A week full of miracles again

A week full of miracles again.
   I don't know how these things happen but i feel like the lord has
just blessed us with a handful of miracles that we have all not been
able to comprehend at first.
  First off.....(drum roll) WE BAPTIZED. Yes a women that should have
been baptized about 2 weeks ago was finally baptized. She was
baptized yesterday after all the meetings and classes. It was a pretty
cool experience to see her. We didn't know who was going to do it until the 
last moment and a lucky priest that the parents are trying to put
a missionary focus on him made him do the baptism. IT was a little
weird experience and kind of a funny story from my point of view but i
think that may be for another day.
   Another Miracle. We put forth the work and we find the people that
are waiting for us. Last week we were walking through a part of the
city that is kind of far away from where we actually live. Far from
the church as well but the cool thing was we tried to visit every
member possible that we knew and that was listed. But the good thing
was that we found two people and we didn't even teach them. We came in
sat down in their houses and the first thing we heard was elders i
know it has been a long time since i have come to church but i will be
going this week. We sat there looking at each other and kind of
humbled but happy to be there at the right time. and not just that 1
of those people came and on her bike in the 90 degree weather that we
had sunday morning.
   Last miracle of the week was news that i heard from my ex comp. So
a miracle that i told a few emails ago, in my last area, of a woman
that had some family problems and that we helped her out. Well we got
there and she wanted to be baptized right? well i got the news that
she was baptized and not only that, her dreams were completed as she
was confirmed a member and the first time she took the sacrament she
received it from her son that has been a member for 4 years already
and has been her example and testimony bearer for the longest time. I
wish i could have seen it but i guess there are just some things that
we will never will see until the next life. I am just happy though
that i was able to be part of it in one way or another.
   Well i can't really tell you what will be in store for next week,
but i just cant help but realize how much my loving heavenly father is
truly looking over the work and is helping his servants who take their
time to do it. I love this work. i love leaving and being under the
hot sun and in the humid air because i know without a doubt that i
wouldnt be happier doing anything else but this. I love being a
missionary!
   Elder Cook

UNA SEMANA DE MILAGROS MIS AMIGOS QUERIDOS!

UNA SEMANA DE MILAGROS MIS AMIGOS QUERIDOS!

Wow i can't believe all the things that i have seen throughout this week. It was amazing. Another week of us being guided by the spirit to be at one place at the exact right time when God needed us. Something that reached us though was with an investigator that is a student here at the university. She and her three friends found the missionaries about 3 weeks ago and they all three received the book of mormon. And now 2 of which have already finished the book and the one that hasn't finished accepted to be baptized after talking to her parents. IT WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! God truly does prepare his people to receive the gospel.

   Another miracle of the week. So we came over to some members house and we were talking to them for a while and right before we are about to end the lesson a women comes in and sits down on the lesson. We then start summarizing the lesson for this stranger woman and she ends up needing the lesson that we were giving. She was  having problems with her husband and having a ton of difficulties. And right there we were talking about how we needed to endure the problems that we may have as hard as they may be. We set up a lesson for the next day and it was amazing.

   Next miracle. We go to this same members house to teach this new miracle find we had, well she didn't show up but in place of here the member told us of a different women who was going through some family problems and sent us over to go visit her. We knocked on the door and she looked at us invited us into her house and i don't think i said a single word for an hour and a half. She talked our ears off telling us nothing but her life story and all the problems that she has gone through. She loves the church has studied it before and wants to continue with us. It was absolutely amazing. I loved it! We are going to be passing by her this week.

   The spirit works its ways and i love the mission for that. We are guided to the right people at the right time. I LOVE IT!

   I know i have very little time left but i got to use it to the max. I keep serving the lord with all m might mind and strength using everything in my power to help those who really need it!

  I love you all and until next week!

      Elder Cook

A week of flying emotions for sure

A week of flying emotions for sure. Transfers have come and gone
and so did After a good solid 6 months in Parque Capital i have
finally left the area. And with that i am also officially outside of
the city which i think will be a good thing. I have gone through my
whole mission here being less than an hour away from the main city of
Cordoba and now i am about a good solid 3 hours away from the city in
a city called San Francisco. Yes like the one that is in California.
But i am still in Cordoba. It is especially weird to think that this
may be my last area in the mission. Even weird is the fact that in my
pension right now we have 6 elders and 4 of us are ending our missions
in the next 4 months. So it will for sure be a weird way of ending
things.
   This last week has been just a whirlwind of emotions knowing that
transfers were just around the corner. We kind of just went around
making sure that we could say goodbye to everybody that we would want
to. The worst part is that after 6 months you have a lot of people to
say good bye to. But it was also nice because we were able to see the
majority of them.
   But there is a miracle out of all of this. As i talked about in my
last weeks email the spirit has a weird way of guiding us to the
people that need us the most well we saw a miracle after that moment.
It all goes to the Loza Family. The Loza family is an interesting
story but to make it short they are one family that has been trying to
baptize themselves for a good solid 4 years but it has been hard
through marriage problems and just the fact of jobs and a lot of
things. Well this last week the wife of the family, the only one that
isn't baptized saw the fact that the lord has a hand in her life. This
last wednesday we went over there for dinner and she started
explaining how she was so affected by our teachings and that she
started reading the book of mormon and that she finally made a promise
with god and that she wants to be baptized. It is really hard for her
to go to church  for her job but she wants to try with all her might
to get baptized. It was a serious miracle and a true change of heart.
One of the cool things you get to see as a missionary. It is sad that
i wont be able to see it but i just feel happy that i got to be part
of it.
   Well as i look at the time i have left i am going to take advantage
of every minute that i have left.  I love the mission and i love
serving the people . I love it here in Argentina and i just love the
fact i get to see people really changing and taking upon themselves
the name of jesus christ.
  I may miss my old area but i just know that i will be enjoying my
time here in San Francisco. I love you all!
  Elder Cook

