My my my how times fly. A lot has happened this week, but I'll only talk about a few really important instances. So a few weeks ago we swung by an investigator (whom, sadly, we later had to drop), but as we drove to her house we saw this older guy fiddling with a bush outside of his front yard, so quick thinking... I decided to pull over and see if he needed any help. He was REALLY happy to see us, and we had never seen him in our lives before. He knew we were Mormon missionaries, so he pulled out a few chairs in his front yard and we talked a bit. His name's Ted, and he's like in his 60's or so. We talked a bit about the church and how nice the Mormons were to him while he lived in the Philippines, and after just talking for a bit we invited him to church and gave him information about when church started and where it was, and then we headed out. Honestly, we didn't really expect much out of that encounter (other than we helped an old guy out) because we invite people to come to church all the time, but sure enough last week as soon as sacrament meeting started Ted walked in the front doors and came and sat next to us. We were REALLY surprised that he actually came, but not only did he come last week, but he came yesterday too! We've since met up with him a few times during the week to talk about the church and he has been taking the discussions. He is already a Christian which is good, but it sometimes gets a bit tough to teach him because he has a pretty bad speech impediment, but we still teach him anyways. He accepted to be baptized on the 6th of February once he comes to know that the Book of Mormon is true. It's great though, because although he is still waiting for an answer he keeps his commitments: He reads, comes to church, and prays to know if what we teach is true. Elder Casil and I, along with a lot of the members of the ward, are really stoked to watch him further progress.

At Jump Crazy

SOOOOO, last week P-Day! We went to this place called Jump Crazy with the Zone in Cranbourne, which is about an hour and a half train ride from Moe. It was heaps of fun, and I also got to see Elder Vaiouga again because he's in the zone as well! Lot's of fun, but not really too much worth emailing about.

Sad Elder Vaiouga isnt my comp any more

Our Zone having fun

At Jump Crazy with the bros

 

The Zone at Jump Crazy 

Elder Casil and I playing with the spider..

Wednesday we went to go do some service for Julie, and we just pulled weeds basically all day. She was REALLY appreciative of the help   All those years of weed pulling back home has prepared me for all the service I would do on my mission. Thanks dad for the practice!  We also found this BIG-AS spider there, and we played with it for like 10 minutes. Pretty fun, but luckily it ain't poisonous. 

Elder Casil and I playing with the spider..

 Thursday we went on exchanges with the District Leader. I went with the DL, but nothing really too exciting happened. BUT!, we did tract into a Russian dude with a THICK-AS Russian accent, and although he wanted nothing to do with religion, he invited us in for a glass of juice. We accepted his offer, and we just went inside and talked with him. He is like your stereotypical Russian: I mean covered in bullet and stab wounds, loves to drink, has broken his hands multiple times from fights, I mean this guy was RUSSIAN!!! I mean, his name was Vladmir, how much more full-blooded Russian can you get than that!? On our way out, though, he gave us each a handshake and a pat on the arm as a friendly goodbye, and he felt my arm and in his Russian accent said "Woah, you are big, like Arnie, you arm wrestle me". TALK ABOUT LOL!!! So yeah, I arm wrestled this Russian guy in his 40's, and we were at a pretty good stalemate when suddenly he said, in his wonderful accent "You might be strong, BUT YOU ARE NOT RUSSIAN!!", and I just completely lost all concentration at that and accepted defeat. It. Was. Awesome.

Birthday cake at the Ballantyens

20th Birthday cake at the Ballantyens

So Saturday, my birthday! We had a Zone wide fast Friday evening running into Saturday morning, so I didn't even has breakfast on my birthday! All goods though, because we were all fasting for our investigators and their spiritual progress. We had a worldwide missionary broadcast in Cranbourne again, and apparently there hasn't been one of those since the 90's, so we knew it was pretty big and important. A lot of missionaries were speculating on what it could possibly be about, and it turned out to be a great training for us. A few of the apostles spoke, including David A. Bednar, and that was cool.

Saturday night we had dinner at Sister Lise Ballantynes house with her husband Brother Chris Ballantyne. They knew it was my birthday, and they made an AWESOME dinner and birthday cake for everyone. So a lot of missionaries don't do much work on their birthday, and for a while I was a bit tempted to be lazy as well, but I was like "Nah, if I work hard, even on my birthday, Heavenly Father will give us a miracle or a life to touch", so we went out to work. Glad I didn't fall into that trap! Although we worked, we didn't find any miraculous golden investigator, but at the end of the day we met this woman in her mid 20's named Shaunie. She was severely hunched over and relied heavily on a cane, but she said she wasn't interested at all, but we were able to talk to her. Her back wasn't always like that though, and it was caused by an accident by a loose floor tile in a nursing home she worked in. She said the damage was permanent, but she said she was grateful that it was her instead of one of the old folks there because it could've killed them. Honestly, it touched my heart to see such humility. We told her of the love God has for her and committed her to pray, and although she never gave us a day to come back, I'm sure that the spirit touched her life.

