Hello my wonderful family:)
Oh my goodness, oh my goodness!! What an amazing weekend! Thank you for your emails and thoughts on conference. So much to write, but I'll keep it brief considering that fact that I forgot my planner (aka, my list of things to write about) at home! :( sad. I guess next week:)
Lots happened this last week. We had exchanges, conference, the Wahlquists went home... and conference:)
Exchanges were great. I was here in Arad with Sora Heim (this is her first transfer). I was terrified to be with a missionary who knew the language less than I knew the language but it was such a neat experience to see that I knew more than I thought I knew and that I get to improve in a lot of areas that I didn't even realize I get to improve on! All and all, it was a great exchange. I learned lots, I got to know Sora Heim and... I had another dream in Romanian!! It was soo cool. I woke up the next morning so excited. Although the exchange was marvelous, I was excited to have my companion, Sora Smith back! I missed her and her sweet self. She is incredible. I realized this week, she reminds me sooo much of Mari. :) I love it.
Conference... where do I even start?? We were able to watch both Saturday morning and afternoon and Sunday morning and then we will download and listen to priesthood session and Sunday afternoon this week. Every talk touched on at least one of my "conference questions". It was incredible and such a testimony to me that Heavenly Father answers prayers and speaks through His prophets. So neat. I feel like there were a few "overall themes"... missionary work and the home... I learned so much how to be a better missionary and how to prepare myself now to be the kind of mother Heavenly Father would have me be. I love how Elder Cook talked about "immersing" ourselves in the scriptures. Such a cool word to use. If only we feasted upon the gospel the way we feast on a meal on fast-Sunday. I'm pretty sure we would all be scriptorians. Elder Bowen's talk hit a little close to home as he talked about his experience that his family experienced with their son. The veil is very thin. I've definitely felt that since being a missionary. I've felt the help of very familiar spirits who I recognize, and some who are equally as familiar, but that I don't recognize. The veil is very thin. I loved what he said at the end of his talk when he said "Because He lives, they and we will also." So beautiful. Not to mention the wonderful talks given by President Eyring, Elder Holland, President Packer, Elder Whitting, Elder Ballards. Oh gawl, I could go on for far too long about all I learned and all that stood out to me. I'm so excited to learn more from the two sessions that we missed and to re-listen and read the talks that we already got to hear. Truly, we are so blessed to have such divine and great council given to us to guide us and direct us. (I probably just used the wrong "council". Is it council or counsel? I always get those mixed up.) You know what I mean:)
I love that President Monson advised us all to "take an inventory and name the blessings -large and small- that you have received." aka... tender mercy transfer!! :) I've gained such a testimony of this. It's such a simple, but oh so powerful, process. If you haven't done it already.... do it. I promise you won't be let down:)
Did anyone else catch President Monson's subtle reference to writing in our journals??? I loved it. I'm such a believer in journal writing. That is something I've talked about with my companion and district a little too much the last three transfers -I'm sure they're all sick of me talking aobut my testimony of journal writing. Wups.
Well, scripture study this week was quite inspiring and very humbling -as it always is. Something that really stuck out to me as I was reading in Hosea was when Israel has forgotten from whence their great blessings have come and forgotten their Savior and He says unto them
9 O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help.
I think sometimes, the Savior says this same thing to us, at least he does to me. Except it sounds more like "Oh Aly, thou hast destroyed thyself, but in my is thine help." And in chapter 14 he says, "return unto the Lord thy God; for thou has fallen by thine iniquity." He is always there calling for us, beckoning us to come unto Him and recieve his help. Something I learned from President Hill this week from his response to my somewhat disappointing week last week was this: "I wonder if the Savior's image 'I stand at the door and knock.' is a subtle message to missionaries. We certainly know what it means to stand at the door, knocking and having no one answer or having the person see who we are and slam the door. It does give us great insight into the love our Heavenly Father must feel for us (obviously even more keenly than we can possibly feel towards our investigators) and the hurt he must feel when we 'slam the door' or don't answer His 'calls' to us. That might be one of the prime lessons a missionary will carry away from a mission." I loved what he said. It's so true and has definitely given me something to think about this week. I love President Hill. Truly is a man of God and I can't wait for interviews next week when he comes to Arad with Sora Hill and we get to have one on one interviews with them both.
Well family, we have a baptismal date. Our amazing relief society president, Sora Mogos, invites the world to church and has since the day she got baptized and two weeks ago, her aunt finally accepted her invitation to come to church. Since, we've been working with her and she has commited to be baptized on October 20. I'm so happy both for her and for Sora Mogos. I've never seen someone get so giddy about the gospel as I've seen Sora Mogos. She basically taught our first lesson with Catarina (her aunt) about the plan of salvation. I felt like we were going on a visit with her rather than her coming on a visit with us. She is truly a divine lady and I have learned so much from her faith and her testimony. I am so glad that her aunt will have her as an example, teacher and friend after we leave the area. I'm not worried about Catarina at all. She's in great hands, not to mention the hands of her loving Heavenly Father.
I love you all. Thank you for your love and prayers. I appreciate them so much. You are all quite spectacular and I'm so blessed to learn from your examples!
Be good, have an amazing week and read and re-read those conference talks:)
Va pup,
Sora Cook
*Mari and Chris, have an amazing birthday!!! Both of you. I love you so much. So glad you were both born.
*Jayce, get feeling better. Make Alek your slave until you get better. I'm proud of you for taking the fall, being a hero, and saving the baby! Totally worth the broken foot and concusion for a cool story. "I pity the fool" :)
*Sora Ewell, I LOVE YOU!! I'm so impressed with your zone goal to make a 1000 contacts and for your's and Sora Komar's efforts to reach that goal. Seriously, that's incredible. I'm so impressed and SO proud. Can't wait to see you soon. Keep being amazing and being an incredible example and please know that I am sending you my love from all the way across the country!! And please thank your sweet mother for sending me your emails. You inspire me. Please teach me to be more like you. Miss you dearly. (ps, we're totally taking "te pup" back to the states. I'm glad you love it as much as I do.)
Some of my favorite quotes, that might not be word for word, but they are how I heard/wrote them...
"Service is the very definition of pure religion. ...It is an extention of His love to them, through us." -Elder Ballard
"We do not need to see Him to know He is watching over us." -President Eyring
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