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!!!!!!!!

Lithuanian's Day of the Dead

Here are pictures of the Lithuanians "day of the dead"


where they light thousands upon thousands of candles and leave them on graves



for the spirits of the dead to have that warmth and light to guide them home.







It was a memorable experience i wont soon forget it.

Anxious

Well fam,
Sorry I wont have a lot of time to write today. We have a lot of things to take care for our Baptism on Saturday!!!!
This week has been kind of stressful for me. But I am still alive. I did however have a toenail fall off my foot and I lost 10 pounds. The weather here has taken it's turn for winter. All of the thinly clad young girls have been replaced by old grannys in black coats down to their ankles. I have never seen a people who react to the weather as much as the people here. Most of the days have been humid, cold and really really foggy. And the people have reflected that.
I was glad to hear from you all. I wont be able to write you all back but I would ask you to pray for Valentinas still. I can't tell you the changes I have seen in that family. I love them so so much. Next week i will have pictures. We have to go rent out the pool at a hotel for the font because we dont have one here. I will send pictures next week.
Thank you all so much for all your prayers. I love you all. THREE MORE DAYS!!!

Thats just missionary work,
Elder Cooke

Labs

Hi Fam.
First thing first. Valentinas hasn't smoked! But we are defiantly excited for Valentinas. He is going to have a Baptismal interview on Saturday so pray for him to stay strong. We found some church cloths and shoes for him so he can wear them to church. (He doesn't really want to. He likes jeans) but hopefully he wears them. He also is thinking of the person he wants to baptize him. He only has two choices (President Gabalas and Brother Chomskis) because as of now they are the only worthy priesthood holders in the branch. But all this talk of baptism really has him excited. We have started to direct some of our teaching at his son Vladislav as well. We have committed him to prepare to receive his patriarchal blessing. We have started him an giving up smoking. He is a good kid and just needs some direction. Valentinas is being a very good example for him right now. Also one of Vladislavs friends has started coming to our meetings because he started getting interested in what Valentinas was doing. We are excited for him as well.
Second thing second-I love you all.
And third thing third-it’s cold.
It sounds like all is well at home, that's way good. Sorry to hear about the lack of work. We can just be grateful it’s not any worse. (40% unemployment here in the Baltics). Also, on a not "totally" unrelated note, I still haven’t gotten that package. I am starting to think it was stolen but whatever. We will just have to try again.
I am however, very grateful to hear from others whenever they write. It’s always nice to hear from friends out here and be reminded that not EVERYbody hates us ;) Anyway. I love you all with all my heart thanks for your prayers and support.

Sincerely,
Vyresnysis Kukas