Sorry for the late Email! I'm doing pretty good! I'll go more into depth on how I'm doing next week!
WEDNESDAY (1/3/24): Pretty good P-day. I worked out, took a nap, played some beach volleyball with the Zone and then talked with Elder Marx and Elder Jensen for a bit. I also caught up on my journal!
THURSDAY (1/4/23): Today was a good day! We tried contacting a referral we received but she wasn't home. Her dad got upset at us and told us they were Catholic. She was definitely interested but later dropped us due to her dad, which was disappointing. I also got yelled at by a couple homeless people, but it was nothing crazy. It's so sad to see what drugs, alcohol, etc., have done to these people. Addictions will ruin your life if you let them overtake you. I pray that these people can get the help they need. After, we went door to door contacting and met Ana and Antonio. They were super nice, and we said a prayer with them. We invited them to church as well. After, while trying to meet up with Jessica (one of our referrals), we met a lady named Antonia. She lived in the same exact house Jessica lives in. She told us how she attended church regularly twice a week and how she had a strong belief in Jesus Christ and God. We read Mosiah 4:9 with her and talked about how God is all knowing and that he is our Heavenly Father. After, we had probably the best lesson I've had on my whole mission with Orlando. A member in our ward named Brother Batistich came with us and brought the Spirit so profoundly. We talked about Orlando's baptism, his journey with the missionaries, trials he has had to overcome, the importance of renewing our covenants during the Sacrament, and how the gospel blesses our lives. Orlando opened up to us on how he felt like that he wouldn't be welcomed back/wanted back for being gone for so long. Brother Batistich opened up Luke 15 and started reading about the Prodigal Son. Orlando really appreciated it and was brought to tears. We all bore our testimonies to end the lesson. This was such an awesome lesson!
FRIDAY (1/5/24): We were able to get lunch with Mitch today, which was fun! Me and Elder Empey were studying the King Follet Sermon today trying to understand it better. For those who haven't read it, it was a speech given by Joseph Smith at the funeral of a friend of his, named King Follet, months before his own martyr. I would try and explain it on this email if I could, but I don't think I'd be able to. It's pretty deep doctrine. After contacting for most of the day and inviting people to church, we had a dinner with a member who knows a lot of doctrine. We talked with him for a while, and he helped explain some things!
SATURDAY (1/6/24): We went to the baptism of two kids in our ward that are a part of a recent convert's family. Everyone did such a great job preparing talks that were clear enough for the kids to understand (different ways we feel the Holy Ghost in our lives and the promised blessings that we receive when we make baptismal covenants). After studying, we were able to have a lesson with David. We talked with David for a while about the importance of family relationships, the two great commandments (loving God and others), why serving and helping others can bring us happiness, and the importance of repentance and change. David is a super solid guy and both me and Elder Empey really like him; he's just doesn't seem that interested in coming to church or progressing any further. We're going to try and have another lesson with him and see if he actually wants to progress or not. We're really trying to get him to come to church and read from the Book of Mormon.
SUNDAY (1/7/24): Bishop Welch got released today which was pretty surprising for everyone. Brother Duran (Mickey) got called as the Bishop with Brother Daley and Brother Batistich as his counselors. Everyone was super sad to see Bishop Welch get released (because he's literally the greatest guy on the planet haha), but he'll get a new calling eventually. Mickey, Bishop Duran, is equally as amazing and is going to be such a great bishop. The members in Watsonville are so awesome! We had lunch with Bishop Welch and then visited President and Sister Duran (Mickey's parents). To end the night, we attended night church and watched some Church History videos.
MONDAY (1/8/24): Another pretty good day! We had Zone Council today with our zone. Me and Elder Empey gave a training on the importance of the power and authority of our calling. We talked about how important it is for us as missionaries to present ourselves as disciples of Jesus Christ through the way we dress, the way we act, and the things we say. For many people, their first impression of our church is when they meet with, see, or talk with the missionaries. We also talked about how important it is to stay disciplined throughout your mission and to put aside any distractions that may be hindering the work. As missionaries, we always need to be spiritually minded and "clean" through our thoughts and actions. As missionaries, we can't have successful contacts or lessons if we're not teaching with the Spirit. After eating burritos and watching some old church videos (Johny Lingo and Uncle Ben) with Mitch and the Welches at the church, we had another really good lesson with Orlando. We watched the first vision on his laptop, read the Testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith, talked about ways we have changed our own lives through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, Christlike attributes (Love, Service, Charity, Humility) and the importance of gaining a testimony of the Book of Mormon for yourself. Me and Elder Empey love Orlando so much haha. He's definitely one of the "boys." He has a strong testimony and loves the church but struggles to come at times due to him not having a car and his health issues. Orlando has had a difficult life, yet he continues to press forward with a smile on his face. It's super admirable!
TUESDAY (1/9/24): Today was a slower day. We went around contacting some people but didn't have much success. Our list of members that we thought were inactive, but had actually just moved, is up to 18 at the moment. So many members are moving out of California! To end the night, we played soccer with the Durans and some of our friends. Love, Elder Copeland
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