Happy Halloween Everybody!

Happy Halloween Everybody!

  This week was a very interesting week because of one thing. I was really shown that the lord guides his work. he makes sure that we are in the right places and in the right times. First off so this last week we started off by feeling like we needed to pass by a certain family. Well we went by this family and we ended having a super spiritual experience with them where they explained everything about what their problems were in their lives and what they truly were looking for in that moment. Well we helped them out and she told us that she doesn't want us to go anymore just because she feels so good and that she wants us to pass by more often so we can help her feel so good while in these troubled times. Then right after that we felt like we needed to go to another family. we knocked on their door and we ended up learning that they were going through a huge family crisis at that moment because they had just gotten in a car wreck and his job revolves around him being able to use his car and that in the family as well one of the daughters had just got up and left. It was sad to see and really hard but they ended thanking us for being so willing to help them out in that time as well.

   After that we had some good news. Our ward baptized this week! WOOT! The other elders have been helping out this one guy who is married to a member that hasn't gone in years. Well just recently he has been showing the signs of actually wanting to progress and wanting to help his family come to church. well after a long 3 month process and some prayers and fasting he was baptized this last saturday and confirmed a member on sunday. He bore his testimony the day of his confirmation and testified in front of everybody of how he gained a testimony of this church and how he wants the teachings of this church to be the ones that his kids can grow up with. HE has already seen the blessings of confiding with the lord and he is now so happy. He is a changed person. Shows that this i s a gospel o transformations.

   After that this will probably be my last week here in this area and i am super sad to have to start saying my goodbyes but to be honest i am just excited to end this transfer and see where god wants me next. I am sad i am going to be missing out on the whole Halloween thing but you know what i just will have to celebrate halloween my own way. Anyways i love you all and i hope that everything goes well.

   Elder Cook

this week has been one of those weeks that has defined my mission

so this week has been one of those weeks that has defined my
mission. This week i have been a very spiritually and humbled state of
mind. I have had a real understanding of what it means to be in the
service of the lord. A true messenger and tool in his hands here in
Argentina. I feel as if this week is just one of the many reasons that
i had to be called exactly to this area. to get to know and become
such close friends to certain people.
  To start off what was going on we start on wednesday morning.
Usually we have district meeting and as we have been helping one
investigator quit smoking we delayed the meeting to just an hour later
than it was supposed to be because the other elders needed to give the
daily morning dosage of cigarettes to their investigator. Anyways right
before we got started we got a text from a good friend in the ward
that his dad had just passed away that morning and that he was on his
way home to see what happened. We then soon after got a call from our
bishop to be assigned to be there the whole day to help out in any way
shape or form. even if that means keeping watch over the body while
the others do all the paperwork and set everything up.
  While we were there we were being the spiritual guides through out
the morning. This family has been members for a long time. They are
really close friends to us so we just talked very casually with them.
As we learned more about the mans life that had died. He had been a
member of the church for about 50 years. One of the original pioneers
here in Cordoba. He had gone to church almost every Sunday and had one
of the strongest testimonies that i have ever seen. Willing to bear it
at any time or place. at 76 years old he was still willing to walk to
the chapel which is a good 4 miles away from where he lives. He shows
up early, does what he needs to do and completes with his duties in
the church.
   As we watched over the body until we got the doctors signature to
confirm that he was dead you just felt a spirit watching over us. It
was different inside this mans house. It was colder than the rest of
the world. there was a different feeling there. I cant explain it too
well but one thing that i can say is that the feeling inside that
house as we looked and watched over his body was just and interesting
experience.
    Finally comes the part that really impacted me the most. After
being there the whole day and basically until night time came.Our
bishop came over and asked us if we would be willing to take part of
the dressing of this man to prepare him for his burial. The four of us
and the bishop carefully and gently dressed this man in clean
garments, dressed him in his white temple clothes, and then finally
dressed him in the robes of the temple.I cannot explain the feelings
and emotions that were running through my head this whole time. Some
may be disgusted as even thinking of touching a dead man, but now this
moment was a very spiritual one. I had the opportunity to prepare this
man for the resurrection. This man was a faithful member of the church
for more than 50 years. He died a faithful member who is truly
rightful king and heir to the celestial kingdom.  A member who died
wearing his garments.
 I dont know if i have explained all the feelings that have come from
this moment but i will for sure never forget it.
 Finally to end the week we had Sunday which was the day that kind of
just put the cherry on top of everything. I got a call on saturday
night to prepare a talk. I prepared one Sunday morning about trials
and how they really help us and how we are supposed to get blessings
from them. But i ended up falling across the story of My great great
grandpa thomas hilton who he and his wife saw the birth and death of 3
children while serving the lord in the samoan islands. They were a
young couple still at the moment. THey probably weren't even 25 yet.
And yet they suffered through and bore the afflictions and death of 3
children. As i prepared and finished my talk i felt very humbled to be
part of this heritage. A strong and faithful family that has endured
and suffered and yet still comes out saying I am a member of the
church of jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. And i am a missionary of
that church, a true representative of Jesus Christ.
  To end this letter i tell you that i ended up not giving this talk.
The bishop instead took the time to speak and talk of the experience
that i have told all of you just now of the member dying. He then
thanked us all personally(the missionaries) and then invited us all to
just never lose that desire to serve. to love those who are in need
and do it at whatever the cost. To be a true representative of jesus
christ. He thanked us for our service and i couldn't help but just
think for the last 5 months that i have been here in this area and where
i am now.
     I know this is the true church. I hope that i can be just like my
ancestors, just like this man that i barely knew but from a distance.
I want to be like them. I want to die with the name of this church on
my person. I want to die a representative. i want to die knowing that
i am worthy to wear the temple garments and that i can rise on the day
of resurrection on the right hand of god.
   I love this church and i am so honored to be part of this work. The
Lords work. I send this to you all to show that i love what i am
doing. I cant imagine doing anything else. I love you all.
   Elder Cook, Missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

