Week 28 - December 26, 2022

What's up, everyone!  I hope you all had the best Christmas back home!  This was the first Christmas in the mission, and it was the hardest but most rewarding one I've had. 

First off, it was probably 100 degrees and that doesn't quite scream Christmas cheer, but to see the joy these people have to be with family is amazing.  It wasn't easy to be away from family this week, but I couldn't be more grateful for the love and care the people in our ward give us.  They truly made us feel like we were at home and welcomed us with open arms.

 

Work was a little difficult this week, but we focused on two people in particular.  Eduardo and Bruno who have been very receptive and willing to do what it takes.  We were able to meet with them a few times this week and each time they reminded us that they were excited to go to church.  Seeing them at church and the way the members made them feel welcome was a reminder that no matter where you are in the world or the situation you're in, you have a place and belong in the church. 

We were able to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas lunch with some of our favorite member families and to see how much it means to them to have the missionaries in their home. To have them tear up while talking about how missionaries changed their life and their gratitude for the church makes it all worth it.  It's not easy to be so far away from your family, but right now these people are my family. 

Brazil is still hot and the mosquitos are still biting.  I don't want to be anywhere else in the world right now.  Each day these experiences remind me how blessed I am and how grateful I am for this church and Jesus Christ.  He knows us and died for us and through him we can live with our families together.

One phrase I've been thinking about a lot is, "We need to take it one day at a time."  In Portuguese:  "Nos precisamos viver cada dia uma vez."  When translated directly it means, "We need to live each day one time."  Each day is a new opportunity and each day we can get one step closer to the goals we set.  The greatest things take time and it's our job to strive every single day to do so. 

Love you all!

- Elder Copeland

Week 27 - December 19, 2022

 Well, another week down!  This week was tough and long and at times felt like it would never end.  We stayed very busy throughout the week with our friends but had each one of them stop responding the night before church.  We were pretty upset after spending so much time throughout the week just to have all the commitments fall through at the end.  However, that's a part of the journey and something that is bound to happen.

We had a few wild experiences this week that I'd like to share. One day we were returning home from a lesson and out of nowhere we were approached by a person with two metal blades trying to attack us.  Yes, this is true--however, there is a kicker.  The said person may have been about 6 and like a foot tall; however, he sure did put on a good front.  Were his threats legit?  Probably.  It definitely seemed he had done this before, so I gave lil' bro some props.  I think this is a solid way to explain how our week was.  Almost as if it was a prank but deep down had some intention behind it. 

Despite not being able to bring anyone to church, to our surprise, a member had brought their friend.  We got to know him and had him sit by us for class.  From the first impression, he seemed like a cool guy.  However, mid-class he decides it's a perfect time to bring out his 5-inch-fingernail clippers and go to work.  I respected the confidence and let him go.  We had fingernails flying everywhere and every single person in the class staring him down, but he was oblivious.  No one had it in them to call a guy out with that much confidence.

Last, but not least, one of the most annoying things to happen thus far in the mission.  Me and my comp, Elder Cloward, decided to use a cardboard box as our trash can throughout the week.  We thought nothing of it and thought all was good. That was until we woke up Sunday morning to thousands of maggots all throughout the house.  They were stuck in all the blankets and under the couch and in every crack and things on the ground.  I'll be honest, that has to be a top three worst ways to start the day.  We spent a fair part of the day cleaning things up and trying to get things right.  It's safe to say we will no longer be using a cardboard box as a trash can. 

All is well and everything is still a grind.  We have potential and a lot of people in this area that we care about a lot and just hope they will accept our help.  It doesn't quite feel like Christmas here because of the fact it's 100+ everyday, but I hope each one of you has a Merry Christmas back home with family.  Take this time to remember Jesus Christ and the things he did for us.  Something I really like about my studies this week is this.  The more we know our Savior, the more we love him and the more we love him, the more willing we will be to serve him and follow him.  This Christmas, find a chance to sit down and really ponder what he wants from you.  His will is what is best for us; we just need to be willing to follow it. 

Love you guys and wish you all a Feliz Natal!

Elder Copeland

Week 26 - December 12, 2022

 What's up, everyone!  Sad week here in Brazil.  What could've been a historic World Cup ended way sooner than everyone here thought.  Brazil did in fact lose in dramatic fashion and the whole country was a little shocked.  Everyone is still trying to make sense of what happened, but it will definitely sting for a while.

