Maura baptism, working through illness, forgot it was Thanksgiving

Hola familia!!!

So this week for sure was a week of miricles. MAURA WAS BAPTIZED!!!! Oh that sweet girl... I just love her so much!! Her father not only changed his mind completley and but tried to come to the service. Unfortunatley he was an hour late and missed the baptism but its the thought that counts right?? Maura was so happy and it really was just a great day!! There was a lot of people there in the ward to support her and she is so excited to start progressing. It was a miricle to see the full progression of someone. From the first day we contacted maura... her mom was outside smoking. To the day of her baptism they both we up, awake, and ready for church. Mauras mom (yolanda) even bought a new dress and high heals!!! WHAT!!! They are such a special family for me. THE CHURCH IS SO TRUE!!!

So this week I was really sick. On monday after p day I got the flu really bad. I ended up throwing up 3 times... in the street. It was still my first week with my companion and she thought I was crazy. She kept asking me if I wanted to go home... hahaha we couldnt go back until 930!!!! That is just crazy talk. so we just kept working. It really made me realize that only if the church was true would there be crazy white girls in the street throwing up and then getting up and contacting the next person they see. Hahaha one old grandpa just looked at me... said teenagers these days... and kept walking. But luckily we were able to teach Vianco. He really wants to get baptized but wants to go to the other chapel that is in our same area. Tonight we have a family home evening with him. Please pray that he can understand that the church is a church of order and he needs to come to our chapel... thanks!!! 

Oh God is just so merciful. This week we have seen so many miricles and so many tender mercies have come to us. Yesterday I felt as Alma or ammon. JUST SO FULL OF JOY!"!!! There are no words to describe how much I love the mission. 

This week was thanksgiving. I didnt realize until everyone in the street started telling me happy day of thanks. I was so confused... then I remembered. hahaha guess what I had for my feast??? hahaha taco shells and beans. It was DELICIOUS!!! hahahhaa definentley writing that one in my journal. 

This week we will travel to viña again for a leadership conference. I am so excited!! I think that is the thing I love most. Learning, hearing the words that our misison needs first. Sitting at the feet of president and just wanting more. Not in a bad way... I just have such a hunger to learn. Then to go and to apply. 

I am so glad to hear that all went well with your family trip to Jamaica. I am so glad the missionaries recieved a tender mercy and someone bought them food. I know that I would be blown out of the water if that happened to me!!! I dont think it will... but you never know!!! 

Thank you so much for your continual prayers. I can feel them so much all day everyday. YOU GUYS ROCK

HERMANA Cook

How Beautiful the Feet...

Hey everyone!!!

I hope that everyone's week was fantastic! This week was awesome! We had zone conference with our mission president this week and IT WAS AWESOME!!!! He talked a lot about work and courage! I loved all the learning that we have had this week!!! General conference was also very good and very cool that people were able to hear some talks in their own languages! So how is midway? Hope that it was awesome for you guys. I noticed a trend of prophets, revelation and the santa cena... what is it in english... its the bread and water in the church. I am sorry I really cant think of the word right now... Oh well. But yes our mission president talked a lot about courage and strength and the gift of work. His talk reminded me a lot of dad. Dad is always such a hard worker and I know that we can learn a lot from him on that. Mom is a great example of courage. She is never afraid to tell what she knows to share the gospel with all the world! 

I loved the general conference talk by Elder Robbins the best. He was the one that came and visited our misison. HE spoke very clearly and I loved it. I would love to tell all my feelings about conference but there is something else I have been thinking about this week that I would love to share with you more.

How beautiful are the feet are those that declare peace. This scripture has stuck my heart this week. Because frankly our feet are the most ugly looking things right now how could they be beautiful! And as I pondered this I became aware of the underlying principle that is being taught here. How beautiful is work... How beautiful is it to see the blisters, the blood, the sweat and tears all mixed together. Dedicating all that we have to the gospel. To declare this peace. To leave our home for 2 years so that others can have theirs for eternity. I love this gospel. I love my mission. I am not even half way done and I will thank my heavenly father forever for it. 

I have realized a difference in missionaries in this aspect. Ones that return home saying that "I have paid my debt to god... my tithing, part of my life. and now I can do what I want to do." Were good missionaries who worked fought and did their best.

But those who come home and feel more in debt to god than ever before allowed god to change them. To make them into something they could not have been without the mission. 

I am so thankful for my mission. I feel more in debt to my heavenly father than ever before. I say that not in pride or in saying that I am an amazing missionary that is good. That is not my objective. My objective is in gratifying my god. I know that I will forever be changed by this experience, the people that I have taught, the people that have taught me. May we all become more indebted to god every day and work harder so be worthy of those changes.

I love you family have an amazing week!!!

Hermana Cook

PS thought I would send a picture of my beautiful feet... proud of these things!!!

Called as a Sister Leader / More lives changed / Dreams

Hey family!!!

SO much to tell you all about this week. So as I told you I have been called to be an hermana leader, and I am so excited about it. I was very sad to part with my companion hermana day after such a short period but she is in the great hands of a new trainer. I am now with hermana page and she is training me how to be a great leader. We have 2 exchanges planned for this week and I am so excited. 

