Chase got his call to Washington Tacoma?! That is soo awesome!! He will be a great missionary and he better write me. And I assume Sean will get his call soon, I got a DearElder from him a while back and it sounds to be that way. This is all great news!

Life in the MTC is pretty good. Went to the temple this morning and it was basically the best session; I have learned so much this week!

So, the first day in the MTC Elder Simmons and I taught our first lesson to a lone elder who was studying on the grass at night.  Anyways, we got to know him and taught him a lesson filled with the spirit.  He was headed to Philadelphia English speaking and throughout our stay we would see him around and we became friends. Well he left a couple weeks ago and last week we got a letter from him telling us how his call had been changed to Spanish and that he was learning it really fast in the field.  He expressed thankfulness to us for being friends and it was really a cool letter to get.

We got a new district this past week and Elder Simmons and I had the opportunity to do orientation for them.  They are a stellar district; they remind me of our district oh so long ago (6 weeks ha).  One of them was in my EFY group when I went the first time at BYU.  I didn’t recognize him but he remembers me because everyone would hit on my sister (Diana); brought up some memories.

Two elders in our zone where feeling homesick this week so Elder Simmons and I gave them blessings, fasted for them, and prayed a lot. God answers prayers.  On Sunday Stephen B. Allen (an awesome man who was mission pres. of the Tempe mission and is now managing director of missionary department) spoke for the fireside. He told us that when we feel homesick and want to go home that is only Satan pushing our buttons because he knows how much success we will have in bringing others unto Christ and he does all he can to make us quit. Bro. Allen addressed their concerns basically word for word and referenced Alma 26:27-30ish. I love everything about this work.  The hard times have a purifying power and the good times make you appreciate life and the plan of salvation.

Un conocimiento de la expiacion de Jesucristo es muy importante por los gentes del mundo y a traves la expacion podemos tener la vida eterna.  Yo se que Jesucristo es mi Salvador y Redentor.  Yo se que puedo vivir con mi familia por eternidad.

I love my mission and I can’t wait to hear how the Lord has been blessing your lives. If anyone has time, DearElder.com is nice because they get here fast and such.  I love you all! One of my favorite scriptures of this week is DyC 128:28-29 (I think) "Shall we not go on in so great a cause?" and also DyC 31 is pretty good also as related to missionary work.

Anyways love ya all and keep it up,

Love Elder Cooley

A wicked hail storm and a tornado?! That is pretty intense, wish I could’ve seen that. It rained quite a bit last week here, so that was nice. Troy will be a great boy and example for sure. I love the temple, we had the opportunity to go this morning and it was probably the best session I've had so far at the MTC and they've all been way good, but I just felt the Saviors love so strongly as I sat in there pondering and reading some scriptures.

So this past week has been awesomebroso (a made up Spanish word we heard a sister using). On Tuesday night we heard from Elder Neuenshwander on how to be more successful missionaries and he gave some great advice and things I can work on. Then after we had a district meeting and shared some of our thoughts and feelings about the fireside and then after our branch president, Pres. Horne, pulled me and Elder Simmons into another room. I thought we were going to get in trouble for something, but instead he asked us to be the next Zone Leaders. So currently we are zone leaders in training until next Sunday. I'm excited to be able to serve the other elders in my zone. I know I'll have to rely on the Savior a lot and such. I hope you all take time to look for the ways the Lord has blessed your lives, it's amazing to see how much He has when you stop and look.

Also this week we listened to a couple devotionals from Elders Holland and Bednar from a year or so ago that they gave in the MTC (I guess you can only watch them in the MTC so not sure you'll be able to find them). Elder Holland had 2, one called "Missions are Forever" and "The Miracle of a Mission". Those were amazing!! I love Elder Holland. He is very passionate about his mission and how it set the tone for the rest of his life. He said something like, “Everything good in my life has come as a result of my mission", then he said that’s only if you make it that way. He has a lot of good stuff of relating missionary work to the work that Christ performed on the earth, just on a much smaller scale; but as disciples of Jesus Christ we must be willing to take a few steps up the hill of Calvary. Then Elder Bednar talked about how to distinguish between the Holy Ghost and our own thoughts. He said "Quit worrying about it! You be a good boy, you obey the commandments, you keep your covenants, and the Lord will guide your steps and put utterance into your mouth when you don’t even know it’s happening. If our thoughts are good, then our actions will be good; and everything that is good comes from God".

Entonces, Yo se que la Iglesia de Jesucristo es el reino de Dios en la tierra. Yo se que familias son eternas. Yo se que Tomas S. Monson es nuestro profeta en la tierra hoy. Yo so que a traves el expiacion de Jesucristo podemos tener felicidades. I love you all and stay true to the faith and close to the spirit.

Love,

Elder Mark Cooley


I get to go to this place!



Yo y mi companero had somewhat matching ties. Same brand and
basically same pattern, just different colors. We received many
compliments because we were being companionship-minded. 

First of all, conference was amazing!! I loved every single talk and I noticed how everything is tied into missionary work. I only have 23 mins left but one thing I noticed at the start was how all the talks were about following the prophet and then when the prophet spoke he talked about gratitude. I've noticed that's one thing I need to work on and especially if it’s what the prophet says. So that’s my goal is to express more gratitude and also to be an example of the believer as I go about being a representative of Jesucristo.

That is sooo awesome that dad was able to talk with Steve! I pray about everyone at home and I have no doubt the Lord is blessing you all. I got the package! Thanks!  Definitely helped because I started getting sick the day after I got it, but I prevented it.

It'd be nice to get more letters because I have more time to write with letters than with emails, and I don’t have very many people’s addresses.

Mae is 1? Man, things fly when you’re on a mission!

Mom and Dad, I am so grateful for everything you have done for me, all the lessons you have taught me, and all the love you've shown.  Oh yeah, one thing I'd like to have would be some pictures of everyone! Basically just the whole fam and every niece and nephew and such, yeah the works.

So the Sunday fireside last night was all about hymns, it was way awesome. It was great to sing some of my favorite hymns with thousands of other missionaries and to feel the spirit that comes from them.

I love you all and continue to live righteously and to be more Christlike, we all have room for improvement. Being on a mission is the greatest thing ever and it’s only been 3 weeks so I'm stoked for everything to come!

Love, Elder Mark Cooley