Howdy!
Sounds like a fun/interesting week back home. So I'm writing today because yesterday was MLK day and so today is our pday. The Lord definitely is performing miracles every day for each one of us; it wasn't until I started keeping a study journal that I began noticing all of them. Prophets have spoken of how study journals allow us to receive inspiration as we show to the Lord how important it is to us. I have learned how the prophets study journals are basically the scriptures and as we keep study journals they can enlarge our memory and expand our knowledge.
This past week I have studied a lot about The Spirit of Promise and other such things related to it, if anyone could give me some more insight that would be awesome.
I have not received the calendar and shirt yet; my guess is you sent it to the mission home. Since Galveston is a good 1.5 hour drive we only get mail from the mission home about every few weeks. But I'll get it tomorrow probably since Pres. Saylin is coming down to do interviews for the League City Zone.
So this past week, from Monday-Thurs. we got a little bit of a freeze where it was unusually cold. On top of that our heater in the apartment doesn’t work so I slept with extra blankets and my jacket on. The Orellanas on Wednesday let us borrow one of their portable heaters; it was a life saver! One day we were riding in downtown Galveston (The Strand) when we rode by the Oscar Mayer Wiener Mobile, so that was fun to see.
On Monday night and Tuesday, Elder Perez came on an exchange with me (He's called to speak English but he speaks Spanish, we came out the same time) it was awesome! We had the opportunity to teach the mother of a less active young man, the lesson went amazing. Probably best 1st lesson in my mission. She was asking all the right questions and when we read Amos 8:11-12 she said she had this similar hunger. We then related how a young man, Jose Smith, had this same hunger and she accepted a baptismal date! We've been working a lot lately with part member families and less actives to keep retention higher and the help with The Rescue that Pres. Monson has spoken very often about. On Wednesday me and Elder Jensen ensenamos Clases de Ingles a los miembros y investigadores, era un gran privilegio. Then, on Friday I was asked to sing a musical number at District Meeting and I sang Hymn #112, Savior Redeemer of My Soul to the tune of #102 Jesus Lover of My Soul, not sure how well that worked out but it seemed to fit. Also on Sunday the Hermanas in the branch had a baptism for a 22 year old Josue Blanco; he is legitimate. Anyways, I had the privilege of conducting the baptism, in Spanish, so that was fun.
This past training President Saylin wanted us to prayerfully select 3 families in the branch to get more involved in missionary work. This was called our "Miracle List" and we have seen great success as we expressed to these families that it was the will of the Lord that they become more involved in missionary work. I have a very strong testimony of members doing the work and I hope to be able to use these families as the Lord would want us to. Anyways thanks for all the love and support! Hope y'all have a great week.
"Now, let it be written in every heart with a pen of fire that this work in which we are engaged is true, that the gospel we have received came from heaven, and that it shall be preached by us in every nation, to all people, beginning with our neighbors, and then shall the end come. Let us be reminded that there is joy without measure in bringing souls unto Christ- a joy that will be magnified and perfected beyond mortal comprehension when we sit down with them in the kingdom of the Father. As one among you I know whereof I speak and testify that God who gave us the gospel has also called us to take it to his other children. God grant that we may do so in the way we already know we should."-Elder Bruce R. McConkie, "Let the Word Go Forth".
I love how perfect this gospel is and how endless our potential is as we submit our will to the Father.
Con gran amor, Elder Cooley
