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Buenas cosas pasan en tres!

Hola mi familia!

Wow! There’s never a normal week up here! Thursday we got a call about Elder Peterson’s visa and Saturday he took a bus down to McAllen and yesterday he left for Mexico! I felt kind of like the characters in the book "And then there were None" (also 10 little Indians) by Agatha Christie! It was so good to have him as a companion! We had a lot of fun and got along great! I’m now officially companions again with Elder Marble! His companion is Elder Barrionuevo and we'll spend the next week in a trio until transfers! It’s a lot of fun teaching with them and riding in a truck is a lot less strenuous than a bike! Especially with the heat now! It’s so humid!

Sunday James Alaniz was baptized! It was a great baptismal service and the Spirit was so strong! James is quiet but asks really good questions! He's 21 but seems a lot older (can’t imagine how old Scott must seem! haha). We taught him about the plan of salvation on Tuesday and it was one of the best lessons on my mission. I’m so grateful for the plan God has for us! Seeing James take the step of baptism really grew my faith in the power and importance of ordinances! In Preach my Gospel its says "that through the ordinances of the gospel we experience the power of God." It’s been such a blessing to be able to partake of the sacrament each week and to be able to witness the baptisms and confirmations of people here in South Texas!

Happy Birthday mom!

Con amor,

Elder Cook

Corpus Christi

Hola mi familia!

After about an month I think I've finally adjusted to Corpus! It’s a great place in our mission and I'm so grateful for the missionaries I've been able to serve with up here! It's a completely different mission up here. I definitely miss Spanish a lot though! Saturday and Sunday we actually had the chance to talk to someone in Spanish and I almost cried for joy afterward! The lady we talked to Saturday asked I where I was from (must of been my skin color) and I explained how I had spent the past few months down in the valley! Neither of them sat down with us but I still want to find someone to teach in Spanish up here!

Things are starting to heat up! We had a meal with the Quiner family (their son lives in Grove City and goes to Ohio St.!- small world!) and they told us that Corpus is the #2 most humid city in the United States! Its intense. We had a tough week with the Coronado family (Larry came home and they've been pretty busy going to see family) but James is doing really well! He'll be baptized this next Sunday and Bro. (Elder) Rodriguez (my companion who just finished his mission) will be coming back to baptize him! This past Thursday Elder Peterson flew up to Dallas to visit the Consulate to sign some papers for his visa. His visa should be here any day now (right dad?) but he'll still probably stay until the end of the transfer (June 4). He's a quiet missionary but really smart and always has good insights! And he has so much patience as well! We get a long great and have a lot of fun!

Friday and Saturday we biked as much in 2 days as I have at any other point in my mission! The winds were pretty strong and it was a good test of determination...as we biked up to the church for a lesson with James on Saturday we were going straight into the wind and hardly moving forward. We looked up and laughed to see that the street signs were all wind themed names like "Windsong St., Soft Wind Dr. , Gentle Wind Pl., Bay Wind Dr., Windrose Pl. "...we couldn't laugh about that until we were at the church and off the bikes....but man...it was tough!

Saturday as we were biking back from an appointment we were able to talk to a lady and help her do a little bit of landscaping. She told us she designed stained glass and installed it at churches. She shared an experience about her last project and how she felt because she had prayed things had gone better! We shared with her a pass along card with the picture of Christ coming from the tomb and it really touched her! She cried and we were able to bear testimony to her of the Saviors love for her. It was a small and simple sweet experience that helped me be grateful for the knowledge we have from the Restored gospel of Jesus Christ! I also had the chance to read the book of Acts this week! Paul is such a great example of a missionary! He taught so boldly and had such a similar experience to that of Joseph Smith. I'm grateful for the Bible and the Book of Mormon and that God still speaks to us today through President Monson as a prophet on the Earth today!

Que tengan una Buena semana!

Con amor,

Elder Cook!

Mas Photos

Visit to the Valley!

Hola mi familia!!!

Thank you so much for the packages and the birthday wishes! Grandma Cook sent me a letter as well! I’ll write her, but tell her thank you as well!

It was a great week and a crazy week for sure! Monday, we got to work together in the trio (Elder Rodriguez, Petersen, & I) for one last time and it was great! We had so much fun together! Tuesday I woke up early and went with 4 other elders (including Elders Marble & Barrionuevo the ones we live with) down to McAllen! Elder Marble got pulled over on the way down but only got a warning! It was a good 2 1/2 hr. drive down and we got there just in time! The trainings were full of lots of practicing real situations or role playing and it was so refreshing to teach in Spanish again! On the first day the Hidalgo Ward (from Las Milpas) fed us so it was fun to see some familiar faces (1...especially being Elizabeth Lugo, the member who was the friend of Jorge Casa the 22 year old we baptized! She was there for every lesson and did so much to help!). The first night I stayed over with some Elders on the west part of McAllen and it was so good to go back and be outside speaking Spanish and having so many people to talk to! In the Valley anyone and everyone will talk to you! The second night after the training I got to go back with Elder Rodriguez to Las Milpas and visit a family we taught! It was good to see them and the dad had been baptized just a few weeks earlier! The sister (in her 30's) kept hinting about how the next time we came back she’ll probably be baptized too! It was so great to see that they are still progressing! Thursday was the last day of the training and it was the best day for me! President Trayner gave a really good presentation on the Book of Mormon and how we can use it more effectively in missionary work! One thing I’ve learned from Pres. Trayner as I've been out is that really all the questions someone can have about the church, about its practices, beliefs, or doctrine rest on the singular question of if the Book of Mormon is true or not! The ultimate test of faith will always be if someone is willing to read it honestly seeking truth, willing to ponder its message that centers in Jesus Christ, and then to pray and seek that knowledge about its truthfulness from God. I love how simple it is. No matter what questions we have...(and we as people can come up with millions!)....that God wants each of us to ask Him in prayer is "Is the Book of Mormon true?". Saturday we visited a less active sister who had fallen away because she did not understand why for a time polygamy was practiced. We had a great opportunity to help her understand how it all depends on whether or not God speaks to man today, and the evidence of that is the Book of Mormon! 

