Hola mi familia!

This has been a great week in my mission and I definitely enjoyed each day! Here are some of the highlights of things that happened:

-Valley conference- the 3 or 4 zones in the McAllen area got together for a Christmas conference and it was great! We had special musical numbers, talks from the assistants and the Maluendas, watched the mission DVD with photos from the year, and had some skits. Our zone did a rewritten rendition of 12 days of Christmas!

- Spent a day in Donna, Texas! I got to go on an exchange with Elder Merica (doesn’t he have a cool name!??). And it was great to spend the day on bike! We talked to some awesome families and he really taught me the importance of listening (doing it with our heart, might, and mind!).

- Spanish Ward Christmas party! I got to play Feliz Navidad on the guitar while all the primary children sang along...it was such a happy moment! They were the cutest kids ever and sang so loud! I also got to see a lot of friends from Las Milpas (3 of the main families i visited their now come to the Pharr Ward with us!). We ate tons of tamales as well!

- We're teaching an investigator named Tacos! He's 15 and is super cool! He showed up to church in a white shirt and pants (that’s a miracle in and of itself) and a dinosaur tie! He loves the Book of Mormon and invites friends to meet with us as well!

And a short spiritual Christmas thought:

In Luke we read:

15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

This Christmas time is such a perfect time for those seeking Christ! I love how the shepherds come with such vigor and such great desire to see the Savior! But my favorite part is Mary’s attitude toward all of the amazing and miraculous events. It says:

19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned on my mission is how quickly the Spirit will teach us if we are willing to ponder the miracles and blessings we receive from our Heavenly Father! I know that this Christmas as we ponder the Savior's birth, life and eternal sacrifice for our sins, sorrows, and shortcomings the Spirit will enter into our hearts and tell us what we can do to bless the lives of others and feel more strongly the Savior's love!

FELIZ NAVIDAD!

Con amor,

Elder Cook

Una Buena semana!

Hola mi familia!

Not too much time again this week but I’ll do the best i can! This week we had a visit from Elder Tad R. Calister of the presidency of the 70! We had big zone conference on Friday and he taught us for 3 or so hours with his wife and the Maluendas teaching the other hour....and then on Saturday Elder Barth and I got to attend a small group meeting with Elder Calister and his wife that lasted another 2 hours.

The teachings and trainings were great and I'm especially grateful for the personal stories and scriptures that we got to hear! At one point Elder Calister was talking about how the Atonement of Jesus Christ will make right all of the wrongs in this life and he shared a verse in Revelations that I love a lot!

4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Another thought that he shared with us was the idea of rules and principles. Principles are simple, allow for greater agency which means greater opportunity for learning and growth while rules restrict and are put in place to help out the weaker or those of bad judgment. In the mission field I have learned so much about the importance and blessings of obedience, especially pertaining to the obedience of Gods commandments! Another scripture I read this morning that helped reinforce that lesson was D&C 105:5-6, 11. 13.

5 And Zion cannot be built up unless it is by the principles of the law of the celestial kingdom; otherwise I cannot receive her unto myself.

10 That they themselves may be prepared, and that my people may be taught more perfectly, and have experience, and know more perfectly concerning their duty, and the things which I require at their hands.

12 For behold, I have prepared a great endowment and blessing to be poured out upon them, inasmuch as they are faithful and continue in humility before me.

14 For behold, I do not require at their hands to fight the battles of Zion; for, as I said in a former commandment, even so will I fulfil—I will fight your battles.

It helped me see that many times when I’ve struggled on my mission it was because the Lord was helping me to learn to obey, to do things His way and not mine and now I can see how much better off I am because of it!

Lastly...a fun story from the week! Each week we go by and visit the Polendo family! Last week sister Polendo made some of the spiciest salsa I’ve had on my mission! This week she was making it when we got there and their kids were coughing and we started to as well because the chili was so strong! She’s one of the primary teachers this week and we found out that the primary kids are singing Feliz Navidad for the ward party on Friday. Feliz Navidad is our favorite track from the Michael Buble Christmas CD we got from the APs to listen to on P-Day and so we were excited and volunteered our help! As well....when Elder Calister came we got together as Zones in the Valley so I got to see all the other missionaries I served with in Brownsville! I’m grateful for good friends in the mission!

Have a great week!

Con amor

Elder Cook

Recent Photos (12/16/2013)

Feliz Navidad!

Hola mi familia!!!

