Monday, September 21, 2015

Familia y Amigos,

Wow, what an excellent week! It started out with an awesome P-day hearing from my family and receiving support and love from them. I was especially touched by some news from my mom about an aunt I have who has always been a shining example to me. Her name is Sherri and right now she is battling stage 4 cancer in her brain, eye, and spine. On Monday my mom told me that they´ve now found it spreading into her lungs. We found out about her cancer before I came on the mission and I told my mom to keep me updated on how she was doing. Even though she is fighting for her life, her attitude is exemplary. She has completely put her life in the Lord´s hands and is using this trial as an opportunity to learn and grow closer to the Lord. She frequently posts about her faith, how it´s helping her to continue on every day, and the things she is learning from this whole experience. She always talks about "her miracle" and really believes that the Lord can heal her. This week however, my mom sent me what she has written recently about how she´s doing. My aunt talked about how for so long she has had such firm faith that God would provide her "her miracle" and she would be able to beat this cancer, however recently she has been realizing that the miracle has been happening all along. She talked about how her relationship with Christ has increased dramatically, she understands the atonement in a whole new light, and most of all she has seen that she herself has completely changed and is becoming more and more like Christ. She said that for her, this is the greatest miracle of all. 

It reminded me of a quote that I have from Elder Dallin H. Oaks that says, 

"Changing bodies or protecting temples are miracles, but an even greater miracle is a mighty change of heart by a son or daughter of God. A change of heart, including new attitudes, priorities, and desires is greater and more important than any miracle involving the body. I repeat, the body will be resurrected in any event, but a change affecting what the scriptures call the "heart" of a spirit son or daughter of God is a change whose effect is eternal. If of the right kind, the change opens the door to the process of repentance that cleanses us to dwell in the presence of God. It introduces the perspective and priorities that lead us to make the choices that qualify us for eternal life, "the greatest of all the gifts of God."

 It got me thinking so much about how good God is and how great his plan is. Then we got to go and listen to Elder Godoy from the 70 on Wednesday talk about our worth and potential as missionaries and as children of God, and about how we should not only be in the process of changing lives of others, but of our own, it really made a profound impact on me. Then to add the cherry on top, we got to go to the temple with the ward on Friday and bring our recent convert as well as 2 more from the other Hermanas. What a beautiful experience to bring these precious souls to the house of God and let them taste of the joy that is there and what they can feel as they continue on this path and draw closer to him. As I sat and talked with L..., our recent convert, she kept expressing to me how happy she was but yet how sad that she hadn´t accepted the gospel into her life sooner. Almost all of her kids are members and she just recently decided it was her turn to join the church. It´s so amazing to see the love and mercy God has for each one of his children and the great plan he has for each of us. We are here to become like him, to grow, to learn, to change. And that is the greatest miracle of all, the most important miracle to him. 

I love being a missionary and I receive so much joy from seeing the changes in the lives of the people. We really saw miracles this week and know the Lord is with us in our work. Please keep praying for J...y, J..., and Y.... Also I... Q... and her family. They are recently activated members and she is separated from her husband and struggling to make ends meet. And it doesn´t help that her husband keeps coming around to cause trouble. 

Hope you all have a great week! Remember to keep the eternal perspective in mind and look for how the Lord is working his miracles in your life. How is he changing you and how are you becoming the person he created you to be. Love you all!!!

Hermana Cox

Monday, September 14, 2015

Hola Familia y Amigos!!!!

Well this week flew by! Lots of difficult moments but also many many miracles. I´m realizing more and more that there is so much more to this life than I think we really understand. Lately I’ve had a lot of little teaching moments where the spirit has whispered to my heart and helped me step back to see the bigger picture, to understand a little better this great plan of happiness he has prepared for us. We visit so many people every day and each one is so different with problems and challenges that are so unique to them, however, God´s plan is still the same. The gospel is still the answer. It´s something I am coming to understand more and more in the mission and it never ceases to amaze me how good the Lord is. How perfect is his plan. How great is his love and desire to see us succeed. I can´t really describe my feelings in words. :) 

I´ve been slacking on my stories lately so I’ll try and tell a little more about some of our investigators. :)

Yesterday we went to visit a lady named M.... She works for a lady who feeds the missionaries so that is how she came in contact with the church. She said that every now and then she eats along with the Elders and talks with them and that they have really helped her with some problems she has now in her life. She talked about how much peace she felt around them and that she was looking for that in her life. The Elders passed us the referral and we got to go visit her yesterday. She also has a son named C... who is 12 and she wants him to listen with her. We just talked for a while about her experience with the Elders and then shared a scripture with her in John 16:33 about the peace that Christ gives us. She started crying and told us this is really what she wants in her life. We invited her to be baptized and she said she would pray about it and let us know how she feels as we continue teaching her. Please pray for her. :) 

We are also teaching a boy named J... who is the son of a less active woman. Before I got here the missionaries were teaching him and he didn´t want to hear anything from them. He sat super bored at the table, made rude comments about how what the missionaries were saying didn´t matter to him and that he didn´t even believe in God. But as we´ve really tried to change our way of teaching and try to understand him more and why he responds the way he does, the spirit has helped us know how to reach him. He had some close family members pass away recently and he is hurting. We were able to find this out and help him realize the love God has for him and process the situation better. He is now coming to church and has almost accepted a baptismal date for October. Please keep praying for him as well as his family. 

