Elder Andrew D. Cook entered the MTC on January 15, 2014. I am excited to update as I know how he is doing, especially posting his mass emails.

Writing & Shipping information is found in the right hand column.

There is also a link to a few different translators to help us guess what Andrew said. :D Sometimes I get a better idea when I remove his ! from a word.

Monday, May 25, 2015

5-25-2015

I can't really say anything amazing happened. 
We are planning to move up The Lord's only sure baptismal date in our area.
my companion and I are having a hard time still with the OYM plan. we get like 
3 conversations, and then I get frustrated, so the next day we have like 25. then the next day it goes back to like 2. so I get frustrated again, and we have like 17. (and I'm still not satisfied.)
the only real eventful events, are that 
First: Elder Anota's trainer came to San Fernando this week, because his trainer is going home, and had to attend the career work shop, so he hung out with us this morning.
Second: Chowking now makes this happy panda dessert which looks like a panda and is filled with chocolate fudge. super good!
Third: I volunteered to give district meeting, and I was given a giant white board which I used to help me teach. I have been studying the most basic principles of the gospel to make sure my foundation is really as sure as I want it to be :D 
We have discovered that 1 out of every 30 people we teach has no clue that God has a Body, which is why, I think, no one keeps any commitments, 
I can't quote exactly, but President Eyring said something along the lines of "an understanding of Jesus Christ is the foundation of all commitment" I have the exact quote at home on my desk. I will get it for you next week. BASTA
SO I taught our district the 6 things EVERYONE needs to know about Father, because you can't have a correct understanding of faith, until you under stand what your faith rests on.
as His children, we can't understand who WE are until we understand who He is!
1. He has a perfected body separate for Christ. Their plan is for us to become perfected like Him. Moses 1:39
2. He are essentially good. Ether 12:27
3. He is unchanging. He can't say "oh hey, I just discovered this law of physics I didn't know about yesterday. I can't keep my covenants with you after all"
4. He wont lie! If He promises something to you, the only way you could fail to receive is through your own disobedience! remember: Everything we know about Him, we know because HE told us! which is why this is so important. but we can trust Him, because Satan, the other key player ALSO tells us he doesn't lie, but "by their fruits you shall no them" Father has proven Himself time and time again! Satan consistently fails to keep his promises, no?
5. He is no respecter of persons. Joseph Smith received his answer because of faith. You will too, because of your faith! Father doesn't choose who to answer, and who not to answer, WE choose not too receive his answers! through disobedience.
6. He IS Love. this is summing up everything else into one key principle. "God himself, finding he was ithe midst of spirits andglory, because he was more intelligent, saw proper toinstitute laws whereby the rest could havprivilege toadvance like himself. The relationship we have withGod places us in situation to advance in knowledge.He has power to institute laws to instruct the weakerintelligences, that they may be exalted with Himself, sothat they might have one glory upon another, and allthat knowledge, power, glory, and intelligence, which isrequisite in order to save them in the world of spirits." -Joseph Smith. (who then said "this doctrine tastes good")
Well, the computer changed the white space setting on it's own, and I don't have time to fix it, so I'll end by saying, that this is the whole reason of absolutely everything else, and this is why covenants are so important. as D&C 84 says "If we turn from these covenants completely, we wont have forgiveness from our sins in this life or the next." so this is a pretty serious deal. It makes the thought of anyone burning for eternity cause me to shake. I have to work hard, and I am not sure my body can keep up with my fighting spirit. I will try my best. If I end up in the Hospital, I'll just baptize the nurse, no?

Well I love you all, and because of this, I must love the world, I can leave my family (and friends) for a short time, to help OTHER families understand WHO they are. If this doctrine is new to you, I hope you do A LOT of reasearch, because with out this principle, we really have no reason to exist! this is our DIVINE POTENTIAL. Love you all, and this testimony I leave last of all. I know Father and Jesus Christ ARE, and they are LOVE.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Monday, May 18, 2015

mass email 5-18-2015

read the scans first po.

(note from mom: I put the rest after the scans for you.)




I bought SEVEN different kinds of fruit this week for groceries! Raisin, Banana, Mango, Pinapple, Lemon, Lime, and Tomato! whew!

I feel REALLY bad, because the day after we taught 9 lessons in one day, my companion slept after lunch 'til 4, and we only taught 3 and talked to 3 new people. way to compensate for amazing by being mediocre. oh well. this week, will be AWESOME!!! 


I don't want to make it sound like companion is bad by this letter. He really does care about the people, he is just shy, and when he was sleeping he wasn't feeling too well, so we just haven't reached our full potential, and it is a little frustrating.  this week will be AWESOME

Monday, May 11, 2015

5-11-2015

I really just forgot to plan out what to say. let HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY suffice! I got to talk to my mommy this morning which made me very happy. 
A senior couple from Manila came to our ward. I asked if they knew Elder (president) Anderson, and they said he was SUPPOSED to be the one to come to my ward, but something pulled him away. It's too bad, It would have been nice to say "hi!"
ayos lang, baka hindi niya intindihan ang accent ko eniwe!
this morning was the ZONE ACTIVITY! but my roommates didn't want to go. so instead of watching a movie (that we saw in my last zone anyway) and paying 150p (for a 50p value meal), we went to the beach and ate our own food :D It was a nice day at the beach.
Tomorrow is zone conference and Wednesday is the mission tour. Elder Bowen of the area presidency will be visiting Baguio Mission. In other words, there are no lessons for 3 days. blech. sige lang. sigurado marami akong natatunan.
have a good week! love you all!
-- 
Vincit Omnia Veritas
Elder A. Cook

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Pictures

this is Elder Anota.  last week, He cut his head open, as I said in the mass email last week, and here are the pictures I promised. I have a much better picture of the new hair cut, but one of the other elders is wearing a towel in the background, you will have to wait til I crop it.

























last pictures:

Namnama is Ilokano for Hope