History in Siauliai

Hi Family-


The star I made for our little Christmas tree out of a paperclip

An angel I made from a 2 cent piece.


Well, Transfers have come in and I am here in Siauliai with Elder Anderson, and that is everyone there is in the District. Elder Porter left and now it is just us two Elders in the city of Siauliai. This has never happened before in this mission. Not just that there are only two missionaries in a city but that this forms our entire district.
President Dance has asked that I be the "district" leader even though my district consists of me and my companion. Me and Elder Anderson both have strong relationships with the members here. The Lord has a very special purpose for us this transfer and I want to make sure it gets done. I have already been here in Siauliai for 6 months and Elder Anderson for 3. He has been on his mission for a year and a half and me for 13 months. He is a great Elder. I have served either with him or in his district for 6 months out here. We have formed a great friendship and we are both excited and ready to work.
This is a great work with great responsabilities.

Siauliai has over 129 thousand people living here and Elder Anderson and I have the keys to find, teach, and baptise with water and fire. I am so excited to be alive. I love challenges like the one President Dance has presented us with. And change is already being made.
Our Branch President here just got a temple recommend. Elder Anderson and I have been working so hard with him and that news made us so happy. After his interview he held it up for me to see. After I saw it I ran over and gave him the biggest hug I could.
Aurumas set a date to be baptised on New Years day. It will be a miracle if he makes it through the hollidays without falling into the snares of the advisary. Pray for him.

Our 1st level English Class.
Valentinas, my friend in the hat and newest convert to the church has the priestood and is still helping me teach spiritual thoughts in my English Class. There is a family in our class that is beggining to be interested in our church. Skaiste is getting ready to be married in the temple. There are so many wonderful things just ready to happen here. Please dont stop praying. Me and my companion will need all of your prayers through these coming weeks and months. The people here need it. I hope its hard because "Satan dont kick no dead dogs". He is near when change for good is about to happen.
If he isnt trying to bring you down its because he doesn't need to try anymore.
Recognize opposition for what it is and push through. Change, grow, and help others to change and grow. Lets do this.


Elder Cooke

Hey-

Hi FAM
Thats so great to hear about everyone. I am glad you are all safe.
I am glad sadie didn't foul out again but she got a "T" for TETON!
Everything here is going well. Next week is transfers again. I can't believe it.
Guess what, NEW MISSIONARIES ARE COMING IN! Two Elders will be arriving next week. It is the first time new missionaries have come into Lithuania since ME! I might not see them for a while because most likely they wont send them here to Siauliai and i have a good chance of staying here. There might just be 2 elders here next transfer. Crazy hu?
4 Elders will be going home including Elder Newman and Elder Fitzgerald. wow...
As far as the work goes i had a nice little lesson taught to me last night. We were waiting at the bus stop and i was not in a good mood. Almost everything had gone wrong and i was just at the end of my rope. I was a little frustrated with EVERYthing. As i was sitting there feeling bad for myself our bus showed up. Without me having to move the door stopped right in front of me and our investigator who we had been looking for for over a week stepped out of the bus (this is Aurumas.) We had lost contact with him and I had begun to loose hope. But I had forgotten the prayers my family, friends and people in the temple had been saying on his behalf. He got off the bus said he got a phone that we can now contact him on, he wants to meet and he hasn't smoked since we met last! I couldn't believe it. I learned a good lesson of faith last night. Anything is possible with god. Thank you for your prayers everyone.
So life here is good. People are still struggling alot but thats just the times. It is sad for me to hear that Idaho isnt safe from the hard times either. But i guess that just means the whole world was due for some humbling...YEA PRIDE CYCLE! But I know if we all keep faith and a PROGRESSIVE attitude then everything will be ok. I say "progressive" because it isn't just a "optomistic" or "realistic" or "pessimistic" attitude that is going to get anything accomplished. We need to be Progressors. This when we are neither blindly optomisitic and ignore the challanges and hardships that lie in front of us,nor so realistic or pessimistic that we fail to keep the eye of faith that change can be made and trials can be overcome. We must asses our own personal situations and progress through challanges. This is when we achieve our goal in life which is to progress and perfect our selves. Never think our goal is to "survive life". LIFE is to be enjoyed and used for what it truely is. An opportunity to learn grow and progress. Necessary for that is a humble heart that is willing to accept that we dont have all the answers and we have room to progress. After that is a will and a desire for change. I challenge all of you to move forward and progress. I know its hard, guess what, it gets harder. But i know its possible, and i know its worth it. Of this I bear testimony. I love you all so much i cant describe. I pray for you and each day and every day i am here is a testimony of those that have helped me so much through the years. Thank you


Elder Cooke

Linksmiu Svenciu! Happy Holidays!

