Week 9 - November 25, 2019

I know I say this every week... but NO JOKE it feels like I was emailing y'all yesterday. 

St. John's is the best!  I'm staying here for another transfer with Sister Johnson.  And I couldn't be more excited!  Sister Johnson and I both think that I am staying here until May.  I just had to let y'all know that so when it actually happens I can say.... told ya so! 

Funny story, this week when we were helping Lowell write his story... let me give you a little background on where we are in the story.  We are planning on having his story done by Thanksgiving.  So,we are just finishing revising his story and putting in some pictures.  Lowell's wife died when their youngest son was 5.  So, Lowell was a single parent.  When we were looking through his photos, we noticed that he had pictures with this older lady.  The pictures looked like they weren't taken too long ago.  We asked Lowell who this lady was.  Lowell responded and said, "Oh that's my 2nd wife"... here we are wrapping up his life story and he not once mentioned to us or in the story that he was married again and had four other children.  And he still doesn't want to mention it into his story.  Oh boy!  I just love Lowell. 

Wahoo!  Thanksgiving is this week!  I have so much to be thankful for.  I am thankful for my family and the endless love and support they show me.  I am thankful for all my friends and the examples they are to me.  I am grateful for my mission and all that I have learned and all that I will learn over the next 16 months.  I am thankful for my companion, Sister Johnson, who is my best friend and biggest cheerleader.  But, most importantly I am thankful for my Savior and his infinite atonement.  Here are a couple things I am thankful for this Thanksgiving.  I could go on and on, but I am trying not to make this email super long. 

This week, I really focused on spiritual preparation.  In Matthew 25, it outlines the Parable of the Bridegroom and the Ten Virgins, five of whom were wise and five who were foolish.  The five who were foolish had no oil in their lamps. But, the five who were wise had filled their lamps with oil. When the bridegroom came, the foolish were trying to find oil to put in their lamps.  They even asked the wise if they could use some of their oil.  The wise did not give them any oil. When I read this at first, I was a little shocked... why didn't the wise just show charity and give the foolish some oil?  I learned it's not that the wise didn't want to..it was because they couldn't. 

I cannot give my oil (my testimony and knowledge) to someone.  My testimony is something that I have built myself.  I know the Book of Mormon is true because I have read it and I have prayed to know the truth for myself.  I know that President Nelson is a true prophet because I have exercised my faith and prayed to Heavenly Father.  I know that Jesus Christ died for each of us because I have seen the Atonement work in my life.  These are all things that I have filled my lamp with.  They are not things I can share with others, not because I don't want to, but because I can't. 

In 1 Nephi 14:14 it states:

And they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory.

This week, I want to challenge ya'll to arm yourself with righteous.  Be like the wise virgins and be prepared for the day when the bridegroom shall come. 

I love ya'll.

I'm so thankful that ya'll are in my life. 

EAT LOTS 

CTR 

<3 Sister Copeland 

Pics of the Week

SERVICE on the beach 

Week 8 - November 18, 2019

Lots of ups and downs this week.  But, it was still AMAZING. 

If I were to describe my mission experience so far in two scriptures... it would be Mosiah 18:8-9

8 And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;

9 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life

So far, I have learned a lot on my mission.  But the second great commandment is what I have learned the most. Matthew 22:39

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself

My whole life I have depicted service as:  Feeding the homeless, donating money for shelters, or community service. But the greatest service we can possibly do is for our neighbors.  In the October 2017 General Conference, Bonnie L. Oscarson address in her talk, "The Needs Before Us," she said, "What good does it do to save the world if we neglect the needs of those closest to us and those whom we love the most?  How much value is there in fixing the world if the people around us are falling apart and we don’t notice? Heavenly Father may have placed those who need us closest to us, knowing that we are best suited to meet their needs."

I love when she says, "Heavenly Father may have placed those who need us closest to us."  Our neighbors need us. 

I watched the second great commandment in action this week in our ward.   On Tuesday night, we were driving home from mutual when we came across this car accident on 210. Hwy. 210 is a  curvy one-lane highway...where the speed limit is 60.  A drunk driver merged into oncoming traffic and crashed into another car head on.  I had this overwhelming feeling that it was someone from our ward. 

When we woke up the next morning we received a text from our Relief Society President saying that it was in fact a new family from our ward.  A dad and his two daughters.  Both the girls were life flighted and the dad was rushed in an ambulance.  They were all in separate hospitals.  It was so cool to see our ward come together and serve our neighbors. Everyone planned out every meal that was going to be prepared for this family, who was going to stay with who at each hospital (since the mother could only be at one hospital at once) and who was going to take care of their youngest daughter. 

