A Grand New Year's Begun - New life, new hope, new chances. For worship, work, and fun.

Poem

Hola Familia,

Wow how crazy is it that it is 2015 ha ha. Well I hope that all of you had a great holiday season and were able to enjoy all the time with the family. Well this week has been pretty normal. After writing on Monday we went with our District and made burritos. Or rather Elder Montoya from Arkansas and I made burritos. I made the tortillas; I am pretty good at making tortillas ha ha. 

Burritos

Then we just watched a movie. Then for our Noche de Hogar (FHE), we went but it fell threw so we went to a Member’s house and the daughter’s ex-boyfriend came over. He was yelling and throwing rocks it was nuts. We just sat inside doing nothing and just praying for the Mom and for help. A neighbor came over and helped diffuse the situation. I am so grateful for prayer I really know that God hears and answers all of our prayers.

On Tuesday I got to teach another District meeting class and it went really well. I am so grateful for all the help that I get from God to be able to help my District be the best that they can be. Then on Wednesday (New Year’s Eve) we went and did service for Ruben and we just moved the biggest rocks ever ha ha. 

Service

Later that day we went and had a normal day working and came back to the room and went to bed and then woke up at 11:50 and ate our 12 grapes in a minute, because that is a tradition here. You eat one and make a wish, and then back to bed we went because we were very tired. We went and read the Book of Mormon for three hours in Pedregal and had turkey with our Pensionista. We have had some awesome family home evenings. The members are opening up and wanting to help us more and more with the work, which is very nice. We have had so many new investigators and we just keep finding new people to teach. It is just awesome to see the Lord guiding us every day. We did service for our Pensionista this Saturday and moved rocks and dirt for three hours straight and it was so tiring but it was awesome. I cooked pancakes for the family and the six missionaries, I am leaning how to cook without recipes ha ha. 

Pancakes with Peaches

This Sunday was Fast Sunday. I love Fast Sundays, where we really can know what our investigators need and how we can make them better. Overall this week has been very successful. We are finally having some success; I think that we should have some baptisms by the end of the month. So it should be fun to see the growth in all of our people.

Thank you all for all the support and the things that you sent me. It has been so cool to see how everything is working out back at home. All of you guys are progressing so much and I am so grateful to have you all as my family members. The mission is awesome. I love learning every single day and I am becoming such a better young man that is for sure. I hope that all of you have New Year resolutions and are able to keep them. Have a great week everyone.

I love you all,

Elder Cooley

Questions:

1. Favorite weekly scripture?

Alma 32:41

2. What are your New Years goals?

My goals are to work out every morning, to finish Jesus Is The Christ (audio) and to finish the Old Testament in Spanish.

3. What did you think of the fake snow?

I have not done it yet I will do it today.

4. Did you do anything specific for New Years or did you just go to bed?

Went to bed woke up and ate 12 grapes in 1 minute with 12 wishes and then back to bed ha ha.

5. Do you have a favorite drink down there?

Water ha ha, I am so sick of soda.

6. What do you typically do for family home evenings?

We have a message and a song. Then I cook something and we play games.

7. Have you given away anymore of the extra presents? What was the response?

I have given away some more and the people love the American candy ha ha.

8. On average how many hours a day do you travel (taking a bus, walking, etc.)?

Probably close to 4 hours.

9. What is the church building like there?

It is really nice I will send a picture next week.

10. Do you want anything for your birthday?

I want dried fruit, mangos and just some healthy stuff, and I don't know what else.

Fruit Loops

Getting Christmas Ready

Navidad in the Church

Navidad

WHERE'S DYLAN?

Enjoying some real snow!!

Año Nuevo . . . Casi

Hola Familia,

Wow that was so much fun to see all of you this past week. That was the best thing that I could have asked for, for Christmas that is for sure. Wow this week has been crazy. We have traveled so much and so the missionary work has been a little slow. Thank you all so much for the packages, they were awesome and it was so much fun to open everything. I will be putting on some weight eating all the goodies ha ha.

This week was awesome, we had some amazing family home evenings and visiting families was a ton of fun. We made all the decorations for the activity one night and it was fun to do. Then we had the activity in the church and it was a ton of fun to be able to give the members something on Christmas Eve. We had so much Paneton and a ton of hot chocolate it was crazy. I was so sick of sugary things but it was Christmas so I had to eat it ha ha. That night we hung out that night with the other Elders in our district and celebrated an Elder's birthday that was on Christmas, which was awesome ha ha. We got to watch fireworks and do a ton of sweet stuff. Then we went back and just talked for a while. On Christmas we traveled to Pedregal and got to talk to all of you. That was awesome. After we went and ate turkey and had a really fun night with our Pensionista. It was just really laid back that was for sure. 

Turkey Dinner

Pensionista's Christmas Decorations

Pensionista's Family

Pensionista and her Husband

After we went home and I got to open all the goodies that I have been waiting to open for forever it was amazing. On Friday we went back to work ha ha. We got to give three more blessings to a family with chicken pox. So I think that I have had it so I shouldn’t get it ha ha. On Saturday we cleaned the Church and then did service for our Pensionista moving rocks for two hours. It was hard work but it was fun. Then we had some good lessons with a new family. Yesterday we went to Church and then went with Ruben to visit a member and then had a BBQ.

