Week 11 - August 10, 2020

MASTER (African food) CHEF🔥

Dude, I'm so freakin' cool😉

Before I tell you why... if you do nothing else, read my spiritual thought.  It honestly blew my mind.  I love God and his plan.  Wow. 

Here's why I'm cool:

This week, I cooked 2 FULL AFRICAN MEALS!!  I had help (of course), but honestly it was the sickest thing I've ever done.  I seriously felt so cool!

 Me stirring the fufu with my special African spoon

4. More African food

  Makin' African food like straight ballers

 

 More African food

The first time I cooked a chicken thing, bugali (fufu), and chapati (African tortilla).  The second time we made 5 LBS of rice (a lot I know), a kidney bean red palm soup thingy. Chipatis again (they're really good), and cabbage tomato something.  We made the first one for fun, and the second one for a baptism! 

The baptism of MSAFIRI was this week!  It was super fun!  He is the sweetest old man and he is supppperrrrr smart.  He taught biology, chemistry, and physics in Africa.  He, also, speaks French, Swahili, Kibembe, and English.  He's amazing!!!  His testimony is so strong, and he really believes in Jesus Christ.  He asked us to teach him doctrine and covenants, which is so sweet:) 

The District

We, also, met a lady this week that was a referral from some other Elders.  She is SO AMAZING.  She is from Iran, and she invited us in immediately.  She said that she LOVES Jesus, but she's not Christian.  We sat down and she gave us grapes and water.  She told us that she felt like she lost God and that she, also, felt like she didn't know where to find Him.  We asked if she wanted help and she said yes and started crying.  We are so excited to see her this week. 

THE FUNNIEST THING HAPPENED THIS WEEK:  We were walking through an apartment complex and someone stopped us.  He said some iconic things.  Here's a few. 

1. I stopped doing meth on my own.  I'm pretty proud.  Now I only do phentynol. 

2. The burning bush was marijuana.  That's why Moses got the 10 commandments. 

3. I'm Catholic and my religion is older than yours. 

4. Marijuana is just fine because you can't overdose and no one's died from it.

Honestly, I could go on and on.  He was so funny. 

Here's my spiritual thought for this week!! 

It comes from a book called "Jesus the Christ" that I've been reading, which is AMAZING.  If any of you have the chance to read it, DO. 

I was thinking a lot about agency.  There was a chapter in this book that talked about part of God's plan for us, and how agency, or our ability to choose, is one of the biggest parts of that plan.  Then, the book asks the question, "If God knows how our lives will turn out, doesn't that take away our agency?"  The answer is a resounding NO.  He only knows how our lives should go and will go because he knows US. He knows us so perfectly.  Knows our mistakes, what we will decide to do, our likes, dislikes, everything.  And he STILL loves us.  And helps us.  And guides us.  And then you look at the Fall of Adam and Eve, which was an essential part of the plan.  I asked myself, if it was essential, why didn't it just start that way?  Why did they have to sin?  It all goes back to agency.  Agency is a crucial part of God's plan.  They had to decide to sin so that the fall would happen.  God can't force us to make decisions and will never force us.  Jesus Christ wasn't forced to sacrifice his life for us, he chose to.  We didn't come to earth on accident, we chose to.  We aren't forced to believe and follow Jesus Christ, we CHOOSE to. So my question to you is, "What are you going to CHOOSE this week?  How are you going to choose to live your life in accordance with God's plan?" 

Anyway, that's it.  I hope you all are doing amazing.  A lot of you have asked for my address, but I live with members so I don't just want to send that out in this mass email.  If you want it, ask my parents and I'd love for you to have it!!!

NAKUPENDA SANA MARAFIKI ZANGU!  Usisahau: Mungu anakupenda KABISA na nafanya pia.

Our album cover🔥🔥🔥

With love,

SISTER COPELAND<3