"For with God nothing shall be impossible." -Luke 1:37

Hola Familia,

Well this week has been crazy ha ha.

We have had a ton of things to do because my companion is ending his mission.  Also the Zone is doing well and everything is going great.  Well this week something exciting happened.  Our investigator Cesar Llanos is doing good and progressing.  We were able to talk with him and to confirm his date to be baptized this Saturday or the next just depending on him and which one he wants to pick.  He will have his interview and then it will all be good.  It was really cool.  When we went to talk with him his attitude totally changed.  He had been changed from the Spirit of the Holy Ghost (Spanish version).  If we can apply the simple things in our life we can change everything.  If we read and pray (see video below) and follow the steps to have Eternal Life (Spanish version) we will be happy and ready to be changed. 

Christian is doing really well.  We were thinking about dropping him because he has not been progressing but we went for the last lesson with him.  We were talking with him and discovered that out of nowhere had read the Book of Mormon (Spanish version) chapter that we left with him.  He has prayed and is ready to be baptized.  I think that he will be baptized this weekend or next weekend as well.

I have gained a testimony of the Power of God.  Luke 1:37 (Spanish version). 

If we can put our trust in God he will help us and will change who we are.  We are not inviting people to come to the Church, we are inviting people to come to Christ and to changed their life through Christ.

I love my mission and all the ups and downs but everything is amazing.  Overall this week has been really good.  I was able to cook some tacos real quick ha ha and they were amazing.  

Everything has just been going great.  I am ready to get a new companion.  Overall I love everything.  Life is amazing.

I love you all and just keep on keeping on and everything will work out.

Elder Cooley

Questions:

1. Favorite scripture?

1 Corinthians 13:11 (Spanish version)

2. What is your workout schedule?

Um, I usually do different things everyday.  I just workout in the living room of our Pensionista and typically just do circuit workouts.

3. Can you give us an update on your pedometer?

I will next week; I do not have it with me right now.

4. What is the missionaries’ biggest health issue as a whole in your area?

I think that the biggest issue is stomach problems.

5. Have you tried any seafood yet?

Just fish ha ha.  We really don’t eat too much seafood even though we live on the coast.

6. Is it getting colder there yet?

It is getting a little colder.  The shower is definitely getting ice cold ha ha.

7. Do the people there reuse items when they can?

Yes everyone loves to reuse all the bottles and everything.  Although they don’t store food for more than one day in the refrigerator.

8. How often do you listen to your music?

I listen to music every morning doing my workout.

9. What is your favorite song?

I think that The Piano Guys are pretty awesome.

10. Do the Ward members help you out with the new investigators?

Yes, they are able to come with us to help teach.

Happy Birthday Elder Garcia!

Service

Cute Dog

Steak

BBQ

Hahahaha

Yum

Before

After

Angel and Cindy

The Patriarch (Patriarchal blessings)

Zone Breakfast

Families are Forever

Hola Family,

How are all of you guys doing?  This week has been pretty good nothing too interesting has happened this week ha ha.  We were able to have a good week.  We had a lot of fun and were able to do a bunch of things.  I am trying to think of what we did and I can’t remember ha ha.  Well this week we were supposed to have a baptism but we are going to push it off one more week because we have not seen the change in his heart (Spanish version).

I know that if we keep working with him he will want to change and will be ready to be baptized.  Our investigator Pedro and Brasilia have a date to be baptized; July 4th ha ha.  They are awesome and their entire family from Lima is going to come and it will be such an amazing experience.  They could be baptized right now but they are waiting for July and so it will be awesome.  Well we have other investigators but they are not progressing too much. 

The Ward is doing really well and it will be exciting to see what will happen during my time here.  The members are great.  The Zone is doing really good too.  It is fun to be able to help out the Zone.  On Thursday we went and picked up a missionary that came in from Lima.  We were waiting at the bus station until midnight ha ha.  We were just sitting there and talking to this lady that makes these weird hot drink things.  It was fun to help out that missionary.  We also painted a house this week; we did a great job and had so much fun.  I have to say that the 6 missionaries that painted this house did a much better job then the painters here.

Well other then that this week has been pretty normal. Just doing the work of the Lord.

