HEY-O! (there's no Romanian way to say that)
We have a had a busy week! It's been great. I don't even know where to start. We had a mini zone conference in Timisoara last Tuesday and it was fabulous! Our zone leaders (which are the Elders in Arad) are wonderful. They both teach in such different ways but it was so good to have both. I love when people are brash and tell me exactly what needs to be changed and how to do it, but I also love when people point out what I'm doing right and that I'm still a good missionary despite the fact that I have things to work on. Anyway, all in all, zone conference was great and I learned so much and it motivated me to work even harder and to do everything I could to be a better missionary and to really focus on the work.
Thank you all for your emails. Seriously, the advice you give me is exactly what I need to hear every week. Your emails are often answers to my prayers. So thank you. I appreciate it more than you know.
Remember the guy Radu that I told you about who stopped us and asked if we were mormons and that he had never seen one in real life?? Well, Radu has a baptismal date:) September 29. We are so excited for the stops he's taking. He is such an awesome guy. We had a lesson with him and the elders this week and then handed him over to the elders. We figured that would be more appropriate for the Elders to teach him and as hard as it was, I totally trust the Elders to teach him and strengthen his relationship with Christ. In our last lesson with him he bore his testimony to us about the way he feels when he reads the Book of Mormon and the way he feels when he meets with us and how he has never felt that peace before. It was so cool to see the light in his eyes as we told him that that was the holy ghost testifying to him of the truth of what he is learning. He nodded his head and said "I figured that's what it was." It was so neat.
Marcel is also progressing each week. We taught him about the restoration last week because although he's been to church a number of times and is reading the book of mormon, he hasn't ever had any official lessons with the missionaries. I love watching the faces of our investigators as the comprehend the magnitude of our message and what happened to Joseph Smith. Marcel loved the story of the first vision. Although he didn't come to church yesterday for some reason or another, we feel really good about his progress. Our goal this week is to get a member present lesson with him because one day, we will leave and he needs a friend in the gospel to help him continue to grow. So we are praying to know who that should be and who we should invite to come with him to his lesson.
We have some big goals this week as far as numbers go... I go back and forth in my battle with key indicators, but I know that the goals we've set are possible and that Heavenly Father can help us to make it happen. I'm excited to see what comes from this week. Whether it shows up in the numbers or not, I'm excited to work my hardest and show Heavenly Father that I trust in Him.
In my Book of Mormon reading right now I'm in the "war chapters" in Alma and as I have strived to find a way in which they apply to me and my life, I've realized that although I'm not in a physical war, we are always spiritually fighting satan and his temptations and I love what I've learned from these chapters and how we can protect ourselves from those temptations. Two verses, though simple, have stuck out to me. First one is Alma 52:6 when Captain Moroni is preparing the cities for battle and it says at the end of the verse that he prepared to defend himself by "casting up walls round about and preparing places of resort." I love this. It helped me realize that I can prepare for times of temptation before they come by casting up walls round about me and building my testimony and allowing the spirit to be with me through my actions, words and thoughts. And then I can prepare a place of resort, recognizing that what I'm battling is very real and although I've made preparation for it, it might not be enough and I will need to have a plan b just in case. Whether it's going to my Heavenly Father in prayer, turning to the scriptures for strength or calling up a friend (or a companion) to help me fight my battles. The second scripture that stuck out to me is Alma 56:22 when Helaman is writing to Moroni about the how they've taken precautions to protect themselves from the Lamanites and it says that they kept spies round about day and night and this was an example to me that I need to recognize my times of vulnerability and take extra precaution during those times. For them, night time was their time of vulnerability when it would have been easiest for the Lamanites to attack, but they recognized this and prepared themselves. I hope that makes sense. I'm typing kind of fast so my thoughts might not be making much sense. If it doesn't make sense, just go read the scriptures and figure out how they can apply to you. You'll probably get something way more profound out of them than I did. :) that's what I love about the scriptures. Everyone gets from them exactly what they need and we all find different things to apply to our lives. It's like a little magic book...but cooler.
Yesterday, Sora Remsberg and I did SYL from 8am-9pm. It was hard, but actually kind of fun and I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. It helped me a ton in my language skills and helped me see what I need to work on. We have a goal to do an all day SYL 2 times a week. I'm excited.
We took a less active member's children to church yesterday. Her name is Mihaela and her children are beautiful. Alexandra (10) and Mihai (8). They were so excited to come to church and Mihaela was so excited for them to go. They loved it and were so good. They even sang all the hymns during choir practice before church started. I wish Mihaela's husband would allow her to come to church, but I know she got so much joy out of seeing her children go and seeing how much they loved it. We will most likely be picking them up for the branch activity on wednesday. I love being around children. Their spirits are just so strong and it's so easy to feel the love of the Savior and the Holy Ghost when they are around. It makes me miss being around my nieces and nephews and feeling their sweet spirits. I'm so blessed to be an aunt. Whenever I talk to other missionaries and find out they don't have any nieces and nephews, I feel a little bad for them. haha:) Alexandra taught me so much about the language. Kids are the best to learn from because they are so patient. I seriously learned more about Romanian language from her in those few hours we were with them than I have from anyone up to this point of my mission.
