Down in the sticks

Hey fam, transfers are today and I am waiting right now to see if I stay or go. My comp is having his surgery out here and will be able to continue serving... so I guarantee I wont be with him anymore. We have been an awesome companionship. Seriously NO conflict or anything; we just get along, have fun, and get work done. I have loved my mission 

So dad... talk about giving back to scouting! I have already been doing so much with the scouts in our ward. We went out and did service with them last week and we have been helping them out a lot. I can definitely see the difference in missionaries that did and didn't get their eagle scout. The ones that didn't it seems like they still have an immaturity in them that they didn't get the chance to let loose in boy scouts. I feel like I am working with a bunch of little boy scouts!! Thank you mom and dad for raising me right!

We got the chance this week to go down into the bayou to do service. We walked on these wood bridges until we got out there and then hopped off and trudged through the sticks. I LOVE the bayou! They gave us all machetes and had us cut down trees with them! sounds like heaven right!? Yall would have LOVED IT, it was bush whacking at its finest. We cut out a type of tree that is considered a weed to them. you should have seen it. We were taking out full trees in like three hits haha.

After the service they had a ton of subway sandwich boxes left over and so we walked under the New Orleans bridges and handed them out to homeless people. I have never seen someone eat so fast... some of those people are starving. It is sad to think how well we eat when there is someone starving and cold sleeping under a highway bridge; THAT IS NOT RIGHT. It feels so good to do things for people; It is a feeling I always want to keep with me. 

We had a lesson with this lady and her family this week. At the end of our lesson her husband started to talk about the church he goes to already and started to be a little harsh. That was until his wife shut him down and told him that she goes to his church for three hours and doesn't feel a thing but for the short time these elders are here I feel such a strong feeling. Why is that? huh?.... That shut him up pretty quick haha. he didn't say anything for the rest of the time.

We also had a lesson with an investigator that seemed so interested in our message. He asked us when the next time we could come by and so I left him with MY english copy until we meet again. He wanted something to read until our next lesson; it was awesome to see someone take such an interest!

Thank you so much for the packages, they are good especially the baked goods haha. Thank you so much! you do so much for me. Is there any I can do for you? love yall

Elder Cooley