Letter to Home - January 12, 2010

Hey FAMILY!

You will not believe where I got transferred to!....Nowhere! I'm staying right here AGAIN! Holy crap, there must be something I need to do here before I leave! At the end of this transfer I will be here in Brentwood/Oakley for 7 months! Wow, I cant believe that I am staying here again, but I'm excited. I will be forever "banished to Brentwood" (because it is the furthest area away from the mission home!) All of the members here said that there prayers have been answered, and they are glad that I am staying. The members here are awesome! My companion is still Elder Malani, so I was really happy about that! He is the best companion that I have ever had! I also LOVE the District that we are in, and no one in our district got transferred so its good.

We have a baptism this weekend!!!!!!!! Her name is Jenny Giotta. She is one of our miracles. She was taught almost a year ago by some missionaries, but stopped taking the lessons and stopped going to church. Her friend (that is a member) felt inspired, and asked us to go and see her. We had stopped by sooooo many times before, but decided to stop by again. We did and there was no answer at the door (no surprise - even though all of their cars were in the driveway). We waited a week, then went by again, and the door opened! We talked with Jenny, invited her to church, and she has been coming for the past three weeks, and is going to be baptized on Saturday! She is a miracle. I have never seen anyone so excited to be baptized!

Last night we took her to 'Why I Believe", a fireside where recent converts bear their testimonies. There is always a great spirit there. It is held in the building right next to the temple on Temple Hill. It was also way cool because Steve Wilson (who got baptized in Nov.) bore his testimony at the fireside. It was a great experience. It has been really cool to see Steve progress from the beginning until now.

Denise's baptism was so good, and she just glows every time we see her! We all pitched in and bought her a large print quad, so she could have her own scriptures (she was still using the free paper back scriptures). When we gave them to her, she cried, and couldn't stop saying thank you.

This last weekend we had a ward chili cook off! Me and Elder Malani were the judges! It was fun! There were like 16 entries! It was awesome because Jakie Rider, a less active member we are working with, won second place! She was happy, and so was I.

Well I pretty much feel like the Garrisons house is my house. I've been here for so long that I'm going to be afraid to leave!

I got the email that you sent to my new address, so it works!

I love you family!!! Hope that you have a great week!

-Elder Cook

Letter to Home - March 28, 2011

Hey Family,

We had another crazy week.  The whole mess with Sione Fisi'iahe  reached it's climax and it is finally over.  This is how it played out.  We had a lesson with him this past week, and the high councilman over missionary work in the Stake came to the lesson.  We were planning on setting a clear expectation to Sione that he couldn't get baptized on the 26th (this past weekend - the date that the members set for him).  We usually teach him ion English, but since the high counselor was there they taught in English.  As they taught I sensed that something was wrong.  The high counselor was very pushy, and told Sione that he could be baptized on hte 26th.  Elder Neiufi tried to stop it, but was trying to respect his Elders (another culture thing).  So at the end of the lesson Elder Neiufi was in tears, because of the frustration.  We called President Wade again, and told him the situation.  President told us that we will not baptize anyone that doesn't have a testimony.  So he told us to tell the Stake and Ward leaders that Sione would not be getting baptized until we as missionaries felt that he was ready - then President Wade would interview him.  He told us to be very bold and straight forward with them, and to put all of the weight of the situation on his shoulders.  So that's what we did.  Sione's felowshipper - Folau Alusa yelled at Elder Neiufi on the phone, and I talked to the high counselor over missionary work (Bro. Afu) and he yelled at me for 10 minutes straight.  It is hard doing the right thing, then being persecuted by people who are supposed to be on your side!  So you wouldn't believe what they did!  They had the San Jose missionaries interview him, and baptize him this weekend on the 26th - the day that they set for him.  We found out the day before the baptism, and called President Wade.  He was on the phone all day with priesthood leaders, and with the San Jose mission President trying to stop the baptism.  But I guess that President Jackson (the SJ mission pres.) interviewed Sione and felt it was ok for him to be baptized.  The person who baptized him was Jesse Taufa - a recent convert of 2 months from our ward (an innocent bystander).  He told us that as he baptized him, he didn't feel right, and doesn't feel like Sione has a testimony.  So what happened, happened.  We talked with President Wade for a long time yesterday, and he ensured us that we did was the right thing.  He told us that he would fight with us til' the end!  I love President Wade.  It's just hard because some of the members are mad at us, and blame us for what happened.  Folau Alusa (the fellowshipper) said that me and Elder Neiufi have an evil spirit in us, and when we saw him at church on Sunday he told us that "no dirty hands can stop this work from going forward!"  This whole situation is crazy!  I have never seen anything like it, but we are glad that it's over, and valuable lessons have been learned. It's just been a really hard week.

