hi, everyone! I hope this past week was a good one. As always, I miss you all. a lot
my week:
divisions
200 days
interviews
Our 3 baptisms didn't happen this week. Two had to return to Venezuela and the other we're hoping it will work next week. the cake was made, we cleaned the font, meeting planned etc. but it's ok.
we had a good amount of our friends we are teaching at church. I loved seeing their friends be so excited to see them, walk in and run up grab their hand and take them to the front to sit with them.
interviews: Wednesday we had interviews with our president, I left the room feeling so good and am really grateful for him. when I told him how much time I have in Jaraguá, he looked shocked. me too, man, me too. butttt he told me I'll be leaving soon. we'll see. he also told me I'm fluent 🎉
division: went to Joinville for divisons with our STLS. I worked with sister Dias, from São Paulo. Divisons are always so fun, I love being able to be with other sisters. every time I work with a different sister, we always talk about the hardest part, and the best part of missions. hearing every sister's "best part" is so cool to me.
random
-taught this cute grandma. We visited her and she was so old and sweet. she told us she had been sleeping but felt prompted to get up and check the front door and as she did, we were walking up. lots of times little miracles like this happen. not all the times will these people be converted, but these are some of my favorite lessons as a missionary. she kissed our cheeks over and over, cried, held our hands and hugged us and told us thank you 100 times.
-on the 22nd this week I hit 200 days in the mission. that's a lot of days haha. I'll be honest in saying it hasn't necessarily flown by, but it definitely doesn't feel like 200 days. feels way less. time is weird.
-Bird and I had an experience where we were taken into a room, nothing was visibly different or wrong about the room. but I was feeling so lightheaded and sick and like we needed to get out. we finished the lesson, worked as normal, and then I brought it up to her and she told me she had felt the exact same way. it was just a really heavy sick feeling in that room. it's really crazy how sensitive and in tune our spirits can be. I'm grateful for the discernment the spirit that we can have. we go into so many homes, and we can feel the difference of spirits in the homes.
-one of the irmãos in the ward loves the Seattle Seahawks. every Sunday he runs up to me to give me an update. I'm more updated on the Seahawks here in Brasil than at home in Washington. this morning, I woke up to "bom dia, sister" and a photo that the Seahawks won.
-now that I know I'm leaving, I've been telling our friends and Márcia, one of the sassiest ladies I've ever met, was so heated. her cousin tried explaining how we change because other people need us and she said, "But I need her!" it was sweet. made me sad to leave.
my spiritual thought won't be a talk or a scripture this week, but it'll be about our friend tiago
sunday
after a lesson we were sitting on the sidewalk on this huge hill to jot down notes and as we were, this man in a car, very drunk, no shoes, no shirt, slurring words asked if we wanted water.
so, there we went to get water waiting on his back porch.
his feet were all bloody and he was drunk out of his mind. he grabbed a box of cigarettes and started smoking.
he told us he had drug issues, relationship issues, drinking issues, smoking issues, and when we told him that he had a Heavenly Father that loved him he laughed.
he laughed
and then he cried
he told us things he said he's never told anyone
we invited him to church that started in 15 min.
he asked if he could finish his cigarette first.
then he went and took a shower
put on a button up shirt and church shoes
slicked his hair
we told him we'd meet him there
we go to the church wait for about 5 min and fully thought he stood us up
then he pulled in
we introduced him to some members
they shook his hand, gave him a hug
we took him to meet the bishop
they talked, they laughed, then he cried
the bishop asked if he wanted a blessing
we go to the bishop's office. we all sit down.
the bishop explains a priesthood blessing
our friend cries
I cry
the bishop places his hands on our friend's head and gave him a blessing
and today was the first time he relapsed in a week
and then he said today was the best day of his week
he thanked us
we walked him out and I told him how much I love the church buildings
he told me how much peace he felt
he'll be coming back next week
he left with friends, a blessing and smiling
this all happened in one hour. just an hour before he was drunk, smoking, bleeding, crying and laughing at us when we mentioned God
an hour later
he was receiving a blessing from the bishop
shaking everyone's hands
laughing
thanking us
smiling
if God can send two random white American girls on this random hill to find this man that needed us
then i promise
he can do anything to your life. there really is no limit
let him work in your life
🤍 sister copeland
