Cured of Member-itis

Maybe I have told all y'all before about the strange and non-helpful trait I picked up in the backwoods of Brewton, AL. It's called Member-itis, and it is defined by this feeling I have as a missionary that I don't want to be around active members of the church. It's probably just because I spent like 8 months in a place where everyone was either a recent convert, less-active, or nonmember. I felt like a fish out of water in active members' homes.

Well, I think that is cured now that I've seen the light above the trees. Members are awesome! We had a sweet baptism this week, as expected. I love teaching the Robles' family! (District moment right there). Ernestine and Ramon have looked forward to Ernestine's baptism for several months now and finally it's happened. The members of the Navarre Ward played a really crucial role in their journeys into the church by having them over for dinner, home teaching them, ect. They would never have come this far without members' help.

Ramon is a recent convert, and baptizing Ernestine was his first time using the priesthood. Both of them together in the font, not really sure what to do next earned a place as one of the cutest things I've seen on my mission. While they both changed into their dry clothes, the rest of us watched some mormon messages and we tied them in to the Gospel being a new start. It was sort of impromptu, but I think it worked. Everyone cried so...

Other excitement of the week included Stake Conference. I saw a few members from Jay and Brewton. Some of the conference dragged on and on, but I liked that President and Sister Smith talked at them. President saved it from being a conference all about the ideal ward council... Hooray. We also interviewed with him this week. I discovered that I really needed that interview. He says my companions speak well of me, which I was worried about! I asked him if I can extend my mission since I was training haha. He said it's possible, but not because I already have a plane ticket. Oh well haha.

While waiting for my appointment in Pensacola, I found a new good scripture, spoken about Peter and John, if I'm not mistaken. Acts 5:41. As we witness of Christ and suffer some trials in doing so, we can know that He is counting us worthy to do so. :)

Only like 3 more blog posts. ;( Maybe when I get back I can keep blogging about how I wish I was on the mission! 

-Sister Laura Cooper

Companionship Family

Happy New Year, happy followers! How was y'alls testimony meetings? Ours contained several accounts of the year "2013" and how it went. I guess 2014 went by a little too fast for some people. 

Aaaah the adjustment to a trio. I've decided this is helping me get ready for the real world pretty much. Because when I go back to BYU, I'm going to have to adjust to having my world be more than just one person all day everyday.

The change has made for a long week, but I'm enjoying it. Sister Seegrist and Sister Blake are not so much like companions to me as little siblings who are funny and sweet, but leave me exhausted at the end of everyday. They make everything interesting though. I've laughed a ton this week haha. 

We've also had good successes with the work since we've been together. We are going to start teaching the full lessons to a part-member family we have been visiting for a while. We found another person to teach while out walking to a member's house. Her name is Ashley and she's met with missionaries before because she has a member relative, but has forgotten over time exactly what we believe. We get to go back and see her this week.

Oh hey, I gave my farewell testimony at zone training this past tuesday. Oh the horror of that statement. At least it's a 7 week transfer, right? Elder Egbert, one of the Navarre Elders, is the only other one in our zone going home this transfer, and since he's a zone leader, he gave his testimony while up teaching in zone training. So at the end it was just like... "now we'll turn the time over to Sister Cooper." Awkward haha. Most people have a group to go with. Not me...

It's going to be an exciting week ahead. Ernestine is getting baptized this weekend... yay! And we have interviews with President... :O #troubletroubletrouble

Yeah yeah. I'm a little scattered this week. Y'all should watch the Mormon Message "Look Not Behind Thee". I think it's right up there with "He is the Gift" as far as holiday-themed Mormon Messages go. It's New Year's Themed.

Be blessed!

-Sister Laura Cooper

Make Room

You know when you have one of those weeks where you know a lot of good stuff happened, but all you can remember is like one to two crazy things.

I guess no one would understand that unless they are a mission blogger. So you know, it happens to me all of the time haha.

But now that I think about it, there have been several memorable events this week. First of all, a crazy storm went through the mission on Tuesday. The power was out in a lot of the Gulf Breeze Sisters' area during the day. For the most part in our area, power stayed on. So it wouldn't have affected our day much if it weren't for the fact that we were planning on spending the evening with the Gulf Breeze Sisters, caroling in both of our areas. While we were out caroling, it started pouring down rain. One member family we caroled let us in for some hot cocoa, and while we were there, they lost power, as did the entire course of our drive home. So after our cocoa, I drove us home through the rain, on a busy highway, with no street lights or stop lights. But the Lord blessed me with good night vision that night, so we made it in safely! :)

Another obvious highlight of this week was Christmas! Even though in big wards it's a pretty chill day because every member wants you to come over and stay for like 3 hours of dinner, gift exchange, Mormon message watching, ect. Facetime home was a lot of fun, and pretty different than the first time and the second. I guess it just feels different when we're getting back together pretty soon. And shout out to everyone who sent us anything (including prayers and cards haha!) to make us feel more at home on Christmas.

