Post-Mission Life...

I've been home for 3.5 months. I miss the people so much.

 I am now working at the Missionary Training Center teaching Tagalog to missionaries preparing to go to the Philippines. It is a blessing to still be so involved in Heavenly Father's work. I loved my mission and I would not trade it for anything in the world. I learned so much, most especially how to love.

But I will not say that it was not hard... This article puts it so well.

Here's to Mormon myth busting...http://www.realclearreligion.org/articles/2013/06/01/time_for_some_mormon_myth_busting.html

Mahal ko po kayo,
Sister Copé/Sammi

last email from the Philippines?

last email from the Philippine​s?

I think I might get one more time... Anyway, enjoying the work with Sister Racaza and seeing the miracles when they do our part and we do ours because Heavenly Father takes care of the rest. We had the privilege of hearing Elder Allan Packer of the Seventy (anak ni President Boyd K. Packer) on Saturday in Marikina. His wife spoke, too. Lots to learn, lots to keep striving for. At siyempre magsaya.

Mahal ko kayo,

Sister Cope

pictures...

Scope 002… eating a fruit that I picked off a tree as we work with Sister San Juan :)

Scope 007… Elder Nielsen of the Seventy visited and spoke with us (in Teresa at their Relief Society's time out for women)!!! It’s always amazing and powerful to hear them testify of Jesus Christ.

Scope 010… Doing laundry for one of our less actives. with May Ann Bola :)

Scope 018… My awesome kabahay making faces at an old resort :p

Scope 023… temple tour with sister Nenneth and sister san juan

Scope 026… visiting sister Aillyn on the edge of Laguna Bay in Baras, Rizal. Wow, di ba?

Promised Blessings...

Promised Blessings.​..

They're real. Two months ago, or so, our mission president was reminding us that God is preparing people to hear our message. Sometimes missionary work can be  discouraging when people choose to not act on the things they feel and they miss out on the blessings. I know I've done that before.But when our mission president reminded us of that, I've been praying really hard to find those people. God is fulfilling that in his time. I saw it as Nenneth the investigator who came to church last week continues to read the Book of Mormon sincerely. The scripture in D&C 84 about both the teacher and the learner being edified was the epitome of that evening. I recognized it in the flow of the lesson and everything that we were given to say through the Holy Ghost, including our member that came with us. Even after the lesson I felt inspiration flowing and I was just filled with the hope and enthusiasm I'd been praying to have for the last couple weeks of my mission. Of course, after a major uplifting experience Satan tries to make us doubt again, but there is no better companion I could ask for this transfer. Sister Racaza is really helping me to be my best self. And back to promised blessings... I've been reading the Book of Mormon with that in mind, and finding so many things that Heavenly Father is willing to pour out on us and DOES pour out on us when we're doing our part. So often it talks about joy and rejoicing. I really feel that when I give my best, and when I don't feel it, it's great motivation for the next day. The gospel is real because when we live it... that true happiness DOES enter into our lives. Yes, it requires maintenance, but siyempre that's how things that are worth it go... effort is required. I know the gospel of Jesus Christ is true because I truly feel my Heavenly Father's love for me as I follow the gospel of His Son.

Mahal ko kayo,

Sister Cope

ayaw ko ng february..

ayaw ko ng february..​

Sayang!!!! I left my camera cord. So many cool pictures from our zone activity. We were supposed to go to some falls, but they thought it was too expensive so we went to this place that used to be a resort and it was pretty, and my forehead is even more sunburned. Haha..

We had a really happy Sunday, where our amazing investigator Nenneth came to church with her niece. It was extra special because we were in Gospel Principles talking about the Fall of Adam and Eve and it had a reference to 2 Nephi. She pulls her Book of Mormon out of her bag (which we hadn't even told her to bring) and she flips to 2 Nephi. She is one of those prepared souls I have been praying to find.

The family who owns the laundry shop we used seems really great and I always wanted to teach them. Finally we asked if we could. It took a couple weeks to materialize, but we visited them for the first time last week with the Jensens and will be returning tomorrow. Also, the other day we had a ton of cancelled appointments so we felt like we should go to this one member's home and ask for a referral. We chatted for a little bit, and then he said, teach my mother-in-law. We did! And she accepted to go to church in the first lesson! She was sincere in the desires she expressed as we talked about what she was looking for. One of many examples that the Lord does guide and direct this work. And when the focus is on having the spirit in the lesson and it's truly there, it feels like we aren't teaching, but we really are being given what to say because you teach something you've taught a billion times in a different way. Ah. It's so amazing.

Mahal ko kayo, pamily at mga kaibigan!!!!!

Sister Cope

Answered Prayer

Answered Prayer

D&C 123:12 For there are many yet on the earth among all sects, parties, and denominations, who are blinded by the subtle craftiness of men, wherebythey lie in wait to deceive, and who are only kept from the truth becausethey know not where to find it.

