Mi Valle! (June 2, 2014)

Hola mi familia!

If I could come up with an analogy for the progression of my mission, I think I’d have to compare it to a regular summer day in the Valley! You wake up in the mornings and see a beautiful sunrise with palm trees and big fast moving clouds and it’s humid but not too hot. You've made plans and you try to envision just exactly how everything you've planned is going to work out! There are goals, dreams, needs, and wants that all need to be taken care of! By mid’ day its hot hot hot but there are toy story shaped clouds all across the sky. Its lots of work and sweat but if you’re diligent then miracles happen. Problems come up, plans change, but small tender mercies make it all fun and exciting!  As the evening hits it slowly cools down and then you get to see a beautiful Texas sunset and the wind picks up to cool you down! All the work and sweat and stress of the day are erased by a calm still peace as whole world seems to prepare for the night. It’s the most beautiful part of the day! You have time to reflect on the day’s events, the people you knew, and the things the Lord has done to help you be happy!

Here in the sunset phase of my mission I feel the same way! The "morning" of my mission seems miles away, the heat of the day doesn't seem quite as rough as I thought it was when it occurred and I'm blessed to have the help of the Lord as I look back in hindsight of everything that's happened. Each day this week something amazing happened and it’s humbling to see how good the Lord is at loving us personally!

This week:

People:

Paulina was confirmed this past Sunday and their family is fully active again in the church! We use Oreos about as often as the scriptures when we teach her haha (she’s like me!) and we had a cool lesson where we shared the video from Pres. Faust about the voice of the spirit!

Marvin!: He's a 15 year old we taught back in April who’s recently just began coming to church! He reads the Book of Mormon everyday and he came and played soccer at the church with some of the other youth! He's a super cool kid and has a really good heart! He always tries to do what’s right regardless of what his family members do.

Zoraya!: She’s getting reading for her baptism soon and she is being a missionary in her own family! Her older sister wanted to take her down to Brownsville for the zoo but she told her sister that she had to go to church! It’s been fun helping her to make friends with the other girls in Primary.

Priscilla & Valeria: We have a lot of fun visiting them! We teach them at their cousins’ house and it’s always a party! Valeria (who’s 8) helps her mom remember to read and pray and she is so responsive to the spirit! Last night we went over for dinner and Elder Munoz taught the moms how to make Arepas (algo colombiano! Son muy ricos!) and I taught an impromptu primary class using Mormon messages, hang man, and thumb wars to the kids: in total there are 8 kids ranging from 6-14! haha it’s a fun group!

Blanca!: Her friend got baptized last week and she has been coming each week and told us this week that she knows the book of Mormon is true! she has a young little daughter who has the same hair style as my companion! (see the attached picture!) haha.

Fun Experiences:

Wednesday we decided to go on bikes for the day and as we visited Blanca it started to sprinkle. A few minutes later it was a full blown thunderstorm! After trying to wait it out for about an hour under a neighbor’s garage overhang we decided to try and ride to our next appointment (some members) which was about 2 miles away! it was awesome! The streets were flooded and after about 10 sec. we were soaked. At one point we had to get off our bikes and walk on the side walk to avoid some mud. A bus came by at the perfect time and  I got snowplowed by a wall of water! haha. I miss being a bike missionary! Better yet...as we kept riding I missed the turn and so we literally went the "extra' mile that day! But we made it to our destination and things turned out well!

Sat- As we finished  teaching Priscilla and Valeria a nearby drive thru started blasting really loud music...the family told us that that evening there was going to be a Lucha libre...(ha think Nacho libre!). We drove by later and caught a glimpse of the masked Mexican wrestlers ....yes...even dressed up in their "stretchy pants'". It kind of underscored the culture differences between Ohio and South Texas ...the Ohio State fair or corn festival would've been the equivalent for the Lucha Libres in Alamo Texas. I love it all!

Lastly, my testimony really has grown this week about the power of the family! I know that Heavenly Father really is our Father in heaven and that He loves each of us as His children! As we visit and teach families the gospel of Jesus Christ, it all just comes back down to the simple story of a family. A Father who loves His Children sent His oldest Son to show us the example and to help us out so that some day we can all go back home and be happily together forever! I know this is true!

