I wish I could say why, but I'm a little emotional as I write this. Although I always miss you, sometimes that feeling is a lot stronger than others... this is one of those times. However, in those times, I just feel so much more gratitude for where I am and how supportive my family is. Thank you for that.
New Years in Romania was a fun experience. We didn't do much, but spending time with my district and getting to know each other even more while playing games at the church until 11:30pm was fun. At 11:30 we walked to centru (downtown) to watch the firework show. I love fireworks... they're beautiful.
I'm not going to lie, I'm really excited for the holidays to be over and to be able to get back into missionary work again and the missionary schedule. I love the structure of missionary life.
This week, because so many people were la tara (out of the city) for the holidays, (school doesn't start again here until the 15th) we decided to take some time to organize our Area Book and get it all in order. There's a section in the back of the Area Book that tells what you need to know about the apartment, the area and whatnot and I figured I should take advantage of the fact thave I've been in this city for 7 months and update all of that information to the best of my knowledge. It took a lot of work. It's still not finished. Lots of work to do. And I intend to do it.
My testimony of the Area Book just keeps growing. When Elder Kerr, area of the seventy, was here, he made an analogy to the Area Book that has just stuck with me. He told us the Area Book is comparable to the seeds that the pioneers planted along the way for the pioneers coming up behind them. As I've thought more about this analogy, I've realized just how much it relates and how true it is. There are so many seeds that have been planted by other missionaries before us. Some of those seeds have grown and need harvesting. That's where we come in. As we prayerfully go through our Area Book and the former investigators (adica *in other words*, seeds that have been planted) we will be led to those seeds who are ready to be harvested. We should use our Area Book as a form of contacting. This week, we have three or four appointments set up with former investigators. I cannot wait to see what has happened to those seeds that were planted in the past and how we can help them to grow even more.
On the other side of that analogy, every day we are planting seeds for future missionaries. It is our job to record those seeds that have been planted so they can, in the future, be harvested. One thing my mission has taught me, record keeping is so, so important. We are a record-keeping people.
I think I mentioned this in my email a few weeks ago... about how God responds to each of us personally according to our wants, desires, needs and personalities. I've learned even more this week how true this is. I love how tenderly and how personally Heavenly Father takes care of us. I was listening to Sora Rivera tell me about how she receives revelation and how God responds to her... It is so, very, completely different than how I receive revelation.
You know me... I like to think that Heavenly Father has a big, grand plan for me and everything that happens in life is "fate" or whatever you want to call it. That's what I choose to believe; that's what brings me comfort. And because that's what brings me comfort, Heavenly Father responds to me in a way that helps me feel that that is true. He tells me in my patriarchal blessing very specific things that I need. He guides me so specifically toward certain things. (ie moving to Austin, moving to Florida, coming on a mission.) When I ask for His guidance, I feel a specific answer. He answers me by helping me feel that one choice is right and one is not; I feel that there is one of those choices that Heavenly Father wants me to do over the other.
Sora Rivera is complete opposite (not a bad thing). She must feel like she is in control. She must feel that she gets to choose what happens to her and where she goes in life and that it isn't up to some "big plan" that Heavenly Father has set for her. She chooses to believe that rather than there being specific things that Heavenly Father wants her to accomplish, there is a specific person He wants her to become and He doesn't really care how she gets there, He just cares that she gets there. How she gets there is completely up to her.
Like I said, it's not a bad thing she chooses to believe that way and that I choose to believe a different way. What is so neat is that because two totally different things bring us comfort, Heavenly Father responds to us in a way that allows us to feel that comfort and He blesses us according to our personalities and desires.
As I was reading in 2 Nephi 31 (my favorite chapter aside from Mosiah 4), I read in verse three and I've read it over and over and over.
"For my soul delighteth in aplainness; for after this manner doth the Lord God work among the children of men. For the Lord God giveth light unto the bunderstanding; for he speaketh unto men according to their clanguage, unto their understanding."
I love where it says that He speaks to us "according to [our] language, unto [our] understanding". When I first read this, I thought it meant that if we speak English, He speaks to us in English, or if we speak Romanian, He speaks to us in Romanian and so forth. And of course he does. But I feel like this verse isn't talking about the language we speak. He will speak to us according to our personalities, according to our desires, according to who we are. He knows us perfectly and will teach us accordingly.
I feel like a parent does the same thing with all of their children. One child might learn completely different from another child. So the parents must adjust the way they parent that child. Heavenly Father adjusts the way he "parents" us according to who we are and what our weaknesses and strengths are. Another verse I found that goes along with this is in Doctrine and Covenants 90:11. It says that "every man shall hear the fulness of the gospel in his own tongue, and in his own language". So beautiful.
This week, I was able to experience first hand the protection of the Holy Ghost. I've never felt so protected in my life. I will spare the details.... but I learned even more so just how important it is to have the companionship of the Spirit with us. I am so grateful that not only were Sora Rivera and I worthy of the spirit individually, but also as a companionship. My love for her just continues to grow. She is beautiful and is teaching me so much. Why does Heavenly Father continue to bless me with such wonderful people in my life? I am not worthy of all of these blessings.