So EVEN BIGGER SURPRISE!!! Paulina ended up getting baptized! Ya we had a meeting with her and the bishop and she completley changed!! She told us she was ready to be baptized and changed her entire life so that she could do it this sunday. She is an AMAZING WOMAN!!! I hope that she can continue to persevear and find a new man who can treat her amazing who she can go to the temple with. 

Another miricle investigator is named alex. We came accross him in the street and he needs a lot of help. He has been an alchoholic most of his life and drinks 10-20 beers a day!!! wow right!!! But we started to teach him. At first I was very hesitant about teaching him because he was just so drunk all the time. We told him to quit drinking and that through that he would be able to feel the spirit... and he accepted!!! He also promised my companion that he would never never buy any more beer!! Yesterday he only drank 2!!! I am so so so proud of him!!! Please pray for him and his body especially with the consequences and side affects of quitting his addiction.

The third and biggest miricle is a new investigator we have named Suge. She is from colombia and hemana page started teaching her and she ended up coming to church yesterday! That in itself is a miricle that a street contact that they met with for the first time came to chuch after a lesson but that isnt the only miricle with her. She told them in her first lesson that she had a dream of going into the church and she said she has had it many many times and it is very vivid. But she walked into a church with big windows by the enterance, she then walked down to a room with a pulpit and people bearing their testimonies... they then walked up the stairs to a baptism... She said she tried to take picutres but couldnt because it was a sacred moment... and that confused her. But then people opened up doors and she saw a font with crystal clear water and then the person walked down stairs to get into the water. 

and after words she met gringas who told her how to make this real...

SHE WAS DESCRIBING OUR CHAPEL!!!! WORD FOR WORD. when she walked into the church for the first time she thought it was just a coincidence but then after sunday school because of paulinas baptism the font was full of water. They opened up the doors to let her see the font and guess what.... She feel to the ground sobbing all she could say was ¨this is my dream¨. it was like something out of the book of mormon. She has a family and we are hoping that all of them can come into the church. She is so amazing. Please pray especially that her huspands heart will be softened and they can be baptized. 

I was so glad to hear that convention went so well and please send my reguards to dr hill. I am so proud of my dad and mom for all that they do. That takes so much courage to stand up and talk to so many people. GO DAD GO!!! 

I love you all and hope you have an amazing week!!!!

Love hermana Cook

Confirmations and Power Outages

Hey everyone!!

SO this week was week 6. We have transfers again tomorrow. What!!! CRAZY RIGHT!! So yesterday Monica and mariana were confirmed!! Their confirmation was just perfect and completley with the spirit. The bishop confirmed them and in their blessings said things about their lives he had no idea about and was so specific to them!! 

Another miricle happened Antonia her mom is completely changing!! She now is going to be baptized on the 6th of september. Her mom is activley participating in the church and is a NEW PERSON!!! 

This week we also found a new family. The moms name is luz maria and she has 2 kids. They are awesome. For some odd reason they didnt come to church yesterday but we really want them to come and be baptized so please please start praying for them. Another investigator is Maria Jesus. She is very very religious and we have been teaching her a lot about the plan of salvation. She has tons of questions but is starting to pray and to read and to progress. We would love for her to come to church and be baptized as well so please pray for her too!! 

Something funny that happened. Coach hamilton (my spanish teacher at PGHS) lived here in my area for 2 years. I am serving where he lived!! WHAT!!! So jenna if you could tell him that that would be awesome (if he still remembers me)

Another awesome thing that happened this week is we didnt have electricity. WHOHOOOO!!!! It was quite the adventure and so the pictures are of us planning in the dark. 

Hope you all have a great week

Love 

Success!!!

Hello family... greetings from chile!!!

So it is official I have 5 months in the mission and am a weirdy missionary. This week was CRAZY CRAZY CRAZY. So much happened

On Monday Monica and Mariana confirmed that they would be baptized. I WAS SHOCKED!!! But here is why. 

Monica has had a long history of abuse with her husband 25 years. He has controlled her and her life so that she couldnt do what she wanted. Including going to church. But tuesday she made her decision clear SHE WANTED TO BE BAPTIZED. This is a miricle of massive proportions. She then gathered up all her stuff and moved out of the house so she could be baptized!!!! AFTER 25 YEARS and many months of hearing of the church. SHE JUST MOVED!!! She is now living with her mom and friend and is very happy. But here is what happened next. Her husband then said that Mariana couldnt be baptized. In order to be baptized you only need one parent to say yes but Monica didnt want to cause problems for her daughter so then only Monica was going to be baptized. He also told his other son that the church was for mentally insane people and that he wanted nothing to do with it. But then ANOTHER miricle happened. Monica went and talked with him so mariana could be baptized and his heart was softened compeletly. He not only gave permission for both of them to be baptized but came to the baptism and wants to know about the church!!! WHAT A TURN AROUND!! Not only that but her other son and his daughter and newborn baby came as well. They want their baby blessed and are now taking the discussions!!! This family is making a 180 degree turn around.  I am so so so grateful to heavenly father for this blessing and miricle. Never has my joy been so great in one moment. 

Other than that another funny story...

There is a recent convert named Catalina. She is just a crazy little 9 year old. We were reteaching the 10 commandments and she thought that adultery is growing up and becoming an adult. hahaha I was laughing so hard. 