Just as the primary song says:

How could the Father tell the world of love and tenderness?
He sent his Son, a newborn babe, with peace and holiness.
How could the Father show the world the pathway we should go?
He sent his Son to walk with men on earth, that we may know.
How could the Father tell the world of sacrifice, of death?
He sent his Son to die for us and rise with living breath.
What does the Father ask of us? What do the scriptures say?
Have faith, have hope, live like his Son, help others on their way.
What does he ask? Live like his Son.

Con amor animo y agredecimiento,

Elder Cook!

Hola mi familia!

Hola mi familia!

This week I learned some great lessons on attitude! I’ve learned recently that your attitude and excitement for something really has such a powerful effect! Finding joy in the little things, and especially finding fun in the unpleasant things takes a roller coaster day with ups and downs and turns it into a jet ski ride!

This week we had a lot to do! Ill share a little bit though about the people we’re visiting:

Gonzalez family = The family are all members of the church except their youngest daughter Paulina! she's really smart and loves to read the Book of Mormon. It’s fun to watch her and her Dad joke around and she always gives him a hard time. Bro. Gonzalez speaks great Tex-Mex and there’s hardly ever a sentence he says that doesn’t use both languages! We had a great lesson with the bishop’s wife this week and it was fun to see old friends reuniting as this family have come back to church!

Zoraya Escamilla= Her family is less active but her brother goes to a different ward on occasion with friends there. We've taught her the last few weeks and she is the sweetest little girl! Each time as we’re about to leave she tells us "thanks for helping me!" or just "thanks for coming!" She has a little toy starter guitar that she’s trying to figure out how to play! She says really good prayers and it’s great to see how she’s been a great example for the rest of her family! She lives way out in the boonies so it’s always fun to have lessons in the evenings there when it’s cool and under the Texas sunsets! Their family has a helote van (Scott and Dad will soon have the joy of seeing those in action) and the other day when we were there we saw a car crash on their street (it wasn’t serious at all!).

Priscilla & Valeria & the Aleman family= the Aleman family are members that some of my past companions/friends (Elders Welker/Child/Crimm) all visited. They’re a family of 2 sisters with 4 kids each (all under 16). We have a lot of fun with them! Each time after lessons we take a few minutes to play basketball or soccer with the kids. We're teaching their cousins Priscilla and her daughter Valeria! Valeria is 8 and loves reading the Book of Mormon! Priscilla has lots of good questions!

As well yesterday we stopped by Glenda and Jorge and Jorges' brother Marvin - a family we visited and taught in April. It was really good to see them again and Marvin really wants to come to mutual on Wednesdays and church on Sundays so he can be baptized! We found out later after we’d been teaching them that Marvin and Jorges mom is a member so hopefully she'll be coming back to church as well!

The Lopez family! They’re a family that Neil visited a lot and they sometimes can’t make it to church because of ride situations and the husband has work! We've been visiting them and teaching them the lessons again and it’s been a lot of fun!

There’s more! hahaPharr, Donna, and Edinburgh Texas!! Haha it’s crazy but we do cover parts of at least 5 towns! The Pharr ward is for sure one of my favorite wards and even on Wednesday when we stopped in for mutual it just felt like home! Oh! And Friday we saw a live mariachi band at a Mother’s Day activity! super cool! Super good! super music...like street musicians...and super loud!

I want to share my testimony about the Light of Christ! I know that when we can simply share a smile with others and do it with sincere love, it helps to brighten the lives of those who are stuck in the darkness of sin or struggle! I know the Savior's light touches each of us through every good thing we do! I love being a representative of Jesus Christ and I know that His Gospel really is a Gospel of Happiness!

Have a great week!

Con amor y animo!

Elder Cook

Photos

Un buen domingo!

Hola mi familia!

Today I think I’ll just keep things simple and share a cool experience from yesterday. After getting home from church we ate, finished our studies, changed from our suits into our normal missionary clothes and went out to visit people. The first house we visited was a lady who had spoken with missionaries previously, and it had turned out that Elder Munoz had actually taught that family a year before when he was on exchanges. We talked to a few more people on that street (they weren't too keen on accepting) but we felt good about our efforts.

