Miracles Do Exist

Well, let me tell you a little about the new area: it is huge tourist attraction because of the Salisbury Cathedral (tallest spire in he UK) and Stonehenge. Loads of tourists come here, even though Stonehenge is outside of town. When I got to the area, a normal week was 2-3 new people a week, and maybe 1 member present a week, and about 3 less-active teaches. There were 3 baptisms from the beginning of this year.

We keep on praying to teach people and to have the opportunity to teach people from our town, and we just had an amazing experience from fasting, and we have felt so blessed from the Lord. I had been feeling stressed, but I turned to the Lord. Elder Turnbow and I worked very hard this week. At the end of the week, we picked up five new investigators . . . and all five have set baptismal dates! Then we had five member teaches, and we also taught 9-12 less-actives and recent converts. The Lord is blessing us in this area. It is not my strength or anything, but it's happening because we had the faith to see change. We had an increased vision, which increased our motivation. We have been so blessed to be here, and now we are super busy running to appointments and actually being late to some of them!

Okay, now here's a good story (it brought tears to my eyes when it happened): Elder Turnbow and I had five investigators at church, and we walked two of them home (Anne and Kevin). After we left them, we were walking down a hill and we saw a lady holding a can in one hand and pushing some leaves with a broom in her other hand . . . she had to be around 80 years old. So, we went and offered to help her--we actually just took the broom and started to help. She started to cry and said, "You know what? I thought all of the good people in the world were gone." She had the biggest smile and more happiness than I have seen anyone on my mission. It's small experiences like this that make the mission life all worth it!

I have the strongest testimony of the Gospel, and I am so happy to be here. I am learning more patience and humility in this area than any area I have been in. Even though I sometimes feel like I do not deserve what the Lord is giving me, He keeps giving and giving. This has helped me to see that my Father in Heaven truly does love me and all His children on earth! Put Him first and see what happens.

I am so happy, and I am learning so much. Thank you all for the letters and support--keep staying in touch and writing me, please! I love and pray for all your families, and my family. You really mean the world to me. The eternal truths we have in this Gospel are so great. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, AMEN.

Love you all!
Elder Eli Jacob Coon

Sweet Batman shirt that Lorena bought me--thanks, Lorena!

Batman graffiti in Salisbury (I promise it wasn't me)

I don't know about that . . .

At the home of the Valavalas. They are a cool family from Fiji and they love the missionaries--brother Valavala is actually a Fijian prince--how cool is that?

With a recent convert and her two kids, Vanessa and Xaria. The nine-year-old is getting baptized soon!

Getting the Spiritual Food We Need

Hello, everybody! How are you all doing? I'm doing great and trying to get used to teaching these white rich people. Our town is a tourist town, thanks to Stonehenge and the huge cathedral in town (Salisbury Cathedral) that has the biggest spire in the United Kingdom. So, it is a pretty big town full of loads of tourists. It's been a huge change.

The first day, we picked up 2 new investigators and we have been visiting them. We saw around 7 less-actives and visited them, too. I'm going to really try with the less-actives to re-activate them and find out what has happened and why our branch is so small.

Since I got here, my new companion and I have been visiting loads of less-actives and recent converts to get to know them and to work with them. I think that will be the key to this area--getting referrals of friends and people that members know. I am looking forward to getting a teaching pool started. We are setting some good goals and we know we can achieve them. It's very hard--we do around 4-8 hours of finding a day--I get very tired and very burned out by the end of the day, but I know the Lord will keep me strong!

I am sending a package home--it won't have loads of stuff in it, but it will be a good package for the family. I really pray all is going well for everyone. I am doing pretty well, but keep me in your prayers during this moves if you can, so we can find some new investigators and really do well!

I can tell this area has already humbled me loads, and it's going to be a rough moves, but I will just bear it and try my best. Again, I want you all to know I love you and care for all of you. I'll keep praying for you all and I hope all of your families are doing well!

I know this church is true, and I am so grateful for the blessing I have seen in my life from living the Gospel to the best of my ability. I pray that all of you will continue to read the scriptures daily and to pray every day--it is so vital and so important to our lives! If we get the spiritual food we need, we will be blessed. I testify this to you in the name of Jesus Christ, AMEN.