So we are still looking for investigators.  We are planning on gaining the trust of our ward this week.
Zone Conference was this week and it was great.  I love learning from President and Sister Wade.  I'm going to miss them.

I got a letter from Savanna Williams this week, and she told me that Lauren Hill is getting married?!!  I was pretty surprised!  Do you know any details?  She also updated me on a lot of other people back home and I was pretty surprised...  So much changes in 2 years!

Well family I love you!  I hope that you have a great week!

-Elder Cook

Letter to Home - March 21, 2011

Hey Family,

Wow, this week has been a little crazy.  Things are going good.  The highlight was definitely Sione Tongamoa's baptism.  It was neat because a recent covert (his main fellowshipper - Huhane Vatuvei) was the one who baptized him.  Sione is a huge guy, and when he went down, he almost didn't come back up!  But it was a really good service.  This on was 100% in Tongan, so I didn't understand anything, but definitely enjoyed the spirit there.  Sione is a very humble man.  I remember the first time Elder Neiufi and I talked to him on the street, and invited him to learn more.  The very first time we ever talked to him, I remember having a feeling so intense - one that I rarely feel.  It was a feeling of excitement.  I don't know why I had it, because as we talked with him, he told us that he was Methodist and that he was never going to change, but from that very first time - because of the feeling I had - I knew this man was going to be baptized.  The second time we met with him we brought Huhane (the recent convert who baptized him), and he invited Sione to church.  Sione agreed, came to church, felt the spirit, and the rest is history!

We are know trying to find more people to teach.  It has been a hard week.  I'm doing my best to be focused and finish my mission strong.  I've been a little stressed out about everything, and it makes me feel bad, because I want to be focused for the rest my mission.  It is also frustrating when I feel like no one understands me, and half the time I have no idea what anyone is saying.  But there are things to be learned!  I love my mission and it's hard to even think that it's almost all over.

We have also had a hard week with one of our investigators - Sione Fisi'iahe.  He is the Pentecostal preacher that the members finally are letting us teach.  We have a big problem though.  He believes that he has already been baptized for the remission of sins and just wants to be baptized to join the church.  He doesn't believe in the restoration or the nature of God, and a whole bunch of other important doctrine.  He is in his 80's and feels like 20 year old boys cant teach him.  It's tough because the ward is expecting him to be baptized this weekend, but I will not baptize anyone that doesn't have a testimony.  The members keep telling us - "just baptize him now and teach him later!"  The Tongan culture is so different.  All they care about is that we baptize the Pentecostal Preacher.  So we are going to do the best we can.  Elder Neiufi is afraid that Sione won't want to change his views, then he wont be baptized, then the members will be mad and not trust us.  Tongan wards are different than the English wards, because in an English ward we can just go and find investigators through our own efforts, but in the Tongan wards, the way that we have investigators is through the members (except Sione Tongamoa - he was a miracle!).  If you want people to teach the members have to trust you.  They are so involved in missionary work - which is great! but its hard to help them understand why someone who wants to be baptized, but is not ready, can't until they have a testimony.

