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.