Hey, so another big change has happened this week. Sister Nielsen got moved back to Hong Kong to serve, so, actually, right after we emailed last week president hawks called and told us the news. So Sister Chan and I will be staying here. I am now senior companion, and another sister missionary come to Macau but she is in a tri companionship with the other sisters. Interesting, huh.

I'm loving Macau. We've just had the best week ever. Today we hiked in haak sah and played on the beach, then climbed the mountain to see a beautiful temple. probably the biggest and most ornate one that I've seen on my mission so far. Sunday we went finding and met some really cool new investigators. Saturday we had a cookie making activity and English class. We got this Po Po to come to church twice! And because she liked English class so much, she will bring all her grandchildren next week! Life is just great. We have a couple of pretty solid investigators, but they seem to have really hard challenges getting in the way of their baptisms. Nothing new, parent permission, Word of Wisdom problems, and other things... But we've really been trying to help them.

Being Sister Chan's companion is just the most wonderful thing ever. She's so sweet. Her English isn't very good so we speak mostly in Cantonese, but we have no problem getting along. She's a powerful teacher, but she's a shy girl. So we're working on her taking the lead as much as possible. It's been turning out really good. I think we're both really happy. Living with sister Hintze again is a blast. Sometimes when she comes home at night we have random 5 minute dance parties. I'm just so happy right now.

Being in Macau is like..."being in a hospital...for your heart" as Sister Chan said. At first I didn't realize it, but Macau is actually just a peninsula on the border of China. An hour away from hong kong. It has different money, and is it's own country. I've ran into people that only speak Portuguese and then pretty much everyone else speaks mandarin or Cantonese. There's lots of prepared people. And lots of drunk people too!

I heard Obama won the election. Is that true? Good thing I'm in China. And Ryan left for the MTC? Did he go early to stay with Hoffs? Are they dropping him off at the MTC? Whats his address? When I explain my little brother is serving in Russia everyone here thinks that's so awesome and scary at the same time.

So I just want to bare my testimony real quick. God answers prayers. I prayed to come to Macau and I'm here. I prayed for comfort that I could serve these people and I've been given an opportunity to serve in a leadership position at that. I was kinda having a hard time before wondering why I hadn't become senior companion yet, but I think it just took longer for me to learn how to be a junior. God knows what we need and now It's my turn to pay him back by working hard. I know the gospel is true! I'm thankful for the Holy Ghost and for how it guides us every day. Helps us to know who to talk to and what to do when we're uncertain.

Also, I heard a talk this Sunday about being prepared. And I don't know why but I wanted to ask if you guys are up to date on food storage. Make sure you're listening to the prophet :)

I love you all! And I got the Hoff's package this week! I will try to write back soon but I'm so grateful! I love you all!

Sister Gou

hope wherever you are, whoever you sit down with for dinner, and whatever you eat, that this thanksgiving you can know I'm thinking about each and every one of you. I'm thinking about Cooks in Florida, Truetts in Ohio, Hoffs in Utah, and Ryan in the MTC. I was also in the MTC last year for thanksgiving and Christmas and I really enjoyed it. Ryan will be fine and will be with 2000 other people in the exact same situation, and I'm gonna be here in Macau with 10 other missionaries eating chicken wings because turkey is really expensive. But I'm going to be really really happy doing it. :)

This week we had a lot of finding miracles, and Macau had the yearly Grad Prix. 2 people died apparently. but I saw some of the motorcycle races and it seemed super scary. I've finally figured out what Macau is like. It's like Vegas. Its the Vegas of China, because it has about a million casino's and everyone works for the casino's and we went in the Venetian for dinner once (largest concrete building in the world) and It felt like the great and spacious building. But, I still love Macau and I know that God has some big things in store for here.

Our mission president visited our branch on Sunday and gave a super spiritual talk about sticking to your commitments and loving God. We were able to get the Au Yeung family to come to church! I met their dad on the street last week! So it was cool that they got to meet the mission president. And then we found this other Grandma, who wants us to meet her entire family and bring them all to church. She will come this Sunday. It's on fire here!

I LOVE you all so much, I just want to take a minute to tell you what I'm thankful for. Recently I have been pondering the value of my mission. I have been through some hard times, and some really great and amazing things have happened as well. The other day in personal study I was reading in Alma 5 and decided to read out loud verses 7-9. I encourage you all to do that and to think about your life and the role that the savior has played. I know that these experiences have shaped my soul. It's sometimes really tough to be stretched and pulled in painful ways by the challenges around us, but you have to tear down a muscle before it can become stronger. I don't know in what ways yet, but I know that I am stronger. I know that my mission has taught me a lot. I know that I still have a lot to learn. But I will be forever grateful for this experience. I'm so glad that I have a family that supports my decision to serve, as so many people I've met do not have the same blessing. I am grateful for my mom and my dad, and how hard they work. I'm grateful for my little brother who worked so hard to prepare for his mission. I'm grateful for Justin, who's gonna be the big brother now. I'm grateful for Mitchell because he lets me tease him all the time and he's fun to joke around with. I am grateful for Emma and Jackson and their combined overpowering cuteness. I am grateful for Hoffs and Truetts and Grandma and Grandpa and Nana. And I'm grateful for Pa. And I know he's with us too. And so is Stan. And so is the combining power that holds us all together, even the Holy Spirt of Promise. We are so lucky to have what we do. And almost no one in China knows about it at all, so I've got a lot of people to talk to and a lot more teaching to do. And so do all of you. We have the best thing you could ever have. And that's a testimony of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Happy thanksgiving

Sister Cook

thank you! that made me really happy to hear from everyone. It's really funny to hear how Ryan is reacting to MTC life. I have to tell you guys though, it's hard in the MTC. people who grow up in utah (which is like 90% of the MTC) get like two letters a day from their families. Its crazy. I remember that my companions that and at least 1 package every week. So even though I didn't complain as much as Ryan, it was still hard. Being in the MTC is a weird time and you really need lots of support. It's even harder in the mission field, the truth is you guys do need to write as often as possible (and write me too!) , because if you feel like your family doesn't support you, it makes everything that much harder, But I know you area all doing your best and he also needs to chill out and be grateful for what he has. I've been waiting for Ryan to start to see how he would react for a while, And I think it's funny he's getting so touchy about it because I remember feeling down around the time of my birthday and he wrote me this preachy letter that said i need to be grateful and stop complaining. It's ok, the mission will humble him. I promise. haha. :)

I sent him a package last pday though, with a picture of our family and a missionary planner that i decorate for chirstmas, along with two talks that really helped me in the MTC. I think it will be a good chirstmas present, It should probably get there before the 25th, but mail out of Macau is really slow because it's such a small country. I remember the package you guys sent for christmas and how much it meant to me, hopefully that help ryan feel better.

Mom, I have been taking about 30 minutes every pday to write a little bit of my essays for BYU, The mission president did the interview over the phone last night so i should have the application in before Christmas Sounds like you're doing good with your nursing stuff. I'm proud of you. Like I told you in my email last week, I lost my scriptures in a taxi. I fasted and prayed but still haven't found them and it's been almost 3 weeks, If you could just put about 100 dollars in my account i'll buy a new pair at the DBC next time I go to hong kong. I'm really sad cuz i've had those scriptures all growing up, but I've been wanting to buy a smaller pair anyway for a while. I would also like you to get back on top of updating my blog please, lots of people have no idea what's going on and I have no idea how to communicate with them. So that would be great if you could just start putting my emails up again for me. It's something I want to be able to look at when I go home as well.

Dad, I miss you too, I was wondering how your health is. Is the kind of diabetes you have really hard? do you have to monitor everything you eat like hannah? take care of yourself, you've been in my prayers. I'd be happy with working for you again, just maybe on something a little more difficult than scooping ice cream. I was planning on seeing if there were any Chinese resteraunts that would hire me to do a hostess or something for a few months. :) My mandarin is getting pretty good :)

Mitchell, Justy, Emma: I've been missing you guys a lot lately! My companion has never had a real Christmas in her life. In china they don't really do anything because most of the people don't believe in Jesus Christ. But we're going to have a little Christmas this year in our apartment. I am going to buy her a present today and we'll decorate tonight and drink hot chocolate, it get's pretty cold and rainy here but I think it will still be fun. Our mission has a Christmas eve party in hong kong on the 24th, I'll be singing at it! I'm helping all the missionaries that want to sing in the choir practice their parts on the piano every week, because we can't practice with the rest of the missionaries, they live really far away. Anyway, be good! Santa is coming!

