Great Week!

Hey everyone!
Well this week was just so fantastic in so many ways. First of all we got to see conference. And that was just amazing. Getting conference here is kind of difficult sometimes so we had a few glitches. One of which was one of the sessions was dubbed in Russian. So we unplugged on of the audio inputs and it kind of fixed it but it kind of just sounded like a Russian was in the audience trying to yell over the prophet and apostles. I got so used to it that when we watch the next session i kept waiting for some other guy to start talking and he never did. But regardless! Conference was just amazing. I cant explain how much love i feel for the leaders of this church. THEY JUST GET IT. Everything they say is so full of truth and love. DONT TAKE IT FOR GRANTED!
Also, awesome this week. Valentinas hasn't smoked! He has started his road to baptism. I already know i will not be able to explain the love I have for this man but here are some amazing things about what is going on in this little area of Siauliai Lithuania. We started teaching him about temples and that has been on his mind every since. And then we brought up Patriarchal blessings. Not only does he want one but so does his entire family. Their family situation is a little confusing so I will start at the top. First is Larisa. She has two children Maxim (16) and Irena (30ish). Maxim lives with his mom in the other elders area. They are both members but are less active. Irena is the wife of Valentinas and she has a child from a different marriage, Vladislav (16) who is also a member. Valentinas almost got baptized a long time ago but for unknown reasons decided not to go through with it. They have gone through a TON of missionaries including myself 3 months ago when I was in this area with Elder Fitzgerald. But I feel I have come back for a reason. I and Elder Porter have a great friendship with Valentinas and we are doing ABSOLUTLY everything we can think of to help him to baptism. We bought him grape juice to help his cravings with smoking. We call him EVERY night and see how he is doing as well. Yesterday I changed his desktop wallpaper to the Stockholm Sweden temple to remind him why he is doing all this. So far he hasn't smoked but it is REALLY hard for him. Every night he has dreams about smoking and he wakes up in a cold sweat. Its hard but we know its possible. Its make or break. If he smokes he wont have enough time to be baptized before he leaves for Sweden for who knows how long(at least until next year). Pray for him, you can just say his name in English (Valentine). One of the most beautiful things I have seen is his family has been pulling for him so much. We saw Vladislav on the street and asked him how his dad was doing and he said. ZERO! We don’t let him! This is so amazing because of their money situation Valentinas was getting most of his cigarettes from Vladislav and Maxim. We gave them a talking to and got everybody on board to help him do this. In return for all this the family loves to try and teach me and Elder Porter Russian. We say some really silly things sometimes but we all have a good time. I really just hope I will always be speaking Lithuanian because two Lithuanian missionaries have already been made Russian speaking halfway through their missions and have left to Latvia. It will be interesting to see what happens because we will only be getting 2 new missionaries in December when 4 more go home. That will put us at 13 elders and 4 sisters in Lithuania. I’m not worried though I’m excited.
Well I need to end this novel. I love you all so much. I know this work is true and I know I am EXACTLY where I need to be right now.

su meile,
Vyresnysis Kukas

Dear Tillie, Gabe & Jack

I haven't posted many of Jesse's letters to us but this one made me cry!! These kids sure love and miss their Uncle Lloyd!!

Hey guys!
Thank you so much for your letters. They really meant a lot to me. Gabe you keep tearing it up in wrestling, you could probably beat your Uncle Kukas even without a Half Nelson. Tu esi erzalas (your a stud). Tillie, you are such a sweetheart. If you get 100 {AR reading @ school} points I will write you a Lithuanian poem ok! Jack, you're awesome man. I cant be back for Halloween but I can imagine how cool you look as Jakie Chan. Your so tough, I bet you can lift up 10 books huh! I can't do that. Go see if YOU can.

I love you all. Give your mom and Dad BIG HUGS from me ok. They need them.

ata (bye bye)
Uncle Kukas (kook us)You said Jack likes Calvin and Hobbs so I thought I wound send you a picture of my new language study. KALVINAS IR HOBSAS. I love it. luv u bye

Sveiki

Hey Family-
Well it has been a fun week. Thank you for all of your letters it really helps to hear from you all. We had an interesting experience this week. My companion and I were walking across a street when we saw a VERY large bald man on the other side. We were about halfway across when he motioned for us to come to him. We got over to him very apprehensively and he told us to give him our phone. We did what we usually do when we are unsure about a situation. We said WHAT!? WE DONT SPEAK LITHUANIAN! WE CANT UNDERSTAND YOU! If people can't communicate then they usually dont give you much trouble. Even though we were speaking english he kept talking to us in Lithuanian. He said we shouldn't be afraid of him and that he just needed our phone for a second. He even pulled out some money for us. I wanted to trust him but with the crisis going on crime rates are out of control. So my companion just turned and walked away. The man then turned to me and said, "ARE YOU IDIOTS???" I just looked blankly into his big bald face and shrugged my shoulders, then walked away. He started chasing us down yelling at us and then I said in Lithuanian that we are not from here and don't speak Lithuanian (kind of ironic) but then he stopped and just yelled in frustration.