So that's the scoop.  It was a rough week, but just like any trial in life, it is an opportunity to build faith.  Life is great!  We have Zone Conference this week, and it will be my last.  Its crazy...

Another great thing that happened this week was I got a letter from Veronica - my convert in Walnut Creek (my last area).  She is doing so good!  She is taking 2 institute classes and is loving it!  One of them is a mission prep class, and she is planning on serving a mission!  There is nothing that makes me more happy than to hear that those I taught are still going strong.

Well family I love you!  Hope you have another great week!

Love, Elder Cook

Letter to Home - March 14, 2011

Hey Family!

Well we had a great week!  Everything is fine from the tsunami.  We got a call from President Wade at 6 in the morning, telling us to tell our zone to stay away from the coast, and to be on call, just in case anything happened.  And nothing did.  They did evacuate some of the cities along the coast though, but all is well.

Nio's baptism was so good!  It was my first Tongan baptism, and even though I only understood half of what they were saying (some people spoke English, and some spoke Tongan), it was one of the most spiritual baptisms that I have been to.  It was eat because Elder Neiufi baptized him, and it was his first time to ever baptize anyone.  Nio has really changed his life around.  There was so much support from the ward.  The room was packed!  After the baptism we had a Tongan feast!  There was soooo much food.  I am really trying hard not to get chubby, but I'm beginning to think that it is impossible.  Last night we ate at our bishops house, and I ate so much.  My poor stomach was about to pop!  I was planning on being done, but then Sis Mapa (bishops wife) looked at me an said "Whats da madda Elda, we just getting started!"  She made me eat more, and then gave me a huge bowl of ice cream with a brownie!  I wanted to die.

After Nio's baptism - Later that night, we went to Concord for Dan Parupia's baptism!  I taught Dan when I was in Concord, and I got to go back to see his baptism.  It was a good night.

Guess what happened today!  So I have been teaching Elder Neiufi how to drive, and he has been doing really good.  Tomorrow is his driving test, so he has been driving all day today to help him prepare.  Today when we were pulling out of the grocery store parking lot, a car backed into us! It was a pretty bad collision, and our poor car doesn't look very good.  It was a first experience for us both!  We haven't been having very good car luck lately.

Well, things continue to go great!  Sione is all ready to be baptized this weekend!  Then next weekend (Mar 26) we have another baptism!  That one member is finally letting us teach his friend - the one that he already set a baptism date with!  It took awhile, but after President Wade got involved we didn't have anymore problems. I love you so much family!

-Elder Cook

-I got a letter from Kesley Elsholz this week and she is going on a mission!  She got her call to go to Minnesota!

And tacos sound great.

Letter to Home - March 7, 2011

Hi Family!  Ma lo e la lei!

Wow, we had a great week!  First off...we got transfer calls last Saturday and I will be ending my mission with the Tongan people!  Me and Elder Neiufi are both staying.  I am so happy that Elder Neiufi stayed and will be my last companion.  He's the best!

So we had  MIRACLE yesterday!  Brenda and her boyfriend both came to church!  We couldn't believe it!  Leone (her boyfriend) said that he wants to take things one step at a time, and they stayed for all 3 hours!  It was the perfect testimony meeting for Brenda!  All of the testimonies had to do with overcoming opposition and trial through the Atonement.  Wow, it was so good.

We have seen miracles with our investigator Nio Fale'ofa.  He is going to be baptized this weekend!!!  His faith has grown so much.  On Sunday after gospel principles class we had a short lesson with him.  He bore his testimony to us and just cried.  He told us how he knows that the church is true, and wants to have a better life.  I love the Tongan people!  They are so in tune with the spirit, and you will never find a more loving people.  It was neat to see a huge Tongan guy (probably 3 times my size!) break down in tears and humbly bear his testimony.  He so excited to be baptized and start his new life!

Sione Tongamoa is also doing great!  He hasn't smoked for over a week!  We stopped by him yesterday and he told us that it is a miracle that he hasn't even thought about smoking, or had a desire to smoke!  He has been smoking almost all of his life, and is finally getting rid of it!

