labdien, seit Elders Kuks nuo Rigas

Hey family,

That was a little Latvian to throw you all off. I am e-mailing from Riga today. We are up here for another leadership conference. The trip here was definatly led by God. We were running way late this morning and were definately NOT going to make it on time to the bus. We ran to the road and just needing to go about a mile down the road to the bus stop but we only had a minute to get there. I don't even think leslie could make that time. We didn't know what to do. At 6:30am there arn't any buses or taxis really to get you anywhere. So, after standing there for 10 sec with a prayer in our heart, Romas, a man who drives us to Kaunas every transfer for zone conference, pulls up and tells us to get in. He asked where we were heading and got there in less than a minute. We made the bus and went on our way. We hit the border and like the Elder you all know and love, I had forgotten my passport. The man had me get off the bus and step into an office where I appologised and told the officer I had just forgotten my passport. He looked at me and said, "ok." He let me get back on the bus and go to Riga. This is lucky becasue most of the time they take you to the plice station for a good 4 hours in a holding cell. So I am very grateful for the Lord and his tender mercys for his servents who run late for busses and forget thier passports.

In other news. Elder Hilton is still doing well. We had a slower week this week. We went to Siauliai so I could have and exchange with the district leader there. It was so nice to go back to Siauliai. I miss that place a lot. I wish I could go back and serve there again. It was a tough place to serve but I learned so much and I just love the people there. However, I am not called to serve there and I need to stand in the place that I am. It's a hard thing to pull off but it is better for everyone when we dont stick our head through the fence to get the better grass. We need to serve where we are called. Thank you all for all your support in keeping me focused. It is the best support you can give me, or anybody at any time for that matter. I love you all and wish you all the best in whatever you are doing. Happy birthdays and fathers days all around. I do my best to make mention of birthdays and whatnot but you understand if I dont remember all those dates. I love you all!

Elders Kuks

(Kukas, my name in Lithuanian, means "cakes" in Latvian so people get a kick out of my nametag here)

A Letter From The Field

Hey fam,
How are you?
we will see how this letter goes seeing that it is one the only things I have written in english this week. I looked over at my trainee this week and told him I wasn't going to talk to him in English anymore. I kind of wanted to just see what he would say. He was way for it. He said that it was a good way for him to just be thrown in the "Lithuanian ocean". I stoped speaking english for a few days and was planning on going the rest of my mission but after having to take calls from President and sister dance, having to go on exchanges with other missionaries and speaking to the office and missionaries who don't speak Lithuanian, it was just to difficult to keep it up. We still speak our language a lot but until i am in a different situation it looks like my dream of a full Lithuanian transfer isn't going to happen. I have been working a lot with the newer missionaries lately. I want to make sure I can pass on as much information I have learned as possible. I was so grateful for the missionaries who did that for me in their later transfers and I want to attempt to do the same. One of the best ways to teach however is to just do it. We spend a lot of time talking in life and we should spend more of it working. There is no substitute for work. This is why the habit of "philosifizing" and "deep thinking" is so dangerous. My companion and I have seemed to run into so many people who just want to think but they dont want to learn, grow, change, and in essance WORK. I remember in High school when I thought I was smart because I could take some principle and poke as many holes as I could in it. Going deeper and more abstract and "chilling out" seemed like a good time. The problem was, I never found any answers to anything! I was always so confused. I had the thought, "Well, I guess it's so complicated nobody truely knows and nobody can know so why try and find out through any other means." Why was that so fun for me to do? Because sin is enticing. Sin is something that draws us away from God and halts our progression. ALL sin is enticing. It doesn't matter how pointless it is. Smoking KILLS PEOPLE. But for some reason it still enticing to so many people to do it. Deep thingking has its own enticing characteristics. Satan uses thoughts such as, "Why try? Its to hard; Everything is correct; There is no "real" truth." These thoughts are to make us STOP our progression forward. We can just sit back and relax because there are no rules and if there is nobody realy understands them. We need to get to work. All of us. Being smart doesn't mean you can find holes in things. Being smart means you can recognise "light". (D&C 93:36 - The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth. ) Find light and find truth. You find these things through dilligent work. Dont stop till you've had enough (artist-song? you got this one stacy?) But here is my imput. NEVER HAVE ENOUGH. If one thing bugs me more than anything it is when people say, "man užtenka" or "it's enough for me." Get off your keister and find more. And in the end of things if you find light you will purge the darkness from your life. (next verse in the section- (37) Light and truth forsake that evil one.) I love the light that Christ has brought into my life. I have never wanted to work so bad in my life. I wont lie, i feel tired. However, I can feel the support of your prayers. I really can. I don't know sometimes how I get out the door but it always happens. I love you all so much. Thank you for all your support. I love you all with all my heart.