Here are some pictures-
This is from our last transfer with Elder Fitzgerald when we biked to Kryziu Kalnas or
"The Hill of Crosses"

The Lithuanians put up a bunch of crosses on a hill. The Soviets then mowed them down with tanks. Over the night people went and brought in hundreds upon hundreds more. They were again mowed down. This happened numerous times but the Lithuanians would not stop. Now thousands upon thousands of crosses have been brought to this hill by people from all over the world.

Also a pict of the scale showing how much I weigh now 160lbs
(it is actually me, you can tell because I have the Cooke toes)


So other than that it wasn't a very eventful week. They had a big party called "Siauliai days" which was kind of crazy. There was traditional Lithuanian dancers and people from surrounding villages in the streets selling little things. We got woken up in the middle of the night to fireworks. We figured that Russia was invading again. The next morning I felt as though it was the "DAWN OF THE DEAD" the whole city was all but abandoned except for lots of trash blowing in the wind and a shopping cart overturned on a fountain outside our house. It must have been quite the party. Good thing we missionaries were safe in our beds at 10:30.

Oh yeah, and transfers are next week (probably will stay here but who knows, i havent stayed in a city for more than 2 transfers yet and i havent had the same companion for more that 1 since my trainer, we will see) so i wont write until THURSDAY. thanks again, love you!

Well everyone thats about all I have time for Thank you for all your support. I hope you all know I have recieved inspiration more than once to fall on my knees and pray for each one of you. I am truly grateful for the restored living church that can guide us and give us the help that we need when we need it. If you feel down this week try and see who can serve. Then go and serve your butts off. I love you all.

Elder Cooke

Howdy

Well...
Im here and still alive. Elder Newman and I are still hard at work here in Siauliai. Some fruits of previous labors showed up this week. One was showed by a man who we had met with a couple weeks previously unexpectedly coming to church. Also a man that I had contacted the first day of the transfer met with us yesterday. Both men are actually showing some real interest in the church. It was nice to see some actual progress. We took some major opposition this week from hosts of Jehovah Witnesses and from a wave of Baptists that have overrun the streets handing out pamphlets. As I was talking with one of them a woman came and said they shouldn't be talking to us because it "gives them a bad name." Other than that we just had a ton of people make fun of us this week and try to fight. The young men here usually don't have a problem trying to call us out and make us look foolish. But we learn to live with them. I guess what I learned this week is that as long as I get rid of pride people cant really have an affect on me.
It sounds like life in Idaho is just crazy right now. Everybody sounds way busy. Thats good. I am getting excited for conference again.(i can't really believe its already another conference.) I hope all is well. The package still hasn't come but I am definately waiting for it. Thanks for everything you all do.

sudie
Vyresnysis Kukas
(Dzesys Kukas)
jesse cooke

p.s. I wont have a chance to write Leslie and her fam this week but I wanted to say that I had the coolest dream ever. I was talking to Tillie and Gabe in Lithuanian! It was way cool. anyway, BYE

Lab dien

Hey everyone.
Wow, it sounds as though a lot is going on back home. I hope everybody is healthy. I pray for all of you all the time.
Well another week here in Siauliai. We had zone conference yesterday. It was really awesome. Learned a lot about how I need to improve as a teacher. Other than that it was a normal week. I went on exchanges with Elder Johnson. He gave his last testimony in Zone conference. He with be the first Lithuanian Elder to go home since I got here. The mission is down to 82 missionaries from 112. Still no sighn of new Elders comming to Lithuania. They are going to have to close another city to sisters next transfer wich is sad because WE NEED SISTERS MISSIONARIES. Anyway, I hate to say it but I dont really have any investigators to talk about. That has been one of the most frustrating parts about this transfer. I have been working harder than I think I have my whole mission and we are getting lessons but nothing is coming from it. It is really just a kick in the pants sometimes. But as long as I can say I did the will of the Lord I dont have to worry about what results come about. Everything is according to HIS time and HIS will. It is just hard when you work harder and results go down. I guess I just got to work harder then. I know somebody is here. Well fam I got to go. I love you all.

