Suzie Cox's LDS Missionary Blog: not much has changed...climbing mountains is still my favourite thing:)

But actually a lot has changed here in this mission, I'll only share a few things later on in the email. This week was crazy! I love being so so busy it keeps my mind focused on where I'm at.

It's good to be near my favourite Christus statue again.

We had MLC and Sister Evaga and I gave a training with the focus: Converse to Immerse. We talked mainly on how these people we meet everyday have been put in our path for a reason and we can't be robots just preaching at them. Their souls are as real as ours. We focused a lot on Elder Rasband's Talk "By Divine Design" I would recommend 10/10 read it!

My New Zealander's. Sis Smith and Evaga

Meeting cool people everyday Temple Square is still awesome, but we haven't had as much time out on the square lately or doing teaching center because we have been preparing so many trainings: MLC, our zone training meeting, Welfare Square training (for the new Sisters and ourselves because we are white washing welfare square. Yes white washing is actually a thing here at Temple Square.) It just means we are both starting out new in the area. But Carole was baptized while I was gone and Garrett is still on date he just needs to get married! and we just found a family that are all on date for this month. Miracles.

Describes our relationship pretty well.

But one day some missionaries in the Salt Lake City mission came onto the square with a cute old little vietnamese lady and they were trying to find Sisters here at Temple Square who spoke Vietnamese, but we don't have any.... But the closest mission that does is guess where??? San Jose, Ca! And my zone leader there is in the Vietnamese program. Because both missions have facebook the missionaries there in San Jose will hopefully be able to teach her over video chat on FB. TECHNOLOGY IS SO WONDERFUL. Missionaries all over the world unite!! (ultimate punch) Also I met a woman who works for the company my mission President owns, and we will be teaching her more. Through facebook. Also we have smart phones now. So that's also a freaky new change that I don't know how to feel about yet, eventually the mission will transition from ipads to everyone using their own smartphone.

In 1974 President Kimball shared, "I believe that the Lord is anxious to put into our hands inventions of which we laymen have hardly had a glimpse." You believed right President Kimball. So many things are being used to help move the Lord's work forward. I love that this stuff is teaching me how to use these tools better not only now but also after my mission. TBH I was a little frustrated about it at first because starting my mission, one of the things I looked forward to was escaping my phone and the world of social media. But God knows what he's doing and I have already seen so many miracles through all of these changes. But, "They need to be our servants not our masters." I just want to testify, we DO NOT NEED BE A SLAVE TO OUR SMARTPHONES.

The most wonderful hiking day ever. 4 hours (at least) long. But so worth it. And we met some South Africans on the way up who are here in Utah for a bit. They're cool and they seem pretty potential. We invited them to come take a tour at Temple Square.

We went hiking today up to Grandeur Peak Trail. Sister Evaga's first summitt. There were so many different analogies that came to mind but I thought of how much we anticipate that peak, reaching the summit but it is all about the journey up. We start our missions and think about that end point, even though we try not to, it happens. But it is so important to just enjoy the journey and where we are at. It's especially weird to think that I only have two more transfers here, I am almost at the bottom of my mountain. Or maybe I'm almost to the summit who knows. Either way, I am loving the climb. I could go a lot more into depth but I think I have overwhelmed ya'll with my words enough for the night.