January 31, 2017

Sanka I am NOT DEAD!
Hahah love you both so very much and what an adventure this past week has been!
There has been so much going on and I am feeling very excited for the
coming transfer.
As you guessed the day was incredibly busy and the travel was long!
I am thankful for angels to bless and protect us as we came from
Manchester to Telford ( Wrekin ) but the travel was not all easy.
Elder K and Sister F have been transferred out of our
ward and moved north to the Preston Zone. They are both bittersweet
about the move but want to learn and grow. I have learned that myself
as I have learned to trust Heavenly Father. As we put Him first by
living the Laws of tithing and sacrifice and even the commandment of
prayer He really will warn and protect His children.
I am just so thankful for the blessing of a beautiful family. You all
mean the world to me and I am trying to seek an eternal perspective:)
We received notebooks from the mission for Christmas and they say, "
His Messengers to match His message" changing our natures not simply
our behaviors.
A mission is so hard trying to learn and live all that we are
entrusted and commanded. However we must learn to live and LOVE first.
A mission is a good time and if we are not enjoying ourselves what's
the point.
Most important lesson learnt "love more, worry less!" I struggled to
adjust the way others wanted me to be and realized with all the
missionary imperfections I have the only thing that mattered is if I
was adjusting the way Heavenly Father needed me to be.
Are we the Children of God/ Missionary our Parents think we are? And
can HE trust us?
These questions changed many things!
We had a miracle at church this last Sunday! J M came walking in
and just felt this was where he needed to be! He is such a testimony
of God's love for second chances and is now thriving for life and
knowledge. He is so kind and close to the spirit. The sisters are now
teaching him and we are looking forward to his baptism in 3 weeks!
M is still looking to be baptized this coming weekend but it's
struggling with the Book of Mormon. We will continue to work and find
ways to build his testimony.
Z is dated to be baptized February 11th and we are trying to meet
him this week!
Elder L and I are now the CANADIAN DUO! He is from the blessed
land of Cardston, Alberta and we are gaining a very nice friendship!
Having a background close to each other before definitely helped but
we are still learning and loving each other.

January 23, 2017

Momma Bear,

I know I have the greatest family in the world!

Thank you for all that you do to work hard and provide. I get to think about you all very often and I am so thankful for those that sacrificed more so that we can be an eternal family. I am making it a goal to find and baptize a family into salvation eternally.

I am so Happy today! I love the family time and opportunity to share sacred experiences with those that do actually want to change.

I have found as I have prayed specifically for my friends they have progressed. I know that this is true.

This week has been the regular roller coaster as well as becoming more understanding of culture and background. Elder K and I have made it a goal to keep a conversation going throughout our time serving together and there is definitely room for growth. However we are trying and in this Gospel and Mortality, Heavenly Father gives us a celebration when we REALLY TRY! Real Intent is such a powerful thing.

We discussed consecration and sacrifice in Sunday School and I had the opportunity to read in the scriptures in so many places about these glorious doctrines. Submission to God is our earthly MISSION and my mission is a simple sacrifice to an All Powerful yet simple friend. I love this Gospel and the experiences I have had in England. They have stretched, broken and refined me and I look forward to more. The worldly view will never compare to an eternal perspective and I truly relay the words, " Wickedness never was Happiness" and I am grateful for everlasting change. Satan will tempt, distract and deceive but an Eternal Father gives all His children the promise of a celestial inheritance.

I have tried to learn simple ways to teach and I love the use of object lessons. Some I have learned through early morning seminary and others from friends and family. One in particular is called the paper cross and I had a brilliant opportunity to bear my testimony through such simple means.

Alma 29:6/9

"For what I know in this mortality is that God directs this work. So many exact opportunities that have led us to those that would listen to the gospel. I have tried to focus this week on the simple miracles and I truly have seen them as I changed my focus to a more eternal.

Elder K and I are learning more about how labels and titles seek to define us. For instance an initial contact with someone the natural man would judge and depreciate worth whereas Heavenly Father always seeks to invest and refine His children. Elder K this week has claimed that he is lazy, and after much conversation with the spirit I had come to the conclusion that it was not laziness but self-motivation. We took the negative and refined as the Savior would into the characteristics and gifts God has blessed His children with. Elder K and I changed this week! 

With some family complications M will not be able to make the baptismal date of January the 28th however; our dear friend has accepted to be baptised on the Fourth of February and we are so excited for his decision. He came to church again today and shared his special day with some friends at church. February 4th couldn't come any sooner! Actually after talking to the zone leaders today we would love to see if he can be baptised January the 29th in the morning and truly be clean of what he feels is too difficult. I trust in the Lords timing and His will and seek to be His hands in His work!"

I love you :)

Hope you have a brilliant week and keep smiling.

