So this is when we built a house Wednesday that I forgot to say it was pretty fun also the other gringo is our new zone leader he is from St jeezy his name is Elder Call i don´t know if you know him.

 

May 6, 2013

Dear Family,

 

ALA GRAN CHUCHA!!!!  HOLY COW THAT’S SO CRAZY!!! I knew the church was true I didn´t know it was desperate!!!!??? I know you will do awesome.

First of all for the number it’s the same one as before that you called me on if you need it again its 0050230127450 and my comp is going to talk to his family at 5 our time so if you call me at 7 our time it will be good I´m not sure how the time difference is so just if you could figure it out that would be better for me.

This week has been good. We have had some success with doing our 7 visits with the members and everything has been worked out so this Saturday they are going to get married and this Sunday they are going to get baptized.

So I don´t have a lot of time but this week have been working a lot and we are helping Edwin with his problems with Joseph smith and he came to church so that was good and the other family also came so we had all of our 5 baptismal dates in the church. I know if they keep coming that they will learn it’s true.

I was reading in Alma 17 about Alma and the sons of Mosiah and I really like verses 13 and 14 about how it tells us the importance of our work and how they really started a harder work. So we really need to have confidence in ourselves and the mission president gave me some good advice also that I am never to feel sorry for asking people to do the Lord’s work. So I am going to be more bold so that the people can help us. Some of them get it, but they need to understand that this is not the work of the missionaries it’s the ward’s work that we are here to help with.

 Well that’s all

 Love Elder Cox talk to you Sunday!!!!

April 29, 2013

Dear Family,

This week we have really just been looking for more investigators and we have had some success we have found husband of a return missionary and he is awesome. His name is Edwin Franco and his is really awesome. He is really interested in reading the Book of Mormon and he only really has 2 doubts, they are the BOM and Joseph Smith. So really all we need to do is get him to pray about the BOM and the he can know both of the 2. We also found another family that has had the missionaries before and so they also know our purpose, but they never have really like wanted to listen and they have started to come to church. Their names are Johnathan and lucy. Oh also we have talked with the family Marquez and they aren´t going to be able to get baptized until like the 18th cause they haven´t published the thing in the newspaper. The lawyer said they were going to do it today.

The changes are tomorrow and we don´t have changes still so that’s good that means that yeah i am going to the next time cause we only stay in one place for 6 months that means that I will be here for my birthday. I like it that way cause everyone said that they are going to have a party for me and that means that I am going to eat a lot of food and then get sick and fat.

We had Zone Conference on Tuesday and President taught us about all the extra work we have to and that we have to always be looking for something more we can do to ensure that our investigators come to church. Cause if we do all we can they are going to feel the importance of it.

I remember when we would go to Phoenix me and Ang and always some of the other grandkids would always watch like 7 movies on the way there.

I did get the package thank you a lot. I got it like 2 or 3 weeks ago. I think I just forgot to tell you.

On Friday we had another meeting and it was for the new trainers and so we went and we talked about the importance of doing the training for the new missionaries and that they need to know all of the importance of the things cause if they don´t know it then how are they going to let the investigators know the importance of it. He also told us that how they turn out is all up to us, so we have a lot of weight on our shoulders. It’s really scary. The President sometimes he just seems mad all the time. I think it’s just cause he also is stressed and he knows that if he acts like this is important more people are going to think of it as important also.

We are starting a new change and this is the first change where we won´t have to worry about extra studies so I hope we can get a lot more done and that we can be more effective both knowing what we have to do and both knowing the area really well. I am really grateful for this area and what I have learned, I guess I have something else to learn or something here so I hope I can learn it well.

Well love you all thank you for sending the package.

Love,  Elder Cox

4-22-13

April 22, 2013

 

Dear Family,

 

That’s awesome that mom did good on her talk, I knew she would. I remembered that you asked me for something to help you when I had shut down the computer and so I didn´t put anything in. Sorry. I´m sure it was good without my help cause what do I know about eternal families I am still working on my preparation part.

 

That’s sad to hear that Dan died you don´t know what happened to him at all he was just gone or what? What horse am I going to ride when I get back now?

 

I really disliked mowing also, but if it’s what you gotta do to get money it’s what you gotta do right?

 

Ask the Sisiters how they like being in a trio cause for me I loved it cause I feel we worked harder cause there was always one of us that really wanted to work and one other that was like " Okay your right that’s what we need to do so we got a lot more done then before.

 

This week was good we are finally getting into a groove, but I don´t really know how I like getting in a groove cause I feel like that we aren´t doing alot and then when I take the dats on sunday I´m like WOW we did get a lot done this week, the only problem is the success cause no one wants to come to church. We will have a baptism on the 4th of May and a wedding the same day. He has traveled to Mexico 2 times to be able to work it all out and to be able to get it all in place. So now they just have to publish it in the newspaper and wait for a week. So we will have it the next Saturday. I hope I don´t have changes cause that would really suck, but I guess whatever the Lord has planned will pass cause he knows what they need and what I need to make me a stronger member and to make them also stronger members.

