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 :)

and a happy heart

Zone conference, Pioneer Day, Zone Service Project, a rainy day, and a happy heart. 

If I ever have any doubts, the spirit at Zone Conference eliminates those doubts and leaves me feeling a high that can only be found through this spiritual bubble. Don't get any wrong ideas, we don't pass illegal substances around at Zone Conference. The teachings are just always so powerful and I leave there wishing it could continue on all day. I wish you could all be there with us in that room on the 10th floor of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, looking out over the Temple. 

But other wonderful things happened this week like PIONEER DAY. Half of the Sisters went to the Parade and then the other half went to This is the Place Memorial. I went to the parade. We saw President Uchtdorf in a fancy convertible, cheered on my favourite school in the whole world because they had a float, saw some poop emoji hats being passed out/resisted the temptation to buy one, enjoyed some time with my Sister friends and then continued on the work of the Lord that the Pioneers set such a wonderful example of. The song Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel has been in my head all week. I'll just share the lyrics with you so you can join in the spirit of the work, Pioneer and Missionary. :) 

1. 1. The world has need of willing men
   Who wear the worker’s seal.
   Come, help the good work move along;
   Put your shoulder to the wheel.
2. Put your shoulder to the wheel; push along,
   Do your duty with a heart full of song,
   We all have work; let no one shirk.
   Put your shoulder to the wheel.
3. 2. The Church has need of helping hands,
   And hearts that know and feel.
   The work to do is here for you;
   Put your shoulder to the wheel.
4. 3. Then don’t stand idly looking on;

   The fight with sin is real.

   It will be long but must go on;

   Put your shoulder to the wheel.
5. 4. Then work and watch and fight and pray
   With all your might and zeal.
   Push ev’ry worthy work along;
   Put your shoulder to the wheel

That night there was lightning in the Sky. I have a love for thunderstorms that trumps just about every other love I have. (people, family, God, Jesus are exceptions of course.) And it made me think of one of my favourite talks by Elder Holland from April 2015 General Conference. 

"That first Easter sequence of Atonement and Resurrection constitutes the most consequential moment, the most generous gift, the most excruciating pain, and the most majestic manifestation of pure love ever to be demonstrated in the history of this world. Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, suffered, died, and rose from death in order that He could, like lightning in a summer storm, grasp us as we fall, hold us with His might, and through our obedience to His commandments, lift us to eternal life."

I know that no matter how far we fall or how far away from Heaven's view we might seem, the Lord is always near. Waiting for us to act. 

This time in my life is wonderful, to be able to have the opportunity to act and testify in His sacred and holy name. Everyday, not just Pioneer Day, is a great day to remember the Sacrifice of the Pioneers and their dedication to serving the Lord and their families. It's a great day to remember Jesus Christ and what He did for them and for you. 

Have a great one. 

Love always,

Sister Cox

Rainy Day with my comp. Love of rain is only one thing keeping me and my best friend tight

Sister Botcha from India and her fancy rain jacket poncho thing.

Parade feat Sister Silva, SIster Rubio (mexico, AZ, NY) and Sister Pohjosrine (Canada, she sounds like ND)

Sister Dornelas from Brasil and Sister Frenkel from Germany

more sister friends!

"Paint me like one of your french girls." feat. Brigham Young

Pulling weeds for 4 hours. My face is deceiving I actually loved it.

Sisters in the East 2 Zone "Love is the key, choose to be Happy!"

OLA

Oi tudo bem 

Hi how are you all? 

• This week was an oven here in Zion and I thoroughly enjoyed it. We've taken a LOT of tours this week and have met a lot of wonderful, cranky, tired, interesting and interested people this week. 
• I continue to teach, take tours and testify in my sleep and my companion started taking sleeping pills and I started praying every night that I won't sleep talk so that we can both get some better sleep at night..haha. 
• The Mormon Tabernacle Choir had their annual Pioneer concert in the Conference Center and Alex Boye was there performing as well. No, we didn't get to go. But we will be able to watch the Pioneer Day Parade next Monday! 
• Our wonderful investigator who lives here in Salt Lake, Garrett is on Date to be baptized in September and he is a wonderful example of so many of the people in this world searching for truth and acting upon it when they find it. He reminds me a lot of Kleiton, who Sister Gomes and I met here in Salt Lake my first months here.
• We are preparing a training for Zone Conference this week on studying effectively and holy goodness I am so glad I came on a mission because I have been able to improve my study habits a lot. This may sound lame outside of the mission bubble, but I don't care I'm positive it will help. For those in school or starting school soon, try opening your studies for classes with an opening prayer as well as in your own personal scripture study. Let me know if it changes anything. 

