Hey Family,
Well this week was really good. I really like this area, and this ward. Mom, I hope that you had a happy birthday! I saw that card last week and thought it was awesome! Anyway this week we had a great lesson with Angel Bellamy (our 9 year old investigator). We set a baptism date for her on April 10th. She is excited to be baptized. Jerry is still doing great, and is preparing to be baptized on April 17th. Then last night we picked up a new investigator from a Tongan family in our ward named the Lius'. They have a cousin living with them who is Methodist, but is interested in taking the missionary lessons, and she thinks that she already wants to be baptized! Her name is Tui (To-ee) and we have a lesson with her this coming week.
So something that is really weird, and even a bit disturbing, is that my trainer (Elder Cain) has moved to the Bay Area, and is living in San Ramon! Ahhhh! He actually called me and was like, "Hey dude, we should go tracting some time!" It scared me.
My companion is doing great. I'm trying to love him and be his friend, but he is really hard to read, or tell what he is thinking. He has a hard time talking with people, but he keeps trying. He is obedient and comes out to do the work everyday without complaint. I think that we are going to be with each other for at least another transfer, and I'm fine with that. He is from American Fork (my first Utah companion - not to mention my first white companion in 5 months!) He comes from a great family, and has good support.
So I did get the new letter from Ashley, and loved it! I was going to mention it last week, but forgot. Next time you see her tell her thank you for me, it was really cool, and put together really well. There was a part on there that said "one of our dearest ward members Ruth Cook, turned 89....." When I read it, at first I thought it was going to say, "One of our dearest ward members Ruth Cook, passed away this week..." or something like that! It really woke me up, and startled me a bit!
So my birthday is coming up, huh? Well the only thing that I would want is new garments! We have a mini distribution center next to the temple, so if you want to put some money in my account so I can get some new garments that would be great! We have our temple day on March 24th, so I could pick them up then.
So this past week I went on 24 hour splits with Elder Vawdrey (a missionary in my district). The crazy thing is, is that this is the same Elder Vawdrey that was my roommate my first transfer, and was hot tubbing! It was a neat experience to spend the day with him in his area, and learn a lot from him - Because he has changed a lot! He is now a very obedient missionary, and works hard. I'm so grateful for the power to change, and become better through the atonement. President Wade is always saying that the biggest miracle that you will ever see in your life, is the changing of the human heart as they come unto Christ. I love being a missionary, because you get to see that miracle all the time. You see it in your investigators, in other missionaries (like Elder Vawdrey), and the most noticeable one is you see that change in yourself. I was reading some of my journal entries from almost a year ago, and can really see a difference in all that I have learned so far. I had a neat experience this week, where the Lord kinda said "I told you so!" At the first of my mission I had doubts - a lot of them. I was really stressed out and worried (you know me!). I wasn't sure what was going to happen in the next two years, and I feared. During my first transfer in the field, a scripture kept coming to mind. I thought of it a lot, and I actually memorized it! It is 2 Nephi 28:30 where it says that we learn line upon line. I look back to see how far I've come and I notice that it didn't come all at once, it came exactly the way that the Lord was telling me at the beginning of my mission - line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little. The Lord's promised blessings always come, but it definitely takes faith, patience and diligence! I'm so grateful for the gospel. Because we have the truth of the restored gospel, we always have something to smile about! I still have so much learning and growing to do, and things to overcome, but I now have more faith that if we will do our part and always be diligent to the things we know to do, then we will be growing line upon line. When we know what to do, then do what we know - we become what our Father in Heaven wants us to be.
Well family I love you so much! Thank you for all of your love and support!
-Elder Cook
PS. Tell Grandma Cook and Grandpa and Grandma Smith that I love them!
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