Week 7 - February 28, 2023

Hello, everyone!  Another week in the field, this one went by so fast!  We're starting to get to know the area and the people pretty well.  This update might be a little shorter, because nothing too crazy happened this week. 

I will say, this week has been a rough one.  Most of it was me getting used to the new way of life that I'll be living.  This is super hard work.  There have been many times where I have felt really confident in myself and then other times I have just felt hopeless.  Most of the time it's both in the same day.  The days here are just rollercoasters of emotion.  And one day I looked back on the day and realized that the only thing that keeps me confident and helps me to not fall into hopelessness is my faith.  Faith that through Christ I CAN do all things.  And that's the hard part.  Before the mission, and even sometimes here, I don't give myself credit for much.  I don't have a lot of confidence in myself, sometimes barely any.  I have a lot of faith in God and his great gospel and work, but the thing I learned is I also have to have faith in myself; that I can do all that is required of me.  And that's when I'm happiest, when I just don't care about the negative stuff.  Crazy right?  It took me 20 years to realize this lol.  My family was right all along! But yeah, I would be lying if I said I'm not enjoying myself.  I'm still getting used to the food here, it's really hard to eat a huge mountain of rice for every meal, but I know I can get used to that. 

Anyway, another great week, I learned a lot about myself, but I also learned something really cool in the scriptures.  Short little message time- in the book of Mormon, a great scripture is Alma 26:12, "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."  That really encapsulates my mindset.  Most of the progress I make here is never because of how good I'm doing or because of how awesome I am or how fast I learn or anything.  It's because I am a missionary of God, and he is simply helping me and strengthening me to accomplish his work.

 

Thanks for all your prayers, I can feel the love and support from all of you. Talk to you all next week!

I must go -Elder Barlow

Week 6 - February 20, 2023

This week has probably been the longest week of my life. I've never known what hard work was until now.  I have literally so much to share, I hope I can remember all the important stuff.  I'll start with the language.  The Spanish here is just like people said, super-fast and hard to understand.  I'm so grateful for my companion, he's the one that translates the Dominican Spanish to normal Spanish for me so I can teach better. Throughout the week, my Spanish is getting better, and I'm slowly starting to understand and pick out some of the words they say, it's awesome.  I have felt the Spirit so much when we teach the people, and I know God's hand is in this work. 

Miracle moment- I went to the bathroom one day and went to check the toilet for bugs on the inside because you can't blame me for not trusting the toilet here.  Then, my watch I had in my chest pocket came sliding out and fell straight into the toilet bowl.  That was the watch I got from the MTC, and I really wanted to keep that.  I took it out, tried to turn it on, and it was dead.  I set it down on the sink with disappointment.  Then I remembered what I just read in the Book of Mormon, Alma 15:5-11, talking about according to your faith you can do anything.  So, I prayed for, according to God's will, and my faith, my watch to be fixed and I could keep it.  About a minute later, I felt prompted to check it, and to my astonishment, it powered back on.  I now know for a surety the power of faith in Christ.  There have been other moments of being led to go down certain streets so we could meet certain people, and I know I have been led by God to do his work.  There were times I got frustrated with the language, and I even lost hope once, but I will continue to have faith as I know this is God's work and his glory, so he will help me accomplish it. 

The food is great here, not much variety because it's been either spaghetti or rice and beans, and I was a fan of neither one of them before my mission.  Luckily for me, these people have a special Dominican spice or something that makes their food actually really good.  There's this lady named Altagracia who makes literally the best food I've ever eaten, no exaggeration.  She's been making it for the missionaries since they first got here in this country, so at least since I was born. 

 

I love the people here, they all love God and Jesus, but they're just missing the joy that comes from the true gospel of Christ, that which I know I have felt, and can't deny its truthfulness.  One amazing week down, 99 more to go, and I'm excited to see what's in store for the people I serve and for me.  Thank you all for your prayers, nos vemos!  Elder Copeland

Week 5 - February 13, 2023

 Welcome to Dominican!  This place is amazing!  It was hard to say goodbye to all the people I got to know so well for the past couple of weeks in Mexico, but I'm finally here in the Dominican.  As I was driving through Santo Domingo, I felt welcomed by the mission president and his wife, and I thought, "What have I just gotten myself into?" lol. These next two years are about to be so crazy, I'm excited to start serving.  

