Milk and Cookies - Welcome to December

Hola Familia,

Wow it is already December. It is absolutely crazy that I am approaching 6 months in the mission field. This week was good, had a ton of fun and great experiences with members and investigators. My companion and I are doing a lot better.

Weekly overview:

On Monday after P-day was over we went back and got ready and went to Cosos, a town about 45 minutes of walking away. We had a family home evening planned but of course the family was not there ha ha. So we walked back and found a family of less actives and then had a awesome lesson. Raul and Valerie are great and we were able to teach them about the importance of being married and having a temple marriage. It is always fun and very spiritual to teach about eternal families. 

On Tuesday we had our 2-hour bus ride for our Zone meeting. Then we came back and had lunch around four, traveling is just a way of life ha ha. Then we gave a 15 day old baby a blessing because he was sick. It was really cool only using one hand and very powerful. 

On Wednesday we gave another blessing to a girl with chicken pox. It was so sad because she scratched them all and was in a lot of pain. 

Then on Thursday we went and had a planning session for the week. It was Thanksgiving but nothing cool happened so it was just another normal day ha ha. I did buy a mini apple pie to celebrate the day ha ha. 

Apple Pie

Happy Thanksgiving

Then in the night we played soccer as a branch which is always fun. I still don’t like soccer ha ha. 

Then Friday we taught a young adult named Ruben. He has totally changed his life around in about 3 weeks after he had an accident. He is awesome and so we are working really carefully with him so that we don’t lose him. Then I made No Bake Cookies that were super delicious, thanks Mom for the recipe. Now my Pesionista wants to learn how to make them and sell them at her store ha ha. 

No Bake Cookies

Later that night we had a mini MTC at the branch and I was directing. It was really cool and my Spanish is coming along really well. 

On Saturday we cleaned the church and were able to have a great lesson with Raul and Valerie, it started of with a video about maternity because I thought it was different video. I was like crap we are watching a video only for women, but then I had another video about fathers and so it turned out really awesome. Thanks for the guidance of the spirit.

Yesterday church was good and we had some good lessons. I was able to get a electric piano to start to learn how to play again ha ha. Then we went to the hospital and visited a really sick member. He really liked talking to me ha ha. We gave him a blessing and that was awesome.

Overall I love this area, it is never the same and I learn something new every single day. We are able to work a ton with members and that is what the branch needs. I want to be able to leave this area and have the branch run well without the missionaries doing all the work. I have learned a ton about the work of the Lord. I have learned a lot about the power of the Priesthood and the blessing it gives here. They either don’t have the means or the things to make them better so they need the help of the Lord. I think that we all can learn from this. I hope that you all had a great Thanksgiving and I loved the photo of me there ha ha. 

Remember the importance of families.

I love you all,

Elder Cooley

Questions:

1. Did the fruit that was pod like with black seeds (you sent us a picture) taste like vanilla and have the texture of cotton candy?

It has a texture of cotton candy but tasted like nothing I have tasted before. It is very delicious might I add ha ha.

2. What was the most meaningful Scripture you read this past week?

Meaningful scripture was it Matthew, I started the New Testament this week. The Sermon on the Mount was awesome.

3. Have you set up the Christmas tree yet? (You should send us a picture)

I have the Christmas tree set up and with Rudolph on it.

Merry Christmas

Festival of Crawdads

4. Have you tried any new food recently?

I have tried a ton of crawdads because it is the festival here and they are so good. Other then that not really ha ha.

5. What do you think the most crucial piece of advice somebody would need to survive a zombie apocalypse? Ha Ha Ha!

Go to small cities to find shelter.

6. In Aplao since you are working a lot with inactive members do you still knock on a lot of doors?  What is the response?

Yeah kind of we make a lot more contacts in the streets but we still knock on doors. People are pretty open and then some still just shut the door ha ha.

7. What is your favorite Christmas song?

Favorite Christmas song wow that is hard I will get back to you.

8. How do they celebrate Christmas in Peru?

I do not know the answer to that question. We will eat a ton of Paneton (recipe) I know that.

