This past week was amazing.  Yes, I am a lot closer to the mission home now.  Correction to address, we live in Stafford instead of Missouri City but you probably already figured that out.  In our apartment complex there are 3 other companionships, English elders and sisters and then a senior couple.  Because it is so close to the mission home all the departing missionaries and arriving missionaries come and stay the night in our apartment every transfer so that'll be cool to see.  Sounds like Girls Camp was a huge success and I'm sure the food was delicious as always, Mom.

So, as for this past week we were able to find a lot of good new investigators.  One is Adrian, an 11 year old boy who's family is less active; but he told his mom how he wanted to learn more about God and Christ and we weren't ever able to find them home, but this past week we did and he is a way cool kid. He plays soccer so it was fun being able to teach The Restoration in a way that he could understand by using a lot of soccer analogies.  We also were biking around in the little town of Fresno when we OYM'd (Open Your Mouth) a young man named Omar who was about to leave and play soccer but he was willing to sit down and we shared the Restoration with him and his family.  His little sister is really good at reading and loved reading from the Book of Mormon and they all understood really well.  We are teaching a pair of 22 year old twins, Yanis and Myra.  When they were younger their family investigated and they ended up going to Utah on a trip.  They said that they felt the spirit there and really wanted to get baptized but their dad wouldn't let them.  Later on the dad, Hno. Reyes (who is now a councilor in the branch presidency) got baptized and by that time they didn't want to get baptized.  They had a lot of questions about authority and how to recognize the truth, but as we taught them all of their questions were answered.  We also started teaching a 22 year old guy, Edwin, who investigated back when Elder Scavo was here his first time, but we taught him and he came to church on Sunday!  As for this past Sunday, we had Stake Conference; it was cool to go to a complete Spanish stake.  The temple president, President Bradshaw, talked and was very enthusiastic.  He told us how he served his mission in Argentina and how recently at the temple he performed a sealing for some people from Argentina. They told him how they knew an Elder Bradshaw who always talked about Texas and turned out he had written his testimony in their scriptures.  The stake president, Presidente Portillo, spoke a lot about how we need to show more love in the home and to work towards a celestial family.  He is a somewhat short man but a spiritual giant.

I did this really awesome thing on Sunday.  I ran into a pole.  There was a light pole in the middle of the side walk and I was going pretty fast.  I had planned on going to the left side but as I approached it I noticed there was a bunch of broken glass so last minute I decided to go to the right side and turns out it didn't work out and wasn't as cool as I had hoped.  But nothing too bad happened.  Also for P-day we went to a Mandir, aka Hindu temple.  It was really weird, but there were a lot of intricate carvings and such.  Anyways, the Lord is preparing people to accept the gospel.  Maria Llanas is working towards baptism.  She hasn't drank coffee in a few weeks and although it is hard she knows that it's a commandment and is willing to live it and thereby is blessed.  So it is with our own lives, when we know the commandments and keep them, then we are blessed.  Hope you all have a great week, peace and blessings.

Love, Elder Cooley