White Christmas

Sister MacFarlane Christmas noon, she's wearing her apron that she received as a gift and I'm wearing a new sweatshirt. If I hadn't pointed it out you would have had no idea im sure. 

Sister Brito and I in the Winter Wonderland

Christmas morning we woke to hardcore fluffy snow everywhere and it was coming down like it wouldn't ever have the chance to snow again. (I'm sure the skiers  and snowboarders up in the Utah area were stoked) Temple Square was a beautiful sight to behold and we loved having a white Christmas.

Jesus is a friend of mine (this was up at the Christus statue, the visitors centers were empty so everyone was skyping everywhere it was a sight to see)

more sno

more square

White is such a wonderful symbol for so many different reasons but it was cool to be so near the Temple and have everything covered in white. When we go to the temple, we wear white to symbolize purity, worthiness, and cleanliness and that we are all equal before Heavenly Father. With the fresh blanket of snow I was reminded of the daily snow we are able to have in our own lives through repentance and the happiness that it brings. An even greater happiness than snow on Christmas Day.

 Our zone #lighttheworld, "if sick had a face, it would be your face in this picture sister cox" <---words of my companion

We had the chance to skype family, open presents that we had received from family and some donated from local wards nearby, and our mission had an hour long musical presentation about the nativity. 

My family came!!! And I had the chance to take them on a tour of the Beehive house it was a wonderful Christmas Eve eve present and I was so grateful I could see them.

It was a day full of energy, joy and gratitude. Thank you to everyone who sent me gifts I felt so full and loved. The rest of the week has been busy. We had Zone conference, my companion and I have been sick, and there has been opposition in every single day. But I have enjoyed the challenge of this week and am grateful for the things that I learn from difficulty. 

I also had the privilege of seeing one of my best mates ever, she wandered onto temple square

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone. I love you!

xoxo,

Sister Cox

Sister Cysweski from Idaho and I at the Christus Christmas Day 

Our new Temple Square crewnecks from the mission. "All nations shall flow unto it."

Feliz Natal

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! 

Christmas here on Temple Square is G L O R I O U S. I will be sad when it is over. A lot of the sisters are ready for it to end, just because the schedule is kind of exhausting. But after Christmas the square will be so empty and quiet so I want to take advantage of the time we have now to speak with as many shiny happy people holding hands (literally so many couples), as I can. 

This is my weird zone this transfer. Love them.

We are witnessing miracles, baptisms, new investigators, and losses of investigators Someday I hope to have time to share more with you.

 Two wonderful souls that we met while taking them through God's Plan for His Family, a video that we play here on Temple Square. The little girl's mom passed away, she is not a member but loves her grandma, who has an incredible understanding for God's plan for all of us. We hope to continue to be part of their life and to teach Chloe more.

I just want to share one thing that really stood out to me this week. Yesterday while we were Introducing the narrative up at the Christus, there were little kids gathered up in front of the statue of Jesus. There was this one little boy who really stood out to me as he was listening to the words of the Savior. His face was glowing from the lights right in front of him and his eyes didn't leave the statue once as he listened. I had such a powerful feeling of appreciation in my heart as I watched this unknown boy watch the Savior and listen to His words with sincere, pure interest and love. One of my favourite parts in the Book of Mormon is when the Savior appears to the people and spends His days with them, teaching them as He did the people in Jerusalem. 

 "20 And they arose from the earth, and he said unto them: Blessed are ye because of your faith. And now behold, my joy is full.
21 And when he had said these words, he wept, and the multitude bare record of it, and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them."

The Savior, wept. Because he was so full of joy, and felt so much for all those that He was with. Even the Savior who is perfect shed tears for them. Such a beautiful expression of His humanity and love. And he blessed the children one by one. Prayed for them one by one. The Savior also prayed for all of us one by one, saw our faces one by one, as He suffered for our sins in the Garden of Gethsemane. I love Him and will forever try to show my gratitude for what He felt for me. 

I hope that you all feel our Savior Jesus Christ with you this Christmas as you celebrate His birth, His life, and His love. 

Kids make the world go round. Talk to you soon my friends.

Xoxoxo,

Sister Cox

Would you like to take a tour?

A few days ago when we got home, a first transfer sister, Sister Cardona from Argentina, was standing in the living room just kind of dazed. We walked up to her and I was like "Hey you alright there?" and she just goes, "Would you like to take a tour?" Straight faced. We all broke down in laughter just dying. The constant teaching and taking tours is turning us into zombies at night who share the gospel in our sleep. But it also turns us into better missionaries. Haha first transfer takes its toll.

Every week during sacrament meeting the Sisters who are going home next transfer give departing talks. This past Sunday my companion gave her departing talk )': She spoke about the Holy Ghost and how when the savior left the disciples He let them know that He would not leave them comfortless. I love the relationship that Jesus has with all of the disciples and it always makes me think of the talk that I love love love by Elder Holland The First and Great Commandment where he says that the "crowning characteristic of love is always loyalty." He also says,

"What I need, Peter, are disciples and I need them forever. I need someone to feed my sheep and save my lambs. I need someone to preach my gospel and defend my faith. I need someone who loves me, truly, truly loves me, and loves what our Father in Heaven has commissioned me to do. Ours is not a feeble message. It is not a fleeting task. It is not hapless; it is not hopeless; it is not to be consigned to the ash heap of history. It is the work of Almighty God, and it is to change the world. So, Peter, for the second and presumably the last time, I am asking you to leave all this and to go teach and testify, labor and serve loyally until the day in which they will do to you exactly what they did to me.”

