Uni Heights!

Hola mi familia!

Another great week up here in Corpus! This week was a pretty good transition week for us! The 4th of July went well, it felt a lot more like a Saturday but a lot of people went downtown for the parades and fireworks but we spent some good time with our members!

- Jessica and Marky had their confirmations this past Sunday! We visited them just about every day this week. We're working with them but also their younger siblings JJ (12) and Alyssa (14). They both came to church as well and had a great time! Marky and Jessica both got up in church and bore their testimonies! We felt so proud of them and the wards both loved them! They came to the YSA ward for the first time and everyone welcomed them with open arms! Before they left Jessica went around and gave everyone a hi five! She’s always happy and is probably the friendliest person I’ve met on my mission! Marky is a pretty mature guy who likes asking questions and is just as friendly! After Elders’ Quorum in the family ward he went over to a new member of the quorum in his 30’s and welcomed him and started a conversation about engineering! We felt like the world’s proudest parents!

-On Thursday as we were biking a man stopped us and told us his name and address and invited us to come by on Sunday in about 30 sec! We stood their shocked for a second and had a good laugh about it! Last night we went back to talk to him and he told us how he’d never been "evangelized" before in his life and wanted to know what we did and shared! He asked us a lot of great questions and we set up a lesson at the church on Wednesday! His name is Brian and he’s an Analyst for the army! (haha...he asks some GREAT questions...one of his first being: Do you know who Melquesidec is from the Bible?). He's way prepared and we can already see how he’s going to fit into the ward!

Lastly I thought this week a lot about how we always have to increase our faith! Serving is such a great way to instantly feel our faith growing and see it working in the lives of others!

Sorry its short this week! Hope all goes well for you!

Con amor,

Elder Cook!

Mas Photos - July 1

Julio ya!

Hola mi familia!

It’s been another great week up here in Corpus Christi! The end of the month is always really exciting and it’s nice to start a new one! Sat. we hit 106 degrees but managed to stay out of the sun for a good part of the time! It’s definitely summer now! Here are the highlights again from the week:

-The Trayners leaving and the Maluendas coming! We haven't heard from the Maluendas yet but we received a few goodbye letters and messages from the Trayners. The mission climate depends so much on the mission family and we’re excited to hear from them!

-Jessica (18) and Marky Perez (19) were baptized yesterday! We're always working with other members of the family as well! The service went really well and the spirit was so strong. Their dad, brother, cousin, sister, and grandma all came and it all went smoothly! They were both so prepared to receive the gospel and it was such a tender mercy! The first time we talked to them was back when Elder Peterson was my companion. We had walked past their house on our way to visit another person and we'd waved to Jessica and she waved back! After a few more steps we decided to walk back and talk to her! Both she and Marky gave up smoking and it was a lot similar to Juan Quiroz's situation back in Brownsville! They love attending the YSA events during the week (Family Home Evenings on Mondays, Institute on Tuesdays, Addiction recovery class & Volleyball on Wednesdays) and they're both thinking about serving missions some day (yaba-daba-dooo!). Their brother JJ (12) has been a lot of fun as well...he read the entire book of Mormon stories reader in a week and loves basketball shoes!

-We've continued to visit the Jaen family as well! The kids are doing really well and we helped them move their belongings back into their apartment after they had their floor replaced! We got to teach them on the beachside park across from their apartment! It was pretty cool...but the sand and wind were a bit of a hassle! haha. Eddie works out in the mornings and Kristina has tennis camp all day...sound familiar? We're going to try and play tennis with them soon too since we have courts at our apt complex (we play 1-2x a week, sometimes with the sisters, in the morning for exercise!).

-Grateful to have Elder Graff as a companion! He keeps things fun and upbeat and makes sure that I don't stress out too much! He's a missionary who is really good at keeping a strong vision of what we want to accomplish and he works really well with the members!

-Try and have the Elders over this week to help out in the yard or do some sort of service! They would appreciate it so much! Give them a chance to serve and get to know you! We treasure every opportunity we have to spend time with the members and a missionary schedule is always flexible!!!

I think that one of the biggest lessons I learned this week was on inviting miracles into our lives and depending on the Lord to let them happen! Alma 7:23 has taught me a lot about how that happens!