 

This week we have found a ton of new investigators the only problem is that none of them came to church this week. So we have to get them to come to church. The kid who we had ready to be baptized his family is getting kicked out of there house, so they have to move and so that has been the problem that they have had. We tried to help them to look for houses, but we still haven´t found much cause where they are right now is really cheap and there isn´t a place cheaper than that anywhere.

 

Joven means young so the youth were at the church waiting for him. We have still been working with the Monterroso and they are good just that they haven´t come to church the one youngest. So it’s really hard. They all said next week. That’s what everyone always says sunday after the meeting is over. So we´ll have to see what happens. Just keep praying for them and we are going to work in taking more young men there with us cause I think they just don´t feel comfortable with them so they just need more friends and for them to invite them.

 

We have been working with one lady for a while. Her name is Edelmira and she has the same problem she just can´t come to church so we need to find a way for her. The other family there are 2 sisters I don´t know if I have told you about them the Masariegos sisters. One of them has to start working and she told us she had received an answer that the Book of Mormon is true and everything and so it’s so hard if they get an answer they have a problem with the temporal things to be able to progress. If they don´t have temporal problems they have spiritual problems like knowing its true and some of them just have both of the problems.

 

It’s just hard to find the people who are ready to receive it and that are willing to confront these problems and take them on and get it done cause they don´t understand the importance and that is another thing that is hard to teach cause we can´t just tell them " this is important" they have to try it. And they just won´t.

 

Well that’s all that has happened this week. Working hard, being frustrated and then feeling relieved and then over and over again I think that’s the way life is though so I´ll just have to get used to it.

 

About the backpack I thought so to, but it doesn´t matter a lot what kind of backpack is I just want that one cause its smaller this one is really big and I want it. I asked my zone leader and they said I could so I am just going to use it if you can send it to me please. That’s all I really have to say.

Thank you for all the love and for everything you do for me.

Love,

Elder Cox

4-15-13

April 15, 2013

Dear Family,

Sorry about last week so I tried to send it one computer and it didn´t work so I went to another one and i sent it and I thought it worked, but I guess it didn´t so sorry. Well I am fine I feel like 100 percent better, but this week was kinda crappy.

We didn´t do horrible but on Thursday we were planning on having a baptism, we had it all planned and everything. The person who was going to baptize him was at the church waiting all day and we went to his house cause his mom had to fill out some papers and she had left for work when she said she wasn´t going to and so we waited there for like 3 hours and she never showed up and all of the jovens were there waiting for him and so that was really kind of crappy and now we can´t find him and every time we go to talk to her she is busy and doesn´t want to talk to us.

The wedding we still are working on it. He left today for Mexico so get his papers so that’s cool. So we are hoping that we can be able to get them baptized on the 27 of this month, so good news and bad news of this week.

We are still working with the other kids of the Monterroso family and so they only have to go to church one more time one of them to be able to get baptized and the other one is still listening to us but we can´t get him to pray and we really need to cause he will then know he doesn´t think God will answer him.

It’s okay that you called the office but you shouldn´t call me for any reason cause that could get me in trouble and I don´t want to get in trouble.

So if you haven´t sent the package yet you should send me my little backpack that I left, the Hurley one, and if you could buy me a little container of oil to like put on a keychain that would be nice cause I don´t have any container of oil.

Well other than that I am doing good, sorry about last week. I love you guys. You should send me the picture that we took at my farewell cause the truth is I have no pictures of my family. Just the ones that Ang and Becca and Jenae have sent me and people always ask me for pics so if you could do me the favor.

Thanks for all you do.

Love, Elder Cox

From Allen: 12-31-12

 

Hey, it was really great to talk to you on Sunday and to hear that you are all doing good, even though I only got to talk to everyone for like 2 minutes. I guess not a lot of people follow the 40 minute rule, because most people were talking to their families like all day that day. That’s okay I think I try to follow it anyways.

This past week me and my comp are doing great we have some great investigators we have a baptism this Saturday with a lady that we have been teaching. And we have another one on the 19th if the husband can come to church these next couple weeks. The wife is awesome and she loves church and stuff only he has problems with why the people who aren`t looking for god have good lives and he is having problems so we have to find a way to help him understand that. And I thought we had figured it out but the way we answered his question it didn´t really work cause he still had the same problem.  hopefully we can figure it out and he can get baptized cause his wife wants to its all ways on him though cause they say they don`t want to be going to like a bunch of different places and worshiping and stuff so hopefully we can get him to feel the spirit enough to do what he need to do.