Next we went to visit a family who was supposed to be moving down from Corpus but they weren't home so we decided to take a Sunday walk around the block. One of my favorite things about being a missionary is just the fact that whenever we seem to exercise a particle of great faith (such as a walk around the block, with the trust that God will put someone in our path) a miracle can occur! After we’d made it around the first turn and talked to a few families, we noticed a house behind one of the main houses that was only accessible and visible from the back alley way. We felt impressed to go to that home and we’re pleased to meet a woman named Blanca from Honduras! She received us instantly with so much happiness! She’s been struggling a lot in her life lately and has felt desires to come closer to God. She loved the things we shared with her and at the end prayed to know if Joseph Smith was a prophet and received a strong answer as she felt peace through the Holy Ghost! AS she told us about the situation of her life, the details fit almost perfectly with another woman named Siomara (also from Honduras) who I had taught in Brownsville. It felt so good to know that we had been where the Lord wanted us to be and that we had been instruments in His hands!

I know when we trust in the Lord, He will take care of us and miracles will occur! We're excited to help Blanca as she makes the necessary changes in her life to follow her Savior Jesus Christ. I love the gospel and the hope it offers to each of us! May we each have a greater trust and confidence in the Lord!

Con amor,

Elder Cook!

La taqueria diligencia

Hola mi familia!!!!

So this week one of my focuses was diligence! It’s always fun to see how the emails you send me can reflect the things or lessons I’ve just learned (Moms really good at it!). This week Spencer told me about his night of 3hrs of homework and it made me laugh again! We worked really hard this week with helping our investigators make friends and meet people in the wards where we are serving and it was a great week!

The Reyes family (Glenda and Jorge) are doing really well and we had a wonderful lesson where we taught Glenda about the plan of Salvation! She loved learning about what happens after we die and was so excited to come to church on Sunday to keep learning about the gospel. We also had a really great lesson with a less active member of the church named Ashley. She’s 29 and has 6 kids and is going through a really ugly divorce right now. Wednesday night she came over to the church for the first time since last November and as she learned about Joseph Smith and the restoration and prayed to receive a confirmation of its truthfulness, the spirit bore a strong witness to her and she felt such a strong desire to come back and feel the Saviors love again in her life. I love experiences like that! They seem to come and go so quickly and I try to do all I can to savor them! I really have a strong testimony of the power and authority of those who are called to preach the gospel. It’s such an interesting thing to see how people act when missionaries invite them to come closer to the savior...and I believe so strongly that the same way they respond is the way they would respond to the Savior Himself.

As a missionary I’ve learned that diligence is a great expression of one’s love. Often by being persistent at the little things we communicate our love to those we are serving or trying to help. I am so grateful for the Saviors example. He was so persistent in teaching those around him and observing their needs. I know that as we serve the Lord with all our heart might mind and strength and seek to do all we can to help others...we are able to see how we can bear their burdens through the Saviors love and make their lives easier! I know the Savior’s promise is true when He said:

28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Con amor,

 
Elder Cook

Semana de la conferencia!

Hola mi familia!

This was a pretty great week! It was full of lots of learning and my checklist of things to do and put into practice seems longer than it’s ever been! It’s great though! Recently we’ve received a lot of great training on the importance of goals and planning and how a good goal only comes from good plans! Lots of desires means lots of plans which translates into lots of changes to make!

Things are going great with my new companion elder Munoz! He is great! I learn something new about Colombia just about every single day and it’s fun to compare the differences between his culture and the Mexicana cultura! Saturday we had a little lunch in between conference and he taught us how to make plantains (those banana like things that are really popular in South America). One of my goals for this month is to improve my culinary skills!

General Conference was a great experience! It was such a blessing to hear from the prophets and apostles and to learn directly the will of the Lord. In between the Saturday sessions Elder Munoz made the comment that he couldn’t believe that so much of the world could miss such a big event! I think the messages that left the biggest impression on me (aside from all of the apostolic testimonies) were the talks by Elder Bednar on the "loads" we carry and spiritual traction, and then Elder Zwick’s talk on communication! Being a better listener and listening with the intent of understanding is an area where I can definitely improve. In our area this week we had lots of cool experiences meeting people that I had talked with before. We made contact again with three families that I had met when I first came into this area back in December but with whom we hadn’t had contact for a few months! One of them, a man named Noe came to institute, 4 sessions of conference, and stayed for a baptism! Seeing him with his friend (who is a member) at conference reminded me of when Kelsey Sicker came over for conference and that led to her learning from the missionaries! That was such a fun experience!

