Zone Conference

We got this photo from President and Sister Ames blog.  Yes, Cole is the only one with his name tag on the wrong side of his suit!  Love him!!

Cowboy Jesus

Ok, so new plan, I am gonna write down a little summary of every day, and then send that home. Starting next week, because I didn't do it this week. Pretty much this week was really cold. Nobody told me Texas got cold. It is super cold. 

Monday at 9:00 = Companion Study

I have to give a training in district meeting about how prayer is important, so that is what I have been studying lately.

We haven't had a ton of luck with meeting new people lately, it is pretty hard to do. The worst is white people, (never thought I'd say that), but they will never even listen. 

The strangest thing that happened and the weirdest person were the same, but basically this old white guy sang us a song about Cowboy Jesus in the middle of our lesson and it was 4 verses long and then it was really weird after he stopped because I didn't know if I should clap or leave, so that was real weird, but also really great. 

We had a thanksgiving dinner ward activity at the church on Saturday, so I had thanksgiving dinner, but the turkey was really spicy and it was weird.

Of course I didn't make my bed this morning.

Again, pretty much every white non-member hates the missionaries, it is kinda funny.

I don't know which hour was the best or worst, probably when I am asleep and having sweet dreams about flying or something are the best, and the worst was when we had to ride our bikes like 5 miles and it was like 33 degrees and raining pretty hard and pretty windy, that wasn't that fun. 

Anyway, this week we barely taught any lessons, we go out and try to see people or tract or do missionary stuff all day, but the people don't answer the door or aren't there or something, so it is really annoying. We are trying to find new people to teach, because we need them a tonzz. So yeah, that is that. 

I got my new bike this week and it is sweet. It took forever to go get because we got pretty lost, so that was not that fun. Also that was the day of the cold rain, so also not fun, but hey, I got a new bike (again). You guys keep saying "you may have heard" or "you probably have heard" but think for a second, where am I going to hear this stuff? I am a missionary, 2,929 miles away from home, and I can talk to people for 1 hour 1 day a week. I don't hear squat. Ha ha, I don’t hear stuff, so that is pretty different. 

So yesterday, there was supposed to be some huge ice rain storm (from what I understand, it is sleet that freezes later) so they had 1 hour of church for everyone, and since our block was 1st, all the people had to listen to Spanish church. I did one of the sacrament blessings in Spanish and it was kinda hard. But then the storm never came, so that was pretty dumb of whoever is in charge. 

In other news (literally) I think I was in a news story this week. I went and did service at Our Daily Bread on Tuesday, and then a reporter showed up and took my picture and my name, so I may or may not be in a news story for the Dallas Morning News or maybe some other newspaper I don't really remember, but hey, that's kinda cool right?

Love,

Cole

http://called2swerve.blogspot.com/

Heather Hansen

Week 9, A whole new Squirril

Whelp, as always, life is good here. I decided the only thing that is good about not having any mountains (or hills, or really any variation in the terrain at all) is that the sunrise/sunset is super cool. So there is actually one good thing about not having mountains. One.

Our investigator is named Maria (just like every other Spanish person here, not racist, just a fact) and her 2 kids Raul and Alex, and she couldn't come to church yesterday, because she had to work, it was a big old bummer. We always challenge to baptism on the first lesson, so we invited her. Funny story though, when I tried to extend a date, she said no. I was pretty butthurt, but she said she was supposed to have a baby on that day. I was still pretty clueless, they didn't go over these situations in the MTC, so that was fun. That is basically all of the investigators we have that are showing a lot of promise, so we are trying to find s'more. 

We usually run in the mornings or go to a gym that the place has. There is a cool little forest thing next to our apartments, and one day we went running in there and found a hobo camp. I think we are going to explore more in there. 

I got the package this week! It was so great! Haha, those pants are the best things ever, they are super comfy and I just loves them. They are sweet! Thznk yzo szo mzch!

Typical day

630- Wake up, exercise

7- shower, eat breakfast, get dressed

8-personal study

9-companion study

10- new missionary study

11-language study

12-lunch

1-finally leave apartment, go do missionary things

5-eat dinner

6-go do more missionary things

9-come back to apartment, plan for tomorrow, and do anything else

1030- go to bed

  

There aren't really fun door approaches, either they are white and dinguses or they are Spanish and pretend they don't speak English. I found these things at Walmart called rice sides, those are pretty good. We had a zone conference, and the Pres was there, so that was cool to hear him talk. We also had our stake conference. One of the speakers said "Let your words be the salt that gives the gospel flavor." So, my goal for this week is to have pretty salty language. 

