Sometimes love comes around, And it knocks you down

Hello, Oi, Bon journo, Hola, Aloha, Ni hau, Guten tag, Bonjour, Konnichiha, God dag, Sawadee from Temple Square.

Went to the temple this morning. Wish I had a longer arm span so I could actually hug this beautiful temple. 

This week has been REALLY humbling and I just thought of that one song by Cheri Hilson or whatever her name is so I made it the subject of this email. It's easy to feel really insignificant as a human and as a missionary with such an intense calling and even when correction is given with love, it kind of feels like a knockdown. Or like you are really unbalanced. But if Christ is at the center, like when you flex your abs while walking on a balance beam when you're wobbly, suddenly you're balance is better and wobbles are gone. I think I have really noticed that this week. Hey maybe, this means I might get a six pack sometime soon. S/O to my sister we just had this conversation while emailing. 

Sister Kemple thought she would be funny and jump in front of our zone conference picture. It was actually funny. In zone conference we watched the clip from LOTR when Pippin starts the fire to send a call for help to Rohan. Used as an analogy for inspiration for our missionary work and spreading the gospel. I really love this mission sometimes. Sorry, my nerd is showing.

General Conference is this weekend and I thought of a really cool thing to do thanks to my Ben friend who is serving in Santiago, Chile. So people always say "ask questions before going to conference and you'll find an answer." This has worked if I have gone sincerely with questions in mind, but for some reason this challenge always annoyed me. Probably because I'm a prideful disobedient child of God. But I was thinking of what my friend said. Before I ask Heavenly Father for something, tell him WHY I want that thing. And suddenly that one way demand becomes a conversation. It's beautiful. Try it out this weekend my friends and fam. I know I will. I will be at the Saturday PM session, so maybe I'll see you there folks. 

I had a cheesy thought earlier this week about the wind because the fall wind has been blowing on the square and it has been glorious. It makes me think of North Dakota and the wind there that feels like it could knock you over. I never thought I'd say this but I think I might actually miss it sometimes. It made me think about Heavenly Fathers love and the truth of this gospel and this church. Everywhere you go the wind might smell different, or have a different temperature just like the temples around the world have different architecture or the people and culture are different but it's still the same wind. It's the same gospel, the same truth the same wind no matter where you go it will always be there. Giving comfort and sometimes giving you goosebumps. 

As a district we went to the zoo for Pday today and saw peacocks, giraffes, gorillas, snakes, birds rhinos, elephants, lions, tigers, and bears oh my. I'll send pics. 

The district.

Giraffes for the win

Inappropriate conduct? #bearhugs

Sincerely and with so much love,

Sister Cox

Teddy

A French sister in my district and apartment, sister Cochain, calls me her teddy bear because my hair is soft and fluffy like one or something hahaha. Most original nickname recieved in my life. I dig it. Je l'adore. Also her companion sister MacFarlan is the baest. She keeps things real and she knows good music and she is my soul sister. 

Nosomos gatas. The cool humans I live with.

So something unique about Temple Square mission that is different from other missions. All leadership roles (Assistant to the President, district leader, zone leader) are all girls. The whole mission is girls except for our Mission President. I honestly thought it was going to be super hard because girls are annoying, dramatic, emotional and let's be honest kind of the worst sometimes. All concentrated in one place. But it's been good. These girls are from all over the world from such different backgrounds we're like a mini melting pot of Mormons.

Zone activity: watched ephraim's rescue and stuffed our faces with pizza. 

The schedule is vigorous and exhausting, but seriously so fulfilling. We get up around 6:30 and share the gospel all day long. I love being so close to the temple. And hearing about people talk about the spirit that they feel here right when they walk in the gate. There are A LOT of people on tour buses traveling the national parks. Which is neat cause I get to talk to people about my favourite hiking spots on earth. We have had so many cool experiences and a few scary experiences already and I have realized how much I have to learn here and my whole life. We show videos of Meet the Mormons in segments throughout the day and one of the ones we show is the horseman, probably my favourite. The main guy on the video says "if you're not winning you're learning." Even when things don't happen the way we expect them to: if your popcorn gets burned in the microwave or you forget your first name or you just don't feel like who you were called to be, it'll help you grow. We're humans who are made to progress. Don't wanna be stagnant. 

Yeah I didn't really know she was taking the picture. Also, it's been raining a lot so I am V HAPPY.

I  know I should have a lot to say because I didn't write last week I'm sorry it was super crazy. But apologies mean nothing unless proven by action right? So I'll send a lot of pictures. General Conference is next weekend so it is going to be chaotic!! General Conference is one of the best weekends in the year. Said by a true and stereotypical missionary. Watch it online on lds.org everyone if you aren't coming to the conference center and coming to visit me! I'm pretty sure I will be so busy they will only let us watch one session. So send me/tell me your favourite talks!  I may not have much time to write next friday. Lo siento in advance. 

Duck chips and duck lips. Call guest services at temple square and I might answer

Bill the organ enthusiast + sister Gomes + sister de luz

A little old but a pic with my mtc lovelies. God be with you till we meet again kolepoki.

Love xoxo, Sister Cox

T SQUARED

I have made it to Temple Square. I am now a real life action figure missionary human. I'm not going to lie, it still doesn't really feel real. It feels like I'm asleep and I will wake up soon to what life was like pre-mission. 17 more months so let the dream continue onward!

