Semana Cincuenta: One year in the mission

WOW time flies.  What even happened this week??  Can you believe that this week I will be completing ONE YEAR in the mission?  Wowza.  What a huge blessing to be serving the Lord.

Woops... I dont really remember what happened this week... all the days blended together... :)

Updates on investigators!

Diana and Michael:  They are just so great.  I love them!  They asked blessing this week for some challenges they have and the spirit testified so strong as the Elders used their priesthood power to bless this family.  They are reading the Book of Mormon daily and say they are in Alma!!! They have hymns and the proclamation hung up on the wall.. it is beautiful..... We found some old skirts of Hermana Corrales to bring to Diana so now they have NO excuses to not come to church.  But they didn´t come.  :( :( :( And they didn´t answer us and we dont know why.  :(  We called today to invite them to a family home evening with a GREAT family (Maria and Adrian) Thinking that maybe the problem is that they don´t feel comfortable with the members... but they said no because they don't like visiting peoples houses.  COME ON PEOPLE!! How are they going to ever feel comfortable if they don´t put themselves out there a bit!  I don´t know what is going on but we won´t give up on them!!!  They will be baptized and married... I just hope it is while I am here!

Ester:  Great as always... reading the Book of Mormon daily...has family home evenings now with her step son that is member.... (Francisco)  Francisco passed the sacrament yesterday!!! Yay!! But Ester and Gloriana and the fam didn´t come to church :(  Even though she already finished the whole 40 days thing.  She has ALL the lessons and is so ready to be baptized.  She just needs to go to church and... well... and get married.  Like the rest of Liberia.  

Everyone is doing well!  No one came to church.  Not one :(  I don´t know what more to do without pushing pushing pushing and convincing and forcing them to come..... I feel I can only teach with power and authority and the spirit and help them understand and then the rest is in their agency.  It is just sad when people make the wrong choice...

One more thing happened!! Well last week we got a new branch president... he is the husband of our cook and he is GREAT!  Well he completed years this week and so we all went to buy him a cake at the bakery... fast forward and the whole day I was searching for my planner... I could not find it ANYWHERE!! And that thing is very important.  Well turns out I left it in the fridge of the bakery!  haha.  The lady and I had a good laugh.  

The church is true.  Keep doing those little things.  Thank you for all you do for me.  I love you all SO much and every day it is confirmed to me that this IS the only true church.  And as always I have to give a shout out to yáll as my family... because everyday as I work with families here to apply the gospel in their lives... I see the blessings in my family and I am SO grateful.  We are so  SO blessed!! thanks for all you do.  Keep working hard to be a little better every day!! Thanks for everything.

Hermana Cook

Semama Cuarente y Nueve: Week of the Family

Hello one and all!! How are you all doing?  I had a beautiful week with many miracles and much growth.  I love the mission.

Monday we had a noche de hogar with sister Guiselle presidenta de primaria.  She brought some neighbors over and though they weren´t hugely interested it was beautiful to see the members participating in the obra misional!!

Tuesday we visited Ester... she is so great.  She knows the church is true... is reading DAILY El Libro de Mormón... and is working on dejando café.  She is a gem.  We just gotta getter married.  Also we had an activity tonight... this is the Semana de la Familia so every night we have an activity!  It is awesome.

Wednesday we went to Daniel Oduber and visited Marta... who this very day moved in with her boyfriend :( :( :( :( :( then Adrian and Maria gave us a referencia... we asked them who the first people were that came into their heads to share the gospel with and they told us the sister that lived four doors down... so we contacted her.. she received us!! Her name is Diana and she has two great children... they assist a different church but at the end of our lesson she said, "I dont know why... but I know that God sent you here."  It is such a blessing to be a representative of Jesus Christ and have people recognize the hand of the Lord in this work.  I love being a missionary!!

Thursday one of the young women visited with us all day!  We contacted all the menos activos and recent converts in Pueblo Nuevo because we haven´t gone to those parts in quite some time.  We said that we could not leave there without finding a new investigator.. and just as we were about to leave we chatted with a woman that said that members of the church have visited her much and she would love to hear our message!  Her name is Lizeth and her daughter is Abigail... they also go to a different church but they received our message well.  What a blessing.  As we strive to work and find people to teach.. the Lord always blesses us!