Yesterday President Boswell (our mission president) came to speak in our ward which was really fun to see him. We are clear out on the edge of the mission so we don´t get to see him as often as I used to in my other areas. But the first speakers left lots of time for him...40 min. to speak so he called on me to give a talk before he spoke. Luckily I had something prepared and it went well but it was fun to get to speak with him. He´s a great man and is such a blessing for me here. 

Just another week of searching for souls and being led by the spirit to those who are searching for the truth. In our area we basically live on the side of a huge hill so everything is either up or down...but usually up. :) Lots of stairs that we climb every day...usually 2 or 3 times. And the past few days we´ve been looking for service opportunities and helping people carry bags and other things up to their houses at the top of the hill. Let’s just say my legs and arms are getting huge...probably partially from the climbing and the other part from all the rice we eat every day. :) I have pictures but my computer isn´t working well today so I’ll try to send them next week. 

Love you all so much. Thank you for all the love and support. I know the Lord loves us and is very aware of every single thing we are going through. He wants to help us and teach us. This week I read Elder Uchtdorf´s talk from this past conference about the Gift of Grace. Wow, I learned so much. It´s not God´s plan to try and erase all our sins so that we will be clean and be able to enter his presence. If that were the goal then what is the point of coming to a fallen, sinful world? His plan is much greater than that. He sent us here to learn and grow. And because of his grace, we will not just be clean again, but overcome our weaknesses, learn, and become someone different. Become like him. His grace gives us power to move forward, not to rewind and undue. I invite you all to read his talk and really ponder about what his grace means to you and how you can access it´s power in your life. 

Love you all, Hurrah for Israel!

Hermana Cox

Monday, September 7, 2015

Hola Familia y Amigos!!!

This week flew by but at the same time I feel like so much happened. I´m still getting used to things here in my new area, but loving it more and more every day. I am learning soooo much here, especially with being a trainer. As soon as you have to be the teacher you realize all the things you still don´t know or do perfectly. :) But I’ve been spending a lot of time on my knees and then on my feet trying to do what the Lord wants. It´s a continual process of learning and then teaching what we´ve learned. But I love the things that the Lord has been teaching me and helping me accomplish.

Hermana Saracho is great. We are very very different, but we were able to really have a breakthrough this week in our relationship and it´s gotten so much better. Lots of patience, love, and humility. I know we are together for a reason and that we will both touch each other´s lives for the better. Please keep praying for us and for the people we are teaching. 

This week we started off a little rough and weren´t having a lot of success, but the Lord always blesses us as we don´t give up and keep giving everything we have. This week we found so many people who really need us and the gospel in their lives. We´ve been really trying to focus on using lots of inspired questions in our lessons and using the spirit to help us find out what the people really need. We´ve seen miracles and had so many lessons where the investigator just breaks down crying and tells us all. The spirit knows what the people need, we don´t. Our job is to be receptive and willing to listen so that he can communicate the message to us and help us know what to say.

I know this is really short, but I’m out of time. Seeing miracles every day. Keep praying for us here in Chosica! Thank you for all the love and support, I really feel it and it strengthens me to keep going. Got a fun little package from my family with some sweet messages from my ward that really lifted my spirits. Thank you so much. :) Love you all and hope all is well. Trust in the Lord and rely on his strength when you don´t feel that you have your own. 

Hermana Cox

 New outfit mom sent in my package.  I love it!!!

 Thought you´d enjoy some pics of the new area. Much poorer and dirtier than my other areas, but I love it. :)

Monday, August 31, 2015

Hola Familia y Amigos!!