Well that's about it everyone, love ya! Another week is ahead! And as always, God be with you till we meet again!

-Elder Landon Cook

Ponderize: Doctrine and Coventants 42:42

We haven't gotten mail in so long that there are 

literally spider webs on the mail box. 

Alma 60-6 my friends, look it up

Adrianna B, a nonmember who has been 
coming to church with the Pollard family
for AGES, drew me a picture of me as
Blinky Bill

Lunch after the worldwide broadcast.

A Zone Picture with our Stake President,President Manny Valdez, who actually 

became a convert tothe church when he turned 20 years old

Wow, what an amazing week it has been! AAAGH!!! I love my mission! Elder Casil, my new companion, is legit-as when it comes to being obedient and working hard. My biggest concern about getting new companions is if they are obedient to the rules or not, and if they're big on getting the work done. And he is heaps of both.

Last P-Day with Elder Vaiouga 

So for Vaiouga and mine's last P-Day together we went down to the south peninsula to check out the bush paths for picture taking in the bush and at this certain beach down south called Venus Bay. Pretty cool, but we didn't stay for too long because it was so blasted hot. It was a great P-Day though overall, and Elder Vaiouga kept saying it was the "best P-Day ever".

The first day was a bit confusing with trying to get Elder Vaiouga to his next area with the train schedule, but we got it figured out. This entire week has been nothing but finding so many people who are prepared to hear about the message of the restored gospel, it's amazing. The first few people we met were Billy and Alecia, Billy being the brother of a convert who was baptized a few years ago. We picked him up for some previous lessons so he could help us teach, but they fell through, and as we drove to drop him off he said to us "Elders, do you mind if we stop by my brother’s house and talk to him?". So that was really amazing that he suggested that. and we ended up talking to him and his "partner" (not wife, but they say partner for their girlfriend/wife to make sure it's politically correct. I think it's kinda dumb) is REALLY keen to learn more.

Elder Vaiouga headed out on the train Tuesday morning (but he's still in the Zone!!!)

We also met with the Horvath family, who the dad is the only member. Basically the wife and their three kids want to be baptized, and they pray and read and teach from the Book of Mormon. The only thing that's keeping them back is that they just don't come to church, and I don't know why! We'll try to figure that one out. We also had a dinner appointment with the Winfield family, and they are just gung-ho for the missionary work! Both the mom and dad are converts to the church, and have had to sacrifice a lot in order to be members, but they never look back on it. They had their friend Julie there, and we taught the lesson of the Restoration with such spiritual power, it was overwhelming. The spirit if discernment is real, and that night Elder Casil and I were blessed with it. We taught with the power and authority of the Lord himself, and every time we said something it would just bring her to tears. She's been looking for the truth to churches for a long time she says, and now she is very excited to learn more. Through her tears she would constantly say "So young, yet so wise". Honestly, it was something that I would never be able to do without help from Heavenly Father.

So, for Rawry and Ozzi. They weren't able to come to church because they had to pack all day for a fishing trip their dad was taking them on, and since they won't be able to make it to church on this Sunday their baptism is sadly going to have to be postponed. All goods though, because Rawry is especially excited to be baptized. I think we have to teach more about Joseph Smith and having faith is Jesus Christ, but I think this will all work out with them in the end. Super excited for what this transfer might bring.

We have labored hard in the area, and we are constantly being blessed for it. I don't know why we have gotten so many blessings and new people to teach, but I won't take it for granted and start to slack off on my diligence, because I'm sure that as soon as I do, the area will start to decrease again. That's how Heavenly Father works: You stay obedient to commandments through thick and thin, then you receive so many blessings in ways that you can never repay Him back. But if you stray from the commandments, then you are no longer promised those blessings, and they instantly start to withdraw from you. We are so close to this, and now, and this last minute, we cannot afford to lose the promises of Jesus Christ. I love you all, I can't wait for this next week of work, and as always, God be with you till we meet again.

-Elder Landon Cook

Vaiouga and I as our last P-Day as a companionship.

 Below are some of the families we visited before Elder Vaiouga left for his next area:

              Us with Callan and Catherine Brooks, who 

         are married and served together a few years back

Us with Steve Tzitziras and his family

Us with the Pollard family (Along with Chris Rae,

our convert friend who was baptised a few years back

Us with the Rawiri (Mainly Basil and Mata, but they had family in town that day)

Us with the Winfield family, who have helped us so much

Vaiouga and I as our last P-Day as a companionship.

Vaiouga and I as our last P-Day as a companionship.

