Connect the Dots

So many things happened this week! Every day something exciting happened actually.

Monday was Sister Evaga's birthday, and I was pretty sick again. Best companion ever.. Also that's why I didn't email. Soooorry. 

Soaking in time with each other.

Tuesday we went to a session at the Salt Lake City Temple with President and Sister Risenmay. Every transfer, the sisters going home will go the last Tuesday of the transfer with the mission president and wife. But because President and Sister Risenmay were leaving because their time is up here, they wanted to go with the departing missionaries this week before they left the mission. It was a lovely experience going with them. We will also be going next week with President and Sister Fischer in the Bountiful Temple because our temple will be closed next week. I feel so lucky to have been able to go to the Temple so often on my mission and feel that it's made a huge difference, helping me to keep the habit. 

President Risenmay being his goofy self. As he and sister Risenmay neared the end of their time here, he just got funnier and more and more laid back. Love this man.

The departing Sisters + two other sisters (my companion and another sister) went to the Temple with President and Sister Risenmay and took pictures all together. We will be doing the same thing with President and Sister Fischer next week before going home, as well as going to eat at the Roof Restaurant together and having a testimony meeting. Here are some of the many fotos and some of the beautiful sisters I came to this mission with.

Wednesday a group of us went to the MTC. It was an interesting experience being at the end of my mission and going back to where it all began. It made me realize how much has changed, how much is still the same and how much I love missionary work and the missionary training center. I'm not sure I would feel the same if I spent 12 weeks learning a language there..haha. We ate lunch there in the cafeteria and I had no appetite because sick, or maybe it was just the memories of slugs in my fruit last time I was there. ;) (see emails from when I was in the mtc) Then we spent a couple hours online teaching in these high rise rooms with big open windows that were looking over BYU campus. Love that place. ♥ the new Mission presidents and their wives going to different visitor centers all over came and observed us teaching to know and see how it works. Including our new mission President and his wife. My first encounter with them was wonderful. Such genuine, kind, full of love people. I served with a Sister in San Jose who lives in their Stake and we bonded over her and their first mission that they served in Montana together as mission President. (neighbor state friends) 

We had the opportunity to go to the MTC this week to help with online teaching mission President training. THE NEW MTC IS BEAUTIFUL. this is depicting alma 5:46. Repentance is beautiful

Thursday their first day here at Temple Square and they spoke to us in our Weekly Relief society. Something stood out to me that Sister Fischer said,

"You can't eat a whole elephant but you can eat bread, piece by piece. Change comes a little bit at a time." She told us to interview ourselves with Alma 5. Powerful experience. I want to invite all of you to do it too. 

Friday we were able to attend the funeral of President Monson. You can watch it online. https://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/president-monson-funeral-service?cid=HP_FR_12-1-2018_dPAD_fBCAST_xLIDyL1-A_ 

Also on Thursday we also had the opportunity to go to the viewing. He and his casket were resting in the Hall of the Prophets in the Conference Center. Going up there and being in that room and then walking into the auditorium where he had spoken so many times..I felt such peace. Knowing that He was at rest and that God continues to have someone at the head of this church. I know that God will NEVER leave us alone without guidance. That's loooove.

We attended the Funeral of President Thomas S. Monson, our Prophet. 

We also met with our investigator Lauren and got lunch at Pizza studio. The only thing keeping her from baptism is that her family isn't 100% on board with her, but she is so ready! We are praying that she will feel ready and confident to make this decision. Whether or not they are all on board. Because it really is her decision, and she told us she knows that.  She just loves her family so gosh darn much. I suppose I get that. We would love your prayers as well. :)  

Saturday we did MTC contacting, two sisters came who are going to the Hawaii Temple Visitor's Center. A sister from here in Utah and a Sister from Hong Kong. 

We also had MLC and Zone Conference two weeks ago, so just had to get my monthly pic with sister smith from ZL. 

Sunday over 30,000 young adults were here at Temple Square for the Worldwide devotional with President and Sister Uchtdorf. It was AMAZING. 

I just want to end by sharing a couple of the quotes that he shared with us because President Uchtdorf hit spot on a lot of things I have been thinking about in the past couple months, and I'm he was able to give guidance and help to some of you as well. If you haven't watched it yet, DO IT. 

https://www.lds.org/broadcasts/archive/worldwide-devotionals/2018/01?cid=HP_SU_14-1-2018_dSI_fBCAST_xLIDyL1-C_&lang=eng

"If God is for you, who can be against you? If that is the case why should we fear?"

When sharing about Joseph Smith and his companions when they had questions they were pondering, the Lord said, "It mattereth not..only be faithful."

"Strive with all your might to be successful in the things you undertake. And be faithful. Then the dots will connect." 

He also shared a quote from Steve Jobs: "You can't connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking backward." It's when we look back in our life that we realize everything happened as it was meant to. We can't see the future and we just need to be patient. It will all work out :) 

"Do you really want someone giving you the cheat codes to your life before you actually figure things out for yourself? What kind of adventure would that be?"

He encouraged us to do the little things that will give us confidence, peace, and spiritual power. Those things that help us keep the spirit with us and help us to make decisions and to trust in the Lord's timing of things. He talked about how when we look at an impressionism painting up close all we see is a blur, but when we are able to step back we can see the greater perspective and purpose of it all. Sometimes in life we get impatient because we are used to being given instantaneous answers and help, and if the cursor spins for more than one minute we get impatient. haha guilty...

It's easy to get scared about big goals we make. Or maybe we get too scared to make stretching goals at all because we are scared we won't be able to do it. I know I have felt lost before, because I

I love you all. Have am so unsure of what's to come. But I have come to know so firmly that God will take care of us. We just need to have faith, trust Him, be happy, work hard, do the little things, and the big things will take care of themselves.

 a superb week

Sister Cox