So there is too much to explain about this mission and what has happened this week so I'll do my best to keep it short and sweet so I can keep you here with me to the end and so that you will still love me and so you will have time to send me pictures of your faces and lives.

Here is a typical schedule of our day:

In the morning we study for a few hours personally and then with companion (I'll tell you about my new one in a bit), and then the rest of the day is filled with time out on temple square --giving lesson tours, showing videos and meeting people from everywhere. Just today I met people visiting from Belgium, Austrailia, Brazil and all over the U.S. They could have gone to Red Iguana(best food in Salt Lake) or something, but instead they came to Temple Square. God works in mysterious ways. 

We also spend time on Teaching Center. This is a form of missionary work that is unique to visitor center missions. We spend this time to reach out to people through mormon.org and share the gospel of Jesus Christ with them through, chats, emails and phone calls. It has been an incredible experience so far and I can't wait to share the experiences we have there.

We head to our apartment and leave the square around 9. We plan, shower, and then sleep. Glorious sleep.

When I arrived on Tuesday, I left my dear Hawaiian princess companion Sister Fuimaono. We will still see each other around but since there are about 200 sister missionaries here, it is not a frequent thing. I really have come to love her so much and can't wait for the day when she will work for delta and fly me to Hawaii to visit her;) Now I have a new companion and she will be my trainer for at least the next 12 weeks. Her name is Sister Gomes and she is from Brazil. She is a very good soul and I have so much to learn from her.

I know I have left out A LOT of information but if you email me you can ask me anything and I will probably be able to give you an answer. If you are reading off of my blog and need my email, it is suzanne.cox@myldsmail.net.

Also my Pday is on Fridays now for the next long while. I'm sorry pictures will not send right now, I'll send more next week. Plus we get our mission ipad next wednesday, so it will be easier.

I love you all so much. Hike a mountain for me. 

xoxo, 

Sister Cox

New Mailing Address:

50 N West Temple St

Rm BSVC

Salt Lake City, UT 84150

BAT A TAT

Yesterday, there was a big announcement over the intercom throughout all the buildings on campus that asked for the sister missionaries to meet together for a big emergency meeting. We all thought the worst of course: "We are being sent home, they don't need us anymore," or "they are going to talk to us about skirt length again," or "the second coming is happening and they want to notify the sisters in the MTC first...." lawlz. The latter wouldn't be so bad I think, I'd be happy to see Christ right now.

Anyway, to our surprise, we were informed that there is a BAT infestation on the 3rd and 4th floors of the 17M residence halls. Guess where I am living?? 3rd floor 17m. So we sisters evacuated and transfered to some empty dorms a few hundred buildings over. (sorry for the exaggeration but it felt like it.) Sadly, I didn't have a personal encounter with any of the bats and it's hilarious that in one week I have come across multiple unpleasant creatures here at the MTC but I'm not even mad bro because it makes my letters so much more interesting. I'm sure you would all be bored to death by my weekly letter if they didn't keep appearing, so bring it on creepy friends. Anything to keep my people entertained. 

Millennial bathroom pics.

Also the title is a double entendre. I miss listening to RAT A TAT. 

The elders in our district left for Des Moines Iowa on Tuesday. Sad day. But we started visitor center training on Wednesday. Happy day. 

Our district's final "covenant" handshake.

So just to kind of explain the MTC and missions to those of you who are not members reading this: 

Here at the Missionary Training Center we are preparing for missions to serve God and His humans all over the world. It's kind of like boot camp before heading to the army except there is a lot less body training and a whole lot more praying. Because I have been called to an English speaking mission here in the U.S. I am only here for about 4 weeks, the stay is usually 3 weeks but sister missionaries going to visitor centers stay for an extra week to apply the things we've learned into more of a group setting and to learn how to do a lot of tech-y online things. I'm just beginning to learn about it but it is SO COOL. Some missionaries stay here for up to 9 weeks (those going to Japan, Russia, ect.) There are about 40 sisters in our new group, or district, and they are all from so many different places around the world. Sri Lanka, South Korea, China, Thailand, France, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Mexico, all over the U.S. and some other places I can't think of right now. Haha. Half of them will be serving in Temple Square with me. They are all so wonderful.

I love technology, but not as much as you you see.

My sister Alisa and I had a conversation when I stayed with them in Georgia before I left for my mission and I have been thinking about it a lot as I am learning how to be a better friend, missionary and teacher. We talked about how it is so much better to dig deep right away and get to know the person on a more intimate level rather than to waste time on small talk. Learning about people and what they love and how this gospel and Jesus Christ can help them specifically in their individual lives is so important. The moments I have with each person I meet are so minimal and having those kinds of conversations are SO vital. 

I know that I have been called of God through our prophet Thomas S. Monson, because everyday that I learn more about this mission, and how to be a better representative of Jesus Christ I can feel his love and how great of a fit this mission is for me. 

 Sister me in front of the MTC. Mountains have my heart forever.

I LOVE YOU ALL. I will be leaving the MTC next Tuesday September 6th, so after that date my address will change. After this week I'm not sure when my P-day will be next but it will most likely be on a Monday or Tuesday.

Just one more thought and then I will finally end this long letter:

some of the greatest words to be spoken by some of the greatest people.

"Control thyself- Cicero.

Know thyself- Socrates.

Give thyself. -Jesus Christ." 

xoxo, 

Sister Cox