Week 24 - October 24, 2022

 WOWZA another quick week!! 

Hi, friends and family!  I just love you all.  This week was so good and full of unexpected events which is always so much fun. 

We had exchanges this week and we went to Spotlyvania!  I was with Sister Wineagar and Stauffer and let's just say, it was the most unplanned day on the mission yet.  God had different plans for us, and we just followed.  We ended up helping this woman who thought she was going to die and was scared what was going to happen to her and if she died where she was going.  It was so heartbreaking.  When we got there, she asked to pray and as she was praying, she just kept saying, "Please forgive me for my sins," and we just helped her calm down.  We talked about the atoning sacrifice our Savior made for each and every one of us and that we are all God's children!  So, I will be honest, this day was shocking, and we were all thrown back, but again God works in mysterious ways, I love him! 

Our cute Mission President's wife came up to Culpeper on Thursday.  She took us out to lunch, and it was SO much fun to get to know her more.  She also wanted to explore Culpeper, so we took her to Davis Street.  She loved it and so did we! While we were with her, we actually found a person to teach. WAHOO!

Sister Hutchison 🤍 (Mission President's Wife)

Culpeper Main Street

This week we also had SO many lessons!  It was insane.  We were busy and going from lesson to lesson!  Then all the members have been wanting to feed us so they can get to know Sister Steadman, and it's been so good.  I love this ward so much.  Every time they see us on Sunday they say, "You're still here," hahah.  It's so good!  This ward is my new home family! 

Anyway, I don't have much to say about this week to be completely honest.  But I love that we have the Plan of Salvation that brings so much peace and comfort into my life and also to other people.  I know that we are all Children of God, and he knows each and every one of us and loves us more then we can ever imagine! 

I hope you are all doing well!  I miss you and love you all!!

CTR 

-SISTER HANNAH COPELAND

Pics of the Week

The Elders pranked us!

We love Robert

Week 23 - October 17, 2022

 HELLO, MY PEOPLE,

Another week quickly came and went!  It's crazy how fast time is flying, but I'm loving every minute of it.  This week was more stressful then usual and busy which is good, I wouldn't trade it for the world. 

So, we got a text Saturday night from our Bishop asking if I would speak Sunday morning at 9 am.  Usually this would've made me cry, but I wrote the talk in an hour, and I was only nervous for like one minute then the nerves calmed!!!  So, when I told you all in June how much I hate speaking, I'm learning to like it haha (the mission truly changes people) haha it was very all over the place but still!! 

I honestly don't really know what to say or how to say this, but being in a trio can be HARD!  I love my companions though so much--it's just definitely an adjustment, but Sister Steadman is handling the mission like an angel, God prepared this girl well!! 

The good news is that last week I let you all know that Gin talked to Ken (her husband) and I believe I left y'all on a cliff hanger, but GIN IS BEING BAPTIZED ON NOV 5TH!  Ken is so supportive and let her know how happy he is for her because he can see how happy she is and how much it means to her. 

In my talk, I talked about receiving a personal witness from the Holy Ghost about the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I've realized being on a mission, I can't teach someone something if I do not know it completely for myself, so that's what I've been working on, and I can confidently say that I know this church is true.  I know it is the same church Jesus established when he was on the earth, I know the book of Mormon is true, and the prophet Jospeh Smith took an act of faith and restored this church and had the power of God to translate the gold plates.  I know that the living prophets and apostles today are the mouthpiece of God for our church, and they lead, guide and direct us!  I know this is God's work and his work is perfect, and he loves ALL of his children!!  Which leads to my favorite scripture right now, 

1 Nephi 11:17 

And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.

I do not know the meaning to all things, but I'm grateful for what I do know and what I'm learning to know more of!  I'm grateful that I've come to learn, know, and understand for myself my own testimony and witness of this gospel.  I'm also so grateful that I've been able to see others' conversions to the Savior and his church and watch how others have been influenced by the Holy Ghost of the truthfulness of our message!  Gin and Hanna are seriously the most amazing people ever, I want y'all to meet them!! 

But anyway, just like my talk yesterday, this is also all over the place, but if you know me, I usually am all over the place!!  We had so many other amazing things happen this week if I wrote them all it would be way too long, so I'll just say some good things, Zone Conference, our friend Clark came to church, we found a friend named Geraldine and Christine, we taught these kids the Restoration, this ward spoils us with food, we saw the Boves (a favorite a family), and much more!! 

I hope you all had the best week!!  I love you all the most! DONT FORGET HOW MUCH JESUS LOVES U!!

#CTR

-Sister Hannah Copeland ❤️

Week 22 - October 10, 2022

 Well, well, well, another amazing week.  To update you, we officially have another companion with us.  Her name is Sister Steadman, she is from Idaho Falls Idaho and holy, she is so cute!!  She's got the work down already.  When we went to pick her up on Wednesday, we went to Richmond, and they have us all sit down and they call who our trainee will be.  When I came in I, was the only Sister, so I already knew who my companion was going to be.  That anticipation was real, and I never had that, and I loved it and I love SISTER STEADMAN! 