So I have some pretty big news for everyone. Apparently the church is changing how they do mission transfers, with the amount of new missionaries coming in next year (all the 18 and 19 year olds) the transfer period will be 9 weeks instead of 6. this will go into effect the same month that I finish my mission, next april. Why is this important? It means that I will be coming home two weeks earlier than originally planned. My new end date is the 5th of April. I will be home for general conference in America. and I will have two weeks longer to be with you all before I go to school again. But this means that my mission is cut short. When sister Hintze and I found out we were pretty mad. But it quickly dissipated because we realized that the reason for this change is because the gospel is starting to spread in bigger ways than it ever has before. And then I got swallowed up in the joy of knowing that the second coming of our savior is closer than we think. There is a group of 15 coming in when I die, and even more after that! our mission is going to be huge and mainland china is going to open. And I am on the brink of it all. How lucky am I to see that? I wish I could extend another year, I have full confidence this mission will be the gateway into china, and in the future 90% of the worlds missionary force will be sent there, to teach these people that I love, who have never heard of the savior. It's an amazing thought.

Last week sister chan and I found 11 new investigators. Our numbers are really awesome and we're working really well together. I love my companion! Shes the most adorable little chinese woman in the world :) One cool miracle is a boy that we found, wilson (14) who we turned over the the elders is getting baptized. and in the last week he's brought a total of 12 friends to church! That kid has public appeal! He told all his little friends to give us their numbers and to come to church every week! What a blessing! He's got a testimony of the savior and now of the restored gospel. We found him on the street, because we listened to the spirit and talked to everyone. (Normally I don't go for 14 year old boys...) haha, that sounded sketchy. Anyway. It was cool. And Ha jeh chenged us out to a buffet! And she is golden too! I hope I can stay in Macau for christmas, moves is already next week! I don't have much time left and everytime I think about it I want to throw up. :(

But I'm working hard, I love my mission, and I have no regrets. I'm really happy and I feel like I make other people happy too. Sister Lau (mom, you talked with her on facebook) came to visit Macau this week. She's from my baby area and it was like seeing family! Even though I served there a year ago they still remember me! I made a difference!! :) This is a great feeling. She will undoubtedly post pictures on facebook. She wants me to live with her daughter at BYU next year. I'm up for that :)

I love you all!

Sister Gou

I have to tell you guys something. You are all kinda bad at writing me. Every time you have news for me, you tell me the bare minimum. For example "maddie had her baby" :"Ryan got called to Russia" (you explained this one ok.) ; " The hoffs and truetts moved" "Sister Darcey got engaged" and other various examples. What I learned from middle school english class essays is that if you have a topic sentence, you normally have to support it with evidence and explanation for the next 4 sentences at least. For example:

What city are the Hoffs in now?how is my Trainer Engaged? How is my cousin? I got a letter from Conner and Nathans EFY leader last week, he's from hong kong but had time to write me before cousins did. repent! REPENT ALL OF YOU! haha.

Just Kidding. I know you're busy. But I feel like I need to tell you these things, so we can all be happy.

Here is what is up with me:

This past Saturday I got to go to my old area, Kwun Tong, so that I could play guitar and sing in the stake talent show. It was really really fun. It felt like coming home. People missed me! Especially one of our old investigators, A-yih. Who recently got back from mainland where she took a hard beating from her Friends and relatives about coming to church at the Mormon Church. She seemed really confused about a lot of things, but during the talent show I got to have a good talk with her. I feel like it helped, and I feel like heavenly father has been really guiding me lately, and still giving me chances to carry on relationships with old investigators even though I live far from them.

Interestingly enough, I read something cool from the scriptures this week, that has kinda helped me to have a better view on my mission. It's the parable of the secretly growing seed, in Mark. I think chapter 7. In this parable Jesus explains that when a farmer plants his seeds, after he cultivates the land, and does what he can to nurture the plant, and help it grow, he goes to sleep. When he comes back later, the seed has sprouted, and as he continues to care for the plant, it grows into a crop. But the cool thing about this parable, is that the farmer is not actually the one making the crop grow. The farmer does what he can, but all in all, God is the one that makes the seed grow. The farmer has little to do with if it sprouts or not. He just does what he can to help it on its way.

As missionaries we can't be too concerned with our seeds. We need to do everything we can of course, but we can't sit there and will the seed into growing, it will do it by itself, with the help of God. I know that as I just trust god and have faith that he his leading this work, that my seeds will grow. Some won't of course, some will get choked by weeds, or wither, and die, but if i do what i can and leave the rest up to the lord, I'm not responsible for those seeds.

I shared this with my Zone leader. He didn't get it. But that's OK, because he's dumb. I mean...because he's a seed too. And even though I may not agree with the way he does things, I trust that God is helping him to grow at his own rate.

So yeah, the scriptures are awesome. They help me alot. But anyway, the talent show was great! guitar class and kids English class have just started in Aberdeen and West point now, and they are bringing lots of people to church, this Saturday we will have girls night and I'm really happy. Sister Mercado and I are working hard and I'll send a email with some pictures from last week.

Moves are next Thursday, I hope that I can stay with sister Mercado. We're having a lot of fun together! We'll see what happens though.

I love you all!

P.S. So happy Ryan is going to the temple this week. He'll enjoy it a lot, i'll be praying for everyone. Make sure he gets to participate in everything and tell him to write down his thoughts and send them to me.

Sister Gou

I TOTALLY CALLED IT! MY BROTHER IS GOING TO RUSSIA! When I found out I flipped out and jumped up and down in this little Indonesian shop that I email in every week. And I told the mandarin elders sitting behind me, and I told the shop owners, and after email time i'm going to tell everyone in the mission. haha. I knew it was possible you'd get your call early. It only took a week for mine to come in.

I can't believe it. Actually I can. It's crazy, we'll be on the same side of the world but in completely different places. I don't think you can get much different than Hong Kong and Russia. I know Heavenly Father knows where we are needed, and he knows how different we are as siblings. THATS SO COOL!!! When I think of Russia, I think of trains, snow, radiation, fish, and....scary bearded men wearing racoon hats. :) Ryan will fit right in! I would like to know more about the mission. include anything you can. Get on the visa application ASAP. you'll be in the MTC for 12 weeks, but I know some people that got delayed because it takes a really long time to get visas from Russia.

I don't know if i'll have time to reply to everyone's email this week, so i'll just include it all here. I also got to see Maddie's ultrasound. I can't believe that baby is so big! It's adorable! I'm sure it will come out healthy and happy and I'm happy to see its little arms and feet. So cute.

How was fourth of July? did anyone get hurt? I want to see some pictures I didn't get a video, so i'd love to see one of Ryan opening his call if you get the chance.

I just am so elated right now, I don't even want to talk about this week in Hong Kong, because all my thoughts are on you guys right now. I'm so excited for Ryan! I will write you a letter today about all my feelings. haha. but we did have some ridiculously cool miracles this week in Hong Kong that I feel like I should share.

So, we are teaching twins! Annie and Lucy. I started teaching them when my summer missionary was here, and saw them about 3 times, and they've come to church twice, and they ARE SO PREPARED. Last week we taught them about the restoration and invited them to be baptized, and they asked if they could get baptized this coming Sunday, because they love the feeling they have when they come to church and they want to follow Jesus Christ's example. I looked at my companion and I said, well, we've got a lot to teach you first. For example (they both had lemon tea in front of them, that they had brought with them and were drinking) we have a commandment called the word of wisdom, and we can't drink tea. Before I finished my sentence, or said anything more about the commandment, they both said "OK, what tea's are ok to drink?" we told them, and they said "I don't like flower tea, but I'll just drink soda!" And then they asked me if we could throw away the tea right then. And I was like "YES!" It was so awesome. They both will be baptized on the 29th. :)

Suki also is progressing, and she is planning on getting baptized on the 5th of August. She still hasn't figured out the boyfriend problem, but she wants to move out, and right now it's just a logistic's problem. I am so proud of her. She has come so far.

We are having so many miracles latley that I don't have time to say them all. We have 3 new investigators who are really promising. Nichole, A-yi, and Janice, who all love to sing and play the guitar, and they have come to church every day. Janice especially is really cool because her entire family wants to go to church with her. We are seeing them tomorrow.

SPEAKING OF ENTIRE FAMILIES. Did I tell you guys about Suzanna, (pink hair, actually, she died it again, now it's purple) who lives in the same chyuhn as us? She invited us over to big family dinner at her brothers house last Sunday and we went. It reminded me a lot of Cook Hoff Truett dinners. :) there were at least 25 people there, all related, so many kids, so happy, and every sunday they get together and just chill and eat, because they think family is that important. We are now teaching them the gospel, and we hope that they can understand and accept the blessings it can offer them. It's a little overwhelming, but I'm loving teaching these larger groups of people. The gospel is designed for families, and I'm so grateful to have this opportunity to share it.

Kids english class is kicking butt. We had 18 kids last week. None of the other missionaries in my zone are really good at working with children, so I plan and teach the class. It's also overwhelming sometimes, but I'm happy to do it. Especially happy when one of my students came up and told me that she remembered to pray every day this week. So amazing. I will attach pictures.