Hey fam!
Its sounds like your Thanksgivings were joyful AND triumphant!
But first things first. I am going to call Sadie a NIMROD
(being interpreted meaning Mighty Hunter) THAT IS SO COOL that she shot her first duck. I am so proud of her. I am not even sure when i shot my first duck becasue every time i shot one Kyle claimed HE shot it ;) BUt anyway on this side of the world everything is just normal. Aurumas has his Baptisimal date set for Christmas. We still havent found Edvinas. I am way worried about him. But just keep the prayers coming and everything will work out. The power of prayer is unbelievable. We can never change the will of God but we can gain strength, peace, understanding and show our faith in which we WILL see answers to our prayers. I know that is true. I have seen it.
It was just a normal week for the most part. It was really FAST but it was normal. We are just getting ready for Christmas. We started a small choir with people from our english classes and members. We just want to teach people to sing carols so they can feel that joy from the holidays that just doesnt exsist here right now. I am really excited for this.
So anyway that will be all from me this week. I am happy that everyone is doing so well back at home. You all sound happy. If there is anything you need help with let me know.
Anyway, thanks family for all you do.
I love you all with all my heart.

Go show somebody you love them!!!!!!!!

Love Elder Cooke

Labukas

Hi family
Well i wrote you an email and then the power went out so i lost it. Here is the 2nd edition.

Sounds like you are all doing fantastic. My companions always think you all are nuts because of the random stuff you all do. I really liked the "Sadie fouling out in every game" part. Thats my lil sis.

In MY world....Lithuanian is still awesome.

In other news Edvinas dissapeard. He has no way of contacting us so we didnt know where he went. We found out later that his dad got cancer and so he has been staying with him for the whole time. I really care about those boys alot. Take their names to the temple and pray for them. Other than that everything is just great here. We are still rockin the threesome here in Siauliai. I dont have much time becasue today is THANKSGIVING! we dont have much planned. We are going to go cook all day for the most part then go teach english class and then go the the branch presidents house with his family and a couple members. It should be a good time. But know that i am so thankful for each one of you. You all are such blessings to me. I have deffinately had my eyes opened to that fact. I would be lost without each one of you. I love you all with all my heart. THank you for everything you all do.

Love,
Elder Cooke

HAPPY THANKSGIVING
(if you want write me and tell me the ONE thing you are most thankful for)

Fantastic!!!

Hey fam
Everything here is just peachy.
Me and my companions are getting along just fine. Its a real party here. We went to zone conference and that was just a blast. Elder Senkans, our area 70 came and spoke to us. They randomly selected missionaries to have an interview with him and my companions and i got picked. It was a great opportunity for me to ask him some questions that I have had recently. Those men are men of God, period. <--right there thats a period. <--Thats one to. ok I'm done
Other than that we are still working dilligantly with Edvinas. He is doing really well and still hasn't smoked (day 10 or so now) Valentinas is doing awesome as well. He wants to start harvesting with us. In fact, because we only have 3 missionaries here I have started teaching 1st class english by myself. It is so much fun. They dont speak any english so I have to go 100% Lithunian with them. Its so much fun, my english teachers would be so proud :) But! the reason I say that is Valentinas has started teaching the spiritual thought with me at the end of class. At the end of each class we have a 15 min spiritual thought. Valentinas has been testifying how we need to show those we love that we ACTUALLY love them. It is so nice to have a Lithuanian say that. I tell people here all the time to show thier families that they love them. Yesterday I talked to a man on a bus who didn't want anything to do with our church but i committed him to go home and tell his wife how much she means to him, and he accepted. But when I said that in english class the people just told me that this was "an american tradition" and they dont do that. Valentinas then said, "Are you serious!," "every day when i leave the house i kiss my wife and tell her i love her. How can you live without love like that!?" He has a point. We CAN'T live without love like that. Thats why alot of people here unfortunatly end their lives early. WE NEED MORE LOVE HERE! We trying to do our part though. And that is by just loving the people. My MTC teacher said ,"If you dont love those people then who is going to?"
He was right. I love em all. And i love you all. THank you for all you do. I love you all.