However, the work this week was solid and a good step forward.  We are really starting to find our footing here in Rio Branco, and I love the area.  We have a lot of potential going forward and hope we can keep things going.  Highlight of the week was our good friend out here, Fernando, coming to church.  We had around seven people promise they would be at church, but five mins. before church started, no one had showed.  We were pretty upset and sad because of how hard we had worked to get them to come, but as we were shutting the doors, out of nowhere Fernando shows up and we were beaming.  Fernando has had a rough past and struggled a lot over the year with substance abuse, but he has a sincere desire to change.  The little steps he has taken have required a lot of faith, but slowly and surely, he's doing the right things. Church was awesome and the members welcomed him like family.

Things with Elder Cloward have been awesome.  We have the same drive to work, and we've had a blast together.  This area is full of members who have already served missions and are very supportive of the work.  Training is going well and even though I'm his trainer, he is teaching me a lot and has been super willing to jump into the work and grind through it all.

Also, hit six months today as a missionary.  I think it's safe to say it's been the fastest and slowest six months of my life, but it's here.  I'm 1/4 done.  This has by far been the greatest decision of my life.  I thought I had a pretty good idea of what I was getting myself into but since being here, I realized I was completely wrong.  The thing I've taken most from my short time here is how good I have it.  I'm grateful for the family and people that have served before me.  I'm grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow every day.  I'm grateful for the people of Brazil and how much they have touched and changed my life, and I'm grateful for the gospel.  This gospel is the foundation and center point of my life and has blessed me in so many ways.  I wouldn't be anywhere near the person I am today without it.  Here's to the next 18!  It's an everyday process, but missionary work is special!

Hope everything is well with you all back home!

Elder Copeland

Pic of the Week

Week 24 - December 5, 2022

What's up, everyone!  Awesome week in the mission. This was my first week training, and it went well.  My new comp is Elder Cloward who happens to be good friends with my cousins that live in Utah.  We've been in contact ever since he received his call and have been talking about being comps ever since.  I kept it a secret that I would be his trainer until he arrived in the mission office, and we were a little shocked it was actually happening.  I've had to take full responsibility with the language in everything, and I'm way proud of myself.  It really is amazing to see how far I've come since I got in the field.  Being with a new missionary again has brought back so many memories from when I first got here and was in the same situation.  It's crazy to see how much I've grown in such a short amount of time.  I keep telling my comp that in the mission you get out what you put in.  This is true for everything.  Nothing is given to you, but a lot can be achieved through effort.  I'm trying my best to help him in the best way possible and teach him the things I've learned. 

Our new area is Rio Branco, Canoas.  The ward is awesome, and the people are amazing.  Not much has happened in the ward in the last little bit, so we are more or less opening the area which isn't the easiest.  We arrived here knowing absolutely nothing, so we've spent a lot of time planning visits with ward members and visiting them to get somewhat of an idea of what's going on.  We had some pretty cool lessons this week that really are special.  You hear things everyday about the people you meet that are very unique.  We met some new people this week that have had some rough pasts, and we want them so badly to realize how Christ's church can bring much peace and hope in life, but it's not always the easiest for them to accept it.  However, I realized that Christ probably feels the same way with us and yet he time and time again is willing to forgive and help us.  You have to be patient because things always happen for a reason.  It's the Lord's work and he knows each one of us. 

One day while walking home from a lesson this week with my comp, I talked about how fast time has flown.  A mission for me was always the plan.  As a kid, I knew it would one day be here, but it's always seemed so far away.  I always knew one day it would happen and one day I would learn a language, but to think that I'm actually living it is pretty surreal.  I'm doing it, the things I always hoped for and dreamed of are a reality.  I'm speaking a different language and living in a foreign country. I'm able to help people and in return my life has changed for the better.  I've tried my best to give everything I have to this work, and there is no better feeling than being here and seeing not only other people but your own life change. 

This week wasn't the craziest--just trying to figure out this new area.  Also, Brazil keeps getting closer and closer to making World Cup history and it's cool to be a part of it.  Everyone comes together and agrees on one thing.  It is pretty cool to see the support and love they have for the game.

Please email me if you haven't!

Elder Copeland

Week 23 - November 28, 2022

 What's up!  What an awesome week here in Brazil. This week was the last of the transfer, and we just got news yesterday that I will be changing areas and training a new American!  I'm pretty pumped to train for the first time and want to help him out in the best way possible.  I, also, had my first taste of the World Cup here in Brazil and let me tell you, it's the real deal.  People live and die by the team, and it's amazing to see the passion they have in supporting Brazil.  The whole city shuts down and everyone watches.  It's pretty cool to experience this firsthand!