Other than that really we haven`t had a lot else this week, we have this one teenager kid who loves coming with us and he loves the gospel. I can`t wait for him to be a missionary cause he is going to be great. His name is Emilio Guzman he helps us a lot in lessons and he knows pretty much all of the investigators and recent converts and everything.

One good scripture I like about the spirit is in D&C 8:2-3 about how we have the same spirit as Moses that he used to part the red sea and all we need to do is to believe and that have the faith that he did. It’s kind of weird how everything in the gospel comes back to faith cause you can`t read or pray without faith and you can`t really do anything cause faith the action of doing anything the gospel and without it we have literally nothing. That’s something that we can never stress enough in missionary work cause the people can listen to us and read the scriptures and go to church, but really without prayer we literally cannot receive an answer or a feeling or nada really. So faith is the thing that the whole gospel revolves around.

Love,

Elder Cox

From Allen letter 12-24-12a

Jeeze, Mom, now they’re all going to think I’m a momma’s boy! Just kidding, no I’m good. The reason we didn´t get to write was because there were like 200 missionaries leaving the CCM and they only have like 10 computers so there was not enough space or time. No one ever asked me to give them your emails or anything so I don’t think they do that anymore. All is well. I am learning a lot and yes we will talk tomorrow. I love you guys all so much.

 

From Allen letter 12-24-12b‏

 

Yeah, I´m in the field and doing well. My companion is Elder Lizardo. He is from Honduras he has been in the mission for 11 months. He is a great missionary. I realize now that I don’t actually understand as much as I thought I did in Spanish, but there are people in my district that have only been here for like 3 months and they already speak it pretty well. Me and me comp are opening a new area it is called Lo DE Fuentes 2 so we really know nothing about it, it’s kind of hard but we are doing well. We`ve already got 3 baptismal dates and I can`t wait cause one of the ladies said she wanted me to do the baptism so I guess I better learn the prayer in Spanish. It’s okay cause I have 2 weeks. I’m pretty sure I can do it. Also we have another family with a date and they are a man named Walter and his wife Christy. He is having a hard time believing in God because of all the bad things that are happening to him, but he says if he does know he will be baptized. So that’s good.

I haven´t had a ton of time here in the field so I don´t have a ton of news but yes I did get your package and I also got a package from Jenae. I think you’re fine sending stuff here. Mexico and Guate are different so I think you’re good here.

Our house that we live in has no hot water and the toilet is broken so those are some pretty cool things but it’s okay cause at least we have a place to live, and we have investigators also and since this is a new area those are some good things.

So tomorrow you guys are going to have to call me at like 7 our time so I think that’s 6 your time at this number 502-3012-7450 and if that doesn`t work then I don’t really know what to tell you. But I’m pretty sure it will work.

I hope you guys check your email tonight. If not then I don´t really know what to say. So yeah just read the email today. Thanks for all the presents and stuff. I haven´t opened them yet but I will tomorrow and when you call we´ll talk about that I guess. Yeah so since I am talking to you tomorrow and I don´t have a lot to talk about I´ll talk to you later.

Love Elder Cox

 

From Allen December 1, 2012

I haven’t gotten the package yet. Actually I leave the CCM a week early because they don’t do transfers on the week of Christmas so I’ll talk to you in the field of the mission home one of the two. It was really nice to read Joshes letter I have only gotten one letter the whole time I have been here and it was sent before I left the last MTC. It’s actually helping me I think because I am staying a lot more focused in the things I need to do. It would be kind of nice to get them every once in a while though. Yeah I have seen Annie a few times.  Yeah she leaves on Tuesday I believe for the field.

This last week we did some cool stuff we got both of our fake investigators to commit to baptism. Our investigators are our teachers and she helped us in our companion study and then when we taught the investigator (who was really her) we used almost exactly what she taught us and we got a baptismal commitment. This week I went to the distribution center. Garments here cost like 60 cents in dollars. It’s pretty awesome so instead of washing I just go buy new ones... just kidding, but I have bought some.

 Also this past week I have been thinking a lot about how hard it is out here but I was reading in D&C 122 where God is talking to Joseph Smith and I remembered in my talk and it also says in there "the Son of Man hath descended below them all, Art though greater then he?" and so I wrote that on my planner and I remember it every single day.

So earlier this week I felt like I had hit a wall with Spanish. Like I couldn’t remember anymore but then literally yesterday we learned the past tenses of all the verbs. If you don’t get that ask ben, cause I don’t have time to explain it. But I just got it and it stuck and I am remembering again and stuff. I really love the mission and I can’t wait to actually get out and start helping real people. I really want to. I hope I can change the life of some people because the best part of my week is always when we do contacts at the temple and it’s with real people and I can help them for real.