We are also working with a woman in the singles ward who has been ready to be baptized forever, but is having the hardest time trying to stop smoking.  Her name is Christine, and she is one of the most sincere people that I have ever taught.  Smoking is Satan's tool!  It kills people physically and spiritually!  She just has this one last hurdle to overcome before she is baptized, and we are doing all we can to help her build her faith to overcome it.

Wow, it sounds like things are going well back home!  A lot of exciting things are happening.  I have feeling that a lot of things have changed since I left.  I cant believe that Kenna is getting ready to graduate!  I still haven't digested the thought that Tyson is really getting married!  I couldn't believe the engagement pictures!  They look great together and Kayla is beautiful.  I am excited to meet her (I'm going to have a sister in law?!).  This week was a little rough on the emotional side, realizing that this is the last transfer of my mission.  I am still in denial that its almost over.  I have entertained the thought of asking President if I could extend, but I wouldn't miss Tyson's wedding for the world!  I am excited to work harder than ever for the last 6 weeks with the Tongan people!  I love you family!

-Elder Cook

Letter to Home - February 28, 2011

Hey Family!

So things are going good.  So my suit will work if it has pin stripes?  It is in perfect condition (as to my standards), but it does have pin stripes.  I will be glad if it works, because I really don't need a new suit.

So all is well, but this week was a little rough.  We lost 2 investigators - one of them being Brenda.  We weren't able to contact her this whole week, even though we stopped by literally everyday.  Calling her doesn't work because her boyfriend answers the phone, and then hangs up on us.  So finally at the end of the week (on Saturday), we stopped by and her boyfriend answered the door.  He told us that he is not going to change, and that Brenda is not interested either.  He told us not to come by anymore.  It's really hard, because we know Brenda's boyfriend is the only thing holding her back.  She is in a really rough situation, and I think that she is scared of Leone (her boyfriend).  It doesn't help that she is expecting, and has no where else to go (both of her parents have passed away).  We are still trying to get in contact with her, because I want to hear it from her, not Leone.  She has a lot of friends that are members, so we are going to keep trying through them.

Then we also lost another investigator, because she just feels comfortable at her church, and isn't willing to keep commitments.

Then to top off the week, we drove by our amazing prepared investigator - Sione Tongamoa - on Wed. (he had a baptism date for Mar. 12th), and we found him sitting outside on his chair smoking!  When he saw us he hid his cigarette and hoped that we didn't see!  We went up to him, and talked to him about it.  He was honest with us, and told us that he is still struggling with it.  Investigators have to be clean from any addiction for 3 weeks before they get baptized, so we had to push back his date to Mar. 19th.  He only smokes like every other day.  He is doing good, and is still excited to be baptized.

So it was just one of those weeks, but all is well.  This is the Lords work, and I know that when we have faith and enthusiasm, the miracles flow!  We did find one new investigator this week, but he doesn't speak English, so I just sat and smiled at him while Elder Neiufi taught.

We had 2 great lessons with our investigator Nio Fale'ofa this week.  He is so excited to be baptized in two weeks!  His faith has really grown and he loves meeting with us.  He lives in Palo Alto - which is out of the mission and like a 30 minute drive from the church in San Mateo (where we teach him), but he makes the sacrifice twice a week to meet with us and learn the gospel.  Also for church, the only member who can give him a ride, has to be to church 1 hour early for a meeting.  So Nio has to get up at 6 am every Sunday to be picked up around 7 am so they can be at the church by 8 am.  Then he has to wait an hour until church starts at 9 am.  He has great desires and says that its all worth it!

