Preparing for the Temple

Dear Family and Friends,

Next week we get to go to the Temple! So just be prepared when you don't hear from me next Monday that it is only because I get to go to the Temple that week. Sister Edwards and I are SUPER excited! I haven't been to the Temple since January so we have been looking forward to this for awhile!

This past week has been fun. We started the week very busy, as you know from my e-mail last week. Tuesday was packed! But, the rest of the week seemed to go by very slowly. We started to get pretty creative in our ideas of how to stay busy. We heart attacked most of our investigators and drew scriptures in chalk on some of the less active's in the ward driveways. We tried just walking around the outdoor mall in our area to see if anyone would talk to us, we made cute "sister missionary" thank you cards (I will attach a picture :D), and we spent a couple hours on Saturday just walking. It has been fun trying to be creative and stay busy. This coming week we should have a little more appointments so we won't have to spend so much time in creative thinking mode.

I have been studying a lot the past week from April Conference and I have realized how important it is for us to always be growing and progressing in our knowledge of our Savior and our ways to protect ourselves from the temptations of Satan. If we still only did what we were taught 10 years ago, we would not be strong enough to avoid the temptations today, but we have to constantly becoming stronger and stronger in our testimony of our Savior. It is amazing that we have every 6 months the opportunity to learn from those who know how to stay strong. I am very excited for Conference in a couple weeks.

I know that our Prophet, Thomas S. Monson is a true prophet of God. He really has been called and set apart to teach us what God wants us to know and do today. I would invite you to start now preparing for Conference and to be taught by our leaders, it is an incredible blessing we have been given.

I am grateful for all your continued support and guidance, you are all wonderful examples to me.

Love,
Sister Cook

The Atonement is Real

Sept 2, 2014

Dear Family and Friends,

I am so sorry I have to make this super short this week because we are really busy today, but I want you all to know that God is real and that the Atonement is real. I have had too many experiences this week feeling God's love and having Him reach out and help me so that I can help others. 

Please don't ever lose hope. Don't ever let Satan grasp your heart and enable you to feel that there is no light at the end of the tunnel because I am here to tell you that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. No matter how hard your life may seem God is there for you and will always help you. This Mormon Message teaches so plainly how I have been feeling the last couple of days regarding the people we have been trying to help. We need hope. We need to remember that we are children of God and we need to remember that Christ is there. I know and cannot deny that God loves each and every one of His children.

I know this Church is God's true church here on the earth today. I know that we have a living prophet. I am so grateful for my knowledge and testimony in Christ.

Love,
Sister Cook