DEFINING TIME (2/10/2014)

FEBRUARY 10, 2014

Hello... :)    

Grateful for a good companion

Okay this letter might not be full of stuff, cause it has been a rather chill week.  The transfer is wrapping up and we are cleaning up are apartment and are area book and what not.  I really love what Joco has said about abiding in cleanliness.  It is so true!  You can defiantly feel a difference when things are organized and when things are clean.  So we have been a workin on that a bit this week.

So I guess for this week I just got some random stuff to share with ya.  Did you know my companion is the branch clerk.. and elder quorum's president?!  He just got off of being the branch president in Galati and now he has got all this responsibility again!  He is such a great missionary!  I am learning so much from him.  I really feel like these past two transfers I have had, have really helped me get my head together.  Lately I have been able to see what I need to do, to reach the goals I have for my mission.  I will always be able to look

back at this specific time in my mission, and see that it was the transfer that defined the missionary I want to be.  It is crazy how things play out.  I had an awesome thing pop into my head a while ago.  Each step of the  way, the Lord prepares you for your next step.  For example;  If I didnt go through the things I went through my first and second transfer, then I would not have learned and gained the things I did from elder M in my third transfer.  If I did not experience all I did with elder M, then I would not have been prepared go through everything I have with elder Poulsen.  Since everything has played out the way it has, I have been able to learn and grow so much from elder Poulsen.  I really feel like I can say my 4th transfer was my "defining transfer".  Hope some of that made sense haha :)

So proud of themselves for making cookies! I never heard
how they tasted. 

Okay so for English classes it is twice a week.  17:00 - 18:00 on Tuesday and 12:00 - 13:00 on Saturday.  At the beginning of the transfer we have about two weeks before English class starts.  So we spend about two weeks English contacting.  Then English class starts, and sometimes we choose to continue to English contact people to try and get bigger classes.  So like I said in one of my past emails, we had like 10-15 people in our advanced English class at the beginning. ( me and Poulsen are the advance teachers )  In our last class we just had we had one.  So over time people leave haha that is just the usual.  In our class we focus on getting them to talk and have conversations.  They give us an english book to teach out of.... but it sucks.  So we make up fun lessons and teach things that are really useful in real life situations.  We have this one guy who comes every Saturday.  It's very intimidating cause he majored in English... Just like you Court!  So he is constantly correcting the way "I"English and what not.  It can be pretty funny sometimes! :)

Remember the first question Elder Cooper asked
him was if he was allergic to cats. Looks like
they made friends. 

So we had interviews this past week.  So Pres Hill came all the way out to Arad and we had a thirty minute talk sesh.  I will just tell ya I love that man!  He understands life and the way things work better then anyone!  We had a great conversation and he really helped me understand some things. I feel like am walking on air.  He is just such a great inspired man!

Fun fact I am learning to play the piano!  When elder Poulsen has branch duties I am stuck at the church.  So I practice! :)

So thanks for being there for me all of you.  I have realized a lot of what Joco has said is true.  When it comes to Utah, life, growing up, and all that stuff.  I am in accord with him!  I am so incredibly blessed to have been given the situation I have in life.  I am so blessed to have each one of you be in my life.  I am so blessed to have grown up in Utah surrounded by the people I was.  If any one of these little factors I had in life were different, it would change everything!  I love the family and all of you so much! GO AMERICA!! :)

Love,

Elder James Anderson Cooper