So lately our mission president has been really focusing on the promised blessing in the scriptures that people have been prepared. We've been praying really hard to find them, and lately I feel like Heavenly Father really has been leading us to them. Back when Sister Harston was here, we were leaving an appointment to a less active family and she felt we should approach this one man on the street. We started talking to him and two more people joined us outside of the tindahan. I felt particularly drawn to the last arrival, but we wrote down contact information for all three of them. With Sister Racaza we made plans and returned to the third arrival--Gerry. He wasn't home, but his sister, Nanette, invited us in. We taught her for the second time last night. She's been reading the pamphlet we gave her and waiting for our next visit to receive the Book of Mormon. She realizes she needs to read that to find out if the gospel is true and if Joseph Smith is a true prophet. It was a normal lesson about the Book of Mormon in the way it was taught, but her responses were so different. And her prayer that she gave at the end was so sincere. She commented as she was reading verses from the Book of Mormon how she felt, and the Spirit was strong. She admitted there's something missing in her religion, and we were able to promise her that what she is missing is in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. On the tricycle, as we rode to our next appointment I really felt the Spirit testify to me that this is the promise being fulfilled of finding prepared people. And there was another earlier this week, too. I met the husband back when Sister Roper and I were finding two transfers ago. We were in the right place at the right time, and saw him again. His wife was home, too, and she said she invites all missionaries in, but there was a difference in our sincerity as we shared. She was excited to start reading the Book of Mormon, too. God keeps his promises. And He takes care of each of us, but we have to do our part and pray for those experiences to happen. It's like Elder Ballard's talk on the small, but important contribution of each honeybee. He talks about service, but we can apply this to asking for missionary opportunities... "In your morning prayer each new day, ask Heavenly Father to guide you to recognize an opportunity to serve one of His precious children. Then go throughout the day with your heart full of faith and love, looking for someone to help. Stay focused, just like the honeybees focus on the flowers from which to gather nectar and pollen. If you do this, your spiritual sensitivities will be enlarged and you will discover opportunities to serve that you never before realized were possible." Words from an Apostle. It's real.

Mahal ko kayo,

Sister Cope

Instrument lang...

Instrument lang...

I'm not sure what to say about this week except that it had it's downs, but then they went up and I just have such a testimony of God's timing and where He places us and who He places us with. One of my favorite investigators is moving with her asawa to the next town over. There were plans for them to be baptized and married by the end of the month. If all goes well, the elders in that area will pick up where we left off. She cried when I told her we're not allowed to go to other areas to witness baptisms, but we taught them one last lesson, and they've just been prepared. Us, the missionaries, didn't do anything... Heavenly Father prepared them, and it's been a privilege to know them and be a part of it.

And then this one couple who we taught in December who were not interested at all before had read the pamphlet we gave them and seemed to have open their hearts. We really are just instruments in God's hands to bring people unto Christ... " Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever." (Alma 26:12)

Mahal ko kayo,

Sister Cope

Testimonies and Priesthood...

Testimonie​s and Priesthood​...

I bore my testimony in our last transfer meeting... it was my last one with just two months left. I shared what has become one of my favorite scriptures. I learned on my mission that it was a favorite of my brother's after sharing it with him in an e-mail, and then I shared it in a lesson with Laarni the afternoon before her baptism... 1 Ne. 11: 16-17  And he said unto me: Knowest thou the condescension of God? And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things. We don't need to know everything. We just need to establish our testimonies of a Father in Heaven that loves us more than we can comprehend. That's why I'm here doing what I'm doing.

And I have a new companion fresh from the Philippines MTC and fresh with the Spirit.. Sister Racaza. She's sweet and enthusiastic about the work, and she's got style :)

Last night we were able to help out our returning Melchizedek priesthood holder, Randy, give a blessing to his wife with his Dad. We borrowed oil from the branch president and gave them the handbook on how to give the blessings. They were a little nervous, but it was amazing to get to see two active Melchizedek priesthood holders in one family worthy to give another family member a blessing. (Sorry this is kind of deep for those who are not too familiar with the Church, but in short we believe that God's power to bless the sick is on the earth and only those given the authority and that are worthy to use it can give those blessings. It's the pinakakaibaan (biggest difference) in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And I know it's real. Because I've seen that power work multiple times in my life.) It's exciting because our theme for the mission this  year is Priesthood Power Establishes the Church and I'm getting to see that happen.

Mahal ko kayo,

Sister Cope

1. Sister Harston and I with Laarni at her baptism last week.

2. With the Jensens and the San Juan family. This is just one of the best things ever to see them all in white, and I hope to see them again when they go through the temple...

3. The whole group. Two children of record and two convert baptisms. And two fathers and a father-in-law that was able to baptize them. Amazing...

4. Saying goodbye :( to one of my best friends, MTC companion, and kabahay for 7 months... Sister Biggs!

5. Finding out if we're being transferring or not... We had to lick whipped cream off plates with either a smiley face or a frown face. I stayed :D

6. New companion... my size. Haha...