Um, I don’t really know for Christmas I guess you could send me some cool ties paisley if you know what that is if not then just some cool ties that you think are cool. Also when you send me stuff for Christmas you’ll have to send it to the field and I guess that’s the mission home.

Also this week I have had some good times me and my companion have really grown together in our lessons and are starting to get along really well. I hope I can do that with all of my companions cause with my first one it was so easy this one has been a little harder but I like it.

Love you guys, gotta go!

Love, Elder Cox

12-12-12

Well I guess you could, but that would take some really good timing and I don’t know if it would be good for me. Um well I got your package thank you for it a lot. I don’t really like raisins, craisins or that popcorn stuff but my roommates loved it and I will all of the almonds. Actually I gave the popcorn stuff to Presidente Nicolayeson. He’s the president of the CCM.

Today we went on a city tour so today is our p-day and they said will be either Wednesday or Tuesday next week and from now on. Because there are like 170 Latinos coming in tomorrow and we don’t have enough room for all of us to have p-day on the same day anymore. We will be the only Nortes here, 13 of us in my district. Before there were like 60 or something but they all left and no more are coming until the middle of January. It’s going to be literally all Espanola all the time if I ever want to communicate with anyone.  Also our teacher moved to the states so he isn’t our teacher anymore. So we’re getting new teachers. It kind of sucks, because I really liked both of our teachers.

Today I went to the temple also it was an awesome experience I thought a lot about Christ in there and how he suffered for the pains and things of the world. I am starting to read Luke all the way through I don’t think I ever have by myself to learn more and more about his life.

Tomorrow me and my comp are going to the hospital to get a X-ray on his knee he hurt it the first week here and hasn’t been able to straighten it ever since. Pray for him if you can. He’s getting really discouraged. If I didn’t tell you his name yet it’s Elder Brewer.

Oh also down here in the markets things are so so cheap it’s  crazy I got a brazil jersey for like 10 dollars  and it’s a pretty nice one. I don’t have a ton to talk about this week since its only been like 4 days, but this place is fun. I was kind of nervous to go into the city cause I didn’t know how it was going to be but I had a really good time. I can’t wait for the field. Thanks for all the love and support. Oh if you haven’t sent the Christmas stuff yet with it could you send me like 10 Tide to go pens and like 10 bottles of hand sanitizer. Because those things are like heaven sent with all the colorful foods that are eaten here and also with all of the hands I shake cause people here do not wash their hands.

Love you all very much tell Corbin I’m proud of him and good job on the baptism of Sergio and let him know I’m praying for him. Also I don’t have my book here now for other people to send it to but I’ll get it next week.

Love, Elder Cox

12-4-12

Well I guess you could, but that would take some really good timing and I don’t know if it would be good for me. Um well I got your package thank you for it a lot. I don’t really like raisins, craisins or that popcorn stuff but my roommates loved it and I will all of the almonds. Actually I gave the popcorn stuff to Presidente Nicolayeson. He’s the president of the CCM.

Today we went on a city tour so today is our p-day and they said will be either Wednesday or Tuesday next week and from now on. Because there are like 170 Latinos coming in tomorrow and we don’t have enough room for all of us to have p-day on the same day anymore. We will be the only Nortes here, 13 of us in my district. Before there were like 60 or something but they all left and no more are coming until the middle of January. It’s going to be literally all Espanola all the time if I ever want to communicate with anyone.  Also our teacher moved to the states so he isn’t our teacher anymore. So we’re getting new teachers. It kind of sucks, because I really liked both of our teachers.

Today I went to the temple also it was an awesome experience I thought a lot about Christ in there and how he suffered for the pains and things of the world. I am starting to read Luke all the way through I don’t think I ever have by myself to learn more and more about his life.

Tomorrow me and my comp are going to the hospital to get a X-ray on his knee he hurt it the first week here and hasn’t been able to straighten it ever since. Pray for him if you can. He’s getting really discouraged. If I didn’t tell you his name yet it’s Elder Brewer.

Oh also down here in the markets things are so so cheap it’s  crazy I got a brazil jersey for like 10 dollars  and it’s a pretty nice one. I don’t have a ton to talk about this week since its only been like 4 days, but this place is fun. I was kind of nervous to go into the city cause I didn’t know how it was going to be but I had a really good time. I can’t wait for the field. Thanks for all the love and support. Oh if you haven’t sent the Christmas stuff yet with it could you send me like 10 Tide to go pens and like 10 bottles of hand sanitizer. Because those things are like heaven sent with all the colorful foods that are eaten here and also with all of the hands I shake cause people here do not wash their hands.

Love you all very much tell Corbin I’m proud of him and good job on the baptism of Sergio and let him know I’m praying for him. Also I don’t have my book here now for other people to send it to but I’ll get it next week.

Love, Elder Cox