To My Sisters

To my sisters: I wanted to say thanks for allowing a way for me to remember stuff from my mission, and a way for the world to access my page. Thanks for all you do and for your letters every week. I thank the Lord for the amazing sisters I have. I love you all dearly and I hope you realize how much I really did (and do) look up to all of you---you helped me to develop my own qualities and attributes (different ones from different sisters). Because of you all, I have made it on a mission, and my testimony continues to grow! Thank you so much, and thanks for all your letters and prayers---they help so much. I love you!

~Elder Coon

Fasting and Prayer

Well, I am still in Salisbury and I am excited to spend another moves here in this area. I am looking forward to teaching the people here more and to spread the Gospel to the lost sheep in this area!

I feel excited to tell you about what happened this past week. To start off, I will explain what myself, Elder Barker, and Wame VolaVola have been doing! We all have been fasting once every two weeks on Thursday (Wame does every week--but every two weeks we join him). We all fasted for young men last Thursday and we all wanted to see a miracle.

Friday came, and we had a teach at 10:00 with Lynda from Zimbabwe. We were excited to meet her, and we went in prepared spiritually, mentally, and also scripturally. We got to the members' home where we could meet, and she said, "Oh yeah, she is bringing her son Boyd who is 16 with her as well." Wow, we thought, this will be amazing.

I have never met such wonderful people who were prepared to hear the message of the Restored Gospel! They loved the message,and we bore solemn testimony and the spirit was undeniable! Every person (myself included) felt the Spirit burn within us---we could see it in their eyes! And as we got to know their troubles and problems, we knew how to help and we extended the date! "Will you follow the example of Jesus Christ by being baptized by someone who holds the proper priesthood authority of God?" YES, they both said! We set the 20th of March as a baptism date, so they are working for that day! We are so excited for this family, and Boyd is a spiritual giant. He looks 22, but he is 16. He is a rugby player and well-built! Lynda is such a lovely lady and very nice---this family is amazing!

Well, what can I say? We have been blessed this week---we have the baptisms of James and Aaron Stewart on Saturday, and we are bringing more youth into the true and living Church of God on the earth again! These young men will be such great assets to there family, wards, branches and wherever they may go! The families will be blessed, and the Gospel will help them so much.

I know prayers are answered---I have seen, I have felt, I have heard, and I still feel the joy the Gospel brings! I thank the Lord for all the blessings he gives us!

Like I said, we fasted and prayed for youth, and we got some new ones on this past Wednesday night. We were playing some football and some basketball at mutual, and there was a group of teens outside. We invited them in to play and they are going to come this following week as well! WOW, what a blessing. The Lord loves all of us---we are His children! How great shall be all our joy if we share this Gospel, and if we really live to serve and lift others!

I testify to you all that I know that my Father in Heaven lives, that He loves and cares for all His children, personally and individually. I know fasting and prayers are answered, because we cannot deny the truth and the fruits of our labours. I know this Church (and all that is entitled with it) is true and it is living. It is the Church Christ set up thousands of years ago, restored so we can provide saving ordinances to all those who have gone before. I testify to you all that my Saviour Jesus Christ lives---He really is forgiving. He is at the door, we just have to open it. I testify that God loves all of us and that He wants us to do all we can! We are in the last days, and I know we can share the Gospel more and spend more time together as families! I love this church, and I love my family. I thank the Lord every day for my earthly parents who truly mean the world to me.

I leave these things with you all in the name of Jesus Christ, AMEN!

LOVE,
ELDER ELI JACOB COON

PS- These pictures are of me and Elder Barker in Wame VolaVola's home. I have told you before that he is a Fijian prince. We are sharing in the tradition of drinking the "kava root juice" from Fiji. It was so awesome--it is tradition for the honour or Wame, that when his friends visit (since he is a well-known Fijian) to offer a thanks and to welcome them to his home. They say a prayer and then some other words to welcome their friends. They clap and they say things they love. It was way cool, and Wame told us that is is very disresepctful to guests if you don't share the kava root juice. The Fijians are such lovely people, and I can't wait to go to Fiji some day!

The Life We Lead

Well, I can tell you this past week has had all sort of twists and turns. Loads of miracles and blessings rain upon you as you turn to the Lord!

First of all: Travis Empey! It was so good to hear that he made it to Brazil, after being in the MTC for months and months waiting for his visa. I am so happy for that, and I feel so glad he finally made it to his mission! He has some great things in store, I know he does, because he had to wait so long! Satan is opposing all missionaries around the world, doing all he can to beat us and drag us down, but hope and faith cast out all that darkness and dispel it.

I would love to talk about how the life we lead can influence others. This week we have been praying and hoping to find a family to teach. We were looking at our less-active list, and instantly I noticed the name "Maria Stewart." Hmmm, who can this be? There was no address, it just said "possibly live somewhere in Amesbury." Well, we called up and got a hold of her--she said she would love to have us round to share a message! The day of our appointment came and I had to be back to account, so we had to cancel our appointment. The bad thing is that we did not ring her and tell her. Oh no, she will hate us!

But the next day I received a phone call, and wondered who was calling from a Canadian telephone number: "Hello, elders! I have been praying for missionaries to go round and visit my sister-in-law, Maria Stewart." Wow. The same time we prayed to find a family, a prayer across the seas was being offered for a family we could help. We looked at our list and the answer came! We felt bad we did not go to the teach, but this man told us about his prayer and how Maria said we were coming and then we did not show! So, we re-scheduled the appointment and did all we could to get there! We had an amazing teach, and Maria's family is so amazing!