Vaiouga and I as our last P-Day as a companionship

Elder Vaiouga with Bishop Cranston

MY NEW COMPANION, Elder Casil :) 

picture of me and the scones is also taken with 

Elder Casil, my new companion from the Philippines 

who's only been out a transfer longer than I have been

Got some awesome scones from one of the booths, 

and there was a guy that make the legittest bracelets,

rings, and jewelry out of utensils

Went to this place called the Warragul Markets, 

and we did some missionary work and looked around.

Elder Casil and I dorking around at K-Mart for a bit

Wow, it has been an incredible faith building week. First of all, let's talk about our amazing investigators who are checking out the church, shall we? On Sunday last week, Dean Smith, the first counselor of the Bishopric, referred us to a part member family with two young sons who are 10 and 9 and haven't come to church yet or been baptized. We tried throughout the week to get in contact with them, but the first few days we came up fruitless because no one ever answered. Finally on Thursday they answered the door and let us in. The dad is like 70 years old which kinda threw us for a loop considering how young his two sons are, but he's a member who hasn't been to church in about 25 years. Wayne is his name, and although he wasn't too interested in the church again, his sons were VERY interested, so we taught them and left them with a pamphlet. We came back the next day and talked to the mother about her sons coming to church this Sunday, and although she's very devout to her religion she said that would be okay with her. They did come to church, and because they were pretty young they didn't find sacrament meeting all too entertaining (which I don't blame them: the talks were on tithing), but they LOVED primary. When Rawry, the 9 year old, got out of the two hours of primary and we asked him how it was he said "I like it. I want to come next week!", and the brother agreed.
 

We met with them and their dad with Brother Bazil Rawiri after church to teach them the Restoration as simply as we could, and Bazil was a huge help. He's the best ward mission leader I've ever served with. We invited the Ozzi and Rawry to be baptized on the 30th of this month, and they said yes, but they said "But we want to learn more about Jesus and the church before we are baptized". My friends, that is no problem! The dad encourages it, and the mom seems okay with it, so we just hope that nothing gets in the way.

We also taught a few friends of the Winfields, another awesome missionary family. The daughter had their 14 year old friend over for dinner, and Brother David Winfield suggested to us in private that we teach her (along with the family) the restoration, because she's been taught by missionaries before, but he thinks it would be good if we taught it again. We taught it, and the spirit prompted us to use the 20 minute restoration video as a teaching tool, and man was the spirit ever felt! She could feel it, and when she described what and how she was feeling we explained to her that that was the Holy Ghost bearing witness to hear of the truth of the things we taught, and she said "I could believe this, I really could believe this. I want to learn more". She told us that she had been taught this by missionaries before, but no other missionaries have taught it so clearly or with the same feeling that she felt. It was a very powerful moment, and we taught her again on Friday the Plan of Salvation, and she believes that as well. We'll try to meet up again with her this week with the Winfields.



Tracting with Liam Winfield (We didn't get
any new investigators, but he loved going with us)

But after we taught her on Friday, we invited Liam, the 17 year old son, to go tracting with us if he wanted to. He was willing to and readily dropped what he was doing to come out with us. My thoughts are, this who family is just so ready to help in every way possible with the missionary effort: I mean, if the missionaries back home wanted me to go knock doors with them for two hours in the hot sun during my summer vacation, I wouldn't be too thrilled, but him, on the other hand, he was so willing to come out and help us. It was so cool to see such enthusiasm in him, and I know he will be a great missionary.

So this week has been one of a lot of reflection of how hard we have worked. Last night we got the callout from the Zone Leaders about who's getting transferred, and we were both like "Nah, we BOTH just got here, so there's no way either of us are leaving". But sadly and tearfully, we were wrong. I'm blessed enough to stay, but Elder Vaiouga is leaving. It broke both of our hearts, and we were depressed to hear we were getting split up. The beginning of the transfer, we haven't stopped working, and our first day of the first week was started in tears because of sorrow and confusion about doubling-in the area, and the last day of the last week we ended in tears. Not because of grief, but because of joy and happiness. We now have two people who are wanting to be baptized this month, and we started out this area with nothing but sand and rubble. We have built this area into something better, and he will be leaving with his legacy upon the ward and upon those two kids. Rawry and Ozzi want to be baptized at Blue Rock Lake (The same lake we had the BBQ at with the Pollards a few weeks ago) because we are having a ward BBQ that day, and they want to be baptized during that BBQ. Vaiouga was VERY depressed that he would be missing that, but we got a call from the Zone Leaders today, and when we told them that we had two investigators who were going to be baptized they said, without us even asking for it "Oh man, if they get baptized we'll definitely make sure you are there as well, without a doubt", so that was miraculous, and we were SO happy for that!

