Hello! How is everything going? I miss everyone so much! We had a pretty successful week, but it was also hard. A huge storm passed through Santa Cruz, and we got hit pretty hard by the wind and rain. We were able to get rides here and there but for most part we biked it. We found some new people and our progressing friends are doing well! I'm starting to get the lessons down the more and more we teach them. The only thing I'm missing is my Spanish. The mission is definitely teaching patience. I'm trying to be easy on myself considering the fact that I've only been learning Spanish for 4 1/2 months now. My companion is extremely talented in teaching and in speaking Spanish. I'm praying one day it will eventually click! Anyways, here's how my week went!
WEDNESDAY (1/31/24): Pretty good P-day. It was another relaxing day. We cleaned up, took some naps, and hung out with our Zone at the Santa Cruz Stake Center. We played some basketball and soccer. It was pouring the whole the day, so we weren't able to really do anything else. I always love talking with my family. It's the highlight of my week!
THURSDAY (2/1/24): After finishing weekly planning, we had a solid lesson with Christopher. We went through all the key points of the Restoration and explained to him how the Book of Mormon came to be. We went into depth about the Priesthood and explained it to him. We read the First Vision with him and D&C 13 and 27 with him to explained to him what the Priesthood was. He understood what we were teaching him and seemed pretty interested in learning more! We left him the story of Alma the Younger to read. Right as he left, he texted us saying he knew that the Book of Mormon was true! He's progressing really well! After, we had a lesson with Salvador at the church. We talked about the two great commandments, Love God and Others, and read John 13: 34-15 with him. It's so important to love another as Jesus loves us. It can be hard at times, but it is always worth it in the end! After, we talked a little bit about the commandments and how they are given to us for our benefit and not as a punishment. He is willing to follow the commandments he told us!
FRIDAY (2/2/24): We had to go to the laundromat to grab some quarters for our laundry. Some lady came to us while doing so and asked us if we had any cigarettes. She got pretty mad at us when we told her no, but we just laughed it off. Bishop Duran asked us to go visit Sister Schwalenberg to see if she needed any help preparing for the upcoming storm that was about the plow through Watsonville. Instead, we had a hour long conversation with her explaining why bad things happen to good people, what happens to children who die before getting baptized, why the Priesthood couldn't stop covid, and the importance of partaking of the Sacrament. We explained to her as clearly as we could. She understood for the most part, but really struggled with the idea of "God" letting COVID start. She's such a sweet lady and we care for her deeply! She has some extreme health issues that prevent her from going to church and understanding certain things, but she said she's going to try coming back in March. We talked with David for a little bit after, but he wasn't too interested in talking with us. We're sadly going to have to drop him. He's a great guy but never really was that interested. We met up with Isabel, our Seventh-day Adventist friend, and gave her a quick rundown on the Restoration and the Book of Mormon. We ended the night with a great discussion with Salamon and his family. They fed us some of the weirdest tasting soup I've ever had. I drank as much as I could before I couldn't anymore. We talked with them about the Book of Mormon! While we were leaving, they insisted we take some cereal and milk with us. They even gave us a bag to carry it on our bikes. This family lives in a one-room house yet was willing to do and give us so much. This mission has really humbled me and showed me that there are so many people who are so kind and willing to do such kind gestures even when they have so little themselves. It really makes me appreciate all that I have been given. I hope to be able to give what I can as well!
SATURDAY (2/3/24): We had to wait to get a ride to the church for our lesson with Christopher since Elder Johnson's stomach wasn't feeling great. It was also nice not to have to bike 30 minutes uphill on a crowded highway. We talked with Christopher for a while about weightlifting and dieting. We're both really into fitness so we hit it off for a while. After, we began to talk about the commandments, specifically the Word of Wisdom and the Law of Chasity. He began to explain to us how much better he has felt both physically and mentally as he has stayed away from those things. He began to tell us how much his life has improved as he has begun to change the way he acts and behaves. We invited him to be baptized on the 17th of February and he accepted. We promised him that as he progressed, he'd soon be able to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, which he was really excited about. After, we had to help lift a washing machine for a lady in our ward in preparation for the upcoming storm.
It had already begun to come down pretty hard before. After, we did some contacting in the rain which was pretty miserable. We talked to a lady that had been baptized into our church but has since been converted into Catholicism. She began to explain to us how she worshiped Judas instead now. We tried our best to explain to her why she was wrong, but she wasn't having it. We just left laughing at how ridiculous she was being, super nice lady though! To end the night, we had dinner with the Daleys, which was well needed. It was such a good time.
SUNDAY (2/4/24): The weather today felt like I was living in Florida again. The wind and rain were out of control. During ward council, the electricity went out. We had to cancel church for the whole day. In fact, the electricity went out in the entire town, including our apartment. We had to spend most of the day in our apartment. Luckily, we were able to get out and have dinner with the Welches. We talked a lot about the Book of Mormon and Bishop Welch's mission. The mission has been the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my life, but the missionaries before us had it even harder. No telephones, no Area Book app, no cars (not like I'll ever get one though haha), etc. They had to use paper maps, paper area books, etc. They really have made missionary work easier and more effective with the use of technology. We couldn't go to Night Church due to the electricity outage, so we had to end the night early and return home.
MONDAY (2/5/24): We had another really good lesson with Christoper. It was probably the longest lesson of my mission.
We gave him the whole Plan of Salvation. We explained to him the Atonement of Jesus Christ. In addition to this, we explained to him why the Atonement was needed after the fall of Adam and Eve. We read parts of 2 Nephi 2 with him to further explain to him the Fall of Adam and Eve and why it was necessary. In addition to this, we explained to him to him about the temples and baptisms for the dead. We read John 3:5 and 1 Corinthians 15:29 with him to explain baptisms for the dead. While talking about the Kingdoms of Glory, we read 1 Coronthians 15:40-41 to explain the kingdoms. He thought it was pretty fascinating how these things were explained in the Bible. We met a lady named Maria afterwards. She invited us into her home to pray for her and her family. We explained to her what we do as missionaries, and she seemed pretty interested. She invited us to come back another time! Nothing much happened afterwards.
TUESDAY (2/6/24: We did some contacting and then had another really good lesson with Salvador. We talked to him about the covenants we make at baptism and what the covenant path was. We drew it on the chalkboard to help him visualize it better. We explained to him what the Priesthood was, what we do in temples and why they are necessary, and the blessings and gifts we receive when we make covenants. Bishop Duran came to meet with Salvador afterwards as well to figure out his marriage ordeal. He shared a super strong testimony on Eternal Families and how much the gospel has blessed him and his family. Salvador has a family of his and he cared about them deeply. Bishop and he had a discussion figuring out his marriage situation. He helped Salvador set up a plan! As soon as Salvador gets married, he will get baptized! We ended the night by playing some soccer. Love, Elder Copeland
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