Mercedes B With Elder Warner {Week 25}

Wow this week was crazy!! First of all, sorry that I haven’t sent out an email for like 3 weeks.  Things have been really crazy and I had a ton of emails to respond to and didn’t have time!!! So late Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! haha 

So on Tuesday I got my new comp! Elder Warner! He’s from Provo and he has 1 year on the mission!! He’s awesome!! We are super similar and get along really well!!!  We have been having a really good time here in Mercedes.  Something that I have learned so far on my mission is that patience and perseverance are key in life! haha December was a really hard month for me in a lot of ways, but I have learned that if we are patient in our afflictions, and keep going, things will get better!  Sometimes it’s just hard to be patient! haha.  But I truly know that God knows exactly what we need at the exactly right time.  

 

Elder Warner and I 

So this week we found someone awesome.  What happened, was a couple of weeks ago, we were waiting at a stop light on our bikes, and there was a kid on a motorcycle that was waiting too.  We were both trying to turn right (but here it’s illegal to turn right on a red)  So we were waiting and all of a sudden he turned to me and yelled "Where are you from?" in English!! That really caught me off guard! So I told him the US, then we started talking, but the light turned green, so we kept talking as we turned the corner. It was the weirdest contact though because after the light turned green, we kept talking after we turned for like 4 blocks! Riding side by side!! haha finally we pulled over and started to talk a little more. Turns out that he really loves English and wants to live in the states.  He was only 18 but he looks like he’s 26! He’s really cool! So we got his direction and went to the appointment that we had.  Later that night we were unlocking the door to the pench and all of a sudden a car honked at us!  It was him!!! He was driving to the store and he saw us opening our pench door! haha super weird!! 2 times in one night!! He’s awesome and it was a miracle to find him!! Tonight we have another appointment with him!  I’ll let you know how it goes!

We love our green Spanish books! (For all of you learning Spanish for your missions, use this! IT IS THE BEST!!) It is what makes you fluent faster! haha

Also, oh my goodness I am DYING OF HEAT!!! hahaha It is seriously SO HOTTT HERE!  I have a thermometer on my alarm clock and in our room it’s a good 90 degrees 24 hours a day!!  One night I wasn’t able to go to sleep because it was so hot and I was just laying on top of my bed until midnight.  Finally I had an idea, so I got up, went to the freezer and put some ice in zip lock bags.  I made 2 icepacks and laid them on my face/body in order to fall asleep! haha I’ve never been so hot in my life!  Then, that same night I woke up at like 4am dying again, but that time I was able to fall back asleep!! But it’s so crazy! I never thought that I would be this hot here!!  It’s also SUPER HUMID!! Like 90-100% every day here in Mercedes!  I’ve gotten used to just taking pure cold showers morning and night!! haha Elder Rojas my old comp always takes ice baths, I took a picture I send it (he takes them in his clothes so his clothes can stay wet and keep him cool) but yeah.  That’s the weather in Argentina right now.  How is it for you guys? haha

 

Downtown Mercedes, in front of the Catholic Cathedral

Well I love you all tons!!  I hope that you all have an amazing week!!

Un Abrazo,

Elder Cook

Christmas!! {Week 23/24}

Temple Picture

So we were able to talk to Elder Cook on Skype on Christmas!!  It was so good to see him and hear his voice!  He looked good and sounded good and his Spanish sounds amazing! He bore his testimony to us in Spanish and said a family prayer with us.  

He explained his area as similar to Provo.  There is a Mercedes A, Mercedes B and a Mercedes C (This is where the sisters are, it is in the middle of the city and is more safe.)

Elder Cook and his companion have the bigger areas, Mercedes A and Mercedes B.

He said that the missionary book about these areas had not been updated since last July, so him and his companion have been trying to figure it all out.  On transfers (Dec. 29th) he will be getting a new companion and be given either Mercedes A or B and his current companion will also get a new companion and be given the other Mercedes area.  The four of them will share the same pench.  

Christmas Eve

1.   How many people are in your new ward?  Is it smaller than your last ward in Castelar? 

 It is bigger, but most EVERYONE is inactive.

2.   How was your trip to the temple?  It was amazing!!  I loved it,  but I forgot my camera.

3.    What did you get to do on Christmas Eve?  We had dinner with the sister missionaries at a member's house.  What about on Christmas?  It was just like a normal day for us.  Christmas is hard for all the missionaries.  The calls are for the families.

That was all we got from him this week!

December 14, 2015 {Week 22}

If any of you have time, please send Elder Cook a letter or card to wish him a Merry Christmas!  HE WOULD LOVE IT!!!!!

