Some Pictures

NEW MISSION and she will be a trainer!!!

Family and Friends,

 

Well as you can tell from my title there are some big changes this week.  I have been asked to train a new missionary.  She gets here from the MTC tomorrow night where I will go pick her up.  I am staying here in Diamond Bar so on July 1st I will officially be part of the new Rancho Cucamonga mission. I have no idea what that means for me other than I will be sending my weekly letters to a different mission president.  I haven't heard about any big meeting to meet the new mission president yet, but hopefully I will meet him soon. I don't know very much about him other than his name is President Hobbs. : D

 

The exciting news from the week - not that learning that I am training or going to a new mission isn't exciting but they don't happen until this week so they don't really count : D - is that we had one of the less actives come and hear Sister Amataga and I perform on Sunday. Like I said last week we have been inviting basically everyone we talk to to church on Sunday, so when someone who hasn't come to church in probably 20 years comes to hear us sing, we were extremely excited!  She had actually requested a couple weeks earlier to have her name removed from the records so it was great to have her come to church and make sure that doesn't happen!  

 

Mike decided that June 22 wasn't his baptism date, but he is still progressing well and learning more and more about the church. He stayed all 3 hours at church this past week and had lots of questions.  He is a great guy and I am excited to keep teaching him and helping him come closer to Christ. 

 

We also were able to teach a lesson this week to a devout Catholic.  He has a lot of questions about the Great Apostasy and why the church Christ established while he was here had to fail.  It has been interesting researching a lot of talks and scriptures to try and answer his questions, but the more I read and learn the more the Spirit testifies to me that an Apostasy really did occur and we really did need to restore Christ's true Gospel back to the Earth.  

 

It is amazing how every time someone asks a question doubting our beliefs and doctrine the Spirit again and again testifies that this is truly the Lord's restored Gospel on this Earth today.  I know this is the one and only true church on the earth today and we need to work harder and harder to bring others closer to Christ.  We were teaching a lesson on Saturday and the investigator kept asking if good Baptists and good Lutherans could be saved after they die.  We were trying to explain to him how they will have an opportunity to accept the true and full Gospel after they die in the Spirit world, and yes the Lord will judge them according to the good works they performed on this earth.  As we were talking to him and as I was thinking about the lesson later I just kept thinking how I belong to Christ's Church, not "The Mormon Church" and how after we die I will not be a 'mormon,' I will be a follower of Christ, and I know if Baptists or Lutherans truly want to follow Christ they will quickly and eagerly accept the baptism that others have done for them in the Temple.  This is Christ's work, and the work in the Spirit World is also Christ's work. It doesn't matter if it has to be done by a 'mormon' it only matters if it is done in Christ's name and under His authority.  I know that that authority has been restored and I am so grateful that I have been baptized by someone holding that correct authority. 

 

This truly is the Lord's work. I can see and feel Him guiding me every day.  

 

I love you all and am so grateful for your support and love.

 

I have no idea what the Rancho mission office address is, so hand written leters would probably not be a good idea to send for the next week.  I will let you know when I know the address.   

 

I love you,

Sister Cook

The Most Spiritual Week

Family and Friends,

 

Although our numbers are pretty low this week, especially for sacrament meeting attendance, this week has been one of the most spiritual for me. There were a couple days where we left the house not knowing where we were going to go and who we were going to talk to because we didn't have any set appointments. We had plans for people to see, but no set schedule. We left the house with faith we would find and the Lord really answered our prayers. On Saturday we spent a couple hours out walking and were able to find a new potential investigator and talk with a less active member at his car. On Sunday night we contacted a lady who later told us she was planning on committing suicide right before we knocked. Both these experiences for me were testaments that we are really doing the Lord's work. He is guiding us to the people He has prepared and He truly loves all His children.

The experience we had last night really taught me that it doesn't always matter what we say or what we teach as long as we are examples of Christ in all that we do and say. The people of Diamond Bar need the hope and peace the Gospel can bring and that is my responsibility to bring it to them right now.

