Serving in Seattle: Email 14: Charity + An Exchange + A Threat + An Amazing Ward

Hey hey :) thanks for all of your emails! Hope you all had a great week! I got the march madness poster haha that was awesome. Congrats Addie on guessing the right score, I would have too. And tell Duke that I have never seen such a performance out of him. He must have studied up or something, whatever he did, Im happy for him. It will be a similar feeling for me when the Cubs finally win a world series! Haha just kidding. And congrats to President Mumford, he always makes a good showing.

There is plenty happening in White River as usual! Another great week :) I'll start off with the baptism we had on Saturday. Charity Sevaaetasi was baptized by her uncle. Her mom is a member but her dad is not. I love Samoan people though. They have this natural ability to love everyone around them which in turn brings the spirit so strongly. Lani, Charity's mom, gave a short simple talk on baptism and the Holy Ghost and told Charity with tears flowing down her face how happy and proud she was of her and that she knew that this example would help her father to be baptized as well. It was such a powerful moment. Brother Pini performed the baptism with true authority and power. He understood the importance of the ordinance and relayed to everyone watching as he humbly and powerfully said the baptismal prayer and then buried Charity in the water and carefully pulled her up. The spirit bore witness to me of the truth that is held in the preisthood, that WE DO HAVE THE PRIESTHOOD AUTHORITY OF GOD. We have the authority and privilege to baptize people the same way that Jesus Christ was. I love helping people make this covenant. The confirmation was equally powerful and I know that Charity now has the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. We are hoping to help Charity's father, Bobby, enter the waters of baptism soon so that he can join his family in the covenant and work towards entering the temple to be sealed for ETERNITY.

This week I went on exchange. Elder Popp, the district leader, took my place in White River and I went to his area, Mill Pond, with Elder Spillsbury. We said a district prayer that we would see miracles as we served with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength during the exchange. It was a glorious 24 hours :) Elder Spillsbury and I went with a Priest to a lady named Cheryl whom they had just given a book of mormon. We were just going back to see if we could teach her a lesson. She welcomed us right in and I saw her book of mormon on the footstool with a bookmark quite a ways into it. We started to talk and she said that she had gotten to read a little bit, then she opened up the book, and she was in Jacob! SHE WAS IN JACOB. What the heck. She said that she loved it so much and that she could feel the Spirit so strong when she read it and that she knew it was true. We had a great lesson and she committed to come and do a Church tour the next day. I asked Elder Popp and Spillsbury if she read through Jacob yet and they told me this, "she started it over last night and made it back to Jacob." She also went to the calendar and marked her own date for baptism. The Lord truly does prepare people that are ready to receive the message of the Restoration. I am so happy for Elder Popp and Elder Spillsbury. They are incredible missionaries that work extremely hard. Also during the exchange Elder Spillsbury and I found 5 new investigators in the Mill Pond area, the best finding day that they have ever had. God truly did pour out his blessings upon the area because of the faithfulness and patience of these two Elders. A great and miraculous exchange!

More good news, I got a new bike! Its great. I will have to show you a picture of my old one that I was borrowing from the ward. It reminds me of the old red bike we used to have. Bikes are great though, you get to talk to everyone!!

So, I got my first real threat this week! Exciting. I went up to a guy in that was unloading something from his SUV in an apartment complex and asked him if he needed any help. He said he talked to missionaries yesterday and he didn't want to talk. So I just told him that we help people become closer to their Savior and follow Him through baptism, then I invited him to be baptized. He told me, "its about to get violent" so I said "hey I am just inviting you to be baptized." then he told me that we would "put me to sleep".... Ya some people are crazy. I asked him if he was sure he didn't need help carrying the logs that he was unloading up to his house and he mumbled something so I said have a good day and walked off. It just amazes me how much hold Satan has on some peoples hearts. They need love and happiness! They need the Savior!

We are still waiting on the Branch to be created! We have been doing a lot of work trying to get less-active spanish families to come back and also talking with other families from the area that go to different places because there is no branch here. I am praying for this branch to be created because teh hispansic members need it so badly. The attendance will sky-rocket if it gets approved and we can get it up and running. Aion truly is being built and I am so grateful to be a part of it :)

I love this ward so much. I love the people here. I have grown so close to many ward members in such a short time and I want to share something with you about them. A little over a month ago, before this transfer, we had a member meal at the Wheelers house. It was awesome, we had tacos and tostadas and Italian soda and the best part was Bro. and Sis. Wheeler, they are converts to the church and just incredible, loving people. Well, this week I told the bishop that I was thinking of using the Wheelers as fellowship for an investigator and e told me that they were going through some hard things right now and that we can't ask them. Then on sunday in Ward Council Bishop Smith made an announcement that Bro. Wheeler had been diagnosed with a brain disease called CJD that is always fatal. He has the most progressive type and after just a week is already about gone. He only has a couple more weeks left to live. My heart broke in ward council and tears filled my eyes as I thought about Sister Wheeler and the trials that she has ahead of her. I truly do love them and my heart is broken for their family. I love this ward. Many tears were shed amongst the ward members here as the announcement was made in quorums and classes. They truly do know how to bear one anothers burden and mourn with those that mourn and comfort those that stande in need of it. I couldn't have been blessed to serve in a better ward at the start of my mission. My heart will forever be close to White River. I love it.

I love you all so much!! I wish you the best this week! Keep on plowin, keep on working, and KEEP ON LOVING!

Elder Cook