 It was my pension´s husband´s birthday my last night so we celebrated and said our goodbyes. I love their family so much. They made us feel so loved and at home. :)

Well, this week was probably one of the craziest, exciting weeks of my mission! We had transfers this week, I forgot to mention last Monday that we were going to have them because I honestly was not planning on transferring at all. Hermana Bergeson and I were hoping to stay together another transfer but figured that if someone left it would be her since I just got there. But the Lord likes to shake things up a bit so I got transferred to the complete other side of the mission in Chosica! I went from Surco, the edge of the mission, to Chosica, the other edge of the mission. About a 3 hour bus ride. Chosica is super different than my other areas but I love it. It´s more of what I had imagined the mission would be like here. There are hills of dirt everywhere and the houses are built all the way up the sides. It’s a lot of uphill walking and mountains of stairs, I’ll have legs of steel by the time I’m done here. :) And if that wasn´t a big enough surprise, the Lord thought he´d throw in another curveball and call me to be a trainer. I have a daughter!! Well, a step-daughter. :) I am finishing the last 6 weeks of the training of Hermana Saracho from Buenos Aires, Argentina. She is awesome and we are going to have an awesome transfer together. We are very different which will make things interesting but also provide a lot of opportunity to learn from one another. It´s been a little bit of a stressful week trying to adjust to my new area, new companion, new people, everything new. But I’ve felt the Lord helping me every day and I know he won´t leave me alone, but will strengthen and bless me to adjust and do the best I can. I will try to send more pics of the area because it´s super different and fun. You can probably look up Chosica, Peru in google and maybe see some pictures. :) But I’m doing well and loving it more and more here. Lots of dogs, dirt, and drunks...but it´s an adventure. :) 

 My new room and my new companera!! Hermana Saracho from Buenos Aires, Argentina

Then on Thursday we had the incredible opportunity and blessing to talk to Elder Bednar along with the Lima North mission. I got to see my friends from the MTC which was so fun and also Kaylee Kingston from Sky View. They are all doing awesome. :) Elder Bednar is incredible and I felt the spirit so strong through the whole meeting. There are no words to describe how I felt to be there in the same room as an apostle of God and have him talk with us personally and openly. He is actually super funny and we had a great time. Elder Goddoy of the 70 was also there with him and their wives. They all spoke to us and taught us amazing things about how to be agents and not objects when learning and teaching. It totally changed my view on how to teach the gospel and how to learn the gospel in a way that edifies and makes us agents, not objects. We then had a Q and A which was incredible and we received some incredible teachings and counsel about missionary life, the atonement, the importance of the Book of Mormon, and how to really come to know and become like Jesus Christ. I wish I had more time to tell about everything but I’m about done with my time. But it was absolutely incredible.

I love you all so much. Thank you for all the thoughts and prayers and please keep sending them my way. I know this church is the truth and that it is led by Jesus Christ himself working through his chosen prophets. I love this work and seeing the miracles of the Lord in my life every day. 

Have a great week everyone! 

Hermana Cox

Mate, the famous drink from Argentina. My companion is convinced to make me  a Argentinian :)

 Our church in Surco, my old area. And the delicious yogart we bought on Pday. Had puff cereal things on top with honey. :) And lucuma yogart flavor, a fruit here that is absolutely delicious. :)

My companion and I and the other 2 Hermanas in our ward. We share a room and pension and everything so that´s super fun. They are awesome. Hermana Ekins is from Washington and Hermana Martinez is from Honduras. 

Monday, August, 24, 2015

Familia y Amigos!!!

Sorry about the letter last week, I tried to send it and my computer froze. By the time I got it fixed the time was out and I didn`t get to send it...also now I can`t find it so I guess it`ll just be a week lost in time! :) But the most important parts were that we had interviews with President which are always incredible and help me so much. He truly is an inspired man and I am so grateful to have him as my President. I don`t remember much else of what I wrote...probably some spiritual thoughts and insights to missionary life as usual. :) 

This week went by super quickly but it was full of little miracles. One neat story from Tuesday. Our area contains part of an air force base so there are tons of military families here. The sad thing is that a lot of the families have many struggles with their relationships because the husbands are always traveling and such. Lots of infidelity and struggling marriages. On Tuesday we brought a member to a lesson with us but the lady wasn`t home. We called another investigator to see if we could come visit her, but she told us she didn`t have time. We started walking to visit someone else when the same investigator, Hermana ***, called us back and asked us if we really could come and visit her. She said it was an emergency and that she really needed us to come talk to her. We hurried over and long story short, she told us about how she had an affair with her friend`s husband about a month ago but hasn’t told anyone about it and has been struggling with guilt and stress with keeping it a secret for so long. The wife of the other man is a member in the ward and she found out and has been causing a lot of trouble with the whole situation. There are a lot of other complications with everything but we were able to testify to her of the atonement and that she can find help. We asked if she would like to talk with the bishop and she agreed but only really had that night free to meet with him. We called the bishop and he happened to have time that night to meet with her. Our lesson during that same hour had called earlier in the day to cancel so we had that exact hour free to take her to the church to meet with the bishop and be there to support her. It was so easy to see the Lord`s hand in everything that happened. It was incredible to me to see how we could find this woman in a state of complete despair and desperation with no idea where to turn and then by the end of the night she was so much more at peace and had a direction to walk in. Things are still complicated and will be difficult to fix up, but she is on the path and is using the Savior as her guide. I don`t know if I’ve ever seen the atonement that up close and personal with someone we`ve taught yet and it was amazing to remember how merciful and loving the savior is. The whole time I felt nothing but great love for her and a desire to help her overcome her challenge and sin and taste of the redeeming grace the savior has to offer us. I feel like I got a little taste of the redemptive power of the atonement and it was incredible. 