ELDER COON

PS- Here are some pictures!

My sweet new guitar--President is going to keep it for me till I go home

With Sister Thompson

Fiona took us to a posh Thai restaurant--it was so good!

Fiona at her baptism

Alan at his baptism

I've been out six months!

Me and Elder Cook at Parliament

Preachin' to the Posh

Hello, everyone! How are you all doing?

As you know, I have moved now and I am in Salisbury, England (I have already seen Stonehenge--pretty weird, but cool nonetheless!) So, I went from having the whole world in my mission to having loads of dominantly posh (rich), white people . . . it has been a major change, that is for sure. I am going to have to get used to not teaching Africans and Jamaicans . . . now is where the real hard work begins! President Shamo said he feels very good about our area and he really wants it to change from a branch to a ward. And we are the missionaries to do it! He said he knows we can make it possible, and he really is looking forward to us serving here.

Christmas is coming and I'm trying to get stuff to send home. I'm really poor out here, so I'll try to get a good package to send with things I find to be important thus far. Do not worry, I will get something sent!

Everyone, please send me some post. A good way to start off in a new area is with some good post! Thank you all for all you do--I love you all so much!

My Second Area!

Hey, everyone. I'm going to Salisbury, England! Here is my new address:

ELDER COON (this is the corrected address)
#2 Shakespeare Place
Salisbury , Wiltshire
SP2 7EB
ENGLAND


Stonehenge is in my new area--yeah! And I have a car--yeah yeah! Love you all! Talk more tomorrow, bye!

~Elder Coon

Develop Christ-like Attributes

Well, let's start off with what an amazing General Conference we had! Isn't Conference the greatest thing in the world? I can't tell you the eternal truths that came to me as I sat there and listened to the prophets and the apostles--WOW! To me, the greatest theme of Conference was how we can develop Christ-like attributes. I have been studying those these last few months, and if any of you can pick up a Preach My Gospel, I challenge you as friends and as families to study these things. I add my personal testimony to the prophets' and apostles' testimonies--if you study how to develop Christ-like attributes, you will receive happiness, joy, and a sure knowledge that your family will be saved, even if some stray. It will happen, I promise. The power of learning about our Saviour personally (and as a family) will bless us!

The Saturday morning session: Elder Bednar and Elder Uchtdorf . . . seriously the greatest two people ever! And how about Tad R. Callister? If you really listen to his talk again you will learn so much about the Church--he just said how it is! I wish I could share all I received and felt during conference, but it's for all of us to receive our own personal revelation to learn and grow!(There is one thing, though. I want us all to get to know our Father in Heaven and our Saviour better before Christmas and really focus on what Christmas is about, okay?)

Well, my arm has had a rapid recovery. I have been blessed with healing power by someone who has the priesthood. I know that our mission president is called of God--I know this without any doubt and I want you all to know I love him, and I love England! I can lift things and grip and flex and already almost do push-ups. My arm has had no pain and I have not had to take any pain killers after my surgery. Thank you all so much for your prayers as well.

One very sad thing has happened (but a great thing all the same)--Elder Fagg left us last night. I am going to miss him so much--really, it's going to be tough! We all enjoyed General Conference yesterday, and then it was time for him to go to the temple and he flew out early this morning to go to Utah and then to Florida after the MTC. He was in tears as we knelt together in prayer. It felt as if it was the night before I left home, and I remembered all the feelings and thoughts that were going through my head. He will be a great missionary because he had the Spirit with him everywhere we went . . . no matter where we were, he had it! I know that our investigator, Alan, was given to us by the Lord though Elder Fagg--I can't deny that and that they had a special bond.

Speaking of which, Alan is getting baptized this week, as well as our Chinese friend, Fiona! We are looking forward to both of these, and a very stressful (and stress-relieving) week. But all in all, I am super excited.

I have a sure testimony of the Gospel, and I know Christ lives. There is not a doubt in my mind. I am so happy to be serving here. I love you all, and want you to know I pray for all of you come unto Christ so that you will be saved.

I love you,
ELDER ELI JACOB COON

PS- Sorry, I'll have to send loads of pictures next time--the computer I am on has no program to get pics from. I'll send some soon as I can.
PPS- Oh, and next week is moves week.