This week I have really learned the importance of families (Spanish version).  After giving so many lessons to families that are falling apart and seeing the heartache from the sins of the parents is so difficult.  The most important thing that we have in our lives is our family.  The family needs to be the strongest thing that we have in our lives and they can really help us be the best that we need to be.  The husband and wife are essential to life and we need to love our partner more then anyone is this world.  Love them and cherish every single moment that you have with them.  This life is to enjoy and to learn.  Love every minute and don’t let the day run you. (Family Proclamation - Spanish version)

I love you all,

Elder Cooley

Questions:

1. Favorite scripture?

Genesis 1:2-4 (Spanish version)

2. Have you tried any Peruvian chocolate?  What were your thoughts?

There is some good Peruvian chocolate but not too much ha ha.  It is called Bon Bon.

3. Are you able to cook at all in your new area?

Yeah I am able to cook a little.  I helped a member cook a thing called Causa yesterday.

Link

4. How is the Zone doing?

The Zone is doing well.  Everyone is working hard and we can see some more improvements.  We are happy but want to elevate the Zone even more.

5. Do the natives speak English at all?

Um, not really.  Like everyone knows a little English but not too much.

6. Have you met any Americans down there (that are not there on a mission)?

I have met a couple when I was in Arequipa but there have not been any here.

7. What is the biggest challenge with travel?  Is it easier than when you were in Aplao?

It is a ton easier than in Aplao.  It is just taking buses and taxis everywhere.

8. Do people still take your picture randomly (just because you are so tall)?

Yes! It always happens to me ha ha.

9. What is something that you have seen or experienced that has strengthened your testimony?

How faithful the people here are.  They try and keep the Sabbath day holy and to follow the prophets (Spanish version).  They don’t have too much knowledge of the Gospel but they have so much faith (Spanish version).

10. What is your favorite activity to do on P-days?

I like to hang out and play sports, go to the beach and just walk around.

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Read All About It! (Pictures Included)

Hola Familia,

How is everyone doing? This week has been a good week.  Overall I am grateful that everything is going well and that I am able to be here in Ilo.  Nothing too exciting has happened this week but it has been great.  We were able to go on divisions a couple times to see how some missionaries are doing and make sure everything is good in the Zone. 

This week we have been working a lot on making sure that everything is good for our investigators for the upcoming week.  We had really cool experiences with an investigator named Pedro and his wife.  It was our second visit with him and he was really hard; he wanted a lot of proof with the scriptures so we used a ton of scriptures and it was awesome.  So we went back a third time and he was totally changed as a person.  We truly saw a difference in him and his whole attitude about the gospel.  We were teaching him and we invited him to be baptized.  He accepted!  He picked a date: Saturday, the 4th of July ha ha.  It was awesome and they are coming to Church and everything is going to be great.  We just need to keep teaching him.  The power of the Holy Ghost (Spanish version) is amazing.  It will be amazing to see them when they are baptized.  I am super excited for them.

This week the Zone has been going through a bunch of temporal (relating to worldly as opposed to spiritual affairs; secular) problems with health and things.  We have one of the best zones in the Mission and you can see when we are working good there is always something trying to bring us down.  The adversary (Spanish version) is working so hard.  I know that the adversary is always there to try and hurt us and to bring us down.  If we fight to be better everything will turn out all right.

Well Mother’s Day was awesome and I was so glad to be able to talk with all of you guys this past week.  What a blessing it has been to have the support that you guys have given me.  I am able to work hard without having to worry about you guys ha ha.  I love you all so much.  Remember to love God (Spanish version) with all your heart and your life will be instantaneously better.

I love you all so much,

Elder Cooley

Questions:

1. What candy bars would you like us to send you?

I would like any candy bars besides Milky Way, Snickers, Hersheys, etc.  Like any candy bars that would only be in the States.

2. How many people live with the Bishop in his house?

I believe that there are like eight people or so ha ha.

3. Do most of the people there live with extended family?

Yeah, that is usually what happens.  They just build onto their houses and keep adding people.

4. Favorite scripture?

Alma 34 (Spanish version)

5. Do you typically drink Inca Cola or regular Coke?  Which do you prefer?

I usually drink whatever they give me.  I have never bought soda on my mission.  I just get invited a ton and so I drink a bunch ha ha.  Either is good.  But coke with evaporated milk is the best so is orange fanta with evaporated milk.

Feliz Dia

Yard Long Pizza

Mr. Charito

Leadership Conference

Even a Cooley can find "MD" in Peru

Lunch

Lemon Pie that I made