Casi Navidad :) (Almost Christmas)

Hola Familia,

Como estan, porque no hay nieve en Utah, Que es esto?

(How are things because there is no snow in Utah? What’s this?)

Well I am getting a new companion today, his name is Elder Holden and he is from Arizona. He has been out one more month then me and so it should be really awesome. I am the new District Leader of all the six missionaries in this area. I am very nervous to have such a big load, but I am excited to be able to work hard and help the missionaries here. I will be praying a ton to the Lord for help and guidance that is for sure.

How are you all doing this week? How has your Christmas season been? Well my week was really good and then really not good ha ha. We had an awesome P-day last week and then we came back and my companion was less then excited to work ha ha. But we had a good family home evening.

On Tuesday I went on divisions with the Zone Leaders and it was so fun to be able to work hard and feel the spirit without contention. Then I got to go to a gym in the morning to work out. I think with my new companion we will end up going to the gym in Aplao.

Then on Wednesday I came back to Aplao and we build a house thing or so ha ha. Then we met a new family that is good friends with Raul and Valerie. They are awesome but not completely ready to progress really fast.

I made Tortillas on Thursday they were so good. We made fajita taco things with them ha ha.

My Homemade Tortillas

Fajita taco things

On Friday I made homemade peanut butter. It is so good and healthy. Then we were supposed to have a yoga night at the capilla (chapel) but there was no power so we cancelled it. Then I went with another Elder and had a good night of working.

Homemade Mantequilla de Mani (Peanut Butter)

Saturday we cleaned the church and then had probably the best day of work in our entire change with Elder Pinedo.

We have been working with Ruben really carefully and he is starting to want to go on a mission. That would be so cool to bring him back to church and then see him go on a mission. Raul and Valerie might be getting married in January and that would be so cool because they just started coming back to the church. One night with them we were like their marriage counselors ha ha. But they are doing really good. Then we have two investigators with a date to be baptized one in December and one in January. I am excited for them and we just need to work very carefully with them.

Overall I am doing great I am excited to be with a new companion and hopefully we can work harder then ever and make this branch a lot stronger. I love being able to learn Spanish and how to be a better leader in my life. I have learned so much and plan on working harder and harder each day to reach my full potential. I love you all, enjoy this wonderful time of the year and remember then real reason of Christmas. Thanks so much for all the support and for everything that you are all doing.

I love you all,

Elder Cooley

Questions:

1. Have you seen the video the church put out titled share the gift?

We are using it a ton and the mission is putting a lot of pressure on us to share the message. It is called El es la dadiva (He is the gift) here. English version Spanish version

2. What is your favorite Christmas song?

Favorite Christmas song is I’ll be Home for Christmas, literally with my cutout ha ha.

(Where's Dylan?? Come back next week to see where he turns up!)

Home for Christmas (It's a cutout ha ha)

3. Favorite scripture?

Hmm that is hard Mosiah 4:11 I think talks about humility.

4. How much weight have you lost?

I have lost about . . . I will not tell you guys ha ha.

5. When are you going to open your gifts?

I will open the gifts on Christmas morning ha ha.

6. Have you tried any of the Paneton bread yet? Was it bitter?  We tried an Italian version and it wasn’t very good.

I have tried it too many times ha ha. It is so sweet and it is really good.

Paneton

7. What is the best thing you have eaten so far?

The best thing is Ricoto Relleno and Pastel de Papa.

Ricoto Relleno

8. What is something that is helping to keep you strong out there this Christmas season?

Just knowing the importance of sharing the message about our Savior’s birth to the people, and to remember my goals.

9. Are you doing anything special for you mission during the holiday season?

We have a multi-zone dinner talent show thing with the Mission President this Thursday.

10. Do you miss ice?  Don’t worry we still haven’t gotten any snow!

I miss ice but I have had it like 2 times I think ha ha. But oh, I love me some nice freezing cold showers ha ha.

11. Do you have a real toilet in your apartment? Do you have good toilet paper?

Yeah we have a real toilet but some days we don’t have water ha ha. And toilet paper is normal.

Watermelon anyone?

Eating Ducklets

Baby Duck

Ready to fish, my sweet purchase

Short and Sweet

Hola Familia,

Sorry today we went with the Zone to a Counselor in our Branch for an activity. It was all day and we got back really late ha ha. So I won’t get to give as much detail this week sorry.

This week wasn’t anything too special with my lazy companion ha ha. But I was able to talk with my Mission President for a little bit about the situation in Aplao and I am about 100 percent positive I will be getting a new companion this next exchange ha ha. 

We have on teenager that we are working with that is coming back to Church and now wants to leave on a mission. It has been cool to see him want to change his life around. His name is Ruben. He is a great example for his family and I am excited to see what will happen with him in the future. We have another family Valerie and Raul that we have been working with and they are doing great. The only thing they need is to do is get married. But overall they are awesome and so fun to share the gospel with. In our area there are members but pretty much everyone is on the verge of going inactive. We have to try and be perfect and not mess up at all. They take everything very seriously.

This week we did not have Church because of voting and so we just had a normal day. It is so weird not to have Church because I really enjoy Church and everything that it does to bring you closer to Him.

This time with my companion has taught me so much. It has been so hard but I have grown a ton to be able to deal with him and still be able to work. I know what a good Missionary needs to be now and I have learned how to better myself. I am grateful for all the opportunities that I have had on the mission and everything happens for a reason. After reading Matthew and Mark this past week I have really come to love the parables that Jesus used to teach his people. One I really love is the one he uses about where to plant the seeds. 

Sorry for the short email but I love you all and I hope you all are enjoying the Holiday season this year. Remember the purpose and everything that our Lord has done for us.

I love you all,

Elder Cooley

Questions:

1. How is your Spanish coming along? What are you struggling with?

The Spanish is coming along when I just talk with my companion and just play with all the verbs and stuff. Just the knowledge of changing all the verbs.

2. Are there any dogs in this area? Are the vicious?

The dogs are less vicious here than in arequipa but there are still a ton.

3. What is the most positive experience you have had so far in Aplao?

Positive experience is the successful Primary Program and just helping members be better and learning how to be an active member.

4. Have you learned any new life lessons?

Life lesson: I have learned that each and every person that you come in contact with can teach you something.

5. Write a sentence in Spanish to share.

La única manera a trabajar en este vida es a trabajar con toda de su corazon. (The only way to work in this life is to work with all of your heart.)

Zone Jersey

Eating

Gutting Camarones (Shrimp)

Zone P-Day

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