"For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come; wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round." 1 Nephi 10:19

• This has become one of my favourite scriptures to share on our tour-lessons/lesson-tours. Everything here comes from God. It testifies of him. Art, genetics, fruit, babies, hot showers, knowledge. God is so consistently here and as we seek Him out, to find and really know Him and the Savior, He will show us little pieces of ourselves, the world, and their teachings through the power of the Holy Ghost. Skittle by skittle.

Speaking of mystery I think a lot of you humans that I know have passed by sneaky or even not so sneaky through Temple Square without me bumping into you and I have to say I am grateful because it would be too sad to see you and say goodbye so quickly again. But I LOVE YOU ALL AND WILL SEE YOU SOON. Thank you for all of your prayers and words that help lift me up every week.

Bon Dia 

Love,

Sister Cox

I'm so sorry I never post pictures of anyone I meet other than myself & Sisters here, but I just don't really take pictures with people I meet. 1. The moment is more important to me than the picture. and 2. Most people coming around probably would be comfortable having their picturing flying around a bunch of emails. Privacy is a neat thing. :) 

But here are a few pics of a few things that have happened with the Sisters this week:

Took mission pictures in the Tabernacle. Stay posted for the official picture later on

Sister Kitchen from Massachusetts, her heart is even bigger than her eyes

A game we played during our zone activity, only a certain amount of body parts could be touching the ground. 

 Sister Semenova and I on overnight exchanges at our very best. :)

District Activity! We went to different Temple grounds and had a picnic and just bonded over fresh air and french fries.

Land that I love

My favourite holiday has come and gone. And another week of sharing the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Joseph Smith said, 

"I am bold to declare before Heaven that I am just as ready to die in defending the rights of a Presbyterian, a Baptist, or a good man of any other denomination [as for a Mormon]; for the same principle which would trample upon the rights of the Latter-day Saints would trample upon the rights of the Roman Catholics, or of any other denomination who may be unpopular and too weak to defend themselves. 

It is a love of liberty which inspires my soul civil and religious liberty to the whole of the human race.”

Joseph Smith also said, "A man filled with the love of God is not content with blessing his family alone, but ranges through the whole world, anxious to bless the whole human race." What a beautiful thing. Because God prepared this country and the hearts of the people, a place of religious freedom  --A country founded on Godly morals, we were able to receive the fullness of Jesus Christ's gospel. We have been blessed to live in a place where we can worship freely, live according to the morals we believe in, and we have the freedom to share these truths with all who will listen. This talk is wonderful I read it yesterday. a wonderful way to begin my 4th of July. I reccomend 10/10. https://www.lds.org/liahona/2015/05/sunday-afternoon-session/preserving-agency-protecting-religious-freedom.p1?lang=eng

I also loved sharing the story of Moroni and the title of Liberty with people who we spoke with yesterday. 

Alma 48: 11"And Moroni was a strong and a mighty man; he was a man of perfect understanding; yea, a man that did not delight in bloodshed; a man whose soul did joy in the liberty and the freedom of his country, and his brethren from bondage and slavery." 

46:12 "and it came to pass that he rent his coat; and he took a piece thereof, and wrote upon it--In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children--and he fastened it upon the end of a pole."

Former missionaries may recognize her from the training videos we watch in the first 12 weeks, The District. Sisters in my own district met her.

I had the opportunity to see my own family yesterday. It was wonderful to be with them all at the place where my own family began, where my parents were married. It felt so good to be able to share in the spirit together with the peace and knowledge that through challenges and heartache and the opposition of life, we can always be together. A truth that I get to share with other families and more of the human race. Thanks again family for coming. I love you all! 

Sister Smith (New Zealand) trying to convince her to come to BYU so I can have her around always, Sister Stahle from Finland. At MLC.

This week summed up: There were many other wonderful miracles and contacts and tours this week that have left my heart feeling stuffed full and happy. We had missionary leadership council. I have a hardworking, beautiful inside and out companion. I had the opportunity to take my Dad's coworkers on a tour. I have been having exchanges with the sisters in my district. I got to see my beautiful, crazy family. I am where God wants me and I am proud to be an American but more importantly I am proud to be a child of God. He loves you all! Press forward with faith! 

Left to right Sister Ashton(Canada), Sister MacFarlane (AK), Sister Tuttle(CA), Sister Peireira(Brasil), Sister Sigaran(El Salvador), Smith and Stahle (above mentioned) @ MLC

To see fotos with family ask the Cox family members.

I love you all more than you know and am grateful the impact you have had in my life, Grande ou pouco. 

Sister Cox