Running to Share the Gospel

When Dakota left on his mission we wondered how he would adjust without his usual running regimen. Not only is being fit an important family tenet but running is a big part of the Cobler household. We believe being physically fit not only gives you energy but investing in physical health gives you a sense of empowerment and accomplishment that supports emotional and spiritual wellbeing and an overall higher quality of life. So not being sure how Dakota would be able to continue making this investment gave us some concern. Soon it became clear that running would play a new role in his life for the next two years.

Starting with 30 minutes of exercise every day, Elder Cobler was determined to continue his workouts and training. He learned to adapt based on his companions and his location. Often he runs while his companion bikes next to him, sometimes they will run with him, or his focus is on building core and jump rope. And he savors those rare times when he can find a track on P-day and his companion is willing to go watch and time him. 

Setting Goals

Another one of our family tenets has always been to set goals and work toward them. Elder Cobler has often shared in his letters his gratitude for learning how to set goals and how integral it is to how he operates now. It has been a big benefit on his mission. Not long into his mission he wrote home and told us of a new goal.

He had received permission to run a 5K race. His 5K was in Fitzgerald on Mar 21, 2015. He ran the race in his white shirt, tie, badge and shorts. There were many questions and he of course was all too willing to talk about the church, his mission, and the gospel.

No Such Thing as DNF

Elder L. Tom Perry said “There is a real satisfaction that comes from finishing a task, especially when it is the best work we know how to do”.  This is one of the things we have talked about a lot at our house. For us there is no such thing as a DNF (Did not finish). Depending on the day there can be all kinds of definitions for finishing. The key is when you cross the finish line, as Elder Perry says, was it the best work you knew how to do?  

Of course for elite racers or professionals a DNF may be a wise choice but when growing up, learning, or working through every day challenges it became clear to us there were many lessons to be learned in finishing and seeing things through to the end. Some of our best lessons have come from our worst races and finishes. Dakota has used the lessons he has learned from this principle throughout his mission.

Where there is a will there is a way and Dakota is persistent so we loved this picture of him and his companion dragging this treadmill they found in a dumpster back to their apartment. Elder Cobler was going to stick to training and finishing no matter what it takes. He was training for a half marathon he had been given permission to run.

Running With Your Torch Still Lit

The half marathon proved to be much harder to train for with 30 minutes a day and P-days for long runs. Elder Cobler was indeed grateful for a supportive companion and knew this race may not be about winning but rather it would be about running to share the gospel and finishing with his torch still lit, as in the October 2015 Ensign's First Presidency Message from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf.

President Uchtdorf referenced the lampadedromia, a relay race originating in ancient Greece. This is where runners held a torch while running and the award was given to the first team to finish with their torch still lit. President Uchtdorf says, “There is a profound lesson here, one taught by prophets ancient and modern; while it is important to start the race, it is even more important that we finish with our torch still lit”.






Elder Cobler finished the half marathon in first with his shirt, tie, and badge on. He carried the torch of the gospel to the finish and shared his message as a disciple of Jesus Christ. He was able to share some of the discussions while waiting for the awards and his picture was put in the local newspaper.

Consistency is King

When Elder Cobler was transferred to Aiken it was his first experience of being in a large ward on his mission. He loved having so many members and a bigger support system. It didn’t take long before the members soon learned of his love of running and sharing the gospel through running. The members looked for a race he could run, came to watch and the kids even started to run. This was great for Elder Cobler. He was able to share some other important lessons he learned from running like consistency is King. In all we do in life whether it is living gospel teachings or training for a race committing daily is essential. In running if you are consistent in training you are less prone to getting injuries just like in spiritual training. When you commit to your spiritual growth and development every day you are less prone to injury.

You will often hear “It’s a slippery slope” quoted at our house when someone talks about letting a workout slide or not following the training plan for a day because something else has come up. Taking one day off can make it easier to take the next day, then the next, the next and before you know it you can end up off track and having lost some of your base fitness. That’s not to say you can’t get it back, but it makes it harder and increases your chances of not being ready on race day. Elder Cobler is committed to sharing the gospel every day!

