The final email I will send out as a missionary! I can't believe it's finally here: It's pretty hard to believe my mission is coming to an end. This week was a pretty good week! For P-day, we went to Top Golf (I seriously need to improve my golf game when I get home, haha). Afterwards, we got to drive past Levi's stadium which was pretty cool. We went grocery shopping, we worked out, and we talked with our families! To end the night, we went and tried to visit a couple of our friends so that we could try and get some work in but none of them were home!
On Thursday, we shared our outbound testimonies with the mission over Zoom, and I bore my testimony on the importance of loving people for who they are, embracing a growth mindset, and the importance of maintaining a positive attitude! I also bore my testimony on how the gospel enables us to become the best version of ourselves, both spiritually and physically, and how the times I was the most happy and accomplished as a missionary was when I was striving to be positive and righteous in every single thing I did! We also had Zone Council that day since the Saratoga Sisters had to help with the transfer roster the following Tuesday! All the outbound missionaries gave training for the Zone Council! I trained the Zone on the importance of thinking, saying, and acting as the Savior would and looking for the good in everything (regardless of the scenario or situation you are in.) I love the quote from President Nelson where he says, "The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our life and everything to do with the focus of our lives," which is so true! After the Zone Council, we weekly planned and then we visited a couple of our friends! We were able to help get Pascual ready by getting his baptismal form filled out! We were also able to get him some clothing he could use during and after his baptism! (I bought him a white shirt and a tie which he really appreciates).
On Friday, I got to go to the mission home for RMTC. RMTC is basically a whole day training for outbound missionaries where we talk about our future goals and plans! I was able to write and take a bunch of notes as well! President Larson gave me really good advice about AI! Instead of worrying about it, we should use it as an advantage, regardless of what career one goes into, and how most successful people are able to adapt and react to change when certain things occur! We talked a lot about relationship advice, life skills we have and maintain, the importance of serving and being part of the gospel, etc. It was a really good day, but my favorite part of the day was when we read in the scriptures together and discussed the significance of John Chapter 6! This is one of my favorite chapters in the New Testament because it teaches us how, at times during our lives and or our journeys in the gospel, certain things may pop up that cause us to question or doubt certain things (In this scripture, Jesus was explaining how the Apostles had to eat of his bread and drink of his blood to obtain eternal life {he was foreshadowing the Atonement and the sacrament but the apostles didn't know that yet}. Because of this, many fell away after hearing that because they lacked sufficient faith in the Savior. However, Peter and the rest of the 12 decided to stay since they knew Christ was the only way and person that they could go through to be saved! They knew they had nowhere else to go except Christ! And of course, later, they were able to understand that Jesus Christ was foreshadowing his Atonement and the Sacrament.
For us, there will be many times throughout our lives and our discipleship where certain things may arise that cause us to think or question something. If we have faith in Jesus Christ, stick to what we know to be true, have patience, and diligently seek after resources that help us to find truth, everything will be ok! There will always be answers to any question you may have! Sometimes it requires patience, the disciples having to wait to understand what Jesus was teaching them, for example, but answers and knowledge always come! It was a good day, and it got me thinking about the future and where and who I want to be!
On Saturday, we had the baptism of Pascual! It was a really good service, but it took most of the day to prepare! We made sure to buy the food, clean the chapel, print and create the pamphlets, and set up the chapel! However, it turns out that the warm water wasn't working that day, so all we had was cold water! We tried everything to figure out how to fix the heater, but nothing worked! So eventually, out of desperation, we called up the missionaries around us to bring us pots so that we could boil water in the kitchen and then dump it in the fountain, haha! The water didn't get much warmer, but Pascual was such a good sport about it! The service went fantastically! It genuinely was one of the most spiritual services I've been to in my time as a missionary! I was able to baptize Pascual, and Hermano Packard was able to confirm him! One of the youth of our ward was able to give a talk on Baptism (he's going to the same mission as my cousin, Preston, so I was able to show him his Facebook). He's learning a dialect, though, which will be super cool for him! I'm so happy for Pascual, and he's going to be such an amazing member of the ward! He was super grateful for us, and we were able to express gratitude to one another after his baptism! The ward is going to be so blessed to have him! He has such a strong desire to serve and help everyone around him! He is genuinely one of the most wholesome souls I have ever met! I'm so grateful and I feel so blessed that I was able to come to Los Altos and help teach and baptize him! I know for a fact that I was sent down here for the final six weeks of my mission so that I could help Pascual make a covenant with God!