Early in the week on Tuesday, we had lunch with a counselor in our mission presidency and it was incredible.  He shared all about the different callings and all about his mission experience.  He relied a lot on the Spirit and let the prompting from the Lord guide everything.  After lunch, we had absolutely nothing planned and no one to help, but we decided to pray and after the prayer we both had a feeling we needed to visit a neighborhood that's close to the church.  We went straight there and had a goal to talk to everyone we saw.  Before we knew it, we started inviting every kid we saw to our soccer activity that night.  We spent all day there and talked to basically every kid that lived there lol, and that night we brought 28 kids to our activity.  Everyone was kinda shocked at the result and it was hilarious to see people's reactions.  We then passed by there every day and brought each kid a Book of Mormon.  We started teaching them whenever we could and in the short week, I knew them, and I became best friends with them.  We brought them to various activities throughout the week, and each time they felt more and more welcome!  These are some of the most fun times in the mission when you get to just be yourself and meet people who are some of the most happy people to be around.

It's also sad to leave an area because of the relationships you made.  You give everything you have to helping the people all day and they really do become like family.  Saying goodbye to the new kids I met and the members is always a little tough, but the greatest thing about this work is that the next missionaries that are called here will pick up right where we left off and continue to help them out.

We, also, had a baptism this week for our favorite friend, Maria.  Through the whole process, she was so willing to change and approached every invitation with an open heart.  She truly relied on the Lord and was blessed because of it.  Sunday we had her baptism with all her new friends present.  She bore her testimony about how much we missionaries mean to her and for helping change her life.  I see it time and time again and that's why the sacrifice is worth it.  To help change lives.  I'm an instrument in the Lord's work and willing to serve him in the best way possible. 

My next area is a city that's not too far away.  I will be serving in Canoas, a city that's just outside of Central Porto Alegre.  I'm excited for the next step and ready to get things going.

Elder Copeland

Week 22 - November 21, 2022

What's up, guys!  Hope everything is well with you all back home!  Brazil is awesome.  I really do love Brazil.  The people, the culture, the language, and especially soccer.  The World Cup officially started yesterday, and everyone around here is gearing up for what has the potential to be a successful World Cup.  Soccer to them means absolutely everything, so for them to win while I'm here would be an experience like no other.

This Sunday we had stake conference where all of the different wards meet up for one big meeting.  We had our mission president and his wife speak as well as a member from the Seventy and many more.  It's pretty cool to see how much pride the people of Brazil take in being a member.  This church means everything to them and is the center point for their lives.  It really is a great example of what I think everyone can get better at.  Not getting caught up in the worldly things and instead focus on our relationship with our Heavenly Father. 

We continued working with Maria and she is awesome. Completely willing to do the things we ask and make changes for the better.  We have a baptism date for her this Sunday, and we couldn't be happier for her and the decision she has made.  We are working on finding more people as best as we can and will continue to trust the process.

Things are going well here.  I'm learning a lot and every day I am becoming a better person.  A lot of sacrifice goes into this, but the payout is completely worth it.  I love the mission and I love the gospel!  Keep sending me emails!

Elder Copeland

Week 21 - November 14, 2022

 What's up, guys!  Week 22 as a missionary and recently just hit my 5-month mark!  I'm grateful for every experience I have out here and for the opportunity to do this work every day. The work right now is still tough, but we had some good success towards the end of the week and have some stuff to build on. 

First off, this last Saturday we had the devotion with Elder Rasband who is currently one of the 12 apostles.  It was by far one of the coolest experiences I have ever been a part of. Being in the presence of an apostle called of God is one of the most comforting feelings from the Spirit.  He gave a very personal and direct message to us missionaries that focused a lot on the importance of the Lord's work in this day and time. Now more than ever does our world need healing and by spreading the word of God we can do so.  He also said something that will stick with me forever.  He said the more you study Jesus Christ the more you get to know him and the more you get to know him the more you love him and the more you love him the more you are willing to serve and follow him.  

Elder Rasband

We can do all of this through the Book of Mormon.  I can't put into words the power this book has.  The teachings and principles written in this book give us an exact blueprint of what we need to do in our lives to receive all of the eternal blessings promised of Christ.

We, also, came across an older lady named Maria, and she is one of the most willing people I've met.  She is super open to any invitation and has accepted everything we've asked of her. We keep taking important steps with her, and she is progressing very quickly.  We, also, had the grandparents of a recent convert come to church on Sunday and somehow, they knew like half the ward lol.  We had multiple members come up and welcome them and made them feel like family.  They are some of the happiest people and we love working with them.

It's such a good feeling to be able to help people through the things I know to be true.  I try to spread light and be as happy as I can and want others to be the same.  I say it all the time, but this work is special and truly an incredible experience! 

 

After the devotional, I was able to see some good friends and old comps that I hadn't seen in a while!  Thanks for all the support and emails!

Elder Copeland