Now Dakota is in Phenix City, Alabama and just recently was able to run another 5K. He has been on his mission for 16 months and is coming to the final stretch. This brings me to another favorite family tenet, front end loading. Front End loading is something Elder Cobler applies in training and in Missionary work. The concept is basically the same principle taught by many leadership and life coaches – “Do the hard stuff first” or in the case of running get as many miles as you can early in the week to cushion you in case unexpected obstacles come up as the week goes on.

Elder Cobler’s determination and discipline have become life skills he now uses every day. As he “Toes the line” on race day and every day of his mission, he uses his physical fitness and the sense of accomplishment it gives him, to finish strong in sharing the gospel with his torch still lit. We are so happy and blessed Elder Cobler has been able to share his gifts and strengths in such a unique and meaningful way.

3 Nephi 12: 15-16

15 Behold, do men light a candle and put it under a bushel? Nay, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light to all that are in the house;16 Therefore let your light so shine before this people, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Also below is the text that came with the picture from his Ward Missionary Leader. I love getting those!

"The baptism of Michael Tyrell Williams Jr. at the Coker Spring Ward, Aiken, SC. Your families have sent us wonderful Missionaries...thank you!  Max Bassett (WML)"

_____________________________________

Week of October 12 - October 18, 2015

This week I had an awesome Birthday week!

Monday we went to the Polo game which was a blast..it was super cool to watch...kinda scary when they get close to you and they are hauling tail toward you but super cool...And we found a polo ball in the ground that a horse stepped on so it was buried so we dug it out and I got to keep it cause I pulled the "its my birthday" card. I also got a sweet confederate flag jacket so that was pretty sick! One of the recent converts from the Aiken Ward found it at Goodwill so she bought it for me. Then Scott took us out to Flanigans for ice cream and we headed home!

Tuesday we had district meeting and then I went on exchanges with Elder Weston (a fellow runner). It was awesome to be able to talk about past times and racing...We had a super successful day of missionary work too which always feels good! We met a referral named Aretha. She was homeless for the 6 months of the past year she was in Aiken and then the Elders started teaching her and she was able to get back on her feet. She is super duper cool and will probably be baptized pretty soon! It was super cool how my ponderizing scripture last week was Mosiah 3:19 and it helped so many of our investigators! Especially the ones we taught today. This week I am doing Mosiah 24:15.

Wednesday we exchanged back and then we went to teach Isla with Brother Wheatley which was awesome because usually she just talks, but he overpowered her and then taught her the whole restoration himself and it was super awesome! Then we had interviews that night which was a super awesome experience and I learned tons so that was really really cool! Oh and on Tuesday one of the Aiken sisters, Sister Bradford, broke her foot so we also gave her a blessing tonight with President.

Thursday we just had a normal day of missionary work and Elder Hansen got his flu shot. The Spirit taught me something really cool in Book of Mormon class though! So we are referred to as representatives of Christ all the time as missionaries so we are representing Heavenly Father in a sense as well. Here on earth when a child misbehaves the parents get blamed for not teaching the child correctly so therefore they are representing their parents by the way they act. We too as Heavenly Father's children have the same relationship so we have to do the best we can so that we can represent Heavenly Father well and make Him proud of us.

Friday was mostly just a normal missionary day of serving and teaching.

Saturday we had the baptism for Michael Williams Jr. If y'all haven't noticed yet everyone I have baptized has had the last name of Williams.

Then I applied for a job at Ihop...well not really but we helped one of our investigators do that. Then nothing out of the ordinary happened the rest of the day.

Sunday, Church was awesome! I learned so much. It was kind of a bummer because Sister Williams was sick so Michael didn't come to church to be confirmed so technically he isn't a member yet but he will be by the end of this week. In Church we learned all about the Holy Ghost and about teaching and learning so those were both really awesome talks. The rest of the day was a normal missionary day!

