Happy 2016!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hello!

It was a lot of fun to see you on Christmas! :) And yes mom, even though I saw you, I am still writing, so don't worry. Sounds like you had a lovely Christmas! We did too, we got to have dinner with a member family and as always there was a ton of food and I think we ate like 3 pigs each. (okay not really...but it was a lot!)

This week we went to visit a family of less actives that just so happens to live a 30 second walk from our pensión. (I don't know why we had never gone before!) And turns out that they are a HUGE family, all of them are members except for the mom, and she has always wanted to get baptized but never could, but now her situation has changed so she can get baptized! She wants to get baptized together with her 2 granddaughters who are 8. They are the Soria family. We talked about them in branch council and the branch president said that if the mom comes to church, her whole family will follow her. She has 7 kids and tons of grandkids too! So we are hopeful!

Today we played futbol with the whole district and that was fun.

Well I hope you all have a wonderful New Years! Love you all!

Hermana Hooke :)

Our Christmas Day Skype (on screen w Libby, Becca, Allison, and Catherine:)

Christmas day, and also a branch member's 30th birthday

"Christmas tree-in-a-box" Thanks Grandma & Grandpa T!!

Hna Barros, Hna Hooke (and she forgot to tell me who the one in the middle is...

)

FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!!!!!!!

Hey happy Christmas week!!!!! The best week of the year!!!

Well first of all, the cyber where we are right now is playing Coldplay and I am dying a little bit, how I miss them...

 

Hope everyone is well! Congrats Jon and Amanda!!!! [Jon proposed to Amanda Turnbull on December 21st! She's a doll and we're all excited...but I'm guessing that Jon is the most excited:) ]  Woohoo our family is going to be like 6x bigger by the time I get back!

 

This week was very good here in Concepción! We are spreading Christmas cheer with our Santa hats and Christmas videos and we are going Christmas caroling tonight for FHE! And to top it all off, we now have a collection of 2 whole Christmas trees in the pensión, thanks to Grandma and Grandpa Tuttle! Who knew that "Christmas-tree-in-a box" exists? Haha but it's pretty sweet.

 

 

 

 

 

Hermano Pallares received the priesthood yesterday and also got his temple recommend because he is going to Buenos Aires and he is going to go to the temple with the brother of a member here who grew up with his kids...if that makes sense. Basically it is a perfectly set up miracle of the Lord! 

 

Sorry I have to go but MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!! Remember that the real gift is our Savior Jesus Christ and his atonement. I am so very grateful for it! Love you all!

 

I will call on Christmas at 12 noon my time...

 

Love, 

Hermana Hooke!

It is HOT in Tucumán!!!!!!

If you want to know what it was like this week, just imagine going for a long swim in a hot tub on a hot day, then drying off in an oven. And that's about how it is living in Concepción without AC or fans. Woohoo! Sometimes we move our mattresses to the main room to sleep where it's a little cooler, and last night I slept with a giant bottle of ice water. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, I've heard!

 

Well nothing too interesting has happened this week...we did divisiones so Hna Barros was in San Miguel for a day, and that's about it. But I am doing very well! I love sharing the message of Christmas with the people here! I encourage you all to see 2 videos the Church made this year at christmas.mormon.org (or navidad.mormon.org, if you want to see it in Spanish for some reason). I love them because they show that knowing we have a Savior makes us HAPPY, and explains why we need a Savior. So yeah, watch them! I am so grateful that over 2000 years ago a little baby was born to give us light and hope, and I know that he lives! Make this year a special Christmas sharing this with someone you know, it is the best gift you can give him in return. 

 

Love you all! 

Hermana Hooke

 

Our ¨Christmas tree¨ that my companion found on the side of the road...

A plaza in our area

Our missionary district just before having a watermelon seed spitting contest!

 

It Snowed in Pleno Verano (the middle of SUMMER)!!

Hola y feliz lunes! Hope everyone is well!

 

Thanks for all your prayers. Hermano Pallares got confirmed this week! Your next task: pray that Salomé his granddaughter will be able to get baptized! She is excited and ready but we need the permission of her parents and they are literally NEVER home. Hermano Pallares really is raising her because her parents seem to be ALWAYS working or doing other things. But we want to help their whole family!