Thank you so much for all your prayers, fasting, and constant thoughts in my behalf. I know that Heavenly father is so mindful of each of us and knows our needs. I love you all and hope you have an amazing week.

Love Hermana Cook

Transfers, Cold Showers, Spiritual Thoughts

Hey everyone!!! 

So this last week I got transferred!!! BUMMER RIGHT!!!! And to the surprise of hermana alvarez and I, I was the one to leave. I am now in a place called La Serena! I am now in the exact oposite of Casa Blanca. Casa blanca was the very very very most sothern part of the mission and now I am in the most northern part of the mission. I got transferred wednesday and didnt get to my new area until 2 am in the morning and then woke up at 7 the next day to get to work! Casa blanca was like fields with very very humble people with very little and now I am in the richest part of the mission. and when I say rich I mean rich. Our living conditions our about the same as casa blanca though... MORE COLD SHOWERS!! WHOOOOO!!!  It is a really really hard area and the people dont really want to listen but no importa! In the agua they will go! I am now with Hermana Magdolena. She is awesome. It will miss hermana alvarez. She was really one in a million. We both cried a lot lot lot when we seperated. I will never forget hermana alvarez and cant wait to skype her when I get home. But things with my new companion have finally gone to normal. The first few days is kinda like... I dont know this person... what is she like,,, figureing eachother out. But things are awesome! This ward hasnt had a bishop in over 6 months and yesterday they finally got one. Well kinda. They split the ward and 1/2 of them are going to the other ward and 1/2 of them are going to another. In the ward previous (the one I was in for 4 days) had 4 hermanas and now the other hermanas are in a different zone and we are in a ward with 4 other elders. 2 of them our zone leaders! This bishop we have now though is AMAZING!!! He is a really really hard worker and we are so so so excited to work with him. But that means we have a whole new ward with new members and everyone is a little quessy about the change. SO we need to know our new leaders and unify the ward and gain their confidence so they can give us new investigators. We have an AMAZING plan. including cookies!!! 

We found a daughter of a less active member and commited her to be baptized on the 16 of august and SHE IS READY!! Her name is Antonia and she is the sweetest thing ever she is 9 and cant wait to be baptized. Whoooo baptism! I hope that she can continue to come to church and be baptized. 

I will miss casablanca so much and all the members there. Especially Hermana Marisol, She and her husband we so kind enough to drive my luggage and I to viña so that no one would steal it on the bus. SO SO SO nice. But now I am ready to work in this new area and GET TO WORK.

My spanish right now is quite literally out of this world. Pure gift of tounges. People think that I have over a year in my mission. I am now at the point where I can understand EVERYTHING and speak with little accent. I KNOW RIGHT!! President was amazed. I am so thankful for my heavenly father and all he has blessed me with especailly the language. I know that he gives these gifts to his children to bless others and to help others progress. 

Spirirual thought. 

I have been reading in 1 nephi this week and this is what I would love to share with you. 

Nephi and his family were commanded to go into the wilderness and sometimes we are as well. We are commanded to go into our own deserts. Where we are isolated, lost, and alone. But we go. God doesnt promise us these times will be easy but that we will recieve help. In 17 verse 13 says- And I will be your light in the wilderness; and I will prepare the way before you, if it so be that you shall keep my commandments ye shall be lead toward the promised land and ye shall know it is by me that ye are led. 

When we are in our deserts or wilderness the places god leads us to go. They can help us to be strengthined and to grow. But we are not alone. He is with us. he is our light. When people say to us you cant do it. Why are you here? You are crazy! We can respond with confidence because we know why we are here. We know our purpose. We can do as Nephi did and do the impossible. Build our ships, and do ALL things with the help of God. 

I love you all so much and I hope that you have an amazing week. You are always in my prayers ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS. 

Love Hermana Cook

I feel lost in the work :)

Hola familia!!

So this week was nuts! SO much to tell! 

So on tuesday we had Elder Lynn G Robbins come and speak to our misison. He took questions from us and it was amazing! One thing he told us that we need to teach others is instead of asking what can we do to help you? asking What are you worried about right now. THIS IS SO HELPFUL and I encourage you when you do your home and visiting teaching to ask people what they are worried about. But one thing that I also loved is he said the key to LIFE is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm! And that we need to have more faith and EXPECT miricles! SO that is my goal for the next month. Also this week we had companion exchanges this week with hermana leaders. And I was left in Casa blanca by myself! well with a leader but I had to plan the whole day and know where everything was and IT WAS HARD BUT SO MUCH FUN! The hermana leader hermana barros said my spanish was perfect and that I taught so amazing she thought I had 1 year or more in my mission. She was blown away! 

This week we committed 2 people to baptism! One is maria Christina and the other is just maria. They are both amazing! I hope that they can come to church so they can be baptized. They werent able to come to church yesterday because of fathers day. The reason is Maria Christian has her husband in the hospital and needed to visit him and the other Maria needed to visit her father. Very hard to get people to come to church when there is a holiday. But good news Isabel and her husband came to church again yesterday and during the sacrament oswaldo (the husband) started crying! We are going to their house tonight for family night and we wont leave until they have a baptism date!!! So any extra prayers you could say would be very very apreciated! 