Elder Cooke

p.s. It feels like Cross Country season here. I tell people that all the time and they have no clue what I am talking about :)

Sveiks

Hey Fam
That is so crazy and sad about Liz's dad. I hope everyone is doing alright.
On this side of the pond it was a good week. We had an unexpected mission conference!!! The way this misson is set up, we usually dont have opportunities to see all the missionaries from the mission. HOWEVER, this week President Razband from the presidency of the 70, Elder Powell from the 70 and Elder Perry from the quorm of the twelve all were in Riga to speak to the members there. But thursday we found out that on Saturday the whole mission could travel to Riga, Latvia and The general authorities were going to have a special meeting for all of us. It was just absolutly amazing. We were all so excited. All the Lithuanian missionaries were there about 2 hours before everyone else. The talks were amazing. Elder Perry is so funny. He shook all the missionaries hands also. It was a great expieriance. We took a picture as a whole mission. It was wierd because before that day I had never set eyes on 2/3rds of my mission. But it was way neat to see the other missionaries. We have a lot in common but also alot of differences. Each country has a whole different culture with different major religions (Lithuanian-Catholic, Latvia-Lutheran, Estonia-Athiest). Not to mention all of us missionaries together speak 5 different languages (english included). It was just such an awesome expieriance and I am so thankful we got to go.
This week was also way good for the work. We took this area, which was getting an average of about 6 lessons a week and we got 16! MY companion and I are working around the clock. I swear we hardly waste one second of time. Its way good but it makes the days go by to fast. We found a beutiful family who just got married. We were so excited and they were so prepared and ready but then they told us they are going to Norway. That is what everybody here is doing. Nobody can find work in the Baltics to they are all leaving. I know the unemployment rate in Riga is aroud 40% right now. Thats just crazy. Anyway that was kind of frustrating but we found some other really good investigators who we are really excited about. I guess I dont have to say it but I still havn't seen one baptism come from me being here. I have the temptation to let that get to me but I know I am doing what I am supposed to be doing and that is good enough for the lord. It seems like the other cities have been seeing some succes. There was a babtisim in Kaunas (the only city i havent served in) wich ended a dry spell that had lasted for over a year. So that was exciting. Thats one thing I love about this mission. The missionaries are never competitve with baptisms. If anybody gets one in the country then thet whole country is SO EXCITED. It really brings us all together. I cant express enough how much I love this mission and the Elders and sisters serving here, especially in Lithuania. We all get to see each other every zone conference because we do both zones in the country together. It really just makes us one big family. I love it. Anyway I love you all. THank you so much for the support. I know it would be impossible to keep going without it.

su meile
Vyresnysis Kukas

Hey all

Labas Fam!
Well transfers came and went and I have a new companion. His name is Elder Newman from American Fork Utah. He is a way solid missionary. I am still in Siauliai but I got moved areas. I got whitewashed again so we both don't know much about this area. We are ready to get to it though. There are still only 4 elders here. Elder Fitzgerald is in my old area with Elder Johnson. Elder Johnson is from good old Payette Idaho. Me and him are the only Idaho-ens so we were way excited to be serving together. Not to late either becasue this is his last transfer. Elder Newman and Elder Fitzgerald were in the same MTC group and they go home in 3 transfers. So this is a REALLY old district. Then you got me who is 10 months old! I love it. I wish I could always be a missionary.
Anyway I am excited to start another transfer and I have a lot of things I am working on. I just finished the Book of Mormon in Lithuanian again so I am ready to hit D&C way hard. We have a ton of stuff to do today so its going to be short but know that I love you all and I am workin hard.

Iki
Kukas

Kuku kachu

That means "With the Cooke of cats" (our name Cooke. Not an actual cook, that word is Virejas)

Hey Fam!
We had a fun Sunday this week. You could call it "Missionary Sunday" Because all the youth went to a youth conference in Saint Petersburg, Russia. This means mostly everybody was gone. This also meant I passed the sacrament Elder Neilson blessed it. I led the music and Elder Fitzgerald played the piano We both spoke and Elder Mcnevin led the meeting. It was fun but I hope we dont need to do it again. We are trying hard to get as little missionary involvment as possible. Although already assighned for next week is Elder Nielson to speak and I'm to play the piano. It's fun here in Siauliai.
I suggested to our district that we all finish the Book of Mormon in Lithuanian no matter where we are by the end of the transfer. (That is next week) Elder Nielson and Mcnevin are near the end so it shouldn't be that hard for them. I, however, am in the begining of Alma. This is good though becasue I have found out about myself that when I make a really tough goal I usually reach it. If it is to easy I usually lose interest. Anyway I am reading about 50 pages a day in Lithuanian so I can finish. I will tell you how it goes. I am pretty sure I am going to stay here with Elder Fitzgerald next transfer. I really don't know what else they would do with me. I have already been to as many different cities as most of the missionaries here. But I really don't care where I am. I just love the members everywhere. Plus I love being with Elder Fitz. We get along very well. Also we had two investigators come to church on Sunday. Which is good becasue they made up about 20 percent of the congregation. They are both way good guys. One is from english class and is just one of the kindest men I know. The other other we found street contacting one day. He had been meeting with the Jahova's Witnesses but after he came to church he said he is going to "say goodbye" to them. So that was cool.
Anyways fam I better go.

Love you all.

Taika
Vyresnysis Kuku Kachu~!