 

This week we saw a lot of miracles, and looking back I can recognize how the Spirit was guiding us. We decided, I didn't really know why, (now I know it was the Spirit guiding us) to go to 2 parts of our area that aren't even very far away, we had just never gone before because my comp before had never gone because her comp before me had never gone, etc. And we found a less active member and her huge non member family in one of the areas, and in the other we found a new WONDERUL family to teach! It was kind of funny, we were talking to people outside their houses and this little boy was  following us around and very interested in what we were doing, so we started to talk to him and turns out he was the nephew of our relief society president. He had seen the missionaries in her house before but had never really talked to them. He told us where he lived just around the corner and we went and met Laura who was taking care of her 3 kids while her husband (who is another nephew of the RS Pres) was at work. We only had about a 15 minute lesson with her....but SHE CAME TO CHURCH! So basically it pays off to follow the Spirit. That is the moral of the story. 

 

Love you all! Have a great week!!!

Hermana Hooke 

 

Today a business gave us a huge map of Concepción that they were gonna throw away because they got a new one. (the good news)

 

 

 

 

We had to haul it a kilometer to our house (the bad news)... okay the photo is a bit dramatized. haha

On Sunday I woke up and look what I saw...SNOW!

Remember that in Argentina, summer, not winter, is starting...

Happy December!!! [and Baptism of Enrique Pallares!]

Hola!

Hope all is going well!

 

Well the highlight of this week was definitely the baptism of Enrique Pallares! He has progressed so much! 

 

He came to his baptismal interview fasting, and he came to his baptism having finished reading the ENTIRE Book of Mormon! I certainly had not read the entire Book of Mormon when I got baptized, ha. It was so beautiful to see how happy he was. When I asked him how he felt, he said, "Like an angel!" He won't get confirmed [a priesthood blessing bestowing on him the gift of the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit] until this Sunday because we had District Conference, so keep him in your prayers so that all can go well. 

 

We are working with the branch leaders to organize visiting teachers and home teachers so that will definitely help in fellowshipping the members. 

 

Well, that is all the time I have for today, but I hope you all have a wonderful week! 

 

Love you!!

Hermana Hooke

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Hello!!!

I actually forgot about that American holiday until an American elder wore a turkey tie to church yesterday, haha.

I hope you are all doing well and counting your many blessings! This week we have had so many here in Concepción! I think that when we work hard and keep the commandments we receive a fair share of blessings for our efforts, because God is just, but every once in a while we receive like a holiday bonus, because God is merciful. This week we definitely received more than our share of blessings!

Hermano Pallares attended church for the 3rd time yesterday, and he will be getting baptized this Saturday! His granddaughter attended with him too, for the first time!

We are receiving specific revelation for our investigators and helping them to progress!

We found a new family (Luna family) of a mom, a dad, and 6 kids this week, and 2 of the older daughters went to church yesterday! 

We had a zone conference with President Chaparro and we ate TACOS! (well Argentine style tacos)

We are working with a lot of people and families who have a lot of potential and our hopes are high that with the help of heaven we can help them all to progress.

I invite you all to think of all the blessings that God has given you this week, and it will surprise you what He has done! I love you all very much!

Con amor,

Hermana Hooke :)

I met Elder Cook!!!

This week was incredible! We had an ALL MISSION Conference which NEVER EVER happens because it's like 13 hours from one end of the mission to the other. But Elder and Sister Texeira, Elder and Sister Soares, and Elder and Sister Cook all came to talk to exclusively missionaries in the Argentina Salta mission, so por supuesto we all went!

Elder & Sister Teixeira 

 (From https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoe2-mXl6rFZGT2Cck7CFdRZ0XnLvHl-x8TFqjFGp-Uku7vcOt748bT4cuT3uYX5pFhjBDxK_HwuBEDQoStQ5nIms2iZafGhKxE2526wJX_fAfTAxVuS_nYNljdx6ekYLFKD8dxLH0N4_W/s1600/IMG_2284.JPG)

Elder & Sister Soares 

(from https://www.lds.org/church/news/choices-shape-souls-elder-soares-taught-byu-students?lang=eng)

Elder & Sister Cook (at General Conference)

It was also so much fun to see all my old pals. I got to sing in the choir (okay it was more like they obligated me to do it because I can sing alto..haha) and when we took the photo with Elder Cook I just so happened to be like 5 inches behind his head, so I felt pretty special. [The photo didn't come through today...hopefully we'll get it next week!] Later we all shook their hands and then we had the meeting. We received a lot of good counsel on how to be "branch builders" and strengthen our branches. Elder Cook spoke last and when he shared his testimony of Jesus Christ every one of us felt the Spirit testify very strongly that he truly is an Apostle of the living Christ. It was definitely a once in a lifetime experience having an apostle of the Lord speak to me specifically as a missionary and one I will always remember!

Hermano Pallares came to church for the 2nd time yesterday so if all goes well, he will get baptized the 28th of this month! Please keep him and his family in your prayers.

