Hoi! Merry Christmas everyone! Thank you for all of the letters and emails this week! I got plenty of Christmas Cards this week. Actually at the beginning of the week I told Elder Lynch that I would get 10 letters, and I got 10. Geez, sometimes I am scary right. Anyways, it was a joyous week!
I saw Elder Lemmon!! Yes. Its about time. We had a mission Christmas party on Friday night and half the mission was going to go. Elder Lemmon was supposed to go to the one the week before but I guess his ward had their Christmas Party the same night so him and ELder Fitzgerald came to ours! It was the greatest suprise ever. We had a good talk, laughed a lot. He is doing great! I can already tell he has broken a lot of what some would call "shy." But I don't know if I ever really thought of him as shy, just humble. He is great though! I love him!
And Thank you all for the packages! I think I got the most in the mission! Seriously! Haha and ELder Mckendrick just barely texted me and said that I had another one but that he was going to give it to Elder Giles cause I didnt need anymore. SO I have the best family and friends ever! Love ya!
So so so.. What happened on the Rez this week! Honestly it was pretty slow. WE did get snow one morning!! It was melted by the evening but it was still nice! And we used it as an excuse to get a shovel and go shovel all of the Natives walks that we could in the morning. It was good to see some snow agai, I am not missing it to much though. Sorry Mom.
I got to interview Celeste Anaya this week for baptism! She got baptized on Saturday and confirmed on Sunday in the Game Farm Ward! She is super great. And because of her decision she has brought a whole family out of inactivity and they have been coming back to church!
On Thursday Night we went Caroling on the Rez for about an hour and a half! Bro Bird, Bro Gentry, Sis Rodarte, SIs Carnahan, Amber and Levi Peterson, and Leona Hungary came with us! It was super fun and the people we sang to loved it! Here is a miracle: K... L...s grandma, D..., hasn't been too fond of us. On the day of K...s baptism in September she flipped on us and told us never to go back to the house and she was super onry. But we have slowly been getting back onto speaking terms with her. We went and sang at the home, and the next day we went over to try and teach S..., K....'s Dad. He wasnt there but D....was, and she was so nice to us! It was crazy. She gave us some Candy and apologized for everything in the past. Haha it was pretty great. And I love these members that we work with, they are incredible!
President Miles and his whole family came to the group this Sunday. I love that man.
And about church, it was packed! We had 5 less-actives and the whole Hungary family that came! Plus President Miles family. In the Spirit of Christmas we watched an animated Book of Mormon video about Samuel the Lamanite and the signs of the Savior's birth in the American Continent. The Spirit was strong and the meeting was great. It was tought though because we had quite a few investigators that we have actually been starting to actively teach committed to come and NO ONE did.... Bummer. But we will get them there don't worry :)
I am sorry to hear about Addie's eye. But I am glad to hear she is balling everyone.
I feel like every week I try and describe to you what it is like to be here on the Reservation. I just never can quite do it. This past week has been especially hard for me and I know the next two will be super tough. It wouldn't be so hard if I didn't love these people so much. I can just feel it burning within me, this love I have for them, and for the gospel. But it is just like no matter what I do the two will never come together. It is the toughest thing. Day in and day out you pray and ponder, how can I teach more powerfully? where do I need to be? WHo needs my help? What do I need to say? Just searching for that one thing that is going to make a spark. It is incredible though. I have seen so many miracles here, both big and small. We are constantly being led to people that will listen, maybe they don't always progress, but I have learned not to worry about that, not to put a label on investigators as either Progressing or Not Progressing. Cause in my mind, everyone is at the same stage, we are all striving to become CONVERTED to the Savior. And it is just about helping that person make the next step whatever that may be. I know maybe this probably doesn't make any sense but I am just typing what is coming to me. Haha. But one thing that I definitely learned by the Spirit this week, is that I wasn't just here for them, but I was here for me. The Lord has blessed me so greatly with this opportunity. Such an opportunity to grow, learn, and overcome. I am excited for these next two weeks to see what I can make happen with the help of the Lord here on the Rez. I expect miracles!
I love you all so much! Praying for you always! I hope that you have a great Christmas Week! I sure will! I have a greater love for my Savior now more than ever, and I hope to share that with every person that I can!
Merry Christmas,
Elder Cook
No comments:
Post a Comment