5/10/2013

How is everone? I loved reading all of your emails, and hearing what's going on. It's good to hear that you all are doing well, and doing exciting things! Thanks for the pictures! The trees look beautiful! 

Well wow, I've been a missionary for a week and a half basically. Crazy, crazy. I love it!!! It's been challenging, but so rewarding. I feel like a completely different person since when I arrived at the MTC. I've learned so much! I'm a lot more comfortable teaching, and I think that I'm getting used to the Missionary Schedule. :) I'll just give a little summary of what I've done each day since I last wrote.

Saturday- We had our lessons and We taught our first lesson to our "investigator", Marie. We asked her to be baptized!....she said no.:) It's ok though! It's good when they do that because then you know how you can help them! We also asked her to pray out loud with us!....she said no. :) but it's okay! We're learning together!

Sunday- One of the BEST DAYS EVER! We had Sacrament meeting, which as really good! We also had a wonderful mission conference, and guest speaker Chad Lewis! They were all so great, and I learned so so so much. The thing that really made my day was watching a devotional that Elder Bednar gave a few years ago called " Character of Christ" Oh my goodness. If you haven't seen it before, FIND IT! It is one of the most amazing talks I've ever heard, and it really inspired me to be the best missionary I can be. It was wonderful!

Monday- This was kind of a hard day for me, but I learned so much. I got a nasty little cold (don't worry, it's almost gone now) but it made it hard to concentrate. We taught Marie again ( She prayed

this time woot woot!), and we also taught our TRC investigator Gabby. We didn't have a lot of time to prepare for Gabby, and I guess I just felt like the lessons could have gone better. I look back now, and see how we've learned though so it's good!! We've learned this week to not be too hard on ourselves, and focus on depending on the Lord, and doing our best. :)

Tuesday- Was a great day! We had a fantastic devotional by a member of the seventy. He and his wife were so sincere and earnest. We met afterwards as a district and had a testimony meeting. The spirit was so strong. They had I felt like I heard things I needed to hear. We also had lessons and taught Marie again. It went well!

Wednesday- Was SO AWESOME! We taught Marie and Gabby again, and it went soo good! The lesson with Gabby was especially great! It was our last time meeting with her (sad day.) But we left really feeling like we had touched her! I was doing a happy dance when we got back to the classroom. A reverent happy dance, that is. :) In the lesson we taught about the Book of Mormon, shared parts of it that had influenced our lives, bore testimony, and challenged her to read 3 Nephi 11. It was so awesome! The spirit was so strong, and we learned that, that is what really makes the difference.In order to be a good missionary, it doesn't really matter what you say it matters on if the spirit is there, and if you're following it. I also personally learned how happy missionary work can make you, it was seriously one of the happiest moments of my life. :)

Thursday-We did a thing called In-Field Orientation. It's a bunch of workshops that you go to, to prepare you to go out into the field. It was really good! I learned a lot about my purpose as a missionary, and it made me more excited to leave next week!

Today-We went to the temple! Hooray! It was really good. :) That's pretty much what we've done so far. We'll do laundry and boring stuff like that later today. :) We also meet a new TRC investigator tonight! We pretty much know, nothing about them. So that will be a little different. We'll just have to rely on the spirit! :)

My district is good! It's a great bunch of Elders and Sisters. I'm glad that we all get to fly out  together. We have a lot of fun. I get along with my companion, Sister Woodward, really well! She's so nice, and we have similar personalities and teaching styles. So, as you can see I'm doing well! I know that this is where I'm suppose to be, and it's been absolutely amazing having all these experiences! I'll be leaving Tuesday morning! AHHH! :) Our plane takes off around 8:45. I've taken some pictures, but apparently you can't upload them to the MTC computers? If you can, I have no idea how and neither does anyone in my district. :) So I'll send them to you when I'm out in the field!

I love you all so much. Thank you for all of the support, love and prayers. It really means the world to me that you guys support me so much. Have a fantastic week! And let me know how everything is going! I love hearing from all of you so, so much! "I love you, I Love You, I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!" Next time I write, it will be from California! :)

Love,

Sister Cook

P.S. Don't forget Scriptures! :)

P.P.S Don't forget to take those names to the temple! :)