Knock and it shall be opened

This last few weeks we have been seeing so many miracles. we have been looking and praying for famalies and people who are ready to be baptized. The promise is true ask and ye shall recieve knock and it shall be opened unto you.

We are teaching a man and while we have been teaching him I have the poisonus affect that tradition has in our lives. Even in the church, we see that people are sometimes taught tradition rather then conversion. As we have taught our new friend he always starts with doubt, he doubts he´ll like the church or that the commandments will have a difference in his life. Then when he tries it he tells us about the difference that it makes in his life. It is amazing. 

We have been trying to help him to pray and really understand his relationship that he has as a child of God. He has started to really understand how to pray and how important it is that he searches for his own conversion. 

Tradition is a tool that is one that has one of the most powerful effect in our lives. So may we make our tradition be conversion. That we may help others find Christ and who they really are. I love this church and I love this gospel. I am so grateful for the difference it has made in my life. I love living the plan of happiness and I love my savior Jesus Christ,

Eu amo vocês,

Elder Cooper

Transfer to Monte Negro

So family and friends I was transferred to Monte Negro. A city with lots of old buildings and people very rich. It is almost crazy. Many people here speak English and Portuguese and they love talking with us but to teach the gospel doesn´t seem to be as important to them! All is well though. I am living with three other missionaries. Two are naturally from the united states and the third is a Brazilian who lived in the states 5 years before the mission. Pretty much it is 4 Americans. It is really strange because I have never had an American companion or lived with another American for 10 months. My companion is Elder Dickson from St George Utah. He is a really awesome missionary and is so funny! 

Well got to run I will give a better update next week

Here are some photos of my two favorite missionaries, Elder Oliveira and Dorneles and I. The other is some of my two best friends who just got married Jessica and Alan and their son Igor.....Elder Oliveira is in that photo with me too!

Testimony of Christ

These past few weeks I have been able to see so much of my savior in my life. This week I was able to go to the temple and see another one of my great friend recieve the blessings of baptism. Needless to say The gospel in our life makes all the difference. When you have the oppurtunity to watch somebody go through the process of conversion, it is amazing the change you see in there life. God just starts to bless them with so many things it becomes obvious that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is truly the greatest gift that has been given to mankind. During Adilaide´s baptism the closing hymn was povo da terra vinde escutai. There was a phrase in the chrous that became rather clear to me ¨The truth is clear like a light¨ 

I just want all to know that I love this gospel and I know it is true. I am a witness of our savior Jesus Christ and the blessings we recieve from his atonement. There is no greater power to be found on this earth. I love this church, I love the book of Mormon and I love my savior. Jesus Christ is my foundation and with him I will never fall. There is one God and he established one way and this is through the gospel of Jesus Christ that makes the difference. I leave this testimony for the world in the name of our savior Jesus Christ Amen.

Eu amo vocês

Elder Cooper 

Looking for a better way of life

This week has been life changing! We have had the oppurtunity to start working with a man who is really special. He is in his prime and lives alone and is looking for a better way of life.

As we started working with him we came to find that he had problems with the word of wisdom and had addictions that some may say would be impossible to overcome or that no one really could throw out and change.

Well I am here to say I have seen the change the Jesus Christ makes in our life. Our investigator when we invited him to it throw out and start over and he did it. We have been visiting him a lot because we know how that this something so difficult for him, but he is really changing. He decided to come to church with us this sunday and participate in a family home evening as well. He also watched a baptism that we had after sacrament meeting and it really changed his life. Everyday he is a little happier and everyday he is getting stronger. He has started to leave those who invite him to make the wrong choice and stay with those who lift him up. 

The change Christ brings is more then we can imagine. In fact it is not a change but a conversion. I love the gospel. I love the blessings God has given me. The atonement has the power to heal and is able to change us in a way that we can not do ourselves. The man who denies that God exsists, denies his own exsistence. Live the plan of happiness.

Eu amo vocês

Elder Cooper 

Love People

This Week was so good. We received the list for transfers and I get to stay in the best ward EVER!!!!! This week I was so excited and took photos with so many people because I did not want to have to leave and it was so good because I get to stay here. 

This week we baptized another member of the Eich family, the mom is a less active member that we knocked on her door. Truly their family is a miracle. They are growing in the gospel so well Larissa is all ready to start on her personal progress and she is so excited to just do everything I love it! 

I am seeing miracles truly flow from the hands of God and it just amazes me how much he loves his children here on this earth. I am a testimony that he never leaves you alone, that the atonement is always there to help us correct the mistakes that we have made and to help us see how we can change ourselves and the world. I know that God is with us and that gratitude brings miracles. We should search to show gratitude to every person that is a part of our life even our enemies. Love everyone. 

¨You can not force someone to choose the right. You just have to love them into doing so.¨

              President George Albert Smith

Eu amo vocês,

Elder Cooper

Eich family

Me and my companion at the temple!

Revelation often comes without our realization

This week was so wonderful I got to see a little bit of the way revelation often comes without our realization. This week as my companion and I were walking back towards our apartment, I looked at the street sign to see where we were at. I remembered that I had made a few contacts with some people that had lived on that road and started to look at the addresses. I looked at one of the numbers I had written down and then looked at the house in front of me. There sat the exact number I was looking for.

My companion and I we clapped at the gate and a little girl called inside the house to her mom. Her mother came out to the front gate with tears in her eyes and the keys in her hand she said ¨Elders I was talking with my first bishop about how I felt so sad and was missing my sister who had passed away. He reminded me of the phrase that famalies are forever, then I heard your clap. Enter.¨

We entered her house and found out that she was a less active member who had recently moved into the ward 6 months ago, but know one  in the ward knew that she lived here. We found out that she has 4 daughters that are not baptized and the best part is they already have grown up with the knowledge that this is the church of Jesus Christ.

We started teaching their family and they seem to not get enough of the church they went to almost all the sessions of general conference and are willing to keep all the commandments without even doubting why they need to it is amazing. I truly know that we are in the last days and this is the last round of the gathering of the vineyard. We must bring others to the master. Don´t forget who you are.

Eu te amo,

Elder Cooper

The Power of Member Missionary Work

This week was good and I got to see the power of member missionary work. We planned a family home evening with a family to talk about the strength and unity we gain from our famalies and being together. We invited some investigators who have been have difficulties accepting the invite to be baptized because they are not sure if they want to mary each other or not. We have been working with these investigators for a while and as I said to another missionary ¨They want to be together they just don´t know they want to be together.¨ We have been calling and talking to them a lot during the week to keep in touch because they don´t have to much time during the week to meet with us. The miracle of their story is after the family night and they listened to the testimonies of parents and children. They have started to make goals to better their relationship and move forward together. The family night was simple, but was so strengthening.

I truly know that when we meet with our famalies and strengthen one another, there is no room for Satan to weaken our faith. We as members of the church have the knowledge to know where true happiness comes from and it from love in the home and faith in our savior. I am so excited for this oppurtunity to listen to conference this weekend and the words of the prophet. May all of us find the words we need to strengthen our faith. 

Eu amo vocês,

Elder Cooper