Las Milpas

Hola mi familia!

It was a really good week this week! Las Milpas now seems just as much my home as Mercedes was. We definitely had some different weather this week. From Wednesday until Sunday it was cloudy, rainy and the temperatures were between the 40's and 50's...I felt like I was a missionary in Ohio!..not south Texas! We had fun biking in the rain. Mom, I used the gloves you sent me, and I even wore the winter jacket I have! It was nice not to sweat for a few days as well. I also had the chance to go on an exchange and be in a car for a day over in an area in McAllen. I was with Elder Porter (he started his mission in Mercedes too!) and it was a really great day.

With the new year, church time for our English ward switched so now we have Spanish each week at 10:00 (at the building in Hidalgo) and English ward at 1:00 (at the La Vista building). Elder Marble used to always tell me that going back to La Vista always feels like you’re going "home" down here and it’s strange to actually go there on a weekly basis. Right now we're teaching a few families and then a few friends of some of the members. We're teaching a mother named Yolanda and her 4 kids...they live just a neighborhood over from us and invited us over for a pancake breakfast on Saturday! It reminded me of all the pancake Saturday mornings we would have. 

One of the friends is named George...his friend Elizabeth is a member who's home from BYU-Idaho until April. When we first met her we'd talked about sharing the gospel and just with a tiny bit of encouragement, she was able to invite George over to have a lesson with us. It reminded me so much of having my friends over to be taught before the mission. Inviting friends to meet with the missionaries helped prepare me as well to help be able to encourage the members to share the gospel with their friends. It’s been fun to share some of the stories and experiences I've had as well as to testify of the blessings and joys that come from sharing the gospel with friends! It’s so cool! I love seeing the members share the gospel with their friends...not just because it’s easier for us as missionaries...but because you really get to watch friends sharing what is most important amongst each other. Their testimonies are so powerful as well!

We're also teaching the Trevino family right now. One daughter is a member (age 13). but the parents have finally decided they want to join as well....we're going over to have family home evening with them tonight! They are so awesome! But they'll probably be moving at the end of the month a few towns over to Alamo so they won't be able to be baptized here. They also have two daughters named Alia and Mia (7 & 5) who are the coolest little girls!

Lately I've been reading again more out of the New Testament and I just finished Luke Ch.8. I love reading the stories of Christ and its again really interesting reading in Spanish because it gives a whole new perspective on the language when the words are newer for your mind. I love all the stories of the miracles Christ performed and I've learned a lot about faith! One good scripture I found was in Mark 11:22-26:

22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

Christ teaches Peter how powerful our faith is, that it’s a commandment, and that praying with real faith makes miracles possible. He also taught that when we pray, it is a time for us to forgive others as well as to ask for our own forgiveness. I'm grateful that through the Atonement and in our prayers, we can forgive others, forgive ourselves, find forgiveness from God, and feel of the love that forgiveness brings. I know this is real and I've felt that love and peace in my own life so strongly when I humble myself, express gratitude and approach Heavenly Father through prayer.

Thank you so much for your love and support. It means so much! Hope this week is great and going back to school isn’t too rough! You are all in my prayers!

Con amor,

Elder Cook