We also found a lot of great new investigators this week and hope we can really start teahcing them. 

One problem we have right now is I dont know if you all kno this but right now is the world cup. And when Chile plays it is absolutley nuts! I have never never never seen anything like it. If you think the super bowl is huge you have not seen the world cup in chile. There is not one person not watching it. It is absolutley crazy!! So that right now is a challenge we are having. but we will keep working. 

But I got your package this week!! Untouched everything inside!!! Words cannot describe the gratitude I have. Thank you thank  you thank you. My companion and I especailly enjoyed the sweedish fish!!! They were so so so delicious. I also just kissed all the oils! Horray!!! Thank you thank you thank you thank you. You are seriously the best family ever. I cannot tell you how much I love you all. Emma and mom especailly thank you thank you thank you for your letters. I am sending you responses this week. Thank you for the package really words cannot describe the joy and love I felt. It was so so so so so enjoyed. 

One quote I especailly loved this week 

You only get one chance to serve a mission. It is your responsibility, your duty, to use it to its fullest, to give every last ounce of energy until you collapse in exhaustion at the end of it. All of the hardships, all of the tests, all of the hard work will be looked back upon as the best things you have ever done. Not because you enjoyed it, not because you baptized everyone, but becuase you gave everything you had, even when you didnt think you could and ESPECIALLY when you didnt want to.

Come out of your mission proud of what you have done and this experience will guide and bless you the rest of you life

Jeffery Holland

I love my mission. i feel lost in the work. I love you all so much and know I think of you always. You are always in my prayers. I LOVE LOVE LOV EMY FAMILY

Love Hermana Cook

Working hard, RAIN, and Elder Robins

Hey family!

So good news I didnt get transferred. I am still in Casa blanca with Hermana Alvarez. I am so so so excited for the work we are doing here. We really really wanted to put Isabel on date this week but it didnt happen. Her husband was there and both of them felt the spirit so strong, told us they knew they needed to get baptized, that the church was true, but wanted to get baptized as a whole family all 5 of them. We will keep fasting and praying for them everyweek. We also found a lot of new investigators this week one of them is named Maria C. She is so awesome and loves the BOM but wasnt able to come to church yesterday. Oh my gosh we want a baptism so badley it is unreal! We work day in and day out with lessons and people but no one wants to make the changes necisarry to be baptized. But we are never discouraged! Siempre con animo! 

This week was really hard to contact new people though. It rained every day this week. And when I say rain... I mean rain. Not just for a few hours on and off. When it rains here you dont see the sun for at least a week. The streets literally turned into rivers and it is just pouring rain. We were soaked head to toe every day. Which makes it difficult because very few people want soaking wet hermanas in their houses. Luckily at night time we were able to go into members houses and dry off. But everyone thought we were crazy to be out in the streets. But we need to work day in and day out!

Tomorrow for the first time ever we have a member of the seventy from the US coming to our mission! Elder Lynn G. Robins. I read his talk from general conference, What manner of men and women ye ought to be, And it was so good!! Please please read it! It talks about the need to do and to be. I sent a letter today that includes part of what I learned so I wont spoil anything. But tomorrow we travel to vina early early early in the morning to hear him speak. ALL THE MISSIONARIES IN OUR MISSION! CRAZY RIGHT! 

Well I hope you all have a great week. I love you all and pray for you always!!!

Love the wet 

hermana Cook

Helping Hands, The Mormon Stand, and Wonderful Investigators

So this week marks my first transfer!! What!!! I really really hope that I dont get transferred I love love love Casablanca and feel I have so much more to do here. We are really just getting started on the work that needs to be done. I love my companion, I love my investigators, I love being a missionary, I love it all!!

This week we had the I am a mormon stand. Our zone has this little quad stand with pictures of members in latin america with questions of the soul, Such as why am I here on the earth? How can I create a strong family... etc. Each companionship gets it for one week and we all rotate.

To be honest... It was really really hard. The point of the stand is to have others show interest so we couldnt talk first they had to come to us. so we just stood there and smiled most of the time. But the reason why it was so hard was that most people  just outrightly mocked us. They made rude jokes, threw things at us and it was terrible. Churches even sent their best bible bashers to contend with us. All through it all I thought of Lehi´s dream and how some ate the fruit and were embarrassed. I did not want to be embarrassed. I ATE THE FRUIT WITH PRIDE!! (in a good way) I will participate in the gospel without embarrassment or fear!!

We have an amazing investigator. Her name is Isabel she has been coming to church for 6 months and knows with her whole heart the church is true but wants to be baptized with her husband so they can be sealed in the temple together. She is so hungry for knowledge! any LDS chuch book in spanish she can get her hands on she reads. and this past thursday we talked with her and she told us that always she thought her baptism was far away but now knows that it needs to be really really soon!! What!!! I love this woman so much and honestly could think of nothing better in the world than to see her baptized. So any extra prayers for her would be awesome! Or putting her name in the temple. Anything! She is amazing!!

We also have Carmen and we are hoping to help her progress as well.