Week of October 5 - October 11, 2015

This week was a really busy week! Monday we had our nerf war which was fun as usual then tuesday and wednesday we just had normal days of missionary work with not much of anything exciting. Thursday was awesome! We had a zone training meeting in Evans. It was kinda weird because I didn't really get any notes out of it and usually I get tons and that is one of the missionary meetings I learn most in but nothing was really taught to me and I was trying so hard to be spiritually prepared and listen to the spirit but I guess he just wasn't talking much. At the end Elder Shelton and Elder Schlaich shared their testimonies because it was their last zone training meeting. The spirit still didn't teach me a whole lot in that but later in the day I was thinking about it and then the spirit finally taught me. It was so cool! I only have 9 months left and I got super trunky to make those 9 months count more than ever. Becoming what Heavenly Father wants me to has been really hard but some how at that time my faith was increased so much that I had no fear or doubt at all and ever since then I have been able to submit to the will of Heavenly Father so much more...

This last week I ponderized Ether 12:27 and learned from Alma 32:5 that to make those weak things strong we have to humble ourselves by asking what we shall do. Then Phillipians 4:13 says that we can do all things through Christ which strengthens us. The key word is DO. We just DO what he tells us to and submit to His will and then He will make it possible for us to do that and as we do it, it strengthens us. I learned so much last week and now I am ponderizing Mosiah 3:19 that talks about yielding to the enticings of the spirit or what the spirit tells us to do. Then after the meeting we met 2 of the coolest new investigators but one of them was kinda crazy and said the pleiadians abduct her and show her around...apparently she has been to the galactic federation building to listen in on meetings...she was crazy but kinda cool...she basically described the Kingdom of God on Earth the first time we met her when talking about going to these other planets. 

Friday we had a crazy day and taught tons of awesome lessons and one of them is getting baptized next saturday so that is pretty cool! it is Jo'Cheryl's brother! Then Saturday we had lots of fun seeing the alien lady again and we went to a baptism that was really good. Sunday we just stayed really busy with regular missionary work running from one appointment to the next so that was really fun. It was an awesome week! Love you and miss you guys tons!

Love Elder Cobler

Don't forget to wish Elder Cobler a Very Happy 20th Birthday on October 12th.

Conference Weekend 9/28 - 10/4

This week was pretty chill! we didn't do much this last week that was all that exciting other than conference and a wild game dinner we went to on Friday that was pretty fun! PS wild boar does not taste like regular pork whatsoever. It is actually pretty gamey...unless he just didn't cook it a good way...brunswick stew is also pretty awful...

Saturday and Sunday all we did was stay at the church all day pretty much for conference which was awesome! I think my favorite talks were...well really I didn't really have any favorite talks because I was able to pull lots of things out of each talk that really helped me. It is so cool how when we listen to the spirit during things like church and General Conference how we can be taught things that are totally different than what they may be talking about or what other people are being taught. Our guidance from the holy ghost is so individualized and personal. I loved all the talks about light and becoming what God wants us to become and about keeping the commandments.

Transfers and Saying Goodbye 9/20 - 9/27

Last Monday we went to teach our neighbor Tom. He is super cool and we teach him about every day. He is so humble and just wants to change his life. He is an alcoholic which has given him the mind of probably a 6th or 7th grader but he is so amazing!

Tuesday we had our last district meeting for this district since Elder Williams, Sister Landis and Sister Goade are all leaving. Sister Landis is the only one going home though. It was probably the funnest and one of the most spiritual District Meetings I have ever been at.

Friday we helped a 90 year old change a flat on his car and then we got rear ended but it wasn't too bad. Only a dent the size of a quarter and some scratches. then we hustled home and I changed and then I went and ran...I went out with some 14 year old and did all that I could not to push him...I was just trying to stay with him without making him go faster but I died after about a mile and a quarter and then I got passed by some 50 year olds and that freaking 11 year old girl. She does USATF and is like 3rd or 4th in the nation according to their coach so its all good. I haven't run the past 2 weeks but I am trying to get back into it. I am doing pretty well. Then we went and taught Tom again and it was super spiritual and an awesome lesson.

