fight against the church to a teacher and missionary is amazing.  It's one of my favorite stories and I think it's amazing how it teaches us that NO ONE is exempt from the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I love that. 

Nashukuru kwa nafasi kuwa misionari na ya injili ya Yesu Kristo. Najua mungu anakupenda na anakujua.  Napenda ya injili na nashukuru kwa baraka za mungu. 

Anyway, on to another week here in the refugee area of Twin Falls, Idaho!

Nakupenda kabisa,

Sister Copeland

blog: www.sistersydneycopeland.blogspot.com

Week 4 - June 22, 2020

JAMBO!

 Me and the Sisters who arrived in the mission with me.

If you have no idea what that means, you are about to read the craziest email you've ever read... So imagine this.  You are little old me, brand new missionary sitting at the airport waiting to get on the flight to Pocatello.  All the sudden you get an email.  The subject line says, "Next teaching area."  You get super excited because you get to find out where you are going to be going first!  You open the email and it says your teaching area is... "Swahili 2". ... Huh?  Yeah.  That was my first reaction.  I was called English speaking?  This must be a mistake.  You decide you'll figure it out when you get there.  You get to the mission, meet your mission president and go to the mission office.  At dinner, you finally have a chance to ask president what the heck Swahili 2 means.  He looks at you dead in the eye and says, "Yeah, so your'e going to be learning Swahili, and you have to teach yourself."  I was sitting there just AMAZED.  I knew this was going to be the most insane crazy opportunity I've ever gotten.

And boy, has it been.  So you're probably wondering why the heck there is even Swahili speaking missionaries in Southern Idaho.  Well, there is a HUGE refugee population here, and they noticed that there was no one to teach them in their native language.  So, there I was, the newest missionary in the Swahili district!

It sounds crazy, but it seriously has been the best few days ever.  I have met so many amazing people.  The first people I ever visited were two girls, Sofia and Batina, and their mom, Mwoibola.  

Me and Batina

The mom is a single, pregnant mom, and she only speaks Swahili along with her children.  When we went there for the first time, I couldn't really say much, but my companion, who is Sister Hyde, one of the best people I've ever met, would translate a little bit for me.  

Me and Sister Hyde!!

We teach Sofia how to read by reading out of the Book of Mormon, and I got to play with Batina.  The second time we visited them, Batina ran up to me yelling, "Rafiki!" which means friend in Swahili. She's the cutest.  ALSO! WE TAUGHT SOFIA HOW TO RIDE A BIKE!  

She was so so scared, but she did it!!  The whole time I was yelling, "Mzuri Sana" which means very good!  They really love when we come over. 

Me, Sister Hyde, Maria, Sakina, and Faraha

I've gotta tell ya.  The gift of tongues is REAL!  I've been here like 5ish days and yesterday we taught the entire first lesson in SWAHILI!  I bore my testimony and even prayed in Swahili. I got to teach just as much as Sister Hyde did and it was so cool.  Seriously, it's such a fun language.  Here's some of my favorite words:

1. Nakupenda: I love you

2. Nimechanganyikiwa: I am confused

3. Mbinguni: Heaven

4. Kanisa La Yesu Kristo La Watakatifu Wa Siku Za Mwisho: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

5. Takataka: trash

6. Mungu: God

There are so many fun and long words, it's insane.  The people are also so amazing.  They all invite you in every time you come over even if they don't know who you are.  They are so inviting and humble.

I haven't eaten any crazy foods yet, but the most insane food-related thing that happened happened on Friday.  We went over to a family's house and were going to sing songs in Swahili with the kids.  We walked in, and on the counter were HUGE bags of tons of dehydrated fish . . . like TONS of bags. They apparently buy the fish from Africa and then sell it to all their friends.

My district is only two elders and two sisters.  We are small, and we are the only Swahili speakers in the  mission.  It's crazy.  The two elders are Elder Pitcher (who's insanely good at piano and makes up arrangements on the spot), and Elder Lundgreen (who is literally a Parker Buhler carbon copy... shout out Parker!)  They are so much fun.  We are all working on opening a ward in Swahili, which is so cool because then it will bring so many more people to the gospel.

Me at the canyon with my Kitabu Cha Mormoni

This week I read in D&C 6.  One of my favorite verses (other than the end haha) is verse 21.  It says, "Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  I am the same that came unto mine own, and mine own received me not.  I am the light which shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not."   I love this scripture because of the last line.  We know Christ is the light of the world, but we need to receive that light.  If we allow ourselves to live in darkness, then we will not be able to see the light of Christ.  But, if we live like he did, we can more fully accept that light into our lives. Inspiration and revelation come when we seek to do good and put ourselves in a position to receive it. 

Anyway.  That's about all the news I can think of right now.  I love it so much out here and wouldn't ask to be anywhere else in the world.

Nakupenda!!