Anyway, I love you all so much. We are such a lucky family to have two missionaries out at the same time. This month on the 26h is my halfway mark on my mission. I am halfway done already. See? that wasn't so bad. It was really fast. I actually think it was too fast, and I'm nowhere near ready to come home. A little advice to my little brother. Don't stress out about the language. It will come. It will come when the Lord wants it to come for you, and you will have the gift of tongues. I believe in that gift, because there is no way I can speak fluent Cantonese by myself. It's straight up from heavenly father. You will be the same way. Spend this time before the MTC not worrying about the language, but spend it building yourself up spiritually. Study Preach my Gospel and study the Book of Mormon. It's the best way to prepare yourself for the challenges ahead. And I promise, there will be challenges, but the rewards are greater than you could ever imagine. Also remember to write in your Journal what you learned. Do that so you can share it with others, and also to look back on the progress you've made. You will be such an amazing solider in the army of the lord to fight for the salvation of these souls. I love you.

I love you all!! Keep praying! Have faith! Trust in heavenly father.

Sister Cook

I am so happy I live in a mission where I can go to the temple.We just got back and I feel fantastic, which might also have to do with the fact that we just ate Korean BBQ, and that always makes me really happy as well. All the Chinese people look at me weird when I put Ice cream in my Do Fu Fa, but I don't care, because it's delicious. Thanks mom, for sending the pictures. Everyone is getting so big! Especially Emma. She looks almost as tall as me now. Crazy.


This week we did a lot of stuff. The coolest thing is that we went to visit one of our members, Sarah (17) who is in the hospital. She has kidney failure, I think, from what I could understand that she described in Chinese. She has to go through Dialysis 3 times a day. So sad. The hospital she's at is about an hour and a half away, so we were trying to figure out what would make her feel the best when we went to see her. The first time we folded origami flowers for her and made a card, then that Sunday I took a video of all the young women saying hi to her on my camera and showed it to her. She was so happy! She was super sad that she had missed youth conference because she was sick, but she said the video made her feel better. I also got my hands on a ukulele (borrowed it from an elder) and all the kids at the hospital loved it. I'm getting rusty though, but i was able to play "i'm yours" and "I am a child of god" and "somewhere over the rainbow" so they all loved that. It's awesome to me to be able to just do the humanitarian part of missionary work, and to actually make people happier. It really is a great feeling. I'm so glad god blessed me with talents to sing! It's helped SO much out here in the field (practice piano, Ryan, you're for sure gonna use it in Russia).


This week we met with the twins, annie and lucy, and taught about the plan of salvation. It was super neat because all their questions were directly answered by the plan as we described it. They are so prepared to follow Christ. They will be baptized on the 29th! yay!


Suki promised us this week that if she can't kick her lame stupid boyfriend out, she would find a new place, so she could keep the law of chastity and get baptized. I told her I would be willing to help her pack her stuff, or her boyfriends stuff, and throw it outside for him. haha. But her faith is so big! I love her so much.

At youth conference I got to see some of the kids from Yuen Long. Stella wasn't there, but Chace, eve, and Yuen Ting were. I was so happy to see them! I love those people, and they haven't forgotten me yet, That's good!

Oh! We met a new friend! her name is Raven. She's the one in the picture holding the uke. She's so charming. haha. She came to English class even though her English is realllllyyyy good already, and we taught her about prayer. Her parents are Buddhist, but she says she doesn't believe all of it, she wants to know for herself what truth is out there. I'm hoping to help her realize that truth. Sister Darcey met her on the bus a few weeks ago. (Sister Darcey's mission is over in 2 weeks.. blegh.) but anyway, I'm hoping for ravens continued progression.


A few of our other investigators got antied by their parents, and came to church asking us questions about polygamy and how come we think our church is right. It was scary because they were all progressing really well, but we explained the restoration to them and they promised to continue reading and praying to find out for themselves. I love the truth of the gospel. I love that I can openly promise them if they pray and ask with real intent, they will get an answer. I know that because it's worked with me. :)

So, I can honestly say we're working really hard. Things aren't all peaches and cream though. But through fasting, prayer, and relying on the book of Mormon, we are making it through. I was reading in Alma 5:9 today after going to the temple, and I realized that God gives us challenges because he wants our soul to expand. I'm doing some soul expanding right now as I repent, humble myself, and read the scriptures, i'm finding the strength I need to get through challenges I'm having with my compainion (haha, did you see how i spelled that?) and my investigators, and other trials that lay ahead of me.

I want to bear testimony that I know everything happens for a reason and I know god loves all of his children. He gives us so many blessings, I'm so lucky to have the family I have and to be here in hong kong serving the people I love. I hope that this last half of my mission will be even better than the 1st half. And I hope I continue to work so hard that they bring me home in a bucket.




I love you all.


Sister Gou.

Wow, I was so happy to hear from everyone this week. Except for Mitchell. (just kidding....but seriously. You can say more than "hey, goodbye" next time. retard.)

I attached some pics. I want everyone to know that my summer missionary is AWESOME. For a lot of reasons. 1) She doesn't speak english, so we use chinese all the time, and it's done wonders in improving my language over the last week. 2) she's super chill 3) her mom makes us cookies 4) she's such a powerful teacher. We get some serious work done this week.It's cool because sister burningham and I can get twice as much work done because we have two compaionships instead of one. Here is the update on people who are getting baptized.

Suki: Still doing ok, willing to keep the law of chastity, but hasn't moved out yet, said she doesn't like her boyfriend anyway because he's scared of cockroaches. So, we're still working with her. She's realllllly funny. I want her to get baptized so bad.

Rodin: Awesome! Seen her three times this week, she LOVES playing guitar with me at church, and she has an awesome electric guitar and an amp. So we love to play. She's gaining a sincere testimony of the restored gospel and reading her scriptures every day. We're just worried because she's going to mainland china for the summer, and a lot of investigators die out there, so we're trying to strengthen her as much as we can before she goes.

Suzanna: Yay! we are teaching a family!! She has pink hair, two kids, lives in the same chyuhn as us, and has invited us over for dinner tonight! She loves to learn English and we're hoping to extend her a date this evening.

Muih Siu Jeh: Super cool! comes to all the english classes. really young mom, taught her for the first time yesterday, committed to pray daily.

guitar and English class have been bringing so many people into the church. Kwun Tong is on FIRE! i'm so glad to be here. I've seen so many miracles, just yesterday we received a turn over from the Daai Bo sisters, and it was a two for one deal! Twins! both of them are really cool, and after I taught probably the most powerful restoration lesson i've ever taught on my mission, they said they were both willing to be baptized. They loved English class. We'll see them again on Saturday, so exciting!

And Hoi King, our recent convert is doing awesome, she's signing up for summer missionary! yaaayyyy! but we found out she just recently got a job that will make her work on sundays, we're fasting with her to make sure she can overcome this challenge. pray for her!

Yeah so i'm doing good. My half way mark on my mission is next month. July 26th. Super weird. I can't believe how short a mission actually is. I love you all! Peace and Blessins!

h how the times are a changin. Ryan is graduated and Emma is baptized! Justin has braces and sounds like a man. Mom's gonna be a nurse. I'm not sure what's new with dad and Mitchell but it's crazy to hear how different everything is. A quick note to ryan, I got a letter from Danny and Leah this week, they say they miss you and want to hang out. Maybe you can invite them over and let them meet the missionaries!

Anyway, this week has been more miracles. Nothing new here in Kwun Tong. :)

I don't have a lot of time but the coolest stories include

consecrated finding: We planned some finding time on Monday after district meeting, and I was feeling pretty crappy. Upset stomach, low energy, I didn't have enough Iron...etc. I asked the elders for a blessing. In the blessing they told me that I am being blessed with extra health on my mission, but only as long as I am working my hardest and keeping my mind focused on missionary work will I be able to forget my pain. So we ended up going finding anyway, despite having a random recent convert call us and wanting to see us. We knew the lord wanted us to be finding, so we went finding.

The first lady we talked to was a lady who was 63, and had just gotten kicked out of her home 3 weeks ago. She'd been living on the street since then, eating this and that, sleeping in parks. She had nothing. We talked to her for a while about her situation, apparently her brother kicked her out because he got a new girlfriend. While my companion made calls to see who could help her find a place to sleep for the night, I talked to her about prayer. She's Buddhist and doesn't believe. I told her that even if she didn't believe in god, he loves her, and doesn't want her to sleep on the street. So I told her if she would pray, god would listen and find her a place to sleep for the night.

She at first wasn't willing, but then she prayed with us, and afterwards we invited her to come to the church for family home evening, that we have every Monday night with the singles in the ward. She was reluctant but I explained there were people there that knew about government help and could get her a bed for the night, and she could eat some food at church with us. She attended the whole meeting, and prayed with us again, admitting that she felt comfortable and peaceful. We let Elder Ho make some calls for us, and we ended up staying at the church really late, but we found her a place for the night. The elders took her there for us. Before she left she expressed her gratitude to us. I told her to express it to heavenly father instead, because he is the real one that helped her.