Saturday we listened to the Transfer Call and I already told you who was leaving so that is going to be rough...I've never been so close to a district. It was really cool how well all of us got along. We then spent forever signing each other's Airplane books which is basically just a missionary yearbook. Elder Hansen and I went and tried to teach a few people. Then we taught Tom again and had an even more spiritual lesson so that was awesome. 

Sunday in the morning we pranked the sisters back one last time and covered their car in shaving cream and then we helped them clean it and we got in a shaving cream fight. We then hustled to church and then we had to teach gospel principles randomly and we totally had to wing it but it was an awesome lesson about the gathering of Israel so it was pretty easy to talk about that. We saw people the rest of the night and then called it a day. It was a blast of a week but saying good bye is always pretty tough.

Golden Infishtigators   9/7 - 9/13

Tuesday not much happened it was about our only time all of last week to actually proselyte. We did go see Rick to give him a blessing and it was super cool because in the blessing something was said about putting one step in front of the other on your path of faith and then as we walked out he goes "Well Elders! I'm going to put one foot in front of the other and come to church this Sunday!" He didn't come though. We can't really do anything else for him. We already have his baptismal record all filled out and he just won't commit. he gets about a week away from the date we set for him to be baptized and then he bails. Oh well. He'll get baptized one day.

     

Wednesday we went to Macon and we were there or driving all day. It was a meeting for trainers and trainees so that was pretty good. I also got to see Sister Dayton from East again so that was pretty cool. After that we headed home and did our baptismal interview for Jo'Cheryl. 

     

Thursday we had a Zone Training Meeting in Evans which was really good and the Sister Training Leaders talked about finding golden investigators and then they took us in the gym to look for a prize and I found the "Golden Infishtigator" so that is what the picture of me holding goldfish with the Sister Training Leaders is. It was a pretty fun day and we had an awesome talk about all kinds of things at lunch. When we got back we had BoM class which was awesome! Scott taught it for us and it was about Alma 26:13 and then we talked about the question have we not great reason to rejoice? and it was the best BoM class we have had so far. After BoM class I interviewed Timothy for his baptism this next Saturday and that was a really cool experience because of how strong the spirit was telling me he was ready. 

     

Saturday we had the baptism which was awesome and then on Sunday she was confirmed but we practically had to drag her up there because she was so nervous but it was all good and she did it! It was a really good week!

Answered Prayers  8/31 - 9/6

Saturday we met this super cool lady. She told us that 2 days ago she prayed and asked God to help her continuing believing and then we knocked on her door. She definitely took it as her answer so that was awesome and now she is probably our coolest and sincere investigator even though we have a baptism for a 9 year old this Saturday! 

This next week is going to be insane because we are going to Macon for basically all of Wednesday then Evans GA for Thursday and Augusta GA for all of Friday and then Saturday is the Baptism and we are teaching the Cottles so it is going to be crazy hectic

April 20, 2015

This week was a crazy week. On Monday not much happened after I emailed you then on Tuesday we went to the Christian Kitchen and peeled potatoes with what seemed to be a rock with a handle for 1.5 hours...it was a potato peeler but it was just so dull that it was like a rock. Oh and when we got back from our run we thought we had locked ourselves out because Elder Burgess only had a key to the back door but we left the chain on it so we were sure we couldn't get in but then he was like Im going to go try my key in the front door so we prayed and then he went and tried and then a couple seconds later I heard him undoing the chain to the door so that was definitely a miracle. 

But then after that I studied Alma 42 which was a super cool chapter that I used to teach people all day long so you guys should go check it out. We have a legit new Investigator that builds his own guns and he had already started reading the BOM and D&C when we met him and he has a member friend that he emails all the time so that is pretty cool. He almost converted in college but then he broke up with his girlfriend who was a member and now he started emailing her again and will probably be baptized in a month or so which is legit. 

