Human Air Freshener

Yesterday during Sacrament meeting Brother Woodland in the High Council spoke. He spoke a lot about the Holy Ghost and real joy. He said that, "Happy people are like human air fresheners." I thoroughly enjoy that, because it's so true. Negativity is like stinky, old banana peels in the trash can, mold, bean farts, etc. But when we are positive, genuine, and full of the spirit it has such a wonderful effect on the individual human and all those in their presence. Diffusion process.

Ok & rewind to the beginning of the week:

At the mission office when we ditched Sister Carter;) I got pepper spray (some that was in her purse) on my finger fromjust HOLDING IT gee wiz. Didn't know it was on my finger. Touched my eye. Every tear drop was a waterfall. Haha every time I started talking to someone I had to explain no I hadn't been crying just pepper sprayed myself. Casual. 

Also this week we had a first lesson with a family who was referred by a member. Juan Perez and his son Jacob who is six. His wife is Catholic orthodox and very very very not interested in learning about another faith and Juan is a wonderful husband and would never go against her wishes. It will take a miracle to see them baptized. But good thing Heavenly Father is full of those. In his timing. The son is the cutest little nugget and we connected right away. He loved looking at the Pamphlets about Jesus. He even said a prayer at the end of the lesson after I gave him the key to unzip his lips. (He's the chattiest 6 year old I've ever met)

Other fun things this week:

We got super cussed out by a lady at a trailer park, where one of our investigators lived and then not too long after we were contacting a guy who was high off his rocker and was very much vulgar. I was glad Sister Tang doesn't have a large range vocabulary. But it was cool to talk to him because he sees how much craziness is in the world and that we all need to contribute to the good. It's such a comfort to know and be able to share where that source of goodness comes from. 

Moroni 7:13 

13 ​But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do ​​​good​ continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and ​​​enticeth​ to do ​​​good​, and to love God, and to serve him, is ​​​inspired​ of God.

And to wrap it up around back to the beginning where we started, we had an awesome lesson in relief society by a Sister about the Holy Ghost. She shared about a missionary who acted on a prompting to put his foot in the door to ask if the uninterested person if anyone else would be interested in the message and the daughter in the home ended up getting baptized. It's like Cinderella when the coachman comes looking for someone to fit into the glass slipper. "Is there anyone else in the house that this slipper might fit?"

I have felt the importance of acting on first promptings before my mission, on my mission and will continue to see the hand of God in my life as I listen to the whispering of the spirit. But we have to take the time and make the space in our lives for him to dwell there. I know right now is a busy time for many, and tbh that is the reason for a lot of doors shut in our face this week. But make some space in your days for the Holy Ghost. So you can be an air freshener for someone! :)

Have a wonderful week!

Love, 

Sister Cox 

Lose yourself

Hello lovelies! 

We accomplished our goals this week and found quite a few new people to teach. Huzzah! Trying to bring fire into this mission, it is burning a slow burn..

It is already transfers, so Sister Carter will be leaving our trio, but Sister Tang and I will stay here in Morgan Hill. I will miss her powerful burps and powerful testimony. 

We also had exchanges wed with Sister Iverson down in Hollister, the Spanish branch (congregation) about 45 min south of here. I got the chance to practice my Spanish again. It was neat, gift of tongues is still real. Sister Iverson is a gem, it was so good spending the day with her. While there, we helped a member who grew up Catholic but hated that her dad always worshipped pictures. At 6 years old she would always chastise him for not praying to God directly. Haha She found our church when she was a teenager and was able to marry her husband in the Temple. None of her family members are LDS so she is totally rejected by family but she is so strong. She fed us Mexican food while we were there and let me tell ya over and over again. I LOVE REAL MEXICAN FOOD.

We had dinner with a family in the ward this week that I took on a tour at the Beehive house while I was at Temple Square, they are an awesome family. What are the odds that I would come to their ward. 

A similar thing last night, the Elders asked us to visit someone in their ward who is living with her inactive daughter. When we got there, Amolia, the sweet old lady, said she had seen me before. We figured out she had seen me at Temple Square while she was living there a few months. Crazy. She is such a Christlike and childlike human. The daughter had no interest in sticking around so we just stayed to talk with Amolia for a little.

