i officially have been called as a trainer for the mission

What a week!

       transfers have ended and i officially have been called as a trainer for the mission. I will be receiving a newbie straight from the MTC. I will be taking a long bus ride into the city on Tuesday to make sure that i can be there Wednesday morning. I cant wait to get my new companion. I am super excited i get to have the opportunity to train a new elder. To be honest i am super anxious to receive him though because i will forever be his first impression of a missionary and that can create a bit of pressure but you know what i am super excited the same and i just hope that whoever my companion is that i can just have an awesome transfer with him.

Something about this week that i have learned though is that it is sometimes just the best to find the best part of life and just keep working your butt off until you just cant work no more. We kind of hit a dry spell this last week and just couldn't find anybody who wanted to receive our message or even wanting to talk to us and all the people that usually talk to us for some odd reason just weren't home or we just never caught them at a right time. It made things very difficult to work but as always when you work you find miracles.

  The miracle for this week has to for sure be a less active woman that my companion and i started teaching about 3 weeks ago. We were told by the ward to start passing by her because she had expressed feelings to come back. SO what happened Her visiting teachers passed by and then a week later we did pass by and we had amazing spiritual lessons focused on the sacrament and its cleansing powers. Next thing you know we see her at church. She had come by herself and she was welcomed into the ward with open arms. It was absolutely awesome to see her there, and even she looked even happier to just be able to have us there with her to congratulate her on coming back to church. Sometimes you just feel so cool to be part of these stories that you just know God has more plans for the people than the things that sometime we have planned for them.

But more than that this week was just a week to kind of get to know my companion a little more. Elder Weller and i probably got a lot closer in this last week than we got any other week. We just kind of let our feelings about some things out and it made the week as hard as it was better. I don't know what it is but i think that the companion is made for more than just a testimony and a teaching companion, but more for somebody that can just help you through a hard a difficult time, someone that can just be at your side when you tell him i am having a hard day. And the greatest thing is that i didn't just have him, i had my zone leaders, i had the other 2 elders in the pension, and then i had the best of all God and Jesus Christ right next to me telling me to just keep moving forward. They are all their to help me to succeed not to fail. Never do they do something to see us fail. Friends would never do that, and just to think God gave us Jesus so that we could have the opportunity to bounce back when we fall. The gift was his to give and ours to receive. This is the time of gifts but he gave something to us that we can hardly give back in return. But we can sure think about it. Christmas is a week from now and i just have been focused so much on Christ and what he did for me. I love the mission and i love the offering that i could give my loving savior after what he did.

   I love all of you and i hope to talk to you all and maybe even see some of you in a week!

 Elder Cook

Every week here in San Francisco is becoming more amazing

Well another week has flown by and every week here in San Francisco is becoming more amazing. This week marks the end of another transfer which as i approach people are not afraid to point at me and help em recognize that i only have 2 transfers left after it.....The mission has flown by and we have someone going home from our pension so it just kind of freaks me out to see it happening. Just keep the focus and the goals still set to work as hard as i can!
    This week was somewhat slow. We have been trying to work hard and focused but the hot spring afternoons just make it seem like the longest day of my life. The sun and humid air of the area is not as fun. We have been having heavy storms blow through the area and we were caught in them on more than one occasion. But as wet as we get the day of the storm isn't the problem it is the day after when the blazing hot sun comes out. I have come home to the pension a little darker every day.
   Good thing about weeks like this is that as hard as you work you may not see as much success but you see a lot more bigger miracles than just the small graces that you get from the lord. This last week we were able to focus on the Christmas message with some of the members and they all were super excited about it and have been sharing it everywhere they can. We are holding a Christmas night on Friday night to watch a few Christmas things and then next week we have the Christmas activity for the branch. CHRISTMAS IS HERE!
   but finally i would like to put something that God has shown me every week since i have started the mission. He loves us. When we show our love for him, he shows it even more. So as always we had fast Sunday this last week. We as missionaries here start Saturday  after lunch and then goes till Sunday for lunch. Well lets just say that was a trial. Hottest day yet of the spring, hunger wrenching my stomach, and no one wanted to listen to us that day. We had very little success. But we continued on with the faith that we would see something. Sunday comes around and no one. Very little people because of another storm that hit us right after Church. Worst news was that our lunch for that day canceled on us because their fridge broke so they lost all they food that they were going to make for us. It was rough, but something that we did end up seeing was that after Sunday right at the end of the night, we go to a new investigators house and we teach her the Restoration and she ends up in tears telling us it was the message that she has been looking for to unite her family. We have a lesson with her today and we are super excited to see what continues out of it. But it was just a testimony builder that God loves every single one of us and though he may try my faith i know he does a lot more for me than i could ever imagine, especially since he already did something for me which i can never pay back which was send Jesus to all of us right?
   Anyways i love you all and i will talk to you all next week!
          Elder Cook

Bikes again...and more rain storms...