Wednesday we did the Christian Kitchen again and this time shredded a half frozen Boston Butt that was donated which was super hard and cold but it got done. Then we went and had Curry Chicken with Auntie Vivian like we do every Wednesday, it is all good. She is awesome and it is super good and she is actually one of our few progressing investigators. 

Then Thursday all we did was get stuck in mud pretty much...we tried digging ourselves out for 6 hours straight with a freaking golf club and some sticks but finally at about 8 we called for help...Dad always said to be a problem solver so I was doing my best and trying all sorts of things but then the Zone Leaders and Elder Burgess made us call a member for help or I would have been digging there all night. It was actually pretty cool because the member brought a non member with them (her dad) to pull us out because it was his truck that we used...Oh and can't forget the creepy cemetery that kept calling us pretty much the whole time and it was just full of babies...It was quite the experience. 

Then on Friday we just planned and then cut out some huge bushes with terrible trimmers so that made me super sore but then she took us out to eat so that was nice. Then Saturday we helped the American Red Cross install fire alarms from 9-2 so that was a super long day but it was pretty fun. Kinda awkward cause we got paired with a set of Sisters but whatever I guess...The zone leaders put us with them because they knew we would be most mature about it is what they claimed.

Then on Sunday we had a crazy time at church...our Recent Convert hates her husband and says things have gone downhill tons since she was baptized but Satan always makes that happen. Then we had a blow up in Sunday school class because it turned into a bunch of former baptists hooping and hollering and so Elder Burgess got up and straightened them out which made a member super mad because she doesn't understand the gospel quite yet. Then we had a guy start puking in Sacrament and he has been having a lot of health issues so they called an ambulance and rushed him to the ER. 

Then after church we had to stay in Tifton for a few hours because of all the Tornado watches and stuff that were going on and we watched one almost form but it was just the clouds spinning and it never turned into one all the way but it was still kinda scary. Then we got home and I made dinner and made 2 peach cobblers to take to the member and her dad for helping us out of the mud so it was a pretty crazy and busy day and a very eventful and tiring week but it was still good. I am excited to see what happens this week. I miss you guys and love you guys tons. Talk to you next week! Love Elder Cobler 

April 13, 2015

So this week was pretty good but not much really happened so this email will probably be pretty short. First fishing was pretty good for Elder Burgess. It was his first time fishing without his dad and he only fished once with his dad so I had to help him a bit but he caught 2 tiny little bream. If you are wondering what that is it is a tiny little fish about 6-8 inches long and they have spikey fins and you can't really eat anything off of them. 

Tuesday was pretty good but we mostly just worked in the blistering heat all day helping Miss Register clean her pool and cleaning out briars all out of her plants. 

Then on Wednesday Auntie Vivian fed us curry chicken like she usually does and then we went to correlation. Oh and before we ate we helped one of Miss Register's old lady friends plunge her toilet so that was pretty gross. 

On Thursday we had a zone training meeting and I finally finished my quest. It says "Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land" 24 times in the BoM and it says it tons of other times too in different ways so after I finish reading the BoM through just plain not searching for stuff then I will go back and highlight every time it talks about keeping commandments. 

Then on Thursday after the meeting I didn't really feel good. I did feel good enough to work on Saturday and that was lots of fun because we went and did a bunch of different magic tricks with some of Auntie Vivian's relatives and last time we taught one of the little boys how to make it look like he was sticking a pencil up his nose and then he did it at school and got in trouble because the teacher thought he was actually putting it up his nose so that was pretty funny. 

To add something kinda spiritual I am going to give you guys some quotes that I heard in the last 6 weeks that I wrote in the back of my planner. the first one is from President Cottle at the last transfer meeting when he said "If you aren't happy, repent!" and that is what he talked about in his weekly email to us today too. Then the other one is "Christ changes man and changed man changes the world" but I don't remember where that one came from. Well hope you guys have a good week! Love you guys and Miss you!