On Sunday, he was able to get an interview for the Priesthood, and he will now be ordained to the office of Elder on Sunday and receive the Aaronic Priesthood! He's also going to go to the temple soon and do baptisms for the dead! I'm so proud of Pascual, and he will forever be one of my good friends! We were also privileged to be able to teach the Sunday school lesson that day! We read through Alma 42 with the class, and we taught them about the Fall of Adam, how the fall has blessed us, and why it was necessary, and how the Atonement of Jesus Christ saves us from spiritual and physical death! We also showed them a video that the church had produced a little while ago that explained to them this scripture! Come follow Me is good, but for new members and friends investigating the church, they need to read in the Book of Mormon and understand the principles of the gospel beforehand! I hope the missionaries can continue to teach and help the class! Not trying to sound prideful but we definitely run the classes better than the members haha! Most of Sunday we had to pack up my things and get the apartment clean! I also had to plan a couple things for when I got home! Elder Fuller got a really good companion to serve with him named Elder Garcia! He's from Columbia and is bilingual! They'll do really good together!
On Monday for P-day, I had to go do my outbound interview with President Larson! It went really well! We talked about how my time as a missionary has blessed me and how I've grown so much spiritually, physically, and mentally! He shared the parable of the talents with me and explained how my offering towards the Lord was sufficient and how I will be blessed become of my time as a missionary and how I was able to bless the lives I served around forever! We went over the importance of understanding and reflecting on the past and learning from the past mistakes we make and understanding that we can use these experiences to learn, grow, and become better! We also talked about how as missionaries, we need to look back at the good experiences as well and always remember how we felt and the joy we received through those experiences (the fun times we had with our companions, the people we were able to meet and teach, the members we met and grew relationships with, the baptisms we had, and how we felt and the joy we received when we were able to teach the restored gospel and how GOOD we felt when doing so! We talked more about the importance of looking back with gratitude (regardless of whether it was good or bad) and looking forward with hope and faith! It's my favorite training ever given to us from the Larsons and it's forever changed my mind set and perspective of life!
President also mentioned to me how I was one the best, if not, the best teaching missionary the mission had! I never enjoyed tracking or finding (even though I was able to do it and find good in it) but I REALLY enjoyed it and I loved it when we had lessons with people where we were able to sit down together and read in the scriptures! President Larson recommended I go to teach at the MTC, which is something I really want to do! To end the interview, we talked about the importance of enduring to the end and how logically the church is true, but how true conversion only comes through the Spirit and understanding the restored gospel (which is so true)! He also explained how one of my spiritual gifts is being able to meet people where they are and how I was always able to get along with my companions and how all of them look back at me as their friend! That was one of my biggest goals as a missionary: to get along and be friends with every single one of my companions! I can confidently say that I was able to get along with every single one of them! I'm so grateful for every single one of my companions and the experiences, success, trials, etc. that I got to go through with every single one of my companions! I'm so grateful that I can look back at every transfer and enjoy the time I had with all of my companions! I plan on continuing to talk with all of them after my mission (especially Slade)! One of the many things I've learned during my time as a missionary is that when we look for the good in others, understanding that none of us are perfect, and that positivity ALWAYS outweighs negativity, etc., we always feel better about not only others, but ourselves as well! I've said it once, but I'll say it again! When we think, act, and say as the Savior would, we are so much happier with ourselves and others! I had a really good interview with President Larson and I'm so grateful for him! He has such a spiritual gift of making sure every single missionary is felt loved equally and I'm so impressed how he is always able to meet a missionary where they are and how he is always able to help every single one of us out with our individual needs (even though there are over 200 of us haha). He is such an amazing man and I'm so grateful I was able to serve under him! For the rest of P-day, we went and played games with the Zone and then we had to head over to the chapel to help Pascual find some temple names! We also helped teach English class and I was able to say my goodbyes to Nayuri and Alfredo! They were sad to see me go but I got their Facebook so I'm going to stay in contact with them! I told Nayuri that I would come back to her baptism when she was baptized haha! I'm super proud of Nayuri and how far she has come since giving her a blessing that one day! She's progressing really well, and she'll get baptized soon: I'm so convinced! Alfredo was sad to see me go but he expressed his gratitude towards me and the time I spent with him teaching him the gospel! I was also able to share a spiritual thought on the Gospel of Jesus Christ and how faith is a principle of action, power and how those who have the most faith have done the spiritual work: which requires discipline and building good and faithful habits! I also bore my testimony on the Doctrine of Christ and how those who follow Christ and his gospel can gain eternal life! I hope my testimony was able to touch the hearts of those at the class! One of the friends came up to me after and thanked me for my testimony and what I taught the class! He had relapsed and he was so grateful that I had reached out to him the day before! He told me he was still trying to overcome a couple things, so I supported and helped him by pointing him towards the Savior and sharing how the Savior and his gospel allows us to find peace and strength, especially during trial and difficult times! The power behind prayer, reading the scriptures, studying the gospel and being active in church truly is the greatest way we can avoid sin and live a happy and healthy life.