P-Day- I am gonna get a haircut, and then play basketball at the church with a bunch of other missionaries. 

Love,

Cole

#shoutouts from Cole

Ok, ok so yes I did get mad at Cole for not writing very much last week, so that is why he formatted the letter this way (love him!!): 

Alright, so Mom got on me for not being a good enough writer, but the problem is I just don't have that much time. So real quick, I get a little less than 1 hour to email, and write to the President and a whole bunch of other stuff, so really no time at all. I guess the best thing is, if you are really mad at me, I won't get in trouble for like 2 more years. Sorry my letters are pretty LAME, but I do my best.

I cook kinda, I make eggs for breakfast and rice and mac and cheese and easy stuff, but I don't think there is a ton of time for a full meal or somesing. The best thing I ate was probably I made some really great mac and cheese, or McDonalds has some new stuff on the dollar menu, so that was good. I try to write details in here, but I don't even have details yet ha ha, I have only been here for 2 weeks and I haven't even met all of our investigators. We are working with this family I knocked into on my first day and they have already been to church twice, which is pretty crazy. 

#shoutout time-

#shoutout to Dad- We have a couple promising investigators, but we have had real trouble getting a hold of people this week. The apartment is fine, ha ha a little dumpy, even for a missionary apartment, but it is whatever. I went on exchanges the other day and got to stay at a sweet apartment that the other elders have. The ward is pretty cool, but we have 6 missionaries in the ward so every thing needs to be split 3 ways. We pretty much only tract, but we are trying to ask for more referrals and whatnot lately. I usually approach in English, and if people say they don't speak English I feel way cool and say "oh that's ok because we speak Spanish. We're the Missionaries..." But in Spanish and stuff. The fishing sounds sweet! I'm still pretty butthurt that you took Nate and Dalton hunting without me.

#shoutout to Mom- You're mad at me. ha ha. I try to give details but the real thing is that I don't know anything yet. Last P-day we played basketball all day, and I have no Idea what this one will be like. We are teaching a few people, but like I said, we are having trouble with them actually being there. 

#shoutout to Nate- You salty sea-dog, I haven't heard from you in like a month. 

#shoutout to Liza- You didn't write me either last week, so don't blame me, blame yourself. I heard you are doing way good at track and young womaning, so good job at those. But way good job at track, jump high and stuff!

#shoutout to Dalton- Denton is pretty cool. Literally, it is kinda cold. What is the Saint's record, I also don't believe the Jets won. I also heard you're starting basketball, win some games and stuff!

#shoutout to Leena- Hey you little stinker! I haven't heard from you in forever, what the Heck! I guess you're making friends at school, be nice to them. Also give em wet willies and stuff. 

Whellp, that is all I have for this week. I am learning Spanish well, I feel like I learn a ton of new stuff everyday, but I don't know anything. Sometimes when things get really awkward in a lesson or conversation I can pretend like I don't understand and so that is good. Love you all and all that mischief! 

Love, 

Cole

First Week In Texas

So first off, I didn't call in Mexico because I was pretty pooped and I didn't really want to talk that much. Jk, I needed some weird Mexican credit card to do it so I couldn't, and also I got trapped talking to a group of Spanish nuns. When I got into America, there was simply no time to call, so there is my explanation.

Haha, I am pretty sure that you guys know more about Denton than I do. I have a ward, and there are 3 groups of Spanish missionaries that go to that ward, I have just me and Elder Long in the Apartment. Elder Long is a baller, and a super great missionary. We actually don't teach English Tuesday nights, but we might start soonish. The bike is sweet, I love hittin taking it off some sweet jumps and that kind of mischief. Sometimes its hard when I have diarrhea and bumpy roads, but I manage. Just kidding, I don't have either of those things, I am in America. 

We have been doing a lot of tracting and finding new investigators, so that is cool. We knock doors, and if they're English, we teach in English, and if Spanish, we teach in Spanish, so that is cool. 

For Halloween, we went to a ward trunk or treat thing and helped out, so that was really weird. Denton is a biking area, so no cars #yolo. Biking is kinda hard, but I like it a lot. We eat with members a little, and then we have just been eating whatever is left in the apartment from the last elders. 

So at the Airport, I didn't even have time to get food, so I haven't had any fast food yet. I have placed a couple of Book of Mormons, and pretty much I just try my best.

Love, 

Cole