I`m out of time but please keep praying for G... who is planning on getting baptized in September, M..., J..., Hermana Y..., Y..., C... (we found him the other week and he is doing so much better and wants us to come visit him), and Y... and her 2 daughters. 

Oh and this week I ate a chicken heart! Finally brought myself around to doing it instead of hiding it in my napkin...pretty chewy but if you swallow it fast you can`t taste it. :) 

Love you all!!!!! Have a great week! The church is true! Keep being faithful and use the atonement in your life every day! I promise it works and it is for us. :) 

Hermana Cox

 We had a fun pday at the beach with all the Hermanas which was a real treat and so much needed. I got to see all my past companions and enjoy a day in the sand and sun to relax from the stresses of the mission. Loved it.

 Pics at the beach! It was beautiful! It`s called Chorrillos. :)

 An example of a common meal here in Peru. Rice always with everything. ;) Potatoes, carrots, chicken, and beans are all really common too. Then we made brownies last Monday for FHE with our penionista. Yum!!!!! They don`t have brownies here in Peru so we bought a box of brownies and made it that way. Super fun. :)

 Hermana Bergeson trying to make toast with the iron....we have to get a little creative sometimes. :

 Baptism of the Elders in our ward

Monday, August 17, 2015

 During pday last week we ate all together in a fun little restaurant upstairs. Yummy toasted chip things with a delicious sauce similar to fry sauce. :)

 President Bednar is coming to speak to us on the 27th!!!! Happy 7 month celebration for me!!!! :

San Gabino, one of the apartment complexes for the air force base that we work in a lot.

Monday, August 10, 2015

Hola Hola!!!!!

Well this week was a little rough due to the fact that both my companion and I were a little sick. I have had a pretty nasty cold since last Sunday and the life of a missionary doesn’t really make time for relax and recovery so it`s been lingering a little longer. But I got some Peruvian medicine and feel a lot better today. The Lord definitely helped me so much and gave me strength and energy I didn`t think I had. When we do our part and show our desire the Lord will provide the rest. It`s frustrating to want to work hard and not be able to do all you want, but the Lord knows our hearts and is pleased with what we can give. :) 

 My peruvain medicine...and yes cough syrup still tastes nasty here too. :)

So you know how last week I talked all about our Metas de Excelencia (goals of excellence) and how we were so pumped that we had reached them all? Well it was perfect timing because this week President announced that we were changing them to new goals and indicators. Some things are the same but now the focus is more on working through the members to find referrals and teach with the members. It is something we`ve been trying to do but now there is a lot bigger focus which will be really neat. I am really excited to see how this will change the work here and I know it is inspired of God. It also means a lot of changing things around and trial and error. We were a little stressed this week with trying to figure things out with how this new process will work and how we can meet these new goals but I think we`re getting the hang of things a little better. 

We also had a fun little adventure at the beginning of the week. We had to go to La Molina (my old area) just my companion and I which is about an hour away in bus. So we asked directions from the zone leaders, hopped on a bus, and made our way through the crazy busy city of Lima by ourselves. We had to change buses and routes and things and neither of us had any idea how to work the bus routes but we found our way and got there and back safely. Definitely a blessing from the Lord. We were super proud of ourselves and very grateful. :)

 Some pics of my area. This is the nicer side of town and there are some beautiful parks and i love the vegetation. :)

We are seeing miracles every day and I am learning so much.  The gospel is joy and peace in a world of confusion and sadness. We have the promises of the Lord that if we live faithful we will receive the blessings and help that we need. Living the gospel is so simple, yet can be so hard. It just comes down to the desire and love for the lord to submit our will to his, trust in his words, and do what he has asked of us. He always keeps his promises to us as long as we do our part. 

Love you all! Thank you for the love and support! I love the Lord and I love his work. 

Hermana Cox

Our ice cream run last Pday!!!! We found the best ice cream and it`s super delicious!!!! I got a kind called tres leches which is a creamy sweet flavor with cake pieces and such. Hermana Bergeson got a chocolate flavor with fudge and brownie that was also delicious...yes we are at the sharing ice cream level of our friendship now. :)