Elder Cooke


p.s. oh my goodness I just realized I have been out for a year...
...time is lame, i want more.

1+1+1=COMPANIONSHIP

Hey Fam! I am still in Siauliai! But this is the weird part. I am in a threesome…and that’s it in the city. Everybody got moved out and it is only our companionship of three in the city. I am still with Elder Porter but now we have Elder Anderson as well. Both solid! Elder Anderson was with me in Klaipeda. He is from Orem, Utah. He is HUGE on football and he reminds me a lot of Craig (minus the beard). He is actually considering playing football for BYU when he goes home. I love these two missionaries to death. We are all way pumped to get started. It is way funny because now the CITY of Siauliai is our area. I can’t explain the blessing it has been to be in this city and see the changes it has undergone in the last 5 months. I have high hopes for this place. Other than that I just have to many stories that I can’t wait to tell you but this isn’t the proper setting for it. You will just all have to wait a while but I can say that I have seen the hand of the Lord here in ways I can’t possibly describe. I love it.You asked how my language is and well. I have to say that my English is absolutely terrible. Thank goodness for spell checker on Microsoft word because I can’t spell ANY thing anymore. As for Lithuanian, I would have to say that it is starting to become second nature. It is still hard but its there. I have been dealing a lot with banks and books lately because they are changing the church’s finance system here. It’s been hard but I have learned a TON of new vocabulary because of it. Its way fun.Anyways, I better get going. I love and miss you all. I can’t believe how fast the time is going. I try not to ever think about time out here though. Other missionaries do but I like to just forget about it and get to it.

Linksmu Svenciu (happy holidays)
Vyresnysis Kukas (the coolest elder ever)

Miracles in Lithuania

Hey fam.
So, VALENTINAS GOT BAPTIZED! It was just awesome. Right before the baptism things got kinda rough. This family is very familiar with attacks from the adversary. As no surprise he made himself very apparent in their lives. Valentinas found out that they were not going to be able to make their payments and could be getting kicked out of their house. Amongst other things they had nothing to eat. Me and me companion probably ate less than they did this weekend because we gave them most of our food. It was awesome. They recognized that things get worse before they get better and Irina (his wife) was actually surprised that Satan hadn't tried to step in a little sooner.
Aside from all the opposition however Valentinas was baptized by Ramunas, a member here. The service was just awesome. Elder Anderson, Elder Porter, and I all sang "Be Still My Soul" in Russian. It was nice for him because that is his family’s native language. It really had an effect on Larisa because she doesn't speak Lithuanian really well. It was kind of funny how we pulled it off. Elder Anderson and Elder Porter had a Russian speaker tell them how you say the words and then they wrote it down in English letters and they just sang that. I had kind of neat experience with it. I more or less taught myself how to read Russian with the few resources I have. I wrote down in a little book what sound each character makes and then, while harvesting in the Russian communist buildings I would read words written in Russian on power and post boxes. And then any graffiti or adz I see in town I read them. I don’t know what they mean most of the time but Russian has a lot of cognates so I can get the idea. So I actually sang the song strait from the Russian text. It was hard while we were practicing but when we sang at the baptism everything came so easy I found myself not even having to think about the words at all. It was way cool. The spirit was so strong there everybody felt it, specially a young boy who is friends with Valentines’ son Vlad. He came to the baptism and then he came to church the next day for the confirmation. You ready for the cool part. Valentinas wanted to meet with that boy and his son and Larisa’s son (Maxim) who is 14. So it was a big "man meeting" they called it. In the meeting Valentinas testified of how getting baptized has helped him and his family. Then Edvinas (the friend) accepted a commitment to be baptized himself! We are so excited for him. To do this he is going to need a lot of work with the word of wisdom but Vald and Maxim (both members) have committed to quit smoking with him. And there is another friend who might join with them to. The Lord's hand is so apparent here it is impossible to deny. I could never write all the miracles I have seen here in this place. I love it here. Transfers are next week already and I don't want to leave. I and my companion have such a strong unity right now its no wonder so much work is getting done. I still haven’t stayed with a companion other than my trainer for more than one transfer so maybe it's about time!

I love you all with all my heart. Thank you for your constant love and support and PRAYERS. They help me so much.


Su meile,
Vyresnysis Kukas


LOVE YOU LOVE YOU LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!