 Bikes again...and more rain storms...
        Yes the title is so true. This last weekend was filled with a cold front, a huge rain storm, and us being on bikes. So i didn't tell you guys in my last couple of emails but this area actually has bikes to ride on for proselyting. The two bikes we have are not in the greatest shape but it helps us from not getting robbed while we are not looking. But anyways this weekend we decided to take the bikes for a good spin to make our long distance travel to the Province of Santa Fe an easier trip.
   Let's just say that Saturday reminded me a lot of how florida felt like on a weekly basis. We had recently got out of lunch when we look to one side and see a gigantic front of gray and stormy clouds coming straight towards us. I knew from past experiences that in about an hour from when we left we would be hit with a gigantic rain and thunder storm. Well we decided that it would be best to go look for a house that we may be able to take shelter in. All the members we looked for in the area were already asleep for the Siesta and the regular people that we talk to as well. So we took the chance and went to go look for somebody. Right before the storm hit we found a house of a potential investigator that we have been trying to find for the last 3 weeks and we finally found her. She let us in and she told us to take cover in her house until the rain calmed down.
   First off, that visit was amazing. She told us her faithful story of her family and how she lost her son to a tumor in his liver. We were able to share the whole plan of salvation and as well as share some scriptures from the Book of Mormon with her in the hour and a half that we were there during the hardest part of the storm. It was super cool and showed me that the lord truly has his ways of realizing his work.
   Through out the whole day we had moments just like that were just as it started to rain hard we were able to get into a house before the rain started pouring down. That is until the end of the night when we finally had to make it home. The rain came pouring down the worst it had the whole day and ti showed no sign of stopping. I had no jacket and nothing to really cover myself. So what did i do, i took my bike saddled up and took it like a man and tried getting to our house as fast as i could. Lets just say the puddles that i splashed through may have covered about half my calfs. By the end of the trip my shoes were filled with water and i was absolutely soaked. We all just took our time to take off our clothes and dry off a bit. it was a fun little moment. 
 Anyways i know that as much as we all love the cool mission stories i would just like to share with you all a video that really has changed my thoughts on this season. It may not be in the states, and i may not be seeing a white christmas, but what i am able to see is a Christ Centered Christmas. I am really able to focus on the true meaning of christmas and the true gift that we have received this season. I am going to leave you all with a video of what the true gift was for all of us and then invite you to think what this gift has given you! i love you all and i hope that you all have a great miracle filled week!
He is the Gift
   Elder Cook

Receiving instruction from President Alliaud

What a week!
     First off to start. I went back to the city! well not permanently
but we had a conference this last tuesday so we spent all of tuesday
between travel and receiving instruction from President Alliaud. It is
really cool to listen to our president. As you listen to him you
really just feel that he has the vision in mind and that he has the
keys to guide this mission. As well he announced something that will
be starting this week. Sneak peek of something that you all probably
wont hear about until after Thanksgiving, but there is going to be a
huge push on the missionary front with a christmas focus. The
initiative is called "He is the Gift" it is super cool and we will be
passing along the missionary spirit with everybody trying to get
people to just listen to a message about the birth of jesus christ. I
am super excited.
   Also something of the week is that it flew by fast. We have been
working super hard this last week and it shows when you leave and the
next thing you know you look up into the sky and the sun is already
setting. My comp and i are really just starting to get into the swing
of each other. We are getting along really well and we are working
like a really well oiled machine. It has taken some getting used to
just because he himself is still getting used to the language and me
to a comp that needs to talk more. I realize that i like talking a
lot..woops but we are getting better and we are really now just
finding the miracles and getting us ready for this next month.
   Last but not least i wanted to talk a second to think about
Thanksgiving. I may not be celebrating it this year but here is
something to think about. Isn't it weird that in the states we first
have thanksgiving and then we have a full month of thinking of Christ.
I think we may need a little bit more of a humble heart to give thanks
to our savior before we think of what a gift he actually is and was.
This week i will be fore sure thinking of what kind of thanks i have
to give every night for the things we have. This is a season to give
thanks. In my studies i have really seen that true humility does not
mean to be poor but it just means to be thankful and recognize that
God is the source of everything that we want and need in our lives. I
am thankful for this time that my God has given me to teach and preach
the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. The fact that i get to do
everything in my power to really help the people here in Argentina so
that they may fully realize the gift of Jesus Christ. I love my savior
and i love my God. I love you all and i hope that you all have a
wonderful and cold thanksgiving. Enjoy it because i wont be able to!
       Elder Cook

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