PDay #2

Dear Family,
I hope this works. This computer is kinda shady. We´ll see...

Wow! Our meetings with Elder Cook were amazing!!! Lots of our recent converts and investigators went to the fireside on wednesday, so that was good. He and his wife talked a lot about FHE on Wednesday. He also left an apostolic blessing on the families here--that they could be more united against the buffetings of Satan. The surest way to strengthen our families against Satan´s attacks are having FHE. I already made one FHE chart (like Mom made kinda) for one of the less active families. I´m going to make more now because of that fireside. How are all your FHEs going?

Yesterday was our missionary meeting with him. It was wonderful! He told us that Elder Didier (Area Pres. of Brazil) wrote the Missionary Purpose in Preach My Gospel. How cool is that? I asked him about how PMG was written, how long, etc. A group from the missionary department and a group of teachers in the MTC (not the RM teachers, but the older ones) wrote the first draft. Then they turned it in to the prophet and every apostle to read and pray about and make changes. Then they printed PMG. All in all, it took about 2 years. President Monson´s comment was that there were no ´true accounts´ (aka stories--but he doesn´t like to use the word story) in the first draft of PMG. So, Pres. Monson provided basically all the true accounts in PMG. Neat, huh?

He left an apostolic blessing on us missionaries too. It was a very spiritual experience. He cited DC 31:5. I know this is the best thing I could be doing in my life to ensure that you all, my beloved family, receive blessings. I am striving every day to ´thrust in my sickle with all my might´ so that you all will be blessed. (Especially you, Becky, and Natalie, with your pregnancy). Please know that you are all in my prayers.

Sister Cook is adorable!! I love her a lot! She did a ´singing time´ in the middle. (I want to be just like her in that respect!) :) Then she shared her study of the Christ-like attributes (ch 6) with scriptures and hymns. I am going to start studying like that too.

Elder Cook then shared the 4 Great Loves Missionaries need to have to have success: 1--love people, 2--love companion, 3--love Mission Pres and wife and follow council, 4--love Lord. One thing I thought especially interesting was that every missionary is considered next to the prospective mission president before the exact call is made. This is because your mission president has a great contribution to your character. I know this is true. I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to serve under Pres. and Sister Milder. They truly are an amazing couple and I am learning lots from their examples and council. In loving the Lord, Elder Cook, reminded us that a testimony of Christ is the deciding factor between inheriting the Celestial or Terrestrial Kingdom. (DC 76:79) You NEED to be valiant in your testimony! How comfortable are each of us in testifying of our Savior Jesus Christ?

Well...I think that´s about it. I hope you were able to glean at least something from that. Love you!

Sister Rachel Ellis

P.S. Elder and Sister Cook flew to São Paulo and said they would be having dinner with Mom and Dad tonight. Have fun!