And then she said "Thank you, God."

:) It was probably one of the most significant moments on my mission. She witnessed a miracle, and accepted that God gave it to her, when just a few hours earlier, she didn't. She asked us why we helped her, and we said it's because we represent Jesus Christ, and that's what Jesus Christ does. :) We are hoping she will attend church this Sunday.

Tong Siu Kiu:

We have a investigator from Thailand! she basically contacted me! She ran up to me and told me I was beautiful. haha. And she came to church with us. She fell asleep when we were watching finding faith in chist (she's old) because we couldn't communicate very well and it's the only movie we have in Thai (where is elder Grover when you need him?) :) But she took a Thai book of Mormon and seems very interested.

I've got some big news. I'm no longer serving In Yuen Long. Right Now my new area is Kwun Tong. It's in the hong kong island zone. It's very different from Yuen Long. I have been here since Monday night. Normally missionaries transfer every 6 weeks but I got moved in the middle of the move because of something crazy that happened. I'll start at the beginning.

So Saturday night I was at a ward BBQ, it was so awesome. All our investigators were there and all my favorite members, and we were just chillin out, eating Korean BBQ and being happy. I remember walking out and saying to my companion "I love Yuen Long SOOOO much. These people feel like my family! It's really awesome." and we talked about how we were just starting to get things down as companions and I was feeling really happy. So we went home and made some calls, and we were just about to get into bed when our phone rang and it was president chan. I answered because sis N was in the bathroom. This is how the conversation went:

"Hello, Sister Neilson?"

"Um, actually this is sister cook. Hello."

"Oh, Sister COOOOOOk, this is president chan"

"I know. Hello.How can I help you"

"I hear you really like Yuen Long. Is that true? I hear you are forming really strong relationships with the members, and that you and sister Neilsen are having a difficult time working together"

"Uh, yeah...I love yuen long, but Sister Neilsen and I are doing fine.We are figuring out how to teach together with the spirit and it's going really well, in fact, we just had a baptism last week. I'm learning a lot from being her companion."

"Oh....well. I have to tell you....you are getting TRANSFERREDDDD (said with an exciting president chan voice)"

.....(1 minute of silence)

"Um.....uhhhhh. Ok. Where?"

"Kwun Tong!"

Me, thinking: Where the heck Kwun Tong?

Then president chan explained that there was a sister missionary who was serving in Kwun tong that was having a really hard time on her mission right now, and that she has only two weeks left before she goes home. She has requested to end her mission in my area, with my companion sister nielson, because this particular missionary has a very hard time getting along with her companions, sister nielsen being an exception.

And I was like "uh...when am I moving?"

and he said "Monday morning"

He then told me that he knows that it is "inconvenient" because it is the middle of the move. and that he hopes I will not be sad about the transfer, but that I need to go because this sister needs help really badly.

I told him I didn't really want to leave Yuen Long, especially because Stella's baptism is coming up and I would love to be there. But that I would do what he needed me to do. He then asked to speak to my companion and he told her that she was going to be this sister missionaries senior companion, even though the other missionary is really old. And he thanked her for her service and got off the phone.

I didn't know what else to do but cry. That's pretty much all I was capable of doing. My companion cried, my room mates cried, and I cried. It wasn't fair. I had worked so hard in this area and I was only just getting the hang of it, I had just, a few hours ago, figured out that I love my companion (ok i loved her before, but for dramatic purposes....i'll leave that in there). And I had to leave. ON MONDAY!

That night I didn't sleep. I stayed up reading scriptures, and writing a letter to Stella, to tell her what was happening. And I knew that the next day was fast Sunday, so I was grateful that God gave me an opportunity to get up and bare my testimony to these people.

When we got up Sunday morning, I told my companion that we weren't gonna be sad about what was happening because we had a lot of stuff we needed to do, and that we needed to trust president Chan received revelation from God and that there was a good reason this was happening. Sister Nielsen didn't want me to leave either, I was the most experienced missionary in Yuen Long at that time and I knew the members really well, so she was really nervous about doing it all herself. I told her I had confidence that she could do it, and I really do. She is a very capable missionary. She was also nervous about going senior over the missionary that trained her. all we could do is really pray together and trust that it would be ok.

On Sunday morning, after Jennifer received the gift of the holy ghost in sacrament, it was time for testimony meeting. Before I got up I had no idea what I was going to say, but I was thinking about the scriptures that I read the night before and my mind popped to Mosiah chapter 23 verse 21-22. It talks about how the lord gives us trials and tests our patience, but when we trust in him we'll be lifted up at the last day. And I just talked about the Atonement, and how important it is to always be humble and to trust that god knows what he is doing, even when you feel like he doesn't.

After my testimony, Stella got up. She said she wanted to bare her testimony on how god has changed her life, and how she believes she is a child of god. This was the most beautiful thing that I have ever heard. She said her life has been changed because of Jesus Christ. I cried so much. Then after that Poon Ji Muih, Leung Leung, Jason, president Jau, and a bunch of other people got up and bore thier testimony on missionary work, and they said thank you to me for my service.

And for the first time in my mission I really knew, for sure, that I was helping people. That I was making a difference in these peoples lives and they really did care. And that the gospel is true. And I was so grateful to heavenly father for giving me this opportunity to love these members and these investigators, and to see their change and progress. And They told me how much I had grown too, and how much better my chinese had gotten, and It was just awesome.

After church I just sat around in the doorway and said goodbye to my friends, and I was just really happy. I remember thinking, "this is what the celestial kingdom is like" Just everyone being happy, and loving each other, and I was just elated.

That evening we had finding time planned, so we went pac muhn in Kam Tin. We found a really cool lady from the Netherlands who invited us into her home and we taught her about prayer. And I knew we needed to talk to her.And so we ended that day with a miracle. When we went back home I had time to call all our investigators while i was packing and say goodbye, and schedule a lot of them for sister Nielsen to see next week. So it was all good.

Then Monday came, we had zone meeting in the morning and we all went out to eat Indonesian food in the morning together. Then around 4pm, the AP's came to pick me up, I said bye to sister nielsen and then we headed out.

My new companion is sister Burningham. She is from Korea. She went to BYU, studying animation (just like Mike Grover, actually i think she knows him!) and she is super sweet and powerful. She hasn't been in this area very long. I love her. I don't have a lot of time left but I have a miracle to share.

Our first day together we prayed about where we could go finding (the sister that took my spot in yuen long never goes finding) and so we had no idea where was a good place. But we looked at the map and prayed and felt really good about a place called crocodile hill. So after district meeting we went there, and we were tracting in this park at the top of the hill and we met this girl. Her name is Amber. As soon as we saw her we knew we needed to talk to her, We asked her how she was doing, she looked really sad, and she said she was doing ok. We asked her where she was going, and she said she was going home but she had some time to talk with us. So we taught her the plan of salvation. She shared with us that her parents are Buddhist but her older sister is christian and she has always wanted to know more about Jesus Christ. She is probably one of the most humble people I have ever met. After our super spiritual lesson, I felt prompted to ask her if she was willing to be baptized, when she knew for herself that our message is true. She said yes.

She met us the next day and we had two young women to help us teach, so she could have more friends. And we watched the restoration DVD, and talked about the book of Mormon, we gave her Alma 32 to read about faith and we prayed together to figure out a baptismal date for her. And she said the most sincere prayer, and in the middle of it, she looked up and said "God is telling me I can pick the day, can I pick it right now?" and we said "yes" and she said "I pick the 17th of June" and she closed her prayer, and then we all hugged each other. She then told me that when she met us the day before, she had some friends make fun of her for talking to missionaries, because they think our church is a cult (super common) and she told me she knew it wasn't, but is it a sin to not tell her friends she's getting baptized? and we talked a little bit about Joseph smith and the persecution he faced when he saw the vision and told his friends about it. We told her it was her choice but that we should try to stick to what we know is true. And she said she still wants to be baptized. So, we're working with her daily.

God has prepared people for me and my companion to teach. One of them is named Amber. But I know this area has others that also need the gospel. I will miss Yuen Long, but I know that God knows I need to be here, and that's why I am here. I love this gospel so much. I really like my new area and I'll tell you all about it more when I call you on Sunday night. The mission president has asked us to stay around 40 minutes. My plan is to call at 7 am Hong Kong time, which 6pm Sunday night for you guys, I think.

I love you so much! Looking forward to the call.

Love, sister cook

P.S. The church is true!!