Well that's pretty much the highlights of my week, hope you have all been doing great! Love you all!

 Hermana Hooke

Look who I saw!! Hermana Ostler!!

Hermana Barros and me

Well I just thought the brand of this hamburger was funny.

Oi !!!!

Hola!!!

Hope you're all well! 

Well this week has been a bit crazy, spent a few days in Tucuman, then a few days in Salta to pick up my new comp, then another night in Tucuman because a car crashed into our bus (don't worry everyone was fine) but finally we are here in Concepcion and working hard and happy. My new companion is Hermana Barros (she says it like Bajos) from Sao Paolo Brasil! She is super great and is training me more than I am training her...haha. We have a lot of fun playing charades and stuff but she is learning more Spanish and I am learning more Portuguese so it's all good :) Mom you asked about a special training program, yeah we study 4 hours every day instead of the normal 2.5...it's a lot. But it's good to remember a lot of the important and basic things of missionary work that I may have forgotten. 

Presidente y Hermana Chaparro, Hna Barros, Hna Hooke

Hna Hooke's new "hija" (brand new missionary) from Brasil--Hna Barros

This week Pallares went to church! He really liked it. I don't remember if I told you, but when he went back for his X Ray the tumor was gone! The doctors don't understand it, but we sure do! Well I don't remember what else has happened...all is well here. 

I am grateful to be on a mission for my Savior Jesus Christ and I know He lives. I also know that He restored His gospel and that He directs His church through living prophets, and that when we follow their counsel and the words of the scriptures, that we can live eternally as families. I am grateful for the testimony I have and for the opportunity to share it with everyone I meet.

I love you all dearly!!!! 

Until next week,

Hermana Hooke

I Have News!!

I'm with a brand new missionary!  Hermana Vargas left this morning for Santiago del Estero and I am with another hermana (from Brasil!) for a few days before going to Salta to meet my new "hija"! Que loco, no? This week we saw a crazy storm and lots of rain as well of lots of miracles!

Well enough about me, I am so happy for all the miracles and blessings that are going on back home!!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY JON, HAPPY EXPECTANT PARENTHOOD to a BOY, LIBBY & CHRIS, and HAPPY EXPECTANT PARENTHOOD to another BOY, TOMMY & ASHLEE! :) I am proud to call you my siblings! I love you guys a lot and am grateful for the examples you give me. I am also grateful that families can be eternal, thanks to the restored gospel and priesthood authority. I know I am where I need to be, and I know that what I teach is true, and it makes me so happy to know it!
 Love you all! Hermana Hooke

MIRACLES!!!

Hola!

This week was sure a week of miracles, here in Concepción as well as back home it seems! [Friends of ours were sealed in the temple, coming up on their 49th anniversary!]

Milagro Numero 1: Hermano Pallares received a priesthood blessing and has no more pain from his herniated disc and tumor. He's going today for the results of his latest x-ray but I'm pretty sure they will find that he is fine. I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who gives His power to men on earth to bless our lives!

Milagro Numero 2: We passed by to visit some members that we hadn't planned to visit, but when we got there their friends that they had wanted to introduce to the gospel just so happened to be there! So we gave them a Book of Mormon and are going to try to have a Family Night or something with them and their friends (the members), because they live really far away.

Milagro Numero 3: I learned how to make homemade pasta! We had lunch with the branch president's family yesterday and I helped them make the pasta. The part I made didn't turn out very well (okay pretty horrible actually) and I said, "Well now I've learned for next time!" The oldest daughter told me, "Hermana Hooke, there will be no next time." Haha it was funny.

Welll sadly I have run out of time, but I wish you a wonderful week! Love you! :)

Hermana Hooke

[Emily won several awards for her snickerdoodles at the festival of desserts:)]

Hermana Vargas making Colombian Arepas

[Much ado about eating... and popped footballs:) ]

Hola a todos! Hope you are all well!

Well to start, yesterday was Mother's Day here in Argentina, and the Argentines sure like to eat. We had lunch with the branch president's whole extended family and here is everything I ate: sandwiches, pizza, empanadas, chicken, rice, steak, potato salad, sausage, 2 types of soda, coconut pie and lemon meringue pie and strawberry and creams with cake. I thought I was going to die of diabetes and clogged arteries and like 5 other diseases all at the same time...but I survived! So that's the good news.

 

This week we could see a ton of progress with Susana, she can't let one day go by without reading the Book of Mormon and she loves church more every time! But she is waiting for her divorce to go through with her ex-husband so she can get married to her new one of 6 years, so we might have to wait a little bit for her baptism. But hey there could be a miracle and the paperwork could all get finished up...I don't really know how that all works.