Love Elder Cobler

April 6, 2015

Well General Conference was pretty awesome. On Tuesday and Wednesday I got stuck on exchanges with the new greenie on exchanges but it was alright cause he isn't like most greenies that are afraid to talk to people. Instead he talks to everyone and everything and all the time too so that was a plus. 

It was kinda sad on Tuesday though because we had to give a lady in an old folks home a blessing and it was really scary and hard because when I went to give her the blessing the first thing I felt prompted to do was tell her that she will rest from her cares and sorrows soon and that she won't have to suffer anymore so that was super hard and I had to fight with the spirit on that one cause I didn't want to be the one to tell her that. 

After that pretty much all we did the rest of the week was invite people to conference and I made some cool little invitations that we printed photos of and cut up. I made 80 of them and almost gave all of them away in 3 days so that was pretty exciting even though nobody showed up. 

Hmmm...April Fools with a greenie...good thing I have a good heart and didn't do too much to him. he did most of the stuff to himself so everything he went through was because of him. Oh and on Tuesday I almost flipped over my handle bars because we took an investigator a piece of cake for her bday and I was riding one handed and so I had to slam on my front brake when a car crossed in front of us but it was all good. 

Then not much else happened except for conference. I think my favorite things talked about in conference were the stories that people talked about. My 2 favorites were the ones from Elder Holland about the boys rock climbing and from Elder Clayton who talked about the girl in the plane crash. I love when they teach from stories like that and turn them into a kind of parable and teach as the Savior did. It is so powerful and helps us get the answers we truly need and are ready for. Love you guys and miss you. Love Elder Cobler

March 30, 2015

So this week was awesome! Pday all we did was clean our car so that was boring...But then on Tuesday we had zone conference all day and that was awesome!! Zone conference is always so motivational, uplifting and inspirational. My favorite part was when a missionary in Tifton that only has about 2 months left of his mission shared his testimony for his last zone conference. When missionaries go home we refer to it as dying and it was super cool when he said that he had been struggling recently with going home but then he realized that while missionaries may die, or go home, Disciples never die. So that is my favorite little quote right now. Disciples Never Die. It is cool because there is so much extra meaning to it. You can look at it in the missionary sense or the bigger sense because we know that we will all be resurrected and literally none of us will ever die because Jesus Christ overcame all death for us Spiritually and Physically. 

Then Wednesday was awesome because Sister Williams got interviewed and she was super duper excited for her baptism. That was also the day we decided I was going to baptize her with help from Elder Herzog. Oh and on Wednesday I made Navajo tacos which tasted really good but made us super sick. I deep fried some stretched out Rhodes rolls then made chili by mixing spaghetti sauce, southwest seasoning, and a can of black and a can of pinto beans and it made some pretty legit chili even though it sounds weird it was super good. You will get pictures of it soon cause we forgot so when I make it again with the greenie on exchanges I will take pics for my food log. 

Thursday was a super good day cause we biked 9.3 miles to Ocilla. Then we biked from there to Irwinville which was  another 9.3 miles but we didn't make it all the way there because it was pouring rain and so the member that was feeding us ribs came and picked us up. It was super fun though even though at one point Elder Burgess was a good mile or so behind me. Then on Friday we helped a member move out and he gave each of us 25$ to eat at Ruby Tuesday and then we went to Harvey's to grab some quick gum and talked to the guy stocking shelves for like 45 minutes so that was super cool. 

Then Saturday we had the baptism which was super cool and after we used our gift cards to celebrate! I got Steak and Lobster that was super good. Then on Sunday we had Church and went home teaching with a member and then it was bed time and we fixed the treadmill. Oh and then last night we think somebody tried to break into our house around 1 or 2 but we don't really have anything to steal so we don't really care and we are going to Tifton tonight to stay so it is all good.

Love Elder Cobler

March 23, 2015

So we started off the week with bowling for P-day and that was super fun. On Tuesday we had a District meeting and I had a bunch of cool and fun little activities planned but then I felt prompted not to do them and for us to just share our testimonies for district meeting so that is exactly what we did. It was super powerful and a cool meeting so we ended it at that. Then we went to lunch and started our exchange. 

