Kichwa cha samaki na chanjo🐟💉
This week has been absolutely insane!! I had 3 different companions, covered two areas, and had to go to Pocatello for a day for a leadership meeting. Crazy, to say the least.
First thing that happened this week was Dada Hyde left to go home. I've had this girl as a comp for my WHOLE mission, and I'm at 10 months now. Crazy huh. It was a hard goodbye, but I was also excited for my new companion! The age of Copeland and Hyde is over, but with the end of one thing, the beginning of the next comes.
So, after Sister Hyde left, because it was still two days before transfers, I was with Sister Brooks for two days! We were MTC comps so it was fun to see her again. We just did a lot of organizing, cleaning, and driving because we covered two areas, and Kimberly is not super close haha. #ripmymiles
After my short two-day companionship with Sister Brooks, I received my new companion, SISTER JOHN. Let me tell you, this gal is a blessing to me. She is so amazing, and she has given me a new fire and a rejuvenated energy. She is hilarious, ready to work, and a really really good missionary. She even gave her testimony in Swahili on Day 3! Crazy! I'm so so excited to see what this companionship brings!
Well, day one of the transfer, while I was super excited to be with Sister John, I had to leave her and head to Poky for a leadership council. It was at this ski resort up in the mountains, and it was so cool! I was asked to do a surprise musical number (and before I sang, my President said that he was watching American Idol and their family all agreed I would do better on the show than some of the contestants, and I was shocked haha)! I sang "I Need Thee Every Hour" in Swahili. It was nerve racking lol because I lost my voice this week. But the council was fun! We talked about President Nelson's talk from conference, about faith. It was awesome.
Mt. Dew is for legends only
And as most weeks go, that was not my last musical number of the week. On Saturday, we had a chance to have our first branch activity! We had a cultural night. Some of the kids danced, and it was fun. It was a little chaotic, but as time goes on, those cultural nights will get better and better. To close the night, they asked me to sing, so Elder Pitcher and I whipped out "Katika Neema Ya Yesu" aka "Amazing Grace." It was actually one of the performances I am most proud of. Elder Pitcher has accompanied me so many times he knows my voice and was able to play the perfect arrangement (even without us practicing). It had been a hard day, and music always makes me feel better. That was a nice way to help me remember that God is good, and even when things are hard, there is always a light to be found when the Spirit is present.
We also attended two parties this week and ate lots of good African food. Elder Pitcher's new comp HATES ugali and gags every time he eats it, so it was funny to watch him struggle. He also really didn't like the idea of eating a fish head and kept dry heaving watching us eat it. It's nice to not be the most grossed out by some of these things anymore haha.
FISH HEADS (kichwa cha samaki)
Simon is doing really well. He says that he loves everything we teach and believes it all, he just doesn't understand why he needs to be baptized. Luckily, he is very receptive to what we teach, and he is in a really good spot. We are excited to see what he is able to commit to in the future!
Another great lesson we had this week was with a boy named PJ. He was a member referral and is super awesome. We went over and the first thing he did was hug me super tight. His father is a little crazy and kept trying to convince us of different things... but PJ is super receptive and really wants to get baptized! He even went to a baptism that night and brought his cousins. He's awesome and we are excited!
Also, I almost forgot!! Your girl got the first dose of the Covid vaccine today! In three weeks after I get my second dose, I'm gonna be unstoppable. (Also, many prayers going out to literally every single missionary I got an email from today that got the J&J vaccine and is sick... I feel bad for ya, keep holding on, homie)
Well, to close. I'd like to share a spiritual thought. This is a scripture I read this week that really touched my heart, especially as a missionary.
"Blessed art thou, 《insert your name here》, for those things which thou hast done; for I have beheld how thou hast with unwearyingness declared the word, which I have given unto thee, unto this people. And thou hast not feared them, and hast not sought thine own life, but hast sought my will, and to keep my commandments. And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever; and I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works" -Helaman 10:4-5
I loved reading this and remembering the blessings that come from diligence and obedience. I desire to be unweary in the things I do as a missionary, because I know God will bless me. I want to lose my life in service to him!
Well, that's the week. Also, random thought: One of the refugees got a dog like two weeks ago and this week it became like...stiff?... catatonic?... not really sure how to describe it... and then also started having seizures... idk where I was going with this but it was wild.
Love you all! Also fair warning... I'm becoming like a bold African preacher. Don't cross me because I will teach you the gospel and tell you how it is STRAIGHT UP. lol.
Nakupenda! Rafiki yako,
Dada Copeland ♡
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