 

Please pray for Pallares [English pronunciation: pie-ARE-ace], he has to go to Buenos Aires for a very risky operation.

 

Today we met as a zone to play fútbol and have lunch, it was very fun, until our zone leader kicked the ball over the wall and it got popped.

 

Well I don't really have anything else interesting to say! Just that I am happy and well and the Church is true! Until next week.

Hermana Hooke

PS I was about to send fotos but this cyber doesn't recognize my camera....so I guess you'll never meet Hermana Vargas now. Que triste

Una Semana Más de Milagros! [Another week of miracles!]

Hola!!!

Hope you are all well and that you have been able to apply some of the things we learned in general conference! I am trying to do it too!

 

Well this week was really great! Got to finish up trámites [visa papers], then we came back to Concepción and were able to see some miracles with our investigators! We met Susana last week and we returned this week for our second lesson with her and we taught the Restoration. When we explained how we can receive an answer through the Holy Ghost, she read a part in the pamphlet** and said, "I am so amazed, this says exactly how I am feeling!" She accepted a baptismal date and came to church yesterday! Also we visited for the 2nd time an older man Pallares and his 10-year-old granddaughter Salomé, and they are so special! I already feel like they are my grandpa and niece or something. They almost went to church yesterday...literally they were in the plaza one block away but couldn't find the church! Breaks my little heart, but they will make it next week!

Well. All is well in Tucumán! Hope you all have a great week!

 

I had some really good pics this week but it's a holiday so everything's closed, so we are writing in the church and I can't attach the pics. But just imagine them, they were good ones.

 

Love you! 

Hermana Hooke

 

**Here is a pdf of the pamphlet Emily is referring to:

https://www.lds.org/bc/content/ldsorg/content/english/manual/missionary/pdf/36920_the-restoration-eng.pdf?lang=eng  (scroll down)

General Conference is my Favorite Holiday!

Hola!

I hope you are all well! And that you got to watch general conference [lds.org] because it was superb, como siempre! This week was a little crazy and we didn't have too much time to work, but it was great and I am so happy. I had to go to Salta (7-ish hours on a bus...its the bayst [best:)], I love it) for 2 days to do more paperwork to be legal here one day. Then we had interviews with President Chaparro (while we waited, our zone had a yerba mate party!) and something that I really liked that the President said is that I am in this area for a specific purpose. I don't really know what it is, but I guess it's still cool, right? haha. He is such a good man and very in tune with the Spirit in order to help each of us with our individual needs. Then came GENERAL CONFERENCE which is seriously the best! In the closing song of one session they were singing "The Spirit of God" and I was pretty sure Jesus was gonna come right through the window.

Something that I love about Argentina is that when it's conference time people come from towns far away to watch it in the church so everyone stays between sessions and we have a huge picnic. It's the best! Well after conference we traveled again, this time to Tucumán, where we will be for a few days doing more trámites (paperwork. my favorite.) We are staying in a nice hotel, and last night I couldn't sleep because when I sleep in hotels I get nervous for the big race tomorrow like in my youth but then I remembered, "I don't have a big race tomorrow. Just a bunch of paperwork." So then I could sleep better, haha.

Wellll I am well and so happy to be on the mission. Hermana Vargas and I are enjoying every minute of it! Alejandro and Cynthia went out of town so we haven't seen them but they are doing well and we are going to see them again this week.

Well that's enough rambling for today! I love being a missionary and I love my Heavenly Father and my Savior and my family! I invite you to go through your notes from conference and make an action plan to put what you learned in practice. "Therefore, whoso HEARETH these sayings of mine and DOETH them, I will liken him unto a wise man, who built his house upon a rock." (Matthew 7:24, also 3 Nephi 14:24.) 

Well have a great week, love you!
Hermana Hooke :)

FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS Uncle Chris!

28 September 2015 
["Uncle Chris" is one of Emily's nicknames for her Dad, whose birthday is tomorrow:) ]

Holaaaaa!

Espero que todos estén muy bien! [I hope you are all very well!] I just finished up my first week in Concepción and I am a big fan! The people here are so warm and friendly, the members and also most of the people we talk to on the street. One lady let us in and told us to sit down before we could even introduce ourselves! My companion is so sweet and funny and I am a big fan of her also, I am learning a lot! We have a young married couple Cynthia and Alejandro who are progressing a lot and we are working with them for October 17th to get baptized! They moved in next door to some really great members and that's how they got introduced to the church. 