I really enjoy the mission life

  I really enjoy the mission life. As the days pass by i just really start to enjoy the fact that i am still a missionary. Sometimes i just look at myself in the mirror and realize that i have been doing this for more than a year and i just cant think of doing anything else now.The cool part is the fact that we get to see so many miracles and that we get to see the lords hand in our lives every day, and even better we see the lords hand in the lives of others.    
  So something that i have realized is that cooking is a really fun way to get the trust of other people. I have found another favorite recipe to make with people. Bread Pudding. They don't have raspberries here but i have found that strawberries are just as good. I am absolutely in love with it too because it doesn't take as much time to make and less ingredients and just as enjoyable. I am going to go make it again this week and i have to say that i am overly excited for it.    
  Well as much as making food is just one the best parts of my mission, the other one is when we get to see the lord bless us with just so many miracles. This week my companion and i worked our buttsoff in our area. We did everything that we could and we just couldn't see a lot of success through out the week. We saw potential people and a lot of promises that we were just hoping and praying would come through. The day that it all comes down to is sunday. Lets just say we were going to church with a little bit of sadness because we thought everything had fallen through. The people we looked for all told us that they couldn't. So we go to church and we find a person waiting for us. A good friend of ours who came to conference with his girlfriend.he told us that basically he came because he has a desire to come and he wants to get baptized. He wants to learn a little more before he chooses the day but i am just super excited because he started crying in front of us on how he just feels so comfortable here int eh church and that there is some deep desire to come. It was a real big miracle for us and the lord just put him in our path. I love it.   
  I love the mission and though we may do a lot of the same things i feel that the mission just has bigger and bigger surprises  as we go along the road. Love you all!    
Elder Cook

I am so dead tired

 I am so dead tired. We worked our butt off before conference and we just came back from an exhausting p-day activity. 

  First off conference. Wow what a roller coaster of events. First of, i don't know how the weather was for you guys up in the states, but conference day was just a down pour of rain. It started raining friday afternoon and we were thinking that it would slow down and we would have enough time and ability to take a taxi to the stake center. Well about 630 in the morning the rain just started coming down. We seriously were having problems of flooding in the streets. This made it absolutely impossible to get a taxi there and the buses that could take us there were closed down from problems on the streets, so we walked to the stake center that was closer to us in a different stake. The coolest part of it all was we had an investigator with us. We were all going to take a taxi together but that changed so we asked him if he was willing to walk and he said yes. He walked with us for at least a good 25 blocks to see saturdays conference with us. It was absolutely amazing. he really enjoyed conference too.

    Speaking of conference, it was so cool to have everybody speak in their native tongue. It was super cool because i listened to the whole thing in spanish this time and i really did get he whole experience. THey had the english room set up for the missionaries and all that fun stuff but i decided to stay for the spanish. But the thing is when the spanish speakers started talking all the missionaries came in to listen to it in spanish. It was a really cool experience to actually listen to it in spanish and understand it all. Signs of an old missionary.

   Two elders got sick this week so we have been fighting the diseases this week and in a pension with  4 elders you find yourself in a circle of just repeating sicknesses. I hate it. I am just keeping up on a fruit diet to fight off the sicknesses and the weight...hopefully i can fend off both of them.

    Anyways i love you all and i hope that you all enjoyed this conference week. With rain and sun i sure did.

         Elder Cook