January 16, 2017

Oh, Crumsy Mumsy,

Hakuna Matata Fam Jam

So updates on Questions... 

So it turns out that the fridges are full of chicken and broccoli but we haven't even touched them yet! hahah Elder K doesn't cook and so by default it would fall on me to cook! What a clever ploy right ;)

Yes I still love Wrekin and I don't imagine myself serving anywhere else for a while however the Lord likes to surprise us!

I could go on and on about how great the members are but there are too many stories and I would laugh and cry.

I LOVE being able to hear about the updates from back home! I will keep all the missionaries in my prayers:) I cannot believe how many are on their way home in the next year however I am not discouraged for this is the Masters work! 

I appreciate your diligence and study of the gospel doctrines and I look forward to so many conversations sitting on the couch talking about the Savior. I really do have the greatest family in the world! 

"I am thankful for this privilege to be in such a position to serve and support. I was so nervous for the first district meeting, however the District meeting went incredibly well and many Elders received revelation as they sought for it! I feel much more confident in our companionship and unity.

Who would feel if they died today they would go to the celestial kingdom? Such a simple question to assess ourselves as Sons and Daughters of a loving Heavenly Father, and especially His servants. I was reading Jesus, the Perfect Mentor this morning..... "You must determine the direction in which you face" for there are many paths however the only true path will lead you to exaltation. This is incredible similar to Alice in Wonderlands Cheshire Cat as it does not matter which path you take if you have not a sure destination. I am gaining little by little the footsteps that are leading me to success as a Son of God, especially as a missionary. We need to build the confidence and understanding TODAY as tomorrow is too late. The danger is often Someday... The dangers of procrastination which I struggled with greatly before my mission and am starting to improve! I am really learning how to turn my weaknesses over to the Lord and I am grateful for the Atonement in my life. I know the glimpse of what can be and now I am trying to embrace its fullness. My favorite message this week actually came from the same blue binder talk ( Jesus, the Perfect Mentor) "What can we give God, who seems to have everything? The one thing we can give Him the thing He does not have and He will not take is our WILLS... The sooner we can submit our wills to the Father as Jesus did, the greater will be the divine delight and joy in us."- Neil A Maxwell is so bold and truly has spoken with the tongues of Angels. I am thankful for being worthy and mindful of when and where to speak and I have seen in many instances the Lord working through me. Such an experience was on the ZL exchange as Elder A and I felt prompted to offer a blessing to a friend. He said a prayer to invite the spirit and seek protection for those that needed comfort. In the Blessing it was proclaimed that the very person who needed the protection and comfort was Himself. Heavenly Father is in ALL things and I am starting to see that in each moment. This work is real and Christ does Live!"

The week really was filled with so much!

Tuesday & Wednesday we were on Exchange with the ZL in Newcastle- Under-Lyme! SO much to report on.

Thursday was weekly planning and we just are going through our Area Book finding golden people who still have Books of Mormon.

Friday we met a man named P and it was his birthday! Sang to him and gave him the gift of the truth! The Book of Mormon is such an example to me of how we can overcome and love all those around us. Learning to understand and realize the Lords Love!

Saturday was our Less Active friend B... He took us to a Chippy where we had the greatest kebab chicken I have ever tasted. I almost died! His testimony is so strong and we asked him to pray as we closed our evening. He prayed for 10 minutes! We were late home but I was so humbled to hear the gratitude of our dear friend to his Heavenly Father. Priceless and Timeless.

Sunday we visited many families and went to tea at the Ezeazus... there is no buses on Sundays so we walked across town in the rain! Pictures to prove it!

Love you all very much and know the truth and light of the gospel is for those that seek it!

Be wise, Be Kind and Be Grateful!

Love you All,

Elder Cooper

Random Crazy Spiders and Also the Snow has arrived. Briefly but it still was here!

The weather just doesn't even compare to Canada haha

Life is about Growth and Turtles but mostly Growth!

January 9, 2016

What a roller Coaster of a week mom and dad.

I am in this constant battle with time especially when emailing. It is bittersweet but what can I do?

So this weeks exciting changes was the alteration of the morning and evening schedule.

World wide they are changing the mission schedule so the missionaries are more free to organize their day. All that is organized is the morning, time you eat dinner/tea and time you rest. Everything else is to the freedom of the companionship.

I think it is absolutely a fantastic idea that has come as direct revelation from the Lord through the twelve.

The actual date this will be implemented will be in 2 weeks but we are kind of guinea pigs I guess.

I really love being able to rely on the Lord that much more and being able to see the miracles of trusting the Lord.

I love how the scriptures promise the companionship of deity and ministry as we live worthy. The scriptures are taking on so much more meaning and I am so grateful we have so many pieces to the puzzle of mortality.

i still can't imagine what else exists..... What other Scripture has been written?