9. Do you get to Skype with us for Christmas?

Yes I will get to Skype with you guys on Christmas :)

10. Have you completed any service projects in Aplao yet?

We have milked cows, harvested honey and we will build a house this upcoming week ha ha.

Milking

Milking

Before Milking Cows

Milking

Milking

Willys Jeep

Igo Fruit

The Agriculture

The Death of a Person - Salchipapa

Middle of Nowhere

Aplao

Aplao

Moto (Motorbike) taxi - Our Transportation

Rice Fields

Peeling Potatoes

Aplao Area

Adventure

Rio (River)

Adventures

Bridge

Market

Town

THANKFUL

Hola Familia,

Wow it is hard to believe that it is already Thanksgiving. What an amazing time! Well I will not personally be celebrating Thanksgiving here but I can just imagine the food that all of you will be eating ha ha. Overall this was a good yet hard week ha ha.

After writing last Monday, we hung out with our Zone and watched some movies. Then my companion was in Arequipa so I was with another Caucasian Elder and it was great until about one in the morning. I woke up with outrageous diarrhea ha ha. I was on the pot for about two hours during the night and again in the morning and the next day. The bad part was that I had a two-hour bus ride back to Aplao. But I was able to take some pills and my stomach got better. I think it was from some yogurt ha ha, but it was horrendous. I was in the bathroom for about eighteen hours straight. But other than that it was great.

We really didn’t get to do much this week because it was slow. This area is so different and at times I just don’t feel like I am accomplishing anything. I know that I can strengthen this branch if I keep working in it. I have made goals to really work with the less active and non-active members, because the branch is lacking strong members.

We had two birthdays this week. So of course here in Peru they shove the cake in your face and everyone loves it ha ha.

Thanksgiving:

I always remember my Seminary teachers saying that on the morning of Thanksgiving we should say a prayer of everything we are grateful for. Since being on my Mission I have realized so many things that I am grateful for. Our lives in the States are so blessed. I am so grateful for my family, you guys are just awesome and all the support that you give me is the best. I am just so lucky to have the things that I have. I am also blessed to have the ability to do the things I want to do in my life. I just can’t wait to come back to the States and be able to serve more people and help them out in life. This Thanksgiving I won’t have the big family gathering but just know that I will be thinking about all of you, and remembering everything that we have and all the many blessing we have.

I love you all so much and have an awesome Thanksgiving and eat a ton of food. Eat some for me also ha ha.

I love you all,

Elder Cooley

Questions:

1. Do you sing hymns in your branches? What is your favorite hymn in Spanish?

We sings hymns, it is not the best because we don’t have a piano and so ya ha ha, Asombroso Dios I think that is what is it called.

2. What was your favorite scripture this past week?

Mormon 9:31

3. Are you still reading Jesus the Christ? How is it?

I still read it every night and it is amazing. I really enjoy it so much.

(Jesus the Christ audio version)

4. Do you eat many meals with the members there?

We have not eaten one meal with a member here ha ha.

5. How are you working out there? Running, sit-ups, or pushups?

I just run every single morning in a tiny park and then to abs, pushups, and jump rope after.

6. Describe your apartment.

Apartment is tiny and I will put pictures on today.

Desk

Room

7. Have you been hiking at all? What are the hills/mountains like?

The area here is really flat because all the towns are in the bottom of the valley.

8. Are things getting better with your companion?

It is going all right I am just working on being positive and be the best example for him that I can be.

9. When you are with other English-speaking missionaries do you speak English or Spanish?

It just depends on the situation.

10. Are you still able to buy fruit on a semi regular basis there?

Yeah there is a ton of fruit here.

11. Have you gained or lost weight?

I am eating a ton and my weight has dropped a little but overall it has been pretty stable.

12. Are there a lot of bugs? Do you have a problem with bees or yellow jackets?

There are a ton of bugs in this area and so the bugs spray is awesome. I can buy more here so don’t worry. The bees are normal and not too big of a threat.