Friday we taught Mar.  We taught the Restoration and she... well... she said that she is very active in her church.........  I still think she will get baptized once she reads the Book of Mormon and can gain a testimony of that book.  It is truly the keystone of our religion!  We also taught Ester again and Marta (getting her all excited to get married) then Diana and Michael.  We taught them the Plan of Salvation and all is well!  Then we found a new investigator named Andrea.  She said she had been praying to be able to come closer to God.  She has a HUGE desire to change and to attend a church.  She has truly been prepared for a long time to recieve us!! She immediately received the invitation to be baptized.  what a blessing!!

Saturday we spent all day in activities at church... teaching piano and doing a childrens choir... a healthy afternoon where we taught the word of wisdom and shared healthy recipes from our countries (thanks Kelsey for sending me those like a year ago!! they came in really handy this week!) then a concert from the Liberian Symphony.  It was fun and we contacted a TON of non members that came!  

Sunday was the best day ever.  It started out awful because Diana and Michael (and all the other investigators) wouldnt answer us.  So we went to search for them at their house and their niece told us they didnt want to talk to us because they were watching tv.  So we went to church sad and without investigators... then these two little girls RAN to me and hugged me so big and gave me a leaf in the shape of a heart :) they are the daughters of Ester!! Even though she can´t come... she sent her daughters!! It was awesome.  But we were still a little bummed about all the other investigators and especially Diana and Michael.  We visited menos activos all day then went to a fireside where we watched the Area Presidency´s message on families.  something I noticed... the problem with ALL our investigators and those of Liberia also is the law of chastity.  Seriously!! And because of that none of them want to come to church... because this sin is SO weakening.  But the church is focusing SO much on the family.  Because the gospel and strengthening the family is how we can combat the evils of Satan and his attempts to get everyone with the law of chastity!  I love the gospel.  Then we went to church at  night... we brought Norma who is the mom of some recent converts (who are also less actives) and she accepted a baptismal date for the sixth of June!! It was a great blessing..  we walked in... and SURPRISE!! Theres Diana and Michael... sitting hand in hand ready to start Sacrament Meeting... they had tears in their eyes as they told of their day and their decision to come.  they wont be married this month... but we are still working with them.  I am so grateful  for the many miracles that we have experienced this week.  I feel so much peace and so much of the spirit and I have so much more to share but I am out of time!!  :)  I hope you all have the BEST WEEK EVER!  I love you!!

Hermanita Cookie!

This couple visiting Liberia texted us this picture of Hermanas Cook and Hermana Loza

Semana Cuarenta y Ocho: Wedding Planner

Hello everyone!!!! It was so so nice to talk to you all yesterday! In fact it was the BEST!  The time went by SO fast I couldn´t believe it... and I think we should have been able to have a call for every family member so everyone got their fair share of time... but hey that´s life :)  And the next time we talk I will be in the United States!! Can you  believe how fast time is passing?? I sure can´t!!! 

Well this week was great.  We had many spiritual experiences and found some pretty incredible people!!

Tuesday was consejo de liderazgo in San Jose... always a highlight of the month!

Wednesday I had an interview with President!!! He is GREAT and always helps me remain motivated and feel the Lord´s love for me.  I hope you all get to meet him soon!!  In the interviews he always reminds me a lot of Dad in the way he talks and shares the gospel and his counsel.  Man I´ve got a great dad.

Thursday we had divisions with the sisters in La Union.  It was so fun!! I was with Sister Carpenter.. a gringa... and now I know why I havent ever had a gringa comp.  They are SO easy to get along with and we just talk in english the whole time haha.  The Lord knows what He is doing.

DIANA AND MICHAEL

They didnt come to church this week :( But we are planning their wedding!! This week we will be selling arroz con leche and arroz de maíz in the streets to raise the money.  Yay!!!