Short and sweet my week was great! I love Elder K and we are getting on well even though we are opposites in many ways. This transfer has been centered on compassion and I am so grateful for the help of the Lord in all things.

We are trying to eat better for the rest of the transfer as Elder K is in a competition with the STL to lose weight. It is real, they went and weighed in BMI and everything.... they are taking this too far.

We are planning to eat Broccoli, Chicken and rice... I may end up looking like a bean pole or I may end up like the HULK only time and exercise will tell!

I promise I am still not fat but my Gospel knowledge has doubled. I love to learn and strive to laugh.

You have got to have fun!

Hope this brightens or frightens your day.

Love you all!

Elder Cooper

 Haha we had an accident where Elder K got a contact stuck in his eye.... 4 Hours in a hospital room wondering if he would keep his eye. We plead with the Lord and turns out 20 seconds and it was out..... we went to bed at 4 and the alarm went off at 6.

President always says" Earn your pillow" Hahaha... yeah I didn't care where I slept hahaha

Love you Fam Jam

Food is French Toast with Cinnamon and Sugar and Nutella Bananas... Now I can go on that Diet. ;)

January 2, 2017

My Splendid Family and Friends,

"President Ulrich!

As is custom the end of each year is the assessment of how the overall year has gone. I was reliving and remembering so many experiences where I saw and felt Heavenly Father in my life so strongly. I has been 6-7 Months in England and I had 6 Months at home in 2016. As my life now revolves it is about balance and 2016 was definitely a year of change mostly at a rapid and constant pace. I reflect on my favourite saying of missionary work... " The first couple days/weeks are like drinking water from a fire hydrant".   I found that even moving areas, each transfer can be that rapid change where more often than not it hurts. As an Athletic coach would say "no pain, no gain"; although as missionaries we do not look for challenges, many arise as the battle still continues. One of the greatest foundations I have found in this mortality is my testimony of prayer. I know there is constant nourishment that can flow into our lives if only we have that desperation (as was mentioned last harvester)/real intent. The gospel is about proactivity; finding ways by often leaving our plans to submit ourselves to HIS. I especially found this as Elder K and I were travelling on New Years Eve.

Heeding Spiritual Direction 

R was a complete miracle and I have so many prayers of gratitude that we were able to meet her. Elder K and I finished our New Year's Eve yesterday but the work never does. We were traveling home and I felt so prompted to visit this house on the corner. It was past 4 and we were both tired of course and I insisted that we at least try. We arrived at her front gate as she was walking through the back garden to travel to work. Heavenly Father’s timing is so precise. We spoke to her briefly and found out she had spoken with missionaries before but had lost contact. We promptly gave her the Book of Mormon and condensed the First Vision in which she felt the truth of what we were saying. I was so touched that I did not ignore a simple prompting when my belly was empty and my head was aching. From that simple sacrifice we ended up meeting a very sincere daughter of God searching for truth."

....

"Finishing the Book of Mormon was a brilliant experience and I appreciate the challenge. I was very much behind and needed a little bit of desperation as was spoken of in the Harvester this last week. I really have felt the spirit out pour into my life and I am striving to use the scriptures learned in our teaching. We as a companionship are teaching more lessons at the door rather than getting inside or a return appointment for many reasons. Most investigators we meet are women and we end up referring them to the sisters because of lack of member present support. With that being said I foresee a very marginal shift as the ward builds its confidence in missionary work. The focus is on strengthening and enriching families with 3 Goals: Reading the Book of Mormon daily and finishing by 2017, having each member participate in a family home evening and having each member take a name or person to the temple! All of which are achievable and realistic goals. 

I really do love the Wrekin Area and I appreciate the Lord’s guidance in me being here. As we have talked about many times the progress and comfort is a balance."

E Cooper

I have had such an eventful week. So many exciting things happened during the Christmas New Year’s Holidays and I could not contain my excitement. Being on a Mission for Christmas is nothing like being at home. It is so unique and I absolutely loved it! Our Area even did a Secret Santa gift exchange and swapped before church on Sunday.

Jan 1st Sacrament meeting was so powerful! The bishop said: " This gospel is not about Hanging In There.... as we have covenanted to be disciples of the Savior we are covenanting to Endure (Enjoy to the End). The difference between the two is Action. So I would ask you, which path are you on?" I absolutely testify that is true. The Savior taught (Ever)lasting change and He proves that as He returns to his fishermen disciples and says to them do you love me? If we love Christ will we submit ourselves to go back to our old ways or will we access the Atonement in such a way as to strive for everlasting change.  I will always remember that saints can endure and find joy in suffering as taught in General Conference by President Russell M Nelson. I add my witness that I love and admire Christ and I am humbled to wear my name next to His and leave this with you in His sacred name.

Jesus Christ Amen

I would love to hear from all of you :)

Elder Cooper

Wrekin