The second great commandment shouldn't only be used in times of tragedy.  We must be looking for ways we can best serve those around us  

I want to challenge y'all to pray to your Heavenly Father and ask who you can serve this week.  I know that through your sincere prayer, you will have someone come to mind.  Love your neighbor this week.  Serve them in new ways. 

Love you all.  CTR <3

Sister Copeland 

Pics of the Week

1. It's freezing in Florida... who knew?

2. We got to go with a less-active family to World of Golf and send off floating lanterns..I loved it 

3. The frog I ran over...poor guy 

4.  Service Day by the Beach 

5.  What a small world!  A couple in Sister Copeland's St. Johns Ward invited her and her companion for dinner.  They figured out that the couple's brother and sister-in-law lived in Sister Copeland's Ward in Utah!   

  

Week 7 - November 11, 2019

Yoyoyo!  This week was stellar! 

Every week gets better and better.  I have never been so Happy.... I love being a missionary.  It's THEE BEST!

Don't worry.  I will try and keep this email super short. 

I have officially fallen in love with St. John's.  I could stay here for the rest of my mission and be totally fine with it.  The members and the amount of service we do keeps me going. 

Today we did a little something special for our pday!  We went to St. Augustine... it was a BLAST.  I think I could drop thousands of dollars just shopping on St. George street.  They have thee cutest shops.  Wow!  I wish we could go every pday. 

My spiritual thought for the week is about the Character of Christ.  In Matthew 4: 1-11... Christ has fasted for 40 days and 40 nights.  I can't even imagine how weak he must have been.  Christ was being tempted by the devil, even though he was so weak, he did not give in.  In the footnotes for verse 11... it states that Christ knew that John the Baptist was put into prison.  Christ sent angels to John.  He could've easily used those angels for himself, but he turned outward and sent the angels to John instead. 

Wow, I just find this story so AMAZING!  I want to be more like Christ... in every way.  What better way to be like Christ than to be a missionary.  I get to live every day for 18 months serving and spreading the good word of the restored gospel. 

I was telling Sister Johnson, how I am so grateful I had the guts to actually submit my mission papers.  I've already grown so much.  I'm excited to grow even more this week. 

I want to challenge y'all to push yourselves a little harder this week.... run the extra mile...go out of your comfort zone.  I promise that you will grow 10x if you continually push yourself. 

I love y'all.  Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers.

CTR 

Remember you have a Savior who loves you.  He needs you to turn to him in prayer. 

<3 sis Copeland 

Pics of the Week

1. Our bff Lowell (the professor we are helping write his life story)

2. The farm life.

 

3. The pic is a bit blurry.. but don't worry.  My cooking skills are straight fire....literally 

Week 6 - November 4, 2019

Once again I feel like it was just yesterday I was writing y'all!

I love living my life as a Floridian.  The weather this week was very bipolar.  On Halloween, it was 91 degrees.  On November 1st, it was 61 degrees.  A 30 degree difference within 24 hours.  If you ask me, I would much rather have the 61 degree weather. 

It was an AMAZING week.  I had my first Zone Conference. And man, I learned so much.  It was so fun seeing so many new faces.  All the missionaries in my Zone seem amazing.  I can't wait to get to know them better. 

I, also, got to go to the beach this week.  We painted a beach house.  It made me a little homesick being by the ocean, which is funny because I don't even live close to the ocean. But the only times I have ever gone to the beach, I'm with my family.  Haha anyways...it was beautiful and felt nice to get a change of scenery. 

Here is a fun fact for you:  In the Jacksonville, Florida Mission, statistics show that missionaries baptize 1 in 1000 doors that they knock on.  That is a lot of knocking for not a lot of success.  However, if members invite their friends to take the missionary discussions in their homes, it is 1 in 3 baptisms.  Isn't that crazy!  I never realized how members are the key in missionary work. 

As missionaries... we are viewed as the fishermen.  Spending all our time trying to catch the fish.  When really, missionary work is just the opposite.  Members are the fishermen...the missionaries are there to help members learn how to fish.  Members are the ones who are going to be living in the field day after day. Therefore, as members we should be looking for opportunities to serve someone and to share our testimonies. 

I want to challenge each of you to be a missionary this week. Share something about the gospel with your friends.  Love them, serve them.  With the holidays coming up, this is the perfect time to invite others to come closer to Christ. 

I love missionary work.  There is truly no greater work.  After my mission, I want to live everyday as if I still have my name tag on.  I'm grateful for the people of St. John's and all the love they have showed me.  I'm grateful for my family.  They are my biggest role models.  I love being a representative for my Savior, Jesus Christ.  After all he has done for me...this is the least I could be doing for him. 

I love you all!

Thank you for all the prayers. 

CTR 

<3 Sister Copeland