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

Sup little American Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton lovers (or haters, depending on who I'm talking to). Everyone who realizes that I'm from America always, ALWAYS, wants to talk about those two bumbling idiots running for president. It's really annoying. "We're from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, not the Church of Let's-Talk-About-American-Politics-And-Donald-Trump-Screaming-"Let's build a wall" of Latter-Day Saints." It gets on my nerves, but it'll probably be like that until the rest of my mission considering that this is the tail end of elections in America.

This week has been pretty good though! Lots of hard work and stuff as always. Last P-Day Elder Vaiouga and I had nothing to do (as tends to be the case in Seymour), so we basically just shopped, cleaned the flatt, and lifted weights for like an hour and exercised really hard. I don't like getting fat. At the end of most Elder's missions they do something called the "six months sexy" which is basically go hard with the exercise and come back looking like Dwayne Johnson. Most missionaries try it but quit after about 20 minutes, but I REALLY want to get rid of my face that's rounder than Frosty the Snowman's. But all cool.

This week I was able to go on exchanges with Elder Wheeler again. That was really good because with eight other Elders in the District I've really got to cram in exchanges with everyone within the next four weeks, and since he was my first exchange that means I've got a LOT of those planned out ahead of me. As a Zone Leadership we discussed what needs to be conveyed to the rest of the District during District Meetings and stuff so that we can make those as effective as possible. Sometimes I still feel pretty inadequate to be a District Leader because I feel absolutely useless when it comes to motivating others to action, but I still try my best regardless.

When it comes to investigators, were still pretty dang flat on them. Always! BUT this week we talked to some people who's 17 year old son was never really religious but has had interest in, get this, ISLAM. I don't know why anyone would find interest in that side of the world, but Islam is sweeping this part of Australia like Cinderella at her wicked step-mothers house. Obviously they showed concern for that, and we gave them a Book of Mormon for him to read if he's interested in religion, and they said that they'd take a look at it themselves. "Take a look" usually means leafing through the pages, but hey it's something. We went to go talk to them a few days later, and when they weren't home their neighbors came out and said "Who are you?" We went to introduce ourselves and the man in his 30's or so, Jay, just kept asking "So why do you believe in God?" in an almost challenging way. We basically explained that we're missionaries from our church and would love to teach him and his girlfriend (they've got two of the CUTEST toddler daughters) and he said "Yeah actually we would like to come to church sometime"! Wait what? He told us he's been in and out of jail and has been sober from hard drugs for a year or so after being on them for most of his life (finding a young 14 or 15 year old hooked on ice is NOT an uncommon thing around this mission), and he and his girlfriend believe the best way to change their life's circumstances is to turn towards religion. They genuinely do want to come to church, and this Friday we plan on taking them on a chapel tour of the local church here in Seymour so they can get accustomed to it before coming. It'll be really good, and we're VERY prayerful that they pan out to a positive experience and miraculous change.

This week is gonna be insanely busy with just about everything. We've got exchanges this Tuesday, interviews on Wednesday, a mission-wide training on Thursday, exchanges happening Thursday right after the meeting to Friday afternoon, and on Friday we've got District Leadership Meetings, and on Saturday we've got a branch activity. TRAVEL TRAVEL TRAVEL!!! Really no time for proselyting, but we do have time for that church tour haha.

So that's my week everyone, and it's strange to know that this Saturday both Vaiouga-boy and I hit 18-months and burn our pants together. Strange... And plus, some missionaries from my intake, even missionaries that had to visa wait as well, are going home anywhere between a month to TWO months early because of visa problems :/ it really sucks because I thought I'd be blessed with like another three weeks on the mission because the way transfers fall into place, but it looks like being released a month early is a cold reality. But I'll let you all know the news next week after interviews with President Vidmar. But that's my week everyone, and I love you all and I'll talk to you all soon enough. Kisses, and as always, God be with you till we meet again!

And just a side note, to all those who write me whether in email or hand written letters, thank you heaps because I always take time to read each and every individual one every week (or whenever I get them). Love them all! And I love ya!

-Elder Landon Cook
Ponderize: 3 John 1:4