Monday, July 25, 2016

My motto for this last week...REJOICE EVERMORE!!! 

My dearest Family and Friends,

Well, I´ll be honest and say I´ve been trying to think about and plan out this letter for a long time now and no matter how hard I try I just can´t figure out what I want to say. How do you put a year and a half of the best experience of your life into one little email? There are so many feelings in my heart and so much I want to share. I can´t believe all that’s happened in this short time and all the growing and learning I´ve experienced. Part of me feels like I´m dying...like I´m leaving behind a part of my heart that will forever stay in this beautiful country. But the other part of me is so full of gratitude for this incredible experience and an excitement to be able to put everything into practice that the Lord has taught me. I think Ammon says it best in Alma 26 when he spends a whole chapter just glorying in the Lord and trying to put the joy of a missionary into words. In verse 16 it says, "Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full yea, we will praise our God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel."

I honestly can´t express what I feel reflecting on this mission experience, however, one thing I do know for sure - One of the biggest feelings I have is of gratitude to the Lord. Another scripture from this same chapter has been on my mind and in my heart these past few weeks. Verses 11-12 say, "I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom, but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God. Yea, I know that I am nothing, as to my strength I am weak. Therefore, I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things, yea behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever." Here on my mission I have learned that I really am nothing. I am so weak, so imperfect, yet I have also seen the incredible strength of the Lord. I´ve learned to rely on him and seen that when I do, all things are possible. I have truly seen miracles in this last year and a half, and they happen EVERY SINGLE DAY!!! It´s not because of anything I am doing, it´s all thanks to Him and His infinite goodness.

In Alma 29: 9-10 it explains a little more, "I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me, yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance, and this is my joy. And behold, when I see many of my brethren truly penitent, and coming to the Lord their God, then is my soul filled with joy, then do I remember what the Lord has done for me, yea, even that he hath heard my prayer, yea, then do I remember his merciful arm which he extended towards me." I´ve only tried to be an instrument in the hands of God and as a result I´ve seen and felt that great love and joy. I´ve seen the Lord change the hearts of my brothers and sisters here and it´s reminded me how much he´s changed mine as well. He has been so good to me and so good to his children here in little Lima, Peru. 

Last night I was making a little list of some of the things I´ve learned and I thought I´d share a few really quickly. 

1. How to recognize and follow the spirit. 

2. How to love a new culture and people

3. How to study the gospel and learn by the spirit

4. Obedience - The first law of Heaven

5. How to get along with so many types of people and love them

6. How to trust in the Lord and what it means to really have Faith in Christ

7. How to live a life of Service

8. The importance of Family

9. What it means to be a disciple of Christ

10. Gratitude for all I have

11. Covenants and ordinances are the key to eternal progression

12. The temple is the goal

13. How to be a leader and be humble

14. The power and importance of the atonement of Jesus Christ

15. How to live the gospel because I love it and understand why, not just because it´s what you do. 

I´m out of time, but I testify that this work is true. I love my Savior. I’ve felt His love and seen His hand every day. Before I trusted that the Lord would help me create a beautiful life for myself, now I know how. I want to give my life in His service. I love him so much. I know this is His gospel and that He has restored his church on the earth in these latter days. I know we have a prophet who receives revelation from God. I will forever be grateful for this experience. I can´t wait to see you all soon and share these feelings in person. Love you all!!!!! HURRAH FOR ISREAL!!!

Hermana Cox

Visit back to San Roque

French toast in divisions with Hermana Ekins!! 

What two north american missionaries do when they are together. :)

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

My cute companion and I :)

What an awesome week!!!!!! We had interviews with President yesterday which is why we are having pday today. :) My testimony of the power the Lord gives to his servants has grown so much in this time here. I know that the Lord inspires his chosen servants and reveals to them the necessary words and counsel that need to be given. I left feeling like a burden had been lifted from my shoulders and a feeling of peace in my heart. I could feel that the Lord really was pleased with my offering and that he loves me, imperfections and all. It´s something I’ve been really worried about my whole mission, what does the Lord think of my service? President shared a scripture with me in Helaman 10: 4-5 that was an answer to that prayer and desire to know and even though I don´t feel at times like I deserve to have my name placed there along with Nephi, I have faith that the Lord spoke through him and through the scriptures to calm my heart and lift my spirit. I haven´t been a perfect missionary, but I do feel peace in my heart that the Lord is pleased with what I´ve offered. I also felt mucho más tranquila (more calm) about what my plans are heading back home and that it´s going to be a beautiful life ahead of me. 

