The Copeland Ramblings/

About Us

We are Norm and Debra Copeland, missionaries with New Tribes Mission. We are serving in Guinea, West Africa helping support missionaries who are planting churches amongst the 32 people groups of Guinea who have never had a chance to hear the Word of God in their heart language.

Norm is from Ontario, Canada. He became a believer at a young age but didn’t understand God’s vision and love for the world until a missions trip to Brazil in 2000. While in Brazil he attended a church service with a new tribal church. Witnessing those young believers worship the Lord in their heart language impacted him greatly, prompting him to abandon his plans for a life as a missionary.

Debra was raised in Camarillo, California in a very missions focused family. Debra’s dad took Debra and her sisters on missions trips to Russia. Through the influence of those trips and family, God convinced Debra at a young age that she was to become an overseas missionary. 

Norm & Debra met at New Tribes Bible Institute in 2001. Their relationship grew throughout their two years there and in 2004 they were married. They continued training with NTM in 2005 and in 2006 their first son, Canaan, was born. They graduated the New Tribes training in 2007 and went on a short trip to Guinea, West Africa where they were convinced that this was where God wanted them to serve. 

In August 2007 Norm and Debra moved to Quebec City, Canada to study French (French being the trade language of Guinea). While in Quebec they discovered that Debra was expecting their second son. Emmaus was born in 2008, shortly after their time in Quebec.

In August 2009 Norm and Debra left for their first term in Guinea. Explore more of copelandramblings.com to find out more.