Hola mi familia!
This was a great week for us! We had a lot of fun and got a
lot of things done as well! Elder Welker and I have so much fun and it’s been
great to stay with a companion for a 2nd transfer again! Here were some of the
highlights from the week!
1) Went on an exchange with Elder Jensen and Elder Andersen
(they were working in a trio).. Elder Andersen has actually had some health
issues and that night the APs called and told us he needed to be in McAllen the
next day. He’ll finish out the transfer there and then head home. It was great
to work with him on his last night in Brownsville. Elder Jensen played football
at a small Junior College in California and is a really good missionary! They
helped me to see how miracles never come until the 4th quarter when we've
finally showed the Lord that our faith is worth the trial!
2) Drove down to McAllen to drop off Elder Andersen (it’s
about an hour drive) and saw some Elders that were in our zone the transfer
before (they were there at la vista for their interviews). It was fun to see
them again and rewarding to hear about them reflect fondly on their time there
and how much they loved serving in Brownsville! We also stopped in Harlingen on
the way back to drop some stuff off for Elder Mulitalo (one of the elders who I
lived with for the 1st two transfers here). It was good to see him!
3) Had another exchange in Southmost! We saw some great
miracles! At one point we were walking down the street and passed a brown car
with two people inside talking...we went over and approached them and I
recognized the driver! It turned out to be a woman that Elder Paulsen and I had
found on the other side of the area! Her name was Sonia and she recognized me
too! when we found her the first time she had broke down crying within a few
seconds after elder Paulsen had begun sharing with her our purpose and
testifying of God’s love for her. After that night (we 'd had a lesson and shed
committed to be baptized) we never saw or heard from her again! It was such a
miracle that we were at that street at that moment and it was a cool experience
for me and Elder Talley (the one who I was with). Im grateful that the Lord
puts people in our path to show us His power! It grew my faith a lot!
4) Saturday we had a little zone meeting to practice our
teaching skills! I got to do some role plays with some really good missionaries
and I learned a lot! One group of missionaries helped me see that when we teach
commandments to our investigators we can help identify their needs by listing
out the commandments and blessings and have them go grocery shopping for
blessings! WE also got to go by and teach each of the families who we're
working with! Right now that's the
daughter of the Urbina family (her names Kat! The rest don't have time right
now to come to church or read)...the Granado family (the 3 sisters and 2
husbands...plus the dad too now!) and then we also sat down a young lady named
Ileana who really wants to get baptized! It’s exciting to meet so many people
and become such good friends in such a short time! It’s one of my favorite
parts of the mission!
5) Sunday I had to go back to Southmost to do a baptismal
interview and got to see Juan Quiroz bless the sacrament and see Vivi and her
baby (ill send the pictures next week). As well the Morales family (a LA family
that elder Paulsen and I reactivated) had the baptism of their 8 year old son
so I was able to stay for that as well! It was really special to see them all
there! Vivi's going through a hard time (she's now a single mom with 2 kids) so
please keep her in your prayers! I got to see a lot of the members again and it
was so fun to see old faces and friends (man...Im so spoiled to be able to go
back and visit Southmost! The Lord has blessed me a lot!).
This week my testimony has grown a lot about the plan of
salvation! It’s one of my favorite things to teach and it really has such a
strong effect! One way we like to teach people about their purpose here in life
is to draw a picture of 2 rivers...representing physical death and spiritual
death (sin). We draw a bridge over the first and write the Saviors name on
it...showing that Christ's Atonement automatically covers the physical
death....then we draw a second bridge and write "repentance" on it to
show that on the 2nd bridge...we have to follow Christ’s example and build our
own! It’s a great parallel! Satan tries to tell us that we can just swim
through the river of sin, while Heavenly Father will always give us direction
on how to build our bridge of repentance and gospel living! Alma 34: 31 teaches
a good lesson about when we need to start building our own bridge:
31 Yea, I would that ye would come forth and harden not your
hearts any longer; for behold, now is the time and the day of your salvation;
and therefore, if ye will repent and harden not your hearts, immediately shall
the great plan of redemption be brought about unto you.
32 For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to
meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.
33 And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so
many witnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the
day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is
given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while
in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor
performed.
34 Ye cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful crisis,
that I will repent, that I will return to my God. Nay, ye cannot say this; for
that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of
this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that
eternal world.
I am so grateful for Gods plan! I know that as we repent and
come closer to God He will forgive us of our sins, give us strength to improve
our faults, and help us build the bridge to return back to His presence
someday!
Con amor,
Elder Cook