This was another great week and a lot happened! First off it’s been a lot of fun to get to know the Alamo-San Juan areas and I’m starting to know my way around! Elder Barth and I are becoming better friends every day (he's a great missionary) and the other two elders we live with (Elder Knighton & Elder Garcia from Maine & Mexico) are doing great too! We have fun playing basketball in the mornings and on P-days and it’s getting me into real good shape! I also got to go back to work in Mercedes on a bike and got to talk to a lot of recent converts there! It was great to talk to Vanessa Herrera (she was baptized my first Sunday in the field) and she’s gone to the temple and been sealed to her husband and even has a baby boy now, as well as the Gonzalez family (Dalia &her 6 kids) Alma Arcaute, and then a less active family named the Perales who we visited often. The elders I worked with (Elder Child from Brownsville) and Elder Casteel (my nephew in the mission (ask Scott!) are super awesome elders and doing a great job! Oh how the memories flooded back.

A few announcements...this week we will be having a mission conference with Elder Tad R. Callister of the Presidency of the 70!!! We are really excited for him to come and I really enjoy the talks that he's given (especially some of the ones he gave in the MTC...they've changed my mission!) As an addition to my Christmas list I’ll put his book The Infinite Atonement (we’re allowed to read it here in the field)! Last year’s conference with Elder Schweitzer was so special and helped me out a lot and I know this year will only be better! As well, President told us this week that next year (at some point) we will be getting iPads and a lot of training on family history! I’m excited!

This week my testimony grew a lot on the power of the scriptures and just how powerful of an influence the words of The Book of Mormon, Bible, and other standard works and words of modern prophets can have on us! I’ve seen the difference in the Spirit in my own life connected with the amount of time I spend in the scriptures and that a principle isn't really taught until you've added the authority of the scriptures to it!  I’ve gain a greater knowledge of why the daily scriptures are such a must and how big of a plus it can be in our lives. The ways the words stick with us and come to us in key times of remembrance or decision really show just how necessary they are! Here’s a verse that helped me out a lot this week (John 14):

14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

15 ¶If ye love me, keep my commandments.

16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

I know that Christ loves us! That He does what we ask him to do if it is right, so we must do what He asks if we truly love Him! I’m grateful for the gift of the Spirit that comes as we lose ourselves in the scriptures and for the knowledge of God we gain as we study His words!

Don't forget to say your prayers!

Con amor,

Elder Cook

Dia de Pavo!

Hola mi familia!

Wow! It was a fast week! There were times where I could literally feel the minutes just running away! But it was a great week! We had a super awesome Thanksgiving (the members were really nice and fed us well!) and at night we had a group of 12 missionaries together and got to sing Christmas hymns! It was great! As well, the oldest two girls in the family of 4 we're working with (the Jams family) Samantha (22) and Alicia (17) got baptized on Sunday! Everything went perfect and the Spirit was strong! Their younger brother Juan (14) and sister Maggie (17) got stranded in Mexico for the weekend with the Mom (Samantha has custody of all of her siblings though...the mom hasn't lived with them for years) but they'll be following soon! We have a lot of fun with them! They’re a very outspoken family but they have a lot of fun and they fit in great at church! Not much time today but I'll share a tender mercy or two from the week!

First, on Wednesday we were asked to go give a blessing for a man in the ICU. He was pretty badly injured and it was a little difficult to do so, but afterwards we talked with the Mom and his brother. They were so grateful and we could see the Spirit had touched them. After talking for a little bit longer we found out that I had met their nephew in the MTC (he was from the Valley and I asked him questions about South Texas!) it was a super cool miracle and a strong testimony to me that the Lord knows exactly where we need to be! I was pretty amazed that of all the missionaries in the Texas McAllen Mission...the Lord sent the ones who had even the slightest connection to that family!

Second (on a more humorous note), Saturday the Jams family invited us over for a second Thanksgiving since they were in Mexico on Thursday. They called us in the afternoon though as we were about to take our lunch and told us they needed the oven bags to cook the turkey! We stopped by Wal-Mart to get the bags and as we were in line to pay I looked up and saw Braxton Miller score the TD to tie the OSU Michigan game at 21-21. Haha Elder Barth and I had a good laugh about it. I had completely forgotten about The Game...but it was fun to see how Heavenly Father altered our plans just to tell me He loved me! He knows us perfectly! I'm grateful that my sacrifice for serving a mission has seemed to be so small and that even for those few things I give up and leave behind the Lord has blessed me bountifully! I know when we recognize those blessings we gain a greater ability to recognize our answered prayers! I'm grateful for all of you and your love and support and prayers! It is felt! I know that one day we will all appear before the Savior to be judged and that if we are faithful we can enter into His kingdom and oh what gratitude will fill our hearts at that day!

Have a great week!

Con Amor,

Elder Cook