I'll keep it short this week and leave those words with you and let them chance or inspire you however they may need to. Listen to the whole talk and watch it. His powerful authority always speaks right straight to the soul.

Here is one of our annual mission fotos. If you zoom in real closely you will see the humor in it. (Or the lack thereof) HAhahah good luck finding me it's like a game of I spy.

Hope you are all enjoying this Christmas season. Shout out to my sister Shan and her husband for bringing me Christmas decorations to put in our aparment. I was seriously glowing as bright as the christmas lights at temple square I was so happy when we put them up. I dont have a foto this week but I'll try to send one next week.

Love you all,
xoxox
Sister Cox

Thispicture is one of my favourite human beings, Bob. He is always on the square. He has been in a wheelchair since a traffic accident when he was young and his body and speaking abilities were affected by it. We always see him zooming around in his chair and we walked into the visitor center the other day and he was like this, tilted almost upside down. Hahaha the camera was out and he put up the deuces. He is one of the best souls I've ever known.

It's LIT FAM

Hello my dear friends and family,

We heard some teenagers making a joke on the square about the square being "so lit" the other night. (for those who are unfamiliar with this slang, it means awesome, cool, rad ask your friends or kids they'll know). So I couldn't resist making reference to it in the subject line.

IT's SO LIT (view from the Joseph Smith Memorial Building)

Last week was transfers, and because my p-day was on Friday and switched to Tuesday, and transfers were on Wed I didn't have p-day last week so I was not able to write. It has been a crazy week!

 We may or may not have had a little snowball fight on the way home from the square. Last night as a district!

Transfers:
My new companion is Sister Brito. She is also Brasilian, from Manaus. Second Brasilian companion, what is Heavenly Father trying to tell me? Haha it's crazy because we originally weren't supposed to be companions but there was kind of an emergency switch. So I am sending her home. This is her last transfer of the mission and then she is heading back to Brasil. We get along so well and are already close friends probably because we share an intense love for Coldplay and babies and probably the gospel. I'm excited for this transfer ahead of us.

My new companion sister Brito.

My new assignment is at the Beehive house, the home and church office of Brigham Young, the second prophet in these Latter-Days. We are there for a few hours several days a week giving tours and sharing our testimonies. For our Christmas schedule all the sisters are out on the square, singing, playing videos, and talking to all of the wonderful people. My companion and I are a little exhausted already but it is so worth it. Hopefully our bodies will adjust to the late Christmas schedule soon. We go to bed at 11:15 and wake up at 7:15. Our mission is probably the only exception to the white handbook schedule of wake up 6:30 in bed 10:30.

My zone is wonderful but it is weird adjusting from our last zone, district and companionship. We grew super close and I'm so grateful for the miracles we witnessed together and the new friendships. My new ZL are from Germany and Peru (Sister Hammer and Sister Carasco), DL is from Germany (Sister Fehlman), and there are like 5 other Germans in my zone. Sprichst du Deutsch? 

Light the World:

How has the challenge been going for you all? Serve in 25 ways in 25 days!! https://www.mormon.org/christmas/in-25-ways-over-25-days/jesus-read-the-scriptures Here is the link for today's. On the very first day I opened a packet of herbal tea, they all have little quotes on the teabag string, and it said,

"Live light, travel light, spread the light, be the light."  

How ridiculously appropriate is that?? It's been so cool to see how God just kind of hands out ways for us to accomplish the idea for the day, at least that is how it's been for me. It's kind of like, "you've shown me your heart, now I'll show you my miracles." That's kind of how it is being on a mission. Keep doing it everyone and I would love to hear about experiences you have. Think of the Savior and He'll lift you as  you lift others. 

Words:

Just kind of a self reflection scripture that was really powerful for me that I read the other day. It's in Alma 5: 13-22 "I say unto you, can you look up, having the image of God engraven upon your countenances?" Can other's see the hope of God's light through me? What can I do to to engrave His countenance in everything I do? The whole Book of Mormon can answer that question. 

The only Christmas decoration we have in our apartment, luckily we are on one of the most festively decorated Christmas lighted places in the world, so I suppose that's decoration enough for me:)

There is always so much more I could share but my brain forgets everything. I can't wait for the day when I will hopefully get to look on everyday of my life like a movie. Wouldn't that be neat? 

Hope you are all enjoying the Christmas season and staying warm. I am healthy, happy, and I love bumping into random people on the square that I know. It is not difficult for me and I am not homesick so don't worry about sending pictures for fear of making me miss home. I know I am where I am supposed to be and the best gift I have ever given my Savior so far is being here on this mission. I feel His love continuously and I hope that as you center this Christmas season on Him, you will feel His love surround  you and your families and friends. I love you all so much. I love this Gospel. it is SO REAL and so very good and true. 

Sister Gomes made me sushi, I'll love this pretty girl forever she taught me so much in my first few months here.

XOXOxoxo,

Sister Suzie Cox