What's up everyone! A lot to catch up on from these last few weeks! This transfer has been flying by and full of miracles!
To start off, my new area is Portão and I'm loving it out here. The area is a lot smaller than areas I've had in the past and the ward is probably the smallest I've served in. However, the area was shut down for multiple months and so showing up here we quickly realized there was a ton to do. The members are pumped to have the Elders back and are fully committed to helping us with whatever we need!
Our first week here, we had the baptism of Sylvania! She is someone who for five years wanted nothing to do with the church and wouldn't give the time of day to the missionaries. She is the neighbor of a member family and so for the longest time they have tried introducing her to the church. It wasn't until a few weeks ago she accepted the invite to church. Her first few times, she loved it and was everything she was looking for in a church. She told us that the week we showed up at her house she had been praying to God for a sign on what religion to follow after being deceived by the one she was going to. That same week we showed up and ever since the first visit, she knew she needed to follow and be baptized. Silvania is someone who had gone through some very tough times in the last few years and so her baptism was a very special moment for everyone involved!
Also a few weeks into the transfer, we had the baptism of Taniâ who just recently moved here from Venezuela! She was introduced to the church through her cousins that are long time members in the ward. She had been going to church every week for months but never had the chance to meet the missionaries until we showed up. Teaching her along with the help of her cousins was awesome. She made her mind up quickly that she wanted to be baptized and so seeing her testimony grow in the process was awesome to be a part of. Almost the entire ward was there to support the day it all went down!
We also have a lot more people that we are teaching and preparing to be baptized! My comp and I are nearing the end and are pushing ourselves to leave nothing on the table. Last week was without a doubt the hottest week of my life as it hit about 110 every single day. That weather mixed with humidity and being on the road all day is no walk in the park. However, ever since the first day we showed up here, we had a comforting feeling that the Lord had something special here for us to do. We are seeing his hand in the work, and he is changing the lives of many people. I've said it time and time again, but there is nothing more special and important than doing this work! I don't have too much time left, and so I'm trying my hardest to make the most of every single day.
Elder Copeland
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