Happy Birthday Cooper!!!

Today is Cooper's birthday!!!! The big 2-0! Here is the letter he wrote this morning:


Querido familia, (Dear family)
I had a good week. Did you? Oh, and thanks for wishing me a happy birthday everyone!

I started out the week doing divisions with one of the zone leaders. Divisions are always fun, I got to sleep in a different pinch (apartment) with other Elder. And one of the Elders, Elder Monson, was there and I was with him all through the MTC so that was fun it reminded me of the MTC a little bit.

When I was with this other Elder we went to the hospital and gave 2 blessings of health. We were only going to give one but there was another lady in the same room that wanted one too. It really doesn´t matter if you´re Catholic...if you see the Mormon missionaries give a blessing you´re gonna want one too. Or at least that’s how it seems. ha ha

We also had a special zone conference this week where Elder Civic, a Seventy from Buenos Aires, came and spoke. It was really good, and really fun because there were like 5 zones there. I got some really good advice from the conference. Also afterwards I was able to pick up some packages! From you (mom) and from Lauren. I opened up your package that night and it was awesome! Lots of good food and fun stuff. I know it wasn´t my birthday when I opened it but you didn’t say I had to wait. Lauren told me I had to wait to open hers, so I had to look at it for a few days before I opened them this morning. And it was awesome!!!! SO THANK YOU FAMILY AND LAUREN FOR THE AWESOME GIFTS!!!!

Ok, back to the week. I have to hurry cuz I´m almost out of time to write and everyone wants to play soccer today. Friday we blessed a house and gave another blessing. That was the first time I gave the actual blessing in Spanish instead of just anointing. Giving blessings is always an awesome experience. It´s not often you get to be the mouthpiece/instrument of the Lord in a way like that.

Oh also I had to go to the hospital Friday. Don´t worry!! I was trying to decide whether to mention that...but I don´t see why not, it wasn´t bad enough to be one of those things you leave out of the email ;) I was walking and hit my head on a low roof, I´m too tall for this country! And it started bleeding cuz I hit pretty hard. We were only like 20 feet from a members house so we went in and I cleaned it off. But we went to another member to see if she had alcohol or something to clean it off. And she wanted us to go to the hospital to have them do it. So they cleaned it off and gave me the gotitas (glued it shut). Phew the last thing I wanted was stitches.
Oh PS, a free public hospital in Argentina, especially in Santa Fe, is a scary thought, but I didn’t need anything serious so it was fine. Don’t worry I would never go there for anything serious, eek.

Saturday we were going to baptize someone, but she changed her mind earlier this week so we need to work with her some more obviously. The other Elders we live with baptized a super cool guy though. He´s from the Czech Republic and basically lives in a hole in the ground in a field. He´s a stud though and it was way cool to hear his testimony in a mix of broken Spanish and English.

Yesterday was fun too, we did a choque de fuerza, where the whole zone concentrates on one area for the afternoon, and we found some great people. Yep so it was a great week. And today is P-day and my birthday, and I got to open presents this morning. Yay! And thanks for the pictures you emailed me. Matt actually emailed me some pictures too. Thanks Matt!

Ok well now I have to go. I´m gonna write the President a letter, then mom I have something to email you. And then we´re gonna finish pday, work tonight, and I´m gonna try to cook a cake the Lauren sent! Thanks for everything family, Love you!
Love,
Elder Boice