Now the kicker of the week. Sister Seegrist and I are getting a new companion in 2 hours! There was an emergency transfer in Pascagoula, MS. Both of the sisters there got taken out, and one of them is being sent to us in Navarre. So we will be a trio until I go home! The other crazy part of that is that the new sister has only been out a week, so I'm going to be training her and Sister Seegrist will be my lovely assistant in that endeavor. I'm really excited, and nervous. I hope she does well in our companionship. :) We have a third bed now, and rearranged our study room to allow some desk space for her. It's a little cramped now, but that's just because three beds are not supposed to go in one bedroom haha! I'm sure we'll make it work.

As for updates on the nitty gritty of the work, Ernestine is going strong for her baptism. She wants her husband, a recent convert, to baptize her, so that will be exciting for him as well as her. He actually got his first white shirt and tie from his home teacher this week, and he shaved his beard off after playing Santa Claus on Christmas, so he's looking like a real sharp member. Ernestine has started carrying her Book of Mormon on her, and some passalong cards, and is sharing the gospel with people. It's really cool. Recent converts and investigators just show us up on that one!

Last thing! I got a Christmas letter from the Elliott family in Brewton. They're so cute! They are wanting me to come up there and visit while I'm still in the field. I will have to call them from the mission home before I leave or something. :) But they are doing really well, and Vicki has finished temple prep and is planning on going to the temple soon.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Be in by dark and asleep by 10:30, like us. ;)

-Sister Laura Cooper

Santa's Out of Style

It's been a looooooong week. I don't know why, but even if no one transfers within my sphere of peeps, I feel like the general spirit of chaos around the mission makes the whole week seem really long. On that subject, I am now orphaned, as the mission terminology goes. My trainer has gone home. Now I just have my obsure aunts and cousins, and my stepchild! :P This missionary family thing can get way out of control if you let it haha!

Yesterday, we were driving along the island, when I realized I have not heard much about Santa, Frosty, or anything of the like this year. I thought to myself, "is Santa going out of style? Has the world in general started focusing on Nativity Scenes, Christ-centered carols, and overused Christmas scripture reading??"

Then I realized that I am a missionary and I'm in the South. Oh, well. Y'all can enjoy Santa and stuff back home. I'll be out here, hearing Luke 2 read, sung, and acted out about 10 times a day. :)

This week maybe also dragged on a little bit because it was overcast half of the week. I know, we are woosies here in Florida. It's gets overcast instead of sunny for two days in the middle of December, and we are suddenly depressed. Don't worry about us; we'll make it through somehow! ;) On one of our rainy days though, we taught a really sweet lesson to a part member family we have been slowly working with. The member, Valerie, is pretty sick, and needs a lot of encouragement. We decided to watch Joy to the World with her to try to uplift her for the holidays. Her husband, Marc, a rougher kind of guy, ended up sitting in on the movie. The both seemed to enjoy it thoroughly, and afterward, Mark asked for a copy of it. I was really surprised, but excited!

Virginia and Anthony, the other cool part member family, are still texting us and friendly to us, but apparently their daughter, Eva has an infectious skin condition right now... so we are teaching them from a distance for a little while, as per their request.

Yesterday, we went to the Gulf Breeze ward because Ramon and Ernestine couldn't make it to Navarre ward. We went to Sacrament in GB with them, then went to our own three hour block. Christmas Program/ Church-ed out! So much singing about the birth of Jesus!

Well, if you're family, talk soon! If not, Merry Christmas!!! Love y'all forevs!

-Sister Cooper

Sand on Sand on Sand

As I told my family, this week, and more than likely the week ahead as well, are a big jumble of Christmas party and missionary work. Oh, and we just got news that Sister Seegrist and I are both staying here for my last transfer. #finishstrong. My last transfer is going to be seven weeks long, which really means I just get the whole transfer, instead of 5 weeks and a wash out half-week of packing and flying home.

