Updates with Jaime, Hna Olson and The Church

HAPPY BIRTH DAY TO MARIANELLA THE RECENT CONVERT ♥
We love her!

This week went really well.  Jaime was baptized and sad to say not a single member showed up except for the presidente of the young mens.  Not even the Bishop or his councilors were able to go but our little Jaime wanted to be baptized anyway and had a LOT of support from many of the missionaries . On Sunday we went to the temple with him and a few investigators and our ward mission leader.  It was an amazing experience.  Hermana Olson is doing fantastic and we are working really hard on our goals together.  This Sunday the attendance was down by about 10-15 people but we sat in the front with Jorge and I didn’t notice that there were such few people in church. I actually felt that the benches were filled, until I looked behind me and saw that a lot of them were empty, but as soon as I turned back around I felt a very strong impression that the benches, in reality, were filled  with angels and eager spirits.  It was a tender sweet feeling and confirmation of the work and love and support from the worlds less known to us.  The sacrament meeting this week was very spiritual and it made me really think of the importance of the ordinances we have in these latter days.  Reading this week in 3rd Nephi I gained a deeper love and gratitude for the Book of Mormon and the registros (records) it contains.  We really are so blessed. Our investigators are doing well.  Jorge came to the temple with us with many opinions and questions and we all worked together with the spirit to answer them.  He is worried that he won’t be ready by the 20th for his baptism and says he feels a little pressured, but other times he says he had wished that he had gotten baptized a long time ago because he has lost so much time leaning about the Gospel.  I have faith that he will be ready by the fecha (date) we have have set and prayed about but I do not want him to feel pressured by us, but by wanting to be baptized because he truly knows is the right thing to do.  The service we did this week was help a Chilean from Israel that speaks Hebrew, paint her house and clean it up.  She will be moving into out sector in a week and it was a good opportunity to get to know her and help her and her father. He father asked us a lot of questions about Joseph Smith, trying to pick little fights but we answered him very simply and sincerely and he accepted a folleto (brochure) in the end of the Restauracion (restoration). This week we are going to continue doing practices every day and learn more about how the spirit works in our companionship. We have seen many miracles and benefits from doing practices every day and teaching and learning from each other.  I am grateful for the willing heart of Hermana Olson (: This week was a blessing.  

♥Hermana Cook

PS for Pday today we played AMERICAN FOOTBALL and Hermana Olson and I were the team captains and we killed it!!  Ill send pics in un momentito (moment) but it was really fun.  Elder Baker, who is colombiano, is THE FUNNIEST ELDER I have ever met.  He has the humor that Haydin and I do but he is way funnier (; and Ill be sending some pics and you can all see for your self. LOVE YOU HAVE A SUPER SASSY WEEEEEK ♥

Hermana Kayla Sprenz and I on Preparation Day!

Hermana Kayla Sprenz and I on Preparation Day!  Can you believe she is on the same mission and from the same stake in Las Vegas as I am :)  So happy she is here and that I am able to see her

almuerzo con nuestra querida familia Brozales :)
 lunch with our dear Brozales family

la unidad de nuestra sociedad de socorro <3 they're soo cute! they get together every week to do activities like this, 

the unity of our Relief Society

NDH con Marianela y Millaray :) <3

Preparation day and Plan de Salvacion :)

the tree of life! o... el Árbol del conocimiento del bien y el mal....
#Forgotenglish #oops (the tree of life! or ... the tree of knowledge of good and evil ...just for fun)

Me and My Companion!