-Sister Copeland

Arriving in Idaho Pocatello Mission and Receiving First Assignment - June 19, 2020

Idaho Pocatello Mission President and his wife, President Stephen and Heather Southward, greet Sister Copeland upon her arrival in Pocatello on June 18, 2020.

The next day, June 19, 2020, Sister Copeland's parents received the following email from the Mission Secretary:

Brother and Sister Copeland,



We wanted to let you know that your missionary has recently arrived in the Idaho Pocatello Mission and has been assigned to work in the Swahili 2 area.  Her companion is Sister Brynn Hyde.

Please stay in contact with her on a weekly basis.  Communication from home is always appreciated.

If you would like to send mail or packages to her, please send them to the address where she currently resides:

Sister Sydney Copeland

1379 Stoneybrook Circle

Twin Falls, ID  83301.

If you have further questions or concerns you would like to draw to our attention, please feel free to contact us at this e-mail address.

Sister Johnson

Mission Secretary

  

Open House and Saying Good-bye - June 16th and 17th, 2020

On Tuesday evening, June 16th, Sister Copeland's family had an open house for her to say good-bye to family and friends since she would be leaving the next day for her 18-month mission to Pocatello, Idaho.  It was a wonderful evening for all who went and wished her well.  Everyone could feel the excitement of Sister Copeland who soon would be departing on one of the greatest experiences of her life.  

 

 Sister Copeland's Uncle Craig and Aunt Cassie, along with her cousins, Riley, Kennedy, Dawson, and Marlie.  

The next day, her family all bid her farewell.  Her family will certainly miss her, but they know of her excitement and readiness to get started in the mission field.  They all realize how much she will contribute to the work of the Lord and the people she will serve.

After leaving the DFW Airport, Sister Copeland had a stopover in Salt Lake City where she had a gigantic eight-hour layover!  So, she was thrilled when her two Copeland cousins came and picked her up to spend the day with them before they needed to get her back to the airport for the final portion of her trip to her mission field in Pocatello, Idaho.

Sister Copeland with her cousins Lauren and Jenna.  

Cousins and Sister Copeland's Aunt Kim Copeland.

 From her cousin Jenna, this experience was related:  "As we were on our way to the airport, a lady was driving and her bike flew off the back of her car!  So, Sister Copeland and Lauren ran out there to help while I watched the traffic.  The lady was so excited to see Sydney's missionary badge and said her daughter started the Missionary Training Center this week!  And we made sure she was on time to meeting her group at 3:00 p.m.  She's going to be the best missionary!"  

We all certainly agree! 

 Farewell, Sister Copeland!  We can't wait to hear of all your experiences in the Idaho Pocatello Mission!  

Week 3 - June 12, 2020

WHAT'S UP!!

This is the LAST email you will get from me while I am I the MTC!!! crazy!!!  I head out to Idaho on June 17th.  It's coming so fast!  Each day in the MTC feels really long, but the weeks move by superrrrr fast.  I seriously can't wait to be in the field, getting to talk with people and just living the dream!

This week was great.  My classes are all amazing, even if they are three hours long... I learn so much in every class and it's insane how much I don't know what I'm doing, but also how much better I get every day.  My teachers are all so knowledgeable, and they make it look so easy (it's not haha)!

My District

This week I've been able to do these things called TRC's.  Its where you teach someone a short lesson for practice!  Me and Sister Brooks (my companion) have started to get the hang of it!  We just focus on making them simple and easy to understand, as well as teaching the person, not just a lesson. It's such an awesome experience because even though we are practicing, the Spirit is THERE and we have REAL experiences with people.  So awesome to think I get to do things like that for the next year and a half!!

Last night, Elder Wilde (my cousin Tyson) did a little spiritual thought for those of his friends and family who were serving missions and their families.  It was so AWESOME to see him! even though I had to stay up wayyyyy past my missionary bedtime:)  He sounds so much like a missionary and taught so beautifully.  (Shoutout to you, Elder Wilde!)

The last thing I did this week was I got to go get a pedicure with my mom!  It was our last little girl thing before I leave!  It was super fun to relax and spend time with her:)

This week I would like to share a scripture from the Book of Mormon that really touched my heart.  It is Mormon 9:21.  It reads, "Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this promise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth."  It brings me so much comfort to know that if we believe in Christ, and have full trust in Him, we can pray sincerely and get guidance from Heavenly Father.  He WANTS to talk to us and help us.  We just have to reach out.  

It really teaches me the power of faith.  Faith in Jesus Christ has power to do more than you think.  It gives us strength and confidence to follow God's will when we don't know why God is asking us to do something.  It gives us hope when things seem hard.  I love Jesus Christ and I am thankful for His sacrifice.  I love this gospel and my Heavenly Father.

This week I encourage you all to foster your personal relationship with God.  Whether that be reading His word, praying to Him, or being more like Christ.  God is always reaching out to us, we just have to reach up and take His hand.

Thanks for being so supportive while I've been in the MTC! Idaho here I come:)

-- Sister Copeland <3

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