Sorry I don’t have much time to write more. We have a meeting with the zone leaders to return the stand and with transfers this week it is just crazy. I am sending photos and letters in the mail this week and I hope you get them soon. I love you all and I know this church is true with all my heart. ENJOY THE GOSPEL WITH PRIDE!!

Love Hermana Cook

Hola!!!

Ok so about this past week. It was hard. But in a good way. I truly know what it means to have love for your investigators. I really love them. I want them to grow and to progress. We have one investigator named Nicole. She is awesome! We put her on date last week and she really wants to be baptized! She got permission from her parents and all was well until yesterday when we went to go and get her for church. She didnt come! So we have to change her date from this sunday to next sunday. It really broke my heart. Because she has that desire but we just need to get her to change!

The other thing that happened this week is we are working with an investigator named isabel. She knows the church is true. she knows the book of mormon is true. She knows everything. But she will not be baptized because her whole family is catholic. It was so heartbreaking. She knows its true!! She even said we were anglelic messengers sent from god. and when she prayed she asked for forgiveness for not being baptized. I love these people so much! I want them to live with heavenly father again!! 

So we had a funny and interesting experience this week. There is this lady who absolutely not come to church unless children are banned from it. She hates hearing their testimonies especially claiming they aren't real. We bore our testimonies on the sacrament and how all needed it and so forth but we just had to laugh at how much she couldn't stand kids. They wont stop going to the bathroom and eating and so forth. Haha me and my comp just laughed that one off. 

So we had zone conference this week... my very first one and the first thing they do is have some of the missionaries bear testimony and who do they call on first? HERMANA COOK!! I was mortified! But I really enjoyed it. After they have 2 people at random give a talk about chapter 10 of preach my gospel and who did they call on. HERMANA COOK,1!! My zone leaders just really love me. I feel really good about it and it was a great experience. 

So I got the package finally and guess what? No camera cord and no essential oils.... no oils at all! SO now my oils are gold and I still can't send pictures.... boooo!!!

This week because our investigators were struggling hermana alvarez and I had a special fast. During that day I could feel the blessings of fasting. It is such a blessing that we have the opportunity to fast and my testimony of it is as strong as ever.

I also now understand what it means to feast on the scriptures. I have an hour to study every morning and it is never enough!! i always want more and more and more!! I love the book of mormon!!!

So not to scare you all this is just letting you all know... we are expecting a earthquake of 5 6 7or 8 today or tomorrow. Know that we are prepared for it and everything is ok. If I die I go straight to heaven!! 

I want you all to know that I know the church is true! it is amazing that we have it in our lives...

I love you all and hope you have an amazing week!!!

Hermana Cook

10 things I have learned in 2 months on my mission

1. I have finally figured out why some missionaries don't act like missionaries when they get home. 

Changed for a mission

or 

Changed by a mission.

I wrote this in the front of my scriptures because I want my mission to change me and my life. I dont just want to change my life for 18 months.

2. Your friends really do determine who you become.

3. It is possible to know the church is true and not accept it. We have many investigators who tell us over and over I know your church is true, I know the BOM is true and I know you are messengers from god. But I cant change. It is truly sad.

4. Pride is the root of all evil. So many church leaders and investigators and the whole world will fall if we have pride in our hearts.

5. A mission is going through and feeling what Christ and heavenly father feel. When our investigators dont progress or break commandments... my heart breaks. But when it does you see your investigators and people through gods eyes.

6. Obedience is essential. Without obedience nothing happens.

7.Who my real friends are. I know who really cares about me because those who do take 15 min out of their day to write me a letter.

8. Communication is essential with your companions, ward, mission., everyone! I have learned how to communicate with others. What to tell say and what not to say.

9. We live in zion. Quite literally. Here visiting teachers and home teachers dont exist. Here your calling is only for sunday for 3 hours. the way that our ward works is quite literally a miricle. 

10. In the mission you are either up or down. There is no middle. You are either I am so glad I am a missionary! The church is so true! or satan is just on you and you want to go home. The important part is to make the good parts out weigh the bad. 

Missions are so hard! But that is why you change. I am so greatful for my mission

Love People, Ban Kids from Church, First Zone Conference, and More Earthquakes

Hola!!!

Ok so about this past week. It was hard. But in a good way. I truly know what it means to have love for your investigators. I really love them. I want them to grow and to progress. We have one investigator named Nicole. She is awesome! We put her on date last week and she really wants to be baptized! She got permission from her parents and all was well until yesterday when we went to go and get her for church. She didnt come! So we have to change her date from this sunday to next sunday. It really broke my heart. Because she has that desire but we just need to get her to change!

The other thing that happened this week is we are working with an investigator named isabel. She knows the church is true. she knows the book of mormon is true. She knows everything. But she will not be baptized because her whole family is in another church. It was so heartbreaking. She knows its true!! She even said we were anglelic messengers sent from god. and when she prayed she asked for forgivness for not being baptized. I love these people so much! I want them to live with heavenly father again!! 

So we had a funny and interesting experience this week. There is this lady who absolutly not come to church unless children are banned from it. She hates hearing their testimonies especailly claiming they arent real. We bore our testimonies on the sacrament and how all needed it and so forth but we just had to laugh at how much she couldnt stand kids. They wont stop going to the bathroom and eating and so forth. Haha me and my comp just laughed that one off. 