We are now working with this family to progress. The two older boys are working to be baptised on February the 27th (Aaron and James, 11 and 9 . . . and there is a little boy Jack, 6) and to continue to learn! Maria is amazing and we love this family!

Our prayers were answered, and phone calls were made. We applied our faith and actions, and now we are being blessed, and the Lord is blessing this family.

As I saw them there at church, I began to wonder if we did not meet this family how long before missionaries would have tried? Why were we so blessed to meet them? I asked, and the answer came: because of the life you both lead. We are not perfect, but we have been obedient, and doing what the Lord asks--helping others serve, and doing all we can to help.

We helped the Legges family move from one place to another, and while we were helping them, they asked us, "Could you teach a friend of ours? We have been waiting for the past 8 months for good missionaries to come to our area, and I want you two to teach her. She is from Zimbabwe and really wants to know about the Gospel." We both lit up, and they offered their home for the teaches, so we will have dinner and teach this lady about the restored Gospel. I am so happy for this opportunity--we also are seeing so many miracles!

We went to a lady's home (Sister Quantance). She used to be relief society president, and her husband was in the branch presidency, but they went less-active for a while. We have been teaching her, and she has not been back for several years. She came on Sunday--I can't describe the feeling we have had, and President sees it in us. He wants us both to keep up the work, and he said both Barker and I will be great leaders. He wants me to train younger missionaries, and Barker to lead. We have tried to lead a good life, and we are striving everyday to do better--and I feel like we really are!

I love this Gospel, and I love all of you. Be the example, and share the Gospel to friends. Remember the missionaries are the life-line . . . if you do not use them and find people for them to teach, this church will crumble and we will be held accountable. Think about it, and share it!

I love you! In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

~ELDER COON

Lookin' good--haha, we made this picture into coasters for the mission president.

Chillin' with my comp.

Me and Elder Barker in our "sulus"--don't worry about a thing!

A sweet picture I took of the moon

Helping a family paint their house

James, Aaron, and Jack!

Maria and her sweet family!

Stumbling Block or Stepping Stone?

I know we all have love in our homes, the joy that being together brings, the happiness of friends, the joy of company, the laughter, the smiles, the tears that are part of being in a family.

Sometimes we forget about how opposition can strengthen us. There is a great quote from Richard G. Scott: "When adversity comes, will it be a stumbling block? Or a stepping stone?" As I write this letter, I would pray you will listen with ears that hear and hearts that feel.

This past week, great new flashed across the mission: 13 baptisms this last week and loads of uplifting and encouraging things!

But, my heart goes out to the massive earthquake that has hit Haiti, and the effect it has had on millions of lives! This week in the European area, 2 missionaries died--they were found in their flat, and had died from Co2 poisoning. It's such a sad thing--I reflect over and over how this could happen and why?

I know these two young men have been taken home to our Father in Heaven, and they are serving faithfully on the other side. I hope all of us will think about when was the last time we said "I love you" to family members? A simple phone call, an easy letter, a quick e-mail. Sometimes we get so caught up in life, yet we do have the time to speak those words of love. You can find the time to write, to encourage, to help to lift, and to build up your family here on earth! I think of the people who say, "I wish I could've said," "I wish it happened this way," "Why didn't I . . . ?" Stop beating yourself up! Make a change now and do it! Stop selfishly keeping that which God has given you to give!

Though I really do feel for the tragic events that have happened, I know that all will be well as we apply the principles of faith, hope, and charity (which truly is the pure love of Christ), knowledge, patience, humility, diligence . . . these are some of the great attributes we can all apply to our lives.

I encourage you all to study more deeply the scriptures. Remember, the knowledge you gain in this life is more then wealth, fame, honour, status, or reputation! God sees not as man sees--this I know, and this I have felt. I testify it is true!

Blessings come when we willingly do the Father's will, and not our will! I have seen it this week as we prayed for less-actives, investigators, branch members, and families in need. Because we have tried to offer sincere, honest, heartfelt prayers, we were blessed. How many doors did we knock this week? How many contacts on the street? Zero. Why? The Lord blessed us according to our faith and our prayers and desires. We taught over 30 lessons this week, 16 less-active teaches, and also picked up 6 new investigators--and they are families, which is the greatest thing and we love them!

We have so many appointments this week. We are going to have Family Home Evening, which is a great time where we develop Christ-like attributes of bearing testimony, teaching, praying, and singing together. As we are diligent in having regular FHE, we gain knowledge. I thank my own father and mother sincerely for their lessons. I fought against FHE sometimes, but now see the benefit. I may not have always understood the scriptures, but I felt the wonderful sense of being with my family! I also grew in my knowledge of being familiar with the language of the scriptures, and have been so blessed on my mission to be able to interpret some scriptures to benefit and help others . . . all because of the simple, small steps of having consistent FHE.

I love this Gospel, and I feel so blessed to be in England. I'm grateful for adversity: it's exciting, it may be sad, but if we can see beyond our own sight and look in a eternal perspective, it's easy to see how the Lord blesses us to be strengthened by the hard things we face. Look beyond, and let the adversity become the stepping stones in your life! As we do, we will feel the Saviour's overwhelming love for all of us. We all have a purpose--be a Christ-like missionary. Don't just do "missionary things" because you have to, develop habits of love for others, and share that love.

I leave these things with you humbly, in the name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN.

LOVE,
ELDER COON