This week I’m focusing on being a more patient Elder Cook.  In Romans 8, Paul teaches about the power of patience and the great need to develop more of this Christ like attribute:

25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior. I have a testimony of the redeeming and renewing power of His Atonement. Through him we can become better people and our efforts to make permanent changes in our natures and characters of being occur according to the faith and trust we place in Him. His example of Patient suffering and labor should motivate each of us to be kinder and more willing to sacrifice for others! I hope we can all be a little more patient this week!

Con amor,

Elder Cook!

Hola!

Hola mi familia!

One of my goals this transfer is to do a lot better job at taking and sending pictures! It’s definitely a weakness! This picture we took this morning at the mission office after cleaning out the truck. Preparation days, after studies and cleaning, we go to La Vista to vacuum out the truck and turn in some reports. Then we email at the library. Next we’ll shop and do laundry and then probably go play sports or do something fun at the church with other missionaries!

Wow! My life has changed a lot in the last 7 days! My new companion is Elder Munoz!!! He's from Colombia! I’m super excited to have a companion from another country and now we just mostly speak Spanish (unless I get frustrated about expressing myself and have to switch to English!) He's a great Elder and we've had a ton of fun so far! While Elder Ayers was my tallest companion and the tallest in our mission, Elder Munoz is the smallest! Ha-ha…it makes me feel dyslexic about my height! We had lots of changes with the transfer and our area actually gained a whole new area. It’s been a lot of work organizing it and trying to balance things with the area we covered before but it’s a great challenge for me and after 4or 5 months here definitely keeps things fresh! I feel a lot like I did when I went up to Corpus Christi earlier in my mission! There are 10,000 things to do and never enough time in the day to take care of it...music and food help me not to stress so much! As well, I’ve started running more in the mornings and that has been really enjoyable! I’ve missed it a lot! In our area right now we’re visiting this really cool family named the Reyes family (Glenda, Jorge and Marvin, Gayell, Bridgette y Jocelyn). They’re a lot of fun and the kids are a handful but they help us to be creative!

Lately I’ve learned a lot about pride and how most of our struggles come in one way or another from pride. A few of our investigators have struggled with making commitments to God because they feel that they need to do more. They set the standard higher for themselves then where the Lord's set it. For me, it’s been so sad to see when a person’s pride holds them back from the Atonement. President Benson taught this really well in one of his talks! He said:"Most of us think of pride as self-centeredness, conceit, boastfulness, arrogance, or haughtiness. All of these are elements of the sin, but the heart, or core, is still missing.

The central feature of pride is enmity—enmity toward God and enmity toward our fellowmen. Enmity means “hatred toward, hostility to, or a state of opposition.” It is the power by which Satan wishes to reign over us.

Pride is essentially competitive in nature. We pit our will against God’s. When we direct our pride toward God, it is in the spirit of “my will and not thine be done.” As Paul said, they “seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.” (Philip. 2:21.)"

Later on he closes with this invitation:

Let us choose to be humble.

We can choose to humble ourselves by conquering enmity toward our brothers and sisters, esteeming them as ourselves, and lifting them as high as or higher than we are.

We can choose to humble ourselves by receiving counsel and chastisement.

We can choose to humble ourselves by forgiving those who have offended us.

We can choose to humble ourselves by rendering selfless service.

We can choose to humble ourselves by going on missions and preaching the word that can humble others.

We can choose to humble ourselves by getting to the temple more frequently.

We can choose to humble ourselves by confessing and forsaking our sins and being born of God.

We can choose to humble ourselves by loving God, submitting our will to His, and putting Him first in our lives.

Let us choose to be humble. We can do it. I know we can.

I have a testimony that as we seek the will of the Lord and do small Christ like actions to bless others, we lose our pride and grow in humility! I know that the Savior wants to love us and the only thing that keeps us back from feeling that love ever is our own pride or selfish interest! I need to be a lot more humble and in the next 12 weeks I’ll be doing all I can to make that change!

Thanks for your letters! Glad to see you had fun on spring break!

Con amor,

Elder Cook!