First and foremost happy birthday to my oldest sister Danielle because I totally didn't space out on that during the rush of getting transferred, just so you know.

Last night in Shepparton, with the fantastic Gary & Lisa Woodard family

So things in Patterson Lakes is a lot different than up in Shepparton first of all, let me tell ya. We've got an entire Zone of basically non-American missionaries (the only American missionaries in our 12 missionary Zone is me and my companion and the Sisters up in Moorabbin): everyone else is from Australia, England, Philippines, and Venuatu, so it’s very multicultural. Second of all, it's REALLY pretty down here: Shepparton wasn't the prettiest place because, well, everything was dead and scorched because of the heat, and down here in Patterson Lakes there's, well, lakes! And plus the ocean is basically everywhere. We've got beaches all around us in this Zone, and no matter where you are you're never further than 20 minutes away from the water. It's pretty awesome. I do miss Wangaratta Zone a LOT though, because all of the missionaries up there were just absolutely stellar and I was really good friends with all of them. And plus, it makes me kind of sad that I've moved around so much in my mission, because it makes it really hard to plant relationship roots and feel at home there when you're constantly getting moved around. But I'm here now, and with only two transfers left chances are I won't be moving.

But what IS great about this Zone is that we're highly impacted by all of the advertising that the church is doing down in Melbourne. We'll go tracting and many people will recognize us as the Mormon missionaries, either from the Book of Mormon musical actors or the church ads or the Book of Mormon commercials on the TV, but a LOT of people now know who we are. And they're interested too! Many people have sparked interest about what the heck the Book of Mormon actually is because of the floods of ads they get from it everywhere, and so tracting is MADLY effective. It's great, seriously I LOVE tracting.

So we had Stake Conference yesterday and Saturday though, so I got to know a few of the members

This member got Elder Theurer and I these really tiny
shorts but it feels like a cloud wrapped around
 my thighs so basically I love them

 of the ward (not branch, like I've been in the past six months) and Stake (not District), and a lot of them seem REALLY cool. Elder Theurer has been in this Stake for a year though, and since he's been here for so long he basically already knows everyone. Just like Elder Van Wagoner. So yeah, here I am and I know basically no one. It's great. And guess what? With only two transfers left I'll stay here for three months and then get transferred again! To home! It's a strange really thought though, but I've still got a good three months left to squeeze out of me! I haven't even got the time to fizzle out, even if I wanted to.

So we've got a LOT of people we're teaching right now, and a couple of them are seriously working towards baptism within the next couple of weeks and months. Our biggest prospective is Kat, who's married to a returned missionary member and they've got a little son with them that's just the most adorable thing ever! And we'll sing Popcorn Popping and he just watches us so intently with the BIGGEST EYES!!! We're hoping Kat gets baptized within the next couple of weeks and months, so she and her husband will be our main focus. We've got a couple of other investigators that we're working with, but we weren't able to see too many of them because of meetings and running around doing five million things at once. It's great, we're so busy all the time working.

So that's been my week so far, and I'm excited to get to get use to the place. Still wet behind the ears when it comes to Zone Leadership around these parts but I'll get used to it. Eventually. Probably the last week of my mission is when that'll happen. Because that always happens it seems.

Saying Goodbye to President Mauigoa and
to one of the best famiies with Elder Van Wagoner

But shoot I love you all, and I pray that your missionary work is going as good as or even better than mine. Because missionaries aren't the only ones to do missionary work: it's EVERY member's responsibility to talk to people of the restored Gospel. As much as I love the members everywhere, it kind of bugs me when members of the church have this misconception that full-time missionaries do the missionary work FOR the members, not WITH the members. And I say that because with the members help missionary work flourishes to the max!! Help the missionaries find people to teach everyone. But I love you all so tonsa much, and as always, God be with you till we meet again.

Goodbye to President Mauigoa and his wonderful family

-Elder Landon Cook

Goodbye to the incredible Woodward family

Having to say see you later to the awesome Tuaopepe family

See ya later to the sweet Tuaopepe girls and teddy

See ya later to the Tuaopepe girls with Elder Van Wagoner

Just doing what we do best... being silly :)

We were the ushers for Stake conference with the
Mornington Bishop, so we were basically
the most important people there