Hello beautiful family. There is nothing more important to me than you. That´s why I had to leave you all you know. So that I could help others see how GREAT families can be... I love the gospel so much. And I love the mission. And I love YOU!
Okay so we had a great week! Truly. First of all... a scripture for the youth of my family... and maybe others. Search D&C 75:29... I am learning so much about how lazy I was before and also how dirty. The new phrase I learned this week is ´´lo limpio nos acerca a lo divino.´´ Let us always be anxiously engaged in a good cause... for the idler shall have no place in the church... :) Bueno.
So on Monday we went to the office for fingerprinting of my companion. We got home late and I threw up on the bus. Gross.
On Tuesday we had a nice day..we had been praying for three nuevos and had found two! then it was almost eight o'clock, and we had to go buy some food for the week because well we couldn't yesterday. So there we were in Palí... and suddenly a woman starts asking us about the toothbrushes. I called her Hermana and she about died with happiness that we were Christians. We explained who we are and what we do. She said, ´´Hermanas just tell me one thing.. Where is my mom? She died four days ago... where is she??´´ Right there in the super market we were able to testify to her about exactly where her mother is. She cried hearing about the Plan of Salvation and committed to come to an appt. at the church building tomorrow to learn more. We gave her a pamphlet and left in awe that the Lord helped us complete our goals even in the store. We can all do missionary work wherever we may be. Look for these opportunities! At work, at school, with parents of your children´s friends.. at McDonalds! It doesn´t matter.. as we pray to be able to share the gospel the Lord will bless us with opportunities.
On Wednesday we taught Rosa the Law of Chastity... she doesn´t want to get married... buuuut she doesn´t want to separate either. Ah man... Then we found some great new investigators that at the end couldn't accept a change of the ´´traditions of their fathers´´. can´t people realize all the blessings they are missing?? I felt a lot like Alma... (he and the Sons of Mosiah are my heroes by the way... the best missionaries ever!) When he said, ´´O Lord God, how long wilt thou suffer that such wickedness and infidelity shall be among this people? O Lord, wilt thou give me strength, that I may bear with mine infirmities. For I am infirm, and such wickedness among this people doth pain my soul. O Lord, my heart is exceedingly sorrowful; wilt thou comfort my soul in Christ. O Lord, wilt thou grant unto me that I may have strength, that I may suffer with patience these afflictions which shall come upon me,because of the iniquity of this people. O Lord, wilt thou comfort my soul, and give unto me success, and also my fellow laborers who are with me—yea,(Liberia1, Liberia 2, y Liberia 4, and all the other missionaries in the world)—yea, even all these wilt thou comfort, O Lord. Yea, wilt thou comfort their souls in Christ. Wilt thou grant unto them that they may have strength, that they may bear their afflictions which shall come upon them because of the iniquities of this people. O Lord, wilt thou grant unto us that we may have success in bringing them again unto thee in Christ. Behold, O Lord, their souls are precious, and many of them are our brethren; therefore, give unto us, O Lord ,power and wisdom that we may bring these, our brethren,again unto thee.
Luckily, we finished the day with Marjori.. the woman from the super market. She studied the whoooool pamphlet and we taught her everything.. in the church tour she felt the spirit so strongly in the baptismal font that she said, ´´ when can I be baptized??´´ She brought her twelve year old son and he too will be baptized on the 29th. what a blessing to all our prayers to find someone that keeps their commitments and WANTS to be baptized!! She is a miracle!
Thursday was good too... we taught some English (did I already tell you about the man that doesn´t want anything to do with religion.. so I am teaching him the gospel in english?) And ended the day practing the new mission song. I sent mi hija out to work with a member (her first time alone!) she did great. And I stayed with the sisters that are going to be singing. I had to whip our some of my inner Dad and remember my dictation practices because I had only heard the song in the office... and they didn't have sheet music and not a single cd or jump drive or ipod could read it (it was weird). So I had heard it on Monday and wrote out the notes for memory on Thursday and some chord parts. It was actually very fun. :) I wrote some harmonies too but well... my sweet latin sisters suffered too much with that so I took them out. :)
Friday we headed down at three a.m. to San Jose for the conference. It was a great conference! I was grateful to be able to go one more time even though I am not a leader anymore. I had a great spiritual experience and was able to accept the new ways of the mission... its not my style... it seems a little competetive but through the help of the Lord I have accepted it :) The song actually went great!! Afterwards everyone came to ask me for the sheet music and harmony parts and I said.. well.. I justt wrote out the melody and chords and made it up! Haha so now I have been asked to actually write it out with choir parts for when I leave other people can play it like I did. We ended with all the people that like to sing around the piano making up parts and stuff and I felt like I was in choir again... it was a blast :) Happy to be able to use the skills I learned in college and to see how they can bless others... that's something else I learned. One day it just hit me... I have talents... and I am going to keep studying and try to be my best... but it isn't about being THE best... it is about developing my talents to be able to bless others and further the kingdom of God. We can all do the same!! We all have talents and should look for the way to bless others through them..
Saturday was probably the best day ever. We started to pray before every lesson like we did in the MTC... and every lesson was so spiritual!! We literally felt like we weren't saying our own words. The highlight was when we started a lesson with a woman we had contacted... and ended that same lesson with her WHOLE family and their spouses. We found three new families in one lesson and they ALL accepted baptismal dates whole heartedly!!! What a blessing!! IT was a miracle. This IS the work of the Lord. I can´t do it... I´ve already tried... but when we put it in HIS hands... and trust in HIM... miracles happen! At night we had another appt. with Marjori but she missed the bus so we taught her by phone... it was actually a VERY spiritual lesson... and she is all set to come to church mañana!
SUNDAY... I had so so SO much faith that we were going to have 8 at church... so much faith! We did ALL we could and well.. we had three. :) Marjori and her son and Rosa (not rosa herbalife... rosa referencia de las hermanas) but hey!! that's THREE TIMES what he had last week. So next week we will triple again! The sad thing is that we learned that Marjori lives on the OTHER side of the new ward... so we had to pass her to the other sisters...... :( now I have to pray more specifically that we can find someone like her that is actually from our own area :) But It was a blessing to be able to introduce her to the gospel. She has already invited the whole world to her baptism and said that she already knows its the true church!!! At night.. the Servers invited us all over for cake and ice cream. They are just such a blessing. We are so sad because they are being changed to Puntarenas :( But the little happy news is that we will be moving into their house when they leave :) it is beautiful...
This work is just the best. I am so grateful to be here... so grateful to be serving.. so grateful for all your prayers and love and support. I pray for you all always and know the Lord is blessing you!!!!
I LOVE YOU
Sister Cook
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| I don't think it's vandalism. . . |
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All in a day's work
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| With Marjorie |
