Little Miracles

This week was pretty good.  We didn't do anything too out of the ordinary. We went and saw our less-active people and tracked a lot. I fell off a porch when we were leaving a house...I just stepped off the side and tripped hard! Thank heavens no one was home, so only elder Olsen saw me do it. Then there was a hose on another step and I knew it was a hose. We walked up and Olsen said "look at that snake!" and I jumped.  He still laughs about it!

Thanks to Barb Thompson for the photo!

We got to see Heather again...she is the woman we found last week. She has two kids and is Catholic. She let us in and we got to teach her about the restoration. She was super interested and said that we could come back, so we did! Her husband went to school with a Mormon so he kind of knows about us. He hasn't said we couldn't teach her so that's good!  Heather had read the pamphlet we gave her. So that was exciting! She is asking good questions about changing and stuff. We gave her a Book of Mormon and she hasn't read anything yet but she seemed excited to start! I'm really glad that we have her.  I get down sometimes because we don't have any success and it bums me out.

We did have a miracle this week though. We found a new person to teach! We blitzed our area with the zone leaders and Olsen found her. We have an appointment tomorrow with her and  I'm excited to meet with her! We also had a referral. We went to deliver a Book of Mormon but he wasn't home.  His neighbor was out on his front porch so we went and talked to him. We were teaching him about the restoration when the guy we were trying to contact came out. So we started over and taught both of them! It was super exciting!

We went to dinner at a members house last night and it was my turn to share a  thought with them. I shared something about being a believer and not hiding it and I realized that I wish I had lived my religion more closely and not let my standards droop. I wasn't bad but I wasn't as good as I knew I should be. I just said that it was me being me and I shouldn't change, I was good enough. Now I wish that I had changed and not let myself stay the way I was. I wish I could go back and tell myself to get a grip and stand up and  be the person that I was meant to be instead of the person that I didn't mind being. Even the things as little as not drinking caffeine can be profound and showed how much I was willing to follow what Jesus had asked of me.

That's about it for this week! I pray for you guys every day and keep you in my heart always. Live so people will never question who you are and what you believe.

Love always,
   Cooper

No Flooding, Just Rain

This last week was good.  At the start of the week, it rained buckets and flooded out Detroit.  The flooding didn't reach us.  I was kind of let down about that.  There was so much water that they canceled the transfer meeting (we didn't have to go, but we still got the text). It was pretty wild!  A member told us that we are supposed to get a polar vortex in September.  I don't know what it means other than cold!  The trees are already starting to change.  All the Michiganders say that this time of year it should be in the upper 90s, not the 60s and 70s so I'm kind of worried about winter.

A cool thing this week is we found a lady to teach!  We were knocking on doors and feeling super rejected. I prayed (silently, of course) to have someone be at least kind-of interested.  At the next door, the lady let us in and was super open and invited us back. It was such a miracle! We also got to dedicate a home and I felt the spirit there.  That was so welcome, it had been a rough day.  I also got to find out what it was like to get yelled at this week.  There is a maintenance man at a mobile home park that freaked on us--really only on Elder Olsen.  I've never heard the "F" word so many times! He ripped us a new one.  It was super scary.

I love you guys. Remember that! And thanks for supporting me.  Have a great week!

--Cooper

We had a lot of rain and there was a perfect rainbow.
You can't see it in the picture, but it touched the ground on both sides.  It was really cool!

Red Hot Chili Peppers

This week we went to dinner at this family's house.  They are Filipino, maybe. So they made us lunch.  It was pork chops and they had this oil to put on it.  The oil had little peppers chopped up in it.  Elder Olsen doesn't like spicy so I thought, "what the heck, it's worth a try!"  She said it wasn't too hot, so I tried it.   If hell is half as hot as that pepper, I don't ever want to go there!  I took a bite and instantly started to cry and sweat.  It was bad!  I didn't say anything but asked for a glass of milk.  Milk didn't even stop the fire!  It was so hot!! I totally learned my lesson--not to put weird food  in your mouth, it's a tender area!

The Hill Family

We also had dinner with the Hill family. They are a family in our ward and President Hill is in the stake presidency.  We had burgers again.  Ha. ha. We eat a lot of burgers and pizza.  The pizza is just gross now and burgers are getting old.  But hey! at least I don't have to cook!

We went to Taco Bell and I went to sit down. Big Fat Cooper just about tipped the whole booth bench over!  It wasn't bolted down so when I sat on it, I tipped it with  my hand and dropped my butt into the seat.  It slammed down super hard and the whole place was looking at me.  It was super awkward!

Transfers skipped over us this time.  Elder Olsen and I are still companions which is fine by me.  He's super chill and easy going so no complaints there. (Even better that he doesn't have a ukulele!) Elder Olsen has been in South Lyon for three transfers now.  After this one, he only has four more until he goes home.  He keeps telling me that time flies by and I smile and tell myself it is probably true, but it sure doesn't feel like that some days!

Well I better go.  I love you and I'm thinking and praying for you!

Love,
   Cooper

My district

Old Ladies & Babies

This week things with my Bible basher went pretty good.  He is so smart but he's too smart! He keeps popping shots at us and I hate to sit there and take it. He doesn't want to learn at all.  It's a total waste of time but maybe he'll feel the spirit through us.  We'll just have to see.  It was kind of funny...we got there and the two old guys had tons and tons of paper and were pulling notes out.  I just about died!  They were at war with each other but were still decent and peaceable.  That's a plus!  We have another meeting with him this week.  I hope it goes well.

There's a lady that's home-bound in our area.  Her name is Sister Long.  We go once, maybe twice, a week to visit her.  I love just to sit and chat with her.  Poor Elder Olsen just sits there and takes it.  He normally says hi and then lets us visit for half an hour or so.  Then he will give the thought and we leave.  He doesn't really enjoy the chatter like I do but that's no surprise.  I'm sorry to hear about Verla moving.  She's such a sweetheart.  She was my favorite person to home teach.  She was just on a level that nobody else I knew was!  I miss my old girlfriends and hearing about the good old days!

I saw two babies this week. One was at church. We had to stay after because our ride had a meeting with the bishop.  A mom came out of sacrament meeting with a screaming baby.  He had to be only a couple of weeks old.  He was so cute!  It took everything in me not to ask her if I could hold him!  That' against the rules, which stinks! but it's there to keep us safe.

I got to play on a typewriter this week.  I can't believe it actually worked and that you had to use them for school.  It's nuts that it was the only thing there was for people to write with.  How did you guys live? Ha. ha. I also went on an exchange and got to ride my bike. It was pretty cool and I enjoyed it until I had to get back on!  Then I felt it!  I was really sore but I learned to grin and bear it!

I hope you have a great week!

--Cooper

Exchanges with Elder Birch