Please send any mail to:

Elder Hunter Cook

Argentina Buenos Aires West Mission

C.C. No. 92

1702 Ciudadela

Buenos Aires

Argentina

This is all we got from him this week!

We had a multi-religious choir!! Catholics, Methodists, Evangelists and Mormons...
These are all the Mormons!!  The Mercedes Branch

-Elder Cook

FLASH!!!! {Week 21}

Last night with Elder Starr on the roof

Okay so this was the weirdest and hardest week of my mission probably!!! haha

So on Tuesday we got a call from President who said that he was going to open up Mercedes B (we are supposed to be in a pench of 4 but there is only 2 of us, so we are running the whole city by ourselves.)  So he said he was going to send 2 new elders out on Wednesday to open up the other half of the city.  We went home to start getting everything ready for them, and then 2 hours later we got another call from President and he said that he needed Elder Starr to go be a zone leader in Marcos Paz so I was going to get a new companion too!!  (This is called a flash because it's not in line with transfer meeting.)  So on Wednesday, Elder Starr left and 3 new elders came to Mercedes.  My new companion is Elder Rojas.  He is from Chile and he has 16 months on his mission.  This is good because now I really am going to learn Spanish haha!

My new comp. Elder Rojas from Chile

But then on Thursday, President called us again and took the 2 elders out of Mercedes B so he just left me and Elder Rojas!!!  SUPER WEIRD!!  So I just swapped companions basically!! haha 

Elder Dye and I on divisions!

Catholic Basilica in Lujan

But this has been super difficult for me because I don't really know the area very well or any of the people!!  But I'm expected to because I've been here for 2 weeks.  So it's been really difficult to know where to go, who to visit, and explain to my companion, who speaks Spanish, about all of our different investigators and menos activo familias that we are working with!!  Super FRUSTRATING!!!  Oh my goodness!! haha.  But yeah.  This has by far been the hardest challenge that I have had so far.  One of the hardest weeks of my life!!  I was sick on Saturday too throwing up, so that was a plus! haha 

Then on Sunday we had to go to Lujan for a training from the AP's.  But we didn't know how to get there by bus since we are both new!!  Finally after waiting at the bus stop for an hour we got on the right bus and got to Lujan, but then we didn't know where the church was in Lujan or where to get off!! hahaha So we got off like 40 blocks away... We went to call the elders of Lujan and we realized that we left the cell phone on the bus!!!!!  ahhhhhh!!! hahah so many problems!!  So we ended up taking a taxi... and luckily the taxi driver knew where the Capilla Mormon was! hahha  But yeah so the struggle has been REALLY REAL this week!  haha So I'm hoping that this week will be a lot better!  I know that after the trial and sacrifice comes the blessings, so I'm trying my hardest to hope for the best!!!  I know that Satan is trying really hard to discourage us, which means that we are close to finding "Nuestra Querida Familia"!!! 

River in Campo

So thanks so much for all of your prayers!! They really do help a ton!!

That's something that I have learned from this past week is the power of prayer!  We can pray at any time for anything!!  I don't know how many countless hours I've spent on my knees so far on my mission.  Especially this week!!  I love the song " Sweet Hour of Prayer."  "Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer, that calls me from a world of care, and bids me at my Father's throne, make all my wants and wishes known.  In seasons of distress and grief, my soul has often found RELIEF"!! I love my Father in Heaven and I am so thankful for the opportunity that I have to speak with him!  I know that he hears and answers every prayer that we offer!!  I know that he "matches with his own, the tears his children shed." 

We got caught in the biggest rainstorm ever and the roads all flooded

Rain haha

I testify that I know that trials really are what make us stronger.  They are HARD and HORRIBLE sometimes, but they really are for our good!  They are "The Lords mercies in disguise".  So to any of you who are going thru a tough trial, DONT GIVE UP!!  Christ is there.  Your Father in Heaven is there.  Just a prayer away!!

Love you all!! Thanks so much for all of your prayers in behalf of me, and all the other missionaries throughout the world!!

I love it here!

Elder Cook

Happy late Thanksgiving!!! {Week 20}

Okay, I dont know where to begin...  This week I had my first division with a Latino!  I was super nervous because I didn’t know how well I’d be able to communicate, but it was AWESOME!!  I was able to understand everything and speak everything that I wanted too!  I was with Elder Churasco from Chile.  He’s 26 and he’s awesome.  I’ll send photos!  