Hey family,

I re-read my last email and realized it sounded kinda depressed. But I want to let you know that this week was a miracle week! Last Thursday we met a former investigator that I called for lunch, and on her record it said that she had a lot of interest, but no real potential because she already attends another church. We were able to meet with her and talk about why our church is different , and we gave her a book of Mormon and taught the restoration, and the spirit was like 'kick you in the face' awesome. And she's been reading and praying and i'm really excited! Grace and Mary came to church on Sunday, both of them asked about 500 questions about everything and really want to know more. We found 5 new investigators last week and 2 so far this week and we have still had time to start building really strong relationships with the members.

On of the members we're helping is Mh Ji Muih, she just got divorced from her husband (who has a lot of issues) and is trying to take care of her kids and overcome a lot of other personal issues. We meet with her and strengthened her testimony on covenants, and how God will always keep his promises. I think it helped her a lot. We're also meeting with a Thai lady, Paang Ji Muih, who's sons have stopped talking to her, and are not making very good choices, but we shared about alma the younger and how people can repent and turn around. Ah! I love how Kwun Tong is full of people that need help. It's like Heavenly Father is just giving us all these things to do, and we just pray and figure out how he wants us to do them. My testimony is growing about how much he leads this work :)

In other news.....My MOM is living with me again! Sister Darcey has gotten transferred to Tseung Kwan O, which is next to my area, so she lives in the same apartment as me. It's really cool. And it's good to sing together again. And in Kwun Tong I started guitar class! Tony and tze pui, Man-hei, and the elders (haha) are the only members so far, but they're all going to try and bring friends this week. Yay! new people to teach!!

So on Tuesday ELDER OAKS came to Hong Kong to speak to the missionaries. We all had to line up and take a picture with him, afterwards, we all had a turn to shake his hand. I hear when an apostle shakes your hand, he interviews your soul...haha. It wasn't as intense as I anticipated. But he did say some things I think you would like to know.

1) He repeated what elder Jeffery R Holland said to the missionaries last year, when he came to visit. "Hong Kong Missionaries" he said "are the BEST of the BEST". :O there you have it, straight from an apostle. I'm the best. You can never argue again. mwahaha.

2) he said that he, himself sometimes chooses where missionaries go, and because of the language and hardness of the mission, they don't send wimps here. Heavenly Father trusts us.

3) he talked about our relationship with heavenly father, and it was a really touching talk to me. I'll write more in a letter later.

Anyway, I looked at the blog, and I don't know if i'm allowed to do that, and it hasn't been updated in FOREVER! why are you slacking? Stop slacking. Put all the emails you missed up on there this week. And get on facebook and add all the Asian people that want to be friends with me. Everything else is going good. Working hard. Loving people. Can't wait to hear where Ryan got his call too, has he submitted his papers yet? I'm getting impatient.

Add Oil!

Love,

Sister Cook.

hello earthings

Jou San. Thanks for the email mom, glad to hear work is going well and that you guys are fishing a lot. That's one thing that I really miss, fishing, camping, and swimming. We need to do all those things when I go home. :)

This past week was pretty hectic. When we went to Stella's house to get her mom to sign her baptismal record, she said that she needed some time. Then she explained what it means to be baai sahn (ancestor worship/Buddhist). She said that she grew up with her religion and she want's Stella to do the same, but she also understands how important baptism is to Stella, which is why she's not saying flat out no. It's so HARD. Sister Darcey and I have been working our hardest to help Stella, and Satan keeps finding ways to put it off. But Stella's mom trusts us. She likes us a lot and we have brought some people over from church to talk to her. She has a really good view of the church...I think the best way to describe her feelings is say if you, your parents, and your parents parents all went to BYU, and then all the sudden your kid wants to go to Utah State. It's still a good school, but it feels like betrayal, so she needs time. Sister Darcey, Stella, and I all feel confident that it will happen soon. Maybe even still on Sunday, we will find out later tonight at guitar class.

Buddhism is also pretty crazy, from what she was describing. The way her parents did it was that they would cut their hands or sacrifice fingers to show their respect for their ancestors. It's soooooooooo sad. Stella's mom didn't practice that stuff, but it is crazy to think there are people that do. Stella has an older sister Jimmy, that we are starting to talk to the gospel about as well. We are so hoping that her entire family will eventually come to. Her brothers and sisters have SO much potential.

Anyway, JENNIFER blew my MIND this week. D and I were so nervous, because she is ready for baptism, but because of her job she cannot come to church on Sunday. So on Wednesday we planned to extend the commitment for her to quit her job, having the faith that god would help her to find a new one. Asking her to do that was probably the scariest thing i've ever done in my life. But she just accepted it. Like, "yeah, i've already fasted (WE HAVEN'T EVEN TAUGHT HER THAT YET!) and I am going to ut my notice in this week so I can get baptized.

AHHHHHHHHHH! I pretty much had a heart attack. It was amazing. She's coming to church this Sunday and Stella's baptism (if it happens) and It's crazy how little we have to do with those that are prepared. She's set for the 29th. Pray that that works out.

In other news, this month coming up is my 6 month mark on my mission. What? a third done? when did that happen? I got a few letters from some room mates this week and friends from college and learned that like pretty much all my friends are either married, engaged, or pregnant. It's kind of shocking. I don't think I want to come home because nothing is going to be the same. I'll be the weird RM with no friends because they all have like 20 kids to take care of. Soooooo weird.

You're all in my prayers, remember to return the favor. General conference is this weekend! I hope you all pay attention. I challange you to all go with a question, I know that through listening to the words of the prophet, you can recieve revelation! I'll be listening too, 8000 miles and a week later, but I can't wait! It will be awesome.

Love,

family

my dear family!

I am so happy to have the opportunity to email you today. I feel like I need it today more than other days. I have a lot of huge news. First of all, I have a new companion! In fact, you already know her! I was with her in the MTC, she was my older district, that left to hong kong only 6 weeks before me. Sister Nielson is a wonderful wonderful person. She is coming to Yuen Long to help me do the Lords work and I am so greatful for her.
Our area, besides me, has been completely white washed. Everyone that is coming to yuen long is new. Sister Darcey is going to serve in Macau with sister Wong, and sister Mercado is also going to Macau, International. Sister Taylor, from the MTC is going to live in the same apartment as me to serve the Tuen Mun ward! Sister Chan is training her! Almost all the missionaries in the Zone are different, and today, we received a new shipment of freshly born missionaries, straight from the MTC. The mission is getting younger.
Basically, everything is different, and even though I've only been here 12 weeks, Yuen Long is my area, i've been here the longest and I'm responsible for showing everyone else around. It's going to be like im the senior companion for the next couple weeks, until sister nielson can get to know all our investigators.
When we found out the news late on Tuesday night, I kind of had a melt down. But when I found out who my companion was going to be, I instantly felt comforted. I know that neither of us know how to speak cantonese, but we are going to take on this work completely relying on the Lord for help. And as long as we are exactly obedient. I know that we will succeed.
This area is so special to me. I love these people so much. Jennifer was able to come to church this sunday and she's also getting time off to come to conference, until she can find a new job. She's sacrificing so much!
Stella is doing well, no permission from her mom yet, and honestly i'm kind of worried about not having sister darcey, because stellas mom speaks a weird dialect and i can't really understand her. But stella still wants to get baptized and is reading her scriptures, i am proud of her, i bought scriptures to give her for her baptism day, and i'm making her a scripture case.
I really miss all of you.
We had our first new english class this week, it went well we had about 15 people there! And guitar class is still going strong! I love helping people develop their talents.
I am so excited to be able to watch conference tomorrow. I literally cannot wait. I have a list of questions ready that i know the prophet will answer.
I want you all to know that I constantly think about you. I pray for you too, I worry about you and I love you. I'm grateful for your sacrifices to allow me to be here.
Oh, we just found out that on may 22 elder Oaks is coming to visit hong kong, so i'm really excited to hear from him, and shake his hand.
One cool quick experience: I was riding the train the other day on the way to the church and I sat next to a lady who had a big suitcase. We didn't talk for a long time but i felt like i needed to talk to her, even though i wasn't sure what to say. I just said hello, and asked her where she was headed. She was going back to mainland, and she told me i was so smart for knowing how to speak chinese. I told her I wasn't smart, that I had god's help because i'm a missionary.She talked a little about her church and then, Just as I was going to invite her to hear more about our church, an old couple came and I gave them my seat, they didn't want to take it, but i told them i was getting off soon. The lady i was talking to before then said "this girl is a good person" and then she looked at me very seriously and asked me if she could give me a present. I said "mh saai" (no thanks) but then she whipped out a hand made skirt and said that she wanted me to have it. I didn't take it at first but she insisted, and said that she has many. It just so happened that I had a mormon tabernacle chior CD (singing with a chinese choir!) in my bag, that we were taking to give to a blind lady in our ward, and I gave it to her in exchange, I bore my testimony on music, which is the weirdest thing ever, but she accepted it with two hands and gave me her card. I don't know if anything will happen, but I felt the spirit so strong, and that lady could tell something was different about my message. I know she'll listen to that CD. I hope it will help her feel the truth, and want to know more.
Mom, you asked me if sometimes I hide how hard it is to be on a mission in my emails. The answer to that question is no. While this is the hardest thing I have ever done, it would be impossible for me to describe how hard it is actually.... I simply do not have time to tell you about all the miracles that happen to me as a missionary, so that's why i don't dwell on the difficulties of the work. It's because it's totally worth it. It's totally worth it if I never sleep again, or if I have nothing but horrible companions in the future, or even if i don't see a baptism, or my bike breaks, or i feel sick from eating weird food. The fact of the matter is that nothing could ever matter this much to me right now. I am finally understanding the atonement. I am finally understanding God's love. I understand how he feels about his children, and just being able to feel that through service, makes every hard thing worth it.

kayla

I think I have learned more this past week than I have the rest of my entire mission. It was a huge growing week and I have a lot to say so I'll try to type fast.