She asked us to read the teachings of Gordon B Hinckley. She of course didn't know that that we were reading my favourite chapter: Losing Ourselves in the Service of Others. She also didn't know my companions needed a bit of a lift of encouragement on this topic. It strengthened all of us. One thing President Hinckley said that I love: 

"My message to you today … is that you resolve to dedicate a part of your time, as you map out your life’s work, to those in distress and need, with no consideration of recompense. Your skills are needed, whatever they may be. Your helping hands will lift someone out of the mire of distress. Your steady voice will give encouragement to some who might otherwise simply give up. Your skills can change the lives, in a remarkable and wonderful way, of those who walk in need. If not now, when? If not you, who?

May the real meaning of the gospel distill into our hearts that we may realize that our lives, given us by God our Father, are to be used in the service of others.

If we will give such service, our days will be filled with joy and gladness. More important, they will be consecrated to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and to the blessing of all whose lives we touch." 

This is why I came on a mission. I love Heavenly Father and Jesus and feel such a fullness when I am helping others. There is so much more I could be doing everyday to exemplify this and I hope to intertwine it more into every aspect of my life. My challenge is for you all to do the same and to read Chapter 14 in the Teachings of Gordon B Hinckley. Mosiah 2:17

Will you please send me pics and facts about the Eclipse because I didn't get to see it and I love these things!! And I also love you all :) Have a great week! 

♥ Sister Cox

This is a nice place. I like it. :) (ps sorry my ramen noodles are covering my name tag)

Saw this driving around the other day, isn't this copyrighted by BYU creamery? Someone help me out here... ?

Here is my companion Sister Tang, as a young soul. CUTE AS A BUTTON

DM last week. This is the district. Chocolate milk filled these red solos. Not really sure what gospel principle the elders who initiated this were trying to bring in tbh..but oh whale.

We had horse service. Cleaned up their homes, fed them, etc. It was glorious.. I LOVE HORSES.

Thursday was Don's Birthday Dinner. Jan is one of our investigators, she has recently been going through chemo but she is such a strong, Christlike human who lives her life to help others. Continually always helping other people. Her husband Don here, is a sassy old man and here is him thoughtfully thinking of his birthday wish before blowing out his candle. Love them.

Fish out of water

Hello from Morgan Hill, CA

I already miss my wonderful Temple Square sisters and it was hard to say goodbye to sister Silva but I know Heavenly Father will take care of all of them while I am gone. Just a funny thing that happened before I left, we were in one of the visitor centers and started to talk to a guy walking out and he just kept walking and said "GET LOST!" We were already having a lousy day so all we could do was just laugh and laugh about it. We did not get lost, quite the contrary actually. :)

I have been assigned to a city that reminds me a bit of ND and AZ and CA all mixed into one. So I feel right at home. But in other ways I feel like a fish out of water. Coming from an ocean at Temple Square, a sea of people every day to this small pond is a weird transition. I have always felt I really belonged at Temple Square. But the ward here is great and I already have learned so much, and I know I have a lot to learn still.

I am in a trio with Sister Carter from Chicago, IL and Sister Tang from Hong Kong. They are so great and we get along well.

There is only one week in the transfer left because I came a little late in the ballgame. But looking forward to all that we will accomplish. We have set some good goals and I hope to accomplish a lot here in Morgan Hill. There have been a lot of Sisters from Temple Square who have come here so they have in their minds probably their own opinion of me already but all I can do is work hard, be obedient, love muito and be a  representative of the Savior and let Him do everything else. Things are definitely different here. One of the wonderful ward missionaries said this on Sunday: "doing nothing is the hardest work because one can never stop to rest." haha

This Saturday the Ward had a Temple Trip so we came with a less active and one of our recent converts so she could do baptisms in the Temple for her grandma. The other sisters went and watched baptisms and I stayed with Guinan, we talked a lot and read a conference talk that I felt she really needed to hear and walked the beautiful Oakland temple grounds. Oakland is about an hour and a half out of Morgan Hill and not technically in our mission so we were pretty lucky that we got to go. And we also get to go to San Fran this coming weekend because Sister Tang needs to take an english test so that she can apply to BYU. She is going home in OCtober. I am so blessed to get to go two weeks in a row. Plus we get to go as a mission for every general conference, and I will be here for that as well. So blessed this one is.

