Perfected in Him

Hello family and friends how are you guys doing this week,

its great to be able to update you guys on the up and down here in Liberia. So far this past week has been very eventful, to start one of our investigators, who was doing some work in one of counties has returned back to the area and we have picked up teaching her again, and its really cool to be teaching someone who is from Atlanta so I am very excited to actually be able to speak normal english. The work here is sweet and exciting and I am now coming up on 11 months in Liberia O__O crazy right I almost halfway done. So that just means I need to do the best I can and continue to make everyday count. I know that as I persevere to the end and be " anxiously engaged," me and my companion will be able to help others come unto Christ and be PERFECTED in him. the work is definitely sweet here in the LIB. about 2 nights ago I was reading a book titled The Ultimate Missionary Companion by Ed J. Pinegar, and inside there was a challenge to read Enos every night before you go to bed. I invite all of you to do the same and then to send me your experiences.

Be sure to celebrate your 4th of July Safely guys and be careful with the Fireworks and such Love you all

Peace, Love, and Hula Hoops

Elder Cooper

9 ¶And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for theLord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsakehim, he will cast thee off for ever.

 20 And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the Lord God, even my God,will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord.

replace your name with Solomon

Update

Well hello everybody this is yet another update and so far life is good right now :D and this past week has been filled with some really good events that have definitely changed my outlook on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

In Alma Chapter 32, it explains perfectly what we are to do in order to grow and develop our faith.Until it grows and flourishes into the tree of everlasting life, in which we can then enjoy the fruits of our efforts by our patience, faith, diligence, and long-suffering in waiting for that fruit to grow.

One of our investigators Sis. Janet, has definitely grown so much and is progressing very well in her understanding of the gospel and we here in Liberia, have been challenged to study the doctrine found in Preach My Gospel. And what I have noticed is an substantial growth in my understanding of the gospel, but also we have been able to feel for the Spirit a lot more. The basics have helped us to better teach the necessary doctrines to those who are searching for the truth. Everyday I have made it a personal goal to study Preach My Gospel and to apply the teachings and I have noticed big changes. But back to Sis. Janet we have managed to start teaching her entire family including her Husband and so they have definitely grown to knowing that the Gospel is true and the Book of Mormon is indeed true as well. So it is a very exciting time to be able to help a family to understand more about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The work here is sweet and the work is getting sweeter as time goes by :D

If you guys have any questions that you want to know more about then be sure to send them next week guys :D

Peace, Love, and Hula Hoops

Elder Cooper

Soggy Proportions

Well hello family this week has been one of soggy proportions, Rainy
season is in full effect and so my favorite past time of mud fights
and water puddles is definitely being fulfilled by the onslaught of
rain we have had for the past month.

This week has been very good we were able to have some really powerful
lessons and even I had a bout with a front wheeled drive corolla, I
won but it came with a price. The week started off with a bang we got
out there and had some really profound lessons starting with an
investigator, sis. janet, she was just sitting at her house  next door
to another investigator we were trying to contact. After being bounced
we just decided to go and sit down with her and have a teaching
opportunity.

Side Note: There is one significant face that I have come to learn
about Liberia, there are a lot of people here searching, seeking,and
hungering after the truth, so when we contact these people we can't
help but get excited.

So back to the story: we ended up sitting down with her and she was
just telling us about how she traveled to Nigeria to meet this
"prophet" and she had nothing but bad vibes from this guy so she left
Nigeria and came back home and she had been back an entire week, and
we show up. Invited her to baptize and even gave her a copy of the
Book of Mormon and committed her to read the BOM and to come to
church. It was a very inspiring lesson  to have.

My fight with a car was very eventful, we went out to get some
provisions for the next morning and a guy got stuck in the mud so me
and my companion decided to go help him out and we had our rain boots
on so it was no biggie. We get there and after many failed attempts to
get him out we ended up doing some digging around his tires so we can
free it as we pushed. We got the mud out, which was a nice slush-like
substance and smelled like a barrel of sunshine ( not really) and we
started pushing the car and lo and behold I ended up right where the
fun was at on the front right tire and I got blasted with the best
gift ever, and so I look like I just got finished being chased out of
the bush haha! so enjoy yeah!