This week I was super sick which made things a little difficult, but I felt that I had to rely on the Lord every day for the strength and support I needed. He in turn blessed me with that strength and much much more. It was a week of miracles. :) One of my favorites happened with a family who just moved here into the ward. We were walking in the street looking for an address and the wife, R..., came up to us and asked us where the closest church was. We gave her a contact card with the direction and she told us that she was a member but inactive, however, she wants to return to the church. Her husband isn´t a member but agreed to let us come by and visit them. On Saturday night we went to visit and we began talking and the husband started telling us all the things he didn´t like about the church or things he´d heard about the Mormons. The wife was trying to correct him and explain that many of those things weren´t true, but she is only a member of about 2 years and went inactive after 10 months so she didn´t have a lot of answers for him. My companion and I both felt the impression to just let him keep talking and get out all he wanted to say. As we listened to him his critical comments began to lighten up and he started sharing some of the things he did like about the church. We were able to gain his confidence and explain a few of questions. We then decided to share a Mormon message but weren’t sure exactly which one. We just chose one that we had watched with a family earlier that week called "Amor durdadero" about the grandpa with Parkinson´s who takes care of his wife who can´t speak or do anything for herself. After the video ended he was very quiet and we asked him how he felt. He looked at us and just started bawling. He proceeded to tell us about how he had a sickness as well that almost killed him about a year ago and it´s something he will have to fight with for the rest of his life. His wife stuck with him through it all and was a great blessing to him. We began to testify of eternal families and that we can be sealed to our spouses and children for all eternity in the temple. It really hit home and he opened up to us and even accepted the invitation to pray and ask if the church is really true. We also invited him to be baptized if he came to feel that our message was true and he agreed. It was such a beautiful experience and we were all in tears. It´s amazing how the spirit works through us as missionaries and the Lord knows each one of his children. A..., the husband, started out so defensive and hard-hearted but when we followed the spirit we could reach right into his heart and help him understand. Before we left we all knelt down to pray and he offered a very sincere and powerful prayer thanking the Lord for our visit, for our message, and for the chance his family has to learn and become a forever family. How beautiful!!!!!! I love teaching the gospel with all my heart. Sometimes I forget how beautiful and important our message is that we carry, but it´s moments like these when I feel the spirit testify to my heart just as strongly as to those who are listening that it really is true. I love this gospel, I love my Savior, I love my Father in Heaven and am so grateful for his plan of happiness. I can´t wait to see this family keep progressing. :) 

Time is flying, but the blessings just keep coming. I´m so happy and so grateful for every chance I have to share my testimony with others. Never forget to nurture that knowledge. We are at war and Satan is working so hard to weaken the Lord´s soldiers. We are fighting for the souls of God, including ours, and Christ is our captain. That fight is getting every day more intense and we must put on our armor every morning. Read the scriptures, pray with real intent, go to church and keep the Sabbath day holy, pay tithing, serve others, and never forget to thank the Lord for every blessing he sends us. I know we will win and I know we will receive our grand reward of eternal life. It´s not easy and we can´t arrive at the celestial kingdom by accident. The Lord needs agents, he needs strong warriors, and he needs them for life. Love you all so much! Stay strong and find joy in living the gospel every day. Have a wonderful week!!!!

Love,

Hermana Cox

Wow, I´m gonna miss Peruvian food!!

Eating our turkey leg at a member´s house. :)

Our ward mission leader is the best and bought us donuts!!!!! Dunkin donuts at that!!! :)

Our FHE with the S... family (recent converts) and our two awesome investigators, G... and A... Ramos. They are planning on getting married in August so they can get baptized!! :)

Monday, July 11, 2016

This week was another one of running around and trying to keep up with the work of two areas. I love being busy but it sure does get exhausting sometimes. :) We set a goal to take our recent converts that still haven´t gone to the temple yet on the 23rd to do baptisms. They are getting super excited about it and so am I! :)

We also had many miracles this week with Investigators getting to the sacrament meeting. We were planning on bringing one of our investigators, C..., and we planned to meet her at the bus stop but when we got there, she wasn´t there. We tried calling but her phone was off and we were going to be late so we just went, praying that somehow she would miraculously show up. We also have another investigator that was going to be picked up by a family but that family called us in the morning to tell us the dad was in the emergency room and they wouldn´t be able to bring him. He lives far away and we didn´t have time to get him but we didn´t have his number either to communicate. We thought of a new convert that lives pretty close and called to ask if she could get him. She had no idea where his house was and we don´t have an exact direction either because we always visit him in his store. We just gave her the best directions we could and then prayed she would be able to find him in time for them both to make it to church. We got to Sacrament meeting and we didn´t see any investigators and were feeling a little bummed out, but then to our surprise just as the opening song was starting we saw C... walk in with a member that lives in her building that she had decided to go with instead. We were super excited and she looked really happy to be there. Then about 2 min. later J... (our other investigator) walked in with the new convert (R...) as well. She had somehow been able to find him and they both made it there on time. Later we had 3 more investigators come in with members that we had forgotten to call and remind. It was a fun day at church having them all there and seeing how great the ward was to help them and befriend them. I am so grateful for the members who help us and for the little miracles we see every day in the Lord´s work. We are all one big team and he helps us as we put forth our best efforts. 

