Letter to the Family

Hey team,
How are all of you? Its to bad it is cold there still. WE are frying here. President Dance still hasn't given us the call to say we can take off our suit coats and I don't think it will come this year. It gets hot but we really do look much more professional with suits instead of just white shirts. We don't mess around in the Baltic Mission. I love it. It is funny, I used to defy authority much more often back home but the longer I have served the more satisfaction I have gotten from just doing what I am told. Sorry it took so long. :)
Elder Gearhart and I are doing very well. We had district conference yesterday in Kaunas and Elder Paul from the 70 spoke. It was a great experience. I received a lot of answers to questions. The bus ride with the members is always some of the funnest times as a missionary.
As the work goes, an old English student of mine in Šiauliai felt she received an answer to be baptized at district conference and now has a date. That was exciting to hear. She's the sweetest woman ever. Elder Anderson and I worked with their family a lot in Šiauliai if you remember. It was so nice to see the Šiauliai members at the conference. They all said I looked stressed out and said I need to eat more. That's Lithuanian bluntness for you. I just love it.
We are still looking for an apartment. We are trying so hard to not let it interfeer with any of our missionary work. Elder Gearhart and I just get frustrated when we lose time to do our missionary work. It's too bad finding apartments is one of OUR responsabilities. Its hard because we also need to have the model are in the zone. It's a challenge but really fun.
So you guessed it. I need to run. I need a hair cut. I love you all so much. I will have pictures next week. I love you all so much.


su meile,
Kukas

Good to hear your voices

Hey family

It was awesome to talk to all of you. It is really wierd to think that our call last night was the last call we will get to make from overseas. You all sound wonderful. I was really happy for the opportunity. I don't have any time to write today. I have to write more extensive letters to President Dance now to let him know how everybody is doing. Also Elder Gearheardt and I are searching for a new apartment to move into. We have had a lot of problems with ours and President Dance has told us to get a new one. It is to bad our mission office cannot look for us because only the missionaries speak Lithuanian. Oh well, we will just need to stay focused and still get work done. I just love it. It is like dad said (i almost wrote Elder Dad) I am starting to find a "thrill" in all of it. It is a challange and it is way fun. Thank you for all you do family. I love you all.

ELDER COOKE

Another Day, Another Companion

Hey family,

This was an interesting week. I recieved yet another new companion. Well, in fact I have already been with him but it was in the MTC. Elder Gearheart and I are now serving togeather here in Vilnius. It was a much awaited reunion. I am so happy to be able to serve with him. We have never even been in the same zone before. We have already gotten to work. First of all I will point out how wierd it is to be writing in english because we dont ever speak english with one another. I am grateful to be with another expirianced missionary because we can speak only Lithuanian 24/7. It's going to be a fun transfer. This last week Elder Gearheart and I had to go to Riga, Latvija for a meeting with President Dance and some other missionaries from around the mission. We have to go back to Riga for a couple of days to work with the Assistance to the President after zone conference. It should be a good learning expieriance. We wont speak any of the languages up there in Latvija but I guess we will make it work.

Funny story. My companion and I got stuck in an elevator for 40 minutes. We had to call people and just hang out for somebody to came but we got out eventualy. I never thought I would have to say ,"Hello I am stuck in an elevator" in any language much less Lithuanian. It was fun.

The work is going well. Deepak is still progressing. We have alot of investigators but not alot of time so i guess i will just talk to you on sunday. Until then.

Love you all,

Elder Cooke