Elder Churasco

Also, I LOVE Mercedes!  It’s awesome here and the people are super nice!  It’s super weird though.  It's completely like a little Europe!  Everyone here is from a European descent.  Mostly Italians.  So I get a lot of good food!  They are nice too.  But they have their European pride haha. That’s a little difficult to work with, but we’re doing our best!  We have this awesome family in our branch who have a deep Italiano descent and they gave us lunch on Thanksgiving!  That was super awesome!  Hermana Cappacio made us a stuffed turkey with rolls and mashed potatoes, and we brought a gravy mix packet that we had!  It was super good and she made PUMPKIN PIE!   She is super awesome!   I love that family a ton!  So that was sweet...  

 

She dressed up like an Indian and has us be the cowboys haha

Thanksgiving dinner

Pumpkin pie!!!

Thanksgiving dinner--best meal from Argentina yet!

This week was a tough one though.  My comp, Elder Starr, was really sick.  We weren't able to teach as much as we would have liked to.  His body has problems with Argentina and the climate.  Right now it's getting better though because it’s getting A LOT warmer!  It seriously is like 100 degrees and a lot of the days feel like 100 percent humidity!  But I guess that’s just Argentina for ya.  I’m glad I’m not freezing in Utah right now!  

Today we went to the Lujan Zoo!!!  That was AWESOME!!  I got to get in the cage with Lions and Tigers and Bears and Elephants and a bunch of animals!!  It was sweet and I have a ton of pictures!

Something that I learned this week and put into practice because of Thanksgiving, is about how strong gratitude actually really is!  I have found that every time that I feel a little down, sad, or tired I offer a prayer just of thanks.  Thanking God for everything that I do have and everything that I really am grateful for!  It really changes my way of thought and my feelings EVERY TIME!!  I challenge you all to try it.  It seriously helps a ton!  I’m grateful for all of you and for everything that you guys have done for me in my life!  I’m grateful for the opportunity I have to serve my Savior and help my brothers and sisters.  I encourage anyone who is thinking about going on a mission to DO IT!!!  It seriously is the best thing ever!  Don’t get me wrong, it’s the hardest thing that I’ve ever done, but it definitely is the best!  I’m grateful for this opportunity and it’s already going TOO FAST!!  I’ve almost been out for 5 months!!  So crazy!!

Well, I love you all!!

Elder Cook

Mercedes!!!!! {Week 19}

Me and Elder Starr at the river before it flooded

 Ok so my new area is Mercedes!!! It seriously is the best area ever!! It’s super campo and city at the same time.  It’s SUPER European too!  There’s a super, strong Italian background.  Everyone is super nice here and I seriously feel like I’m in downtown Provo on some of the streets!  It’s the most that I’ve felt like I’ve been in the states my entire mission!  

The river after it flooded.  (The bank is supposed to be where the closest trees are)

My comp is Elder Starr!  He has 20 months on his mission.  He is from San Diego, CA and is super awesome!  He’s super funny like Elder Paskett and I know were going to have a great time together!

I seriously love Mercedes tho!  We have bikes and it’s super campo(fields).  I love how tranquilo it is.  We are also staying in a pench for 4 elders but it’s just the 2 of us so we have a lot of space!!  We have bikes too, which is awesome!  We are like 3 hours away from the offices tho, so if we ever need anything... we usually have to wait until transfers.

Weird horse dolphin we found

I saw SO MANY miracles this week!  Seriously!  I got here with the goal to fool people into thinking that I had more time on my mission than I really do with my Spanish.  Before Elder Paskett left, he gave me a blessing cuz I was kinda nervous and stressed about a new comp, new area, being done with my training, etc.  He gave me one of the best blessings that I have ever received!  He blessed me that I would be able to understand the people and communicate what I needed too, also that I would be comforted and know that everything was going to be alright.  I got here and seriously THE GIFT OF TONGUES IS SO REAL!!  I’ve been able to seriously understand basically EVERYTHING!  and I’ve been able to express myself!  I’ve fooled most of the members in our branch that I’ve been out on the mission for a year!  Priesthood blessings are real!

Mac & Cheese and Garlic bread

So Mercedes is just a SUPER, LITTLE BRANCH!  It was crazy to see how many people came!  We literally had 4 people in opening exercises of priesthood!  I also was asked to bear my testimony and give a little talk because the people that were supposed to be talking didn’t show or something.  It went really well!  I love it here and I can’t wait to get to know the members even better!  

Small little house (but they had to have their directv on the tree haha)

Well I’m super excited to be here and can’t wait to see what the Lord has in store for the people here of Mercedes!  Love you all a ton!  Sorry that this is pretty short today!  Next week I’ll explain more.

Love you!

Elder Cook

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