Honey Comb

Birthday

Kraps ha ha Ritz Crackers

Lamb

Weekly cleaning

Teaching Oragami

Fried Bananas

Sunset

Birthday Party

Random Street Ha Ha

Double Banana

Crawfish Soup, Ice Cream Beans, French Fries, etc.

Hola Familia,

Aplao

My week has been pretty good. The family I was working with in my old area has been baptized and so four people were baptized how awesome. 

Aplao is crazy. It is everything that you would think Peru to be and overall it is awesome. The work here is really different. We are just trying to get the members to come to church let alone investigators. Wow it is tough but I am up for the challenge. We travel every single day on buses to go to one lesson. We travel about four hours a day on buses, but it is good. Our area is about five hours from one end to the other. We are the in the northern area of the mission.

My week has been awesome. Made pancakes twice this week and they were so good.  It reminded me of home. They were nice and thick. The syrup turned out really good.

Making Pancakes

There is a city in our area that everyone believes is haunted by witches ha ha. Then one day we went and I got to MILK cows, how awesome is that. I was the best gringo the first time milking cows ha ha. It was really fun. Then we made homemade French fries. The one picture of wheat is when we helped a mom and her daughter get the wheat out of the stalk.

 

Harvesting Wheat

Story of the week:

100 Year Old House

We went one day to find a member of the presidency. He lives about an hour drive in bus then an hour and half walking to get to his house. It was nuts. We dropped down into this valley and he lives right on the river. His house is 100 years old.

We found an old basket to get across the river before there was a bridge so we all had to go on it and it was awesome. So after traveling, we got to his house and made crawfish soup using the crawfish that he caught earlier in the morning. I know how to gut a crawfish now and make a soup that is delicious. Luckily he took us back to the road in his three-wheeler trailer thing ha ha.

 

Using the awesome basket across the river 

Crawfish Soup

The branch is tiny here. The six missionaries here are in charge of doing pretty much everything. This Sunday we had to get all the tithing donations for the year and pass them out to all the members and set up interviews and bring them to their interviews. We teach the classes, clean the church, set up activities, and everything. But I love it so much. It is absolutely amazing and I couldn’t ask for anything else.

My companion is doing all right; he is just so lazy and only wants to leave the area. I am working with him, trying to help him see the light and understand just how necessary this work is. I have had a ton of time to study, which is really nice, but I am just trying to get him to be more obedient and do the work. But it is a good challenge and I have learned a ton.

Overall this week has been awesome, and I love this area and the mission so much. Thank you for all your support and everything that you all do for me. Have a great week.

I love you all,

Elder Cooley

Questions:

1.How long to you have to email each week?

I have two hours each week to email.

2. Were you guys every able to baptize that girl?

We were not able to seal the deal ha ha.

3. Does Aplao have farming, ranching or both?

Aplao has everything, from rice, potatoes, fruit, chemicals for the fields, and animals. It  just has everything agricultural.

 

Potatoes and Cheese

4. What type of animals are domesticated there?

Cows, chickens, donkeys, ducks, monkeys, guinea pigs (ha ha), pigs, and lambs, goats, and sheep are all domesticated.

Chicks

5. Do you have to take public transportation often?

We take public transportation every single day ha ha.

6. Do you know your apartment address or street name?

I don’t even know, I will look for that this week.

7. What is your apartment like? Do you still share a bathroom?

It is all right, a mess because of my companion ha ha. It is just a bathroom for us.

8. What is your favorite part about Aplao?

Favorite part is just how Peru is. I also like always walking through fields to get to our investigators ha ha.

9. Have you tried any other weird food?

No I haven’t tried anything too weird here ha ha.

10. What is your favorite scripture this week?  

Favorite scripture is Moroni 7:47. It’s about charity.

11. How do you say Aplao? Is it like “a-plow”?

Yes that is the correct way to say it.

Hiking

House

Valley

Fruit Ice Cream Beans

Preparing Crawfish

Fruit

Member's House