I went up to Fitz with Elder Herzog who is from Pleasant Grove and that was super fun. He used to be their best sprinter but he only did track his senior year so it is kinda nice being able to talk to somebody that at least ran a little bit. We had an awesome exchange. We kicked it off by visiting an investigator while she was at work and her and her daughter loved that so that was fun. Then we went home and I made the corned beef for St. Patty's Day. I forgot to take a picture though...I am going to start taking pics of my food to show how good of a cook I am becoming. 

Then we went and taught a few lessons that were super powerful. We had a really cool experience teaching Tiffany. We decided to just read the first 19 verses of Moroni 7 with her...well actually we planned on reading the whole chapter but then she had company come at the end of verse 19 and as soon as we read verse 19 before her company came we both felt like we should stop so then Heavenly Father forced us to stop by making company come over. After the lesson the spirit helped us both know that what we shared with Tiffany was exactly what she needed to hear and it was one of the strongest spiritual impressions I have had like that for a long time so that was pretty cool. 

Then we went home and I cooked some more freaking awesome food. This time it was sweet and sour chicken over rice. Then we went back and I worked Elder Herzog to death. It was a super good exchange and we got tons done. Thursday nothing super exciting happened and same for most of the rest of the week except for I ran the 5k and church was super good and has been the past 2 times. It has been exactly what I needed to hear and learn about so that was awesome and it was really motivating so that was cool. No investigators came to church this week but we do have Sis. Williams getting baptized next week so I guess that is pretty cool. It was a super good week for the most part and hope to have another good one this next week.

March 16, 2015

On Monday we didn't do much. It was just a normal p-day except we taught our new neighbor at night. Tuesday we went and saw a few people and that was pretty good cause Nick and Kristen might actually start progressing as well as Miss Betty. Nick wants us to make him a calendar with everything he needs to be taught and everything on it so maybe that will help. Miss betty...we almost dropped her but then we saved it and she taught us about the Restoration which was really cool cause now she can truly say that she knows the Book of Mormon is true and now she just needs to leave her church which is going to be the hard part. Wednesday we just taught all day and we were super busy and then we went and taught Sister Williams about keeping the Sabbath day holy and coming to all of church but she still didn't come this Sunday so that was kinda frustrating but she will still be baptized so it will be alright. 

Thursday was pretty good but it was kinda sketchy because I had to give a training to the whole zone but it was still pretty good. our Zone Training meeting was really good though and then all 24 of us went out to a buffet and ate dinner together so that was pretty fun. When we got back home we saw a couple people and then headed in. Oh and we found out that one of our investigators has a grandson that just got baptized in Fort Lauderdale. Her son called her to get approval thinking that our investigator/his mom would get upset with him but then she was super excited because she loves the church. She will probably be baptized soon. 

Then on Friday I put my photoshop skills to use and made a new map for our area all day and that sucked and we did that on Saturday night too which was no fun either. Saturday day we went and saw a few people but nothing super exciting happened other than Miss Betty complimenting us on how good we looked. It was cause of my new Sperry's :) 

Basically Just regular visits. Sunday was pretty good. church was awesome. We talked about making choices in Sacrament and then we talked a bunch about Jesus Christ in the other 2 classes. After church we thought our dinner appointment cancelled and then we went and made a bunch of food at the ZL's house and then at like 1 she called and asked if we were coming or not  so we hustled over there and had to eat again cause she made tons and tons of food like it was Thanksgiving or something and she made us eat tons of desserts too. Then she brought over an apple Cobbler after we thought we were done and tried to get us to eat that and none of us would have if Elder Herzog, the new ZL, wouldn't have piled it on our plates for us. We were pretty miserable after that. then we headed home and took our supper hour to let our stomachs rest and then we tried to teach 6 people in 1.5 hours but we only taught 3...oh well. It was a pretty good week. We are super busy right now and we are going to have to start dropping people because we don't have time to go see people. Well talk to you next week! Miss you! Love Elder Cobler