ESTER

She is really great and will surely be baptized in June.  She cant go to church until she finishes her 40 days of having her baby.  But she is progressing and working on getting rid of café.  The only thing is that she isn´t married either... but hey I am gonna be pro at wedding planning!! (great practice for after the mish right??) :)

MARVIN AND LINDA

Were baptized on Saturday!!! Yaaaaay!!!!!! The whole family came and it was beautiful.  A recent convert baptized them.. it was his first time baptizing and struggled quite a bit..he needed someone like dad to practice with him and help him feel confident.  But it was a great service and Linda and Marvin came to their confirmation on Sunday in a shirt and tie and pretty dress... they looked like members all their lives :)

MAR

New investigator that is GREAT!!! She is recovering from cancer... and her husband recently became a drug addict and ran off with another female drug addict... it is really sad but she is so faithful and loves the Lord.  She is beautiful and so special to us already... she calls us her daughters and has shared all her experiences and is just great.  We hope to help her come to church and be baptized the 13th of June.

Only Marta and Jackeline came to church.  That is just the greatest struggle still.  I have made a promise with myself and the Lord that I will NEVER use an excuse to not go to church... Do you all realize just HOW important the sacrament is??????? We canNOT miss that.  There is no excuse good enough.  Sacrifice what it takes. 

Well that was the week!! So grateful for all of you and for the chance to skype you and to just have you as my family.  I am truly blessed.  I hope you all have the best week ever and keep working hard to reach your goal in the Book of Mormon!! :)  I love you more than words!!

Hermanita Galletita (thats what they call me now)

Marvin and Linda's baptism

Semana Cuarenta y Siete: We ate chalupas

Hola Hola!!! How goes it??? Very good.

MONDAY

We visisted Isabel.... she is just great... she accepts everything so easily and says that since we have started visiting her she has felt closer to her Savior.  She committed to come to church on Sunday!!!!!!! We will see if she comes through :)

Then we had a Noche de Hogar with Presidente Norton.  We ate chalupas (yummmmm) and Sister Norton gave us home made natural queso crema.  

MARTES

Ay ay ay.  The días are all blending together.  Well we visited Gina!! Have I already told you about her???  She was a reference from Elisa (recent convert) and we met her when she was at Elisa's house.  Then we went to visit her today and she was lovely.  She started telling us all her dudas and what she had heard about los Mormones.  Her whole life she had always said that she would NEVER listen to the Mormons or go to church because they are satanic :) but when she listened to us at Elisa's she liked what she heard and wanted to come to church to see!!  

WEDNESDAY

Today we found a beautiful family at the end of the day... we were walking and I said hola to a little girl and she was just so cute so we chatted with her then she ran to ask her mom if we could share something with them.... the mom let us in and she had an 8 DAY OLD baby!! We shared a message with the whole family and it turns out their oldest son was baptized like 3 years ago!! So now it is time for the whole family to join :) They committed to come to church!!! PRAYERS!

JUEVES

Today we had a Multi Zone conference with President.... It was SOOOO GOOD!! We aren't doing so hot with our key indicators this month so we all thought he was gonna scold us a bit... but it was just the most spiritual meeting.  He taught us about planning and teaching more powerfully.  He is a GREAT teacher and I am SO blessed to be learning so much from him!

FRIDAY

We visited Ester again...and Diana (remember her?? how she ran out calling us to see if we can teach her??) well we got to know her husband!! Michael! He asked SO MANY questions.  We was throwing out all these doubts and things he had heard... and very calmly and powerfully we answered every single one.  It is the best feeling to speak by the spirit.  At the end, they committed to be married and baptized the 23rd of this month and to come to church on Sunday!

SABADO

We taught Isabel again... sometimes she keeps her commitments... sometimes not...

SUNDAY

The family of Hermana Corrales came to surprise her!  So we spent the whole day in an air conditioned car :) que rico.  only Marta and Jackeline came to church :( good news... Marta is engaged!!!!!! she will at last live the Law of Chastity!! YAAAAY!!! They havent set a date yet because she really cant commit to anything... but I have faith! :)  

I sure do love you all!! I am now companions with Hermana Loza... she is Columbiana and is great!  I will learn lots from her.  Until next week!!!!!!

I LOVE YOU, Hermana Cook

An iguana in Guanacaste.  They are everywhere!

A resort.  What I thought Costa Rica looked like:)