September 14, 2015 ~ Week 63

Well I’m over here writing right now in the internet cafe and that Elder that is from my MTC group in Lima after our first fast Sunday in the MTC told me "hey we only have 23 fast Sundays left".
Now 14 months later he happens to be in my zone and this morning he tells me that our mission is pregnant and that we only have 9 months left because today is the 14th of September and we finish the 14th of June...

Well alrighty then… last Sunday this sister brought her cousin to church and during fast and testimony meeting he could feel the church was true, at least that is what he told us as he accepted the baptismal date of the 26th of September.  Please pray for Andre.

I gave a talk yesterday, it was sweet because I picked the topic.  I chose to talk about Family Search and the little My Family pamphlet that the church has created.  It was a sweet topic because the Tucson temple ground breaking date has been announced and the Arequipa date has not yet been announced.  But the date is coming; I know I will see the ground breaking during my mission.

The zone finished this past week with 1 confirmation and 1 less active rescued.
I’d say one of the harder parts about being a Zone leader would be trying to satisfy 16 people. But yeah I’m happy and its awesome :)

See ya
Elder Mccook

September 7, 2015 ~ Week 62 ~ Pictures

My companion, Elder Pascual, from Piura, Peru.

Elder McCook
Hunter,Peru Arequipa 2015

La Zona Hunter 2015 

Happy birthday to Elder Searle :D

Noemy, got confirmed yesterday, she is an awesome convert!!

September 7, 2015 ~ Week 62

The Hunter Zone had the sweet results of 2 confirmations and 1 less active rescued.

There was another baptism but he wasn’t able to be confirmed yesterday.  Perhaps you may not remember Edgar Herrera, Elder Alvey and I were teaching him in March in Matarani, I attended his baptism two days ago!!  The Elders in my zone are teaching him!!  Ill send a photo out next week of his baptismal service. 

I love being zone leader, this past week Elder Pascual and I had the best numbers that I have ever had in my whole mission.  It’s truly amazing how missionary work can advance with the HELP OF THE WARD.  We  went on splits 4 times last week with members.  I have never done that in my entire mission, the members just gives excuses, like yeah I understand that they have to work but really all the members ever did over here in Hunter last week was accompany us for 2 hours.

I’m so excited for what’s gonna be going down over here in Hunter.  If I had an iPhone I would insert the emoji of the smiley face with black sunglasses and a smirk on his face.

I sent pictures of an overview of my area, of an investigator that we are teaching that got baptized and confirmed, and of the zone in Hunter...

Lesssss go

Elder McCook

August 31, 201 ~ Week 61 ~ Pictures

The stake relief society dance activity

HUNTER, AREQUIPA PERÚ

My CCM group along with President and Sister Zobrist because we all
finish our missions together!!

Selfie game with the clique

A photo of the missionaries that are from my MTC group that are now
zone leaders in the mission

August 31, 2015 ~ Week 61

After a 3 hour hotter then Tucson, Arizona bus ride I arrived in Arequipa where my companion found me and took me to our room.  We live on the 3rd floor of a member-owned apartment complex.  We actually have real dumbbells in there so it’s great to not actually have to use my study chair to work my bicep.
The relationship that we have with our pentionista is of that of a contractor and not a mom, we eat separate from the family but I told my companion that before the transfer ends we will be eating with the family.

Everyone here is so direct with asking about what happened to my arm, members and non members, everyone thinks that it was an accident instead of a birth defect, but the husband of our pentionista who is the 1st counselor in the stake was impressed when he challenged me to tie my own tie.  Ha, child’s play, I’ve been doing that for years…

Bishop Stevenson who is the presiding bishop of the church visited the mission this past week; he focused on the importance of declaring your testimony and also about 2 Nephi 2.  The whole mission got together that day and it was nice to see everyone.  My MTC group took a picture together along with our mission president as he will be finishing his mission with us next year.

That same night the zone leaders and sister leaders headed over to the mission house for what would be part one of our mission council meeting.  Saturday morning we finished the meeting, it was such a great spirit there and I’m so happy that I am with Elder Pascual and that we have 16 missionaries in our zone.

After the meeting, in the afternoon we headed over to the church for a stake activity where the 6 wards danced to traditional dances and music, it was a nice activity.

On Sunday we headed over to our ward. We live right next to the church and it started at 9am and there was an attendance of about 75 people.  It’s a different feeling being in a ward and a stake, our chapel is huge and its going to be fun time over here, in HUNTER, AREQUIPA.

Bye

Elder McCook

August 24, 2015 ~ Week 60 ~ pictures

Handstands on the beach.

The zone had to say goodbye to 2 really great elders.  It was a sad day.

Had to say goodbye to my awesome pentionista,
Mama Liz.

Goodbye party at Matarani.