 

I am so grateful to be a missionary for the Lord and to be dedicating my life to Him.  I never realized the wonderful experiences I would be having and the difficulties that I would be facing, but I know the Lord has a plan.  He will never let us fail.  We learned in Relief Society yesterday that if we are following the guidance of the Spirit we cannot fail.  It is so true that if you follow a prompting from the Spirit it is never the wrong thing to do.  On Friday I asked Sister Amataga if we could go visit a less active member we had gone by before. When we got there she informed us that just a couple days before she had received a letter from the bishop and had returned it saying she wanted her name removed from the church records.  It was an amazing experience to meet with her and help her see what she would be missing if she really did remove her name from the church. 

 

This church is incredible, it is so nice to know that every member has a responsibility and a place where they can fit in in the Church.  One of the recent converts we have been teaching the after baptism lessons was ordained a priest on Sunday and we were also able to attend a baptism for one of Sister Amataga's investigators in Glendora yesterday and it is incredible how powerful the Gospel message is.  This truly is the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Lord is hastening His work.  I know the Lord will guide us to people we can help bring into His fold if we ask for His help. 

 

I would like to challenge anyone who is up for it to truly seek those who they know are prepared to receive the gospel and just invite them in some small part to take part in the work of the Church whether that be a FHE lesson, a ward activity, or even to take the missionary lessons.  No one should be offended by an invitation made from love.

 

I love you all and am so grateful for your support and confidence.

 

The Church is true!

Sister Cook 

 I thought this was really a pretty spot so I made sister Amataga take a picture of me :D

Dear family and friends,

 

Wow, it has been a whole month!  The time has really flown - well actually the days go by slow, but the weeks go by super quick!  It feels like just yesterday I was here in the library e-mailing home.  To celebrate my one month out my companion gave me a Samoan skirt - i'e lavalava - that is blue and has flowers all over it! It was awesome.  Also I went on exchanges that day with Sister Denney (yes the same one who came out with me a month ago), needless to say it was an adventure!

 

I have to be quick because I am running out of time, but I want you all to know that this work is amazing, the Lord is hastening his efforts and I am so excited to be a part of it!

 

I love you all and am so very grateful for all that you do for me.

 

Mosiah 23:10 - I share this scripture almost every night as the message for the family after dinner and there is so much to learn from the words, I feel like I share something different every night.  If you have any great insights about it I would love to hear them!

 

Love,

Sister Cook

 

ps. If you want to hear a little more about my investigators I sent a separate e-mail to my parents that talks about them a little bit more.

Hi family!!!!

 

The MTC is amazing, being a missionary is even more amazing, and life is great!  I have now officially been a missionary for a week and I love it! Life is so great.  I have two companions, Sister Lee and Sister Price.  They are both fantastic.  Sister Lee is from Orem, but she grew up until she was 11 in Korea and Sister Price is from Mesa!  She says she thinks she remembers Kelsey Miskin from high school... she went to Westwood. Sister Martin's description of the food is perfect... it is good, until it's not.  It is a lot like the Cannon food, but I don't think it is as good, but I definitely eat : D.  I don't really know what else to tell you about.  Life as a missionary is hard.  We have a couple investigators already (all either my teacher or a member of the church in the TRC) and it has been interesting to try and teach them.  We have been teaching Daniel everyday and it has been a great learning experience trying to figure out how to best invite him to come unto Christ and help him understand why he needs to change. I have really been trying to focus on learing to love them like Christ loves them, it is harder than I thought, but I can do it! : D

 

My district is great! They all make fun of me because I get so much mail : D. Thanks for all the letters and support.  I will try and make some time today to write you all back, but if you don't get a letter I still hope you know that I really appreciate hearing from everyone.  I have really been able to feel the love and support from everyone back home and that really makes a big difference. 

 

I have been able to see a ton of people around.  I saw Sister Grigg, Sister Martin, Sister Housley, Brother Starkie, and I believe I saw Eric Turner training to be a teacher! My district also makes fun of me that I know so many people here, but I guess it is just because I go to BYU.  Sister Housley and I were talking and it is true that it is weird to be looking out the windows and see the exact same view that we would see from campus, this world (the MTC) is so different than BYU, yet it is so close...it's strange.  Also one of the elders in my zone is an Elder Baughan!  (Tell Rebecca she has to tell Austin that I met his cousin Christian Baughan going to CA! :D)

 

It has only been like 15 minutes of writing this letter and I am running out of things to say.  Next time send me an e-mail with some questions : D.