I am totally enjoying my second Christmas season out here in the mission. Didn't feel like that long ago that it was my first. At that point, I was planning on returning to school in January, making that Christmas my only Christmas in the field. Silly child, Christmas is the best time of year to be a missionary. Especially, I like having these He is the Gift cards. Even though lots of people in the South either have "found Jesus" or are tired of all their neighbors telling them to find Jesus, very few people dislike receiving a picture of baby Jesus at Christmas. Yesterday I did get shooed off by a we-realized-after-was-probably-drunk-guy. No love for baby Jesus there.

Half-Mission conference happened this week, which means I got to see Meet the Mormons. It's really good! I didn't cry like everyone said, but that's not surprising. Sister Dyches and I sang our song in the musical part, and it went really well. It was kind of ironic to be singing "snow on snow on snow" though, on a day where you didn't even need a jacket outside.

Ernestine is well on her way to getting baptized. She's been off alcohol for over a week! Keep her in your prayers, because the change of consumption led to her being sick this week. She is feeling better now, but still pray for her.

Merry Christmas soon! Watch Joy to the World! We watched it for Movie Night with the Missionaries this week, and it's not as bad as some of the other old church videos. :)

Peace on Earth!

-Sister Laura Cooper

Hashtags on my Passalongs

Is everyone in the Christmas spirit yet? I know most people start Christmas after Thanksgiving, but I'm usually one who doesn't feel like Christmas until I don't have to do work or school. But since there is no time off as a missionary, I figured I might as well feel like Christmas! And it's hard no to when we have to walk around at night, sometimes fairly aimlessly, and look at all manner of Christmas lights. They make great conversation starters. :)

Our week was really great! The new gator we found last week met with us twice. We had dinner one time and the other time with had a snack and a lesson about the Atonement based in the Bible and the Book of Mormon. The husband's family found out that they had the missionaries over and they are apparently really excited. Hopefully things will keep going well there.

Not only have the Christmas lights brightened our week, but also the He is the Gift card giving. Everyone likes He is the Gift cards. We even gave one to a lady who said she was Buddhist, but told us she honors Jesus too. She liked it. Who wouldn't like a passalong card with a hashtag on the back. Everyone pretends to be making fun of hashtags, but we all secretly know we like them. #nosecrets #sharethegift. But on the note of that lady, I wonder if she celebrates Christmas since she honors Jesus and all...

Ernestine is doing well getting ready for her baptism. She stopped drinking beer this week, but still has some alcoholic eggnog someone gave her. We're slowly helping her and her husband to accept that they can be strong and not take yucky stuff, even if someone offers it to them. They are really coming along though, and she will be able to make January 10th, if not sooner.

Merry Christmas from the sunny gulf shore! It's 70 degrees today. :)

-Sister Laura Cooper

Stories for the Grandkids

Last night, before I went to bed, I flipped back over the past week of journal entries and I was like wow this is a week that will not be forgotten. So many totally out there stories. I can see myself as a Grannie forcing my grandkids to listen to these stories over and over again haha!

"When I was on my mission when I was just 20 years old..."

My companion and I were walking down the street before a dinner appointment and came upon two guys outside talking. We stopped to talk to them, and found out one lived at that house, and one was visiting from California. After talking a while, my companion decided to give them a pass along card. The visitor asked "is this about the Mormons" and we said "yes, it is?", then he proceeded to start a long lecture about what he knew about the Mormons, and asked us if we'd heard of Joseph Smith. We, of course, said yes. Then he told us he knew Joseph Smith was a treasure hunter and that he wrote three different Bibles. Not pausing to let us talk, or responding to requests for time to talk, he continued for half an hour, continuously repeating some sermon Jesus apparently gave that said he was preparing a group of people for hellfire. Then he told us Mormons are that group. The whole time, the Navarre resident, his brother, was like "you don't know that!" "they are just spreading the word!' Finally, the Navarre-living brother went inside, and we got away from the other one. Maybe we've planted a seed with the defender!

Another 2 quick finding stories. A less-active member introduced us to a man, Anthony, and his significant other, Virginia, who wants to learn more about Christ and raise their daughter to know about him. Anthony is a less-active member, and a "lost sheep" (meaning he isn't on the ward roster). It was such a miracle to meet them! We were able to go back and see the couple this week and I was really impressed that Anthony was not resistant to our visit at all. Virginia talked for a while with us, and told us she wants to learn more!

Another cool thing happened where we biked an extra mile to go back and talk to someone we'd biked by. I don't have too much time to go into that one (out of character for this post because Grannies always have time haha!) But suffice it to say that you should never count out talking to someone because it looks awkward and way out of the way. It could totally work out!

Talk next week! Merry December to you!

-Sister Laura Cooper