Letter to Home - August 9, 2010

Hi Family!

So guess what!  My mission hopes and dreams have come true!  I'm staying here in San Francisco (Elder Anderson is going home), and my new companion is - Elder Kessler!  My buddy from the MTC!  So we get to be Zone Leaders here in the city together.  I'm sad that Elder Anderson is leaving though.  He was a great companion - one of my favorites for sure.  He was 100% focused until the end.

We have a lot of work to do here.  We are trying to find more people to teach.  Rex is doing well.  He gets frustrated when he doesn't understand things, and is afraid that the answers will not come.  The past 3 lessons he just let his frustration out - and pretty much talked the whole lesson.  On Saturday we had a great lesson.  We listened to his concerns and questions, and studied, and prayed for the spirit.  It was a neat experience as we taught .  Rex's heart was more open, and he listened.  He is beginning to notice how the spirit teaches him.  He came to church yesterday, and is very diligent in keeping all of his commitments.

Angelica is doing really well!  The only problem is that she works a lot, including Sunday's.  So she has never been to church, but last night we took her to a fireside in Oakland (on Temple Hill) and she liked it.  She is a very shy, and quiet person, and it is hard to tell what she really thinks.  But she is reading and still praying!  She said she wont be able to meet with us until Saturday, because she is to busy with work.

So we haven't seen to much affects of prop 8 being over turned - yet.  There have been some crazy people doing crazy things (that's nothing new), but as far as the missionaries being in danger or anything - all is well.  Just a random story - The other day we were in the Mission District (where the cities population of Hispanics are) and this super drunk Mexican (he was an old man) was trying to arrest me!  He was yelling from the side walk, that I was under arrest!  It was funny.

So our other investigator - Nathan (the one fresh out of prison, because we is an ex gang member) is progressing so good!  I have never taught a more prepared investigator!  I wish he could get baptized, but he will be on parole for the next year and a half.  He came to church yesterday and he loved it.
I'm pretty good with everything.  I have an extra journal that a missionary left behind.  I may need an extra white shirt or two, but I will let you know in the future.

Thank you for the pictures that you sent!  I hadn't seen a picture of Grandma Cook with white hair!  She is still my cute little g-mama.  I hope that everything continues to go well at home.  Good luck getting ready for school and everything!  I love you!

-Elder Cook