Our Lord’s answer was one we all should know (: keep the commandments.

SO Staying in the house was a lot harder than I thought it would be. I wanted to be out teaching and knocking doors, but Hermana Castleton did well!  I am so happy with her; she is such a great missionary.  We couldn't resist leaving a few times to teach, but all in all I was caged in the apartment.  I learned a lot about myself and found a lot of answers to my questions this week studying the Bible, I actually forgot about some of the great parables and stories of Jesus that were in there.   

Lovely Boot

In my interview and email from Presidente a few weeks ago he talked about being willing to give up everything we have to serve with all of our hearts.  In Matthew it talks about a man who came to Jesus and asked: “What good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?”  Our Lord’s answer was one we all should know (: keep the commandments.  Then came his response from this good faithful man who did seek to be righteous in reality.....  “All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?”  We might well ask, “Isn’t it enough to keep the commandments?  What more is expected of us than to be true and faithful to every trust?  Is there more than the law of obedience?”  Yes, there was more.  He was expected to live the law of consecration and to sacrifice his earthly possessions, for the answer of Jesus was: “If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come and follow me.”  He was being called to the apostolic ministry but turned and walked away.

As you know, the young man went away sorrowful, “for he had great possessions.” Matt 19:16-22.  And we are left to wonder what intimacies he might have shared with the Son of God, what fellowship he might have enjoyed with the apostles, what revelations and visions he might have received if he had been able to live the law of the celestial kingdom.  As it is, he remains nameless; as it might have been, his name could have been had in honorable remembrance among the saints forever.  We have the opportunities as missionaries to dedicate all we have to the Lord.  And I hope as I go throughout my mission I will be able to make my Heavenly Father pleased with the sacrifices that I offer ♥  I do wish I would have studied up a bit more before I left on my mission and taken off a bit more work to make it to mission prep, but I am happy with the decision I have had since I was 6, to serve a mission... (And do it better than the boys-coming from a 6 year old mind set.) haha 

 

Just Do It!  Even with Tendinitis!

Staying in the house turned out to be a blessing.  It helped me bond with the Relief Society president and her inactive sister and her family opened up to me a lot and even asked if I would say a prayer!  That was the first for her sister Katy in a longgggggg time.  Katy came up to me after and gave me the biggest, longest, almost got awkward kiss I’ve ever received.  Safe to say I think she misses praying.  And I would too♥ I know everything happens for a reason (: Even tendinitis!

Also too, I find myself always magnetized to the young women.  They have this magical glowing spirit that I can’t get enough of.  I am serving well in the relief society but I wouldn't be mad if Bishop Cea wanted to switch me!   Almost all of them came to church today and I didn't see them until mid-way through the sacrament meeting when I was doing the number for the people that were there (can’t think of the name in English) and tears came to my eyes.  These girls have nose piercings and thick dark make up.  They are Daughters of my same Heavenly Father and I just want them to feel loved.  Girls do not realize how big of an impact they have on others, especially the young women.  I too had no idea.  People would always tell me ``you have such a big influence on the boys you hang out with and the people that watch you`` and I thought.. that's a nice saying.  But NOW I understand it.  Brookie My love, I want you to know that what you do MATTERS, now and in the future.  Don't settle for less than what you're worth... which is a price above Rubie,s Jesus says (: So remember that.

My birthday day in my agenda drawn by my Hermana! Hermana Castleton can draw!!!!

Well, hopefully this all makes sense with the spelling grammar and Spanish errors! Love you all to pieces,

que esté bien!♥ (It is well!)

♥Siempre Hermana Cook!

Happy Valentines day!!! Hermana Castleton's mom got us these attractive sunglasses and the mustaches I brought from home ♥I was hoping I'd have a companion cool enough to rock them with me! (;

Laughing our mustaches RIGHT OFF! Literally

Some serious sister missionaries!

A REAL Hair bow! It did this on it's own, so 
I bobby pined it and wore it like this in the house. lol 

I and Hermana Castleton be for our interviews

Wow can Hermana Castleton draw! 
She drew a picture of the Temple for me ♥

Hermana Silvia & I have been trying to 
get her to come back to church (: 

Latina SISTER INGRAM! ♥ They look so much alike 
in real life but I had to take a pic of a photo cause 
Hermana Rybak didn’t want to take one cause 
she didn’t have make up on!

Hermana Ryback made us a delicious dinner ♥

Elders on preparation day!

Typical streets of Santiago Chile

I CAN'T BELIEVE I AM 20 YEARS OLD!

HAPPY NEW WEEK!  I am so old.  I turned 20 yesterday and I will never be a teenager again!  So sad, but it was such a great day!!  Hermana Castleton decorated the apartment, got me a cake, gave me a BEAUTIFUL skirt that I absolutely love and made me breakfast!!  My companion is the best ♥ I am so blessed.

