Wow... where have the days went? Literally the days have flown by!!!! I feel like I just barely got here! Now my distirct is the second oldest in our zone! On Tuesday we will be the senior district! So weird!!! So much happened this week. Being a missionary especially in the MTC is kinda an emotional, spiritual, and physical roller coaster haha. One day you feel so amazing and feel like you can do anything, then the next you feel like garbage and dont have any energy. Its kinda rough but I just have to remember that “I can do all things through Christ which strengthenth me." Our P-days end at 6pm so last Thursday mi companero y yo taught our investigator Sami who is our teacher Hermana Lamb.. It went so well! That day in the temple we were praying to know her needs and how we could apapt our lesson to meet her needs. We went into the lesson with the strongest spirit! We taught about Christ's atonement and our dependance on him. The spirit was the strongest it has ever been in any of our lessons and we litterally teach about twice a day and sometimes 4 times. We connected really well and I truly felt a love for Sami and wanted to help her! Afterwards she came up to me and my companion and said that it was the best lesson that she has ever had taught to her in all the time that she has worked at the MTC! She said in some points she was forgetting that she was acting as an investigator because the things that we were saying were applying directly to her as herself and what she needed in her life! This boosted our confidence a lot. Of course it wasn't because of us. The spirit was the teacher. We were just the mouth pieces!
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| Mi favorito distrito, minus Elder Schwartz who couldn't make it on the walk. |
Here at the MTC I see miracles daily. There have been so many experiences that have positively impacted my life! Sometimes I struggle with doubt in my ability to teach and to speak the language and I usually get really nervous before we go and teach but there have been SO MANY tender mercies! This is truly sacred ground. I have felt the power of angels around me helping me. There are unseen forces constantly with those who are seeking to do the Lord’s work. I know that my ancestors are here with me helping me through all the difficult times. Don't think the MTC is all fun and games.. Like I said it is a huge roller coaster haha, and I wouldn't be able to stay on the roller coaster if it wasn't for the help of my Savior, and those guardian angels, and all of your guys’ prayers, so thank you so much! I want you all to realize the deep love that Heavenly Father has for each one of you personally. There are not even words to describe. I testify that when we ask God SINCERELY, and DILIGENTLY seek Him, He WILL come to us. It’s a promise. God always keeps His promises. Also, please read the BOM every day! You will be amazed by the power that you get from it. I have seen that here at the MTC and with the investigators that we have taught.
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| We walk by this statue every time we go do our laundry and feel a special bond, because we are always carrying our clothes like him....hahaha |
On Sunday, we had mission conference, which is a huge conference with everyone in the MTC where the MTC presidency speak. There were over 2,700 in attendance! So crazy! It was one of the best meetings I have been to. There were so many things that were said that answered my prayers and applied directly to me! I love Sundays!! It’s the one day of the week that I don't feel stressed. Even P-days are stressful but Sundays are the best! We have a MTC wide devotional every Sunday night and then we get to go to a movie.. This week my district went to the Joseph Smith movie. This Sunday was really awesome tho cuz we had mission conference in the morning, then church, then a devotion from Sheri Dew at night. She is the lady that you see on the Deseret Book commercials who is like the CEO or something. Anyways, her address was AMAZING! We also get the chance to get devotionals on every Tuesday night too! This tuesday was very special! President Russell M. Nelson came to speak to us. ME and my district joined the MTC choir so we could sing for him.. It was also broadcasted to all of the other MTC's around the world! I’ve never sang for that many people before! haha. It was a really awesome experience! The spirit in the whole entire meeting was completey different from all of the other devotionals that I have been too. Even the opening prayer was so powerful I was almost in tears haha. It was cool to think that he could be the next prophet because he is now the President of the Quorum of the Twelve.
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| Here's my zone. I love my branch presidency. All of them have a special place in my heart |
So the past week I had noticed that my language speaking skills were dropping. I realized that I wasn't qualifying for the gift of tounges because I wasn't putting in enough effort to learn the language as I should have been doing. I made new goals and I have already seen such a drastic change. This is another witness to me of the gift of tounges. I made it a goal to SYL (speak your language) so only speak Spanish as much as I can. Then when I’m trying to say something and I don’t know how, to write it down and look it up.. It’s not too fun to carry a dictionary everywhere you go, but it is worth it! I had a language assessment yesterday and the guy told me that I was at a 4. The scores are 1-7 1: knowing little to none and 7: native speaker... so I guess I’m half fluent? haha. He said that if I committed to speak only Spanish for the next 3 weeks that I could be at a 6! I know I can only do this with the Lord. With the Lord everthing is possible! There is no limit to how high you can succeed. The only limits that exist are the ones that you place for yourself because of doubt and undedication. I’m getting really good at understanding what people are saying and teaching the lessons in Spanish. I don't have to have planned out phrases anymore of what I want to say. They just come. And when I dont know how to say something I can usually work around it by saying what I do know how to say.
I have seen so many people from PG here! It's so awesome to be able to see familiar faces! Quaid told me that he got reassigned to Mesa, AZ because his visa didnt get approved... That made me really nervous about mine! haha So please pray that I will get my visa! I just want to get to Argentina! I’m soooooooooooooo EXCITED! I just want to go out there right now!
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| Elder Cook and Elder Freeman- Elder Freeman is in my same building...we talk usually every day |
Thanks for your prayers and for your support!
Love you tons!
Elder Cook
P.S. Thanks to all those who have sent me letters or dear elders.. It really means a lot. I love hearing from you and about whats going on. I’ll try and reply to you asap.
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