2014-4-28 Miracles

Wow. Such an amazing week. With extra zing!!! lol

So first of all...Satan is so real. It's not even funny. Hahahaha...actually...it is. It's really funny.
So once upon a time my companion and I decided we were going to be super duper obedient in everything. It was going to be so awesome. We were so excited!
Ok anywho, since we have a problem with getting ready in the morning, I decided I was going to get up before 6 (we get up at 6 in this mission...be jealous..lol) and shower and all the getting ready jazz. Well I get into the shower, and try to turn on the water. False. We have no water. Don’t know why...but we don’t. So I go and tell my companion. She gets out of bed and goes outside to check the water gauge...thing..I don’t know what it is...but as she’s twisting and turning knobs, the dumb thing breaks and BOOSH!!! Water is shooting everywhere...with lots and lots of force. Like...2 stories high. This is no bueno because...well...water is everywhere and it's bad to waste water in Mexico. So at 6 in the morning, my companion and I are trying everything to put the dumb old pipes back together. No use. We were soaked from 6-10...when the best zone leaders in the world showed up to help. Bless their hearts. Anywho...we figured it was Satan’s fault because he knew we wanted to be super obedient and on time for everything...but because of the water fiasco...we weren't able to..that day. lol. But yeah...good times.

Okay, now for the good part.
SANDRA GOT BAPTIZED!!! YEAH FOR SANDRA!! It was so great. She was so happy and everything was just so amazing. The members are so very supportive and loving and wow...they definitely inspire me. I want to be like them some day. Always welcoming visitors and making them feel included. Such a blessing. Members are so great. Bless their hearts too!!
oh yeah...and on Sunday she was confirmed and received the gift of the Holy Ghost. Now all she has to do is endure to the end!!! Yahoo!!

More miracles!
2 of our investigators showed up to church. We were only expecting Javier, but Beatrize showed up too!! And it was so great. When we had talked to her, she was very hesitant about coming...especially for 3 hours. She said if she came it would only be for 1 hr. But she came and she stayed for all 3 hours...and participated!! It was amazing. And even more amazing....we had a visit with her today and she accepted to be baptized on 24 de Mayo!!! Wwwaahhhhaaattt!! It was so great. I gave her a Book of Mormon and she was so excited she kissed it. Never in my life have I seen someone so excited to receive a Book of Mormon. It was such an eye opener. The Book of Mormon really is SO amazing!!! It’s another testament of Jesus Christ, our only way back to God. A book that has the plenitud (fullness) of the Gospel. The plan that our Father has for us to be happy. Definitely worth kissing.

Anywho...yeah. My companion and I are definitely more blessed than we deserve.

OH, and more more good news...
I’m staying in Guasave!!! SUCH A BLESSING!!!
I love this area, my companion, the people, members, food, everything. It's so great. And I’m so grateful to be able to serve here for at least 1 more transfer.
But sadly my dear friend and zone leader, Elder Martinez was transferred.
AP!!! Aaaahhh yyeeeaaahh!!! I totally knew he would be an AP. He is the best missionary. Of pretty much ever. He’s going to be so great. Felicidades!(congratulations)

So another quick miracle...
We’ve been teaching this guy that we found in the area, but long story short...he’s a little bit...well...as his brother put it...he’s a 22 year old with a 14 yr old brain. He’s kinda...no se...but yeah. he has a really hard time focusing. Well we’ve taught him about 4 times and yeah. He does the commitments...but he's not changing...very much. and at times it seems pointless..
Anyway...on Sunday we were teaching him and his mom came out (all his family are less actives...he’s the only one that wasn’t baptized) and said how she is so glad  that we are teaching him and that she has been wanting to come back to church for a while. We talked and it was awesome. She mentioned that she needed help cleaning. So this morning we came and helped her clean...but in return she let us do our laundry and she said that we could use her computer for mothers day!!! Not sure if she has skype...but hopefully I will have all the details figured out by next week!!!!!!!

Anywho. Life is great and I’m SOOOO excited to be able to call on mothers day!!!

Love you all so much!!!
Go and read the Book of Mormon!!

Love,
Chae

2014-4-21 "led to a better land" 2 Nephi 10:20

Love my new companion, Hna.Rodriguez. She is a very happy person and it makes life so much easier. Moral of that story is always be happy and then everyone will around you will be happy and it’s just great. Be happy!! :)

Since I didn’t do a whole lot the first 3 weeks of this transfer...I’m getting to do it with Hna. Rodriguez. She is an expert on opening areas. She’s opened 3 other areas...so yeah. Super grateful for her knowledge. And her.

Um...so long story short. I don’t really have any mission money left because...well...it’s a long story. But yeah. With lots of trips to Obregon and back and cosas asi...yo no tengo. But I’ve been SO blessed!!! The members had NO idea that we were struggling with money but they have been feeding us and bringing us food and yeah. So blessed. God loves his missionaries...even if they don't always deserve it.

SANDRA LUZ!!!
She is the amazing lady we’ve been teaching. Almost 50 years. She was an investigator of the Elders before we got here...but yeah...she’s gold. Every time we come to teach her, she's reading the Book of Mormon or the folletos we gave her. Just super super super sweet and awesome. And her baptism is on Thursday!!! She is so ready and excited!! I’m so excited for her. She makes me feel so good. Even though I don’t say much when we teach, I really try to show my love and she has mentioned that. It feels good to know that not all my efforts are wasted. lol.

We had a special zone meeting with the president last Wednesday. Lots of good stuff. It was a very long meeting, but packed full of jam. lol. Anywho...as part of it, we went over all the characteristics of Christ found in Preach My Gospel. Something that stuck out to me was obedience...haha..it seems to be on my mind a lot lately. From scriptures we read and impressions I had, I remembered that in my Patriarchal blessing it says that I would been protected throughout my life. I always just assumed it would be because..well no se...but just be protected. But I really feel that that protection will come through obedience. And I’ve definitely experienced that already. Obedience brings blessings. Obedience to the commandments, rules, etc. So yeah...not trying to beat a dead horse hahaha. But it’s true. The end.

Anywho. Can’t believe that cambios are next Monday!! Not sure what’s going to happen...but one of my zone leaders gave me hope that I’d stay here... :) but he didn’t say anything...hahaha.
And speaking of which. I’m sad for cambios. I LOVE my district!!! We are so tight...like unto a dish (Ether 2:17). And for sure 2 of them are being transferred. :{ So sad.
Buuuut...that brings me to a scripture thought.
2 Ne. 10:20 "nevertheless, we have been driven  out of the land of our inheritance; but we have been led to a better land,.."
 I had one of my missionary friends read that on the bus ride back from Guaymas, and after he said, ok...why do you like that?
This is why...
The Nephites had been led to a land that they loved. Their inheritance. Do you think they wanted to leave a place where they were comfortable? Their home? I don’t think so. But they trusted the Lord. They might have been scared, worried, unsure, but they trusted him...and guess what. They were led to an even better land!! So applying that to now...I don’t want cambios because I am comfortable with where I am and the people I’m with. BUUUT...I need to have the faith that God knows what's up and H
e has a plan. Because he does have a plan. And it rocks.

So yeah. Keep up the faith and good works and obedience!!!

Love with all my heart,
Hermana Cook