I'm so grateful for the time I was given here in Los Altos. While it wasn't much time, I learned some of the biggest lessons of my mission down here and it'll always have a special place in my heart! The ward was fantastic and while I wasn't able to get to know them too well, I was able to help serve them and support them! I'm super grateful for Hermano Packard and all the support he offers to the missionaries! His English classes are amazing, and we were able to get some much work done with him! He loves missionary work so much and he was able to help teach us new things! He is an amazing member and an example on how everyone should be a disciple of Christ! I was also able to help teach and minister to so many of our amazing friends down here! Nayuri, Cesar, Kevin, Alfredo, Andres, Hermana Engracia, Pascual were all so amazing and I'm so blessed and grateful that I was able to help teach and serve them the Gospel! Los Altos will always hold a special place in my heart! Silicon Valley is amazing, and I can't wait to come back and visit!
On Tuesday, we went to the Mission Office to drop off our companions and I got to say goodbye to a bunch of the Elders I had served with (Elder Astle, Elder Candia, Elder Johns, Elder Paxman, etc.) I'm seriously so grateful for every companion I was given! I've been able to learn so much through every single one of them. After lunch, we went to the temple to do Endowments with the Larsons and the outbound missionaries! It was a super spiritual experience and a moment I'll remember for the rest of my life.
To end my email, I want to share my testimony and what I've learned and experienced during my time as a missionary!
1. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is the most important event ever to have occurred! Because he took upon himself our sins, pains, afflictions, and temptations in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross, and how after three days of his spirit leaving his physical body, being given power and authority by the Father, he was resurrected (gaining victory over physical death: granting us all the opportunity to be resurrected and gain immortality). Through his Atonement as well, we can call overcome spiritual death (the separation of God spiritually) through his doctrine (which consists of faith in Jesus Christ and his Atonement, Repentance, being Baptized and making a Covenant with God, receiving the Holy Ghost and being sanctified through it and enduring to the end and making further covenants in the temple: with the covenants being renewed through the Sacrament [the sacred ordinance that we need to participate in every single Sunday]) is the way all of God's Children can enter into his presence again and obtain exaltation and eternal life in the Celestial Kingdom! All of this is possible because of the ATONEMENT of Christ!
2. We are all sons and daughters of God! While we are all imperfect, all of us have good qualities and traits! Instead of focusing on the bad in life, being negative, and striving to cause contention, we should ALWAYS do otherwise! We need to strive to be peacemakers, to look for the good in others, to be examples of Christ through the things we say, the things we do and think, striving to serve and help others according to their needs and desires, being hopeful and striving to be the best version of ourselves which the gospel provides us. While there are many times in our lives when we can't control others or certain situations/scenarios, we can always control how WE act and REACT! The gospel makes us the best versions of ourselves! Gratitude is the best attitude.
3. The Book of Mormon is the most important book ever written! No other book testifies as powerfully as the Book of Mormon does on the Atonement of Jesus Christ and his doctrine, the Plan of Salvation and over divine purpose as sons and daughters of God, the importance of keeping and making sacred covenants with God, how and why commandments are given to us, and how they bless us both spiritually and physically when we keep them, the gathering of Israel and how we are ALL have a part gathering Israel regardless if you're a missionary or not or if it's on this side of the veil or not (temples). The Book of Mormon also helps us to understand the need of a restoration and how the Bible can only truly be understood through the Restored Gospel! The Book of Mormon is one of the greatest blessings given to us and we must read it every single day! The Book of Mormon also helps us to better understand the importance of enduring to the end and being a lifelong disciple of Christ! I'm so grateful for the Book of Mormon!
