Week 23 - December 22, 2025

 MERRY CHRISTMAS 

Love! the sisters of Baepandi 💌

(My mom taught me well, the night before church I set out our coordinating Christmas outfits.)

my week:

divisions w stls 

Ella B bday! 

transfers next week 

we have maggots 🙂

It's Ella B's birthday! I remember the first time I really got to know her was in Cabo, I think that was the first time Ethan did too, maybe too well... (#banhottubs)

anyway

divisions: 👯‍♀️ 👯‍♀️

this week we did a division w our stls! Sis Bird went with one of our stl and I went with another. 

I worked with Sister Albarracín from Argentina. I love her. we worked well together. 

-I've been here too long I'm starting to feel bad for the cockroaches. if I see them stuck on their back and trying to get on their feet it makes me sad 

-I remember at the beginning of my mission I thought guaraná and farofa were mid, but not so. Don't know how I'll live without it. Food here is actually so good. 

-oh yeah, did I already say we have maggots? em nossa casa...

🕯🎁🎄💫

One night Sister Bird and I got in pajamas and watched the first presidency Christmas devotional with popcorn and guaraná. President Holland's talk was, "I'll be home for Christmas."

You can imagine how close to home that hit for us. 

He especially noted how currently there are around 85,000 missionaries who aren't close to home and won't be going home for Christmas. He says:

"One of the most popular Christmas songs of the season is “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” And if we are not able to be there, we get a little lump in our throat even if we are grown and gone"

amen

He spoke about his first Christmas away from home, it was also his mission. He's now quite old but still you can see how much that meant to him. He quoted President Hinckley,

“Dear Dad. This is the first time in all my life that I have not been home for Christmas. I am sitting before a boarding house fire … watching the flames go up the chimney, carrying memories of other Christmas days. There is the morning when, pajama-clad, we hurried downstairs. Then with such excitement, we ran back upstairs … to show [you] all of our gifts of apples and oranges and homemade candy. You and mother seemed very tired for some reason, but you played with us and kissed us before sending us back to bed before daylight. During the day you pulled us up and down the street on the new sled we had not discovered earlier, and we knew you were the biggest, strongest man in all the world. … Last night I missed the thrill of seeing Santa Claus come. He did not come this morning, either.  I miss you, Dad. But with this new distance between us, I begin to see in your life the true spirit of Christmas. … God bless you, Dad, and keep you ever wonderful to me. Love, Gordon.” Our own Gordon Bitner Hinckley.

Distance brings fondness! I'm so grateful for the life my family has given me and I'm lucky to have a life so easy to miss. 

But overall, I'm grateful for the birth of Jesus Christ, the light, life and hope of the world.

There were no Hallmarks, no cookie making, no snow, no shopping, no music, no family this year, but the Spirit of Christ is flowing and so sweet. 

I heard this during the week, Jesus Christ was part of my life but now he is my life. 

That's the best way to describe what a mission teaches. My life was great before the mission, but I have learned a new sense of meaning and purpose in my life. 

Merry Christmas!! 🎅

feliz natal!! 🎅🏿

I'm excited to have my first Brazilian Christmas, details will be next week

transfers next week!! 🫣

vamos ver, pray for me

please

🎁🤍🎄💌Sister Copeland