So we had zone conference this week... my very first one and the first thing they do is have some of the missionaries bear testimony and who do they call on first? HERMANA COOK!! I was mortified! But I really enjoyed it. After they have 2 people at random give a talk about chapter 10 of preach my gospel and who did they call on. HERMANA COOK,1!! My zone leaders just really love me. I feel really good about it and it was a great experience. 

So I got the package finally and guess what? No camera chord and no essential oils.... no oils at all! SO now my oils are gold and I still cant send pictures.... boooo!!!

This week because our investigadors were struggling hermana alvarez and I had a special fast. During that day I could feel the blessings of fasting. It is such a blessing that we have the opportunity to fast and my testimony of it is as strong as ever.

I also now understand what it means to feast on the scriptures. I have an hour to study every morning and it is never enough!! i always want more and more and more!! I love the book of mormon!!!

So not to scare you all this is just letting you all know... we are expecting a earthquake of 5 6 7or 8 today or tomorrow. Know that we are prepared for it and everything is ok. If I die I go straight to heaven!! 

I want you all to know that i know the church is true! it is amazing that we have it in our lives...

I love you all and hope you have an amazing week!!!

Hermana Cook

Mother's Day, Repentance, and Discipline

Hello family happy mothers day!!! I miss you all so much!! I hope that seeing that I am still alive kept you all at peace.

Jenna have fun at prom I wish I was there to help you get ready.

Lauren good luck on your test I will be praying for you!!

Emma! I love you emma! I prayed for you especially on your birthday!

Jonathan I loved your birthday hat! You are so lucky that you got to go to disney land! 

So more about my week that I didnt get to tell you guys about. We have a few investigators.

Nicole is 17 and has great potential but her family quite literally makes fun of her desire to go to church and learn more about god. So she is facing a lot of ridicule with them. 

Carolina is a mom of 2 and really would like repentance in her life. She is an inactive evangelical and whenever we pray she screams things like aleleuja and Praise the lord... but in spanish. It is a bit different but she is reading the book of mormon and loves it. We hope to get her a baptism date this week. The first day we contacted her she told us how she needed the love of god in her life and we read the story of alma and how he recieved a remission of his sins. She just cried right in the street! I hope that we can help her more. 

Our other investigators Tania marco and christian arent progressing they are in santiago all the time on vacation so we havent had any contact with them and they have kinda been avoiding us. So we will see if we can get back in contact with lessons. 

This week will be one of looking for new investigators. 

One thing that is different and kinda weird about chile is taxi´s. You share them with other people you dont know. The taxi wont go until the car is full. It is a great way to contact but it takes so much longer. 

I love you all so much! You have no idea how much I needed to talk to you all yesterday. I pray for you every day and carry your picture with me and show chile my perfect eternal family.

Family we have no idea how lucky we are to have mom and dad. For one thing mom. Thank you for keeping the house clean. Here people just dont care and junk is just everywhere. THANK YOU THANK YOU. Dad thank you for teaching us how to work and to respect our parents. Here many Parents let their kids do quite literally whatever they want. They just go and do whatever floats their boat and that is when they get into trouble. DICIPLINE AND RULES ARE SO GREAT. Everyday I am more and more greatful for my family and my parents. 

Mom I hope you had a great mothers day and I love you so much. I miss my mom more than anyone else! I love you!!! And cant wait for a mom hug soon.

I hope you all have a great day. The church is true! 

Hermana Cook

Helping keep commitments, Kindness from members & BUGS!

Hola Familia!!! 

I miss you all like crazy!! I hope you are all doing well and I cant wait to talk to you next week. Its kinda rediculous. 

So about my week....

Monday I had been working all week to memorize the invitation to baptism and last monday we had an oncè appointment with Tania Marcos and Christian. And you will never guess it but they said YES!!! I at first was like wait... what?? Did I hear that right... But I did and they have a date for 18 Mayo. We will see if they actually pull through but hey its a start right? We think christian has a pollola or girlfriend which in laymans terms means that he has problems with the law of chastity. NOOOOOOO but we will continue to prepare them this week. We also have 8 other investigators but none of them are progressing or keeping commitments. Which is hard but we will contine to help them. We found new investigators Denise and Christian they are taking lessons from the jehovas witness missionaries and us and I think they are going to stick with us. They love the book of mormon and are progressing to read it. We are preparing to ask them to be baptized this week and They could easily do it. One rule in our mission is that investigators have to attend church 3 times before they can be baptized. But I think it is a great rule. 

So like the subject of my email says I am bug food. For the past week we have gone to bed and we think our matresses are infested with bugs. We cant sleep at night because we can feel them crawling all over us. We wake up with bite marks. I have about 47 just on my legs. IT IS TERRIBLE. They itch and look like giant mosquito bites. I sleep in my sleeping bag too which is very odd. We did a giant clean out today though and beat out our matterases and hopefully that does the trick. All the members joke that gringo blood tastes better and that is why I am being eaten. But I seriously love being a missionary. I really really really lucked out with my trainer. She is seriously amazing. She is the perfect balance of fun and following all the rules and very patient with me and my spanish. She helped me memorize the first vision by whenever we were walking we would say it outloud. I now have it perfect. She is so so so so so good. 