This week Sister D and I decided we needed to visit some less actives in our wards, so we made a goal to see 3. The first two we saw on Friday, Kristy and Winnie Au. It was super neat. On our way to see Kristy we were getting off the bus, and i saw a white woman. and she was listing to her ipod and had huge hoop earrings in. I don't know why but I felt like I needed to wave at her. so I did, and then she waved back! then she started crossing the street to come talk to us and my companion started freaking out because i think she has completely forgotten how to speak English. So I took the reigns. This lady was awesome! she had just moved from England and has the most adorable accent! she was telling us how she was so lonely and that no Chinese people would talk to her, so when i waved at her she felt like she should come talk to me. We aren't allowed to proselyte in that neighborhood, but I gave her a pamphlet and got her number. And last night i spent quite a while talking to her on the phone, and we're meeting her on Tuesday for 'a spot o' tea'. She told me she's ''heard of the Mormons on the telly" and that she would love to talk to us more! Yay! I'm glad I can speak English. haha.
So the visits with Kristy and Winnie went well. I think Kristy really needed some encouragement for her to go to church, because her husband doesn't like it and it worked! she came on Sunday, with her whole family. She is also white and I got her a TALL book (language book us missionaries have) so she could learn more Cantonese and church would mean more to her. I like her a lot. Winnie didn't come to church but we had a really powerful testimony meeting at her house and she promised she would come next week. Yay for strengthening the ward!!
Ok, so get out your Kleenex for this next one. Sis D and I decided to visit this one lady, her name is Poon JI Muih. We knew that someone in her family recently passed away but we didn't know who, we just knew we needed to go see her. Poon is a pau pau. She's about 75, in a wheelchair, she has no teeth, and part of her jaw has been removed from bone cancer. She has some sort of arthritis, and she's had a really hard life. She lives alone with her helper (minda, from the Philippines). When we went over and started talking about our families, she showed us pictures of her kids and grand kids. she has two sons, and one really pretty daughter, who is a mother of two. It was then that we found out that the person who passed away was this beautiful 40 year old mother of two, Poon's daughter. She gave me a photo album of her to look at, and it was so sad. It started with a normal picture of her, and then as the pictures got more recent, her daughter got more sickly looking, until finally, the last picture that was ever taken of her, most of the muscle in her body had deteriorated, and she didn't have enough strength in her neck to hold up her head, and her little boy was on her lap.
It was then that I started to cry. I mean really cry. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that this mom had to die, or that poon, in her old sickly state, had to go through this alone. I couldn't get it through my head why on earth god would let that happen.

It was then that i think my mission changed forever. As I was crying, poon ji muih started to comfort ME. Then she started to bear testimony of eternal families. And how someday she knew she would have a perfect body, not the old broken one she has now. Someday she knew she would be with her daughter again, so it was no big deal, and she smiled at me, a toothless smile, and she said she was so glad to have these pictures to look at, so she could remember her daughters beautiful face.

It was then that I started to realize, that THIS is what Jesus Christ does for people. In hearing this dear sisters sweet testimony, and seeing her cheerful countenance, I realized that no matter what happens, we can still be comforted, we can still be ok. Because of Jesus Christ. My testimony and understanding of the savior grew. Because Jesus Christ overcame the world, and he overcame death, we have HOPE. Hope so bright that it banishes all the darkness.

This message I'm sharing with people is not just nice, or good. It's the truth, and it's powerful. And for someone like Poon, it's made all the difference.

Anyway, I'm glad I'm here. Sometimes I don't even feel like I deserve these people. My investigators are all doing wonderful. Stella is ready for baptism, She's totally on board (and not to mention, wore the new skirt we gave her to church on Sunday, after much argument, but she looked lovely). She needs to get permission still, but that is the only thing that's in the way, both for her and Winnie actually. I am going to the temple today and fasting that their mothers will understand how the gospel will bless their lives forever. Because they are almost there. It's so great to hear them bear testimony of the savior.

Also, I wanted to spend a little time talking about Jennifer. She is the one girl we taught in the hospital, when her grandpa died. She's doing so great! She's accepting everything and loves to learn more about the gospel, she is actually trying to get a new job right now so she can start going to church on Sunday's, to prepare for baptism.(which she wants to do! yay!) But she is sooo funny.  Actually last week, on the way home, for some reason, we all started singing the titanic theme song...because that is her favorite movie. And I told her I really liked it too. and we explained the whole thing to sister Darcey (Jennifer explained in Chinese, and i did in English) because she hasn't seen it before...then not 20 minutes later, after we had gotten home, she called us and said she bought a copy of titanic she wanted to give us! haha.Soooo cute. I had to then explain, in Chinese, that missionaries can't watch movies, but that i'd watch it when I get off my mission. She's hilarious.

Guitar class this week was awesome. Guitar class every week is awesome.I taught everyone how to play "you are my sunshine" and then we had a little talent show after. I think we're gonna make guitar class a permanent thing now. :) We have a lot of ward support. Brother lee helped me fix my guitar and actually got me a golden oldies song book, so i think i'm pretty much set forever. I don't know if i'm allowed to play the Beatles or the BeeJees, but I...uhhh....well....:) I have to teach these deprived children what good music is, right? yeah. Everyone loves guitar class and brings their friends, so I think it's ok.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention the most awesome of awesome things that happened this week to help me grow! It's called COMPANION EXCHANGESSSSSS :) I got to stay in my area for today, and my mom (sister Darcey) left me. I got to be paired up with sister Mercado, who, like me, doesn't speak very good Chinese. You would think this is the scariest thing ever, because we had 3 appointments that day, all over yuen long, and i had never gone anywhere by myself before, and Mercado doesn't know the area....and you would be right! But you need to know that heavenly father is AWESOME, in the way that he helped me, for an entire day, speak almost understandable Chinese. hahaa. It was so awesome. We got lost once and I asked for directions from a really nice lady. I have never asked for directions before, and for some reason, then i could understand, and she could also understand me! That day we made cookies (another miracle, i didn't burn them) and brought them to brother lee and his non-member wife. I was able to talk to her for quite a while about stuff, and she wants to see us again! YEAHHH! I gained a testimony of when God calls, he enables. Everything I needed to do that day, I could do, because heavenly father was with me. It was awesome to spread my wings and know that I can do this missionary thing, even without sister Darcey.

Well, I think that's it. And it's chaamdou sihgan, so I have to go. I hope you are all doing wonderfully. I love you so much! Remember to read the scriptures, and pray! And eat your veggies.

Love,
Sister Cook.

rocking

This week has been a roller coaster. But at least it was an awesome roller coaster.

 

Last Thursday we had a groundbreaking lesson with Stella. She goes to KowloonTong every day for school and since it was my companion's 1 year mark and we also had to get my Hong Kong ID, we took a trip to kowloon and met her at the MTR after school. From there we walked to the temple, and gave her a tour of the grounds. The spirit was awesome! We talked about how everything was clean and pure inside and we told her that this is where you can have eternal families. She told us that she wanted to have an eternal family more than anything in the world and that she really wanted to go inside the temple.

 

After we took her next door to the Kowloon chapel, and the book store, and we bought her a picture of the temple and a picture of Jesus, I also grabbed one of those posters you get at your baptism that explains the baptismal covenants, and we got her the temple issue of the ensign. It was really cool. Afterwards we took her in the chapel and had her pray, and taught her more about the covenants she would be making, and her prayer was so great. In it she expressed her love for heavenly father, and her desire to go to the temple, and the spirit basically rocked that lesson. Since then we have had about 3 more awesome lessons with her, one of them about Christ (with a way cool analogy with food coloring and bleach that sister darcey and I tweaked for her) , and then one about writing in a journal (we bought her a cute journal!) , and we talked to her about word of wisdom and law of chastity too. She was so accepting and understood why keeping these commandments would bring her closer to God.