I still love being in the Tongan program, and I'm still trying to understand more of their culture...  I have noticed that no matter what I say (to my companion, members, my zone...) they always agree with me, even if its wrong!  I think its due a little to the language barrier, and they just say yes, but they say yes to everything!  If I walked up to any member at church and asked them if I could have their tie, no joke, any member would take off their tie and give it to me.  They are very generous.  I don't know if you've ever heard, but they say that being a missionary in a Tongan ward is the only paid ministry in the church!  Members give us money for no reason all the time (even though they are not supposed to).  Seriously I've been given over $100 since I've been here.  If you don't accept their money they get mad (just like if you don't eat their food!)  But we just donate a lot of it to fast offerings.  Something else that is crazy is that Tongans are the best member missionaries, but sometimes they take it to far!  There is a family that is teaching an investigator on their own!  They wont hand him over yet.  They even set a baptism date for him!  It is pretty ridiculous, but whatever.  Hopefully we are going to start teaching him this week, if they let us.

The weather here has been pretty cold this week.  When I say cold I mean around 50 degrees.  San Mateo is further south than San Francisco, and doesn't have the fog - which I am very grateful for!
Elder Neiufi says that he doesn't want anything from Utah, except for a "nice Utah Mormon girl!"  But seriously I really don't need a package!  I know that you love me, and I'm grateful for all the stuff that you've sent, and if you feel like sending something I love letters!

Well family I love you!  It was so good to hear that Gaylynn in doing well.  Tell her that I love her, and that they are in my prayers.  Love you!

-Elder Cook

Letter to Home - February 21, 2011

Hi family!

Sorry for not answering the suit question last week.  Both of my suits are pin stripped - but are both still in great condition!  The only time we were hem is when we have meetings, at church or at the temple, so they are both still good.

So we had a really good week!  One of the recent converts in the ward -Sesi Taufa, is on fire!  He has such a desire to do missionary work!  He found us 2 new investigators this week, and they are both pretty good.  We are excited to teach them this week.  Sione Tongamoa and Nio Fale'ofa are doing so good!  They are both preparing to be baptized on March 12th.  Brenda is doing alright.  She has a lot of worldly pressures and we are just praying that she will have the courage to make the right decisions.  She can be kind of flaky at times, but when we have the opportunity to teach her, her faith really grows.  We took Sione to the Temple Visitors Center this past week and he loved it!  This week was also 1 out of the 3 times in a year that we get to do a temple session!  I love going to the Oakland Temple - it is one of my favorites!  Also this week on Saturday we got to go to the temple with Veronica Domiguez - one of the converts from my last area, to do baptisms for the dead.  We rode BART from Millbrae to Oakland.  It was my first time riding BART underneath the Bay!  It was fun.  Veronica really enjoyed the temple.

Last night was the Why I Believe fireside that is held once a month.  Usually it is held up at Temple Hill in Oakland, but they just started a San Francisco Why I Believe on our side of the Bay.  Last night was the 2nd one, and President asked me to conduct it.  It was a little scary, I've never conduced a meeting so big.  One of the converts that bore there testimony went way over the time limit and was just rambling on, so President asked me to get up and tell them to wrap it up.  The convert was a little Chinese guy (who was already nervous because he speaks in broken English), and I stood up and whispered in his ear that he needs to wrap it up.  He paused and said, "Oh...I am so embarrassed!  In the name of Jesus Christ Amen!"  Then he quickly returned to his seat.  I felt so bad.  I felt like the bad guy.  but it was a good experience.  Zoe Rookard - someone me and Elder Kesler taught while I was in San Francisco bore her testimony, and she did an amazing job!  It is always good to see those that you've taught have a strong testimony.

So I see Elder Williams all the time on P-days.  Hes doing good.  They are doing pretty well in the city.  it is defiantly one of the hardest areas in the mission, but they have a few baptisms coming up!  I know Elder Williams companion very well  I used to be his district leader when I was in Pittsburg last year, and he can be challenging.  The mission teaches you patience!

Well family I love you!  Thank you so much for the Valentines Day package!  I loved it!  Elder Neiufi really liked the rice crispies!

Love you!

-Elder Cook