Also, right when I got to the Mexico City Airport, guess what was playing on every TV?  The Kansas City Chiefs against the Who Cares Eagles, 35 to 35, 11 seconds left, and a field goal by the Chiefs would bring home the title of 2023 Champions!  I was so blessed to be able to watch that happen, and I know the perfect timing is no mistake.  I saw it as a little message from God saying, "You are where you're supposed to be."  Day 1 of the mission went nicely, just being welcomed and making myself "comfortable" or as much as I can get in this heat.  Ever since I got off the plane, my hands have been all moist and I've had sweat drenching my forehead.  I love it.  A lot to get used to, but I already know I'm about to change so much for the better.  I'm so glad I decided to do this, and I can't wait to see who God puts in my path to bless me and for me to bless them as much as I can.  Love you all, hasta luego!  

Elder Barlow

PS, no pictures this time because I couldn't figure it out.  Trust me when I say this place has beautiful scenery and culture!

Letter from Mission Office to Elder Copeland's Parents as to his Arrival in Dominican Republic - February 13, 2023

 Dear Brother and Sister Barlow,

Your missionary arrived safe and sound.  We are excited he is here and know he will bless the lives of many people.

Hermana Tucker

Week 4 - February 8, 2023

Hola, mis amigos, es un bueno dia ser un misionero!  A great day to be missionary.  Another great week at the missionary training center in Mexico, and it's also my last week here.  That's right, the next time you get an email from me it'll be from the Dominican!  Super super excited for that.  I know I've learned so much from this place, I have felt the Spirit so much, and I know for a fact with no doubt that God is in the details of my days. 

My companions and I have gotten much closer this week.  It'll be hard to have to say goodbye to all of them.  Below are some fun pictures of me and my companions (Elder Granados for real sleeps like that.  It's crazy--that man is an anomaly), and we got a crazy good shot of the view across the mountains.  I love this place, I love these people, and I have made memories here that I hope to keep forever. 

In my free time, something that helps me relieve stress is learning songs on the piano.  Some of my favorite songs I have spent some time learning are Matrimonio de Amor (I think that's what it's called) and Claire de Lune (my most favorite).  I have found that I learn these songs rather quickly compared to others, and I hope that transfers over to how fast I learn the Dominican Spanish (the "craziest Spanish in the world" according to most).

To end, I'll share my testimony of what I know to be true in Spanish.

Yo se que Dios es nuestro Padre Celsetial, y Él nos ama mucho. Yo ha sentido el espíritu santo muchos tiempos aquí en el CCM. Estoy muy agradecido por mi salvador, Jesucristo, y su Expiación. Sin la Expiación de Jesucristo, yo no estaría aquí. Dios contesta mis oraciones, y yo se que mis pecados son perdonados. Yo se que si sigue a Dios, usted estará feliz. En el nombre de Jesucristo, amén. 

Stay gold- Elder Barlow

Week 4 - February 1, 2023

Hola, Todos!  Another amazing week and a lot more to talk about.  I hope everyone is doing great at home.  I want to start by talking about some of the things I forgot to mention in my last email.  First, I found out I'm the only person out of like the 200 people here going to the Dominican Republic, which is crazy!  It feels kinda cool because it means out of everyone, they chose me to go there, which further solidifies my testimony that it is where I should be.  

Also, one night we opened our window to hear mariachi music playing in the distant city, which was also so cool.  As a fellow trumpet player, I felt truly welcomed. 

This week was pretty cool.  We went to the Mexico City Temple, which has to be one of the coolest temples in the world!  The way it's just plopped right in the middle of a jungle of buildings makes you wonder how it even got there and even more grateful that it is there.  Such a great experience, me and my companion also happened to be the first ever people from the MTC to do confirmations in that temple, so I'm already making history lol.  Other than that, a pretty normal week.  Me and the people I live with are getting really close, and I'll be sad to leave them in two weeks, but I know our friendships will last forever.  I know these guys will convert and save so many people and will become great men.

I'm not gonna lie, it's not all sunshine and rainbows though. There is a hint of homesickness starting to creep in.  This life I'm starting to lead is way different than my past life, and I'm starting to really miss the things I used to do and the people I used to hang out with.  However, I will never ever doubt that I am where I am supposed to be.  I have had that confirmation revealed to me before.  Homesickness is normal, of course, and it will most likely get worse, but I will not let it get in the way of the people I'm meant to serve. 

Throughout these two weeks, I realized I have grown so much. I have experienced God's love for me in so many different ways, and I can't wait to help other people feel the same. Thank you everyone who was with me on the journey since the beginning, I couldn't have gotten here without you.  Love you all and God bless you!

Yo sé que Dios me ama- Elder Barlow