Week 54 - June 7, 2021

NILIPANDA MLIMA.

 Hey, guys! 

This week was crazy!  But things are going really well!  We've had a lot of progress with some people this week.  I, also, was able to go to MLC with President Southward for his last MLC before he goes home and we get a new mission president!

 Our District

Here's all the updates on the people I get to teach!

1. There was a new family that came into America recently! They've been here about a month.  They've been able to come to church every week, and they love it!   We told them that if they want to know if this church is true, they can read the Book of Mormon to know!  The dad then told me that he already knows that the Book of Mormon is true!  He carries it around with him everywhere.  We are super excited for them.  My favorite quote from a lesson with him this week was, "POMBE SI RAFIKI YANGU," which means, alcohol is not my friend!

2. Shadrack called us last Monday after he came to church and told us that he doesn't want to wait any longer to be baptized!  He wants to be baptized ASAP!  So, we were able to connect him with some Elders in Boise and they are gonna help him to get baptized before he possibly moves here to our branch!  It's sad we won't get to be there, but I'm so excited for him. 

3. Amuza is a kid who we've been able to teach!  He is Beatrice's son.  He hasn't ever really been interested, but he all of a sudden is doing really well!  He is excited to be able to read the Book of Mormon!  He knows that there are lots of answers to questions that you can find in the Book of Mormon. He is awesome! 

It has been a really good week, that was just the highlights! 

Another super fun thing I did this week was I got to go to Sun Valley for a leadership retreat!  We had a meeting the first night, and then we stayed in cabins with the STL's and the ZL's.  It was super fun to be in the mountains!  The next day we went hiking to "Pioneer Cabin," which is a cabin that is near the summit of this mountain in Sun Valley.  The only thing we were told is that it was 8 miles and it was going to be difficult.  And boy was it difficult.  We hiked for 6 hours.  It was so hard, and so steep lol, but, making it to the top was so worth it!  The views were beautiful!  It was super fun, but I can definitely say that I am veryyy sore.  But it was so worth it!

My spiritual thought for the week comes from Mormon 5:23.  In that verse, it starts with a question:  "Know ye not that ye are in the hands of God?"  And this is a question that I like to think about a lot.  It really goes back to the idea of faith.  Do we have faith that God's got us?  There is also a scripture in 3 Nephi 13:30-31.  It says, "Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?  For your Heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things."  I love this verse along with the first verse.  They really show us that we need to have faith that GOD'S PLAN IS THE RIGHT PLAN.  Have faith that he is carrying you through the hard times.  I can testify to you that God is walking along with you, and Jesus Christ knows you and your pains.  Know ye not that ye are in the hands of God? Cause you are.

Well, it was a crazy good week.  I am feeling so much better, and I have grown so much these past few weeks.  Thanks to all the friends and family that reached out to me with kind words.  You all are amazing and I felt your prayers!!!  Keep being amazing!

na upendo kutoka Idaho,

Sister Copeland 💙

Pic of the Week:

Baby Baraka:)