What's up, everyone! Another transfer down! The last six weeks have flown by, and it has been one of the greatest times of my life. We had a great end to the transfer and an awesome week!
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This week we had the baptism of Sara and Victoria who are two of the most elect people I've met. Their mom has recently passed, and it has been something very difficult for them to accept. They have been searching for something to fill the hole and give them hope which led them to the church. Ever since the first lesson, they have been all in. The Book of Mormon and hearing about eternal families has brought a sense of peace and answers that they were looking for before. They are already planning to have their kids serve missions and go to the temple. It's not often when something like this happens but something that leaves a lasting impact on you. Very grateful to have met them and can't wait to see what happens with them in the future.
We also had the baptism of our guy Carlos. His story should be an example to everyone. Meeting him has put a lot of things into perspective and taught me a lot. Carlos comes from almost nothing. He lives in the back alley of a favela in something not much nicer than a shack. His mom is a drug addict and on house arrest and his older siblings sell drugs. Carlos has such a good heart and just wants to be a good person. Seeing his progress was nothing short of amazing. We gifted him a white shirt and tie and as we dropped him off after the baptism, a drug deal was going down out of his house. Seeing him walk back home just moments after he told us he wanted to serve a mission was hard to see. A kid that comes from almost nothing deciding to choose his own path. The kid deserves the world and I'm hoping to see him one day with a mission tag and white shirt.
Being out here definitely puts things into perspective. Mindset and attitude determine so much. Seeing the everyday life a lot of these people live is sad. It's very easy to get caught up in ourselves and complain about things that will do nothing more than waste our time. Sometimes it takes getting thrown into a foreign country to see how blessed we are. At the end of the day, the people around you and who you are is the most important thing. What I've seen out here is that this church can change lives. It gives you purpose, it gives you hope, and gives you gratitude for what you have and what the Savior did for us. I'm learning so much and changing every day. These people can teach you so much if you just let yourself grow.
Today marks the end of the transfer. I have been transferred to Santa Cruz, a city about an hour from where I was at. Believe it or not, my pops served in the same area 25 years ago and is still in contact with a few people he met and baptized. The odds of me being called to the same mission let alone the same area is something out of a movie. I'm beyond excited to see what happens. I'm very grateful for the people that have gone before me and served because it's experiences like this that change your life
Saying goodbye to the people of Sapucaia wasn't easy. Weaver and I had the best time together and built relationships with people I will always remember.
Love you all.
Elder Copeland
