hii, miss you all hope you're all well
This week was good, but I'm scared of Brasil summer because the uv is either 12 and 98⁰ and "feels like 115" on the weather app, or there's a tropical storm and flooding. when we're walking and it's just so hot I just think, this is easier than a cheer full out, and then it's not as bad. I also think about how I'm getting tan.
my week:
Christmas
transfers
New Years
somehow Christmas, the day I thought would be the worst on the mission was one of the best. I just felt a sense of lightness and purpose. a lot happened here are some points:
-Christmas eve I was dreading working, I felt bad trying to teach and interrupting. but I quickly came to realize how people needed our message more than I realized. it was really special. I took us down the wrong road and Sister Bird felt like we should bat that road (knock doors)
on JUST that street we found eight new people. is that what a mission in the northeast is like?
the day that we thought was going to be the hardest to work quickly became our best day.
people were so much more open, less busy with work, and the spirit of the birth of Jesus Christ was so strong
as we were reading Luke 2, about his birth, in these families humble homes, with shattered windows, beer cans, broken chairs, was truly a humbling and special moment.
"14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."
truly everywhere in the world the Christmas story and the birth of Jesus Christ has the spirit so strong. He is the savior of the entire world!
God be thanked for his matchless gift
Christmas Day we were in the road and hit with a huge storm. if you know me you know my fear of tsunamis and we were hit with a wind and rain tsunami. I looked over, saw the palm trees rustling, then all of a sudden literally like a tsunami we were hit with rain and wind. The lightning was also so loud. Then we went home and our house was kinda flooding and there was a cockroach. Merry Christmas 😍
Also! this week we were teaching two girls, and I introduced myself and one of them said, an Elder Copeland baptized me in Ecuador. It was my cousin Kade!! now I'm teaching her cousin. so cool I'm honored to be in the same line as my cousin Kade.
-we visited with one of our less active members on Christmas who's currently going through domestic abuse. she made sure we spoke quietly and had to make sure the gate had a tight rope so we were safe. it was so hard to watch, as they also have a 9-year-old girl living in that home.
before there, I was feeling so proud of myself because it was Christmas and I was working and I thought I was doing the hardest thing. I was quickly rocked and realized we were living the same Christmas day in very different ways and I thought I had it rough. we dropped cookies, said a prayer and hopefully they gave them a sense of peace. it was confirmed that being here is more important than a Christmas at home, which makes it worth it.
transfer news
So, I'm staying in Jaraguá. I'll be honest I was a little disappointed. this will be 1/3 of my mission, 7 months in my first area. 7 months... same area... brutal. next transfers are February. but I feel this will be the transfer I see the fruits of our labor because we should be having four baptisms all with people we started teaching my first transfer here.
anyway
this is my last email of 2025
what a year
for fun, here's it at a glance:
went brunette
got my mission call
learned how to say "Florianopolis"
probably got a speeding ticket or something
directed a dance studio
said goodbye to my friends
got set apart
said goodbye to my family
flew to Brazil
learned Português (still am)
served
learned
served
repeat
2025 has been one of the most life altering years of my life
Yes, I'm talking about the going brunette
I always have loved making mood/vision boards with my friends for New Years. I loved the fresh start and seeing the date be the 1st of the 1st.
I read this during the week and really loved it especially going into a new year:
“Whatever is on your to-do list, give equal time, not spare time, to the Lord.”
Being on a mission and having my sole focus be on the Savior has given me a new perspective and guidance for not only now but the rest of my life.
in high school I was incredibly busy (busy not going to class) and I gave more spare time to the Lord, but after seeing the difference of what he can do for us when we focus on him has really changed my priorities moving forward!
He wants to lighten our load, ease our burdens, and direct us, but if we aren't actively looking for him in our lives, we'll miss it.
I see a lot of broken people, I just know a relationship with Christ would heal them
so
“Whatever is on your to-do list, give equal time, not spare time, to the Lord.”
there are thousand excuses to not do that. but there is an eternity amounts of reasons to do that.
2025 was different, unique, challenging, deep and so rewarding. I really will never be the same
happy new year
crazy I didn't even refer to Taylor's song, New Year's Day once! ;) (listen to it for me)
send me an email!
🫶sister copeland
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