Hey how is everything going!!!! Well I am now on the
Reservation and it is pretty awesome out here! I am loving it so much! I
am going to miss Farmington but out here it is just really cool so far!
There are a lot of really nice people out here! We have a ward and our
Bishop has only been a member of the church for two years! It is pretty
crazy! We have about 30 people to church! But it is really spread out
here! We actually live in Many Farms which is south of Round Rock, But
our area is from north Many Farms to Rock Point. Round Rock is in the
middle! It takes about 40-45 minutes to get from one end of our area to
another and that is just on the one paved highway that goes through it.
Everything else branches off of the main highway and they are all dirt
roads and they go back pretty far! This area is going to be hard to get
used to, because it is so big and there are no directions. To get to
someones house you would say its about 7 1/2 miles north of Many Farms
and then you follow the dirt road for about 2 miles and our house is the
one in between the red hooghan and the blue trailer.... Ha it is hard.
And there is a lot of land to cover. We go on top of Mesas and stuff.
Some people live really far out in the middle of no where! Some don't
even have electricity and no running water. It is pretty hard to see.
There is a lot of poverty out here. But the people are really nice and
we drive a lot! A normal day is probably get up and do studies,
including Navajo study for an hour which is cool, and then eat lunch and
then start work. We start in Many Farms and work our way north trying
people and then we come home and try people on the way home. We probably
average about 3 lessons a day. People are home a lot of the time
because they don't really go anywhere else except at the first of the
month when they get their money. But this area is pretty great! We had 3
Confirmations this last Sunday and also we have to teach the Gospel
Principles class every other week! And sometimes Priesthood. There is not
very many strong members out here. So they only have people with a
couple of callings. But it has been growing a lot in the past 6 months
so I am excited! Also to send me mail, it is still to the Mission
office. They will just redirect it here. But if it is a package then it
has to be priority shipping or else I wont get it until I go into
Farmington which we don't do very often. But yeah my new companion is
Elder McCarrey and he came out with me! So we both burned our ties a
couple days ago because we hit our 6 month mark! Which is crazy! It went
by so fast! We live in a trailer with another set of Elders that cover
everything south of Many Farms. There is a set of Senior Missionaries
that live just right across from us. That is actually where we are
emailing right now! We are teaching a lot of
really good people and most every time I go into a lesson I feel the
spirit so strong! The people here are really spiritual and I have felt
the spirit stronger here then anywhere else I have been! The felling is
just so great and I cant explain it! I am just so happy here! It is
really a great place to serve! We are trying to build up the church and
one thing that we are trying to think of is activites that the kids can
do for Mutaul. So if anyone has any ideas then that would be great if
you could let me know! Anyway that is all I can think of right now! But I
hope everyone had a great Christmas and also New Years!
Elder Cook
Jan. 13
Well this week was awesome! We found some new investigators that are way
cool! But this area is pretty crazy! Almost everyone here has been
baptized but no one comes! But there is a scripture in D&C that
talks about the blossoming of the rose for the Lamanites! I think it is
in section 49.... Somewhere around there. Or maybe in the 20s. I cant
remember! But here we are building the ward up so that they it will
blossom! I just realized it this last week! I have been noticing people
that the Lord has prepared to make the foundation of the church here
really strong! Like our bishop has been a member for two years and he is
awesome! Also there are people that we are teaching that I can just
feel that they are the elect that are really strong and they are going
to help build up this church! It is awesome! But we have about 30
members to church each week and we teach the Gospel Principles class and
sometimes Priesthood and really whatever they need us to teach. A lot
of the time without warning! Ha it is good though! Anyway there is this
person named Simon who is a less active and he is way prepared! He
studies the Book of Mormon all day and also the teachings of the
Presidents books and he is way smart! We just got him to come to church
this last week! He wants to get the Priesthood too! But yeah a normal
day here is to drive a little bit and get out and knock on a house or
two and then get back in the car and go somewhere else and knock on
other houses like 3 miles down the road! Ha our area is like 50 miles
one way and then I don't know how many the other way! I still haven't even
been to a lot of my area! It is crazy! Also this last Saturday we
helped with a Funeral here and it was a good service! We had to be the
casket carriers though and that was kind of scary because they don't have
a machine that lowers it so they gave us rope and we had to lower it in
the grave and we did not want to drop it! But it all worked out and
they invited us to their lunch after and they did a little ceremony
which was kind of different and after they let us get in line first for
food and they were all really respectful! And also we had Zone
Conference this last week so that was way cool! Anyway love you all
and I will talk to you all next week!
