Called to Serve...South London Style

August 26, 2013

Hi mom!

Like the scriptures say: "my joy is full"! Who knew how rewarding missionary work can be? I wrote the whole fantastic experience in my letter I just mailed (it should reach you by the end of the week). Here's a little something I wrote president Millar:

How fantastic this week has been! I took Elder La Mazza's advice to contact all our former investigators in the area books, and, well, long story short we have a baptismal date! Incredible! She and her daughter showed up for church yesterday!It's the principle of digging where the gold is! Also, it's the principle of member fellowshipping. Josephine ( an african member) really took her under her wing so to speak. She has children the same age as our investigator's! I pray that the next appointments we have with formers will prove as successful!

I am so blessed to have Elder Poulino as a companion. He's always wanting to get down to the missionary WORK of it! In the evenings while I'm taking care of accounting he'll be cooking dinner or taking care of things around the flat, sometimes writing down things for me! I really need to just let him take the lead in all the lessons. The mission makes me very talkative so I should avoid dominating the lesson. Elder Poulino is very direct with his invitations. I admire that about him! No fear there!

The Reading Rock Festival finished last night at around midnight or one. I dunno, it kinda keeps you up but we are so shattered by the end of the day that we can fall asleep really quick.

I got the package! We had a blast! Thanks so much! I finished the John Bytheway book in a day or two! I love learning. My new companion is teaching me some dutch words. I'll send a few photos of the impromptu party the Zone Leaders and we had. I haven't received Aunt Luann and Uncle Dave's yet! I'm excited though. What a way to start off 19! The mission is fantastic.

I'm so glad Sister Beigler got my letter! Did you deliver it by hand? Excellent! I've been making sure that people here in Reading are doing their home teaching. Today we'll be seeing a nonmember who just lost her mother. I hope we'll be able to be a guide to the comforting gospel. I wrote a lot more in my letter. And that's just one day! Imagine how much goes on every single day!! It's unreal!

I love you mom. I really enjoyed the card and photos. I could write so much. Like the fact that Clayton Christensen is giving a fireside here in September, or about all the experiences of just missing or making buses, the blessings we've been giving, how sacrament is each Sunday, the random calls we get, the other former missionaries we meet, the homes we go into, everything. Pages and Pages! But I got to prepare for another busy week! Time is so short! I'll write next week!

Love, Elder Cooper

P.S. Did Kent get my letter?

Me and Elder Poulino