So this week so many good things happened but I am going to get the small amount of bad new out of the way! I have tendinitis in my feet and its REALLY bad in my left foot, and I didn't know what is was so I walked on it for about 3 weeks. OOPS!  So this week I have to stay in the house all week and I stayed in 2 days this week.  At first it made me SO frustrated and I wasn't sleeping well and I was starting to get depressed because I felt like I was wasting the Lord´s time just sitting on the couch all day with my feet up. I did a lot of praying to feel at peace but it wasn´t until last night that I really started to feel okay. Hermana Castleton and I planned for 3 hours trying to find people that would go out and teach with her and a place I could stay while they worked.  MOTHER DEAREST you are not allowed to worry.   Tendinitis is very common and it goes away with ice, rest, and Advil (:

Me and my incredible Hermana Castleton

Okay now the good stuff!  We found 4 young women non members who's family are less active, and invited them to the young women's activity last Friday and two of them, and one of their mothers went!!!!!! we had 8 girls in total show up this week when the average is 2! I really hope they take me out of the Relief Society and put me in with those girls. I love the relief society so much but I just love being with those young women!  But in reality the relief society is going well! I had to wing a lesson last week since the President forgot to tell us she was going to be out of town and it went pretty well (: Before I would have passed out in front of the class trying to teach but We are so used to teaching here it wasn't even a stress (: Hermana Rybak (the relief society Pres) is going to be out of town for 2 months so we are kind of in charge right now, which is kind of ridiculous because we have changes the 24th so I'm not sure how were going to handle that yet if I have to leave this sector but we will see! ♥ 

We also are setting up a noche hogar (night home) with the elders and they are going to do an object lesson with candles and the Restauración (restoration) so I`ll let you know how it goes next week! 

ALSO WE HAD A REACTIVATION THIS WEEK!!!!! ♥♥♥ Maria Teresa got a calling and has gone to church 7 weeks in a row and taught a class for me in relief society and is going to accompany us all day Tuesday to go to some appointments! We are thrilled!! and also MARIA IS GETTING BAPTIZED!!!!! ♥♥♥  we had been teaching her in my old sector for about 2 months and I went back to teach her with Hermana Leavitt in divisions last week and we asked her to be baptized and she has a date for this Saturday WEEEEEEE!!!!!! (:

Okay I am out of time to write, but I just want to let my beautiful family know that I love you.  I miss you guys more every day, just because teaching families about eternal families makes me so thankful that I already have one that is sealed(: But I know that life can be really hard and even depressing in moments, but the Lord already knows.  He knows you.(:  Ask him for help and make promises to him daily that you will try to be better♥  He is loving and forgiving and He understands.  The atonement is real and tangible and our sorrow can be matched and conquered with happiness if we just do as Alma the younger does and remember the teachings of the prophets and repent.  I love you guys to the MOON AND BACK. 

Que éste bien ♥ xoxoxo

Hermana COOK (:

BBQ Fun!

BBQ with the Elders

Crazy Elders

Chilean T-shirts

Kick when you don't want to kick and stroke when you don't want to stroke

As Danielle's mother, Danielle's beloved grandpa Joel Cook passed away last Wednesday January 29th, 2014 seven days prior to his 85th birthday. It was very hard for us not to have Danielle here with us during this time. She loves him dearly.

Elders at the Santiago Buin Zoo

********
HELLOOO! 

I guess I do have a bit of time to write this week. We went to the Zoo today and had SOO much fun. Can I just say how much I love Elders. I want like 10 boys so I can see their changes after serving a mission (: lol we had so much fun.

Bird exhibit

I had to do it! Even though I HATE OWLS!

We had so much fun today at the Buin zoo!

But this week I had the opportunity to teach the

Look what we found..Noah's ark!

Plan of Salvation 3 or 4 times and I cannot tell you how much more real this plan is with Grandpa now in the next life, which is actually on this earth. Funny to think he really isn't far away or gone. He is right here with us (: But happy and free and probably singing the ABC song with the ``THH THHH`` spoit sound at the end.  Presidente Cook and Hermana Cook came to our apartment last week and told us about Grandpa. I didn't cry. I didn't feel upset. I just felt the Love from our Savior. Not going to lie and say I didn't cry myself to sleep that night but I can say that I woke up the next morning ready to work and teach people about this great Plan of God that we have (: because we are sealed to him we will in fact see him again. There isn't a tiny doubt in my mind about that. I feel so blessed, loved and protected this week.

 

Bird exhibit at the Buin Zoo. Bakan

  Also, I have had giant pains in my feet this week and the mission nurse told me we had to stay home for an entire day with my feet up! I was so upset. One day out of work makes you feel really antsy to get back out and start teaching again. Luckily we were blessed and found 6 new people to teach despite the one day we had down. Were hoping to see progression in at least one of them and hope to get a baptism♥ We arranged a Family night with him and The bishops wife and it didn't turn out super super great like we had hoped. We watched the Restoration Video and felt the spirit super strong (: But then after it was over the bishop started talking about temple ordinances and things that are even hard for members of the church to understand and Juan Carlos got a bit confused. Then Hermana Castleton popped the baptism question and then he told us he had already been baptized and the Bishop told him NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT!!! 

We have to explain to him again that it has to be by someone with the correct authority and in total immersion. not just sprinkled, we would have explained it to him again at the bishops house, but the bishop kept getting off topic and talking about other random things and then we were 30 minutes late for our next cita. But hey, all will work out in its own time. He at least told us he knows the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith ``obviously is a prophet`` So that's good at least (:

Hermana Casteton's hand on the left and mine

on the right wearing the friendship rings

my mom got us for Christmas!

This week has been a good reminder of what Elder Holland said... Kick when you don't want to kick and stroke when you don't want to stroke♥ (:

Hard weeks mean personal progress, and like I learned in Girls camp I CAN DO HARD THINGS (:

Well that's all I have time to say today

have a super sassy semana xoxoxoxox

girls will be girls. 

Flaite. Totalmente

♥Hermana Cook! 

Candid shot. Thank you, Hermana Johnson