I’m again reading it in both languages and I’m grateful for the Spirit it brings into our lives! I know the Book of Mormon is true. I have read it, studied it, and prayed about and received an answer from my Heavenly Father! Im so grateful Mom & Dad for all the time we spent as a family reading the scriptures, and especially the Book of Mormon, each night growing up! That has made such a huge difference in my life and brought me so much peace and happiness and the ability and desire to share it with others! To end I'll share a great couple verses I found reading this morning!

Alma 12: 33 But God did call on men, in the name of his Son, (this being the plan of redemption which was laid) saying: If ye will repent, and harden not your hearts, then will I have mercy upon you, through mine Only Begotten Son;

34 Therefore, whosoever repenteth, and hardeneth not his heart, he shall have claim on mercy through mine Only Begotten Son, unto a remission of his sins; and these shall enter into my rest.

I know this is true! our Heavenly Father calls each one of us and as a missionary it is such a powerful experience to see the Lord working personally in the lives of His children. I know that Christ loves us personally and specifically and its through His Sacrifice that we receive our Heavenly Fathers mercy.  I testify that the mercy he offers us is such a beautiful and wonderful opportunity to grow closer to Him. I'm grateful we can repent and that through baptism, the gift of the holy ghost and being faithful to those promises we can be with Him again in His rest and find the peace and happiness we seek in this life!

Con amor,

Elder Cook!

Uni Heights!

Hola mi familia!

Another great week in the "Great White North" as we call it here in the TMM. It really was a great week and I'm grateful for the chance to be in a trio! Elder Rodriguez teaches me so much and I feel somewhat like a new missionary again! This week we had less bike troubles, but a close call on the cross walk is a daily experience (people just don't obey the laws!)...we pray for safety each morning and give thanks each night and I have a very strong testimony of that divine protection!

Right now we are teaching a wonderful family named the Coronado family. Larry works out on the Oil rigs (you can see them out on the bay off the shores) and has been gone for 1 week and will be out for 1 more before being home for 2. While he's gone, we've visited and taught his fiancé (Amanda) and her son Lorenzo (8) and daughter (LeyLani 5). The 3 of them came to church on Sunday and came back in the evening for the baptism. They also brought Kim, Larry's daughter from a previous marriage and we'll be able to teach her this week! Larry and Amanda went to church up in Pocatello for a few months and moved back here to Corpus a month ago and lost contact with missionaries until Larry stopped Elder Rodriguez a few days before Elder Petersen and I got here and asked for a visit! Please keep them in your prayers! At the baptismal service on Sunday (one of Elder Marbles investigators) after the sister was baptized LeyLani turned around and told us "That was AWESOME!". It made us smile! The temperature hasn't been to bad so far! Monday we had tornado warnings and battled some rains that turned into floods (we had judged the skies inaccurately and left the apartment that night without jackets!) but it was cool riding along Ocean Dr. (Google map it when you can!) and could see the lightning across the bay and it was an awesome sight!

As well we’re teaching a young man named James (21) who has been coming to the YSA ward! He is a very intense and thoughtful person and it’s always hard to guess what has thinking! He loves church so far and has great fellowship!

A scripture that I ran into a few times this week has helped me realize how much the Savior cares for each one of us. My testimony has grown so much about the Savior and His individual love for each of us!

2 Nephi 26:23 For behold, my beloved brethren, I say unto you that the Lord God worketh not in darkness.

24 He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw call men unto him. Wherefore, he commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation.

25 Behold, doth he cry unto any, saying: Depart from me? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; but he saith: Come unto me all ye ends of the earth, buy milk and honey, without money and without price.

I know that Christ loves us each on a personal basis and that all He does is for our benefit, salvation and happiness! Im striving to do my best to follow Him and make sure all my actions are for the spiritual and eternal benefit of those around me! Each of us can do better and as we consider the ways others reach out to us we see ways to reach out and serve as well! I know the Savior still does all He can to draw us to Him! His love is constant, redeeming, and renewing! Each trial is nothing more than a chance to turn to Him! Im so grateful for His example, His Atonement, and His spirit to guide us! Gracias por la oracion, amor y apoyo!

Con amor

Elder Cook