One member here her name is hermana marisol she has become my chilean mother. She takes such good care of us. Whenever we have a bad meal she brings us or makes us meals so that we are always well fed. She is also the one to give us the vacume to clean our apartment. Mom imagine a house that had not been vacumed in a year. Ya that is what it was like A TOTAL DISASTER. But with the vacume and scrubbing quite literally everything down we are now great. She also gave me medicine for the bugs. Oh I just love hermana marisol she reminds me a lot of a chilean version of mom. She is short and says the funniest things. I thank heavenly father for hemana marisol.

I love you all so much!! I cant wait to talk to you next week! have a great week!!

Out of the MTC and into the mission!

HELLO FAMILY!!!

I miss you all so much. These past two weeks have been really hard. I am in an area called Casa Blanca. It is the mission furthest south on the border and there is tons of work to do! I finally understand what Nephi meant when he said the great and abominable church.  My companion's name is Hermana Alvarez and she is from argentina. We are the only two missionaries in casa blanca. It is huge. It is kinda like the size of AF and PG and we have to walk everywhere to get to our members. We are also very far away from other zones. In order to get to our district meetings we need to drive an hour and a half. 

Casa Blanca is VERY COLD. I was not prepared for how cold it is here... I am so so so grateful for my sleeping bag that I have. Without it I dont think I would sleep. Our appartment is less than clean and very ghetto. There are two things I miss the most in the united states other than my family and friends. Milk and flushing toilet paper down the toilet! But I LOVE IT!!! I love our little appartment and learning how to fix everything. Today we repaired our sink with scotch tape and glue!!! HAHAHAHA oh the life of a missionary. 

So in case you hadnt heard there were huge fires in Valapariso. That is my area. 3,000 homes were destroyed and the people were literally left with nothing so on saturday we got to go and help them repair their homes. We actually ended up helping them tear them down. We tore down and shoveled concrete so that they could begin building their new homes. It was heart breaking. They have nothing. To mark which house used to be theirs they put their names on cardboard and tape it to the burnt fences. It was heart wrenching. Imagine if you had very little to begin with and now it is all burnt down and your whole family is living out of a tent. Very hard to see. But Think if I hadnt gone on my mission I never would have been able to help. 

So when I got here we had 3 investigators with baptismal dates. I havent even gotten to meet them yet. But they texted us this morning and they dont have time for us and dont want us to come back. So we dont know what do. BUT we have this other family that wasn`t progressing at all but guess what!! THEY CAME TO CHURCH YESTERDAY!! We are meeting with them tonight and I think they will accept the baptismal invitation! 

I went on exchanges on friday in an area close to mine. Our areas are very different. She has a very rich area with very a very strong barrio and members. But I did learn how to make homemade churros at an activity her ward did. 

Oh so funny story. When we first got off the bus in vina it was in the middle of the city. Our president told us to leave everything in the bus and gave us one Book of mormon and the address to the mission home and left us there!! That was an adventure!! But Me and my temporary companion got 3 references and found the mission home. 

I really love my mission. I know that I just need to figure out spanish and I will enjoy it more. I have eaten things here and that were cooked in ways I never thought I would. I am using LOTS of the essential oils for health reasons. 

I love you all so much. Know that I think and pray for you everyday. This week was hard and the time goes slow. BUT I CAN DO IT!! I love hearing from you all and please dont stop. 

I CANT WAIT FOR MOTHERS DAY!! LOVE YOU ALL!!

Hermana Cook

Gringo Ball and Valparaiso fires

Hey everyone!!!

 

So this week has been awesome. We got a new set of Latinos and Gringos. No new girls though. Because all the latinos were in orientation we got to play gringo ball!! I love gringo ball... I can actually play. But the elder that usually plays goalie wanted game time so who did the elders think would be a good person to put in goal... HERMANA COOK!! haha I got a little beat up but I bocked more balls than went in. Which I consider an accomplishment. We got new roomates... one is from Colombia and served in the military. We decided to have an arm wrestling contest and guess who won... ME!! Everyone was just as surprised as I was. Haha It was so much fun. She got to go through the temple yesterday and I got to be there with her. She was so happy that her and I just sat in the celestial room and cried. What I great experience. My other roomate is from New Jersey. Everytime I meet someone knew I am amazed at their testimony.

This week has been awesome we got to go with 10 people through the temple yesterday and then this week we go out on splits with actual missionaries. I am so excited. We have gotten to share the gospel with so many people but very few will actually take the lessons because of their catolic backgrounds. But it is amazing to me to see how many people will actually listen.

I still havent gotten the package but I hope and pray for it everyday.

It is getting really cold here. I defindently should have brought long skirts and sweaters. But I love Chile. We leave for Vina next tuesday and we dont get a P Day next week so I will have to talk to you all in 2 weeks.

I am sure you have all heard about the fires going on in Valapariso. That is a city right next to Vina. Last we heard 1000 homes were burned and 2 members will killed along with 18 others. they think that when we get there we will be all sent to Valapariso to help with the humanitarian work. GOOD THING I BROUGHT MY JEANS. I am so excited to help with all the service.

 

I love you all and pray for you constantly.