We have been meeting with an investigator named Peggy who came to church with us yesterday. Her son does not like mormons so she has been scared to tell him but she finally did. All in one week she's moved leaps and bounds. We are so proud of her.

My first evening we visited Joshua and his daughter Morgan wasn't there but we had a really good conversation with him and his nephew on their porch and I really felt the spirit as we spoke with him. He has a great love for his daughter that I believe will lead him to do many great things. But most of all we hope to strengthen his love of the Savior. He said he might come to church with us next Sunday with her.

Whether I am a fish, a human or a dog in or out of water I know it's where I need to be and I can choose to either sink, swim or walk on the water with the Savior. But whatever we choose he will always be with us.

Love you all have a wonderful week! I wish you a week full of swimming instead of sinking.

Sister Cox

My delightful, lovely companions

The Oakland temple♥

Our recent convert Tatiana and Sister Adair, she drove us all up to the Temple. She reminds me of my sweet mom.

Sister Silva tried to squeeze in my suitcase, I would've taken her but for some reason there's a limit for how much we can take..

We both were packing to move and I found out she has like 14 coats, she's ready for winter.

A sight I won't see for a couple months:)

BTW here is my new address for the mission office where all mail/packages will go:

1336 Cherry Ave, San Jose CA 95125

OUTBOUND

Hi there hi, 

I have received my new mission within my mission. OUTBOUND CALLS ARE OUT. I have been (temporarily) called to serve in the San Jose, California mission. I'll be leaving next Wednesday, the day I left for the MTC last year, making it my official 1 year mark on a mission. Time flies. I will be there for about 3 months and will return to Temple Square the beginning of November.

I will have a new mission President, new companions, new area, a ward, and the door to door experience. Every other visitor center mission has what are called half-days, where they spend part of the day at the visitor center and the other half with their ward members, proselyting, etc

. But we are at the visitor center all day everyday until outbound. I am so excited to go--have been for a while-- but also excited to eventually return home to my Temple Square family and home. 

One other missionary here, Sister Sneddon from Germany, will be going with me to San Jose. Sister Sookhoo from Canada and Sister Roberts from Washington will be going to Las Vegas, & Sister Hulme, Wight, Naranjo, and Rubio will be going to the Atlanta Georgia mission. Where I also just found out one of them will be serving with my cousin Sister Bench. I'm sending a hug with all of them, cousin friend, because I don't know who you'll be with;) 

I won't spend much time today but I just want to share how much easier life gets when we notice the good things. In the Assembly Hall, there is a flower on the ceiling called the Sego Lily and when the Pioneers first got into the valley it was late in the planting season so they wouldn't be able to have crops for the year. So they prayed for help and the Native Americans in the area taught them if they boil the bulb of the Sego Lily you can eat it and it tastes like a turnip. TBH if I had basically nothing but turnip tasting flowers to eat for an entire year I would get tired of it. But they were so grateful that God answered their prayers so they put it up on the ceiling. And I get to be reminded of it every time I am in there as well. I have also begun a gratitude journal since I have been on my mission--something my mom always recommended but the stubborn annoying me that I was never did. But it has brought so much happiness into every single day, noticing the little gifts God has given me. 

Try it out this week and see if anything changes, will ya? 

Love you all, it may be a bit until I write again and get myself situated in good old Cali. And just a little fun fact, because I have an ipad, we can read our emails every night when we go home. Please know that every single email I read makes me feel so good. Thank you especially to my most consistent email-ers. I appreciate you more than you will ever know. 

Have a wonderful August all! 

Sister Cox

A wonderful family that we took on a tour. They have such a light with them! They didn't refer, so praying their member friends help with what we can't!

Just some little appreciate pics, the sky. 

And one morning I woke up and went into our living room and it was all just so photogenic and peaceful in there I had to capture the moment. Ipads take really nice fotos but I will be happy to be reunited with my DSLR in the near future :)