God bless the work,

Vyresnysis Kukas

*(to have this talk translated into Lithuanian go knock on the door of Elder Cooke and Elder Hilton at Minties 26-32 Vilnius Lithuania) :)

Guess What?

Hey Fam,
So here is what happened. I got transferred out of my area.


These pictures used to be the view outside my apartment.
It was beautiful but I get moved out to a new apartment.
Lucky me.



I am still the zone leader but I just got called to once again be a trainer. I have to say i was really not expecting that. However, I just do what I'm told. The area I moved into is Sister Hall's old area. This makes my 5th "white wash" which is always interesting but fun. I now live on the east side of the city. It is amazing that I have lived here for 7 months now and I have no idea how to get around that side of town. When I trained Elder Whicker I had a thriving area and I knew it like the back of my hand. Now we have 0 investigators, 0 potentials and I have no idea what member we work with. Needless to say, when my new companion, Elder Hilton, come in I was thinking about how I was going to make this a good experience. I remember when I got whitwashed in my training it was so hard because we went a full week without ever teaching a lesson. I was determined to have a different experience with Elder Hilton. Elder Hilton is a great Elder and was willing to get strait to work. We found 6 new investigators in 3 days. It was great. Our first night was fun when a man came out and tried to get us some drugs. Elder Hilton was definitely baptised by fire in Lithuania.



Sister Hall's parents are so nice. I was able to talk to her dad a bit when i translated for him in priesthood meeting. Her mom gave me a hug from you which REALLY threw me off. Sister Hall's face was priceless when she did it. She was petrified. Say hi to Sister Hall when you meet her. Tell her how much respect her and her service here.
Thank you all so much for everything. I hope you all have fun this weekend. Live it up @ Lake Powell.


This pict with this stick is some service we were able to do where Elder Gearhart and I cut a lawn with a sythe.


Here Elder Gearhart and I are in the city of Vilnius 2010.

Love you,
Elder Cooke

Labas Šeimėle

Hey Fam,

Well, I am sorry to hear that it is raining so hard. It sounds like you are all still getting things done outside. I actually miss Dad waking me and my friends up on Saturday mornings to go build some random contraption.

SO we are getting transfer calls tommorrow morning. It should be interesting to find out what is going to happen. I am just wishing for a little stability in my life. In the past 10 days I have slept in the same bed for 2 nights in a row only on 2 different occasions. It's fun and interesting but I would just like to get back into the rhythm of things. Who knows though, I could get transfered tomorrow. The work is going well. Dispite distractions, Elder Gearhart and I are trying hard. I am sorry this letter is going to be short and again, with no pictures but know that I am thinking of you and that I love you all. I do want to say one thing however. I have had it on my mind lately and it has just been bugging me but if I have ever been less than I should have been when i was with anybody who is reading this, I am sincerly sorry. I hope you all know that I am doing my best to be better. Thank you everybody for all you do.

Laikykites,

Elder Cooke

Greetings from Riga Latvia!

Hey Fam,

Don't worry, I didn't get transfered. Elder Gearhart Elder Hatch and I are up here in Riga for a Zone Leader council. We got up way early this morning and went and hopped on a bus. We are going to spend most of our day in meetings but they gave us a chance to go and write our families then we will spend the night and head back to Lithuania tomorrow. It's fun to travel but I would like less distractions from missionary work. With all the distractions Elder Gearhart and I have had this transfer it is a miricle how much work had still been getting done. We still somehow have time to find and teach tons of people every week. I have definately felt God's support this transfer. I got sick this last week which was no fun because we had so much to do. Thank you for your prayers because I found the best remedy for being sick is just working harder (contrary to everybody's advice) Sometimes I feel I should back off a little bit when I am sick so I can heal faster but when you have things to do it doesn't really matter, you just get it done. One of the things we got done is we found an apartment! It is beautiful and right in center of new town Vilnius. We are right in with the skyscraper skylight. The best thing is that this apartment wont have the same distractions the other one had. People will take care of things for us so missionaries don't have to so they can just do good ol' missionary work. If I leave this area have accomplished anything, I want it to be easier for missionaries to focus and get work done. Transfers will be next week and it should be a doozie. A lot needs to happen and some younger missionaries are going to have to step up and get things done. We have 3 new missionaries coming in wich is exciting. All the new missionaries have all been so good. I don't know for sure if I am staying or leaving. I really hope i stay but i will go where I need to. Sorry I don't have more time to write. Know that I love you all and I miss you, just not enough to leave the work.

Su meile,

Vyresnysis Kukas