Hey everyone! So great to get your emails! Thank you so much. My
heart is broken for Teejay and his family. That truly is a tragedy.
However, the Atonement is powerful, the Plan is real, families are
forever, and God is so loving. As we cling to the Gospel of Jesus Christ
we can maintain hope and happiness through the most difficult moments. I
feel of the sorrow that Teejay's family and our family and many are
feeling at this time. Sorrow is a god-like emotion. We should feel it
and we must feel it in order to know how to love. I love Teejay. I love
his family. They are so precious in God's eyes and He is with them right
now. I know it. I will keep them in my prayers.
Another week of hard work! I love it. Dayle was not baptized this
weekend. It is crazy what happens when someone is preparing to be
baptized. She got strep throat last weekend and was super sick for like
four days. And then she went and got a cat scan and then the next day
she told us she was having surgery that afternoon on her sinus? Crazy.
So she has been recovering from a lot. I don't think it is a
coincidence that the last two people that I have been trying to help be
baptized have had 1) ear problems and 2) sinus problems. Just another
testimony that I am where I am supposed to be :) But Dayle's cousin is
flying in this week so we are praying and working for her baptism soon!
There many incredible miracles this week! Elder Mckendrick was on
exchange with Elder Mackley for part of the day on Friday and they went
over to see a recent move-in part-member family that we had visited once
before. They are Samoan and they have a ten-year-old daughter named
Charity. The dad is not a member. We talked to Lani and Charity about
Charity being baptized and they got so excited! Charity really wanted
to. She has been to church in the Samoan ward many times. So they said
they just had to ask her dad. So we were praying and praying and when we
talked to them the next evening we asked Charity if she asked her dad
and she smiled at us and gave us thumbs up :) glorious. We put her on
date for baptism for April 20!! So we will be baptizing her this
Saturday! What a beautiful miracle. She is such a sweet girl with great
parents and I know this baptism and this gospel are going to bring
blessings to them! I love it.
Also, we met a Ukrainian girl named Christina when we were tracting
on Thursday. We talked to her about the differences in our beliefs and
the Book of Mormon and about being baptized. We set up a church tour
with her on saturday and she didnt show up, so we went by her house and
she wasn't home. We just decided we would try and contact her again next
week, but it was an incredible miracle to see her walk into sacrament
meeting with her sister right before it started. She came to all of
church and has tons of questions and is reading the book of mormon! She
is on date for baptism for May 11. She also has four siblings that are
all teenagers so we are praying that we will be able to get them all to
listen to the lessons and work towards baptism!
Right now we are currently teaching a Hawaiians, Samoans,
Ukrainians, a Phillipino man, Spanish, and of course, whites. Haha. Its
so awesome to see so many different cultures and get to know more about
them. People are just so great :) but I have decided that white people
are the least friendly, most rude, and quickest to dismiss you. Not all
but just in general. One of the challenges of being a stateside
missionary I guess. Haha but I surely do love these people.
The Spanish work is awesome as well! We had a big event on Friday,
the 12th and we got 6 new Spanuish investigators out to it and also 2
more families from around the area that committed to come to the branch!
It is so awesome to be a part of this right now. We are teaching a
Spanish Family, the Melgars. Nydia is the mom and she got baptized a
couple months ago, but Tito (dad) and Bruce and Ivan weren't quite
ready. They all came to conference and loved it. Tito shared his
testimony with us and told us he knows Joseph Smith is a true prophet
and that this is the true church. For some reason he says he is not
ready to be baptized yet though, so we are working with them and praying
that they will gain that desire before the end of this transfer. I had a
really great experience with them though. Elder Doermann was teaching
them in Spanish so I was just sitting there listening and smiling like I
always do haha but I just really tuned in to what Tito was saying, even
though I couldn't understand most of it. But I just was focusing on him
and thinking about who he was and the great man that he is. The next
thing I know, I am just crying. Just sitting there on the side being
silent with tears in my eyes. I am so grateful for the moments where God
allows me to feel of His perfect love for people.
Being on a mission is the most intense thing ever I decided. I
mean, someone's salvation is constantly at stake. I love it. Love the
work, love the pressure, love the duty and calling that we have to teach
all nations and baptize them!
Elder Mackley, Elder Doermann, and I are becoming great friends and
companions! We are constantly getting better at teaching by the Spirit
and in unity and blessings are coming from it. We have a lot of fun as
well, laugh a lot. Mostly cause I do weird things. Gotta keep it lively!
But I love them and I am grateful to have them as my companions. I know
we have been called here at this time for a special purpose and we are
working our hardest to accomplish all that God has in store!
Elder Tyler Popp is my district leader. He is the man. Elder
Spillsbury is his companion. That is our district right now. Mill Pond
and White River. It is great stuff :)
So guess what. The way I talk has completely changed. I get
complimented now on how well I annunciate, especially my "T's". It
drives me nuts. I don't know why it happened or how it happened. But I
guess you will all just get to see if I sound different when we talk on
Mother's Day!
Ether 3- "Our best work won't shine until Christ touches it."
I want you all to know that I love this work! I love my calling. I love my Savior. It is all just so grand and glorious it makes me want to run from person to person testifying of our Savior! So thats what I do. It is the only thing I want to be doing right now. I love seeing the miracles that God provides according to faith. Faith is a power. I know that Heavenly Father loves us all, I know Jesus Christ is our Savior, I know the Book of Mormon is true, and it is so important. I know Joseph Smith was a true prophet and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the KINGDOM OF GOD ON THE EARTH. Now that my family and friends, is praiseworthy :) I love you all so much. Thank you for your testimonies and faith. Keep on plowin', for no man looking back is fit for the kingdom of God! Love you! Til next week!
Family, I love you so much.
Elder Cook
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