August 11, 2014 - Final Email

Such a weird thought that most of you I will see in a couple of days. This week I have spent heaps of time reflecting on the last two years and I don't think I realize how much I have changed. I was reflecting on experiences and things I have learned and the list amazes me how much I have gone through and knowing that there are probably things that should be added that I haven't realized yet. There is too much to list here but the biggest thing I have learned is that God lives and we really are His children. This is one of the most basic doctrines of the church, yet after we know and understand that, everything else falls into place. We understand why there is a need for commandments. The Atonement of Christ becomes more personal, and while we may not fully understand why bad things happen, we accept them and know where to turn for help when they do. That is the greatest thing I could have learned and nobody could have some of the experiences I have gone through and say that God doesn't exist. I may not have seen him like Joseph Smith or other prophets, but I don't need to see him to know that He is there. The last two years have changed me so much and I know that I am becoming the person my Father in Heaven wants me to be.

Thank you so much everyone that has helped me in my life to get to this point. Thank you everyone for your prayers and support.

Love,

Elder Cook

August 4 2014

This has been such a weird week. The closer I get to going home the more I can't comprehend it, but I am excited to see everyone soon. I started a little packing last night to get my stuff organized, and it is weird because I have packed quite a bit on my mission having served in 9 areas, but this one is so different because it will be the last, well kind of I guess I will be packing in a couple of weeks to go to Provo, but the last time in Australia, and the last time my life has to fit into two suitcases. This week was a bit frustrating as far as missionary work goes. We met some really nice people and talked to some of them for ages but they did not become new investigators yet, but hopefully this week we will be able to sit down with them and teach them a lesson. This week should be good because we have quite a few appointments and are still trying to set more. My goal is to be as busy as I can and that way this week will pass by really fast, or else this could be a really long week. Today for P-day we are going to a wildlife park which will be fun to see Australian wildlife for the last time. I really hope everyone's week is good and I will see most of you next week, which is a bit mind blowing.

Love,

Elder Cook

July 28, 2014

This week went by so fast I really have no idea where the time went. But it is better for time to move fast than move slow. On Thursday we had interviews with President Lindsay. It was probably my shortest interview. Basically it was keep going and I will see you in a couple of weeks for your departing interview. It was fun, and I always enjoy getting to talk with President Lindsay. On Friday we had a massive service project as a mission. There was a group trying to break the world record for the number of trees planted in an hour. It was really fun but a little stressful. Each person had to plant about one a minute, but it was easier than we thought, everyone finished in about 40 minutes. It was really good to be able to see heaps of missionaries that I haven't been able to see in a while before I go home. Then Saturday was the baptism of the kid that we have been teaching. It was really good to see the family so excited. Hopefully they will start coming to church more and eventually get the dad baptized. It was also good to see a baptism before I go home, even if it may not count as a convert baptism because he is 8, it is still a baptism. 

It is funny I forgot that it was pioneer day. I wrote it in my planner but forgot about it. Nobody really does anything for pioneer day over here, I am not even sure people know it exists

I hope everyone is doing well. Can't wait to see everyone in two weeks!

Love,

Elder Cook

July 21, 2014

So I really can't think of a worse way to start the week off. On Tuesday I found out that the lady I helped baptize when I was in Kalamunda ward has a brain tumor. So yeah this didn't start out fun. But I was able to see her a couple of days later and talk to her about it and she has accepted it and was making jokes about it. But the week got better. We had mini missionaries from North Coast Stake starting Friday arvo and went to Sunday evening. It was a really good experience. I also enjoyed it because I was able to see heaps of people from my past areas. Also the mini missionary we got was amazing. He was an investigator when I first came into Heathridge. He wasn't in our area but in the other missionaries, but I was still able to get to know him. At that point he wanted to be baptized but his parents wouldn't let him and he was only 16. But it really impressed me how he would always come to church. Then he moved to Butler the week before I moved up there and he continued to impress me being in his ward at how much he loved the Gospel even though he was limited because of his parents. Then when I was in Karratha I heard that he was baptized and that really made me excited. I had seen him once at a fireside after that and it was good to catch up with him. But it was really exciting to see him serve a mini mission and be preparing for his mission in the next couple of months. It was really exciting to see how much he has grown in his knowledge of the Gospel over the last two years. He has always been a person that inspired me so I was so blessed to be able to spend the last couple of days with him. So this week was hard, but the ending was pretty amazing. 

Love,

Elder Cook

July 14, 2014

This week was a good week, and I keep falling in love with this ward. On Monday I went over to a family's home in the ward. We were talking and it turns out that he knows someone from our stake at home. How crazy is that? He has been over and visited them and knows their older kids. Who would have thought that anyone here would know anyone from home? It still blows my mind. 

We have also been working with a part member family. The Mum is a member but less active and the husband is not a member. Their son is 8 and wants to be baptized. he was going to be baptized last transfer but the bishop pushed it back to try to encourage the parents to come to church more. This week the ward mission leader talked to the family and the Bishop and feels that if the son gets baptized and comes to church on his own he will lead the family to church more, so in about two weeks he is going to be baptized. While it is not a convert baptism it has been really good for us to work with the kid and he knows a lot about the Gospel. 

We also had zone conference on Friday. It was good being able to hear from president and sister Lindsay. It was also cool being able to see other missionaries from other zones before I go home. At the end of it we had a short testimony meeting. Right before that started the wife of the ward mission leader was helping with the food and walked in with her kids. It was so weird seeing how much they have grown and realizing that almost two years have gone by, and thinking about how much I have grown, and memories from the last two years came flooding back. That is when it started to hit me that I have been gone for two years. It was a trunky moment, but because I was thinking about the last two years, not about going home. 

July 7, 2014

I am really excited to be here in the Swan View area. At first I was not too happy when I found out, but being here a week I am glad to be here, and slightly sad to only be here for 6 weeks. We have a decent size teaching pool which is better than the last couple areas I have been in, well actually most of the areas I have been in. The flat is pretty new so it is nice and the ward has been great so far. Everyone was pretty excited on Sunday because on Saturday there were 5 baptisms in the other two areas so the ward is excited. Our ward mission leader is amazing, he is so involved with our investigators. The family that got baptized is from South Sudan in Africa and the ward mission leader is Tongan and promised the boys that after the baptism he would roast a pig. So on Friday evening we were close to his house and I suggested we drop by so I could meet him, and that was when he was about to kill the pig. So now I know how to kill, skin, and gut a pig. It was really funny watching him, he was enjoying himself a little too much. The bishop is also amazing and is really focused on missionary work. I don't think I have served in an area where the bishop and ward mission leader were so excited. I also know quite a few families in this ward that have moved from areas I have served in before. 

Also I will not have many chances to go souvenir shopping so if anyone wants anything please let me know, I have some ideas but not for everyone so ideas would be really helpful.

Love,

Elder Cook