PS: My shirt did get washed by the way

Update:

Well hello again family I bring you another update from Liberia, life
here is going well and time is flying by all too fast. so far Rainy
season is definitely here and the storms are sweet, I get to fill up a
full bucket of fresh rain water in less than 5 minutes. This past
weekend we had district conference, and we got some big news about how
the district I am currently serving in will be split into the new
Panyesville District, which is very exciting. The work of Salvation is
definitely hastening at blazing speeds right now. The work here
continues to grow and me and my companion have been able to find some
new people to teach here in the area of Thinker Village. so the work
here is steady. I recently had some really profound experiences in
regards to prayer, the answers we receive in earnest, diligent, and
faithful prayers will help us to grow ever so much in faith and as
well as in testimony. Currently re-reading the Book of Mormon again,
which I challenge all of you to do by the way. all last week we have
received instruction on how to go to church on time with the INTENT to
renew our covenants, and not just going to be present. to read the
Book of Mormon with the DESIRE to be edified, and not just to read it
to complete a challenge or to see how far you can get in a day. which
this enlightenment also encouraged me to remember to always stay sharp
and continue moving in a positive direction. 2 Nephi 5:27

Peace, Love, and Hula Hoops

Elder Cooper

Mother's Day

Well yesterday was Mother's day and boy how the time flies.It wasn't
too long ago that I was sitting on a plane flying over to West
Africa,and now here I am sitting at 9 months typing an update, and
letting you guys know how much I appreciate everything that you guys
do. Thank you for the prayers and support. This week has been very,
very strange and I am grateful for the opportunity to be able to serve
in this portion of the Lord's vineyard. Well other than that I would
like to wish all of my "moms" a happy mothers day. Its great here and
tonight we are having potato greens with roasted fish tastes great
I'll be sure to send a picture. But anyways I have new companion from
Liberia, his name is Bro. Mehnpaine. He is pretty sweet and he is
ready and willing to learn all that he can before he goes out on
mission. It will be my first time serving with an African companion so
count on me learning more languages and how to cook crazy food. My
language count is up to 4: Vai, Kpelleh, Bassa, and kru. So I should
be able to bear my testimony in Vai and Kpelleh before I return home
haha. Other than that Iove liberia and I am enjoying every moment of
it :D miss you guys and much love.

Peace,Love,and Hula Hoops

Elder Coope

Helicopter Crash

This time of year is the best time of the year other than Christmas of
course, and for now I am enjoying mission to the fullest. We had a
really rough week this week, but as always never a dull moment in
Liberia. This week started of with a Helicopter crash in my area,
luckily no one was severely injured and we were nowhere near it, but
it was definitely an interesting way to kick off the last week of the
transfer. Thursday we had a service project had to dig some holes and
make concrete it was sweet haha. They call me the American-Liberian
Man,because my last name is all over Liberia. And another funny tidbit
the people also think I own everything that has the name Cooper on it
haha, even the guards at the mission office compound believe I own the
whole place haha. The work here is sweet and wew are getting new
missionaries this week and one of them is coming to Thinker Village to
be in our District, although I am not training I am very excited to
receive a new missionary in our area and I look forward to meeting
with him plenty. Other than that everything is alright and I haven't
gained or lost any weight haha for those that are wondering I am still
a healthy 145 pounds.

Scripture Study

Well everybody its time to update you guys yet again on the progress here in the vineyard of Liberia:

so far everything here is sweet and now we are just working to the best of our ability in inviting all to come unto Christ, and the area just keeps getting better and better. This week was very eventful, we had a newly returned missionary bear her testimony on Sunday, and it was a glimpse into what I will be doing in the next couple of months and I am excited to be able to gain all of these valuable experiences and learning and growing opportunities. One experience I had this week was the importance of scripture study I have found my testimony strengthened in the Book of Mormon, and it is our main source for teaching the restored gospel to our investigators. And as of now I am starting my 3rd re-read and focusing on Christlike attributes I know that when we focus on the themes while reading the Holy Ghost will be able to fully enlighten our minds as to what our Heavenly Father would have us to know. The work is sweet although there is a case of Ebola going around West Africa so keep the people of Liberia in your prayers. But other than I am keeping healthy and everything is moving along nicely I will be sure to keep you guys posted and time has flown by so fast and I am excited to be here in the Lords vineyard. I send you my love and support from afar.

Love,

Elder Cooper

King Cobra pictures!