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

So hey howdy hey this week's been another really fast one! Elder Wi Neera went home on

Lunch with the Assistants (Yup, Elder Howell,

one of my last Zone Leaders, has been Assistant

the past two transfers)

Wednesday back to the Gold Coast and we dropped him off on Tuesday at the temple for a last temple session as a missionary. Sad to see so many great missionaries finally going home, and the strange thing is that when I knew them last year I thought "Man it'll be AGES before they go home, because when they go home I won't be too far behind them." And now freak, they're home now and I'm not all that too far behind them. Four and a half more months to go...

But yeah, this week there really isn't all that much to talk about. I think with only three in the companionship that makes things a lot easier, and with only two Zone Leaders again it means that the chief to Indian ratio is even again. This week has basically just been preparing for Zone P-Day and Zone Meeting, and the reason it takes so long is because Elder Van Wagoner LOVES to go all out on these things. I love being a Zone Leader because transfers no longer scare me! Because the only options I have for companions are also Zone Leaders!! No more useless or disobedient companions!!! Sweet hallelujah!!!

Sunday was pretty interesting though, because once church ended two of the Samoan members got into a fisticuff and got with each other and there was a good amount of blood on one of the guys' ears. There were a couple of shirt buttons on the ground afterwards, and their poor kids were shaken to the core at seeing their dads get into fist fights with other members of the church. I love Samoan members and all, but certain ones in Shepparton literally act like children sometimes when problems arise. Big, very rough, and, using Elder Van Wagoners words, "primitive" children. It's a good thing that none of our investigators came to church, and after that I almost don't even want to bring investigators to church to our branch anymore. "Hey come to church, feel the spirit, and watch some Samoan men UFC the crap outta each other!" Yeah, THAT's how we'd just LOVE to introduce the church to people who want to learn about how they can feel the spirit more in their lives. It's really frustrating that the members do that, and it's only certain Samoan members! Okay I might sound a little harsh but serious, this isn't an uncommon thing amongst some Samoan members.

So that was my week, and it's a good thing that for Christmas we'll be in Finley and not Shepparton, because the Finley branch is just full of some of the most beautiful people and they LOVE missionaries. It's great. It's just fantastic, and then we'll be spending P-Day with them as well. Van Wagoner will be in another area with a missionary who won't have a companion so it'll probably just be me and Faanunu in Finley on Christmas and that P-Day. And on Christmas day we've got to deal with transfers two days later, so it'll be another interesting week. Anyways, love you all, and this'll be my last video call session with family before I come home! Crazy... but I love you all, and as always, God be with you till we meet again.

-Elder Landon Cook

Pictures with the legendary Elder Swenson

Elder Swenson and Elder Summa have basically been mascots for my mission because they've both been in my District in different Zones. Elder Summa and I being in the same districts for about nine months of our missions. I love the crap outta both of them so much, but now they're gone back to America. Land of the free, home of the brave.