Sorry this is a little long. I'll let you get back to your exciting lives!! I love you all and I hope you are all doing well. You all make it into my prayers every single night. I'm grateful for your examples and love. Thank you for everything.
va pup,
Sora Cook
We have a had a busy week! It's been great. I don't even know where to start. We had a mini zone conference in Timisoara last Tuesday and it was fabulous! Our zone leaders (which are the Elders in Arad) are wonderful. They both teach in such different ways but it was so good to have both. I love when people are brash and tell me exactly what needs to be changed and how to do it, but I also love when people point out what I'm doing right and that I'm still a good missionary despite the fact that I have things to work on. Anyway, all in all, zone conference was great and I learned so much and it motivated me to work even harder and to do everything I could to be a better missionary and to really focus on the work.
Thank you all for your emails. Seriously, the advice you give me is exactly what I need to hear every week. Your emails are often answers to my prayers. So thank you. I appreciate it more than you know.
Remember the guy Radu that I told you about who stopped us and asked if we were mormons and that he had never seen one in real life?? Well, Radu has a baptismal date:) September 29. We are so excited for the stops he's taking. He is such an awesome guy. We had a lesson with him and the elders this week and then handed him over to the elders. We figured that would be more appropriate for the Elders to teach him and as hard as it was, I totally trust the Elders to teach him and strengthen his relationship with Christ. In our last lesson with him he bore his testimony to us about the way he feels when he reads the Book of Mormon and the way he feels when he meets with us and how he has never felt that peace before. It was so cool to see the light in his eyes as we told him that that was the holy ghost testifying to him of the truth of what he is learning. He nodded his head and said "I figured that's what it was." It was so neat.
Marcel is also progressing each week. We taught him about the restoration last week because although he's been to church a number of times and is reading the book of mormon, he hasn't ever had any official lessons with the missionaries. I love watching the faces of our investigators as the comprehend the magnitude of our message and what happened to Joseph Smith. Marcel loved the story of the first vision. Although he didn't come to church yesterday for some reason or another, we feel really good about his progress. Our goal this week is to get a member present lesson with him because one day, we will leave and he needs a friend in the gospel to help him continue to grow. So we are praying to know who that should be and who we should invite to come with him to his lesson.
We have some big goals this week as far as numbers go... I go back and forth in my battle with key indicators, but I know that the goals we've set are possible and that Heavenly Father can help us to make it happen. I'm excited to see what comes from this week. Whether it shows up in the numbers or not, I'm excited to work my hardest and show Heavenly Father that I trust in Him.
In my Book of Mormon reading right now I'm in the "war chapters" in Alma and as I have strived to find a way in which they apply to me and my life, I've realized that although I'm not in a physical war, we are always spiritually fighting satan and his temptations and I love what I've learned from these chapters and how we can protect ourselves from those temptations. Two verses, though simple, have stuck out to me. First one is Alma 52:6 when Captain Moroni is preparing the cities for battle and it says at the end of the verse that he prepared to defend himself by "casting up walls round about and preparing places of resort." I love this. It helped me realize that I can prepare for times of temptation before they come by casting up walls round about me and building my testimony and allowing the spirit to be with me through my actions, words and thoughts. And then I can prepare a place of resort, recognizing that what I'm battling is very real and although I've made preparation for it, it might not be enough and I will need to have a plan b just in case. Whether it's going to my Heavenly Father in prayer, turning to the scriptures for strength or calling up a friend (or a companion) to help me fight my battles. The second scripture that stuck out to me is Alma 56:22 when Helaman is writing to Moroni about the how they've taken precautions to protect themselves from the Lamanites and it says that they kept spies round about day and night and this was an example to me that I need to recognize my times of vulnerability and take extra precaution during those times. For them, night time was their time of vulnerability when it would have been easiest for the Lamanites to attack, but they recognized this and prepared themselves. I hope that makes sense. I'm typing kind of fast so my thoughts might not be making much sense. If it doesn't make sense, just go read the scriptures and figure out how they can apply to you. You'll probably get something way more profound out of them than I did. :) that's what I love about the scriptures. Everyone gets from them exactly what they need and we all find different things to apply to our lives. It's like a little magic book...but cooler.
Yesterday, Sora Remsberg and I did SYL from 8am-9pm. It was hard, but actually kind of fun and I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. It helped me a ton in my language skills and helped me see what I need to work on. We have a goal to do an all day SYL 2 times a week. I'm excited.
We took a less active member's children to church yesterday. Her name is Mihaela and her children are beautiful. Alexandra (10) and Mihai (8). They were so excited to come to church and Mihaela was so excited for them to go. They loved it and were so good. They even sang all the hymns during choir practice before church started. I wish Mihaela's husband would allow her to come to church, but I know she got so much joy out of seeing her children go and seeing how much they loved it. We will most likely be picking them up for the branch activity on wednesday. I love being around children. Their spirits are just so strong and it's so easy to feel the love of the Savior and the Holy Ghost when they are around. It makes me miss being around my nieces and nephews and feeling their sweet spirits. I'm so blessed to be an aunt. Whenever I talk to other missionaries and find out they don't have any nieces and nephews, I feel a little bad for them. haha:) Alexandra taught me so much about the language. Kids are the best to learn from because they are so patient. I seriously learned more about Romanian language from her in those few hours we were with them than I have from anyone up to this point of my mission.
Sorry this is a little long. I'll let you get back to your exciting lives!! I love you all and I hope you are all doing well. You all make it into my prayers every single night. I'm grateful for your examples and love. Thank you for everything.
va pup,
Sora Cook
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| Mihai and Sora Cook |
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| Alexandra and Sora Remsberg |
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