Elder Cook
Jan. 20
Well how is everyone doing!!!!!????? This week was pretty good! We had
some really good spiritual experiences and there is a great family out
here that were just baptized like 8 months ago and they are like the
strongest members ever! Their last name is the Timmons and they are such
a cool family! They own a little restaurant and they feed us a lot!
Also I get to have Ach'ii tonight!!!!! That is sheep fat wrapped in
sheep intestine! I am way excited! Ha but things are going great! At the
Timmons we are working with one of their daughters who was baptized 8
months ago too but she kind of fell away and went through a really hard
time. But we went over and visited with her and we had a really good
lesson! She told us how she wanted to get back into it but it was hard
for her to stop smoking too and she asked us straight up, "Is there any
scriptures that can help someone who fell away and wants to get back
into it!" We told her just to do her best to read the Book Of Mormon
everyday and keep on praying and going to church! And we shared some
scriptures with her and also I shared one of my Favorite quotes, "You
dare not live for the moment; rather you must live for the eternities!" I
love that quote! But anyway also this week we helped this less active
member get to church and he is really smart and loves the Gospel. His
whole family is against him going to church and they all like tried to
curse him and he didn't sleep for 3 days and then we finally got to go
over and see him and he came to church the next day and we saw him again
after that and he said that the biggest burden was relieved from him
and he was just the same old happy guy he use to be! He is really great
and he has seen God's love for him in his life and he is awesome! Also
this last week on P-day we went to a mesa and rolled tires off it! It
was awesome! And then we went on some hikes! Well love you all and I
have to go! Have a great week!
Love,
Elder Cook
Jan. 27
Well this last week was really good!!!!! We had a lot of success and we
were in the right place at the right time! It was really cool!!!! We are teaching
this guy named Billy and he is really cool! He use to be in a gang and
then he got stabbed and almost died and when we first met him, he was
really paranoid all the time and now he is doing really well!!! He loves
the church and we invited him to be baptized and he said he would think
about it and we told him to pray and read and go to church and he would
get his answer if it is the right thing to do. Well just this last week
he was really happy and not even the same person that he was like 3
weeks ago! He told us that he wants to get baptized and also he wants to
live at the church! Ha he loves it so much and there is a complete
change in his life! He feels God working throughout his life and it is
really amazing to see the change that he went through! He is way cool
and he works out everyday all day! And now his brother is starting to
come! It is so cool to see the Gospel help people in their lives! It
just makes me so happy when i see that! Also i gave my second talk ever
this past Sunday! Ha this ward is really small and so we have to teach a
lot and it is helping me learn a lot... But we are trying to get people
to teach so we don't have to. This ward has a lot of great potential,
but they are use to putting it all on the missionaries but they are
trying so hard and i feel like God is preparing people to come and help
this ward grow into something great! All the missionaries talk about the
blossoming of the rose in the D&C but it will happen when it is
suppose to happen. I am just really excited to be among the Lamanite
people,they are all so nice and all of them are so humble! One day there
will be the blossoming of the rose! Ha we also went on a hike in
LA!!!!! That's what people call Lukachukai. I don't know if i spelled that
right. But we saw where apparently Spencer W. Kimball saw a vision
where a temple is going to be built! That was pretty cool! I love it out
here and i have learned so much and have learned to really love the
people out here! I know this Church is true!!! Anyway i will try and
send some pictures! Love you all and have a great week! Look forward to
hearing from you next week!
Love,
Elder Cook
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