Our area is doing well and we are working with some awesome families...but many of them are living together and not married. We are still working hard with them and seeing progress but we will have to be a little patient with the marriage paper process. The good news is that they are willing and are putting forth their efforts. The Lord will bless them for that. My companion is the best and is such a hard worker. She keeps me focused and helps me not overstress with her jokes and humor. :) She has been having a lot of foot pain this week and it´s gotten really swollen. We´ve had to walk around really slow this week which is always difficult, but I feel the Lord is teaching me patience and a lot of love instead of getting frustrated. It´s an opportunity to serve and show compassion. :) Please pray for her that she can get better soon! 

Every day is a blessing and I only pray that I can continue to be an instrument in the Lord´s hands and do his will. This week I decided I want to stop focusing on all the things I still lack or wanted to accomplish or learn while here on my mission and just focus on being grateful for all the experiences and blessings the Lord gives me each day. If I do my part, he´ll take care of the rest and teach me what I need to learn. I love him and am so grateful for this time I have to serve him. Keep serving others, keep nurturing your testimony every day, keep loving as the Lord taught us how. Unconditionally and unselfishly. How did you like the talk? Awesome, right?! Hope you had the opportunity to read and study it. :) 

Love you all so much. Thank you for your love and support!!!! Keep the prayers coming this way for the R... Family (get married and keep progressing), V... Family (Same), N... (get married and that her boyfriend will come back to church), J... (with his job and also that he can keep progressing. He will be moving to Chile in a week so we want to send his referral there), S... (have support from her family), M... (time for us to visit her), O... and N... (get married and come to church), and V... family (Same). Also F... and M..., C..., E..., and M...A... that they can get everything ready to go to the temple next week!! 

Until next week!!

Love, Hermana Cox

Monday, July 4, 2016

Familia y Amigos!!! 

Another great week here in paradise! There are seriously so many prepared, chosen people here and I feel so blessed to have the chance to share the gospel with them and help them to change their lives. Like I mentioned last week there are lots of couples who we need to help get married first and then they will be able to be baptized and take their first step towards their eternal family. We have 4 couples we are working with right now and 2 of those families also have children who are preparing as well. What a miracle it is to work with families. I love it so much. On Saturday we visited one of these families, the R... Family, and after we finished teaching them we asked if they had any questions for us. G..., the wife, looked at us and asked, "So I´ve heard about something that you do in families to help them be more united...family night or something like that." My companion and I both got really excited and started explaining a little bit about how we do a family home evening and why it helps us strengthen our families. They asked us to come and teach them how to do it sometime and it just so happened that our awesome ward mission leader was there at the appointment with us and volunteered to bring some members the next day and do a family home evening. They agreed and yesterday (Sunday) we did a family home evening with them and their kids. It was so sweet and a group of members came and joined us as well (We could barely all fit in their house). They loved it and are so excited to keep learning more and be a part of the ward. The members invited their kids to the young men and women activities and they are all super excited about it. The members here are amazing and are so willing to drop everything and serve with us. I know the Lord is blessing this ward with prepared families because the members are prepared and ready to receive them and help them.

One of our other investigators, N..., is the daughter-in-law of a member family and was invited to go to the temple with the relief society on Saturday. The RS President stayed outside the temple with all the recent converts and less active members that couldn´t enter the session and gave them a big tour of the temple and explained the importance of the ordinances we do there. N... came back so touched and I think it was a huge step towards her desire to be baptized. She also needs to get married first and her husband is less active so it will be a challenge, but she is so sensitive to the spirit and is really falling in love with the gospel and sees and understands how it will bless her family. 

We also had an awesome multi-zone conference on Friday and I really enjoyed it. President talked a lot about the importance of faith in our eternal progression and he assigned us a talk by Elder Scott to read. It´s called "The transforming power of faith and character". I highly recommend looking it up and reading it. Then tell me what you think! It talks a lot about how our character, who we are becoming is what matters most to God and in order to develop a strong character we must exercise faith in Christ. I wish I had the talk with me now to share all my favorite parts, but unfortunately I left it at home...but you´ll have to read it to find all the beautiful messages for yourself. :) At the end of the conference, President always asks a few missionaries who are finishing to share their testimonies. Among those were Elder Josh Nieman, Elder Kolton Pierson, and I. They are my buddies from High School and it was so fun for me to hear them share their testimonies and I can honestly see how much they have grown in their time here. They both got emotional and shared powerful testimonies of the Savior and his gospel. I know they will return with great power and continue to be instruments in the Lord´s hands. I was so filled with the spirit as I got to share my humble testimony and I feel so grateful for this amazing experience I´ve had. I was grateful for the chance to testify of my Savior and the reality of his gospel. 

Love you all so much. I hope you have a great week and see the blessing God sends every day. Go look up that talk I mentioned and set some goals for yourselves. I love you all!!!!!

Con Amor, 

Hermana Cox

 I don´t know where I left off with pics, but these are some from my last day in Campoy, my last area

Our family of converts,

 our ward mission leader and those who were in our family home evening. 

My pensionista and her family,

Pictures from my current area

New Zone in Surco!!!

Family Home evening with our recent converts

My cute compie completed one year in the mission!!! Wahooo!!!