23 And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive.

1) We need to prepare ourselves and live in such a way that we can be blessed with those miracles!

2) We must be humble! being humble gives us spiritual power which is the power it takes for miracles to happen!

3) We have to ask!

4) We have to give thanks for all we receive!

I’ve been able to add a lot of entries to my tender mercies journal from Grandma and Grandpa Ralph! It’s been such a blessing to look over those miracles and feel of the strength and inspiration that comes from recognizing Gods hand in our lives!

I know that the Savior is personally involved in the work of Salvation and works in a personal and loving way with each of us! I know that this is Christ's church restored here again on the Earth today! The Scriptures are true and we have a living prophet on the Earth today!

Thanks so much for all your love, prayers, and support! Les quiero mucho! Casi tuvimos una leccion en espanol el sabado. Hablamos con 3 homres por unos minutos pero estaban tomando y querrian fijar una cita para un major tiempo. Regresaremos en unos dias para ensenarles!

Hay! Extrano mucho el espanol! la abuela de la familia Perez trabajo con maestros de ESL en Columbus cada ano hasta 1995 por 20 anos. Hablamos mucho y fue bien divertido!

Con amor y hasta la proxima semana!

Elder Cook

La Obra De Salvacion!

Hola mi familia!

This was a great week! The highlights were...

- Last Zone Meeting with President & Sister Trayner

We were taught so well and it was bittersweet to have them train us one more time. They have been such good stewards of this mission and they are always full of faith, helping us have a good sense of humor, and teaching us to connect everything to the Savior! We’re excited too for the Maluendas! Pray for them! and the Trayners. (they go home this Friday!!!!). Elder Marble and a few of my other good missionary friends gave their "dying " testimonies as well! It was such an interesting moment to realize that all the things I anticipated happening in the middle of my mission are actually happening now!

- Baptism of Danny Tellez (1 of the 2 Tellez brothers we’ve been teaching!). We had a lot of opposition this week from people outside the family! Acer had been exposed to some anti material and in the end decided he wasn't ready yet. We felt good about everything though because we had done our best! Danny has such a strong testimony and after his baptism stood up and bore it so strongly! He has taught me a lot and is so strong in defending what he believes! Pray for him this week!

- Baptism of Luz Jaen (an 8 year old from the Jaen family we’ve reactivated and we’re also teaching her older sister Kristina 16 and brother Eddie 14. Please keep them in your prayers!). The Jaen family is just an awesome family! Bro. Jaen is from Panama and he's the step dad of the oldest 3 kids (Alejandra & Kristina 16 , and Eddie 14) and the actual dad of Andy (10) and Luz (8). The Mom and 3 oldest kids were living in Laredo when they found the missionaries and then a few months later Bro. Jaen came into the picture! We speak Spanish with him and its great! He even did the baptism in Spanish and all the missionaries were excited to hear "habiendo sido comisionado..." once again!

-The broadcast on the Work of Salvation Sunday

There was a special spirit about it and it really did feel like a big zone meeting! It was great to see the members get excited about the work too! I know the Ohio missionaries are just as excited and there is so much our family can do to be missionaries! (here you go Scott! You’re in charge!).

-Getting to see our district a little more often (had an exchange too!) and getting to know and serve them more!

They are all great and I love them so much! Im so happy with where I am at this point in my mission!

It was a pretty busy week, but it was a lot of fun! We had small miracle moments and those helped grow my faith a lot! I loved the words of Elder Perry from the broadcast when he said that this is the Lords work and when we try our best He will not let us fail! I know that is true!

Con amor,
 
Elder Cook

La tierra de los Jueros!

Hola mi familia!

This was a really good week again! Elder Graff and I have gotten to know each other a lot better and we’re starting to hit our stride in teaching and doing the work. Elder Graff is a great missionary and it’s so much fun to have somebody the same "mission age" as me! We get along great! He and Elder Marble have a lot of fun as well. It’s great.

