Ending my training!! {Week 18}

Wow it's so crazy where the time goes!!! I'm a "real" missionary now! haha but this was the CRAZIEST WEEK of my entire mission!!! I was super sad to have Elder Paskett go home because he has seriously became my best friend!! He's going to stop by the house and bring you guys some stuff... so treat him great! He seriously changed my life!  So this week we found out that our area was being "white washed".  It's when they take out both of the missionaries in the area, and the new ones they put in, know nothing about the area, the investigators, or anything... they just have the area book to work with. Anyways, that's what is happening to our area because apparently they needed a safer place to put sisters.  So I'm leaving Parque tomorrow(Tuesday).  It's such a bitter sweet thing!! I had no idea how much I fell in love with this area and these people!!! They seriously have such a special place in my heart... I'm going to send you guys photos with the members and converts that changed my life! (See below)   

Giant Sanja

So this Friday we found that we were being white washed so I had to start packing and cleaning up the pench for the Hermanas!  We seriously were stuggling so much to get everything done!! On Saturday, it was our last day together because Elder Paskett had to go to the offices, so we went and said our goodbyes to everyone! It was literally one of the saddest, hardest things I've ever done in my entire life!! I didn't realize how much I loved these people!! When we told a recent convert family that we were leaving, they started crying, which made me start to cry, and it was just a big hot mess! haha I'll send the pictures of all of the members that were so amazing that I'm leaving behind, and write a little bit about them.. so this email is going to be a little short!! 

Last pic with Elder Paskett 

Oh I found out from President that we are able to go to the temple on December 23rd for Christmas!!!!! I AM SO EXCITED!!!!!! I miss the temple sooooooooooooooooo much!!! It's the best Christmas present ever!!! But yeah.. since Elder Paskett left, I'm in a trio with the Elders that are in the area next to Parque until tomorrow when the transfers are... I found out that I'm going to the zone of LUJAN!!! I'm soooooooo EXCITED!!  That is the place that I've been wanting to go the most!! It's like "mid campo" which is super tranquilo and awesome!  I can't wait! I can't wait for my new comp either!!!  

A cool experience that we had this week... as we were saying goodbye to the recent convert familia that was crying, I felt the spirit so strong to leave them with my final testimony about temples!!  I remember just telling them to do everything in their power to make it to the temple, because it's there that we recieve the greatest of God's blessings!  The spirit was so strong and I realized that that is the greatest goal anyone can have!! To go to the temple, make covenants, be sealed, have a family and perseverar hasta al fin!!  That's the greatest thing you can do in life.  That's what will bring you to the celestial kingdom one day to finally rest from all of your labors!! I thought about how wonderful the moment would be when Christ would say at judgement, "Well done thou good and faithful servant, you're DONE! You don't have to suffer anymore! You don't have to feel any more sadness, any more stress! YOU DID IT! Now enter into my REST! There is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father!" How great would that be to hear!?  I can't even imagine how it would be to hear that! That's what were doing here right now. We are preparing so we can hear those words!

There was another lady who was less active, that Elder Paskett and I reactivated, that came up to us after sacrament yesterday and started bawling and telling us how greatful she was for what we did for her.  She said that she was going through a really hard part of her life, her husband cheated on her and left her with a 5 year old CRAZY son!  I didn't realize that we had helped her that much! I didn't realize that she felt that way!  It made me realize that even though we didn't have any baptisms in Parque, we did change lives and help people! Which I'm grateful that I was able to do that!  

It was super hard to say goodbye to Elder Paskett but I'm ready!!! I can't wait to get to my new area as a trained missionary! I know I'm going to see miracles!! I already have seen so many! They occur everyday in this work!!  This truly does bring greater joy than I have ever experienced in my life!!  It's super weird because it's SUPER HARD, but it's THE GREATEST!! I can't explain it!! haha

Well I love you all! Thanks for everything and all of the prayers!

They are seriously the BEST!! He is super rich and he loves just doing anything for the missionaries!  He sends us take out food like 4 times a week!  And his wife is the sweetest lady too! They really care so much for us and would do anything for us!! They are seriously my Argentine family! Mom don't worry, these people take great care of me!  She is my other mom!  I wish I could have you send them an email or somehting and thank them because they seriously have done so much for me!! I love them so much!

This is a family that was less active that we reactivated, and now she's preparing to go to the temple!  Super exciting!!

This is the family that cried that we had an amazing experience with about the temple!! I love them so much!! They were super sad to say goodbye to the Elders! They made us a cake too! That was super good! One of them is preparing to serve a mission!! I have so many stories about them! We have pretty mcuh worked with them 2-3 times a week since I've been here!! They wrote us notes that were super sweet! I love them!!

This is a progressing investigator that we found and were teaching! She has a fecha for the 26 of December!!! But, she is juntada so she has to get married... which is a struggle

This is a less active family that we found and have been teaching.  They are so awesome and are now preparing to go to the temple!

He is 16 and lives with his brother, sister, and his sister's boyfriend.  They are members but are not active. His dad died and his mom lives somewhere else!! We were working with him and now hes going to church!! We are trying to help him get on a mission!! I feel super bad that we have to leave him!!! I love him and I hope that he keeps working on the mission! It will change his life!

This family made an asado for us! (Meat/bbq thingy)

Love you!!!

Elder Cook