Brothers and Sisters in and outside of the gospel, the church is true! The works of God continue, and no power of Satan can hold it back. As well might man stretch forth his puny arm to stop the Missouri river in its decreed course, or to turn it up stream, as to hinder the Almighty. I cannot thank the Lord for the blessings we have received. We have worked and worked and worked and worked, reaping very little for five weeks, then all of a sudden the last week, WHOOM!!!, all this happens. The church is true everyone, I love you all so much, and as always, God be with you till we meet again.

-Elder Landon Cook
Ponderize: Doctrine and Covenants 121:33

My testimony and pictures I added to Elder Vaiouga's journal page



Making Orange Chicken isn't as easy as my Mama made it seem

 

Sister Lise Ballantyne helping me out with the chicken because I wasn't quite sure what to do exactly

Holding a blue tongue lizard

Soooooo... This week was pretty eventful. We actually did something FUN for P-Day last week! We went to Callan Brooks' dad's place, and it was HYOOG!!! Lots of cool stuff like pool table, air hockey, and yeah, it was pretty legit. Lots of American Western Styled stuff, real cool. We also went to this place called Blue Rock Lake with the Pollards for dinner, and that was really cool. This email is going to have to be really condensed, I don't have a lot of time on the computer today because the library has been closed for the past week and a half and there are heaps of people who are trying to get on, which really sucks because I'm sure that they get on the library computers every day, and I've only got ONE MEASLY HOUR!!! Which is now only 30 minutes...

Me and the gang at the pool table

BUT!!!! One of the main highlights this week was that we got to go to the temple! What a blessing it was to go through, I mean I haven't been there in eight months, so going there was such a spiritual blessing: I wish EVERYONE could see and feel the spirit there, but only those who strive to want to go to the temple can.

So this week was a bit of a downer though, because like half of our most promising investigators dropped us. It was really tough, because we lost like four of them in the course of two days. Oh well, the work continues, and the Lord will continue to sift the wheat from the tears. BUT, we got a few names from the first counselor of the bishopric that we could go see, and they look like they could really progress in the church.

Helping Bazil Rawiri out in the kitchen makin' some mean-as burgers

We had a feed at the Rawiri's last night, Bazil Rawiri being the ward mission leader. We had some investigators come over as well, and I made heaps of hamburgers the American way, basically with grease, lettuce, cheese, onions, and all the works. But of course I had to put beet root and pineapple on it as well. Make it fully Aussie!

Concentrating on dem burger making skills

We also taught Despina, but she has turned around 180 degrees. Away from the gospel. She wants to go back to Greek Orthodox, and she has, but she wants to keep learning. She isn't at all interested in getting baptized anymore, and she barely reads from the Book of Mormon. Her brother was there with his wife as we taught, and we decided to read and explain Lehi's dream in 1 Nephi 8. She barely got anything out of it, but her brother took real interest as we read and explained with them. We gave him our number, and a restoration video, and he said he would watch it very soon, so hopefully we get a call from him!

Oh, something else I forgot to add: This is the last week of the transfer, so that means we get news on who stay and who goes this week. It has been a FANTASTIC transfer of such hard work, and Elder Vaiouga and I have agreed that this has been the fastest transfer either of us have experienced in our eight months out on our missions, and that means that we've enjoyed ourselves and worked our hardest. Hopefully we both stay, but at the same time Elder Kent, the District Leader, wants to put a word in for me to the Zone Leaders and to President Maxwell so that I train next transfer. I want to train, but at the same time I really don't want to be separated from Elder Vaiouga or from the ward. I just don't want to leave haha I LOVE THIS WARD!!! I love every ward I have served in. Aah, to put it simply, I just love my mission!! I'm excited and anxious at the same time. It's pretty nerve wrecking

That's about it everyone, sorry this email is so butchered, but that don't mean I love you any less! Love you heaps, keep the faith, and as always, God be with you till we meet again.

-Elder Landon Cook

Ponderize: Helaman 13: 2-3 (I feel this has a lot of personal relevance to me this week haha)

At Blue Rock Lake (I was wearing Georgia Pollard's sun hat. Pretty legit)

P.s.  So get this: The lady on the computer right next to me was talking to me and saw that I was in distress about only getting half an hour, and she had some extra time on her computer and was pretty bored with being online, so she let me use up the rest of her extra time. What a serious blessing, because this time is so precious to me  :D

Me, Elder Vaiouga, and Georgia

Elder Vaiouga and I

Found the deer skull tracting (or whatever animal it is). His dad said is it a Red Elk Stag

Elder Vaiouga

Workin on the railroad (we literally helped Callan's dad work on building a railroad)

Yes, Blonde and Gorgeous, that's me!  HAHA

Beautiful feather hair-ornaments

Elder Vaiouga and Swenson

Me and the buffalo at Callan's dads place

On our way back from the temple trip (it was a two hour drive, everyone was knocked out)