 

I am so excited for the day when she gets baptized. It's going to be awesome. Right now she's set to get her baptismal interview on sunday, so pray that everything works out so she can go to church! But I just love her so much. I feel a special connection with her because i've seen her grow so much since i've met her. She is actually the first lesson that I ever taught in hong kong, and I remember that first day and how far i've come, and i think it's miraculous that Heavenly Father is allowing me to be a part of this awesome work. I get to see the darkness being blasted out of people's lives. I know even if Stella, for some awful reason, decides not to get baptised, i know her life is changed because of this gospel. and that moves me to the very core. That I get to see people change, not because of my power, but because of the power of the book of mormon, and the power of the spirit, and the power of God.

 

Another awesome thing that happened this week was THE FIRST GUITAR CLASS EVER! yeah. I'm teaching a weekly guitar class. In chinese. It's pretty awesome, because I don't really know chinese, and i also don't really know guitar. BUT HEY, it is getting people to come to church. and we always share a spiritual message after, and people are bringing their friends!! It's really fun. Last week we called an older guy in our ward named brother lee (leih hing daai) and he's been playing guitar for about 20 years. I asked him if he'd be willing to come, so he and I taught the class. I also inherited a very crappy guitar from the elders, because no one knows how to play it, and it's actually missing two tuning knobs, but bro lee helped me tune it up so we could play.

 

So last week I taught a simple blues scale. Chinese people don't understand blues. But that's ok, Emerson can play an A chord! and I taught him how to read tabs! And Chace (bless his heart. I love this kid) who has only been playing for 3 weeks has learned a song that he shared with the class.I think everyone liked it....Basically it was a super fun time. I will send pictures.

 

So after guitar class on saturday we got to meet with Jenniferrrrrr (remember, I gave her her name!?) and she is doing so good! she's started praying every day, and she says she feels comfort when she does! we're watching the restoration movie with her today and we're hoping that it will make her want to read the book of mormon more. I basically think she will get baptized, but she hasn't been to church on a sunday yet, because she works. so we're trying to figure out what to do with that one....but I love her! yay!

 

So I wanna share with you my volleyball analogy. It's pretty sweet. Sis D and I were thinking about ways to improve our teaching and we both thought that having the holy ghost play more of a role in our lessons would be a good idea. So here is the volley ball part. Our job as missionaries is not to score the points, because we are not strong enough to do so. Our job is to set the ball so the holy ghost can come spike it over the net. If this doesn't happen, then the ball will just get hit back over to us, no good. So we've made a point of trying to invite the sprit into the lesson's and give it a chance to testify. Basically give the most powerful member of our team the opportunity to spike. haha, ok it's a little dumb, but i like it. This principle, when applied, not only helps the investigator but it helps the missionary too. It helps me to remember that I am being backed up by God in what I say and do, and that I need to relax, and not let fear take over.  This week I had a pretty bad experience of doubting my self, and letting 1 lesson with DIN (a girl i met finding, who is awesome, and Indonesian, but has perfect chinese) and I totally screwed it up. My chinese was all over the place, my companion was doing something else, and everything was not good. After the lesson I felt awful, like i had screwed up her eternal salvation because I have no confidence as a teacher....that because of me she wouldn't get baptized. And that feeling stuck with me for a couple of days.

 

I started thinking, why would God put me here if i was just going to fail? If everyone says that you're in a specific area because you're doing things no other missionary can do, then why do I sometimes fail? Mess up? not do what i'm supposed to? And then sister D helped me remember that God knows i'm 21. He calls stupid, unlearned, people on purpose. Joseph Smith was not a doctor or a rocket scientist, neither was moses, and neither is anyone serving a mission with me right now. We are supposed to fail. The hardest part is having faith that God can see that this little failure somehow fits into the grand scheme of things, into his plan.But I believe when you find that faith, you are a 100% happier missionary. Read 2 Nephi chapter 7!

 

Yeah, so a bunch more happened this week, we had a ward FHE that was really fun, sister D and I were in charge of the game, and we found a way to get rid of all the stupid butter cookies everyone is giving us, and the ward really liked it.

 

There are so many times i look out the window on the bus, and look at the enormous buildings, and the cool Chinese stuff, and i think to myself that i don't deserve to be here....I'm so lucky to have this opportunity and i'm growing so much. I can't wait for Ryan, Justin, Mitchell, Conner, Chandler, Nathan, Cade, Luke, Little little man, and even grace or abby and hannah to have the chance to experience the wonderful power of being a tool of the lord. I love this work. I testify that the book of mormon is true.  P.S, I am understanding so much more chinese! it is awesomeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. I think it's making me forget english though. haha.

 

I love you all and I hope you are well.

 

Love,

Sister Cook.

 

Benn here a month

Whats up family!

Wow! I've been so busy this week I haven't had time to think about what to put in this email. But it was a great week. We had about 400 valentines day activities for the young women (just kidding, only 3) but it was so fong bin (convenient) because we had bought a ton of stuff when we first went out to shop for the first activity, and we were able to use the same stuff for every activity. This week we found 3 new investigators! two of them are member referrals, that Bo Yi, who actually lives in Tuen Mun, brought to the valentines day activity. Their names are Rolly and Sherman (yes, Chinese people name their kids weird English names. I have met an ''octopus'' and a "pencil". No kidding). The girls really liked making valentines because they don't really do that in china. They have also never had frosting, or whipped cream. (poor deprived fish eyeball eating people). But yeah, it was super fun! We were trying to make frosting for the cookies but no store near us had powdered sugar, so we put sugar in a blender and tried to powder it (sister darcey is a genius) and it kind of worked! yay! anyway, chinese people don't know the difference.

 

Yeah so remember Ji King? the girl we taught at the hospital? She's actually REALLY awesome. We've met with her twice and she's really interested in the church. Actually, on Saturday we were chillin out at the church after english class, and I asked her if she wanted an english name, and she said "YEAH!" and so I gave her one. Her new name is Jennifer! because she looks like a Jennifer. I don't know why. But it was so cute, she loved it so much that she wrote it in her book of mormon :) I just named my first Asian. I feel like I had a baby or something. Seriously, epic. I was tempted to name her after a Pokemon or something, but Jennifer just seemed to fit.Yay!

 

Ok so, what else happened this week? Ohhhhh yeah. Miracle day! on the 14th we went over to winnie's house (9 years old, parents won't let her get baptized, but her older brother Emerson is a recent convert, trying to save for his mission) and we made her this super lang (fancy) english binder! to track her progress with learning english. The only way her mom will let us see her is if we are teaching her english. Anyway, we started singing love at home, because it was valentines day, and her mom immersed from her bedroom (we've never actually met this lady and we've been teaching winnie since i got here) and listened to us sing! We were able to explain what we were teaching her daughter and that we really wanted to help her! I think this is a step in the right direction towards baptism, it's such a big deal. because if her mom likes us we're light years ahead.

 

Also, after teaching Winnie some english I was asking Emerson where we could buy some guitar strings ( i just inherited a guitar from the elders!) , because he just bought a guitar and wants to learn how to play it (dumb, should be saving for his mission...but NOT DUMB because now i am teaching him before english class every week, and he's bringing his friend Chace who is an AWESOME investigator, and will totally get baptized when he turns 18. YES! (his parents won't let him either)

 

So yeah, I am now teaching a guitar class to our investigators. I feel like this is effective missionary work. haha. It's actually crazy how much the lord has blessed me with opportunities to use my talents here in hong kong. I still am not really a good speaker, Cantonese is really hard, but i can communicate with people through song and music and it's been so SO miraculous what that does. I have a testimony god places you exactly where you are needed.

 

So now I will talk about stella a little. She's doing ok! we're seeing her in kowloontong today because it's Sister Darcey's 1 year mark of her mission. So we are going out to eat with her MTC district, which should be fun because her mtc companion's companion is sister taylor :) But i'm really excited for this lesson with stella because we have to teach lesson 3 and we spent all night figuring out a way to teach it that would be easy for her to relate to. We are using bleach, food coloring, water, and 2 cups. I will explain how it goes after I teach it. I really love stella, and i know she loves us, we talk to her every day. And I know that we are blessing her life because before she met the missionaries she was really depressed, and didn't know why she was here, or what her purpose was (she told me she wanted to commit suicide, but don't put this sentence on the blog). But Satan is working so hard on her, he doesn't want her to get baptized. But we're working so incredibly hard to keep her afloat and establish her testimony. But the coolest thing happened on sunday, President Chan (my mission president) actually came to Yuen Long to speak in sacrament! We made stella stay at church (literally, sis D pretty much forced her, it was awesome) and his talk was great and afterwards he had a nice long talk with stella about the gospel and we think it really helped. What a miracle. We've fasted for her twice this week and I think its really made a difference. Pray that she will get baptized on the 26th!