4. When we have faith, we must ALWAYS act upon it! Instead of waiting for something to come to us, we must go to it! If we want to better understand the Savior, we have to do something about it! We have to read the scriptures, we have to take notes, we have to pray and study gospel resources given to us, we have to go to church, etc. This applies to every aspect of our life! While it can be hard in the moment, if we are able to be diligent, not procrastinate, and do the hard things we don't want to do, we WILL be blessed, and we will be rewarded! When we set goals, we must act upon our goals and be accountable to them! When goals are created, they must be measured! If you want to complete a goal, you must track your progress and be accountable to that goal. If you want to build muscle, you must work out and diet correctly! You must track, through an app or on a paper, your progress on what exercises you did that day and what you ate that day, so that you can be accountable to those goals! Goals can only be accomplished through progress, trackability, and accountability!
5. The truest and most pure source of happiness comes through families! My family is my greatest source of happiness and one of the greatest blessings I have ever received; I'm so beyond grateful for them and everything they've done for me! My family has taught me the importance of staying on the covenant path and being a disciple of Christ, working hard, and accomplishing goals, finding joy in the moment, living good and meaningful lives, working hard but having fun as well, the importance of being organized and clean, and so much more! My parents and my siblings truly are the most important people I have in my life! They are my best friends and I'm so beyond excited to see and be with them again! The greatest time spent is time spent with your family! I'm so grateful I have such an amazing family I can look up to! My parents taught me so many important life lessons and they showed me how to live a good and meaningful life! Words and feelings can't describe how much I love my family! Your best friends should be your family: they are for me!
6. The Church of Jesus Christ is the only true and living church here on Earth! We've been blessed with and given a modern day prophet, 12 apostles, the Priesthood Power, the Book of Mormon and additional revelations and doctrines given to us through the Doctrine and Covenants and Peal of Great Price, order and organization within the church, a true and clear understanding of the Plan of Salvation, and how the Savior and his Atonement makes that plan possible, missionary work and temples, and so much more! This is the RESTORED church and Gospel of the Church of Jesus Christ! This is the most important organization on the earth.
7. If we want to act, think and say as the Savior: we must study daily, pray daily, stay worthy, and keep the covenants we've made. By doing the small and little things, every single day, we Endure to the End, and we are blessed spiritually and physically.
8. Being organized and clean in every aspect of your life is so important! When we are organized, clean, and live a balanced healthy lifestyle: our day-to-day lives improve! Being diligent, avoiding procrastination, and building good habits blesses and strengthen us!
9. The gospel of Jesus Christ allows us to be the most righteous version of ourselves! We are all born with the light of Christ inside of us; as we seek to be an example of the Savior, we are filled with righteousness!
10. The Gospel of Jesus Christ allows us to be family and friends with every single person around us. Regardless of where we come from, what language we speak, what type of personality we have, what race/ethnicity we are, what type of hobbies we do, etc., we can all be friends and have something in common through the Gospel of Jesus Christ! I was able to make so many different friends and I was able to grow so many amazing relationships with people COMPLETELY different than me because of the gospel! I'm so grateful for the Gospel and how it has allowed me to meet so many amazing and create lifelong relationships and friendships that have forever changed my life.
Being a missionary was the biggest honor of my life up to this point. It was so ridiculously hard, and it pushed me way past my limit countless times. My mental health was beyond tested, my stress and anxiety was challenged way more than I thought was possible; countless hours, days, and even weeks were spent where I was challenged and pushed mentally and emotionally to the point where I almost didn't make it. However, I was able to take things one day at a time and I used these experiences to grow, learn, and become not only a better person, but a more devoted, holier disciple of Jesus Christ! I'm so grateful for how hard my mission was and how it made me into the person I am today. I wouldn't be as mature as I am, as wise as I am, I wouldn't understand what true life actually is like and what actually brings happiness in this life and how covenants with God truly bless us in every aspect of our lives. I'm so grateful for all the amazing moments I had as my time as a missionary as well! Some of the happiest, most beautiful experiences of my life occurred on my mission as well. I met and made so many relationships with members and friends I taught, I learned the importance of hard work, diligence, creating successful habits, true conversion through the Lord and so much more! I will forever be grateful for my mission and for everything it was.The mission truly has helped prepare me for my future in every single way possible! I'll look back at my mission with gratitude for every single lesson and experience I had. I'll live in the moment, and I'll always look forward towards the future with hope and faith.
Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. Families can live together forever through the Plan of Redemption of our Heavenly Father. The Book of Mormon is true. Jospeh Smith was a prophet of the Restoration, and the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ was RESTORED through him. I know that the Spirit truly testifies of the truth and that spiritual work allows us to grow closer to our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ! This is only the start of my discipleship and my lifelong journey as a covenant keeping member of the Lord's church. I'll see everyone Wednesday! I'll share Homecoming info. with everyone when I get home!
-Elder Copeland
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