20 years old!
Hello! So, if you're wondering why you didn't get an email from me yesterday, it's because my p-day was changed to today! I had a leadership conference down in Pocatello, so all the STL's and ZL's had their p-day changed to today! They still let me message people a little bit yesterday, so if you received a message from me, don't worry, I wasn't breaking the rules lol.
Anyway, this week was cool!
To start, like I said, we had a leadership conference down in Pocatello with Shane Littlefield, the guy who is like the head of the Mission Department for this part of the US and South America South. So, he's kinda a really big deal. Also, he knows a LOT about missionary work. He honestly roasted us for like four hours, but now I have this insane fire to just WORK. It's amazing how much he taught us about what we hear all the time, yet it opened my eyes! It was amazing.
I went with Sister Nielsen, who also is an STL. She's so sweet and we had so much fun! We got to go look at the temple in Poky, which is being built right now, and also take some fun pictures in this rainbow tunnel! She is so fun and we had a blast.
After that, I came home and realized my comp had put balloons in our entire house and got people to write me notes:) My birthday is today, and it was so sweet to know I'm loved! I'm grateful to have two decades of life completed! 🥳
So, this week has been a little crazy because we combined our area with the refugee (non-Swahili refugees) area. So, we gained more people and had a lot of people we could find! So, we did what's called a return and report, where you set goals and then go out and work all day and then meet up at the end and see how you did! So, we had one to see how many people we could meet, teach a lesson to, and set up a return appointment with. Typically, we find about 1-2 people a week, but on Friday, we found 5 people in one day!!! It was awesome!!! We are excited for the work that goes on in these areas.
We, also, had stake conference this week! And, it needed to be translated into Swahili. So, we had a team of three. Brother Odera (honestly the coolest Kenyan dude you'll ever meet), Elder Pitcher (Swahili work king), and me (lol). So, we sat in a room together for all of stake conference and worked to live translate into headphones for the people who spoke Swahili. It was crazy but so fun!
Translating buddy and my #1 homie Elder Pitcher
My goal is to do it for General Conference one day!!
Spiritual Thought:
I was reading about Patience this week. I started to read in Mosiah 28 about the desires of the Sons of Mosiah (the most fresh missionaries in the Book of Mormon). They wanted to help others feel the same happiness they did, and they just wanted to do the work of the Lord. But, they often weren't successful. People were hard-hearted and weren't ready to listen. But, the Lord counseled them in Alma 17:10-11, where he says:
"And it came to pass that the Lord did visit them with his Spirit, and said unto them: Be comforted. And they were comforted.
And the Lord said unto them also: Go forth among the Lamanites, thy brethren, and establish my word; yet ye shall be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls."
He also comforts them in Alma 26:27, where he says:
"Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success."
They were depressed and ready to turn away, but the Lord told them to hold out a little longer. They worked a little longer and a little harder and eventually they were blessed with success, and the ability to help thousands come closer to Christ. This was a great comfort to me. They wanted so badly to be successful and for a while it wasn't happening. But, the Lord told them to be patient, and keep working and success would come. This past little bit I've been struggling with a similar thing. I work so hard and I put in daily effort, but I haven't been seeing success. So, this helped me to see that it really is the Lord's timing. If we are patient and allow the Lord to work with us, success will come. Maybe not when we want it, but when it will be best.
Well, that's all for me this week, folks. I'm grateful to be surrounded by such good people up here in Idaho. I'm also grateful to be able to spend my birthday as a missionary! Keep being amazing, and I love you all!
- Dada Copeland
PICS:
1. Cute baby, Onore
2. Shadrack, Sister Hyde, and me!
3. Pic of me saying bye to our Africa elders
4. A member took us to a stake house and bought us creme brulee:)
5. A HUGE IDAHO POTATO!
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