I love Sister Stauffer 💌

We have seen many miracles this week:

 

-a random guy named Robert gave us a call and asked if our church allowed visitors and someone recommended General Conference to him.  He said he felt something that felt familiar and didn't know what.  I KNOW WE HAD TEARS IN OUR EYES!  AN ACT OF FAITH!  But we have lessons set up with him to help him understand more about the church!

Waiting for Robert on Zoom 

 

-we found three people to teach when we went out knocking!

-our friend Heather has almost finished the Book of Mormon and told us that she knows it's true!! 

-members fed us 5/7 days this week 😋

- we got to go over to Hanna and Gin's house and meet Ken and Alex!!!

 Hanna's cat, Luna 

-Gin talked to Ken (her husband) about being baptized!! 

- we survived service again at that house...

This week, our President gave us a challenge.  The challenge was to think of something we can give the Savior by Christmas and invited us to read 3 Nephi every day.  I read 3 Nephi 17 the other day in personal study and just started crying, my poor companions think I'm so weird hahha!!  But it touched me so much and helped me understand who our Savior is!!  So I'm inviting you to all do the same, read 3 Nephi!!  And think of something YOU can give to the Savior and give him YOUR best!:)

ALSO, BEFORE I GO, if any of you have any advice for me I might need it. BOTH OF MY COMPANIONS SLEEP TALK SO LOUD!  AND SNORE!  Oh man, I have not been able to sleep at all, so if you have any tips, they're needed🤣

That's about it for this week, sorry I don't have a ton to say and don't have a ton of pictures, but know I love you all!!  Hope everyone had a good week. 

#CTR

Love,

SISTER HANNAH COPELAND 

Maggie and her yellow submarine collection 

The moon!!

Week 21 - October 3, 2022

First off, General Conference was incredible!   I hope y'all got to listen to our living mouthpiece of God on the Earth today and receive revelation and answers from him and his apostles. I know for me, I received so many answers and knew that the words were from God.  Definitely the highlight of my week was listening to conference!!

 

The Reisener Family let us watch conference with them❤️

Personally, I felt like the whole theme was knowing and understanding our Savior, who he is, how he loves, his character, his attributes, and how to come to know him.

I love the invitation that Elder Stevenson gave us about knowing and understanding our testimony.  His invitation included:

-do I understand what a testimony is?

-do I bear my testimony?

-what obstacles stop me from bearing my testimony?

-how do I keep my testimony?

This is so important to know and understand our testimony and continue to share it with others so they can come to know what we know.  "Your testimony isn't what you say, it's what you are."  When he said this, I asked myself, "Do I stand as a witness of God and Jesus Christ?  Do I follow their examples? How can I do better?"  Then Elder Stevenson answered with, "Make your testimony your highest priority."  It's that simple, to follow those 4 steps and include:

 

-gain a testimony of Jesus Christ and his restored gospel. 

For me, the mission has gained and strengthened my testimony in millions of ways.  But mostly, my testimony of my Savior and who he is to me.  He is my best friend and I know that he is always there for me and all of you.  I invite you all to strengthen your testimony just like Elder Stevenson did and can promise that if and when you do, you will feel our Heavenly Father's and his Son's presence more than you could imagine. 

I don't have a ton to say about this week, but I can say, I seriously don't know what it is but lately everyone has been signing us up to do service for hoarders.  I thought the last one was bad, no that was a breeze.  I am not kidding.  I walked into the house, covering my face with my shirt to not show my facial expressions.  Then she goes, "SISTER COPELAND, WANT TO GO PICK UP THE GARBAGE IN THE BATHROOM?"  Pure terror in my eyes.  I went in and found the garbage was diapers from an old lady USED but just lying there!!  MAN, I WILL NEVER RECOVER FROM THAT!! But hey, it was worth it to help her clean her house a little. Thought y'all should know that when they say you come home a different person off the mission, I might have to agree.  I would have never cleaned/picked up diapers before🤣

Hahaha besides that, I love who I am becoming and it's all because of Jesus Christ.  This week I feel his love so strong. Also, I forgot to say we got transfer news..... ME AND SISTER STAUFFER ARE BOTH STAYING AND WE WILL BE GETTING A TRAINEE!!  Holy, we are so so excited and cannot even wait to meet her on Wednesday!!  

ALSO, my cute Aunt Amy sent us a package this week with the CUTEST CTR sweatshirts and General Conference journal, I love her!! (Amy BTW those journals went to GOOD use!!) 

We love you, Amy.  Thank you for the cutest sweatshirts. 

We love seeing the mountains--reminds us a little of Utah 🥳 

Sperryville 

Jesus is the Truth!

Anyway, I'll have more updates next week but until then keep deepening your faith and conversion to our Savior!  He is SIMPLY THE ONLY ANSWER!!!  And remember to make your testimony your highest priority!!!

love you all:)

#CTR 

-SISTER HANNAH COPELAND