******* LANDON J. COOK ******* Melbourne, Australia Mission April 2015

The mini missionaries! Liam is wearing his dads name tag from his mission

Herro errybody! This email has to be pretty butchered because the library here is being ghetto and is only allowing me to stay on for only thirty minutes, but what an amazing week it has been! First of all, we had Liam Winfield for a two day mini-mission with us which was AWESOME!!! The first day was a bit unordinary because the first day of the mini mission we had to train to Cranbourne and stay there overnight for our Zone Interviews, and on the way there the three of us got cussed the living heck out of us from some random guy, and then when we actually got on the train itself we got bashed the heck out of on "how we 'Mormons' can just brush off dinosaurs like they never happened". Haha, like what? I don't know, it was pretty full on because the people in that area are just full blown NUTS!!! And for Liams first day on the mini mission I had to take control of most of those situations to make sure the potty mouth guy didn't start trying to fight us, so I could only have imagined what was going through Liams mind at that time. Interviews were good though, but it's sad to know that President Maxwell is going to be leaving us on

The morning companion studies

June 30th. But I hear President Vidmar is the man!

P-Day was absolutely awesome though! We went to Wilsons Prom which was like this hour hike up to this amazing lookout of a beach, and it was just an amazing day with the Winfields. Hiking, lunch, tossing a ball around on the beach, it was pretty full on

Ian though. What an amazing story he has behind him for this week! We have practically met up with him every other day this week, upwards of around five times this week. He is more than ready to be baptized, I mean he is past a golden investigator, he is diamond!!!! Seriously! When we showed him the baptismal font at church last week he was even more excited for his baptism on the 16th, and with each passing day he becomes more and more excited for it. He tried to have the JW's stop coming over because he's 100% sure he wants to join this church, but they are persistent that they come over every week still. He told us that they warned him "Don't join the Mormons! They'll make you pay 10% of everything you get!", and that was a bit rattling because that was before we taught about tithing and he thought it was a lie. He is in a bit of a financially sticky spot, but after we taught the blessings that come with the sacrifice of tithing, he was again more than willing to do it. TAKE THAT!!!! He's also been fighting like a lion to get over cigarettes, and even though he's only been smoking for two months and only has one every morning it is still a hard habit to kick, but he is fighting it off as much as he can, constantly reading from the Book of Mormon and calling us for help whenever he has a craving. He doesn't have much friends though, but Ross has been an OUTSTANDING help, and Saturday night we decided to go over to his place and, with our own food, teach him how to make home made pizzas. It was a great night, and the three of us shared pictures of family and talked and ate and we had a lesson on temples, and he really wants to experience baptisms for the dead inside the temple. See why I'm so excited for him?

Making pizzas with Ian Palmer, the legend!!!

That's all I have time for, sorry everyone! But just know that I love all of you so much and that I am doing well! Transfer news is in two weeks, but because Ian gets baptized in two weeks I am MORE than grateful that I get to be a part of his baptism and that this transfer is extended. I can't even describe how amazing I feel and happy it makes me to know that I was a part in helping Ian find his way back to God and Jesus Christ, and I, Casil, and Ross Gilbert have all seen the change in him just from applying the principles of the Gospel in his life. The restored gospel changes lives, and I cannot explain the joy that comes from sharing it. I love you all, and as always, God be with you till we meet again.

-Elder Landon Cook