BBQ

Overall the work is good. I wish that we could find more members and find people that could be baptized. But I know that the work that we are doing is good work but some days it is hard. Ruben is starting his papers for his mission this week and so that is awesome. I know that he wanted to go on a mission really bad. We had 83 people in Church Sunday. That is the most that has attended in my time here, which is sweet.

Christmas was very different but it was a cool experience to be able to visit and to help out families. I will be focusing on them more and hopefully we can get the Church to have 100 people attending each week. I have learned so much in my six months on the mission it is unreal. I love everyday and I work hard to never have regrets. Just keep working hard and be the best person that you can be. Make sure to keep doing your goals and definitely make new goals for the New Year.

I love you all so much and I hope that you all have a great rest of your break and that you all are working really hard. You all looked so great and I am so blessed to have you all in my life.

I love you all,

Elder Cooley

Questions:

1. What did you think of the Christmas presents? (I can barely remember what we even sent you now!) ;)

I absolutely loved all the presents. They are all so amazing and I will be eating well that is for sure ha ha.

Packages

2. How was your Christmas dinner?

Christmas dinner was really good. It was fun to spend the evening with the family of my Pesionista.

Christmas Dinner

3. What was your favorite part of the Skype call?

Favorite part was just talking and just seeing you and hearing all of your voices that is for sure.

4. How did your Pensionista like her picture of Christ you gave her for Christmas?

She absolutely loved and she is going to putting it up in her living room.

5. Are you doing anything fun for New Years Eve?  Are there any traditions in Peru?

For New Years we don’t get to stay out late or anything like that, so it will just be a normal day ha ha.

6. What was your favorite Christmas present?

Favorite Christmas present that is way too hard ha ha. I have no idea that is for sure because I loved then all.

7. What did your companion get for Christmas?

He got a ton of food and stuff to draw and a bunch of other stuff. Then he got another package of more food ha ha.

8. Did you give out any of the extra Christmas presents we sent?  If yes, what was the response?

Yeah only a little bit and they always ask if it is from the States. They are just super excited ha ha.

9. What was your overall opinion of Christmas in Peru?

It was really different and definitely did not feel like Christmas, that is the truth. But it was fun to see a different culture.

10. Was it weird not being cold or having snow?

A little ha ha, but it was still cool. I do like that snow a lot more that is for sure.

11. Who is your favorite apostle currently?

Jeffery R. Holland

WHERE'S DYLAN?

Hanging out with Baseball Friends!

Navidad BBQ?

Hola familia,

Wow how crazy that it is already Christmas. Geez it just feels like yesterday when I was in the SLC airport saying the last goodbyes ha ha. But now six months in and wow things have changed for sure. Overall things are about 100 times better ha ha. My new companion is Elder Holden from Arizona in the mountains. He loves to hunt, play sports and loves to work. We have been able to get a ton of work done. Both of us have the same desire to serve the lord.

This week has been awesome we been focusing on working with members to strengthen them and to make them able to come to the church everyday. Overall everything is awesome. We rescued another person this week, our Pesionista’s husband. The whole family is just coming back to church and they are all awesome. So we had one of the most powerful lessons last night about the atonement with him, it was incredible. I love being able to see the joy of everyone. Then we have been working to find all the teenagers that are just lost and aren’t coming to church. Wow there are so many that just don’t come and it is so sad. We have been working with Ruben and he is preparing to receive more priesthood in order to go on a mission.

This week we went to Pedregal on Tuesday. Then we came back and I had to give a lesson to the entire zone ha ha. It turned out really good and I am so thankful for the help of the Lord in my life.

Home Sweet Home

Then we returned the next day and hung out and practiced our skit for the Christmas devotional. That night we slept over on top of the roof, which was awesome ha ha. On Thursday we traveled to Arequipa and had an awesome devotional with great food and games. We ate stuffing, marshmallow salad and broccoli salad. It was so good ha ha. 

Christmas Lunch

My Stocking

Zone

Christmas Party

Then we got home real late. It was so cool to have the Christmas activity with everyone. On Saturday we had an awesome day of service. We built a pig corral, carried grass, milked cows and cleaned the church. We got some sweet lessons in also. Then we finished the week with a BBQ ha ha.

Building a pig corral

Pigs

Milking Cows

Got Milk?

Sunday Lunch BBQ

Eating

Hermana Olga

BBQ Time

BBQ

Overall this week was awesome, I am so grateful for my companion and for the help the Lord gives to us every single day. I love this time of the year, just remember how important this time of the year is and enjoy the Christmas season with the family. I love you all so much. John 3:16. Remember the importance of the season.

I love you all,

Elder Cooley

Questions:

1. Have you been able to see any other Christmas videos while you have been down there?  (Such as the one done by the Piano Guys with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Peter Hollens and David Archuleta video link)

I have not been able to but I do have some more music from other missionaries that I listen to.

2. What is the scripture of the week?

Romans 6 : the last verse in this chapter I think 23

3. How do you like your new companion?  

I love my new companion he is awesome. We get along really well and are working harder then ever.

Mac and Cheese

Donuts

Deer Jerky

Random Dude with a Machete

WHERE'S DYLAN?!?

FAMILY CHRISTMAS PARY!