 

Missionary work in hong kong is so different from everywhere else. So many cool things have happened. We've taught so many people on the street this week, and i've taught one or two lessons by myself! So I am making progress in the language, it's just slower than I would like sometimes. This week after president chan spoke in YL he came over to our apartment to interview us. He told me that I was progressing really well, and that I need to recognise my progress more, instead of focusing on how much i still cant do. He also said that I'm helping out my companion a lot, which is good to hear. She's such a good mom. She's super smart and teaches me a lot and i'm really grateful for her.

 

So yeah, that's my life right now! I think this is the third time i've asked for hoff's email address, so if someone could get it to me that'd be fantastic. And thanks for all your support. Oh, and can someone tell jennifer taylor that i wrote her a letter, but i might have written the wrong address on it? haha, I know that's the second time i've done that but i just got a letter from christian p. and he gave me the right adress, and i think i got the wrong one from somewhere else....so i don't really know who that letter is going to in provo. yay! haha.

 

Mom and dad I love you, i laughed really hard at justin's  stories. and i hope boxing is going cool. I got your letters! yay! I will try to find time to write back today, but it might have to wait til next pday because we have to go to Kowlooon today.

 

yeah, my shoulder is doing good. keep being awesome and read your scriptures. I know the book of Mormon is the word of god, and reading it literally makes me happy. I love the scriptures and I love my mission! I hope everyone is doing well. Say hi to grandma for me and tell her i also got her letter.

 

Hugs and Kisses.

 

Kay

woah, i've been here a month!

are you GAU CHAW?

Translation: Are You kidding me?!

 

this is a line that will forever be famous in my life, because it is what my companion said on Sunday evening around 5 pm when Duhng Hing Daai called us after a realllyyyy long fast Sunday at church and a two hour hospital visit for a recent converts Grandpa. Remember last week when I told you I would get the opportunity to sing in front of people? Well, we thought that we were singing on Monday, and we were actually singing on Sunday night (understandable mistake, because the word for monday and sunday are the same, one's just a high tone and the other a low tone Sing Keih YAT and Sing Keih Yuht, Chinese people so smart-la)...

 

Yeah so anyway D.H.D told us to get ready because he was coming to pick us up hou faai (very fast) and we were so scared! because we hadn't had time to rehearse, the day before we had an awesome stake activity with the youth (that i will describe later) and lessons back to back for most of the rest of the week. Sooooo, yeah, we also didn't have a piano player...so we called the elders. haha.

 

Remember Elder Ward from the MTC? the one from Tennessee? He's serving in my zone! which makes me so super happy, because I feel like he is my little brother, and it also makes me super happy because he's probably the best piano player/sight reader i have ever met! He went on a split with elder Tyau and they came to the rescue. He sight read the music almost perfectly. Tell Ryan to keep practicing the piano so he can save someones life one day. I am seriously so grateful. Anyway. None of us were expecting the huge crowd of 500 people awaiting us when we got in D.H.D's van...We pulled up and this chyun was DECKED OUT! huge stage, new years decorations everywhere! So much Chinese stuff...it was crazy.

 

We sat through a painful hour of trying to sight read together without a piano, in preparation for singing for this party. As we waited to go up, we saw two HUGE lion dances, a Chinese folk band (so cool, I almost died) and even a Chinese rock band! haha! the Asian guy playing the guitar had grew his hair out really long and permed it, so he looked like a less muscular version of a member of KISS. I will try to get pictures up.

 

Anyway, the guy in charge asked us if we could sing this song called "faith in every footstep" which I had never heard...as well as Love at home. So, that's what we did! I did the best harmony I could and I think it sounded ok! we got the video from it. But I seriously think the coolest part was when we introduced ourselves on stage. The people were way impressed with our Cantonese, and we got to talk about the church. We also get to go pak muhn (knock doors) there next week and i'm sure people will listen to what we have to say, because they will recognise sister darcey's blond hair, and the fact that i'm larger than most of them, and remember our beautiful singing and want to get baptized right!? yeah!!

 

Ok, so really though, it was a huge deal. I am a firm believer that every event that has happened in my life has prepared me for now, including the ability to love and understand music. One of my favorite parts of lessons is just singing in Chinese, it brings so much joy and the spirit is definitely there.

 

Ok, so enough about that! I will tell you about other things now:

 

1. hospital lesson- on sunday, a recent convert friend whinnie (about 25, really artsy and cute) , saw us at church and almost immediately started crying, She said her grandpa was dying and she didn't know how to help him because she wasn't a missionary. So sad. She asked us if we would come visit him with her. So we did. Something happened where his intestines exploded, and he ended up passing away the next day. She is the only member in her family, and it was a tough time. Most of her family members were really really upset, understandably. But we were able to sing for their grandpa, and share a message, give our condolences, and then afterwards for two hours we just talked to winnie and her little sister about the gospel. It was very special, because I think the spirit comforted her a lot

Her little sister Ji King, is about my age and she's kinda weird, but really sweet.  We invited her to read the BOM and pray, and testified of the strength that it gives us. She came to an activity that we planned, and we are really excited to start teaching her lessons. He sister is so strong in the gospel, we really hope some good will come of this.

 

2. Activities- sorry to switch so suddenly! but I have to tell you about what happened this week with activities! We missionaries planned out an awesome work shop thing on Saturday for the youth. We taught them how to make crepes, and how to beat box and sing ( Sis D and I, plus some of the elders did that one), and we made an obstacle course that involved jumping over tables and limbo (elder wards idea, lol) and we had one about arcitecture, where we built structures out of newspaper, connected them with a bridge, and tried to balance a book of mormon on it. Afterwards we all went to the beach and had a BBQ~!!!I know it sounds super random, but it was SO MUCH FUN. haha. The kids really liked it. And what is more important is they brought their friends, and their friends think we are COOL. this is a big deal. I have never been cool in my life. haha. and now that i am a missionary i can teach beat boxing and suddenly i'm cool. It's a miracle. Anyway, we met a new investigator there, her name is Yeunki. She is so sweeeeeeeeet! and It was so fun to hang out on the beach, it totally felt like florida. We felt like Byuhngaau sih (bad missionaries) because we were having so much fun, sometimes we had to stop and ask "am i allowed to be having this much fun?" haha. but it was really great, a lot of good comes from fellowshiping members and meeting investigators at the same time. so neat.

 

ok, so sister darcey and i were thinking about other cool things we could do to get more people to bring their friends to church, so we decided last minute (sunday night) to plan a valentines day activity! for the young women! IT WAS SO MUCH FUN! we used lucky money pouches to cut out a billion little hearts to make valentines with, and we taught them how to make those chocolate kiss flowers with the floral tape and hershey kisses, and we decorated cookies with them ( you have no idea how hard it is to find stuff to bake with here) anyway it was a huge success. The girls had a lot of fun and they each brought at least one friend, so we are rolling in contacted referrals right now, most of them live in tuen mun, but we can give them to the other sisters. Yay for activities!!!!

 

3. Exchanges- I went on my first split on sunday so I could teach crazy lady rupa and translate for her in sacrament while my companion attended to investigators in the other ward. It was scarrryyy! haha. But it was awesome, Sometimes I feel like i can get a lot more done if I don't lean on my companion for language help, I feel like a grow a lot faster. I am understanding more and more! and I'm also getting more jaapgwaan (used to) hong kong. It's getting easier for sure. But yeah, yesterday we went on a 24 hour split and i got to be Chan ji muij and muih ji muih's companion for a day in Tuen Mun! It was SOOOOO awesome! we taught 6 lessons. SIX LESSONS. I love chan ji muih. she is a buhndeih (native) and she is so funny. she loves chocolate. she calls me her little sister. she talks like in a super cute high pitch voice that i wish i could impersonate for you "ngoh seung jugalick!" (i want chocolate!) haha, anyway i learned a lot from her and muih, and it was super cool.

 

yeah, so everything is going pretty well. I get to go to the temple today so i'm excited about that, Please continued to pray for Stella. She's hit a few stumbling blocks, and i'm kinda worried about her, but its very clear to me how much she loves the missionaries. We want to take that love and put it into loving the gospel instead.

 

Mom- yay for passing algebra tests! i'm sorry you didn't get my last email, hopefully you figured it out so you could read it. Ryan- I sent you a letter today! it's a super cool analogy that i thought of, i think it will help you get ready for your mission. Nana- I got your email, I haven't gotten mail from any family yet but i;m going to the mission home today, hopefully it will be there! Lisa- I love you! and I love lillie and her desire to eat people. Tell chan, grace, and little man that i love them too. and of course uncle james, also, can someone forward my emails to the hoffs? i don't know if they are reading them.

 

thank you family for your prayers and for your love! i'm sorry i didn't have time to reply to individual emails! I hope this week is fantastic for you!

 

Ga Yauh!

 

Gou Ji Muih.