It was a crazy week and a tough week! I'm settled in to my
new area here in Brownsville and its great! I've traded the bike in for a Chevy
Malibu (well we still ride on Saturdays) and driving is a lot different than
pedaling! It adds a whole new dimension to planning and working with members. Things
are great. My companion is Elder Paulsen from Just north of Salt Lake, Utah (Layton?).
He has a very similar personality to my MTC companion! We get along great
already! He played piano and guitar before the mission and also went to BYU.
Wow. There is a lot more Spanish down here in Brownsville! I
love it. I got to speak in church this past week and it was nice to be able to
communicate just about all of the things I wanted to say as clear as if I were
speaking in English. I spoke on charity! That was definitely a tender mercy
from the Lord. Having Elder Rodriguez as a companion really helped me a lot
(since he's a native speaker) and I'm seeing the fruits of it now. We live in a
4 man apartment with Elder Wray and Elder Handy (I met him my 2nd week in the
MTC and he left the transfer ahead of me, but for a while he was the only one
I'd met there who was going to the TMM). Our area covers the southmost and
eastern edge of Brownsville. We have the Brownsville airport in our area and
our area actually extends a good half an hour drive or so outside of the city (haven’t
made the trip yet, but from what Elder Paulsen says it’s a lot of country and
small colonias). We attend a Spanish branch of about 120 members (which is
really nice b/c there’s only our apartment who goes...vs. the English ward
which has all the Brownsville missionaries going there (26)). It’s a big branch
and they have hopes for becoming a ward soon!
On Tuesday I got to see Elder Marble again! He's finally
leaving Mercedes! It was great to talk to him and so strange to hear about how
things had changed there! It was great on transfers to drive past Mercedes! I
love that town! It was strange to go so far east and now I can say I've covered
just about the whole valley! At least in my mind it makes sense now! Here’s a
thought from my morning studies today!
1 Nephi 16
28 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the pointers
which were in the ball, that they did work according to the faith and diligence
and heed which we did give unto them.
29 And there was also written upon them a new writing, which
was plain to be read, which did give us understanding concerning the ways of
the Lord; and it was written and changed from time to time, according to the
faith and diligence which we gave unto it. And thus we see that by small means
the Lord can bring about great things.
I love how in Spanish for "heed" it says
"atencion" (attention). "Ways of the Lord" or "vias
del Senor" make it a more literal "ways" like a way that you
would walk, kind of like a path. the phrase "time to time" is a lot
more powerful in the Spanish as well.....as well the English "plain to
read" is "facil de leer" (also: Easy for reading)
To sum it up I liked this a lot because it teaches me a lot
about how the spirit works. A lot of times we just need to pay attention to the
spirit and notice the simple and small directions the Spirit uses to prompt us.
Those promptings are easy to read if we have faith. The Spirit will always show us how to
follow the "ways" Christ would
have walked while on Earth, or the "Paths/Ways" He would take if He
were in our situations with our opportunities. I'm grateful for this gift that
comes after our promise of baptism!
Con amor,
Elder Cook
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