I have a favor. Tomorrow, church leaders are meeting with government officials here in Romania to discuss digitizing all of the records of Romania in exchange for access to the records so that we can do family history work here in Romania. This would be so good, not only for the country of Romania to have all their records digitized, but even more importantly, for the church and thousands and thousands of souls who are waiting for their work to be done. Please, please pray that this meeting goes well and that we will be successful in obtaining these records that so badly need to be done. I get butterflies just thinking about it.
A few months ago when I was in Bucuresti for Zone Conference, I was talking to Brother Green, a member from Washington but living in Bucuresti doing family history work. He told me that they want 20,000 preisthood holders in the country by 2015 and because the work just is progressing that rapidly, they are recruiting from other side. I got goose bumps as he told me this. I regret not getting into family history work before my mission, but you better believe that will be on my list of things to do as soon as I get home. Dad, I need you to teach me everything you know:) Get ready for me to sit next to you on a computer and index as much as possible with you. Bonding time:) Can't wait.
Unfortunately, there isn't much to update on as far as investigators and lessons for this week goes. Hardly anyone was able to meet, sadly. But we have high hopes for this week! Lots of seeds from the Area Book to be harvested this week! (pray for us, please!)
Life is great, I'm healthy, sleeping really poorly, but living big:)
I love you all dearly. I wish so much that I had time to email you all individually! I just don't. But that doesn't mean that I love you any less. You are all amazing and wonderful examples.
toate dragostea mea,
Sora Cook
Happy birthday to Jerrica this week! I love you so much.
(sorry for the repeat that this email will be for some of you. Actually, just Nathan. I took peices out of my email to you from a few weeks ago and pasted it in this email. Sorry. Lack of time to type it all out again.)
So cool to hear about Porter's blessing. Thank you for the pictures. Can't wait to hold that little man.
ps... it looks like because of the changes of time at the MTC, my release date has been moved up 3 weeks. Just so you all know. That could change. But I thought maybe you would like to know.
I feel like a parent does the same thing with all of their children. One child might learn completely different from another child. So the parents must adjust the way they parent that child. Heavenly Father adjusts the way he "parents" us according to who we are and what our weaknesses and strengths are. Another verse I found that goes along with this is in Doctrine and Covenants 90:11. It says that "every man shall hear the fulness of the gospel in his own tongue, and in his own language". So beautiful.
This week, I was able to experience first hand the protection of the Holy Ghost. I've never felt so protected in my life. I will spare the details.... but I learned even more so just how important it is to have the companionship of the Spirit with us. I am so grateful that not only were Sora Rivera and I worthy of the spirit individually, but also as a companionship. My love for her just continues to grow. She is beautiful and is teaching me so much. Why does Heavenly Father continue to bless me with such wonderful people in my life? I am not worthy of all of these blessings.
I have a favor. Tomorrow, church leaders are meeting with government officials here in Romania to discuss digitizing all of the records of Romania in exchange for access to the records so that we can do family history work here in Romania. This would be so good, not only for the country of Romania to have all their records digitized, but even more importantly, for the church and thousands and thousands of souls who are waiting for their work to be done. Please, please pray that this meeting goes well and that we will be successful in obtaining these records that so badly need to be done. I get butterflies just thinking about it.
A few months ago when I was in Bucuresti for Zone Conference, I was talking to Brother Green, a member from Washington but living in Bucuresti doing family history work. He told me that they want 20,000 preisthood holders in the country by 2015 and because the work just is progressing that rapidly, they are recruiting from other side. I got goose bumps as he told me this. I regret not getting into family history work before my mission, but you better believe that will be on my list of things to do as soon as I get home. Dad, I need you to teach me everything you know:) Get ready for me to sit next to you on a computer and index as much as possible with you. Bonding time:) Can't wait.
Unfortunately, there isn't much to update on as far as investigators and lessons for this week goes. Hardly anyone was able to meet, sadly. But we have high hopes for this week! Lots of seeds from the Area Book to be harvested this week! (pray for us, please!)
Life is great, I'm healthy, sleeping really poorly, but living big:)
I love you all dearly. I wish so much that I had time to email you all individually! I just don't. But that doesn't mean that I love you any less. You are all amazing and wonderful examples.
toate dragostea mea,
Sora Cook
Happy birthday to Jerrica this week! I love you so much.
(sorry for the repeat that this email will be for some of you. Actually, just Nathan. I took peices out of my email to you from a few weeks ago and pasted it in this email. Sorry. Lack of time to type it all out again.)
So cool to hear about Porter's blessing. Thank you for the pictures. Can't wait to hold that little man.
ps... it looks like because of the changes of time at the MTC, my release date has been moved up 3 weeks. Just so you all know. That could change. But I thought maybe you would like to know.
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| We went paintballing today with the entire zone. It was a blast. More pictures will come later. |
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