we are so ready for la Navidad :D

We Saw Numberless Miracles This Week

This week went really well.  We saw numberless miracles this week.  The first being Ernan, yes, the man we met who was a little wasted in the street, is reading he Book of Mormon! He is out of town outside of Santiago for a few weeks but he calls us and asks us about the people he is reading about (:  We also found an investigator, Jaquelin through classes of English.  We asked her for scissors to cut out an invitation to give to her and after basically telling us she was too busy to even come out of her house, she invited us in and let us cut all the invitations in her house and she introduced us to her 12 year old daughter. After talking with her daughter, Valentina, while her mom was making us juice, she told us she didn’t believe in God because she has been bullied since she was very young and that it bothers her that her mom smokes cigarettes instead of smoking weed because she likes the smell of weed better. My heart BROKE for this little girl.  I couldn’t help but think I had never even heard of weed, let alone know what it smelt like at 12 years old!  We focused a lot on the young women’s values and she seemed to open up to the idea that there might be a God that loves and understands her... I realized that I have really taken for granted the things that have been taught to me in the church, which is SO not of the world.  I realized many many times this week the awareness that Heavenly Father has of each and every one of his children.  At the beginning of the week I read the testimony of Alma in chapter 34 and it brought me to think a lot about the power of the love our Father in Heaven has for us and Jesus Christ.  Love is really what makes us Disciples of Christ.  The sector is going well, the ward is moving along well and the leaders are working hard.  Hermana Olson is doing really well.  I know she has had some difficulties in her past sectors but I think since I knew her from before the mission we had an advantage to become more united y apollar una la otra. Sorry.   You’ll have to translate that because I can’t remember how to say that in English (:  Well... I wish I could write everything that happened this week.  But I can say that I am WAY beyond blessed.  I can say that I feel like Hermana Olson is like being companions with my cousin Haydin.   It’s like a powerhouse of spiritual fun. (:

Hope all is well with the family.  I heard Shannon’s grandpa died. :(  Can you please have her email me???  I sent her a birthday card back in July but I didn’t hear back from her so maybe the letter got lost or she could just be really busy.  But hey, send my love to the Tropia family and mom, go visit them and give them a personal hug for me please.  They are less than a mile away and I cannot be there with them now right now /: but I love you all. 

Have a super sassy week.

See you in 2 more fast Sundays

 xoxoxoxoxo ♥ Hermana Cook

The Gospel is for Everyone, Even Those Who Appear to Be Unprepared

This week went really well! I am with a new companion from California, Hermana Brittney Olson and we were actually friends up at BYUI so that's pretty crazy and cool!!! (:  We are about to learn a lot together. This week we did service pulling weeds and helping a lady we found in the street paint her house! It was really fun. really hot and a lot of work!

Last day with Monica and Tamera!

Experience of the week: On Saturday we came across a man in the street while we were contacting and when we went to say hi to him he abruptly approached us and got really close and said ``okay convince me what you have is the truth, CONVINCE ME,´´ noticing he was a little under the influence (or a lot) we asked him some questions to get to know him a bit and see where he was coming from before we taught him anything, and he began to ask us some really interesting questions´..... we answered him with a proclamation to the world pamphlet and explained the importance of families, Ernan interrupted us like every 5 seconds,  After walking with us like a whole half block we decided this wasn't the best situation to be in but something prompted me to end the conversation by at least inviting him to church.  Funny thing is when I asked him he asked what time it was at and we told him 10 in the morning and he told us TEN AM THAT'S WAY TOO EARLY FOR ME!!  Then Hermana Jerez told him he needed to start going to church to become a better person and that he will never know if he likes it if he had never has been before.  A typical response from a missionary, but this time it was an inspired response and he put his hand on his chin and loudly proclaimed YOU HAVE A GOOD POINT!   So we gave him the direction and said he didn't recognize the street so we told him we would pick him up outside of his house.  Then on Sunday we get a call at 9:45 and we answer and it was Ernan!  We gave him our number on the back of the pamphlet and he called to ask where we were because he was waiting!!  LONG funny hilarious story short, he went to church, asked 13,927,802,875 questions, asked for a Book of Mormon and has been reading everyday.... We have an appointment with him in 2 hours so pray for Ernan. haha (: Of course we are going with members but I just think it's interesting how people we don't expect to be prepared for the Gospel are sometimes prepared... Only Heavenly Father knows and we have to take advantage of the people that He puts in our path.

I learned a lot this week about the power the Book of Mormon has and I am excited to continue reading it and finding hidden answers to the questions I have.  It's a true inspired tool we have from the Lord.

Monica and Me.  This picture was taken unexpectedly aweeee 

One of my favorite questions Ernan asked on Sunday was ´´Why is everyone getting up and saying that this church and gospel are true... is anyone going to get up and say it's false?  And why do they keep talking about this book that is also true?!  I want a true Book!´´ (:

Well I think that's all... Lydia is doing good, the Lady we found last week who has so many trials, and her family... and the family from Argentina we found as well are doing super well, all progressing. ♥

Well... Love you familia!
Take care
Do your noche de hogares,

read your Scriptures
digan sus oraciones

y tengan una buena semana.

les quiero mucho (say your prayers and have a good week. I love you so much)
xoxoxoxo
♥Hermana Cook

my comp hermana Jerez and I in Blanca´s house our last P day together! were funny