 

 

Analisa-

I love you!!!!! Thank you so much for all your DearElders!!! They are the best! : D  I finally found your hidden letter in my suitcase and it made me smile, you are cute.

 

How is everything with your job? Have you been able to start any extractions yet?  How is Steve's job, he started on Monday right? I hope that will be good for him.  I love you all so much!

 

Also - I took a picture with Robin (sorry Sister Grigg) and will send it to you next week for the blog : D

 

 

Love you all!!!!

Sister Cook

Hi!

 

Thanks for all the letters, emails and prayers!  Arcadia is great, everyone lied when they said it was pretty and green though. California is definitely a desert, but it will grow on me, the weather is very nice and warm so I think I will like it.  My trainer is Sister Amataga.  She is from Samoa and basically amazing. No one can say her name right so she goes by Sister Beautiful! : D  We got here and President Becerra and his wife picked us up from the airport, we went straight to the mission home and had lunch then some time to write to our families and rest before we went off to our areas.  President had an interview with each of us and said the hope is to have one baptism a month, so Sister Amataga and I have been working very hard at finding, teaching, and helping less actives so that we can achieve that goal set by President Becerra.  My area is Diamond Bar South and we are living with a family, they are great! I get to drive everywhere since Sister Amataga doesn't have her license so it was fun to get here and automatically be the driver!  The ward is great and we have a good group of Ward Missionaries that have been helping us out a lot!  The first day I got here Sister Amataga had a lesson already lined up and a ward missionary ready to get to the lesson, it was great.  We even had an investigator and his less active wife show up to church this past Sunday so I think we are off to a good start! The eating situation has been great.  We have had dinner with a member family or less active every night and they take us out to eat a lot! I have been to Chili's, Chipoltle, a nice Mexican Restaurant, Pizza Hut, and we are going to In-n-Out tonight!  I am trying really hard not to gain weight, but now I see why it is so hard!  We did get to go on a big hike with all the Sister's in the Mission this morning and we exercise every morning, so I think it will be possible to not gain too much, but the family we are living with leaves us chocolates on our pillows every couple of days and it is very tempting!  haha well, life is good here in Diamond Bar.  I am so glad Mother's Day went well and you got my letters!  I will probably not have any time to write letters this afternoon because the hike took most of the day, but I will try to write people back next week. 

 

We only get mail once a week (Thursdays from the District Leaders because they pick it up from the office) and e-mail on Mondays. I am so glad the house is coming together! If you do send a package please do not send any candy!

 

Tell Ryan that I got his letter and his pictures and it was great and I hope he got to talk to his brother a lot on Mother's Day! 

 

I love you all!

Sister Cook

 

The pictures are me with all the Sisters in my MTC District (Sister Parker, Sister Denney, me, Sister Lee, and Sister Price), me and Sister Grigg, me and Sister Amataga, me and Sister Housley, and me in front of the big map! : D

 

PS It is 99% true I will be in the new Rancho mission! : D President has said 'probably' and 'most likely' but Sister Amataga still thinks she has a chance of staying in Arcadia, we will know by next transfer which begins June 23. 

Letter from Arcadia

Mom and Dad,

I made it to Arcadia! I am excited, but exhausted already. Sorry I didn't call from the airport it would have just been to much of a hassle. I got Cafe Rio for brakfast and Panda Express for lunch so I already feel spoiled! It is crazy that I am here doing this but I feel so blessed to have this opportuty and excited to get to work. They say we will be out and on the streets teaching by 2:30 and I wont know my companion and area until tomorrow. 

There are 19 new issionaries going to Arcadia and a bunch going to surrounding missions so we practically filled the tiny plane we took to get here, it is incredible how fast the work is progressing. It is funny that I have been writing so many people over the past couple moths but now I am writing home and have no idea what to say! I hope everyone is great back home, I love you all! Thanks for all the packages and letters, me and y companions have been amused by the randomness of the stuff inside.

I love you!!!

Sister Cook

PS they will send you a picture too!!!

Sis Cook's Mission President