Hello! Bom dia! Lengthy email today as I'm wrapping up MTC.
Highs 💫🩷🫶
-teaching Sister Singayan (our new Philippina comp) how to curl her hair
-laughing with Sister Alvey all the time (probably in times we shouldn't)
-listening to the talk “Peacemakers Needed” by President Nelson
-seeing new missionaries arrive and realize I'm not the new one anymore
-getting a video of Schmitty in a birthday hat
-someone thinking I was Brazillian
-Mr Cheney brownie ice cream sundae
I officially have been a missionary for one month! (August 7th) It went by so quick, and it's been such a great month. I'm blessed in having adjusted so well and my excitement still hasn't worn off yet. I've been anticipating this my whole life and am just so happy to finally be doing it. Until a saw a video from my family of their beach vacation. But anyway,
I leave the MTC August 20th, so in about 2 weeks I'll be heading to Florianópolis! São Paulo is very cool but being in the MTC we don't get out much, so I can't wait to get to the field and see more of Brazil. Looking at Google maps photos, Florianópolis seriously looks like Hawaii. But if Ethan is praying hard enough, I'll probably be sent to the furthest area from the beach and living in a shack. Every time natives ask where my mission is, I say "Florianópolis," they either say “moito frio” and wince or say “moito moito beleza” …I'll take the beautiful part. I also always hear it's very wealthy, European and a chill surf vibe. Sounds terrible….😉
I have eaten rice and beans every meal without fail and am starting to feel like a true Brazilian. They make very good chocolate croissants and Pao de queijo that's for sure. At the temple, a Brazilian lady started talking to me in Português very fast and usually I can answer back in Português but this time it was way too fast. I then said yeah…I'm from America and she was shocked. She thought I was Brazilian! I was honored. I guess my knowledge on the uv index has been paying off. She'd be shocked to know I was platinum blonde a few months ago.
Something that has stayed with me since the first devotional here is consecration. As missionaries we are asked to consecrate our entire selves to being disciples and servants of Jesus Christ for the entirety of our missions. That includes our thoughts, conversations, etc. Everything we do is to be exactly obedient in centering ourselves around our missionary purpose: To invite others to come unto Christ and be representatives of him. I have heard “obedience brings blessings, but exact obedience brings miracles” many times since being here. I felt super determined to do this and to be as perfect as I can be. But of course, I'm not perfect and I mess up every day. I have learned the immense importance and gift the Atonement is. In the scriptures when people are taught of the Plan of Salvation and the mercy the Lord has when we repent, they rejoice and celebrate. We should be doing the same. We will only ever have as much happiness as we do gratitude. I also love the talk from a recent general conference talk by Sister Runia and she says we shouldn't feel deflated when we make mistakes and don't keep every commandment perfectly, because repentance Is also a commandment! It brings him so much joy to see us repent. If we didn't make mistakes, we wouldn't need a Savior. So, I'm learning to not be comfortable making mistakes, but to be comforted in knowing I can repent. And to repent without delay. “The invitation to repent is an expression of God’s love. Saying yes to that invitation is an expression of ours.” -Runia. Read that twice.
Next week we start our Português contract to only speak Português. We will also start having 6 hour long of Português every day. Today we learned about many religions in Brazil, one being Candomblé and they like to sacrifice chickens and perform rituals. Exciting.
I miss a lot about home, but no part of me wants to be anywhere but here in Brazil. Also shout-out Sis Alvey for taking one for the team and having stomach problems so we could go to the pharmacy and make a pit stop to get brownie ice cream sundaes. Kidding, poor girl send prayers.
Love you all! I'd love to hear from all of you
💌Sister Copeland
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