Also this week we saw a really cool miracle! We met a young Colombian family (remember my comp is Colombian) and they were basically our best friends after like 5 minutes (actually at first the wife didn't like us but when we invited her to listen she completely changed!) They invited us to lunch and we had Colombian food and Hermana Vargas almost died of happiness, it was super yummy. Sadly, they are leaving today or tomorrow to return to Colombia, BUT they live in the same city as Hermana Vargas´ cousins who are members and we are going to tell the missionaries there to visit them because they are awesome!

Well something that I am learning is that I will always keep learning. Even more than a year into the mission, every day when I study I find things that I need to improve and apply to be a better missionary. I feel that I am still progressing a lot towards being a better missionary and I am so happy here. 

Here is a quote from Elder Bednar:

¨Most of us know that when we do things wrong and need help to overcome the effects of sin in our lives, the Savior has made it possible for us to become 
clean through His redeeming power. But do we also understand that the Atonement
 is for faithful men and women who are obedient, worthy, and conscientious and 
who are striving to become better and serve more faithfully?¨

Repentance is not just for big mistakes. It is also for being a little better every day, and we will need it until we are like Jesus Christ, our perfect example in everything. I am so grateful for this short time that I have on the mission and for the sacrifice of my Savior that makes improvement, progress, forgiveness, and hope possible. 

I love you all so much! Have a great week! And get excited for GENERAL CONFERENCE!!! :) [Broadcast live on lds.org or byutv.org at 9am and 1pm both Saturday the 3rd and Sunday the 4th. Also available to watch later on lds.org]

Best, 
Hermana Hooke

Chau Metán!! [plus lots of photos]

Hola a todos,

 

Well again I have absolutely no time (sorry...I promise I will write more next week!) but the biggest news is that I left Metán this morning. Leaving Metán was as hard or harder than leaving my home a year ago. I love the people there so much, and Hermana Ostler is one of my best friends! But life goes on. 

 

 

 

I am in Concepción, Tucumán, which is coincidentally Hermana Ostler's previous area. I am a madrastra (the 2nd companion [literally "stepmother")] of Hermana Vargas from Colombia. She has 3 months in the mission and is pretty much going to be the best missionary ever. I will send a pic next week. 

 

If there is something I've learned in the mission it's that we have to enjoy every moment. As Marjorie Hinckley said, we can't spend our days wishing for better ones ahead, we have to live and enjoy life now. So I am infinitely and eternally grateful for the opportunity to have served in Metán but I am also excited to be here and start a new adventure! 

 

Love you all, have a great week! 

xoxo 

Hermana Hooke

 

 

 

 

"...this week was good and I am alive!" (with photos to prove it:)

Heyyy sorry I ran out of time but this week was good and I am alive!

We have been talking with everyone (including an old man who asked us if we wanted to live with him...ew) , teaching, and trying to work better with the members to help less actives, new converts, and investigators. Especially we have been trying to use the Book of Mormon better and in every opportunity because it is such a strong testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ, and if we have a testimony of its truthfulness, the rest just falls into place. Of course we can still have doubts and trials but I know that God loves us as His children and everything works together for our good, even if we don't understand in the moment.

I love you all, have a great week!!

Hermana Hooke :)

 

Emilse and Maxi, some of my favorite people ever! Emilse is a recent convert, introduced to the church through her boyfriend Maxi

 

Slumber party in Tucumán the night before zone training

 

The Hermanas of Zona Tucumán (and some Elders)

The Hermanas of Metán!

The Week of the Power Outage and the Earthquake!

Okay it's not as exciting as it sounds. Haha there was an earthquake but I didn't even feel it on Friday, and on Thursday the lights in our area went out so we stayed in the house of a member waiting for the electricity to come back because it's a little sketchy walking around in the streets without light. Yup so that is the super exciting news of the week...

Also, I am very happy that in the near future I will have 4 nieces or nephews!! [Tom & Ashlee are expecting in March!! :)] He or she will be born just on time, when I am home. :)

This week was good, we found a ton of new investigators and are trying to work a lot more with the members, inviting them to give out pass along cards and pray for missionary opportunities. The prophets and apostles have promised that when we pray for missionary opportunities, they will come, and it is true! I invite you all to do it too! 

Noemí's little girls

Our family in Argentina--Diego leaves for his mission to Chile tomorrow!

Hermana Cachí [Emily is teaching her how to play the piano!]

Where we ran today!

Life is good, I am happy, and I have so many things in my life to be grateful for! My family, my companion, the opportunity to serve a mission and especially in Metán. And many more, but I am running out of time. 

Love you all lots! Have a superb week!

Con amor,

Hermana Hooke