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