From your (20 yr old) missionary son

Hey Fam.
Well I had a wonderful birthday. The Branch threw a big party and we had a lot of fun. I had to pop 20 balloons and in each one was a piece of paper that told me something to do. I had to tell a story or recite a scripture or do whatever was on the piece of paper. It was way fun and I got a good language study out of it. In the last one was I had to bear my testimony to everyone. It was just an all around fun experience. After that we had "toasts" from everyone where I was wished anything from "lots of miracles" to "lots of wives". Then we had saslykai (sha shlee kay) It was so so good. It was just a fun day. Then I got to street contact that night. It was the best birthday ever.
We have Zone conference this week so Im excited for that.
I love you all and sorry if I don't write to others who email me, I am trying my best we just never have time. Thanks for all your love and support. Your all in my prayers.

Elder Cooke

P.S. who the heck ISNT married over there now!

Hey

Hey fam,
This has been a fun week. We went to Rumshishkes. Its the celebration of the opening of missionary work in Lithuania. It was so nice to see the members from Vilnius and Klaipeda again. I love them all so much.
As a district we have been trying to pick up the work here. Its been a little slow going here. Last week we got about 5 lessons all week. But that just made me that much more determined for this week. The branch is throwing me a birthday party on Sunday night where we are going to cook Shashleekai. (its like shish ka bobs) I am way excited.
Right now we are meeting with a Gypsy couple. They are really interesting people. They are way nice though. I don't excactly know how interested they are in the church but they seem really accepting.
Thanks for the money I think I might buy an umbrella becasue I dont have one or a rain jacket. I have been doing really well thus far but it rains a ton. I have just been dealing with it because I can't bring myself to spend money on something lame like that. On a totaly unrelated note I think I am getting sick. Other than that I am doing just peachy. I have gotten some leters from my friends and they really cheered me up. Its been so frustrating for me lately but I have been doing my best to just forget it and get to work. Sometimes we put so much focus on little things that we forget the big picture. Yea this language is hard, yea the Lithuanian people are not always the happiest most "open minded" people, but if I am mad becasue I want to speak better so I let that stop me from talking to ONE person doesn't that defeat the pourpose of everything. We learn to speak so we can talk to people. So how silly is it if I don't talk to somebody becasue I am frustrated that I can't talk to people. It is just one of the many ways we are tricked by the advasary. The SECOND we begin to think about ourselves the work stops. It has been hard for me to learn this because I am just strait up imperfect. The mission is really good at pointing that out for you. And honestly I hope I don't ever forget how imperfect I really am.
Well fam this is the last time you will hear from me as a immature teenagaer. Next time I will be an immature 20 YEAR OLD! cool right?

ok fam Love you all

Elder Cooke

The City of Dreams

Well...I didn't see it coming but I got transfered. I am now in a city called Saulai (Show-Lay) It is the smallest of all the cities open to missionaries here in Lithuania.
I am serving with Elder Fitzgerald. He is absolutly awesome. He was my district leader in Vilnius and I absolutely love him. He is from an island in Alaska. His family are all crazy fishermen. I totally have a hookup in Alaska now! But (more importantly) he is an awesome missionary.

Couple of interesting things.

1. We are being "whitewashed" (my second time and his sixth time) So neither of us have been in this city before and have no idea about anything. The least amount of Elders come here so not very many Elders know much about this city right now in the mission.

2. Two sister's just went home from our mission. So that means we only have six in Lithuania. That also means they just took sisters out of Saulai. Right now my district is my companionship and one other companionship of Elders. (Elder Mcnevin and Elder Neilson, both awesome) Elder Mcnevin is the first councilor and Elder Neilson is the District leader.

Saulai is an interesting place. I was way sad to leave Klaipeda and her members but I know this is where i am meant to be right now. It was even harder because the night before I found out I was leaving our investigator Robertas accepted the commitment to babtisim. Missionaries have been trying for a while and he is finally ready to make that commitment. I am so happy for him. He came to see me before I left. He is one of the most amazing men I have ever met. I dont know if I accomplished anything in Klaipeda but if it was all just to help him, then it was worth it.
Its going to be tough work here especialy considering we are starting from absolute zero as far as investigators go. I am way excited to get to work here. It is going to be a language push because the people here speak a bit different here. They speak VERY fast with a ton of energy. In the other cities they refered to it as sauletiskai, which basicly means its thier own little dialect. The branch here experienced some shock last week with some member drama and that seems to be a regular occurance. Everybody says here that missionarys either go to Saulai because they have charity or becasue they need to learn it. I just go where I am told and work so I guess we will figure out later if I have charity or not. In the meantime I am just going to put my sholder to that good ol' wheel here in "The City of Dreams" or "The City of the Son"
But We have a lot to do today so I wont get a chance to write other people who wrote me. I will try next week. I love you all

Vyresnysis Kukas


ps: here is my adress

Vyresnysis Kukas
A/d 56
Lt-76001 Saulai
Lithuania


I used a little $ to buy a nice Book of Mormon for Robertas.
If you do ever send me something dont forget the history of the Catholic church, the Russian Orthodox and the Jahovas Witness. The Jahovas witnesses have thier center for the Baltics here in Saulai and their massive church is 20 feet away from our church here.

Love you

Dobre Dien!

Dobre Dien! (thats russian)

Hey fam. Glad to hear you are getting some good weather. The sun is visiting us here as well. In fact, way, way to much. Remember how in the winter we hardly ever saw the sun? Well we are on the other end now. I haven't seen night time for a few weeks. We go to bed at 10:30 and the sun is still sitting nicely above the horizon. I don't know when it goes down but it is definitely up way before we are. We have blankets over our windows so that helps. The other fun part is the heat. The temperature never gets to crazy hot...BUT...It is super humid so we just sweat like crazy. The worst part about that is the buses. The just sit and bake all day so it gets WAY HOT and that makes a lovely aroma with the people that dont care to ever shower...which is more people than it should be. But Its a lot hotter in other parts in the world so I can't complain. Im a missionary so that makes everything better, and worth it.

So...the happenings. This week was way good. We had a lesson with the Branch President here and his wife. I will just tell you right now that President Peciulis (Pe-choo-lis) and his wife are the fruit of the Baltics. An apostle said that the members of eastern Europe would be the strongest members in the world one day. I can already see that happening but If they were all like President Peciulis then that would already be so. He is an amazing man. They remind me of mom and dad so much. To give you an idea of who they are i will say that When I was with my last companion we recieved their mission papers so they could start filling them out. And my companion now just translated an interview with them and President Dance. President and Sister Peciulis are going to be the first couple from the Baltics to serve a mission! I am so excited for them. They are absolutely amazing and such a light to the people here. The members around the world could learn a thing or two from there two Lithuanians, I know I have. We all need to be a light and an example to all around us no matter what. All times in all places. I love them

Transfers are next week. I have no idea what is going to happen. They might close Klaipeda for sister missionarys. I am not sure. Right now there are me and Elder Putnam, the sisters and a "split companionship." That means one is a Lithuanian speaker and the other one is a russian speaker. I don't know what they are going to do. I guess we will see. I will most likely stay here in Klaipeda. I really hope so. I love it here. But I know I will go where I am needed. That also means that I wont write until Thursday. But just write me the same as you always do.

Well fam I am going to go.

Thank you everyone for everything you do. It's July 1st. The best month ever because the coolest kid in the world was born in this month (me) :) just serious
Thanks again

su meile
Vyresnysis Kukas