So last week Elder Graff and I drew up a picture of a family we wanted to find. We listed specific characteristics for a mother, a father and a daughter and prayed and fasted to be able to find them! We shared it with some of the members and invited them to pray for that family, as well. On Tuesday, we were going by a member to visit and stopped to talk to one of her neighbors outside. Her name was Natalie and she was a lady in her 50's. She was very friendly and told us how she had been to see the temple one time in Salt Lake and how much the importance of family in our church had left an effect on her! She wasn't able to sit down right then so we went by the member’s home (who wasn't home) and then came back to ask for some water. We talked for a little more and she told us she was a good friend of the member that lived on the street and so made plans to set up a time to meet with both of them! As we walked away we realized that as she talked about her daughter and her husband they fit the exact description that we had drawn up, fasted and prayed for! She was the first person we had talked to that week! It was an experience that really grew my faith in the power of having a vision, taking it to the Lord, and then praying and asking for His help. It helped the story of the Brother of Jared in Ether 2 and 3 where the Lord asks him to propose the solution to lighting the barges, become more real and definitely applicable!

This week Im as well especially grateful for the Holy Ghost. Each week in the Sacrament, as we partake of it worthily we receive the promise to be able to ALWAYS have the Spirit to be with us. I know this is true, and as I identify all the small and simple ways in which the Holy Ghost guides and communicates to me I better understand this principle. I’m grateful for the peace the "Comforter" provides and for all the little lessons He teaches us throughout the day. I know that as we seek to have the Spirit with us daily, He will show us "all things that we should do." 2Nephi 32:5.

This week we’re really excited for Acer and Danny’s baptism on Saturday and the Broadcast from the MTC to all the members and missionaries on Sunday (I hope our whole family can go!!!). This Wednesday we also have our last zone meeting with the Trayners (it’ll be the last time I see them) and Elder Marble gives his "dying" testimony!

Con amor,

Elder Cook!

Una transferencia mas en el Norte!

Hola mi familia!

So I get another wonderful 6 weeks up here in Corpus and I couldn't be happier! (still miss Spanish badly though!). My new companion will be Elder Graff (he's been out about the same amount of time as me!) and he'll come up here on Tuesday!

So this past week was one of the most fun weeks on my mission. I loved being with Elder Marble and Elder Barrionuevo and they are both such great missionaries who know how to love and serve others! We saw some big miracles as well! We began teaching the Perez family and then two brothers (Acer and Danny) who are friends of a member! They all came to church this week and Acer even got up to share his testimony! June is going to be a great month! We worked this week in both areas in the truck and we received about a gallon of water a day from people (in 16. oz water bottles...!). Thursday they had to go down to McAllen so I was on a bike with Elder Brewer (he’s from the Ralph's stake) and we had a lot of fun! Parts of his area (its more central in Corpus) look like the valley and we even taught a lesson and had a meal appointment in Spanish! Then we biked from his area to mine (about 45min...because Elders Marble and Barrionuevo weren't back yet) to go teach a lesson to James! It was a great day! The stake here has been fasting and praying for rain and Sunday during church there was a big thunderstorm! We've also been teaching a family with 6 kids in Elder Marble's area named the Cisneros family! They are so much fun and my whiteboard has really come in handy!

Tuesday we had our last district meeting of the transfer and then went and went out to eat afterwards (here’s the picture!). We're only losing one of the Hermanas and the rest are all staying! Sadly Elder Barrionuevo is heading back down to McAllen so Elder Marble will have a different comp. next transfer! Today we're going to the beach on North Padre Island to have a barbecue to say bye to all the transferring missionaries! ( I still can’t believe there’s a beach here in my mission or even the water!). Throughout the week we had to run errands to the Island and then up to Portland (the town across the bay from my area) and it was fun to see the whole city of Corpus! There’s a bridge that spans the bay that lights up at night that was really cool to drive over!

This morning I had a really good study about repentance and how often the Lord wants us to repent so that He can bless us. Im grateful for repentance and I know that being humble is always the first step. I know that the Atonement helps us to be cleansed from sin and enables us to overcome our weaknesses and as we repent in both aspects we feel our Saviors love and feel Hand in our life! A scripture we often share with investigators about repentance is Alma 5:33-34.

33 Behold, he sendeth an invitation unto all men, for the arms of mercy are extended towards them, and he saith: Repent, and I will receive you.

34 Yea, he saith: Come unto me and ye shall partake of the fruit of the tree of life; yea, ye shall eat and drink of the bread and the waters of life freely;

I know His arms are always extended because He loves us!

Con amor,

Elder Cook

 

More Photos...