Hermana Cook

Earthquakes and law of chastity

Hey everyone,

 

Another week has gone by in the MTC or CCM here and Chile and things are great. My spanish is improving and I can actually do most things without notes. There was a 5.6 earthquake in Vina this week and we felt the after afects of it. It actually took our power out for a little bit. We have been having small ones but this is the first one that was really strong.

So funny story this week our teacher Hermano Enriques walks into class and puts a pamphlet on each companionships desk. We just so happened to get the Law of Chastity. He then tells us to prepare a 2 min contact on the street based on the pamphlet. We then prepare to teach him but instead he tells us to come with him. We then went outside and had to contact people about the church using our pamphlets. There was a couple sitting by the fountain that was making out... our teacher said Hermanas they need to hear your message. I was seriously thinking WHAT ARE WE DOING!!!! But we went over there and in our very broken and nervous spanish taught the law of chastity and how it could bless their lives. At first both of them just laughed at us. But as we got further and further into the lesson the girl actually started crying!! It ended up being an great opportunity.

We said goodbye to our second set of latinos and get more today... but no girls at all this time... BAHHHHH. I love getting to know all of the latinos.They really are amazing.

I hope general conference was amazing for everyone! I loved and really needed the talks that were presented. I heard that preistood session was amazing and I would love to get the talks from that. We got to watch the Young womens session with all the women and that was amazing. It made me especially home sick and missing my family. I really missed sunday dinner that night. But luckily I have an amazing companion who we can both relate to.

I love you all and hope you have an amazing week.

Love,

Hermana Cook

I can literally feel your prayers

It is so crazy to think I have been gone for 2 weeks. Only a few more to go! We got our ministers licences this week and so I can legally minister now! Spanish is coming faster than I could ever imagine. I can literally feel your prayers. 

On thing we have been told to do is ask our families to pray so that we can receive the gift of tongues. I love the MTC here. We literally live on the temple grounds! It is such a beautiful place. 

The members here are amazing too. Some of them travel all night 12 hours just to do one session and then go back on a very stinky bus. They truly love the lord. I love my district. We have a great group who all love to work hard. 

This week we taught all the latinos kickball which they now lovingly call footbase. It is so much fun to go to the parks and just play soccer. never in my life have I loved exercise so much. 

One thing we did last p-day is eat completos. They are hot dogs with avacado tomatoe and tons of other things. THEY ARE SO GOOD. another thing that our family would love is the strawberries and raspberries and the blue berries. WORDS CANNOT DESCRIBE HOW AMAZING THEY ARE!! I have never in my entire life had such good fruit for so cheap... only 2$ for a whole bag!! But in the MTC we get very little fruit and I think that is they are the main reason for all the digestive problems. 

I am so excited for my mission though!! Any time any one asks where I am going and I tell them Vina they go crazy! from what I have been told it is the ultimate vacation spot. My presidents name is president doll. Because there are so few of us we get to see him and his wife everyday. They really teach us to work hard though. 

I heard from hermana garces that mom and her mom met up!! that is so much fun!! I am so sad to hear about grandpa. Please tell him of my love and I hope that I will see him soon. I hope that all goes well with the medication. He will for sure be in my prayers.

FIRST EMAIL--"WE'VE GOT MAIL!"

Hey everyone! I hope this letter finds you well. I dont have much time to email but I will let you know as much as I can. My companions name is Hermana Garces and she literally lives like 2 min away from us. You guys will have to get together with her family. We are so similar it is FREAKY. I love her so much. This past week has literally felt like a year in itself. We are constantly speaking spanish. The hardest part is that we are learning spanish... IN SPANISH. not a whole lot of english is used to teach. We had to give our first lesson on the second day we were here. We didnt even get to change out of our clothes... its straight to work. I just have to remember not to get frustrated with my spanish... it will come. So there are about 60 people total here. Over half are latino elders and the rest are gringos... or americans. We are the only 2 american sisters though... there are 4 other latino hermanas though. I couldnt email yesterday because we recieved a whole bunch of missionaries from venezuela. Aparently they pulled out all the missionaries that werent natives because things are just so bad. Coming here though I have taken on a whole new perspective. Our roomates are 2 hermanas from argentina and bolivia. They really dont have much. Today one of them went through the temple and so me and hermana Garces did her hair and make up and let her use our clothing. She literally felt like a princess. I love it here though. My distict is amazing!! Two girls and 8 Elders. We all just love eachother!!! It kinda feels like EFY but on steroids. Oh but the food is killing me.... lets just say I have lost 7 pounds already. Good news though!!! We can recieve packages in the MTC!! So if I could have like 20 bottles of digestzen capsules that would be great!! Ya so just send the packages to the MTC they should get here!! I would love anything!! Oh there is so much to say. I love a mission. I love being an hermana. I just hope the language comes sooner.

Well I love you all so much and I can feel your prayers keeping me going.

Love

Hermana Cook

This is Julie Cook, Melissa's mom. I will be running this blog for the next 18 months to keep everyone updated on Melissa (Hermana Cook) and how the work is going. Today was her farewell and we are so thankful and grateful for all those who made it out to support Melissa. She is so overwhelmed with the love she feels from all of you.
The thing she is looking forward to most in the coming months is to bring some hope and the message of the gospel, to the people of Chile.