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Monday, July 29, 2013

Elder Cook Week Twenty

Hey Pitufos!

In case Google translate doesn´t do it right, that means Smurfs! Man I miss you guys.  I don´t know why but it really hit me this week.  I really appreciate all the rules you had for me!  They helped keep me on the right path and out of the way of dumb mistakes I could´ve made. I love you guys so much and want you to know that I am who I am only because of you.  It´s such a blessing to know that, I have my own family waiting at home who are sealed in the temple and invested in the gospel. You have no idea what a comfort that is for me. 

This week I really learned that Heavenly Father hears our prayers.  We had been working and working, and walking and walking every day and just had no success, no relief.  But on Thursday, just when I thought I could hardly bear it anymore, we found 6 new investigators and a new familia, and the one familia we had has been reading and praying together and believe that the Book of Mormon is true.  A bunch of members have started to give us references and want to have FHE´s this week.  One of the returned missionaries announced to us last night that he has 16 familias for us to meet.  

Everything is looking up.  We teach to people every day about how God answers prayers through the Spirit and only with prayers of faith and sincerity, though not always in our time table.  I needed to take my own medicine that I had been giving out!  Heavenly Father hears us.  If we are really, honestly try the very best we can and pray sincerely in every moment, He can´t help but answer us.  When we feel like we literally can go no more, when our bodies and spirits are about to give out, that´s when the blessings come.

Siempre recuerda lo que dice la gente de Honduras de la vida. ¡Lo que no mata, engorda!

Love you guys!

Elder Cook

Monday, July 22, 2013

Elder Cook Week Nineteen



Shalom!  

People always say that to us.  I´m pretty sure that´s not even Spanish though. Things are still great here! I´m going to tell you a funny story.  We were walking down the street and one of our newly baptized members yelled Elder Cook! from the other side of the road.  There were a ton of people around him and a truck, waiting to go inside a church.  I walked over and greeted him, a little loud and was super happy.  We talked a little, and then he said his amigo ¨ cumpliĆ³ ¨, which means had a birthday.  That made sense of why all the people were gathered around waiting to go in, it was a party!  So I looked up at the people and said really loudly ¨Que bueno!¨.  The look on their faces told me that was the really wrong phrase to say at that moment.  At the same time that I said that, I noticed that in the truck that they were kind of standing around, was a coffin.  But the words were out of my mouth.  He then whispered, ¨No Elder.  MuriĆ³.¨ Which means his friend died, and I just expressed how great it was.  Que pena.

Love you guys!

Elder Cook

Monday, July 15, 2013

Elder Cook Week Eighteen



Hey family!

El Picacho
Boy we've had a rough week.  We had three baptism dates on Thursday, and now it looks like we will have 0 for the 20th. One Familia still needs to be married before we can baptize the hermana, but they were gone all weekend so we couldn't start the papers,  The other family finally committed to be baptized, but one family member played soccer all day yesterday after church and another was out of town and didn't go to church.  So many appointments have fallen through this week!  We have walked more in the last couple days than the last couple of weeks, just trying to find someone to teach.  


Statue of Christ that sits just below the summit of the mountain
We are going to have to work even harder next week so we can have more of the Lord's help. But, my new companion is awesome!  He's super obedient and knows Spanish pretty well!  He was born in California but his parents are from Peru so he's bilingual.  That's so great that Grandma can see now!  It will probably make knitting a lot easier that way.  Love you guys!  The work is true.  Just remember the times when you don't have the desire to go to church, read the Book of Mormon until you do.  When you don't have the desire to read, pray for that desire.  And when you don't want to pray, pray for the desire to pray.  Everything always comes back to true, sincere prayer.

Elder Cook
Elder Cook and his new companion

Monday, July 8, 2013

Elder Cook Week Seventeen



Woooo hooo this week was sweet!!! We found 9 new investigadores, two new familias, and 17 lessons! I´m telling you. That rain does wonders for missionary work. The man we baptized a few weeks ago blessed the sacrament, bore his testimony, and said the closing prayer in sacrament meeting!  He is the truest sense of the word convert.  I am so blessed to have had the chance to teach and watch him as he grew!  



We got a call Wednesday and my companion looked who it was, laughed and told me to answer it.  I said hello, and it was Presidente Fortuna!  He asked me in perfect English how my English is going, then how my Spanish is, laughed at his joke, and then told me I am going to train.  My companion was doing a happy dance.  He thinks he´s funny.  So, I also went to the meeting of trainers! At the meeting Presidente really stressed the fact that this calling was from Heavenly Father, so all I can do now is pray.  And today, every companionship that baptized a family in June got to go to Picacho!!!!  It was amazing.  I´ll tell you about that and send pics next week.  Dad´s getting knee surgery!?  You better be able to dunk over me by the time I get home!  That´s way cool that you guys are doing missionary work at home!  Love to hear it.  I live in the Fransisco Morazan in the area Laureles, but I am still in the city Comayaguela.  

Love you!

Elder Cook

Monday, July 1, 2013

Elder Cook Week Sixteen

Querida Familia,

This week was amazing!!  We had a baptism and found two new familias who are super positive!!  One familia said they are just missing something in their lives and they don’t want their kids to miss out too, so they made a scheduled time with us every week because they want us to teach them!  We are super excited.  The other family was a member referencia and the member has been coming with us every time we teach!  He even invited them over for a noche de hogar tomorrow!  The members in this ward are amazing.

I know I have the Lord on my side. As long as we depend on our Heavenly Father we’ll be alright.  And something that I've learned from you guys is that if I work hard enough, good things happen. So that’s exactly what I’m going to do! Love you guys so much!  I pray for you.  



Elder Cook


This is our last baptism!  She is a super sweet, 
nice girl that we were able to teach and her dad was able to baptized! 
They have plans this year to be sealed in the temple!!!

Make sure you show this picture to Brother Mullins 
so he knows where his legacy went!  
He wears the tie Brother Mullins gave me every Sunday